The Slayer's Guide to Demons
| Author | Alejandro Melchor |
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing |
| Publish date | 2003 |
| OGL Section 15 | sgdmn |
The material below is designated as Open Game Content.
The brood of Tanar are not the only demons to inhabit the Abyss, adding to the seemingly endless number of demonic species to plague the universe. This chapter presents additional demons of all levels of powers, from the seemingly harmless jar’taska'ka shadelings, the cunning van’g'ka vengadi and the insane nuyul'ka diazhit to the rulers of each kind. Additional demonic templates help Games Master fill out their demonic encounters by diversifying the half-demons of the different demonic families, fleshing out the damned souls that arrive to the Abyss and creating the powerful archdemons, just below the Demon Lords.
The Tanar
By far the most brutal and powerful brood in the Abyss, the members of the Tanar brood espouse closely the tenets of chaos and darkness, with a staggering variety of shapes and functions that allowed it to easily overpower the rest of the demon families with its ability to reproduce quickly. Of the Tanar, the balor reign supreme while the dretch stand at the lowest rung of the ladder of the demonic food chain.
Brood of Tanar Qualities
Immunities (Ex): Members of Tanar’s brood are immune to poison and electricity.
Resistances (Ex): Members of Tanar’s brood have cold, fire and acid resistance 20.
Telepathy (Su): Members of Tanar’s brood can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Chitterling (Tanar'ka)
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft, climb 40 ft
AC: 17 (+1 Size, +2 Dex, +4 Misc.)
Attacks: 2 Claws (19-20/x3) +4 melee; 1 Bite -2 melee
Damage: Claws (19-20/x3) 1d8; Bite 1d4
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, chitter (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 5/cold iron or good, SR 10, Tanar'ka Qualities, Telepathy (Su)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Jump +7, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Spot +4, Survival +4
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (claws)
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Brood (2-5), pack (6-20)
CR: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Lawful Evil (Always)
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Small), 5-6 HD (Medium-size)
Greater demons use chitterlings as a hunting animal, unleashing them on their lands in the Abyss or across planar barriers to seek out their prey. The chitterlings, however, are not appropriate tools for an efficient hunt like the retrievers. Demons see it as using a dull spoon to dig out a victim’s heart; it is hunting as a sport, making the pursued target suffer before the real attacking power comes in.
Chitterlings are disgusting little creatures that resemble a squatting barrel with spindly but powerful legs and arm-like forelimbs ending in long and barbed claws. Their front end is a wide mouth with razor-sharp teeth that they click together constantly, making the noise that gives them their name. They have two eyes on each side of its wide and neckless head with horizontal pupils. When a pack of chitterlings catches its prey, their masters must come and tear them away if they want the target in more or less one piece, as the little demons will start ripping a fallen target apart at the first opportunity.
Chitterlings understand but do not speak Abyssal and Common.
Combat
Chitterlings approach targets with some of them using their chittering ability while the rest advances, using their illusion abilities to seem a lot more than they really are and making their target miscalculate. They often lay in wait in cavern ceilings, dropping in the middle of a group attacking with their wicked claws.
Spell-like abilities: At will – darkness, jump, scare; 1/day - displacement, mirror image. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 2nd-level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Chitter (Su): A group of chitterlings may gather to emit a disturbing chittering noise from which they are named. The noise causes strange and disorienting echoes that distort sound as more creatures join the chorus. For every chitterling above the first using the chitter ability, all creatures within 60 feet of any of the participating chitterlings suffer a -1 penalty on all Listen checks and, a 5% chance of failure to spellcasting that stacks with the chance of arcane spell failure from armour. In addition, creatures must make a Will save (DC 9 + number of chitterlings) if inside the area or immediately upon entering the area if the chitterlings continue their song. Failing the saving throw makes a character believe he is flanked and acts accordingly, granting one attacker he is fighting in melee (chosen by the character’s player) the +2 bonus to attack and the opportunity for sneak attacks.
Telepathy (Su): Chitterlings can communicate telepathically with other chitterlings within 100 feet.
Skills: Chitterlings have a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks and +4 racial bonus to Jump checks.
Teradrozu (Tanar'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaos, Evil)
HD: 8d8+8 (44 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: Fly 30 ft. (perfect)
AC: 22 (-1 Size, +1 Dex, +8 natural armour, +4 mage armour)
Attacks: 2 Claws +7 melee
Damage: Claws 1d4 + 1d6 electricity
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, spells, shocking claws (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/cold iron or good, SR 20, Tanar'ka qualities, secret lore (Su), telepathy (Su)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 16
Skills: Appraise +10, Bluff +11, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +11, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (religion) +15, Knowledge (the planes) +15, Listen +8, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +17, Spot +7
Feats: Combat Casting, Skill Focus (spellcraft), Still Spell
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
CR: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large), 17-24 HD (Huge)
Even when demonic rulers have little inclination to heed advice, a breed of demons is especially adequate for the task. Teradrozu are the viziers of demonic courts, inclined to magic beyond the natural prowess of demonkind. Their services as councillors and magical support are on par with their role as the tempters of mortals who seek knowledge for its own sake, tempting them with little snippets of wisdom and unknown facts, asking for higher and more grotesque prices that will slowly drive their victims mad, or as corrupt as they are.
These humanoid demons are extremely tall, measuring around nine feet but having the same build as a human, making them rather thin and emaciated under the rich robes they use to cover themselves. Their fingers are unnaturally long and spindly, and always have little arcs of electricity coursing between them. Their faces have taut skin pulled hard into an angular skull with a long cranium extending backwards. Their eyes are as shards of obsidian sunken deep as if they had spent entire nights in study. Their lipless mouths seldom open, as their preferred mode of communication is telepathy.
Teradrozu speak Abyssal, Infernal, Celestial, Common, Sylvan, Draconic and Undercommon.
Combat
Teradrozu are wizards by vocation, so they let loose with spells before they ever let anyone get close to them. They are keen to use Conjuration spells to summon lesser allies to delay opponents. Only when they have no options left do they attack with their claws which naturally crackle with arcane energy.
Secret Lore (Su): In addition to their normal stores of knowledge, the teradrozu may enter a brief trance lasting five minutes to obtain the answer to almostany question. This ability works like legend lore as if the question’s subject was at hand, and like analyse dweomer without the fatigue. Both versions of this ability work as the spells with the same name as cast by a 12th level wizard.
Shocking Claws (Su): In addition to normal damage, a teradrozu´s claws deal 1d6 points of electrical damage. If the teradrozu scores a critical hit, its claws release a ferocious burst of electricity for +1d10 of damage in addition to the double damage from the claws and the normal electrical effect.
Spells: A teradrozu prepares and casts spells as a 6th level wizard. Spells commonly prepared (Wiz 4/5/ 4/3): 0 – arcane mark, detect magic, ray of frost x2; 1st – mage armour, protection from good, protection from law, ray of enfeeblement, see invisibility; 2nd - blur, misdirection, invisibility; 3rd – fireball x2, summon monster III. Once per week, the teradrozu may use plane shift on itself only.
Spell-like Abilities: At will – alter self, darkness, cause fear, gaseous form, invisibility (self only); 3/ day – dispel magic; 1/day – ethereal jaunt, commune. These abilities are as the spells cast by an 8th-level wizard (save DC 15 + spell level).
Telepathy (Su): Teradrozu can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Predaska (Tanar'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaos, Evil)
HD: 6d8+18 (45 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 24 (-1 Size, +3 Dex, +12 natural armour)
Attacks: 2 Claws +9 melee; 4 stings +7 melee
Damage: Claws 1d6+4; stings 1d4 + poison
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, poison (Ex), rend (Ex), paralysing ray (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/cold iron or good, SR 15, Tanar'ka qualities, blindsight (Ex), scent (Ex), telepathy (Su)
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +7
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Balance +7, Climb +9, Hide +10, Jump +8, Listen +11, Spot +11, Survival +12
Feats: Track, Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair (2) or pack (5-20)
CR: 8
Treasure: None
Alignment: always chaotic evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge)
When the greater demons hunt for sport, they use chitterlings, but when they hunt for real, they use the predaskas. These demons are cruel and brutal, driven by a relentless will and desire to crush and rend their prey into tiny bits. They prefer to hunt alone when no greater demon is pushing them into service, and they have been known to ambush bigger fiends just for the sheer fun of it. Many lords have been forced to make an example by dismembering a predaska that steps out of bounds, but often the rulers of demonkind are content to let these beasts run loose and keep their minions on their toes.
Predaskas resemble very large greyhounds with purplish skin with several darker scabs and pustules. Their heads are triangular and ending in a bird-like beak and ringed with three rows of teeth, with the top being completely smooth and eyeless. On their backs and above their forelegs, predaskas have four insect-like arms ending in barbed stings that drip poison. The hunting demons use these additional limbs for movement as well as for attack.
Predaskas understand Common and Abyssal, but seldom speak it.
Combat
Predaskas charge savagely into combat, they try to use their paralysing ray to immobilise the toughest looking target in a group and later savaging the others with a combination of bite and stings. They do not trust their poison to do their work for them.
Blindsight (Ex): Predaskas have the extraordinary ability to combine an acute sense of touch, that feels the vibrations in the air for 60 feet around, with their detecting spell-like abilities, enabling them to ‘see’ effectively without vision. This ability makes invisibility and darkness (even magical darkness) irrelevant to the demon (though it still cannot see ethereal creatures). Blindsight never allows the predaska to distinguish colour or visual contrast.
Predaskas can avoid gaze attacks and are immune to blinding attacks.
Poison (Ex): Sting, Fortitude save (DC 15); initial damage 1d6 Dexterity, secondary damage paralysis for 1d4x10 minutes. A target that suffers the damage is immune to additional dosages for one day.
Rend (Ex): A predaska that hits with two sting attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals an additional +1d6 points damage, plus another +1d6 for each extra sting that hit after the second.
Paralysing Ray (Su): If the predaska foregoes all sting attacks in one round, it can click them together and produce a ray with a range increment of 60 feet. It is considered a ranged touch attack. A target hit by the ray must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be paralysed as if under the effects of a hold monster spell.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a predaska can attempt to summon 2d4 chitterlings or 1d4 predaskas with a 35% chance of success.
Spell-like Abilities: At will – locate person, darkness, detect magic, detect good, detect thoughts, detect law; 3/day – teleport without error (self only); 1/day – ethereal jaunt, commune. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 12th-level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Telepathy (Su): Predaskas can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Glodretch (Tanar'ka)
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft
AC: 23 (-2 Size, +15 natural armour)
Attacks: 4 Slams +15 melee
Damage: Slams 2d6+7 and splash damage
Space/Reach: 15 ft x 15 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, nauseating presence (Ex), splash damage (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 5/good, SR 10, Tanar'ka qualities, thick-headed (Ex)
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +5, Will +9
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 9, Con 20, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +12, Intimidate +10, Jump +17, Listen
+15, Spot +15, Survival +5
Feats: Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Power Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or pair.
CR: 11
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Huge), 21-30 HD (Gargantuan)
These terribly dumb and slow demons are the brood of Tanar’s heavy assault troop as they can deliver great damage to their enemies with their four massive arms and the innumerable oozing sores along its skin. A glodretch leads a very simple existence of grabbing anything scuttling around its feet and eating it promptly, except when such a meal defends itself, which is when the glodretch flattens it before resuming its meal.
Glodretch resemble the meagre dretch in that they are squat and fat-looking humanoids, but the resemblance ends there. Glodretch have four meaty arms and their entire pinkish skin is covered with boils and oozing sores and with several folds that overlap over each other for quite a disgusting spectacle.
Glodretch understand but do not speak Abyssal.
Combat
Glodretch’s approach to combat is simple. Hit it hard until it stops moving.
Splash Damage (Ex): When a glodretch hits with either of its arms, it breaks some of the pustules on its skin and splashes the resulting ooze on any other creature standing within 10 feet of the original target. This splash damage causes 1d6 points of acid damage. The first target is only subject to the slam attack.
Nauseating Presence (Ex): Any non-demon creature approaching a glodretch from 30 feet must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be nauseated for 1d6 rounds. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move (or move-equivalent action) per turn.
Thick Headed (Ex): Once engaged in combat, there is no stopping the glodretch. Until its current target is down and beginning with combat with any new enemy, a glodretch has a +2 morale bonus to Will saving throws and a -2 morale penalty to Ref. it completely ignores any other attacker flanking it. The opponent that the glodretch is not attacking gains a +3 bonus from flanking, and the opponent that the demon is concentrating on does not gain any bonus from flanking.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a glodretch can attempt to summon another glodretch with a 35% chance of success.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, scare; 1/day contagion, stinking cloud. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Telepathy (Su): Glodretch can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks Abyssal.
The Van’g
The first brood to be nearly annihilated by the Tanar were the insect-like warriors of the Brood of Van’g. The few remnants of this demonic family hire out their services as mercenaries not only to demon lords, but also to any other force that is prepared to pay their price. The vengadi and udvati species have made sure that their Abyssal names are disseminated in several magical text to make it easy for others to summon them. They are more than happy to take ‘clients’ in the Material Plane, lending their unnatural muscle to the might of any mortal rich, foolish and corrupt enough to hire them.
Van’g'ka Qualities
Immunities (Ex): Van’g'ka are immune to damage from bludgeoning weapons.
Resistances (Ex): Van’g'ka have cold, electricity, fire and acid resistance 10 and have a +5 racial bonus to saves against poison.
Telepathy (Su): Van’g'ka can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Gestalt (Su): A group of van’g'ka forms a small hive mind amongst them. This joint consciousness is not connected to any greater whole but is merely a function of the van’g'ka warriors working together. They can only form a gestalt with members of their own species, using telepathy to communicate with other van’g'ka. Each particular species gains different bonuses when forming a gestalt.
Vyin (van’g'ka)
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 improved initiative)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 22 (+1 Size, +3 Dex, +8 natural armour)
Attacks: 3 Claws +7 melee
Damage: Claws 1d4+2
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, tear away (Ex), pounce (Ex), improved grab (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/good, SR 5, van’g'ka qualities
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +7, Intimidate +6, Jump +9, Listen +5, Spot +5, Tumble +7
Feats: Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (claw)
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Gang (2-5), swarm (5-20), mob (20- 40) or horde (40-60)
CR: 7
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Small), 9-12 HD (Medium-size)
Vyin are the shock troops of the van’g'ka, the first wave in any attack. Despite their appearance, vyin demons are cunning and sneaky fighters, and are perhaps the demons that work best together, as a single gang co-ordinates its overall tactics to the changing situation of the battlefield. Vyin are obedient soldiers on the surface, but their true ambition is to someday take the place of their immediate superior and they are known for suddenly ganging up on their master once the battle is over.
A vyin resembles a bloated mantis with one extra arm growing from its back, which is covered by a thick carapace of overlapping bands of chitinous material.
Vyin speak Abyssal and Common.
Combat
Vyin charge headlong into battle from afar, using their jump ability to pounce on their targets from incredible distances and tearing it apart before proceeding with the next. If they take hold onto a target, they will not let go even if attacked by other combatants until its target is dead or out of action.
Pounce (Ex): If a vyin leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the vyin must hit with two claws. If it gets a hold, it can tear away.
Tear Away (Ex): The vyin latches onto its target with its sharp claws and pulls back sharply, tearing away part of its victim’s flesh, dealing 1d6 points of Constitution damage. After using this attack, the vyin is no longer grappling and ends up 5 feet away from its target.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- jump, magic fang; 1/day- bull’s strength (self only), cat’s grace (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 4th level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a vyin can attempt to summon 1d4 vyins with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Vyin can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks Abyssal or Common.
Gestalt (Su): Vyin gain a +1 morale bonus to initiative equal to the number of vyin in the group. If one of them spends a full-time action refocusing and the rest spend a standard action, the whole vyin group refocuses.
