Frightening Fiends (New Demon and Devil)

[Zaydos]

Fear has long been a tool of demons in myth and legend, tracing back as far as I can fathom. You see a bit of this in Baatezu and their Fear Auras, but that seems such a light and simplistic presentation. Obyriths represent fear as well, each one bearing an unreasoning phobia, and this is perhaps the best presentation of fiends and fear in Dungeons and Dragons. Even so I felt like for Halloween I should make a fiend built around fear, but realized there were two very distinct paths this could go and that fear, as a tool, was very much something that could be used to contrast demons and devils.

So I made 2, or 3, fiends.

On the side of Chaos we have the Phobasin. Chaotic Evil fear is the mind-killer, it is that feeling which causes suburbia to become the matchbox explosion seen in "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street", it turns people into mobs, destroys order, and causes people to descend into gibbering madness. It is also a personal fear more often than not, it is not institutional, but like "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street" plays off of the fear and distrust we feel on an individual level. It is because of this that the phobasin is an artist of fear who creates it as if it were a thing of beauty, and because of this that the phobasin is the highly intelligent demon it is.

On the side of Law we have Fear Devils or Deisylith. To Lawful Evil fear is... well it is better to be feared than love. Lawful Evil fear is the paranoia which makes every neighbor a spy, the society built to make resistance impossible by making trust impossible, it is fear used to enforce obedience against personal qualms, it is the fear of the dictator which allows for their evil to go unhindered for years as good men are paralyzed and unable to act. It is institutionalized distrust, where the only thing you can trust is the evil you know because at least it won't betray you. It is because of this that the deisylith is a foot soldier, unthinking, unyielding, and because of this that they have the power to cause irrational distrust of allies.

[Zaydos]

Phobasin
Large Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, Tanar’ri)
Hit Dice: 10d8+50 (95 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 40 ft (8 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +11 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+20
Attack: Bone-Scythe +17 melee (2d6+6, 19-20/x4)
Full Attack: Bone-Scythe +17/+12 melee (2d6+6, 19-20/x4) and bite +13 melee (1d8+3) and claw +13 melee (1d6+3) and tail +13 melee (1d6+3)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft (15 ft with tail)
Special Attacks: Bellow, Bone-Scythe, Mindless Terror, Spell-like Abilities, Summon Tanar’ri
Special Qualities: All-Around Vision, Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft, detect fears, dual mind, immunity to electricity, fear, and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, spell resistance 18, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +8, Will +9
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 18.
Skills: Bluff +17, Climb +11, Concentration +18, Diplomacy +17, Disguise +17 (+19 to act as another), Hide +11, Intimidate +27, Listen +26, Move Silently +15, Perform (Oratory) +15, Sense Motive +18, Search +7, Spot +26.
Feats: Ability Focus (Bellow), AlertnessB, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Bone-scythe).
Environment: The Abyss.
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Large); 19-27 HD (Huge).
Level Adjustment: –

The creature moves with a strange grace. It stands upon two furred legs and cloven hooves, its long tail almost rat-like as it extends out behind it excessively long for the creature’s 9 ft tall form. From the stomach up its body looks almost human, an impossible bronze hue, thickly muscled and heavily shaped. Its left arm however ends in a horrific protrusion of bone which curves about in a long and wicked scythe-like blade. Blood drips slowly from this arm, pooling around the bony extension and forming a single drop over what seems like a minute only to fall. Its humanity ends as suddenly as it began at the creature’s two necks. Upon one is the head of a hairless, black-skinned goat, wrinkled and bald, but with the furred of a wolf. The other is more human, but maggots seem to squirm in the flesh of it, their pale heads poking from the bronze, its eye sockets seemingly empty save for the burning coals deep within the darkness, its ears lacking, a mane of tangled and blood-matted hair descending from its scalp.

