Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Dungeons & Dragons creature
Devil
Alignment Lawful Evil
Type Outsider
Subtype Fiend
Mythological origins Devil
Image Wizards.com image
Stats OGL stats

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Devils are an often-powerful variety of monster used as a challenge for the players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and hail from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, the devils are locked into a strict hierarchy (the 2nd Edition AD&D rules suggest that a devil could change its form as it worked its way up the ladder) which culminates with the Archdevils or Lords of the Nine who are the rulers of the different regions of Baator. Devils often see the various worlds in the D&D metacosmos as tools to use for their own ends, including prosecuting the Blood War, a millennia-long war between the devils and their arch-enemies, demons.

Devils first appeared in the original Monster Manual.

Many of the early devils were inspired directly by real-world religion and mythology, with Mephistopheles best known from the Faust cycle, Asmodeus, a devil from the apochryphal Jewish Book of Tobit and Baalzebul appearing as high devils in the D&D cosmology. Other inspriations came from the Erinyes, Greek demigoddesses of vengeance, and the Lemures, Roman spirits of the dead.

The release of the 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons ruleset brought a name change for the devils and their counterparts demons. Concerned about protests from religious fundamentalist groups and others who viewed the game as an entryway into Satanic worship, TSR dropped the words "devil" and "demon" from all descriptors of the monsters, substituting instead baatezu (IPA: [beɪ'ɑːtɛˌzu]) and tanar'ri. This persisted until the rollout of 3rd Edition, when the original terms were reinstated. Since the change, the term "baatezu" has been retained as a specific subset of powerful devils.

Contents

[edit] Types of Devils

[edit] Baatezu

  • Advespa - Female, wasplike devils that patrol infernal skies.
  • Amnizu - Short, stocky winged guardians of the gates of the Nine Hells.
  • Barbazu ("Bearded Devil" in 1st Edition) - Ferocious warrior that frenzies with a saw-toothed glaive.
  • Cornugon ("Horned Devil" in First Edition) - Gargoylelike fiend armed with a spiked chain.
  • Erinyes - A fallen angel that delivers death from her fiery bow.
  • Gelugon ("Ice Devil" in First Edition) - Insectile horror promising a cold death.
  • Ghargatula - Dinosaurlike guardians with massive maw and a wicked stinger.
  • Hamatula ("Barbed Devil" in First Edition) - Elite infernal warrior with impaling spikes.
  • Kocrachon - Insectoid diabolical torturer.
  • Lemure - Mindless, tormented creature that attacks in mobs. Cannon fodder in Blood War.
  • Logokron - Delight in learning the personal truenames of their foes, then tormenting them or turning them into slaves.
  • Malebranche - Hulking, horned warriors, enforcers, punishers, and mounts.
  • Narzugon - Nightmare-riding elite cavalry.
  • Nupperibo - In Baatezu hierarchy only one step higher off lemures. Fatty, fitness for magic and holy weapons. These creatures are the natural spawn of Baator and not considered true Baatezu, so other higher ranking devils will usually destroy these and re-mold them into Lemures. This causes many Baatezu uneasiness as an even more ancient race is native to their home plane. Fortunately for the Baatezu, no Nupperibos survive long enough to transform into anything greater. Note that in the most recent book, Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells, the origin of the Nupperibo was retconned. Currently they are true Baatezu that have been demoted in station and form by their superiors.
  • Osyluth ("Bone Devil" in First Edition) - Hateful fiend with a dangerous sting.
  • Paeliryon - Disgusting spymasters with deforming fingernails.
  • Pit Fiend - Lord of devils, with great strength and deadly power.
  • Pleasure Devil (Brachina) - Devilish counterpart of the demonic succubus
  • Spinagon ("Spined Devil" in First Edition) - Spike-covered eyes and ears of Baator.
  • Xerfilstyx - Memory-stealing guardians of the River Styx in Avernus.

[edit] Abishai

Abishai are a subgroup of baatezu created by Tiamat.

[edit] Non-Baatezu

  • Chain Devil (Kyton) - Murderous torturer with an infernal command of chains.
  • Desert Devil (Araton) - Scimitar-wielding desert-dwelling devils.
  • Hellcat (Bezekira) - Infernal, invisible catlike devil the size of a tiger.
  • Hellfire Engine - Constructs of cold iron made to combat celestials and demon. Enhanced with hellfire.
  • Imp - Clever devil that aids evil mortals with dark counsel and trickery.
  • Imp, Filth - Foul-smelling imp with a talent for forgery and translation.
  • Imp, Bloodbag - Imp that serves as infernal nurse corps.
  • Imp, Euphoric - Imp that serves as dealer of hallucinogenic slime.

[edit] Hellforged Devils

A subgroup of devils, known as hellforged devils, were constructs that over time were transformed by the Nine Hells of Baator into living beings. They rigidly follow and enforce the laws of the Hells.

  • Coal Devil: Enforcers and shock troops.
  • Glass Devil: Spies and watchers.
  • Lead Devil: Dispatched to capture prisoners alive.
  • Obsidian Devil: Police force of the Nine Hells.
  • Sand Devil: Spies and informers.
  • Spiked Devil: Covered with sharp iron spikes.

[edit] References

  • McComb, Colin and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Law (TSR, 1995).
  • Sernett, Matthew, Dave Noonan, Ari Marmell, and Robert J. Schwalb. Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
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