Yavodai (van’g'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 24 (-1 Size, +15 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 Bite +12 melee; 2 Pincers +10 melee
Damage: Bite 2d4+5; Pincers 1d8+5 and crush
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-Like Abilities, crush (Ex), crushing roll (Ex), projecting maw (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/good, SR 10, fast healing 5, van’g'ka qualities
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +13, Concentration +9, Intimidate +12, Jump +13, Listen +8, Search +4, Spot +11, Survival +8
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair or gang (2-5)
CR: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large), 17-24 HD (Huge)
The ground trembles when the yavodai enter combat. Although not as imposing in height compared to other demons, the yavodai make up with sheer bulk, being nearly as wide as they are tall. They are the heavy hitters in any group of van’g'ka and their only purpose is to walk boldly forward and crush anything that stands in their path.
Covered head-to-toe by a roundish carapace, the yavodai’s four legs are short and thick, barely able to support the demon’s weight. Its head is almost invisible when it hides just inches shy of being completely inside the carapace, but it can turn its head to take a measure of its surroundings. On each side of its great bulk, a large and heavy pincer lashes out with amazing speed.
Combat
If possible, yavodais enter battle by rolling in and crushing beneath them whatever remained on its way. They start generating their obscuring mist ability and pound away until nothing moves.
Crush (Ex): When a pincer attack hits, the victim must roll a Reflex save (DC 17) to avoid being caught by the small barbs and being crushed for an additional 2d6+5 points of damage. The yavodai does not get a hold or initiate a grapple with this attack, and the victim is free once it was squeezed hard by the closing pincer.
Projecting Maw (Ex): The yavodai’s small head is part of a very long neck that can shoot out with incredible speed. The yavodai can make bite attacks with a reach of 15 feet and may also attack adjacent foes.
Crushing Roll (Ex): As a full-round action, the yavodai curls up so that only its carapace is visible and kicks off in a roll that can crush anyone in its path. Consider the yavodai to have the Trample feat when performing this attack. It moves four times its base speed and cannot reduce the distance travelled. Anyone caught in the yavodai’s path must make a Reflex save (DC 20) or fail to jump aside, suffering 4d6 points of damage as they are crushed beneath the rolling demon.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- obscuring mist, magic fang; 1/day- haste (self only), endurance (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 4th-level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a yavodai can attempt to summon 1d4 vyins or another yavodai with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Yavodai can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks Abyssal or Common.
Gestalt (Su): Yavodai gain a +1 morale bonus to saving throws equal to the number of yavodai in the group.
Vengadi (van’g'ka)
Medium-size Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 12d8+24 (78 hp)
Initiative: +9 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative, +2 insight)
Speed: 30 ft, fly 60 ft (good)
AC: 29 (+3 Dex, +16 natural armour)
Attacks: 2 Longswords +14 melee; 2 Claws +13 melee; 1 Tail slap +12 melee
Damage: Longswords 1d8+2; Claws 1d6+2; Tail slap 1d4+2 and stun
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft (see text)
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, combat trickery (Ex), stunning tail (Ex), reach (Ex), flicker
(Sp), substitution (Sp), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/good, SR 15, van’g'ka qualities, evasion (Ex), camouflage (Su)
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +9
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 15, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills: Balance +13, Bluff +11, Concentration +14, Escape Artist +11, Hide +9, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Listen +11, Spellcraft +14, Spot +11, Tumble +13, Survival +13
Feats: Expertise, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (claw), Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair or gang (2-5)
CR: 14
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD (Medium-size), 25-36 HD (Large)
Of the surviving species amongst the van’g'ka, the vengadi compete with the vyin as the most numerous, but where their smaller cousins survived because of their high spawning rate, the vengadi did because of their natural talents for trickery. If the Brood of Van’g are an army, the vengadi are its special forces, born with an innate cunning that escapes the swarming vyin and the brutal yavodai.
Even their appearance is deceiving. When not in their combat mode, the vengadi look like an oversized ant with a wide carapace. On first sight, it only has two arms ending with vicious spine claws. The carapace changes colour to provide the demon with superb camouflage, hiding it even from magical senses. The carapace opens when the vengadi flies with its tough translucent wings, but also when it is in full combat mode, revealing two extra swordwielding arms and a long and flexible tail ending in a blunt ball of iron-hard material.
Combat
Vengadi fight cunningly and as if they had elite training, using any sort of trick or tactic they believe to be appropriate for a situation. Depending on the powers they display, spellcasters are placed in their combat priority, but they will focus on any skilled fighter they encounter so they can prove their ability.
Combat Trickery (Ex): Vengadi are expert fighters; they gain a +2 insight bonus to initiative and enjoy the effects of the Improved Bull-Rush, Improved Disarm and Improved Trip feats.
Stunning Tail (Ex): The blunt end of a vengadi’s tail can stun an opponent it successfully deals damage to. A target must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be stunned for one round.
Reach (Ex): The vengadi’s arm have an extra hidden segment on each arm that the demon can extend. Its reach is 10 feet with all its arms and tail.
Flicker (Sp): Once per combat, the vengadi can disappear from its current position and re-appear at any point within 60 feet from its original position. This is a move-equivalent action and the vengadi may act upon arriving on its new destination.
Substitution (Sp): Once per combat, the vengadi can switch places with one of its opponents. Its target makes a Fortitude save (DC 18) and if he fails, both appear where the other used to be. This is a move-equivalent action and the vengadi may act upon arriving on its new destination.
Evasion (Ex): If a vengadi makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, it instead takes no damage.
Camouflage (Su): The vengadi´s carapace shifts colour to adapt to its surrounding, giving it a +10 circumstance bonus to Hide checks. When the demon lies still, it produces a nondetection effect as
if cast by a 12th level sorcerer that protects it from magical detection.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- flare, magic fang, ray of enfeeblement, magic weapon; 1/day- haste (self only), teleport without error (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a vengadi can attempt to summon 2d10 vyins with a 50% chance of success or 1d4 yavodai or another vengadi with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Vengadi can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks a language.
Gestalt (Su): Vengadi gain a +4 bonus if another vengadi is flanking an opponent or performs the aid another action instead of the normal +2 bonus for either manoeuvre.
Udvati (van’g'ka)
Huge Outsider (Chaotic , Evil)
HD: 13d8+39 (97 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft, climb 20 ft, fly 50 ft (perfect)
AC: 31 (-2 Size, +3 Dex, +20 natural armour)
Attacks: 5 Tentacles +16 melee or 1 energy ray +17 ranged
Damage: Tentacles 2d8+5 +1d6 energy
Space/Reach: 10 ft x 20 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, energy burst (Su), bursting tentacles (Ex), dimensional control (Sp), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 15/good, SR 20, van’g'ka qualities, alternate form (Su), expert tactician (Su), hive mind (Su), see invisibility (Su)
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +15
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 18
Skills: Balance +17, Climb +18, Concentration +17, Disguise +14, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (arcana)
+15, Knowledge (religion) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Knowledge (military) +13, Listen +17, Search +13, Sense Motive +23, Spellcraft +25, Spot +17, Survival +17
Feats: Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (ray)
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or troop (1 udvati, 2 vengadi, 1d4 yavodai and 2d4 vyin)
CR: 16
Treasure: Double standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 14-26 HD (Huge), 27-39 HD (Gargantuan)
The masters of the Van’g Brood as much as the balor rule over the Tanar, the surviving udvati count their blessings with bitterness at having escaped the fury of the Tanar scourge and escaped with enough of their brood to try and start to rebuild their power base. They enjoy the thrill of battle from a commanding vantage point, not caring to sacrifice warriors to ensure victory. Their defeat by the reckless and savage hordes of the Tanar is a sore point for them, who like to enact strange and convoluted tactics.
Udvati are gigantic slugs covered with bands of near-impregnable chitin, with hundreds of little legs growing under their bodies and five long tentacles growing from their heads, which they use to manipulate objects as well as attack. They fly through a magical organ in their underbellies that shines a sickly blue as they cross the sky.
Udvati employ demons from other broods more acquainted with extraplanar travel, such as the jar’taska, but never with the Brood of Tanar. They approve in spreading their Abyssal name amongst the mortal world along with their fame of being mercenary masters. They do not shirk from any chance to enter battle and, when fighting in a force with mixed creatures, they demand to be in command, assuming a humanoid form if that is what is needed to keep other mercenaries from running in fear at their presence.
Udvati speak Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven and Infernal.
Combat
Udvati are the artillery of the van’g'ka and as such prefer to remain behind, blasting enemies away before they have to engage in battle. They do not prefer this out of fear, but out of pragmatism. With so few of them, the last thing they need is to lose their generals.
Alternate Form (Su): Udvati can assume any humanoid form of Small to Large size as a standard action. This ability is similar to the polymorph self spell but allows only humanoid forms. While using this ability, an udvati gains a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
Bursting Tentacles (Sp): Each of the udvati`s tentacles is charged with one type of energy and deals an extra 1d6 points of energy damage. In addition, it deals an additional 1d10 points of the appropriate energy damage on a critical hit. To determine the type of attack, roll 1d10 on the following table for each tentacle and roll again for repeated results in the same turn.
| 1d10 | Tentacle energy type |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Acid |
| 3-4 | Cold |
| 5-6 | Fire |
| 7-8 | Electricity |
| 9-10 | Sonic |
Energy Burst (Su): The udvati can concentrate the energy of two or more tentacles to shoot an energy ray with a range of 300 feet. The udvati makes a ranged touch attack with a +17 bonus and deals 1d6 of damage per tentacle devoted to the attack. The udvati chooses the energy type for each attack depending on which tentacles it is devoting to the attack. Those tentacles are unavailable for melee combat.
Expert Tactician (Su): As a standard action, an udvati can grant an extra partial action to one other van’g'ka within 1,000 feet.
Hive Mind (Su): When an udvati is present, all van’g'ka demons enjoy the benefit of a shared consciousness. No van’g'ka can be flanked while standing within 300 feet of the udvati.
See Invisibility (Su): Udvati continuously see invisibility as the spell cast by a 18th-level sorcerer.
Dimensional Control (Su): The udvati can control the dimensional travel in an area. It generates continuously a dimensional anchor effect around itself as if cast by a 15th-level sorcerer. As a free action it can allow any attempt to use transport or planar magic like dimension door, teleport, blink, etherealness or summon monster. This includes other demons’ summon ability. Creatures attempting to use such magic while inside the udvati’s area of control must make a caster check (DC 26).
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- flare, magic fang, magic circle against good/law, wall of fire/ice, fear, hallucinatory terrain, forceful hand; 1/day- mass haste, mass teleport, summon swarm, teleport without error (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 16th-level sorcerer (save DC 14 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day an udvati automatically summons 4d10 vyins, 2d6 yavodai, 1d4 vengadi or another udvati.
Telepathy (Su): Udvati can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks a language.
Gestalt (Su): Udvati grants a +1 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls, saving throws and skill checks to all van’g'ka within 1,000 feet. This bonus stacks with the bonus from another udvati.
Skills: Udvati gain a +4 stability bonus to Balance checks.
The Jar’taska
There are few fiends as sinister and insidious as the jar’taska'ka; demons in their own right but often confused with undead or with denizens of the Plane of Shadows. They escaped the many purges that decimated the rest of the demon families because most of them can actually travel to the Plane of Shadows due to their innate nature and are the most nomadic of demons. They are notoriously hard to pin down as they move from layer to layer in the Abyss or across the Astral Plane. To grace themselves to the Tanar Brood, the heratru rulers of the Jar’taska offered their broodmates as spies, envoys and messengers as well as a vanguard on any campaign of corruption. They have less need of mortals to gain access to the Material Plane but find greater challenges in corrupting other extraplanar denizens.
Jar’taska'ka Qualities
Light Vulnerability (Ex): Exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) reduces jar’taska'ka capabilities. While in such conditions, they suffer a -2 to AC, and a -1 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls, saves, and checks.
Shadow Mastery (Su): The jar’taska'ka gain several advantages when immersed in shadows:
• +1 attack and damage bonus if both it and its foe are covered in natural or magical darkness. Even starlight negates this effect.
• Darkvision works normally in any kind of magical darkness.
• During any conditions other than full daylight, a jar’taska'ka can disappear into the shadows, giving it one-half concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. A daylight spell, however, will.
Immunities (Ex): Jar’taska'ka are immune to cold, disease, poison, paralysis and death effects and to sneak attacks, although they remain vulnerable to critical hits and death by massive damage.
Resistances (Ex): Jar’taska'ka have electricity, fire and acid resistance 15.
Dark Lantern (jar’taska'ka)
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Incorporeal)
HD: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +9 (+5 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: Fly 40 ft (perfect)
AC: 19 (+2 Size, +5 Dex, +2 deflection)
Attacks: 1 incorporeal touch +8 melee
Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d4 and black flame
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft x 2 1/2 ft/0
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, black flame (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: SR 10, jar’taska'ka qualities, black light (Sp), incorporeal
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2
Abilities: Str –, Dex 20, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 15
Skills: Spot +6
Feats: Improved Initiative
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or gang (2-5)
CR: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 2-4 HD (Tiny)
Dark lanterns are both an ‘illumination’ source as they are a logistical advantage for the jar’taska'ka. They can be ordered to hover in place or follow a target so that its unique abilities come to the fore to the advantage of the demons. Easily destroyed, they are the most numerous of the shadow demons, with many believing that they are created from pure shadow-stuff and infused with demonic essence.
Dark lanterns are small bluish balls surrounded by a trail of black flame, which gives them their few abilities and advantages. They are quick and, while not very intelligent, they are obedient to their demonic superiors. They can grow in power by becoming the familiars of mortal spellcasters like the casteless quasit, but by virtue of there being many of its own brood still in existence, they can subvert the orders of mortal owners and report to their true masters.
Dark lanterns understand but do not speak Common and Abyssal.
Combat
Dark lanterns are not very combative but will charge a target if ordered to by another jar’taska'ka, trying to ‘burn’ it with their black flame. They prefer to call for reinforcements as exemplified by their increased summoning ability, but may also do so simply by contacting a higher demon with its sending ability.
Black Flame (Su): The fire around the dark lantern is extremely cold to the touch but otherwise behaves like fire. It deals +1d6 cold damage but can set combustible items aflame. If subject to a quench spell, the dark lantern must succeed at a Reflex save against the spell’s normal DC or be destroyed.
Black Light (Sp): The dark lantern radiates a continual darkness effect out to a 60 feet radius as per the spell, except that darkvision is not affected. If the darkness is dispelled or cancelled, the dark lantern can create it again as a free action on its next turn. At the demon’s choice or if ordered, it can grant any creature within the same radius the ability to see even in magical darkness such as that created by the deeper darkness spell. The range of this ability is limited to the dark lantern’s own radius, so a creature standing 60 feet from the demon will not be able to see beyond its black light.
Incorporeal: Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armour. Always moves silently.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- sending. This ability is as the spell cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 12 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Twice per day a dark lantern can attempt to summon 1d4 dark lanterns, 1d4 shadelings or 1 jar’ugr with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Dark lanterns can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Shadeling (jar’taska'ka)
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)
Speed: Fly 60 ft (perfect)
AC: 21 (+2 Size, +4 Dex, +5 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 slam +3 melee
Damage: Slam 1d4
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft x 2 1/2 ft/0
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, baneful phasing (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 5/silver or good, SR 5, jar’taska'ka qualities, shadow blink (Su)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: Hide +7*, Knowledge (the planes) +3, Spot +4
Feats: Dodge
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Brood (2-5), swarm (5-20) or drove (20-40)
CR: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 2 HD (Tiny), 3-4 HD (Small)
The shadowy jar’taska used to count a more efficient spying species in its brood, but they are forgotten now and only the shadelings remain to fill the slot. A task for which they are not too well suited given their inborn impatience. Shadelings are more useful as the first wave of an attack by a jar’taska horde, intent on demoralising the enemy before the first real blow has landed. However, their minuscule size gives them an edge in hiding at spots where their leaders wish to gain more information about, as they can return to the Plane of Shadows quickly to report their findings… if they remember them.
