Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)

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

In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, devils are a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, devils are locked in a strict and brutal hierarchy (changing form as they worked their way up the ladder of power). At the top of the hierarchy are the supreme 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[1].

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, Inc. dropped the words "devil" and "demon" from all descriptors of the monsters, substituting instead baatezu (pronounced /beɪˈɑːtɛzuː/) and tanar'ri (ironically, however, the creatures would essentially remain devils and demons in all but name). 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[2]
Female, wasp-like devils that patrol infernal skies.
Amnizu[2][3]
Short, stocky winged guardians of the gates of the Nine Hells.
Ayperobos[3]
Small, hateful devils that work together as a swarm to bring down larger foes.
Barbazu ("Bearded Devil")[4]
Ferocious warrior that frenzies with a saw-toothed glaive.
Barbazu, Half-Troll[5]
Brachina ("Pleasure Devil")[3]
Devilish counterpart of the demonic succubus, and an advanced Erinyes.
Bueroza ("Steel Devil")[3]
Cornugon ("Horned Devil")[4]
Gargoylelike fiend armed with a spiked chain.
Dogai ("Assassin Devil")[3]
Erinyes[4]
A fallen angel that delivers death from her fiery bow.
Excruciarch ("Pain Devil")[3]
Falxugon ("Harvester Devil")[3]
Gelugon ("Ice Devil")[4]
Insectile horror promising a cold death.
Ghargatula[6]
Dinosaurlike guardians with massive maw and a wicked stinger.
Hamatula ("Barbed Devil")[4]
Elite infernal warrior with impaling spikes.
Kocrachon[6]
Insectoid diabolical torturer.
Lemure[4]
Mindless, tormented creature that attacks in mobs. Cannon fodder in Blood War.
Logokron[7]
Delight in learning the personal truenames of their foes, then tormenting them or turning them into slaves.
Malebranche[2][3]
Hulking, horned warriors, enforcers, punishers, and mounts.
Merregon ("Legion Devil")[3]
Narzugon[8][3]
Nightmare-riding elite cavalry.
Nupperibo[3]
In Baatezu hierarchy only one step higher off lemures. (In 1st edition AD&D, they were one step below lemures.) They are mindless bulks, harmed permanently only by good-aligned 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, almost 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.
Orthon[3]
Foot soldiers of Hell's armies specializing in killing demons.
Osyluth ("Bone Devil")[4]
A tall, emaciated being with dried skin stretched so tight as to outline and emphasize every bone. It has a skull-like head and a bony tail like a scorpion's, and exude a stench of decay. An osyluth stands about 9 feet tall and weighs roughly 500 pounds. Osyluths often serve as the informers and police of the Nine Hells, monitoring and reporting on the activities of other devils.
Paeliryon[5][3]
Disgusting spymasters with deforming fingernails. Slightly more powerful than Pit Fiends. Rarely encountered as they work behind the scenes where they manipulate others.
Pit Fiend[4]
Lord of devils, with great strength and deadly power.
Spinagon ("Spined Devil")[8][3]
Spike-covered eyes and ears of Baator.
Xerfilstyx[5] [3]
Memory-stealing guardians of the River Styx in Avernus.

[edit] Abishai

Abishai[3][9] are a subgroup of Baatezu created through the joint efforts of Tiamat and Pearza of the Dark Eight.

[edit] Non-Baatezu

  • Chain Devil (Kyton)[8][4] - Murderous torturer with an infernal command of chains.
  • Desert Devil (Araton)[10] - Scimitar-wielding desert-dwelling devils.
  • Hellcat (Bezekira)[4] - Infernal, invisible catlike devil the size of a tiger.
  • Hellfire Engine[3] - Constructs of cold iron made to combat celestials and demons. Enhanced with hellfire.
  • Imp[4] - Clever devil that aids evil mortals with dark counsel and trickery.
  • Imp, Filth[5] - Foul-smelling imp with a talent for forgery and translation.
  • Imp, Bloodbag[5] - Imp that serves as infernal nurse corps.
  • Imp, Euphoric[5] - Imp that serves as dealer of hallucinogenic slime.
  • Kalabon [3] - Devils spawned from the rotting flesh of the Hag Countess's carcass that can combine their individual bodies into large amalgamations which fights as a single creature.

[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.[11]

  • 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] Further Reading

  • Larme, John. Dangerous Games? Censorship and "Child Protection" [1] (2000).
  • McComb, Colin and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Law (TSR, 1995).

[edit] References

  1. ^ Turnbull, Don (Aug/Sept.), “The Open Box, The Monster Manual”, White Dwarf 2 (8): 16-17 
  2. ^ a b c Bonny, Ed, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter. Monster Manual II (Wizards of the Coast, 2002)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Laws, Robin D. and Robert J. Schwalb. Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
  5. ^ a b c d e f Cagle, Eric, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt. Fiend Folio (Wizards of the Coast, 2003).
  6. ^ a b Cook, Monte. Book of Vile Darkness (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
  7. ^ Sernett, Matthew, Dave Noonan, Ari Marmell, and Robert J. Schwalb. Tome of Magic: Pact, Shadow, and Truename Magic (Wizards of the Coast, 2006). Pg. 265.
  8. ^ a b c Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. Manual of the Planes (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
  9. ^ Wyatt, James and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
  10. ^ Cordell, Bruce, Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, and JD Wiker. Sandstorm (Wizards of the Coast, 2005). Pg. 147.
  11. ^ Mearls, Mike. "By Evil Bound." Dragon #306 (Paizo Publishing, April 2003). pg. 26-44.
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