A phobasin sees itself as an artist-chef. The emotions of mortals its ingredients, and fear its favorite spice. A favorite past time of a phobasin is to find a mortal, stalk them invisibly learning all of their deepest fears and then to use its illusions and spell-like abilities to make the creature believe that these fears are coming true, and then to slowly wear away at the victim’s sense of sanity until they can no longer believe anything they see or hear. When the victim has lost everything to this sense of terror the phobasin will finally come in and kill them drinking their still warm blood.

When released on the prime material plane, a phobasin will find a secluded backwater community and prey upon it. Using its powers it will play the fears of the populace against each other, using fear to whip up a mob mentality, using illusions to replicate people and using them to play on this mentality until finally the town erupts in lynch mobs and anarchy. Other times it plays on smaller groups causing them to slowly distrust each other as it kills them one by one when they separate from the pack, trying to break down the bonds of trust in the group until they are ready to murder each other out of fear that the others are the murderers.

Despite their terrific appearance and physical powers which would seem to indicate a warrior-demon, phobasin disdains combat preferring to use it only as a last resort, or its total superiority to a target as the last ingredient in a stew of fear. They resent creatures that force them into it, and for this reason prefer to avoid other demons except when they grow bored enough to hunt a weaker demon down and induce terror of all sorts in it.

Combat

Phobasins prefer to avoid combat when possible. If it becomes unavoidable they will use their bellow to break enemy ranks even as they wade in with their bone-scythe to cut apart foes. Their summon ability is used only as a last resort as they do not enjoy the idea of being indebted to their fellows as it may lead to them being forced into combat once more at a later date.

All-Around Vision (Ex): Phobasin’s two heads allow them to view many angles at once. They gain a +4 racial bonus on Search checks, and they can’t be flanked.

Bellow (Su): As a standard action a phobasin may rear back one of its heads and release a blood curling scream which feels nearby creatures with terror. Any creature within 60 ft must make a Will save (DC 21, Cha based), if they fail they are panicked for 2d6 rounds and then shaken for 2d6 minutes, if they succeed they are shaken for 1 round. After releasing this shut a phobasin may not use bellow again for 1d6+1 rounds. A phobasin may choose to exclude all demons, or all demons and demon-worshippers from this ability’s effects when they use it.

Bone-Scythe (Ex): The scythe that forms a phobasin’s left “hand” functions as the better of a natural or one-handed manufactured weapon at all times and deals 2d6 damage with a 19-20/x4 critical. A phobasin may have their bone-scythe enchanted and it is considered a Masterwork weapon.

Detect Fears (Sp): A phobasin may detect fears in creatures. This functions as detect thoughts except it combines round 1 and 2 into 1 round and does not determine the Intelligence score of said creatures or stun the phobasin if there is an Int 26+ mind in the area. On the 2nd round it reveals the deepest fears of any mind in the area (Will save DC 16 negates). This is the equivalent of a 2nd level spell. A phobasin may remain invisible when using detect fears upon a non-allied creature despite it being an “attack”.

Dual Minds (Ex): A phobasin’s two heads possess two separately fully functional mind. Each round a phobasin can take 1 full round worth of physical actions and 1 full round worth of purely mental actions (spell-like abilities) or actions which only require one head (this does allow it to take a run action or other full round action and make a bite attack in the same round). Any mind-affecting effect affects both of a phobasin’s two heads as if they were a separate creature. If a mind-affecting effect is affecting one head the other can take full control of both the body and magical powers of the phobasin, temporarily removing the affected mind’s ability to act entirely. If both minds are affected whichever is suffering a lesser effect takes control. A phobasin does not provoke attacks of opportunity for using spell-like abilities as long as both of its minds are functioning in harmony.

Mindless Terror (Su): A phobasin adds an extra bite to the fear felt by nearby creatures. Any creature within 60 ft which is suffering a fear effect takes 1 point of Wisdom damage each round.

Spell-like Abilities: At will—darkness, dispel magic, invisibility (self only), see invisibility, ghost hand, ghost sound (DC 14), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), major image (DC 17), open/close, prestidigitation, scare (DC 16). 3/day-Phantasmal Killer (DC 18). Caster level 10th.