Shadelings are a blob of dark gel that coalesces in a vaguely skull-like shape when it stays still, with a segmented appendage trailing behind it, totally useless. Their black skin is slightly translucent, letting anyone realise that they have no bones or anything resembling a normal anatomy.
Higher demons, even other jar’taska'ka find shadelings to be a unique snack as they squeeze them to let their gooey interior seep out from their tails into the demon’s mouth. Rumour tells that it tastes like slightly bitter grape juice, but few mortals have tried to lick a shadeling’s remains after it has been slain.
Combat
Shadelings are cruel and malicious in combat. They circle around their opponents shooting their rays of frost before activating their shadow blink ability and closing in to attack with their phasing slam attack. Often, a second wave of shadelings will remain in the sidelines, invisible until the first wave is near destruction or pulls a strategic retreat.
Baneful Phasing (Su): A shadeling that successfully hits with its slam attacks partially phases with its target as it does so. The target must make a Will save (DC 14) or be filled with a strange feeling of aversion, suffering a -1 morale penalty to their attack rolls and on saving throws against fear effects. A character cannot be affected more than once by the baneful phasing ability of a particular shadeling, but the effects of multiple shadelings stack to a maximum of -5 penalty. A target that saves against one shadeling’s ability is immune to any other use of this ability –even the ones of other shadelings for one day, although the penalties already accrued remain. The effect of this ability lasts for 6 rounds.
Shadow Blink (Su): Once per day and while in the Material or Astral Plane, the shadeling can begin to flicker into the Plane of Shadows, suddenly turning into a shadow imprinted on a wall, ceiling or ground, only to reappear again within seconds. This ability has the same effect as the blink spell as if cast by a 5th level sorcerer, although the phasing occurs with the Plane of Shadows instead of the Ethereal Plane.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- ray of frost, darkness; 1/day- invisibility (self only), confusion. Once per week the demon may use shadow walk; it can begin or end the effect in the Astral Plane as well as the Material Plane, and may choose a gate to the Abyss in the Plane of Shadows as a destination or starting point with a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 1st-level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a shadeling can attempt to summon 1d4 shadelings with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Shadelings can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Skills: Shadelings gain a +8 circumstance bonus when hiding in shadows.
Jar’ugr (jar’taska'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 6d8+12 (39 hp)
Initiative: +1 (+1 Dex)
Speed: 20 ft, swim 20 ft.
AC: 20 (-1 Size, +1 Dex, +10 natural armour)
Attacks: 2d4 tentacles +9 melee
Damage: Tentacles 1d8+3
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, shadow tentacles (Ex), shriek (Ex), improved grab (Ex), shadow mark (Sp), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/silver or good, SR 15, jar’taska'ka qualities, many eyes (Ex)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +4*, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (the planes) +4, Listen +8, Move Silently +5, Search +12, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +4, Spot +14, Swim +11
Feats: Power Attack, Weapon Focus (tentacles)
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair or patrol (1-2 jar’ugr, 1d4 dark lanterns)
CR: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge)
The jar’ugr are the most disgusting thing that the jar’taska'ka could find as a sentinel. These formless masses of writhing shadow worms are continually shifting when they want to be noticed, but can remain deathly still when they are hiding in the shadows.
Jar’ugr are composed of thousands of slightly translucent tendrils that writhe around each other, giving the demon a very fluid anatomy. Each tendril ends with a little but fully functional eye, making this abomination completely aware of its surroundings.
Coupled with its spell-like abilities, the Brood ofJar’taska could not have better sentries to post at the entrances of its shadowed realm.
Jar’ugr speak Common and Abyssal.
Combat
Jar’ugr prefer to concentrate all their attacks on a single opponent for the chance to capture and immobilise it if possible. They use their shriek only when they spot intruders while on guard duty, but will remain silent if they are the ones making the first move.
Shadow tentacles (Ex): Every round, the writhing tendrils that form the demon’s body can twirl into 2d4 tentacles, which are the number of attacks the jar’ugr has for that turn.
Shriek (Su): Once per day, a jar’ugr can emit a loud and piercing scream that can be heard for 10 miles around. Creatures within 30 feet of the demon are deafened for 1d6 rounds and take 2d6 points of sonic damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 16) negates the deafness and reduces the damage by half. A deaf character, in addition to the obvious effects, suffers a –4 penalty on initiative, automatically fails listen checks, and has a 20% chance to miscast and lose any spell with a verbal (V) component that he tries to cast.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the jar’ugr must hit with at least two tentacles; each additional tentacle that successfully hits grants a +1 to all grapple checks. If it gets a hold, the jar’ugr can make successive grapple checks as free actions in order to pin the grappled creature. Regardless of how many creatures it is grappling, the number of tentacles that generate each round from its body remains unchanged (2d4).
Shadow Mark (Sp): As a touch attack, the jar’ugr can imprint one of two magical markings upon a target. The first marking allows any jar’taska'ka to see the recipient of the mark even if he goes invisible, ethereal or otherwise hidden, negating all chances to miss due to concealment and imposing a -4 circumstance penalty to Hide checks. The second mark is an identifier that tells all jar’taska'ka that the recipient is not to be bothered. All jar’taska'ka demons must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) if they want to initiate hostilities against the recipient of the mark. Both markings fade in 1d6+1 hours and are only visible to jar’taska'ka demons or characters using the true seeing spell.
Many Eyes (Ex): The thousand eyes of the jar’ugr make it an excellent guard and sentinel. It cannot be flanked as per the uncanny dodge ability and has a +4 racial bonus to both Spot and Search checks (already figuring in the statistics).
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, sending; 1/day- invisibility (self only), dimension door, true seeing. Once per week the demon may use shadow walk; it can begin or end the effect in the Astral Plane as well as the Material Plane, and may choose a gate to the Abyss in the Plane of Shadows as a destination or starting point with a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 6th-level sorcerer (save DC 11 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a jar’ugr can attempt to summon another jar’ugr with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Jar’ugr can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Skills: Jar’ugr gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks when hiding in shadows.
Jethulet (jar’taska'ka)
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 8d8+8 (44 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft, climb 30 ft
AC: 26 (+1 Size, +3 Dex, +12 natural armour)
Attacks: 3 tentacles +12melee; 1 bite +8 melee (19- 20/x2); 1 sting +8 melee
Damage: Tentacles 1d6+1; bite 2d4+1; sting 1d4+1 and poison
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, poison (Ex), summon demon (Sp), energy drain (Su), dark whisper (Su)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/silver or good, SR 15, jar’taska'ka qualities, fear aura (Su)
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +7
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +9, Climb +14, Concentration +8, Gather Information +5, Hide +9*, Intimidate +16, Jump +5, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +13, Listen +7, Move Silently +10, Search +8, Spellcraft +9, Spot +11
Feats: Improved Critical (bite), Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (tentacles)
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or pair
CR: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Small), 17-24 HD (Medium-size)
There are several kinds of monsters under the bed, and the jethulet is the most terrible of all. It is one of the most well-travelled of demons as it spends most of its time in the Plane of Shadows, emerging in dark corners of the Material Plane to practice its subtle manipulations on unsuspecting victims all around. The jethulet is the baseless fear, the paranoia and the whisper that is not really there. Nightmares and frayed nerves plague everyone in the vicinity of a jethulet, who takes delight in sending minds into madness little by little, provoking tempers to flare during the day with the accentuated aggravation of a restless sleep the previous night, until the soul is laid bare and then the demon can deal its masterful stroke and cause a mortal to go into a killing spree.
Jethulets are small creatures resembling a multi-segmented larva with hundreds of tiny feet on each side, three claw-tipped tentacles on its front and a sting on its tail like that of a centipede. At the centre of the tentacles is a round mouth with three rows of teeth curved inwards, emanating a dark vapour whenever it is open. The creature is jet black and, like al jar’taska'ka, slightly translucent.
Jethulet speak Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven and Infernal.
Combat
It would seem that jethulet are prey to their own fear abilities and are quite the cowards when it comes to combat. They prefer to skulk in shadows, preferably invisible, and wear their target’s mental defences down. It prefers not to kill, either driving a target insane or letting him rest and recover before feeding again. It will sow sentiments of discord and animosity in a group and try to make its members kill each other. When forced to fight, the demon tries to grab and sting its victims to dumb them down enough for its other abilities to take an easier hold. It uses its energy draining bite only against spellcasters and strong combatants.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the jethulet must hit with at least two tentacles. If it gets a hold, it can bite or sting.
Poison (Ex): The jethulet’s sting carries a poison that targets a victim’s ability to think straight. Sting, Fortitude save DC 16; initial damage 1d4 temporary Wisdom, secondary damage confusion as the spell cast by an 8th level sorcerer.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a jethulet’s bite attack receive two negative levels. The Fortitude save to remove a negative level has a DC of 17.
Dark Whisper (Su): As a standard action, the demon can send subtle telepathic whispers to the mind of any living creature within 180 feet to feed off its fear. The victim must make a Will save (DC 17) or suffer one point of temporary Wisdom damage as his mind is wracked by visions of its worst fears caused by the demon. For each Wisdom point dealt, the jethulet gains 1d8 temporary hit points that fade in 6 hours. The demon can maintain the whispers with a Concentration check (DC 10 + target’s level or HD) as a full round action. Each round, the victim makes a new Will save, losing one point of Wisdom for each failure. If a victim reaches 0 Wisdom, it falls unconscious and the telepathic contact breaks. This is a mind-affecting fear effect and creatures immune to either are unaffected.
Fear Aura (Su): Jethulet are shrouded in a dreadful aura of paranoia and evil. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the jethulet must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by fear as cast by an 8th-level sorcerer.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, fear, emotion, nightmare, suggestion; 1/day- improved invisibility (self only), power word stun, phantasmal killer, insanity. Once per week the demon may use shadow walk; it can begin or end the effect in the Astral Plane as well as the Material Plane, and may choose a gate to the Abyss in the Plane of Shadows as a destination or starting point with a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). These abilities are as the spells cast by an 8th-level sorcerer (save DC 14 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a jethulet can attempt to summon 1d4 shadelings, 1d4 dark lanterns, 1d2 jar’ugr or another jethulet with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Jethulet can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Skills: Jethulet gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks when hiding in shadows.
Hamedu (jar’taska'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 10d8+20 (65 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 28 (-1 Size, +5 Dex, +14 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 masterwork longsword +12/+7 melee; 1 masterwork longsword +12 melee; 2 masterwork short swords +12 melee
Damage: Longsword 1d8+4; short swords 1d6+4
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, rend (Ex), sneak attack (Ex), death attack (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/silver or good, SR 18, jar’taska'ka qualities, shadow jump (Su), alternate form
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +9
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills: Appraise +8, Balance +9, Bluff +9, Climb +8, Concentration +8, Disguise +10, Hide +18*, Knowledge, Arcana +9, Knowledge, Nature +13, Listen +12, Move Silently +18, Spot +12, Tumble +13, Survival +8
Feats: Expertise, Multidexterity, Multiweapon Fighting
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or pair
CR: 13
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 11-20 HD (Large), 21-30 HD (Huge)
Creatures of treachery through and through, the jar’taska'ka engage in combat from the shadows only, using the dark to hide themselves and strike with precision and deadly accuracy. Amongst the fighting shadows the hamedu stand above the surviving races of the shadow brood, perfect assassins that leave no mark of their presence except the bloody remains of their victims. These demons are the most greedy amongst the jar’taska'ka, travelling across the planes and pandering their services as killers-for-hire. The hamedu are also the most unruly of their brood, selfish even for a demon, they care little for the survival of their demon family as long as they have their riches and their sport. Only the heratru’s magical potency, and the fact that the Demon Lady Iyaviht knows all of their True Names keeps them returning to the Shadow Fortress in the Abyss.
Hamedu demons, like the rest of their brood, resemble living shadows and are often confused with undead. They have tall and long bodies made of ink-black shadow-stuff. They walk in a stoop that hides their true stature until they unfold their four arms and stand almost at 12 feet when in battle. They appear to wear clothing but, no matter what angle they are looked at from, they are a solid black silhouette. From the waist down, their legs are either fused together or under a shadow tunic that eventually blurs out and trails wispy strands of black matter that evaporates like an odourless smoke that seems to keep the demon inches above the ground.
Combat
Hamedu are natural assassins and prefer to stalk their prey until they judge it is the right time to strike with the least risk for their safety. They use their spell-like abilities to enhance themselves, with blink being their favourite tactic, as it allows them to deal horrendous amounts of damage with their sneak attack ability. They will try to flee if the battle turns against them by leaping into the nearest shadow, either jumping to another spot to reconsider their strategy or into the Plane of Shadows to escape its destruction and banishment back into the Abyss.
Rend (Ex): If a hamedu hits with at least two sword attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack automatically deals additional damage equal to the individual damage of each weapon that struck in that round. So, if the hamedu strikes with all weapons, its rend ability would deal 2d8+2d6+16.
Sneak Attack (Ex): Any time the hamedu’s target would be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC (whether he actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), its attacks deals +2d6 points of damage. This works exactly like the rogue’s class feature and stacks if the hamedu gains levels in a class with this or a similar ability.
Death Attack (Ex): If the hamedu studies its victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly killing the target. While studying the victim, the demon can undertake other actions so long as its attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the hamedu or recognises it as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails his Fortitude saving throw (DC 16) against the kill effect, he dies. If the victim’s saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. The hamedu retains in its mind the results of its study and can launch the death attack at any time until the next sunrise; if the attack fails (the victim makes the save or the demon misses its attack roll against him), 3 new rounds of study are required before it can attempt another death attack.
Shadow Jump (Su): Five times per day, the hamedu can travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. The maximum distance of any jump is equal to 60 feet.
Alternate Form (Su): Hamedu can assume any humanoid form of Small to Large size as a standard action. This ability is similar to the polymorph self spell but allows only humanoid forms, and they always have a sooty appearance or dark complexion. While using this ability, a hamedu gains a +5 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, spider climb, knock; 3/day- greater magic weapon (own weapons only), haste (self only), 1/day- improved invisibility (self only), blink, phantasmal killer. Twice per week the demon may use shadow walk; it can begin or end the effect in the Astral Plane as well as the Material Plane, and may choose a gate to the Abyss in the Plane of Shadows as a destination or starting point with a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 14 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a hamedu can attempt to summon 2d4 shadelings, 2d6 dark lanterns, or 1d2 jar’ugr with a 50% chance of success, or 1d2 jethulet or another hamedu with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Hamedu can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Skills: Hemedu gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks when hiding in shadows.
Heratru (jar’taska'ka)
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 12d8+36 (90 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: 30 ft, fly 20 ft (good)
AC: 30 (-2 Size, +3 Dex, +12 natural armour, +7 deflection)
Attacks: 2 claws +13 melee; 1 shadow lance +11 ranged touch; 3 shadow chains +11 melee
Damage: Claws 2d4+3; shadow lance 2d6; shadow chains 2d4+3
Space/Reach: 10 ft x 10 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, shadow chains (Su), improved grab (Ex), shadow sorcery (Sp), shadow bind (Su), mantle of darkness (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 15/silver and good, SR 23, jar’taska'ka qualities, enticement of shadows (Su)
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +13
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 22, Wis 20, Cha 25
Skills: Bluff +19, Concentration +13, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +22*, Hide +13*, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcana) +21, Knowledge (the planes) +21, Listen +15, Move Silently +16, Search +14, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +16, Spot +13
Feats: Expertise, Improved Trip, Spell Focus (illusion), Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, troupe (1 heratru, 1d4 jar’ugr, 2d6 dark lanterns) or retinue (1 heratru, 2 hamedu, 1d4 jar’ugr, 2d4 shadelings and 2d6 dark lanterns)
CR: 16
Treasure: Double
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD (Huge)
Just as the balor rule over the Brood of Tanar, the heratru are the masters of the jar’taska'ka, embodying all that defines their brood. They are political schemers that delight in tearing down well-laid plans while their own are incomprehensiblein their labyrinthine complexity. It could be that heratru plots reach fruition out of sheer coincidence and luck as they sound ludicrous on a first analysis. While the rest of the jar’taska'ka personify what makes darkness repulsive and fearful, the heratru are what makes it alluring, whispering secret knowledge with seductive voices to the ears of the curious and seducing away their own secrets for the demon's own use.
