Demon

The statistics block below contains details for more than one shape, size, or type of this creature. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.

Abyssal Maw • Abyssal Ravager • Abyssal Skulker • Jarilith • Jovoc • Kelvezu • Palrethee • Zovvut

In the countless, nearly infinite realms of the Abyss, demons grow numerous and varied. Though all embrace the path of evil, the tanar’ri stand as the supreme villains within the Abyssal hierarchy of iniquity. These creatures are constantly in conflict with every force of good in the universe, as well as with the lawful evil devils and baatezu of the Nine Hells.

The abyssal maw, abyssal skulker, and abyssal ravager are vicious but servile demons that can be found in the service of more powerful demons, or of evil mortals who treat with such beings. All three creatures speak Abyssal and Common, though abyssal maws and abyssal ravagers speak none too clearly, thanks to their low Intelligence scores and toothy maws.

The jovoc, palrethee, jarilith, and kelvezu appear wherever their demonic masters see fit to make use of them, be it the hidden reaches of their personal domains or out among mortals on the Material Plane. The zovvut, though not a tanar’ri itself, serves under and alongside those creatures. All five of these demons speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Draconic.

Combat

Demons are ferocity personified. They are willing to attack any creatures⁠—​even other demons⁠—​just for the sheer fun of it. Demons enjoy terrifying their victims before slaying them, and they often devour the slain. Many demons can create darkness, so they frequently blanket their enemies with it before joining battle.

All demons have the following abilities in common.

Traits: All demons have outsider traits. Tanar’ri also have tanar’ri traits.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): All tanar’ri can summon other tanar’ri to their aid. This ability functions like a summon monster spell of the appropriate level, except that it has only a limited chance of success. Roll d% and compare the result with the creature’s chance of success. On a failure, no tanar’ri answer the summons. Summoned tanar’ri automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A tanar’ri that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. Most tanar’ri do not use their summon ability lightly, since it leaves them beholden to the summoned creatures. In general, they use it only when necessary to save their own lives.

Abyssal Maw ⬆️

An abyssal maw is a disgusting creature consisting mainly of teeth. Its appetite is legendary; one maw has been known to consume the better part of a centaur in less than a minute.

An abyssal maw looks like a huge, toothy mouth perched on a few stubby appendages. Its hide is a dull brown shade.

Combat

Abyssal maws serve as shock troops in evil armies. Since they lack ranged attacks, they usually rush into melee combat as soon as possible, where their gnashing teeth do the rest.

Rend Fallen (Ex): An abyssal maw loves to tear into its downed foes. It automatically deals an additional 2d8+4 points of damage to any foe it drops with a melee attack.

Abyssal Ravager ⬆️

The abyssal ravager is a grotesque hybrid⁠—​part demon, part hyena, and all nasty. Although its exact origins are unclear, scholars agree that it is likely the result of demonic lust, which has no bounds and results in all manner of bizarre crossbreeds.

An abyssal ravager has baleful eyes and elongated jaws full of overlarge teeth. Patches of scaly hide show through its coarse, shaggy fur, and a row of curving spines juts from its backbone. Its long, warty tail is equipped with a vicious stinger. A full-grown specimen of either gender stands about 5 feet tall at the shoulder, measures nearly 10 feet from snout to base of tail, and weighs almost 2,000 pounds.

Combat

These demons are notoriously bad-tempered and aggressive. They tend to attack anything they see or smell, striking it repeatedly with their stingers.

Despite their formidable-looking teeth, abyssal ravagers do not use bite attacks. Their weak jaws are useful only for tearing apart prey that has already succumbed to their poisonous stings.

Poison (Ex): An abyssal ravager delivers its poison (Fortitude save DC 14) with each successful sting attack. The initial and secondary damage is the same (2d6 points of Strength damage).

Abyssal Skulker ⬆️

This demon is small but mean. Gangs of abyssal skulkers usually stalk ahead of evil armies and raiding parties to seek out and eliminate enemy scouts and pickets.

An abyssal skulker resembles a hairless ape with large hands and feet. Knobs of horn run along the crown of its head and down its spine. Although capable of walking upright, it habitually creeps about on all fours, keeping its body close to the ground.

Combat

Abyssal skulkers love to sneak up on their prey, then charge as a group. Their victims rarely have time to sound an alarm.

Jarilith ⬆️

Jariliths, the elite hunting beasts of the Abyss, are terrifying feline creatures conjured up from the nightmares of a thousand generations of mortals. They prefer demonic flesh and are comfortable hunting their favorite prey in desert, jungle, waste, or forest. Jariliths are notoriously difficult to control, so even the most powerful balor must tread carefully around them. They sense weakness, and to them nearly any other creature seems weak.

A jarilith resembles a slightly larger than average male lion, complete with a glorious mane. Long teeth extend from its jaws, and its claws are longer still. The creature’s blood-red coat reveals its origin, but it strikes so fast that the only clue most victims get to its presence is a slight reek of brimstone.