Summon Tanar’ri (Sp): Once per day a phobasin can attempt to summon 3d12 manesFCI, or 2d10 dretches with an 60% chance of success, or 2 uridezuMoP, or another phobasin with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

Skills: A phobasin has a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate, Listen, and Spot checks.

[Zaydos]

Fear Devil (Deisylith)
Medium Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 4d8+8 (26 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), fly 40 ft (poor)
Armor Class: 16 (+2 Dexterity, +4 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+7
Attack: +1 Greatsword +8 melee (2d6+5) or claw +7 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: +1 Greatsword +8 melee (2d6+5) or 2 claws +7 melee (1d4+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Command of Fear, Curse of Paranoia, Fear Aura, Imbue Weapon, Spell-like Abilities
Special Qualities: Change size, damage reduction 5/good, darkvision 60 ft, fearless, immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10, and cold 10, see in darkness, spell resistance 16, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 14.
Skills: Hide +9, Intimidate +13, Listen +8, Move Silently +13, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8.
Feats: Ability Focus (Curse of Paranoia), Ability Focus (Fear Aura).
Environment: Baator.
Organization: Squad (2-4) or unit (5-20); solitary, squad, or sub-unit (5-12) if encountered on the Prime.
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Half standard.
Alignment: Always Lawful Evil
Advancement: 5-7 HD (Medium).
Level Adjustment: –

The creature before you looks like a statue of a gargoyle, standing human tall. Its body is covered in steel colored scales, its face dotted with little hornlets, great bat-like wings extending from its back.

A fear devil is usually the result of a demotion inflicted as a punishment for cowardice, though on occasion a lemure or nupperibo are reshaped into one. Fear devils are beat cops of hell, bound to loyalty to their fiendish masters, and unable to fully value their own lives. They represent one of the iron rules of Hell, honor and love can be broken but all beings heed fear, and in true Baatorian fashion they are exempt from the same rule they represent. They plant seeds of fear to disrupt trust between those who might rebel, and represent its power to give commands weight.

Combat

A fear devil engages in combat as ordered by its superiors. In some cases they are used to disrupt rebellion organizations in which case they use their invisibility and ability to assume tiny size to sneak in and then plant the seeds of fear with their Curse of Paranoia. If a more direct route is required they engage in combat with their greatswords.

Change Size (Su): A fear devil can shrink reducing their size to small or tiny as a standard action. For each size category it reduces it gets -2 to Strength and natural armor and +2 to Dexterity. It gains the normal size modifiers and its reach is reduced accordingly if it becomes Tiny size. Returning to their normal size is a standard action.

Command of Fear (Sp): A fear devil has the ability to control a creature through terror. 3 times per day a fear devil may offer a command to a creature that is shaken, frightened, panicked, or cowering. This functions as a Suggestion spell but the request need not reasonable and may be harmful as long as it is not suicidal. The request can also be more complicated or added to as a standard action on the fear devil’s part. A successful Will save (DC 15; Cha based) prevents this effect and grants immunity to that fear devil’s command of fear for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. This is the equivalent of a 3rd level Necromancy spell, with a caster level of 5, a range of close (35 ft), and allows Spell Resistance.

Curse of Paranoia (Su): A fear devil can use fear far more insidiously than simply to command the terrified. As a standard action a fear devil may attempt to lay the seed of paranoia in the heart of an unsuspecting creature within 50 ft. This ability only affects a creature which is unaware of the fear devil’s presence, and allows a Will save (DC 16; Cha based) to resist it. The target becomes possessed of a deep paranoia and distrust. They cannot receive the benefits of an aid another attempt, flank with another creature, or voluntarily fail a saving throw against a spell or effect unless the other creature is a devil, devil worshiper, or holds religious authority under a Lawful Evil deity. This paranoia makes them extremely distrusting of other creatures thinking that they are all out to get them, making them unwilling to cooperate efforts except under extreme duress or threat of an organizational reprisal, this has no effect when dealing with known devils, devil worshipers, or religious authorities serving Lawful Evil deities; NPCs under this effect are Unfriendly to all creatures, and this cannot be improved with Diplomacy checks and even a Charm spell will fail to improve this as this paranoia makes them unwilling to trust even their closest and most trusted friends. This effect lasts until the fear devil which induced it is banished from the plane (merely leaving it does not count), killed, or the effect summoning it (if temporary) is ended. It can also be ended with a remove curse or break enchantment spell with a caster level of at least four higher than the fear devil’s hit dice (when it applied the effect), or a Miracle or Wish. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Fear Aura (Su): Fear devils can radiate a 5-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be shaken for as long as they remain within the aura and for 4 rounds thereafter. If a creature has hit dice equal to or less than the fear devil’s they cower for this duration and may attempt a Will save each round to reduce it to shaken. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same fear devil’s aura for 24 hours (saving to reduce the cower to shaken does not count). Other baatezu are immune to the aura. The save DC is Charisma based.