The heratru adopt a sinuous humanoid female form that, unlike all other jar’taska'ka, has pale ivory skin. Their milky flesh is cleverly hidden by garments of shadow that roll and shift around their bodies so they appear wreathed in black fire. Long, raven-black hair joins the shadows around them and cast their faces in darkness, so that only their black-tinted lips are visible from their faces.
Heratru speak Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Infernal and Undercommon.
Combat
When not commanding minions and servants to fight for them, heratru enter battlefield well armed, casting their most dangerous spell-like abilities first and using their talent at manipulating their demonic essence to optimise their magic attack. When the opposition is suitably weakened, they start firing their shadow rays until forced to melee, which is when they whip out their shadow chains against anyone who dares attack them.
Shadow Lance (Ex): As one of its secondary attacks, the heratru concentrates part of the shadowstuff that makes its body into an incorporeal lance that acts as a ranged touch weapon with a maximum range of 60 feet, dealing 2d6 points of damage.
Shadow Chains (Su): The three chains that a heratru uses as part of its secondary attacks are made from solid matter from the Plane of Shadows. The chains have a physical reach of 15 feet but if the heratru joins them all together for a single attack instead of its normal three attacks, it can generate it from the shadow of any creature within 60 feet. The chain has the normal reach from its point of manifestation and does not necessarily attack the shadow’s owner, but moves with him or, better put, with his shadow. The chain can attack with its normal attack bonus as if the demon were using it from that spot. Any light spell that eliminates the creature’s shadow disintegrates the chain, but the demon can manifest all three normal chains normally after that. Because the chain can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb, a trip attack can be made with it. If the heratru is tripped during its trip attempt, the chain disintegrates and reforms in its body to avoid being tripped.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the heratru must hit with at least two shadow chains. If it gets a hold, it pulls the victim into its mantle of darkness (see below).
Mantle of Darkness (Su): The black clothing and flowing hair of the heratru are actually made from pure shadow. Anyone pulled inside with a successful grab is sent into a small pocket of the Plane of Shadows inside the demon’s body, remaining there for 1d4 rounds. The victim must make a successful Will save (DC 17 or emerge from the mantle blinded, his eyes covered in shadows. Jar’taska'ka that enter the heratru’s mantle emerge in the Plane of Shadows as if by a plane shift spell or, if already in the Plane of Shadows, they emerge in the Shadow Fortress layer of the Abyss.
Shadow Sorcery (Sp): The heratru are adept users of shadow magic; at will, they can use greater shadow conjuration (DC 22) and greater shadow evocation (DC 23) as a standard action. Because of the jar’taska'ka’s intimate connection with the Plane of Shadows, the illusory conjurations and evocations are three fifths (60%) as strong as the real thing, instead of two fifths as per the spells. These abilities are cast as if by a 12th level sorcerer.
Enticement of Shadows (Su): An aura of morbid attraction surrounds the heratru whatever its form. In its passive mode, anyone standing within 15 feet of the demon must make a Will save (DC 17) or be entranced by the demon’s appearance and grace, acting as if he were dazed, unable to take any action but still capable of defending himself. This condition only lasts for one round, but he must roll subsequent Will saves to keep resisting the demon’s allure. The heratru can turn this ability on or off at will as a free action. In its active mode, the heratru spends a full round talking with a target either verbally or telepathically. The target must succeed at a Will save (DC 21) or be under the effect of a charm monster spell as if cast by a 12th level sorcerer.
Shadow Bind (Su): The heratru can use its shadow lance or shadow chains to strike at a target’s shadow as a special touch attack with a +2 circumstance bonus to the target’s AC. If the attack is successful, it does not deal damage, but the shadow is stuck along with its owner. The target can move its arms and the rest of his body, but he cannot change his position nor can he fall prone. The target must make a Strength check (DC 17) to free himself, but suffers 1 point of Constitution or Charisma (character’s choice) damage in the process as he literally rips his own shadow off. Artificial sources of light like torches and lamps have no effect on the bound shadow, nor does a light spell. Only sunlight, or light spells of 3rd level or higher can destroy the bound shadow along with its effect on the owner.
Alternate Form (Su): Heratru can assume any humanoid form of Medium size as a standard action. This ability is similar to the polymorph self spell but allows only humanoid forms, its enticement of shadows ability works normally even when in humanoid form. While using this ability, a heratru gains a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- greater darkness, suggestion, obscure object; 3/day- black tentacles, slow, 1/day- improved invisibility (self only), false vision, finger of death, phantasmal killer. Twice per day the demon may use shadow walk; it can begin or end the effect in the Astral Plane as well as the Material Plane, and may choose a gate to the Abyss in the Plane of Shadows as a destination or starting point with a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 14 + spell level).
Summon Demon (Sp): Twice per day a heratru can automatically summon 2d10 shadelings, 3d10 dark lanterns or 2d4 jar’ugr, or it can attempt to summon1d2 jethulet, 1d2 hamedu or another heratru with a 50% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Heratru can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
Skills: Heratru gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks when hiding in shadows.
The Nuyul
The mind worms have been overlooked for as long as they have existed, largely ignored by the purge enforced by the Tanar Brood on the rest of the demonic families and carefully avoided to the present day. The purge did eliminate the more coherent races of the nuyul'ka, leaving the mostly mindless or thoroughly insane specimens to form the bulk of this family so that they are even more directionless than the average demonic brood. These fiends are not as purposeless as other demons would like to think, but at the present they are lying low, acting the part of the ravenous worms that they have played so well for centuries until they have fed on enough souls to challenge even the Tanar.
Nuyul'ka Qualities
Incorporeal: Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armour. Always moves silently.
Skinride (Su): A nuyul'ka can merge its body with a material creature. This ability is similar to magic jar as cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (or the nuyul'ka’s HD, whichever is higher), except that it does not displace the host’s soul but the demon merely hides inside it. If the attack succeeds, the demon’s body vanishes into the opponent’s. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 15 + demon’s Charisma modifier). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that demon’s possession for one day, although the demon can try to skinride another target until it succeeds. Nuyul'ka can only successfully skinride once per day. Each species has different powers once inside a host. Hosts are allowed a saving throw against a skinriding nuyul'ka’s psionic powers or spell-like abilities, but with a -4 morale penalty. Psionic characters and creatures may enter psionic combat with the nuyul'ka as normal if they know it is there and may force it out of a host by defeating it in such a way.
Psionics (Sp): Nuyul'ka have psionic powers in addition to their spell-like ability, as well as psionic attack and defence modes. For games that do not use psionic rules, find an equivalent spell and add it to the creature’s spell-like abilities. If no equivalent exists, ignore the power.
Immunities (Ex): Nuyul'ka are immune to disease, poison, and death effects.
Resistances (Ex): Nuyul'ka have cold, electricity, fire and acid resistance 15.
Telepathy (Su): Nuyul'ka can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
Skills: All nuyul'ka have a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks. They feed from feelings and are therefore connoisseurs when it comes to them.
Diazhit (nuyul'ka)
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Incorporeal)
HD: 2d8+4 (13 hp)
Initiative: +3 (+3 Dex)
Speed: Fly 30 ft (perfect)
AC: 18 (+2 Size, +3 Dex, +3 deflection)
Attacks: 2 incorporeal touch +7 melee
Damage: Incorporeal touch 1d3
Space/Reach: 2 1/2 ft x 2 1/2 ft/0
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, skinride (Su), psionics (Sp), confuse (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 5/cold iron or good, SR 15, nuyul'ka qualities, incorporeal
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str -, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 16
Skills: Bluff +8, Intimidate +6, Listen +2, Sense Motive +6, Spot +2
Feats: Iron Will
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
CR: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Tiny), 5-6 HD (Small)
The diazhit are the most common of a rare family, so it is not exactly an everyday occurrence to find one, even in the Abyss. They are relatively harmless parasites that feed off confusion and uncertainty, and do everything in their power to provoke it.
These demons are 1-foot long from mouth to the tip of their tails, without taking into account their two feelers that can extend for a little longer. They are fat, like leeches, but their bodies are segmented like an earthworm’s, with no apparent eyes, mouths or any sensory organ. They are transparent, their outlines glowing softly in a pale white light and many of their inner organs visible in a similar way. They float placidly until riled up, but hunt invisibly in order to burrow inside a target’s souls before it is noticed.
Combat
Diazhit avoid combat by all means possible. They will try to skinride a target at the first opportunity and, if they fail, they will flee, using their spelllike abilities to hinder pursuit. Only if they notice that their pursuers have no means to damage its incorporeal form, will they return and try to skinride until they are successful or destroyed.
Confuse (Su): As a standard action, the diazhit can muddle a target’s mind; this works like the confusion as cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer, except that it uses the following table to determine a victim’s behaviour and condition:
| 1d10 | Behaviour or Condition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wander away for 1 minute (unless prevented) |
| 2–3 | Do nothing for 1 round |
| 4 | Stunned |
| 5–6 | Attack nearest creature for 1 round |
| 7-8 | Shaken |
| 9 | Blinded or Deafened (toss coin) |
| 10 | Act normally for 1 round |
Skinride (Su): Once inside a host, the diazhit can impose a -1 morale penalty to any of the victims’ skill checks, attack and damage rolls or saving throws at will as a free action, but only one penalty per its host’s turn. It can also project its power to one of the host’s allies as a standard action, who must then make a Will save (DC 14) to resist the effect.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, detect thoughts, fear, telekinesis; 1/day- invisibility (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 3rd level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level).
Psionics (Sp): At will- brain lock, daze, sense psionics. These abilities are as the powers manifested by a 3rd-level psion.
Attack/Defence Modes (Sp): At will- id insinuation/mental barrier.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a diazhit can attempt to summon 1d4 diazhits with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Diazhits can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
Skills: All nuyul'ka have a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks. They feed from feelings and are therefore connoisseurs when it comes to them.
Pyarian (nuyul'ka)
Medium-size Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Incorporeal)
HD: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 Dex)
Speed: Fly 40 ft (perfect)
AC: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 deflection)
Attacks: 1 incorporeal bite +8 melee; 3 ectoplasmic spines +6 ranged
Damage: Incorporeal bite 1d6; ectoplasmic spines 1d8
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, skinride (Su), psionics (Sp), fear your friend (Su), summon demon (Sp), improved grab
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/cold iron or good, SR 15, nuyul'ka qualities, incorporeal
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str -, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +8, Concentration +7, Hide +12, Intimidate +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +6, Spot +6
Feats: Multiattack, Point Blank Shot
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair or gang (3-5)
CR: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Medium-size), 9-12 HD (Large)
Sowing distrust and paranoia, the pyarian demons delight in creating rifts between people, driving them in all directions like wolves in the midst of a herd and, like the predators they are, isolating them so they can safely feed.
Past the transparent appearance of all the incorporeal nuyul'ka, the pyarian resemble human-sized centipedes, with flat segmented bodies about one foot and a half wide, ridged with dozens of little spikes that resemble insect legs but are actually the demon’s natural weapons. It has four large mandibles that snap together in unison that it uses to latch onto victims and possibly skinride them. Pyarian speak Abyssal and Common.
Combat
Pyarian do not like fighting although they are well-suited for combat. They will use their illusory abilities and powers to gain a better position for an ambush and strike from afar, closing in only after they become invisible before attacking with their spines or, if they are feeling audacious or hungry with their bites, trying to skinride the strongest creature in a group. They prefer to wait for the right opportunity to skinride a creature without beingnoticed, so they can start working on making their host a paranoid wreck.
Ectoplasmic Spines: The natural weapons of the pyarian are incorporeal, ignoring armour bonuses to AC. They cause their damage by disintegrating completely inside the target.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the pyarian must hit with its incorporeal bite. If it gets a hold, it can try to skinride.
Fear Your Friend (Su): As a standard action, the pyarian can try to make a creature believe that one of his allies is possessed, magically compelled or is a shapechanged creature that is about to attack him and the rest of his companions. This mind-affecting ability can be resisted with a successful Will save (DC 15) and lasts for 1d6+1 rounds should the saving throw fail. Under the effect of this ability, a creature will treat an ally (at the demon’s choosing) as an enemy for all purposes. Spells that target ‘allies’ that the victim cast will exclude the creature that the victim believes to be an enemy to the point that he will even interpret magical means of detecting danger and hostility as pointing at the target of this deception.
Skinride (Su): Once inside a host, the pyarian alters the host’s memories of its intrusion as per a modify memory spell with no saving throw. It cannot erase any other memories except its own successful skinride. All of the demon’s illusory spell-like abilities may exist only in the host’s mind as if they were phantasms rather than figments. By winning an opposed Bluff check against the host’s Sense Motive check, the pyarian will make the host believe that anything he just heard was a lie. Each week that a pyarian remains skinriding, the host makes a Will save (DC 15) or loses 1d2 points of Wisdom that he cannot recover while the demon is inside him. He is consumed by false fears until he goes insane. The pyarian may suspend its influence so that the host heals his mind, a period during which the demon abstains from using any of its abilities, only to resume the torture again once the host has replenished his mental reserves.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- darkness, detect thoughts, bane, telekinesis, ghost sound, silent image; 1/day- invisibility (self only), teleport without error (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by a 3rd-level sorcerer (save DC 13 + spell level).
Psionics (Sp): At will- aura alteration, disable, false sensory input, sense psionics. These abilities are as the powers manifested by a 3rd-level psion.
Attack/Defence Modes (Sp): At will- mind thrust/thought shield.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a pyarian can attempt to summon 1d4 pyarians with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Pyarians can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
Skills: All nuyul'ka have a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks.
Mad Winds (nuyul'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Air, Incorporeal)
HD: 6d8+6 (33 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+5 Dex)
Speed: Fly 80 ft (perfect)
AC: 16 (-1 Size, +5 Dex, +2 deflection)
Attacks: 1 slam +10 melee
Damage: Slam 1d8 and special
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, skinride (Su), psionics (Sp), erode soul (Su), whirlwind (Ex), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/cold iron or good+1, SR 15, nuyul'ka qualities, incorporeal, ephemeral
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +5
Abilities: Str -, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +17, Listen +4, Move Silently +13, Search +7, Spot +14, Survival +10
Feats: Weapon Finesse (slam), Flyby Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary or gang (2-5)
CR: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 7-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge)
Violent and reckless, the mad winds are thought to be corrupted elementals from the Elemental Waste of Air who joined the nuyul'ka until they became full-fledged demons. They are the warrior caste of the Brood of Nuyul because it is what they do best. These fiends are nearly invisible as they fly at great speeds, inflicting misery and madness, but their howling can be recognised easily.
Resembling a shimmer in the air, the mad wind’s only visible features are the eight glowing eyes on its front, and a circular row of sharp teeth which are never used for combat. Mad winds fly across the land, feeding from creatures’ ability to think clearly and instilling their own brand of abuse. Mad winds speak Common and Abyssal.
Combat
Mad winds attack by passing through their targets and moving on. They swoop down and use their whirlwind ability to confuse a group of characters and then attack the weakest-looking one. They sometimes remember their spell-like abilities and psionic powers, especially when someone manages to hurt them, prompting the demon’s retaliation. They are as insane as their name suggests, and will fight to the death.
