Asha'mans Holistic Guide to Fiends

[Asha'man]

(I keep having the problem that my browser (Explorer) crashes when I paste text from Office into this window. That's why it took so long -I had to copy it all over manually.)​

Pit Fiend:

Size/Type: Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful, Baatezu)
Hit Dice: 15d8+90 (158 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 32 (-1 size, +5 Dex, +18 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 27
Base Attack/Grapple: +15/+27
Attack: Claw +22 (2d6+8)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +22 (2d6+8) and 2 wings +20 (1d8+4) and bite +20 (2d8+4 plus poison plus disease) and tail slap +20 (2d6+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks Constrict 2d6+16, fear aura, improved grab, spell-like abilities, summon baatezu
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 15/silver and chaotic or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, regeneration 5, see in darkness, spell resistance 28, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +15
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 21, Con 23, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 24
Skills: Bluff +25, Concentration +24, Diplomacy +27, Disguise +25 (+27 acting), Intimidate +27, Knowledge (arcana, religion, the planes) +24, Listen +24, Move Silently +23, Search +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +26, Spot +24
Feats: Cleave, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-like ability (flame strike) and one other
Environment: A lawful evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary, team (2-3), or troupe (1-2 pit fiends, 2-6 malebranche and 2-6 hamatula)
Challenge Rating: 16
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 15-30 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Pit fiends are the highest rank of common devil, adjutants to Dukes of Hell, masterminds of diabolical plots and generals of infernal armies.
They are created from highly distinguished Gelugons, which are immersed in the Lake of Fire for a year and a day. Those who can endure the flames emerge as pit fiends.

Fortunately for such terrible beings, pit fiends are few in number. Only nine are found in each of the eight upper hells, although it is strongly suspected that more -perhaps many more- are retained by Asmodeus in the Ninth Hell.

Combat

Constrict (Ex): A pit fiend deals 2d6+16 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Disease (Su): A creature struck by a pit fiend’s bite must succeed on a DC 23 Fortitude save or be infected with devil chills. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Fear Aura (Su): A pit fiend can radiate a 20-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must succeed on a DC 24 Will save or be become shaken for 15 rounds, and suffer a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks. A successful attack from the pit fiend makes a shaken creature frightened, and it flees as quickly as it can, although it can choose the path of its flight.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a pit fiend must hit with its tail slap attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial damage 1d6 con, secondary damage death. The save DC is constitution-based.
Spell-like abilities: Caster level 17, save DC 17+ spell level.
At will - animate dead, charm monster (DC 21), create undead, damning darkness, desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, detect magic, flame strike (DC 22), greater dispel magic, greater teleport, invisibility, persistent image (DC 22), pyrotechnics (DC 19), suggestion (DC 20), unholy aura (DC 25), unhallow, wall of fire (DC 21)
3/day: blasphemy, power word (stun, kill or blind)
1/day: meteor swarm (DC 26), symbol (any one)
Once per year a Pit Fiend can use wish as the spell (caster level 20th)​

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Twice per day a pit fiend can automatically summon four lemures, spinagon or barbazu, two erinyes, hamatula or osyluth, one malebranche or gelugon. This is the equivalent of an 8th level spell.
Regeneration: Pit fiends take normal damage from weapons that penetrate their damage reduction, and from spells or effects with the [Chaotic] or [Good] descriptor

Feats: Each pit fiend is an individual, hence the open feat slot, which should be used to highlight the pit fiend's modus operandi or preferred tactics. For example, a corruptor of mortals might have Alternate Form, a particularly cautious one might have Combat Expertise, while one who preferred to fight on the wing might have Flyby Attack or Hover.

 

[Asha'man]

The Gelugon!

(A few notes on this gelugon and the other devils: This Gelugon is very similar to the 3.0 gelugon, but with slightly better ability scores and feats. I also changed the mechanics of the fear aura, since I dislike “fail and you don’t get to play”-abilities. (IMO they are even worse than plain save-or-dies). I also leave a feat open because, for purposes of my campaign, high-end outsiders should be at least slightly personalised/specialised. A guardian might have Large and in Charge, while an infiltrator has Alternate Form and a corruptor has Persuasive.

Also, advancement, in most cases, is capped at double base HD for cosmological reasons, but that is of course easy to ignore.