Jariliths do not speak, but they understand Abyssal. They communicate silently with one another through telepathy.

Combat

A jarilith is a direct, uncompromising foe in battle. Normally, it relies on its Power Attack feat and its augmented critical ability to deal horrendous amounts of damage to its foes. Though they often do not need the advantage, jariliths prefer to ambush their opponents.

Frightful Presence (Ex): When a jarilith charges or attacks, it inspires terror in all creatures within 30 feet that have fewer Hit Dice or levels than it has. Each potentially affected opponent must succeed at a Will save (DC 17) or become shaken⁠—​a condition that lasts until the opponent is out of range. A successful save leaves that opponent immune to that jarilith’s frightful presence for 24 hours.

Improved Grab (Ex): If a jarilith hits an opponent that is at least one size category smaller than itself with a bite attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it gets a hold, it can attempt to rake in the same round. Thereafter, the jarilith has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its jaws to hold the opponent (–⁠20 penalty on grapple check, but the jarilith is not considered grappled). In either case, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals bite damage and allows another rake attempt.

Pounce (Ex): If a jarilith charges, it can make a full attack (including a rake attempt, see below) even though it has moved.

Rake (Ex): On any round that a jarilith has a hold on an opponent (see Improved Grab, above), it can make two rake attacks (+21 melee) with its hind legs for 2d6+6 points of damage each. The jarilith can also attempt to rake when it pounces on an opponent.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​clairaudience/clairvoyance, darkness, detect good, detect thoughts, doom. Caster level 12th; save DC 12 + spell level.

Augmented Critical (Ex): A jarilith threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 18–20. On a successful critical hit with a bite, claw, or rake attack, it deals triple damage.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a jarilith can attempt to summon another jarilith with a 35% chance of success.

Skills: A jarilith receives a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks. In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, its Hide bonus improves to +12.

Jovoc ⬆️

These vicious little black-hearted fiends were born to create strife. Their ability to inflict the damage they take on others makes them invaluable in the front lines of tanar’ri armies. A unit of jovocs can absorb repeated blows and spells from the enemy and still survive to exact a punishing revenge.

A jovoc is a 4-foot-tall, bloated, hairless creature of humanoid shape. It resembles the bruised and battered corpse of a gnome left too long to decay in the heat of summer, and the stench that emanates from its rough skin lends credence to this impression. Its skin is dark blue or black, and its eyes are vacant, black pools. Each of the creature’s long arms ends in a three-fingered hand with long red fingernails, forever stained the color of blood.

Combat

Jovocs are not especially intelligent, but they are quick and experienced ambushers who know how to use their small size to best effect. Years of training and experience have taught them how to take advantage of their aura of retribution and fast healing abilities. They often adopt a hit-and-run strategy, jumping into a group of enemies to do as much damage as possible, then dashing off for a few rounds to heal.

Alternatively, jovocs fighting in pairs or trios can utilize their favorite tactic. Lurking just beyond the reach of their enemies (preferably concealed by darkness, a wall, or some other barrier), they begin to attack one another, automatically hitting with each swing. These attacks deal full damage not only on the jovocs, but also on anyone caught within their aura of retribution. After allowing a round or two for their fast healing ability to close their wounds, the creatures begin to claw and bite one another again.

Aura of Retribution (Su): This effect is always active in a 30-foot spread centered on the jovoc. Whenever the creature takes damage from any source, every nontanar’ri within the area immediately takes an equal amount of damage. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) halves the damage. (For example, if an opponent deals 12 points of damage to a jovoc, that opponent and every other nontanar’ri within 30 feet also immediately take 12 points of damage each, or 6 points with a successful Fortitude save.) Regardless of the source of the damage to the jovoc, the damage dealt to nontanar’ri by this effect is not subject to negation or reduction because of resistance, immunity, damage reduction, spell resistance, or the like.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a jovoc can attempt to summon another jovoc with a 25% chance of success.

Kelvezu ⬆️

Mariliths act as generals in tanar’ri armies, and balors are the mighty aristocrats of the Abyssal hierarchy. Both find the services of kelvezus⁠—​the infiltrators and assassins of the demonic realm⁠—​quite useful. Kelvezus rarely lead troops; instead, they surgically remove specific opponents (such as devils, competing demons, or obstinate mortals) in accordance with the orders of more powerful demons.

The kelvezu is remarkable among the higher ranks of demonkind because of its size⁠—​it stands barely 5 feet tall. Because of its size and its humanoid shape, it can be mistaken for a human if it uses a touch of disguise to hide its rosy red skin.

Combat

Kelvezus strike from stealth, relying not only on their invisibility, but also on their gift for hiding and sneaking. Like their mortal counterparts, these assassins try to dispatch their targets quickly. If they cannot, they retreat and strike again when conditions are favorable. Every kelvezu carries a +1 scimitar of greater wounding (see below) that resembles a serpent’s tail and a +1 dagger of wounding that resembles a serpent’s tooth.