Erode Soul (Su): A creature hit by a mad wind’s slam attack hears the voices and screams of the wind’s victims and the demon’s own promises of pain. The creature must roll a Will save (DC 15) or suffer 1 point of temporary Intelligence damage and be confused for 1d4-1 rounds. A confused character’s actions are determined by a 1d10 roll, rerolled each round: 1: wander away (unless prevented) for 1 minute (and don’t roll for another random action until the minute is up); 2-6: do nothing for 1 round; 7-9: attack the nearest creature for 1 round; 10: act normally for 1 round. Any confused creature who is attacked automatically attacks its attackers on her next turn.
Whirlwind (Ex): By spinning wildly, a mad wind can create a whirlwind up to 30 feet high, creating a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centred on the demon and has a diameter equal to half the whirlwind’s height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have one-half concealment, while those farther away have total concealment. Those caught in the cloud must succeed at a Concentration check to cast a spell (DC equal to the Reflex save DC).
Ephemeral (Su): The mad wind’s transparent from makes it very hard to notice, enjoying at all times the equivalents of three-quarters concealment. Attacks directed at a mad wind have a 30% chance to miss.
Skinride (Su): Instead of dealing hit point damage and possibly ability damage with a successful slam attack, the mad wind can try to skinride. Once inside a host, the mad wind creates a mental haze that inhibits the host’s reasoning and awareness, reducing the host’s Intelligence and Wisdom scores by 2 each.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- detect thoughts, fear, shout; 1/day- gust of wind, teleport without error (self only). These abilities are as the spells cast by an 8th-level sorcerer (save DC 12 + spell level).
Psionics (Sp): At will- crisis of breath, fatal attraction, inflict pain, sense psionics. These abilities are as the powers manifested by an 8th-level psion.
Attack/Defence Modes (Sp): At will- id insinuation, psychic crush/empty mind, mental barrier.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a mad wind can attempt to summon 1d4 mad winds with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Mad winds can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
Pereveshti (nuyul'ka)
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Incorporeal)
HD: 9d8+27 (67 hp)
Initiative: +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: Fly 60 ft (perfect)
AC: 20 (-1 Size, +6 Dex, +5 deflection)
Attacks: 1 incorporeal tail slap +14 melee
Damage: Incorporeal tail slap 2d8
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, skinride (Su), psionics (Sp), encircle (Su), malevolence (Sp), incite bloodlust (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 15/cold iron or good, SR 20, nuyul'ka qualities, incorporeal, rage aura (Su)
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +6
Abilities: Str -, Dex 22, Con 17, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 20
Skills: Bluff +17, Concentration +11, Escape Artist +14, Hide +21, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Listen +8, Sense Motive +14, Spellcraft +8, Spot +12
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Flyby Attack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
CR: 13
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Large), 19-27 HD (Huge)
The spirits of rage and carnage are not really the rulers of the nuyul'ka, but they can elicit obedience from their brethren with their mere presence. They do not give orders, but other nuyul'ka follow their lead when there is a larger gathering of them, otherwise, the pereveshti travel alone. These demons hover near battlefields and shoot right into the midst of things, exacerbating the fury of the combatants and pushing them to greater excesses, until there is no one else to fight but their own allies… and then the real carnage begins.
The pereveshti never stop moving even when they remain in the same spot. They are red-blood translucent tapeworms the width of a grown man’s arm and with a length that is hard to determine with all the turns and twists the demon performs around itself. On closer look, its whole body is studded with small, needle-like spines that rake targets painfully even in their incorporeal state. Pereveshti speak Abyssal, Common, Infernal and Draconic, although they seldom deign to speak.
Combat
The pereveshti are not shy about combat, although they will prepare the field beforehand, casting mind fog to reduce their opponents reasoning and make them more susceptible to its attacks. On the course of a single combat, it will use its encircle ability on several consecutive targets and do all it can to be an annoying opponent, so that its opponents are enraged to the point that they will be capable of anything just to get to it. When not in combat, pereveshti like to skinride warriors and reside inside them, granting them power and advantages and pushing them to greater excesses, until the host is a mindless, brutal murderer.
Encircle (Su): The pereveshti can start spinning around a target no larger than Medium-size. The target can make a Reflex save (DC 20) to try and escape from the encirclement on the round that it starts, but not later. While it spins, the pereveshti starts sending a psychic barrage of hate and violence to its target, who must make a Will save (DC 19) every round or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The demon does not really threaten its entrapped victim but the screams coming from inside its whirlwind can prompt the victim’s allies to do something. All attacks directed against the pereveshti in this state have a 50% chance of hitting the victim instead. The demon can stop encircling a target as part of its move action.
Malevolence (Sp): Once per round, an ethereal pereveshti can try to merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to magic jar as cast by a 10th-level sorcerer, except that it does not require a receptacle. If the attack succeeds, the demon’s body vanishes into the opponent’s body but, unlike its skinride ability, this time the demon takes over. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 20). A creature that successfully saves is immune to that demon’s malevolence for one day.
Incite Bloodlust (Su): As a standard action, the demon may impose on a creature an urge to kill so strong that it takes over every other impulse. The target must make a Will save (DC 19) or be under the effects of an insatiable bloodlust. The target temporarily gains +4 to Strength, +4 to Constitution, and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, although this does not apply against the pereveshti’s abilities and powers. On the down side, the target suffers a –2 penalty to AC and is blinded by his rage, attacking the creature that is nearest to him at the beginning of each round, be it friend or foe. The rage lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the target’s (newly improved) Constitution modifier, and he may not end it prematurely. At the end of the rage, the target creature is fatigued (–2 to Strength, –2 to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. Otherwise this rage is the same as the barbarian’s rage ability.
Rage Aura (Su): The demon radiates intense feelings of violence and wanton destruction. Any living creature within 30 feet of the pereveshti must make a Will save (DC 19) or suffer a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls, saving throws and ability checks as they start shaking with unexplainable and directionless rage. Those who fail must make a new save each round until the penalty reaches -5, at which point they suffer 1d6 points of Wisdom damage, shake off all the penalties but fall under the effect of the incite bloodlust ability (see above). A creature that succeeds at any of the saving throws shakes off all the accumulated penalties (if any) and is immune to the demon’s ability for 1 day. The pereveshti’s rage aura is suppressed while the demon is skinriding a host or replacing him with the malevolence ability.
Skinride (Su): Once inside a host, the pereveshti can talk to him and offer a literal devil’s bargain: the pereveshti will use its own spell-like abilities and psionic powers to enhance the host if he allows it to stay and feed on him, causing one point of Wisdom damage each day that the host can heal normally, maintaining a balance. Unbeknownst to the host, the demon can use its malevolence ability at will with a +4 to the host’s DC to resist. Success by the host only means that the demon skulks back to its hiding place inside his soul and cannot use any of its abilities on him for one day, although the host does not know why and also does not notice the attempt to wrest his body away from him. Failure means that the pereveshti is in full control of the host’s body, an occasion it uses to commit great acts of cruelty. When it returns control to the host, he remembers nothing of what the demon did in his body, but the consequences may come back to haunt him. By winning an opposed Bluff check against the host’s Will saving throw, the pereveshti can override one of the host’s actions for that turn, be it a standard or move-equivalent action. Of course, the pereveshti is not forced to offer the bargain or even announce its presence, but may still use its abilities to enhance the host and give him a false sense of power.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will- detect thoughts, see invisibility, emotion; 1/day- haste, mind fog, teleport without error (self only). Once per month the pereveshti can bestow curse. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 9th-level sorcerer (save DC 12 + spell level).
Psionics (Sp): At will- attraction, combat precognition, tailor memory, sense psionics, whitefire, etherealness (self only). These abilities are as the powers manifested by a 9th-level psion.
Attack/Defence Modes (Sp): At will- all/all.
Summon Demon (Sp): Once per day a pereveshti can attempt to summon 2d4 pyarian with a 50% chance of success, or another pereveshti with a 35% chance of success.
Telepathy (Su): Pereveshti can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet regardless of language.
The Casteless
Whether native flora and fauna of the Abyss or the sole survivors of an ancient demon family, casteless demons litter the Abyssal landscape, defying description and classification but nonetheless posing the same danger as demons with their family intact.
Barbeast
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 7d8+21 (52 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 50 ft
AC: 19 (-1 Size, +2 Dex, +8 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 bite +10 melee; 2 claws +8 melee
Damage: Bite 2d6+4; claws 1d8+4
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 10 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, trip (Ex), Unwind (Ex), Envelop (Ex)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 5/cold iron or good, SR 8, Darkvision 60, immunities, true sight (Sp)
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +7
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 11
Skills: Balance +6, Hide +7, Jump +9, Listen +11, Move Silently +7, Spot +11, Survival +14*
Feats: Power Attack, Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary, pair or pack (3-6)
CR: 8
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 8-14 HD (Large), 15-21 HD (Huge)
Scholars confuse the barbeast with a construct similar to retrievers, but it is a full-fledged demon, a predator of the Abyssal landscape. Used as guardians and pack hunters by stronger demons, barbeasts do not miss anything that happens around them, and sometimes not even what happens far away. They are relentless pursuers that refuse to be stopped or delayed by any obstacle, which they either bypass with ease or tear to shreds. Despite their limited intelligence, barbeasts show a sick glee when pursuing prey and tearing it apart.
Barbeasts resemble huge dogs with wide and squat heads. Their body is made of tightly wound barbed wire that coils around their frame as a moving spring, making an unnerving screeching sound as the coils chafe against each other. Barbeasts understand, but do not speak Common and Abyssal.
Combat
Barbeasts hunt in packs but also thrive alone; they are vicious fighters and close in as soon as possible, running to the middle of a group or at least close to as many group members it can so it can attack with its unwind ability. It will then proceed to attack with its bite and claws until it is ready to unwind again. If they have orders to capture rather than to kill, they will use their hold person spell-like ability but, if it fails, they will simply shrug and savage the target.
Trip (Ex): A barbeast that hits with a claw or bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the barbeast.
Unwind (Ex): As a full-round action, the barbeast’s coils of barbed wire unwind, slashing everything that stands within 30 feet of its position and dealing 6d6 points of damage. Creatures can make a Reflex save (DC 16) to halve the damage. The barbeast regains its form at the end of its turn and cannot unwind again for 1d4 rounds as it literally pulls itself together.
Envelop (Ex): As a free action, the barbeast can try to snare one creature who suffered the full damage of its unwind ability. The creature must be of the same size or smaller for the barbeast to wind its coils around the victim as a grapple check. If the demon is defeated in the check, it reforms on a square adjacent to its target but, if it succeeds, it occupies the same space as its victim. A victim enveloped in the barbeast’s coils suffers 1d6+4 automatic damage. The barbeast can only take a partial action while it is wound around a victim and it may not use its unwind ability until it reforms and 1d4 rounds have passed. Attacks against the barbeast in this state have a 50% chance of hitting its victim instead. The victim can try to free itself with a Strength (DC 18) or Escape Artist (DC 20) check, but suffers an additional 2d6 points of damage in the process; the demon can break contact as part of normal movement.
True Sight (Sp): Barbeasts continuously see things as they are as the true seeing spell cast by a 15th level sorcerer.
Immunities: Barbeasts are immune to cold and poison effects. Also, they are not subject to critical hits.
Spell-like Abilities: At will- detect magic, detect thoughts, locate creature, locate object, freedom of movement; 3/day- hold monster, phase door. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 10 + spell level).
Skills: Barbeasts receive a +4 insight bonus when tracking trails using Survival.
Demonship
Colossal Construct
HD: 40d10 (220 hp)
Initiative: -1 (-1 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft, fly 20 ft (clumsy)
AC: 26 (-8 Size, -1 Dex, +25 natural armour)
Attacks: 4 chains +41 melee, 4 demonfire cannons +29 ranged
Damage: Chains 2d12+11, demonfire cannons 3d6 fire damage
Space/Reach: 40 ft x 80 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: Attach (Ex), demonfire cannons (Su)
Special Qualities: Construct, Darkvision 60 ft., planar travel (Sp), planar orientation (Su), extradimensional cargo (Su), soul propulsion (Su), helm jewel (Su), fast healing 5
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +9
Abilities: Str 32, Dex 8, Con —, Int —, Wis 16, Cha 1
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or fleet (2-5 demonships, fully crewed)
CR: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: None
There are few images more frightening than the approach of a demonship, fully laden with a small horde of screaming and hollering demons ready to burst forth. Demonships are incredible vessels that transport demons through the infinite layers of the Abyss and out to other planes, where they can wreak their chaos. They are not simple ships, of course, but intelligent and malicious constructs kept in check by the will of their captain, but otherwise unrestrained. Their great size is dwarfed only by their power; they can move across any surface and can even lift into the sky, even if in a very clumsy way. Made from souls, bone powder and other foul materials, demonships run by feeding on souls, so their captains are sure to stock several damned souls from their slave pens in the Abyss or by capturing travellers along the way. As a last resource or as punishment, demon captains feed a subordinate to the ship.
The appearance of a demonship varies with the whim of its creators, although most of them look like oversized skiffs or war galleys full of obscene carvings and protrusions. Possessed of a will of its own, a demonship can move and travel by itself, and it is not as rare to find castaway demonships drifting through the Astral Plane, hunting for souls to feed long after their crew was exterminated in some extraplanar incursion.
Combat
Demonships open fire with their demonfire cannons before a target gets into melee range, and then they proceed to attack with the chains that otherwise serve as anchors. If they are hungry, they try to grab living beings and insert them into their feeding chamber, which can be reached from outside as a strange mouth with teeth made of jagged bones or from the inside.
Construct: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, disease, and similar effects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the demonship must hit with two chains. If it gets a hold, it can use its attach ability with a creature of Gargantuan or Colossal size (see below) or put a Huge or smaller victim in its soul propulsion chamber (see below).
Attach (Ex): The demonship can grapple with Gargantuan or Colossal creatures and vehicles with its chains. If it wins the grapple check (an automatic success against vehicles) it automatically hits with its demonfire cannons and any crew it may carry can climb aboard the grappled target.
Demonfire Cannons (Su): A demonship has four demonfire cannons that it can fire on its own. Each cannon is part of its body and cannot be moved from its position. At any point, there are two cannons available to fire to each side, the front and the back of the demonship. The cannons have a range increment of 100 feet and deal 3d6 points of fire damage. Targets hit by a demonfire cannon must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) or catch on fire, suffering 2d6 automatic points of unholy fire damage. The fire can only be put out by magic such as quench, a spell of 2nd level or great with the water descriptor acting as countermagic, break enchantment, remove curse and any healing magic that cures more than six dice of damage. Healing magic such as cure light wounds negates the damage by a number of rounds equal to the points of damage it would cure in a creature, but does not put the fire out.
Planar Travel (Sp): Twice per day, the demonship can pierce planar barriers as per the plane shift spell as if cast by a 20th-level sorcerer, although it must be close to a planar border or a gate in order to do so. It carries within itself a small pocket of the Abyss and every creature on board is immune by the conditions of whatever plane the ship finds itself in, although the ship does suffer them.
Planar Orientation (Su): The demonship knows at all times on which plane it is and the direction and distance towards the nearest gate or planar border.
Extradimensional Cargo (Su): The demonship has a door that opens to an extradimensional pocket similar to a magnificent mansion spell as if cast by a 20th-level sorcerer. The space holds crew quarters, slave pens and the soul propulsion chamber.