Edit: And I almost forgot this, but credit where credit is due: My Paelyrion is closely based on Pants' excellent Palyrizon)


Ice Devil (Gelugon)
Size/Type: Large Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful, Baatezu)
Hit Dice: 12d8+60 (114 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class: 30 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +18 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 27
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+22
Attack: Spear +18 melee (2d6+9/×3 plus slow) or claw +17 melee (1d10+6)
Full Attack: Spear +18/+13/+8 melee (2d6+9/×3 plus slow) and bite +12 melee (2d6+3) and tail +12 melee (3d6+3 plus slow); or 2 claws +17 melee (1d10+6) and bite +12 melee (2d6+3) and tail +12 melee (3d6+3 plus slow)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Fear aura, slow, spell-like abilities, summon baatezu
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/chaotic or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, regeneration 5, see in darkness, spell resistance 25, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +14
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 22, Wis 22, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +19, Climb +21, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +4 (+6 acting), Intimidate +21, Jump +25, Knowledge (any three) +21, Listen +21, Move Silently +18, Search +21, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +21, Spot +21, Survival +6 (+8 following tracks)
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (spear) and one other
Environment: A lawful evil-aligned plane
Organization: Solitary, team (2-6), squad (9), or troupe (1-2 ice devils, 6-18 bearded devils, and 1-6 bone devils)
Challenge Rating: 13
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; standard items
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: —

Gelugons are high-level officers in the Baatezu hierarchy. They are Blood War commanders, overseers of internal affairs and terrifying warriors. In general it could be said that what the pit fiends plan, the gelugons execute.

Gelugons are particularly common in Cania, working on Mephistopheles' countless projects, and in Avernus, the home front of the Blood War.
A gelugon is about 12 feet tall and weighs about 700 pounds.

Combat:
A gelugon prefers to fight only when doing so serves its mission, but it never hesitates to attack when it deems a battle necessary.
An ice devil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Fear Aura (Su): An ice devil can radiate a 10-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or become shaken for 12 rounds, and suffer a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks. A successful attack from the ice devil makes a shaken creature frightened, and it flees as quickly as it can, although it can choose the path of its flight.

Slow (Su): A hit from an ice devil’s tail or spear induces numbing cold. The opponent must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a slow spell for 1d6 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Spell-Like Abilities:
At will—charm monster (DC 18), cone of cold (DC 19), desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, detect magic, fly, ice storm (DC 18), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), persistent image (DC 19), suggestion (DC 17) unholy aura (DC 22), wall of ice (DC 18)
Caster level 13th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Summon Devil (Sp): Once per day an ice devil can summon 2d10 lemures or 1d6 bearded devils automatically, 2d4 bone devils with a 50% chance of success, or another ice devil with a 20% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.
Regeneration (Ex): An ice devil takes normal damage from weapons that penetrate its damage reduction and from spells or effects with the chaotic or good descriptor.

Feats: Suggested feats for ice devils include Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Large and in charge and Alternate Form

Variants:
There exists one variant devil form in the Gelugon caste: The Paelyrion.
Paelyrion appear like leaner, more serpentine pit fiends, with vulture-like wings, goat's horns and indigo scales. They are rare, and spread throughout Hell, but most common in the second, third and seventh hells. They are brokers of power and information, infernal masters of intelligence and counterintelligence. In general they outrank the gelugons, and in fact can approach the influence and power of pit fiends within their field of responsibility, but never hold high millitary rank or command troops, apart from small cadres of osyluth agents, spinagon and imp messengers.

Large Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 13d8+65 (123 hp)
Initiative: +8
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), fly 60 ft. (poor)
Armor Class: 29 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +16 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+22
Attack: Claw +17 melee (1d8+5)
Full Attack: 2 claws +17 melee (1d8+5) and bite +12 melee (2d6+2) and tail +12 melee (2d6+2 and poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Fear aura, improved grab, mind drain, spell-like abilities, summon baatezu
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/silver and chaotic or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, knowledgeable, mind blank, regeneration 5, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, scent, see in darkness, spell resistance 26, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +14
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 19, Con 21, Int 22, Wis 20, Cha 20
Skills: Appraise +22, Bluff +21, Concentration +21, Decipher Script +22, Diplomacy +25, Gather Information +21, Intimidate +23, Jump +9, Knowledge (any two) +22, Knowledge (others) +16, Listen +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +24 (+26 to decipher scrolls), Spot +24, Use Magic Device +23 (+27 involving scrolls)
Feats: Alternate Form(b), Combat Reflexes, Empower Spell-Like Ability (enervation), Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (enervation), Ability Focus: Mind Drain
Environment: Nine Hells of Baator
Organization: Solitary or squad (1 paelyrion, 1-18 osyluth, 4-20 spinagons)
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: Standard coins
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: 14-21 HD (Large); 22-26 HD (Huge)


Combat:
A paelyrion is most likely to flee any combat that it didn't initiate itself. Should it decide to fight, though, it will do so from the safety of Greater Invisibility, attacking with its spell-like abilities (particularly Enervation). Whenever possible, paelyrion prefer to surround themselves with bodyguards, whether loyal devils or charmed dupes.
If it initiates a fight, a paelyrion will cast greater invisibilty ahead of time, then attack with quickened enervation and hold monster on the enervated victim. It will apply enervation as needed to weaken the target until it can successfully grapple and mind drain.