Poison (Ex): A kelvezu continually coats its weapons with an injury poison (Fortitude save DC 19) produced from its fingertips. The initial and secondary damage is the same (1d6 points of Constitution damage). Kelvezu poison is highly perishable, becoming inert 1 minute after the creature stops applying it.

Sneak Attack (Ex): Any time the kelvezu’s target is denied a Dexterity bonus, or when it is flanked by the kelvezu, the latter deals an additional +8d6 points of damage on a successful melee attack.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​deeper darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect law, greater dispel magic, greater invisibility (self only), read magic, suggestion, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), tongues (self only), unhallow. Caster level 18th; save DC 13 + spell level.

Enhanced Detection (Su): In addition to its regular senses, a kelvezu perceives foes through detect magic and see invisibility effects (caster level 18th) that are always active.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a kelvezu can attempt to summon another kelvezu with a 25% chance of success.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A kelvezu retains its Dexterity bonus to AC even when flat-footed, and it cannot be flanked.

Skills: A kelvezu receives a +8 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.

Palrethee ⬆️

According to legend, palrethees were once ambitious demons who yearned to rule the Abyss as balors. Despite their great malice and their sadism, these lost souls failed in some unknown trial by fire, and now they burn for all eternity. Many balors use palrethees as sergeants or messengers, taking great pleasure in reinforcing the ambitious demons’ subservient positions. This connection between the two kinds of tanar’ri has lent credence to the bards’ tales about the palrethees’ origin.

A palrethee is a tall, emaciated creature of humanoid shape with blood-red or blue skin and bony, white, vestigial wings. The entire length of its body is sheathed in fire. The creature can alter the color and appearance of its flames at will, making them appear translucent and ghostly, or the red-orange shade of a fiery forge, or even blue-white and delicate. No matter how the flames look, their effects remain unchanged.

Combat

Palrethees have all the necessary combat abilities to enjoy the din of battle, but these arrogant fiends often believe themselves to be above the petty assignments they receive. Desperate to acquire magic, mortal souls, or some other currency with which they can gain power, they try to make bargains, use humans as tools, or trick unwary mortals into doing their bidding.

When forced into combat, a palrethee usually employs its fear spell-like ability first to scatter as many opponents as possible, then wades into melee with its flaming longsword.

Demonic Burn (Ex): Any creature hit by a palrethee’s slam attack must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 17) or catch fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds (see Catching on Fire). A burning creature can take a move-equivalent action to put out the flame.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​detect good, detect magic, see invisibility; 1/day⁠—​fear (30-foot radius). Caster level 8th; save DC 10 + spell level.

Fiery Shield (Sp): A palrethee is wreathed in scorching flames that cause damage to each creature that attacks it with a natural or hand-held melee weapon. Such an attack deals normal damage to the palrethee (assuming its damage reduction is overcome), but at the same time the attacker takes 1d6+8 points of fire damage (spell resistance applies; caster level 8th). Weapons with exceptional reach, such as longspears, do not endanger their users in this way.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day, a palrethee can attempt to summon another palrethee with a 30% chance of success.

Zovvut ⬆️

Zovvuts are the spawn of some terrible demon prince. The first of them were created during horrible blood rites centuries ago. Rumors link zovvuts to that master of demons and necromancy known as Orcus, though the secret of the creatures’ creation has become widely known among the lords of the Abyss. Now zovvuts can be found in many regions of the Abyss as well as on the Material Plane, doing the bidding of anyone powerful enough to intimidate them into obedience.

Zovvuts are often used by demonic agents in conjunction with more combative demons—the latter keep enemies at bay while the zovvuts’ gaze attacks annihilate them. Zovvuts resent any creature with the power to command them and, like any demons, they constantly seek to undermine and betray authority.

A zovvut is a muscular, pale-skinned, hairless creature of humanoid shape. Its arms end in sharp, barbed claws that are well designed for rending flesh. Foul, feathered wings stretch upward from the zovvut’s shoulders. A third eye is set into the center of its forehead.

Combat

Zovvuts are not afraid of combat. Though weaker than many other demons in terms of combat ability, they rely on their gaze attack to bring their foes to submission.

Draining Gaze (Su): Any living creature within 30 feet of a zovvut that meets its glowing red eyes must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 17) or gain one negative level. For each negative level bestowed, the zovvut heals 5 points of damage. If the amount of healing is more than the damage the creature has taken, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. If the negative level has not been removed (with a spell such as restoration) before 24 hours have passed, the afflicted opponent must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 17) to remove it. Failure means the opponent’s level (or HD) is reduced by one.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​clairaudience/clairvoyance, darkness, desecrate, detect good, detect thoughts, doom, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), suggestion. Caster level 12th; save DC 12 + spell level.

Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by the zovvut’s gaze attack (negative levels equal to current Hit Dice, or drained below 1st level) becomes a wight in 1d4 rounds. This creature is under the command of the zovvut that killed it, and it remains enslaved until either it or the zovvut dies. A spawn does not possess any of the abilities it had in life.

Source: Monster Manual II, page 56. These creatures’ statistics blocks have been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II.