Soul Propulsion (Su): A chamber at the heart of the demonship can hold a creature up to Huge size and drain it of its life energy or its essence. The creature must save against Will (DC 20) or be paralysed as if by a hold monster spell. For each hour that the creature spends held in the chamber, it gains a negative level or loses one power level of demonic essence. When the creature gains as many negative levels as its HD or levels it dies and cannot be brought back to life, as its soul was drained by the ship. Demons whose essence is drained while the demonship is away from the Abyss return to their home plane. The demonship only has access to the stolen power levels until the creature is completely drained. Creatures can be freed from the chamber with a dispel magic or similar spells that negate or cancel magic. If freed before being completely drained, a creature can make a Fortitude save (DC 26) to remove each negative level after 24 hours have passed and the levels can be removed normally. If the creature loses enough levels to die, it can be brought back to life. A demonship can operate for one month per level it has stolen.
Helm Jewel (Su): Every demonship is attuned to a fist-sized jewel. Any creature can attune itself to the jewel as well by spending an hour meditating on it. The demonship will then develop a telepathic link with the jewel owner so that they can communicate telepathically up to 7 miles away. The demonship obeys all the commands of the jewel owner. If the creature that attunes to the jewel is of any alignment except chaotic evil, it must roll a Will save (DC 18) each day it remains attuned to the jewel. Failure means that the creature is dominated by the demonship’s will and walks right into the soul propulsion chamber unless stopped. The creature can break the attunement at will.
Telepathy (Su): A demonship can communicate telepathically with any creature on board of it and with a designated captain up to seven miles away, regardless of language.
Weeper
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 16d8+80 (152 hp)
Initiative: +3 (-3 Dex, +6 sensitive vines)
Speed: 5 ft
AC: 23 (-2 Size, -3 Dex, +18 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 bite +21 melee; 8 vines +20 (19-20/x2) melee
Damage: Bite 1d8+7; vines 2d6+7 and poison
Space/Reach: 10 ft x 10 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: Lamentation (Su), poison (Ex), stranglehold (Ex)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/cold iron or good, SR 10, tremorsense (Ex), frightful presence (Su), sensitive vines (Ex), essence fruit (Su)
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +10
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 3, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 16
Skills: Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Listen +17, Search +8, Spellcraft +3, Spot +14, Use Rope +9, Survival +11
Feats: Alertness, Improved Critical (vines), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (vines), Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary or grove (2-5)
CR: 14
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 17-32 HD (Huge), 33-48 HD (Gargantuan)
The landscape of the Abyss is inconstant and many times even incongruous, so it is not such a strange spectacle to find a small grove of trees, gnarled as they may be, in the middle of a dry wasteland. Weepers take advantage of that kind of assumption. Mimicking the form of great weeping willows, weepers are in truth demons who feed on the unwary who tries to find shade and nourishment from its branches. They stalk the Abyssal landscape and appear on many of its layers, although they do much better in arid wastelands where they can tempt others with a false haven, than in lush forestlands where they can blend in with the surroundings but find competition from native plant monsters or creatures adept at dealing with trees that try to grab them.
For all the danger they pose, weepers are highly sought by many demons and planar travellers who hear of them, for they are in many ways similar to real trees in that what they feed, becomes something that others may feed on: fruit. Weepers bear fruit that is laden with demonic essence; it is the way that they store as if it was a receptacle but nobody knows what it does with it. Many minor demons have ended up as dry husks by trying to steal weepers’ fruit in a bid to accumulate power, and demons like to impart the knowledge of the weepers’ and their fruit’s existence on mortals, omitting the little yet important detail about them being demons, not trees.
Weepers make a very good show on resembling trees; their thick and gnarled trunk is pitch black, as would befit Abyssal flora, with wide-ranging branches that eventually hang like that of a real weeping willow, except that the leaves are dark red and full of thorns, which are actually the weeper’s claws. Its legs bury themselves in the ground to resemble roots and its skin even feels like bark, until it parts together to reveal a vertical mouth near ground level that shoots forward to attack. The laments that give a weeper its name come from the dozens of shrunken heads that hang right next to the essence fruits amongst the branches; the heads are the desiccated remains of previous victims, now acting like a musical instrument for the weeper’s supernatural wailing.
Weepers migrate slowly and then root themselves in place to wait for prey. Weepers actually speak Common and Abyssal, but they are rather dull conversationalists and do not engage in talk too often.
Combat
Weepers pose as real trees and use their lamentation to attract victims. Either predators expecting to find easy prey or the rare but not impossible traveller with a kind soul. Once the first victim is in range, the weeper lashes out with its vines and tries to strangle. Any creature coming to the first victim’s help will get attacked as well. The demon will try to cover all attackers with a maximum of eight, which is as far as it can concentrate. It will trust in its poison to incapacitate victims for later consumption.
Poison (Ex): Vine, Fortitude save (DC 15); initial damage 1d6 Dexterity and daze, secondary damage 1d4 Dexterity and daze. A target that suffers the damage is immune to additional dosages for one day.
Stranglehold (Ex): If the weeper scores a critical hit with a vine, it entangles tightly around a victim’s neck in addition to its damage. The victim must beat the weeper in an opposed Strength check to break free, otherwise, he must make a Constitution check (DC 10) in order to hold his breath so suddenly. The save must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success. When the victim fails one of these Constitution checks, he begins to suffocate. In the first round, he falls unconscious (0 hp). In the following round, he drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, he suffocates. Once a victim falls unconscious, the weeper does not wait for it to die and raises him to a height of 10 feet. Other characters may attempt to break the victim free at any point by breaking the vine. The weeper’s vines have only 10 hit points each, but do enjoy the creature’s Damage Reduction. Regardless of how many vines are cut, the weeper always has its full 8-vines attack as it moves others to replace the cut ones.
Lamentation (Su): One or more of the suspended heads emits a weeping and sobbing noise. Every listener hears something that would attract them to the source: hunters will hear the baying of a wounded animal, caregivers would hear the quiet sobbing of a lost child, etc. All creatures within 100 feet of the weeper must make a Will save (DC 18) or be drawn to the demonic tree. The effect stops working when a victim of the lamentation suffers damage from the weeper’s attack. Creatures who save successfully or have the effect broken are immune to the weeper’s lamentation for 24 hours. The weeper can suspend its frightful presence ability while it is attracting victims with this ability.
Tremorsense (Ex): A weeper can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Frightful Presence (Su): The weeper’s appearance and the constant sobbing coming from it unsettles creatures nearby. The ability takes effect automatically whenever the weeper attacks. Creatures within a radius of 30 feet are subject to the effect if they have fewer than 10HD. A potentially affected creature that succeeds at a Will save (DC 21) remains immune to that weeper’s frightful presence for one day. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds.
Essence Fruit (Su): The fruit from a weeper’s branches can be harvested; each five fruits yield one power level of demonic essence (see the Methods of Warfare chapter for details on how to use demonic essence). Eating the fruit does provide sustenance despite its bitter taste, but for each fruit a character consumes he gains an evil aura of a level equal to the number of fruits he ate. While he has an evil aura, all the evil power levels from weeper fruits he eats stack together. The aura fades a week after the character eats the last fruit.
Sensitive Vines (Ex): The weeper’s hanging branches and vines combine with its roots to give the demon an almost supernatural sense of its opponents movements, granting it a +6 insight bonus to initiative.
Telepathy (Su): Weepers can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that speaks Common or Abyssal.
Immunities: Weepers are immune to damage from bludgeoning weapons, even magical ones. They are also immune to poison and are not subject to critical hits.
Fire Vulnerability: Because they mimic plant life so well, weepers are also combustible, suffering double damage from fire effects.
Gaping Maw
Gargantuan Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 18d8+90 (171 hp)
Initiative: +2 (-2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 20 ft, burrow 10 ft
AC: 26 (-4 Size, -2 Dex, +22 natural armour)
Attacks: 1 bite +20 melee
Damage: Bite 2d10+5
Space/Reach: 20 ft x 20 ft/20 ft
Special Attacks: Snap attack (Ex), improved grab (Ex), swallow whole (Ex), Plane shift digestion (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 10/good, SR 20, tremorsense
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +9, Will +11
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 6, Con 20, Int 5, Wis 9, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +21*, Intimidate +7, Listen +15, Search +8, Spot +15, Survival +15
Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite)
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Solitary
CR: 15
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 19-36 HD (Gargantuan)
One of the most dangerous methods of Abyssal travel, if not outright suicidal, is the gaping maw. These monstrous demons are nothing more than an appetite with legs, but their unique properties of their digestion makes them invaluable for many demons. Gaping maws rarely kill their victims, but simply defecate them into a different Abyssal layer after they bit a chunk out of them. It is an unorthodox method of travel, but demons make free use of it if they are strong enough and with a taste for pain, or as a nuisance disposal unit.
Gaping maws are big enough to swallow a balor but keep most of their great bulk underground, leaving only their gigantic mouths on the surface. These demons look like shapeless rock with six great legs supporting their weight. Their eyes rest at the end of small retractable antennae and can twist to face any direction. Their heads are big and round, almost indistinguishable from their neckless bodies, but they can turn and rotate almost in 360 degrees. They can open their mouth completely in a 180 degrees-angle and close them in a fraction of a second, usually snapping anything they are biting in two. Their mouths have at least a dozen rows of razor-sharp teeth curved inwards.
Gaping maws move slowly and rarely. Many stay in the same place for so long that they make it into maps, surprising everyone when they show that they can actually move. They can travel overland, but prefer to do so while underground.
Combat
There is a 50% chance that a gaping maw will be encountered burrowed and with its mouth wide open for all to see. The rest of the time they have their mouth closed and are very hard to notice (opposed Spot/Hide checks). Gaping maws snap their jaws at the first victim to come close and try to gobble every opponent down until there is no one else left.
Snap Attack (Ex): As a standard action, the gaping maw opens its jaws completely to their 180 degrees horror. Its next attack is delivered as a snap attack, gaining a +2 competence bonus to initiative and attack rolls. When performing a snap attack, the gaping maw’s bite delivers a critical threat on a roll of 17-20 on the d20.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the gaping maw must hit with its bite attack. If it gets a hold, it can attempt to swallow the foe.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A gaping maw can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of Huge or smaller size by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+5 points of crushing damage. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 15). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.
The demon’s interior can hold one Huge, four Large, sixteen Medium-size, or sixty-four Small or smaller opponents.
Plane Shift Digestion (Sp): After a victim suffers 25 cumulative points of damage or remains swallowed for five rounds (whichever happens first), it makes a Fortitude check (DC 18) to avoid being transported to another layer of the Abyss. If the save succeeds, the victim must make new saving throws at the beginning of each round at the same DC until he escapes the demon’s gizzard, dies crushed, the demon is killed or he fails and is transported away. A gaping maw’s innards are attuned to a particular layer for an entire day, so every creature it swallows in that day ends up in the same layer, within 1d6x10feet of the previous swallowed victim. When it goes to sleep, the gaping maw attunes to a different layer. There is a 5% chance that the gaping maw is attuned to the Astral Plane instead. The gaping maw’s inner throat glows a certain colour corresponding to its destination, which can be ascertained by a successful Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 15).
Tremorsense (Ex): A gaping maw can automatically sense the location of anything within 60 feet that is in contact with the ground.
Skills: Gaping maws have a +8 racial bonus to Hide check, but they enjoy it only if they had a full-round movement to burrow.
Demon Lords
All Demon Lords are unique beings that differ wildly from one another and from all other demons. Many share the qualities of one demonic family or another, thus marking their origin or at least their preference in servants. The Demon Lords of the Tanar Brood are the most numerous and rule most of the layers in the Abyss, but there are still a few who pledge allegiance to no Tanar'ka, the most prominent of them being Iyaviht, Demon Lady of Jar’taska, and Gatekeeper, forsaken guardian of the Abyss.
Iyaviht, the Dark Whisper
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 30d8+150 (285 hp)
Initiative: +8 (+8 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft, fly 60 ft (perfect)
AC: 44 (-2 Size, +8 Dex, +28 natural armour)
Attacks: 2 claw +22 melee; 1 bite +20 melee; 4 hair strands +20 melee
Damage: Claw 2d4+4; bite 1d10+4; hair strand 2d6+4
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 30 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, spells, energy drain (Su), seduction (Su), summon demon (Sp)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 15/cold iron and good, SR 30, alternate form, incorporeal, jar’taska'ka qualities, whispers (Su)
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +20, Will +23
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 35, Wis 33, Cha 38
Skills: Appraise +24, Bluff +44, Concentration +35, Diplomacy +49, Disguise +39, Forgery +22, Intimidate +34, Knowledge (arcana) +52, Knowledge (religion) +42, Knowledge (the planes) +50, Knowledge (history) +17, Listen +36, Move Silently +48, Perform +46, Search +32, Sense Motive +51, Spellcraft +47, Spot +39, Use Magic Device +49
Feats: Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Items, Expertise, Extend Spell, Quicken Spell, Spell Focus (enchantment), Still Spell, Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Unique
CR: 27
Treasure: Double
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
Iyaviht is the patroness of the jar’taska'ka, a subtle princess of deceit, treachery and dark knowledge. It remains a secret whether she used to be a jar’taska'ka demon or if she adopted her current form and powers out of sympathy of the shadow demons, but she presents herself as creature of utter darkness. Her preferred tactics always involve convoluted plots where even traitors are fulfilling part of her plans. She knows that the Tanar Demon Lords are much too powerful for her and her children and so she bides her time and hides in the Shadow Fortress, out of reach and notice of the rest of Abyssal society.
As she holds no claim to rule all of demonkind, Iyaviht is largely ignored by the other Demon Lords and their internecine wars, and she likes to keep them thinking that way. The only times that she associates with other Demon Lords is as a whore, selling her power to induce pleasure to the jaded lords of the Abyss; she has allowed a number of them to believe they have abused her, but she keeps them manoeuvring against each other while she learns their secrets and leaks them through various sources to the ears of other Demon Lords and even to mortals. Many archdemons have their True Names used by mortal demonologists because Iyaviht coaxed them from their Demon Lords and gave them to her jar’taska'ka, who in turn used them to lure mortals into serving the Demon Lady’s aims.
She models herself as the heratru demons, but even more so. She appears as the most beautiful female specimen of whichever race she is mimicking, but her beauty is morbid, even by the strange standards of some of the planar races. Adorned by black pearls, polished obsidian and onyx, her garments are all black and fade with her flowing black hair. Her eyes are dark pits that seem to absorb light and suck in everything they touch.
Combat
Iyaviht does not like to fight. She commands armies of creatures from the Plane of Shadows with the same ease that she commands the jar’taska'ka, but she finds herself in combat only when it befits her plans, preferring to flee if real danger approaches her. She becomes incorporeal when fighting starts, using her magic abilities to bolster her minions and trying to enchant the most powerful opponents to her side.
Seduction (Su): The Demon Lady of shadows can fill a target with every pleasure imaginable, condensed in a single moment or over a period of time. A target must make a Will save (DC 30) or be stunned for as long as Iyaviht maintains concentration and for one round after she stops. When the stun effect ends, the target must make a second Will save (DC 25) or become addicted to the sensation of the Demon Lady’s attention; the target is magically charmed by Iyaviht and, every week he spends away from her, he suffers one point of Wisdom damage that he cannot recover until he is within a mile of her (and knowing that he is). A break enchantment, remove curse, and dispel evil effect can remove this perverse infatuation as can a miracle or wish. The other way to cure a target is to let his Wisdom drop to 0, after which he starts recovering the ability damage as normal. Iyaviht can use this ability over a range of 400 feet simply by looking at the target, but she can also deliver it through a touch attack with her claws with a +2 to the saving throw’s DC, or through a scrying device with a -4 to the DC.
Whispers (Su): Iyaviht is not called the Dark Whisper for nothing. Everyone standing within 100 feet of Iyaviht hears a soft whispering inside their minds. They have no real effect except to impose a -4 penalty on all Listen and Concentration checks, but they seem to form words and phrases of great significance. Anyone who actually stops to listen will hear dark revelations that will expand their understanding of occult forces, but at the cost of their sanity. Anyone declaring to try to make out the words will automatically gain an Intelligence increase of +1, but suffer a Wisdom decrease of -2. This is not ability damage, so it cannot be healed. At the end of the day, anyone who suffered from the whispers can make a voluntary Will save (DC 25) to return his ability scores to what they were. A creature is not affected by a second session of the whispers until 24 hours have passed.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by any of Iyaviht’s normal attacks receive two negative levels. The Fortitude save to remove a negative level has a DC of 25). The Demon Lady can turn this ability on and off at will as a free action.