Fearless (Ex): A fear devil is completely unable to feel fear, even their own destruction elicits no emotional fear response, although they may see it as a strategic disadvantage. This makes them among the least selfish of Baatezu and most obedient, obeying even suicidal orders from their superiors (not mortal mages of course), it also means they are completely immune to fear.

Imbue Weapon (Su): Any greatsword wielded by a fear devil is considered a +1 weapon if no already superior.

Spell-like Abilities: 2/day – Cause Fear (DC 13), Greater Teleport (self plus 50 lbs of gear only), Invisibility (self only, 1 hour duration).

Skills: A fear devil gains a +4 racial bonus to Intimidate and Move Silently checks.

Fear Devil, Elder (Deisylith, Elder)
Large Outsider (Baatezu, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice: 8d8+32 (68 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), fly 40 ft (average)
Armor Class: 19 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +8 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+18
Attack: +2 Greatsword +15 melee (3d6+11) or claw +13 melee (1d6+6)
Full Attack: +2 Greatsword +15/+10 melee (3d6+11) or 2 claws +13 melee (1d6+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Command of Fear, Curse of Paranoia, Fear Aura, Imbue Weapon, Spell-like Abilities, Summon Baatezu
Special Qualities: Change size, damage reduction 10/good, darkvision 60 ft, immunity to fear, fire, and poison, resistance to acid 10, and cold 10, see in darkness, spell resistance, telepathy 100 ft.
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +8
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16.
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +13, Hide +9, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (the Planes) +12, Listen +13, Move Silently +17, Profession (Prosecutor) +13, Sense Motive +13, Spot +13.
Feats: Ability Focus (Command of Fear), Ability Focus (Curse of Paranoia), Ability Focus (Fear Aura).
Environment: Baator.
Organization: Solitary, or squad (1 elder fear devil and 5-20 fear devils).
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: Standard.
Alignment: Always Lawful Evil
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large).
Level Adjustment: –

A fear devil has no hope of promotion in its current form. Given sufficient time, however, some fear devils become something more than they once were, developing greater intellect and the ability to disobey as much as any other Baatezu. At this point many are promoted to new forms, but on occasion they will be allowed to remain in the form of an awakened, or elder, fear devil.

These elder fear devils act as police captains and prosecuting attorneys among the Baatezu. They understand the power of fear, and some even see themselves as connoisseurs working with pain devils to ensure the highest levels of punishment.

Combat

An elder fear devil is a cautious combatant. They will often use tiny size and invisibility to sneak into the midst of enemies and drive a wedge between them with Curse of Paranoia. It will then wait till they have separated and attack the weakest link attempting to subvert them to its cause, offering them safety in exchange for betraying their comrades. In general they will isolate and divide and attempt to subvert before finally engaging.

Change Size (Su): A fear devil can shrink reducing their size to medium, small or tiny as a standard action. For each size category it reduces it gets -2 to Strength and natural armor and +2 to Dexterity. It gains the normal size modifiers and its reach is reduced accordingly if it becomes Tiny size. Returning to their normal size is a standard action.