Fear Aura (Su): A paelyrion can radiate a 10-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must succeed on a DC 21 Will save or become shaken for 13 rounds, and suffer a -2 morale penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks. A successful attack from the paelyrion makes a shaken creature frightened, and it flees as quickly as it can, although it can choose the path of its flight.


Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a paelyrion must hit an opponent at least one size category smaller than itself with both claw attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. It then can subject the opponent to its mind drain attack.

Knowledgeable (Ex): Due to the many minds the paelyrion has consumed, it has a repertoire of considerable knowledge. It can make any Knowledge check untrained, and it counts as having 10 ranks in all knowledge skills. (If it wants to buy more ranks, it needs to buy 11 or more ranks before it gains an increased bonus.)

Mind Drain (Su): A creature grabbed by the paelyrion can be subjected to its most feared ability; its ability to consume the knowledge of a creature. If the paelyrion makes a successful grapple check, it "kisses" its foe with its long, barbed tongue. Doing so deals 1d8+2 points of damage and the victim must make a Will save (DC 23) or take 1d4 points of Int and Wis damage as the victim’s mind is drained. The paelyrion often uses this technique to extract information from prisoners. Once it has completely drained a target, it has access to all of the knowledge and memories the victim had, although it doesn’t gain access to any of its skills, feats, or special abilities. A victim completely drained is nothing but a mindless husk, and only a wish or a miracle can restore the lost memories and knowledge. Restoring the character’s Int and Wis damage awakens the character, but he has no knowledge of his former life and cannot access any feats, skills, or other special abilities. His base attack bonus drops to +0. He retains any other benefits of gained levels though (such as Hit Dice and saving throws). The save DC’s are Charisma based.

Poison (Ex): A creature struck by a paelyrion's tail is exposed to a hallucinogenic poison similar to mordayn vapor (BoVD page 42). He must make a fortitude save (DC 21) or enter a stupor full of vivid hallucinations. This is very pleasant, but terribly inconvenient in combat: for the next 13 minutes, the character has a 50% chance to lose any action he attempts, as he cannot take his attention from the vivid visions. There is no secondary damage like ordinary poisons have, but there is an insidious side effect: the poison, and the visions, are addictive. They have the same side effects and addiction rating as mordayn vapor.

Spell-Like Abilities:
At will – charm monster (DC 19), darkness, detect chaos, detect good, detect magic, fireball (DC 18), enervation, greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), hold monster (DC 20), persistent image (DC 20), suggestion (DC 18)
3/day –greater invisibilty (self only), unholy aura (DC 23)
1/day –blasphemy (DC 22), mass charm monster (DC 23), dominate monster (DC 24).
Caster level 15th. The save DC’s are Charisma based.

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Once per day, a palyrizon can automatically summon 3-12 spinagons or 1-6 osyluths. This is the equivalent of a 6th-level spell.
Mind Blank (Sp): Paelyrions are protected by continuous mind blank as per the spell (caster level 15th).
Regeneration (Ex): A palyrizon takes normal damage from weapons that penetrate its damage reduction, and from spells or effects with the chaotic or good descriptors

Feats: The Alternate Form feat allows a paelyrion to assume a specific, humanoid form of Medium or Small size once per day, as the ability of the same name. The paelyrion can remain in its alternate form for as long as it wishes.

 

[Cheiromancer]

For the pit fiend I'd make unhallow only 1/day. Maybe reduce the uses of persistent image, too. Nobody should be able to spam permanent spells.

For the paelyrion, you misspelled "specific" in the Feats section at the bottom.

I like your change to the fear rules. I also like the open feat slot.

 

[Asha'man]

Thanks for the feedback! Let's see:

I've corrected the errors. The more you spot for me, the merrier.

Persistent Image is 1 min/level, you're probably thinking of Permanent Image.

Unhallow is a bit odd, since it has a 24 hour casting time. So 1/day is in fact the same as "at will" in this case, except that if it's interrupted during casting it can start over right away. I think they should be able to do that, so I keep it at will.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Yikes. I'm getting rusty at the rules. I was indeed thinking of permanent image. I had also thought that spell-like abilities take 1 round to use: it turns out that unless the description says otherwise, they default to the casting time of the associated spell.

So yeah, this thread has been valuable to me in unexpected ways! I now know more about the rules than I did before.

Thanks. And the variant rule for fear is definitely a keeper.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[GandalfMithrandir]

Great job so far!