Incorporeal: Iyaviht can become incorporeal or solid at will as a move-equivalent action. She can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armour. Always moves silently.
Spell-like Abilities: At will- greater darkness, telekinesis, charm monster, lesser geas, nondetection, shadow walk, greater shadow conjuration, greater shadow evocation; 3/day- cone of cold, black tentacles, plane shift, mass invisibility, teleport without error (self-only), vanish, shades; 1/day binding, mass charm. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 15th-level sorcerer (save DC 24 + spell level).
Spells: Iyaviht can cast arcane spells as a 15th level sorcerer (Sor15, 6/10/10/9/9/9/9/6): 0 level – arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, light, ray of frost, read magic, resistance; 1st level- burning hands, enlarge, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, reduce; 2nd level - acid arrow, cat’s grace, invisibility, mirror image, summon swarm; 3rd level - dispel magic, haste, magic circle against good, sleet storm; 4th level - confusion, fear, ice storm, scrying; 5th level - hold monster, nightmare, telepathic bond, sending; 6th level - chain lightning, freezing sphere, true seeing; 7th level - finger of death, simulacrum.
Alternate Form (Su): Iyaviht can assume any humanoid form of Small to Huge size as a standard action. This ability is similar to the polymorph self spell but allows only humanoid forms. While using this ability, Iyahviht gains a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
Summon Demon (Sp): Three times per day, Iyaviht can automatically summon any two of the following groups: 4d10 shadelings, 4d10 dark lanterns, 2d8 jar’ugr, 1d4 jethulet, 1d4 hamedu or 1d2 heratru.
Telepathy (Su): Iyaviht can communicate telepathically with any creature within 400 feet regardless of language.
Iyaviht’s Cult
The Demon Lady of Dark Whispers likes to keep educated cultists and therefore sponsors mostly arcane and heretic cults. She is amused by the half-blinded efforts of spellcasters, who think they are above everyone else but show they are just like any other mortal, casting their lot with demons despite knowing better.
Iyaviht’s favourite cult is the Society of Obscured Thought, a small group of high-level wizards and sorcerers who became easy prey for her jar’taska'ka enticers. The ranking members of the cult make frequent travels to the Shadow Fortress in the Abyss, where they learn various forbidden secrets that increase their power, but slowly drive them mad. The lower ranks of the cult consist in students and novice spellcasters who do not deserve the Lady’s attentions, but are a present for her shadow demon children. Only those who survive the mentoring of a heratru deserve to have Iyaviht’s counsel and rise to the cult’s top positions.
Gatekeeper
Huge Outsider (Chaotic, Evil)
HD: 28d8+224 (350 hp)
Initiative: +10 (+10 Dex)
Speed: 80 ft
AC: 42 (-2 Size, +10 Dex, +24 natural armour)
Attacks: 3 bites +27 melee; 2 greataxes +22 melee
Damage: Bite 2d8+9; greataxe 1d12+9
Space/Reach: 10 ft x 20 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, anchor curse (Sp), dimension lock (Sp), trip (Ex)
Special Qualities: Damage Reduction 15/cold iron and good, SR 20; poison and electricity immunity; acid, cold, fire resistance 20; nameless (Su), geased, locate gate (Sp), Master Key.
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +22, Will +21
Abilities: Str 29, Dex 31, Con 26, Int 23, Wis 28, Cha 19
Skills: Climb +39, Diplomacy +14, Gather Information +24, Handle Animal +19, Hide +42, Intimidate +33, Jump +50, Knowledge (arcana) +28, Knowledge (the planes) +46, Listen +43, Move Silently +30, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +36, Swim +24, Survival +44
Feats: Alertness, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Track
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organisation: Unique
CR: 27
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
The Wasteland of Gates often resounds with terrible howls of rage, signalling the approach of Gatekeeper, a powerless Demon Lord. While still a force to be reckoned with, Gatekeeper is but a mockery of itself, a true prisoner of the Abyss without a horde nor the means to ever regain it and with greatly diminished power. However, it still commands great respect from lesser demons as it is the chosen to keep open the byways between layers, and the entrances into the Abyss protected. Amongst all demons, Gatekeeper is the only one to have free rein in the visits it gives to any layer.
Once it was one of the greatest explorers amongst demonkind, the only one able to freely travel the planes without attracting attention. Legends tell that once it even intruded into Hell and was not discovered until years had passed. Jealous of its power, many Demon Lords banded together to ambush Gatekeeper as it returned from one of its many sojourns. They succeeded in dealing heavy damage and stripping it of its power but, just as they were about to consume it, the once-mighty Demon Lord gave up its name to the Abyss itself, namely one of Those Who Cannot Be Named. Without a True Name, the Demon Lord was impervious to its foes’ powers and it was able to escape. Along with its Name the demon lost most of its power and, as a slave to the Abyss in general, it was tasked with the function that gave it its new denomination: Keeper of the Gates. The great demonic explorer was now cursed never to leave its home plane, and to help others do so. The Abyss granted it powers over travel and now it runs mainly across the Wasteland of Gates, fulfilling its duty as guardian of the Abyssal byways, plotting its revenge against those who acted against it and now profit from its abilities.
Gatekeeper has the lower torso of a large six-legged dog with mangy fur, the torso of a well-built human with jet-black skin and three long snake-like heads coming from its neck and ending in three canine heads covered in patched fur and scales. A great key made of souls hangs on its chest, which is rumoured to be the source of Gatekeeper’s powers, as well as its imprisonment.
Combat
Gatekeeper is zealous and furious, but not a fool. It attacks by unleashing its spell-like abilities to incapacitate as many foes as it can so that it can cut them down as he runs through a group. It will then fight very smartly with its two greataxes and its three canine heads.
Anchor Curse (Sp): This is the same as the dimensional anchor spell as if cast by an 18th-level sorcerer, (DC 19) except that the duration of the effect is measured in days, not minutes.
Dimension Lock (Sp): Gatekeeper can counter any spell, effect or ability that has something to do with summonings, movement and travel, such as but not limited to expeditious retreat, jump, summon monster, ethereal jaunt and gate. As a free action and even outside its turn, Gatekeeper can make a caster check (18th-level) to dispel any such magic within range. Effects already in place are negated, while effects that are being activated in the same round fizzle.
Trip (Ex): When Gatekeeper hits with a bite attack, he can attempt to trip the opponent as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip Gatekeeper.
Nameless: Gatekeeper has no Greater nor True Name, so it is immune to all sorts of summoning, binding and controlling. It is also immune to mind-affecting spells and gains a +5 inherent bonus against magic circle against chaos/evil and other restraining magic. It cannot use demonic essence in any way and cannot use any sort of summoning magic.
Geased: As part of its service to the Abyss, Gatekeeper is under a powerful geas. If an opponent greets it before combat starts and asks for directions, Gatekeeper is forced to give them. Asking Gatekeeper to act as a guide has a 50% chance of success. In any case, Gatekeeper will give correct answers although it tries to subvert the questions to hide as much information as it cans. When acting as a guide, it always takes the safest route to the requested destination. Gatekeeper is not forced to answer the questions or requests of the same group more than once a day. In addition, a request for it to open a gate to any other destination (including off the Abyss) has a 25% chance of success, although Gatekeeper must refuse this request to other demons. Gatekeeper cannot attack potential foes that greet it properly and ask for its help until a day has passed or until anyone in the group attacks it first.
Master Key: The Master Key is a minor artefact that powers all of Gatekeeper’s abilities. It hangs tightly from its chest and cannot be removed by any means except killing the demon and taking it from its cold body. The Key is intelligent and holds a portion of the Abyss in itself. Any non-demonic creature that holds the Master Key gains three negative levels that disappear the moment the creature lets go of the key. It can use Gatekeeper’s spell-like abilities as listed below, but any user other than Gatekeeper must beat the key in a Charisma check (DC 25) for every order. Demons who hold it immediately become the next Gatekeeper, freeing the former holder of that title.
Locate Gate (Su): Gatekeeper is aware of the location of all the gates in the Wasteland of Gates, and is also aware of gates in other layers within 10 miles from itself. In addition, Gatekeeper can also sense the use of any travelling magic, particularly extraplanar magic with a successful Wisdom check (DC 10 + spell level). The demon can tell whether the magic is used to arrive or depart, and the kind of user of such magic. This detection ability extends for 100 miles around the demon in the Wasteland of Gates, and for 10 miles in any other layer.
Spell-like Abilities: At will- dimension door, knock, arcane lock, dimensional anchor, magic circle against chaos/evil/good/law; 3/day- banishment, hold monster, teleport without error (self-only), forbiddance, plane shift (Abyss layers only); 1/day maze, phase door; 1/week- imprisonment, freedom, gate (planar travel affecting other creatures only). These abilities are as the spells cast by an 18th-level sorcerer (save DC 14 + spell level).
Telepathy (Su): Gatekeeper can communicate telepathically with any creature within 400 feet regardless of language.
Gatekeeper’s Cult
Previous to the loss of its Name, Gatekeeper built a large cult of planar travellers and explorers. The cult survived Gatekeeper’s disappearance until a courageous cultist travelled to the Abyss and learned of his master’s fate. The cult changed accordingly and now smuggles essence into the lower plane, to try and give Gatekeeper sufficient power to shake off its enchantments and be free again.
The cult shed off its name in sympathy with their imprisoned master and has no central organisation, each cultist travelling great distances to help amass power for the master. Members of Gatekeeper’s cult travel around a lot, acting as fraudulent guides and explorers who ultimately bring doom to their clients. The eldest cultists keep communication with Gatekeeper and travel regularly to the Abyss, where the demon hides their arrival and their presence from other demons, conducting exchanges and consultations that the cultists carry back to their followers.
The Nameless Ones
In the deepest recesses of the Abyss lie what many have spoken as the First Demons, even if many do not consider them to be fiends at all, but another magnitude of evil being… one for which the ‘evil’ label may not even apply in its wickedness. The Nameless Ones are referred to by various titles and in fearful whispers, as even demons are afraid of what could happen should these primordial beings stir in their slumber. These beings are so vast and terrible that no statistics can describe them, and their inclusion in any campaign should be considered a plot point, or background information to give the Abyss and its demons a more alien aspect.
The Dancer in Darkness
As the different planes in the universe spin and dance around each other, so the infinite layers of the Abyss mock the music of the spheres in an obscene cacophony of corruption. Demons whisper that the movement of the Abyssal layers follows the rhythm set by the Dancer in Darkness, who put the first spin on the Abyss and thus created the way it is made up. Those who listen to the chorus of laments in every Abyssal layer could be able to make out the symphony of the Dancer’s dreams, if they are willing to part with their own. Walking endlessly and aimlessly to the beat and pulse of each layer in the demonic realms can guide a supplicant to the presence of the Dancer, where the remnants of its sanity are stripped away and it joins the circle of insane cavorting that is said to sustain the Abyss.
A few mad souls and demons claim to have come away of the Dancer’s unholy revelry with great insights on the workings of the planes, but the empty fury reflected from the depths of such a creature’s eyes can be enough to deter even the bravest demon.
He Who Dreams
Even demons can have nightmares, and when they do, they say that it is because He Who Dreams touched their minds. Mortals do not usually receive a sending from He Who Dreams, as the experience shatters their minds in an instant, but demons receive terrible insights when their already corrupted souls get in touch with an even greater scourge on creation. He Who Dreams sleeps so soundly that its dreams often become reality in the Abyss, spawning nightmarish creatures and some say creating the chaotic weather and environments of the plane. No one really knows where He Who Dreams could lay, but demons and the few mortals whose dreams overlapped the ancient terror’s can be found wandering the Astral Plane in search of greater insights and deeper madness.
The Foundation
This demon is hunger personified and even evil deities fear its awakening. Of all of the Nameless, the Foundation is the only one whose location is widely known, proving the existence of its kind. The Foundation does not reside in a layer of the Abyss so much as it is a layer of the Abyss. Demonic scholars say that when the Dancer in Darkness stopped its mad cavorting, the Foundation arrived and ate the first and strongest layer but the feat was too much for it and sunk into a dreamless stupor, sinking to the bottom of the Abyss and leaving the Wasteland of Gates as the first layer of the plane.
If anything, the Foundation is the less malignant of the Nameless, as visitors to its inner caverns can subsist without enduring a constant assault on their sanity as long as they do not stop to contemplate the vastness of the being whose innards they walk in. The layer is a series of caves, conduits, chambers and other formations made from a soft, viscous material. No gate from outside the Abyss can reach the Foundation, but several entrances from the Wasteland of Gates exist as the primordial demon consumed them when it engulfed the layer. Reaching the exterior ‘skin’ of the Foundation is impossible even by divine magic, and finding any sort of recognisable organ leaves many planar explorers frustrated or horrified at the implications this could have on the Foundation’s true size.
The Demon Mother
Evidence of the existence of the Nameless is elusive, and it would be non-existent if it were not for the gates leading to the Foundation or the occasional whispers heard from He Who Dreams and the Dancer in Darkness, but the Demon Mother is a tantalising myth. If she exists at all, the Demon Mother would be the origin of all demonkind and a power beyond that of deities. There are cults to the Demon Mother amongst demons and mortals much to the chagrin of the Demon Lords, who seek out these cultists and destroy them for choosing to worship an improbable being instead of them. Intriguingly, high priests of the Demon Mother cult are true clerics capable of casting profane magic but it remains in doubt whether they get this power from their faith in the abstract force of evil, or they are really granted by such a being as the Demon Mother.
The Silence at the End of Eternity
As the Demon Mother is the beginning of demonkind, the Silence at the End of Eternity is its end, and the end of all things. The less brutal of the demons who devote some thought to abstract matters give certain worship to the Silence, although not at the visceral level as the cult of the Demon Mother. Rather than an actual being, the Silence at the End of Eternity functions more like a metaphor and a curse amongst demons, a legend of the end of time and an assurance of their final victory over all their enemies. The Silence at the End of Eternity is a very real being, however, but it exists outside of time even as demons count it. It observes everything with a dispassionate and alien glance, waiting for its chance to devour everything that is.
Demonic Templates
The Abyss has a maddening variety of fiends crawling and spawning from its depths, from the lowly souls of the damned to the powerful archdemons that lord over their underlings in their bid to become Demon Lords.
Damned Soul
Condemned for their evil during life or victims of great evil themselves, damned souls roam the Abyss in a mindless, tormented haze, barely aware of anything beyond their pain. Damned souls can arrive to the Abyss for many reasons, most of them having to do with the deeds the original creature committed in life, but others can become damned souls because they were sacrificed in an unholy ritual, they sold their souls for power to a demonic patron or wandered into the Abyss and died before finding their way out.
Damned souls are pale shades of their living selves; they conform to the appearance of the demonic family that claimed them as rather pathetic versions of the demons’ own visage. Damned souls that go to the Tanar resemble their living forms, but all colour is drained from their features, which are now twisted in an endless and silent scream of agony. They appear haggard and covered with a film of dust, their eyes empty of all light and stripped bare except for rags that show the signs of torture. Van’g'ka damned souls take the form of larvae the size of a dog; jar’taska'ka damned are formless shadows roughly the same size as their living body, and nuyul'ka damned are five-foot long transparent worms with their once-living head on one end. There are no casteless damned souls as there are no demons left to claim them properly.
‘Damned’ is a template that can be added to any living creature with Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores of at least 3 each (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’). The creature’s type changes to ‘outsider.’ It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice: Change to 2d8; apply any bonus from Constitution to the hit points.
AC: Same as base creature. The creature may be wearing armour similar to that he wore in life, but it is useless. Damned souls used as cannon fodder in a horde may be equipped with simple demon-crafted armour.
Attacks: Base attack bonus changes to +2; apply any bonus from size and Strength.
Special Attacks: The damned soul loses all supernatural and spell-like attacks.
Special Qualities: The damned soul loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities but gains the following:
Immunities: The damned gains immunities depending on which demonic family gains control of it.
Resistances: The damned gains resistances depending on which demonic family gains control of it.
| Demonic family | Immunities | Resistances |
|---|---|---|
| Tanar | Electricity, poison | Fire and acid 20 |
| Van’g | Bludgeoning weapons | Fire and electricity 10 |
| Jar’taska | Cold, disease, poison, paralysis and death effects | Fire and acid 15 |
| Nuyul | Disease, poison, and death effects | Cold and electricity 15 |
Additional Special Qualities:
• Damage Reduction 5/silver
• Slow: The damned are limited to one partial action each round.
• Van’g'ka damned have a gestalt ability with other damned; they have two partial actions per round when around other van’g'ka damned.
• Jar’taska'ka damned have light vulnerability and have three-quarter concealment when in darkness.
• Nuyul'ka damned have all psionic attack and defence modes and manifest the following psionic powers at will: detect psionics, sense psionics and glide.
• Damned souls belonging to the Tanar are mindless, immune to mind-affecting magic or powers of any kind.
Base Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Same as the base creature.
Skills: None; the damned has no skills.
Feats: None; the damned has no feats.
Climate/Terrain: Any land in the Abyss.
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-5) or caravan (1 CR 5+ demon, 2d10 damned)
Challenge Rating: 1
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Treasure: None
Advancement: None; the damned soul gets ‘promoted’ to a minor demon type after a while.
Imbued
Whether hunting for it or receiving it as a gift, mortals and demonic essence do not mix well. The surge of power from a demon’s essence is an exhilarating rush for any spellcaster, giving him a false sense of power. Demonic essence is a drug, and overdosing has very unpleasant consequences. The imbued is a spellcaster who lives for the rush of demonic essence, going to greater extremes to obtain it and channelling so much through his body that his very soul becomes warped by the constant exposure to the primal evil of demonic essence.
‘Imbued’ is a template that can be added to any non-outsider, living creature that can cast arcane spells or use spell-like abilities (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’). The creature’s type remains the same. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Hit Dice: Add +1HD of the creature’s dice type. If the creature has more than one dice type, use the one that provides the arcane spellcasting ability or the one with the most dice.
AC: Natural armour improves by +2.
Special Attacks: The creature retains all its special attacks and gains the following:
Unholy Blast (Su): The imbued can fire a blast of unholy fire that deals 1d6 for every 4 levels or HD. The imbued suffers damage equal to the number of dice of its unholy blast.
Corrupt Magic (Su): The creature can make part of the damage from any of its spells or spell-like abilities that deal damage expressed in dice into unholy damage. The imbued replaces up to half of the number of damage dice from the spell or ability into unholy damage dice.
Evil Caster: The imbued casts all spells with an evil descriptor at +1 caster level. Spell-like abilities that mimic a spell with an evil descriptor are used at +1 caster level from the one indicated in the ability’s description.
Special Qualities: An imbued has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus darkvision with a range of 60 feet. He also gains Spell Resistance 10 + Charisma modifier.
Evil Creature: The creature gains the evil descriptor if it did not have it already. The imbued suffers double damage from holy or blessed weapons.
Demonic Vessel: The creature’s tolerance to demonic essence grows to such extent that it can act as a receptacle for it. The amount of time that he can retain demonic essence power levels (see Methods of Warfare) is measured in days, not hours.
Essence Addiction: The imbued must consume demonic essence. If a week passes in which the creature has no power levels of demonic essence in its body, it gains two negative levels. He cannot remove these levels by any means except by absorbing even one power level of demonic essence. The negative levels can also be removed by the means of a wish or miracle, but this cures the creature of its condition and he loses all the benefits of the imbued template.
Base Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Same as the base creature.
Skills: Same as the base creature.
Feats: Same as the base creature.
Climate/Terrain: Same as the base creature.
Organisation: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Alignment: Change to evil.
Treasure: Same as the base creature.
Advancement: By character class.
Half-Demon
By a twist of fate or by virtue of their ultimate ability to corrupt, demons can sire offspring with living creatures. These unfortunate beings are conceived in acts of deceit or depravity as demons pay a visit to the Material Plane and, as part of the horror they unleash around them when running loose, they impregnate females of any species that tickle their fancy. The heritage of a half-demon is apparent from birth, with the child or pup being born with unnatural features depending on the demonic parent that sired it. The most common of the half-demons come from the brood of Tanar, who have more opportunities to visit other planes, but the van’g'ka, jar’taska'ka and even many casteless demons take whatever chance they get to place their little contribution to the degeneration of everything in creation.
Children born from a Tanar'ka parent retain most of the features of their mortal parents, with the addition of horns, strange glowing eyes, bat-like wings and razor-sharp talons; those born from the van’g'ka are abominations that cross the features of their mortal parent with those of a horrendous and alien insect. The most fortunate are perhaps the children of the jar’taska'ka, whose features grow shadowy and somewhat malleable, but are all disquietingly beautiful.
‘Half-demon’ is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’). The creature’s type changes to ‘outsider.’ It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here. Note that this is the same as the half-fiend template found in the SRD, but tailored to fit the extended demonic families found in this book.
Speed: The half-demons from all demonic families have a 50% chance of having wings; the Tanar'ka and casteless half-demons have bat-wings, the van’g'ka offspring have insect-like wings covered by a protective carapace (included in the natural armour increase below) and those of the jar’taska'ka can take off with wings made of solid shadow, resembling raven wings. The creature can fly at the base creature’s normal speed (average manoeuvrability).
AC: Offspring of a casteless demon or from Tanar’s brood gain a +1 increase to natural armour; children of the van’g'ka gain a +2 increase and those of the jar’taska'ka gain a +1 insight bonus to AC when they are in shadows only.
Attacks: Offspring of the Tanar gain bite and claw attacks in addition to the base creature’s attacks, if it did not have them already. Offspring of the jar’taska'ka can envelop their natural attacks in solid shadow-stuff, although this does not count as the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.
Damage: If the base creature does not have bite and claw attacks, use the damage values in the table below. Otherwise, use the values below or the base creature’s damage, whichever is greater. Offspring of the jar’taska'ka can deal +1d4 cold damage to their unarmed attacks.
| Size | Bite Damage | Claw Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 1 | - |
| Diminutive | 1d2 | 1 |
| Tiny | 1d3 | 1d2 |
| Small | 1d4 | 1d3 |
| Medium-size | 1d6 | 1d4 |
| Large | 1d8 | 1d6 |
| Huge | 2d6 | 2d8 |
| Gargantuan | 2d8 | 2d6 |
| Colossal | 4d6 | 2d8 |
Special Attacks: A half-demon retains all the special attacks of the base creature. Half-demons with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 8 or higher possess the following spell-like abilities depending on their demonic family (nuyul'ka are incapable of siring corporeal children), using their level as the caster level, as specified in the table below. Unless otherwise indicated, the ability is usable once per day.
| Level | Casteless and Tanar Brood | Van’g'ka | Jar’taska'ka |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Darkness 3/day | Magic fang | Darkness 3/day |
| 3-4 | Desecrate | Summon swarm | Scare |
| 5-6 | Unholy blight | Greater magic fang | Deeper darkness 3/day |
| 7-8 | Poison 3/day | Haste | Suggestion |
| 9-10 | Contagion | Insect plague | Greater shadow conjuration |
| 11-12 | Blasphemy | Circle of death | Greater shadow evocation |
| 13-14 | Unholy aura 3/day, unhallow | Blasphemy | Shadow walk 2/day |
| 15-16 | Horrid wilting | Antipathy | Etherealness |
| 17-18 | Summon monster IX (casteless or Tanar only) | Summon monster IX (van’g'ka only) | Summon monster IX (jar’taska'ka only) |
| 19+ | Destruction | Disintegrate | Plane shift |
Special Qualities: A half-demon has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Half-demons gain different immunities and resistances depending on their demonic family.
| Demonic family | Immunities | Resistances |
|---|---|---|
| Tanar and Casteless | Electricity, poison | Fire and acid 20 |
| Van’g | Bludgeoning weapons | Fire and electricity 10 |
| Jar’taska | Cold, disease, poison, paralysis and death effects | Fire and acid 15 |
Jar’taska'ka Additional Special Qualities: Light vulnerability and one half concealment when in darkness.
Base Saves: Same as the base creature
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as indicated below depending on the demonic family.
| Ability | Casteless and Tanar Brood | Van’g'ka | Jar’taska'ka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Str | +4 | +4 | +0 |
| Dex | +4 | +2 | +4 |
| Con | +2 | +4 | +2 |
| Int | +4 | +0 | +4 |
| Wis | +0 | +0 | +2 |
| Cha | +2 | +2 | +4 |
Skills: A half-demon has 8 skill points, plus its Intelligence modifier, per Hit Die. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills and other skills as cross-class. If the creature has a class, it gains skills for class levels normally.
Feats: Half-demons have one feat for every four levels or the base creature’s total of feats, whichever is greater.
Climate/Terrain: Same as either the base creature or the demon.
Organisation: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2
Alignment: Always evil (any)
Treasure: Same as the base creature
Advancement: Same as the base creature
Soulless
Tragic ballads and folk legendary speak of those who have lost their soul to the tricks of a demon, or bartered it away in return of short-lived power and riches. The people who enjoy such tales have no idea how close to the truth they are. Abuse of demonic favours or direct negotiation of the soul as currency soon leave that creature without its soul, the only possession it will carry beyond death. Soulless creatures exist undetected, their empty husks still moving by the will of a listless mind while the core of their true being screams in torment in an obscure corner of the Abyss. Souls are not lost just like that, a soulless basically gives it away voluntarily, and a demon claims it with glee. This demon is now the creature’s owner, allowing the body to live without its soul so as to have an agent in the Material Plane. The soulless knows that he has no life anymore, that the demon can cut the link between body and soul and bring true death at its whim and completely unable to disobey the demon’s commands… and not really caring anymore.
‘Soulless’ is a template that can be added to any living creature with a Charisma score of at least 3 (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’). The creature’s type remains unchanged. It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Special Attacks: The soulless is an empty husk that tries to fill itself. The base creature retains all special attacks and gains the following:
Energy Drain (Su): The soulless can wreathe its hands or other natural attacks with a coruscating black aura and impose two negative levels on a successful touch attack. The soulless can activate or deactivate this attack form at will and a character’s unarmed attack using it counts as an armed attack for purposes of attacks of opportunity. The difficulty for the Fortitude save to remove these levels is 10 plus half the creature’s HD or levels.
Special Qualities: The damned soul loses all supernatural and spell-like abilities but gains the following:
Detect Souls (Su): The soulless is constantly aware of how creatures around him still have what he gave up. This ability works similarly to the detect thoughts spell except it detects creatures with a Charisma score of at least 1 on the first round on concentration, the number of souls and their relative strength (see below) on the second round, and their alignment on the third round (creatures are allowed a Will save to resist their alignment being read, DC equal to the half the soulless HD or level plus Wisdom modifier).
Immunities: The soulless is immune to spells and effects of the Enchantment school as well as all mind-affecting spells and abilities except those coming from the demon that owns his soul, in which case the soulless automatically fails every saving throw. The soulless also suffers a -5 morale penalty to all saving throws against Enchantment and mind-affecting effects from demons of CR 7 and higher.
Empty of Will: Without a soul, the creature is unable to power some of its abilities that depend on the strength of its personality and its connection to the larger world. Despite its score in Wisdom and Charisma, the soulless’s Wis and Cha modifiers are always +0. This applies to all skill checks and saving throws as well as to calculating the DC of spells and all ability characteristics that depend on Wisdom and Charisma modifiers. Negative modifiers due to low ability scores still apply.
Planar Contact (Sp): Once per week, the soulless may contact telepathically the demon that owns his soul as if with a contact other plane spell cast by a sorcerer of his HD or character level. Use the ‘Outer Planes, demideity’ row on the contact table for the possible results. The soulless is immune to the Intelligence/Charisma decrease as he no longer has a soul that resents the contact. The demonic owner can block contact or even initiate it at will.
Base Saves: Same as the base creature, do not count the Wis modifier to Will saves.
Abilities: Same as the base creature; Wis and Cha modifiers become +0 if positive, but the score does not change.
Skills: Same as the base creature; do not apply positive Wis and Cha modifiers to pertinent skill.
Feats: Same as the base creature.
Climate/Terrain: Same as the base creature.
Organisation: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1.
Alignment: Always neutral evil.
Treasure: Same as the base creature.
Advancement: Same as the base creature.
Archdemon
The generals of the demonic hordes, archdemons are the next step in a demon’s growth from its hypothetical origins as a damned soul to one step removed from becoming a Demon Lord. They tower over others of the same species and their aspect is much more fearsome, accentuating all that makes a demon terrible. Archdemons are never content with their position, even if they have gained overlordship of their own Abyssal layer, they want more. They want the power of a Demon Lord to command greater hordes as an undisputed monarch and the bid towards godhood.
‘Archdemon’ is a template that can be added to any outsider creature of the demon species (referred to hereafter as the ‘base creature’). The creature’s type changes to ‘outsider.’ It uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size: Increase by one size category, maximum of Gargantuan.
Hit Dice: Increase by +6HD, minimum of 15HD.
Speed: Increase all forms of movement by +20ft.
AC: Archdemons gain a +8 increase to natural armour. Apply the new size modifier.
Attacks: Same as the base creature.
Damage: All damage from natural weapons increase by one die of the same type.
Special Attacks: An archdemon retains all the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following:
Ability Frequency: The archdemon can use all of its supernatural and spell-like abilities one additional time per day. Abilities accessible a number of times per week or month are now usable that same number of times per day. Abilities that could be used three times per day can now be used at will.
All DCs to resist the archdemon’s special attacks increase by a base amount of +2, plus any modifier from an increased key ability.
Spellcaster: The archdemon can now cast spells as a sorcerer of half its HD; it has access to the spells in the Chaos and Evil cleric domains.
Special Qualities: An archdemon has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus double its darkvision range. The base creature chooses one form of damage it is resistant to and is now immune to it. All resistance scores are increased by +5. Increase Damage Reduction by 10 points of damage, and by +1 to the enhancement needed to pierce it. Spell Resistance increases by +10.
Demonic Command (Su): The archdemon can issue orders to any other demon as if by the command ability as if cast by a 20th-level sorcerer.
Summon Demons (Sp): The demon’s ability to summon others is more powerful. Add one die to the number of demons of each species the base creature could summon; if there is no die, assign a 1d6. Add another species from the base creature’s demonic family, with 1d4 being the number of them who arrive. All chances to summon other demons are increased to 100%.
Protection from Good/Law (Sp): Archdemons are surrounded by an aura of utter evil that protects them against the forces of good as per the spells of the same names as if cast by a sorcerer of the same level as its HD (max 20th). If the effect is dispelled, the archdemon can reactivate it as a free action at the beginning of its turn.
Base Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +6 Dex +2, Con +2, Int +4, Wis +4, Cha +6.
Skills: An archdemon gain 48 skill points, plus its Intelligence modifier multiplied by 6. Treat skills from the base creature’s list as class skills and other skills as cross-class. If the creature has a class, it gains skills for class levels normally.
Feats: Same as the base creature plus two additional feats.
Climate/Terrain: Same as either the base creature or the demon.
Organisation: Same as the base creature.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +4
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Treasure: Same as the base creature
Advancement: By character class.