Command of Fear (Sp): A fear devil has the ability to control a creature through terror. A fear devil may offer a command to a creature that is shaken, frightened, panicked, or cowering. This functions as a Suggestion spell but the request need not reasonable and may be harmful as long as it is not suicidal, and allows the fear devil to communicate telepathically with the affected creature from up to 10 miles. The request can also be more complicated or added to as a standard action on the fear devil’s part. A successful Will save (DC 19; Cha based) prevents this effect and grants immunity to that fear devil’s command of fear for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. This is the equivalent of a 4th level Necromancy spell, with a caster level of 8, a range of close (45 ft), and allows Spell Resistance.

Curse of Paranoia (Su): A fear devil can use fear far more insidiously than simply to command the terrified. As a standard action a fear devil may attempt to lay the seed of paranoia in the heart of an unsuspecting creature within 80 ft. This ability only affects a creature which is unaware of the fear devil’s presence, and allows a Will save (DC 19; Cha based) to resist it. The target becomes possessed of a deep paranoia and distrust. They cannot receive the benefits of an aid another attempt, flank with another creature, or voluntarily fail a saving throw against a spell or effect unless the other creature is a devil, devil worshiper, or holds religious authority under a Lawful Evil deity. This paranoia makes them extremely distrusting of other creatures thinking that they are all out to get them, making them unwilling to cooperate efforts except under extreme duress or threat of an organizational reprisal, this has no effect when dealing with known devils, devil worshipers, or religious authorities serving Lawful Evil deities; NPCs under this effect are Unfriendly to all creatures, and this cannot be improved with Diplomacy checks and even a Charm spell will fail to improve this as this paranoia makes them unwilling to trust even their closest and most trusted friends. This effect lasts until the fear devil which induced it is banished from the plane (merely leaving it does not count), killed, or the effect summoning it (if temporary) is ended. It can also be ended with a remove curse or break enchantment spell with a caster level of at least four higher than the fear devil’s hit dice (when it applied the effect), or a Miracle or Wish. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.

Fear Aura (Su): Fear devils can radiate a 5-foot-radius fear aura as a free action. Affected creatures must succeed on a DC 19 Will save or be cower for as long as they remain within the aura and for 4 rounds thereafter. A creature may attempt a Will save each round to reduce it to shaken. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same fear devil’s aura for 24 hours (saving to reduce the cower to shaken does not count). Other baatezu are immune to the aura. The save DC is Charisma based.

Imbue Weapon (Su): Any greatsword wielded by an elder fear devil is considered a magic weapon with an enhancement bonus of 1/4th the elder fear devil’s hit dice if not already superior.

Spell-like Abilities: At will –Command (DC 14), Ghoul Touch (DC 15), Greater Teleport (self plus 50 lbs of gear only), Invisibility (self only), Scare (DC 15).

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Once per day an elder fear devil can attempt to summon 2d6 lemures or 1d4+1 fear devils with a 50% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.

Skills: An elder fear devil gains a +4 racial bonus to Intimidate and Move Silently checks.

[Eldan]

I'm tempted to now make a fear yugoloth. But then, I'd be tempted to call it the scare-aloth. Curse of Paranoia seems a very 'loth ability, fluffwise. But it works for devils too, I guess.

Hmm. For Yugoloths... make allies fear each other? A fear-researching Arcanaloth, who implants weird phobias into people to test them?

[inuyasha]

This reminds me of a concept I had a while ago on the last Halloween thread for phobia specific demons, I only ever made one (I think it was fear of getting fat...?), would you mind if I revisited the concept for the current Halloween thread?

[Zaydos]

I'm tempted to now make a fear yugoloth. But then, I'd be tempted to call it the scare-aloth. Curse of Paranoia seems a very 'loth ability, fluffwise. But it works for devils too, I guess.

Hmm. For Yugoloths... make allies fear each other? A fear-researching Arcanaloth, who implants weird phobias into people to test them?

I could definitely see 'loths using it, but my reasoning was more that it's how Cold War era literature presented totalitarian states with everyone being afraid to trust anyone because they might be a secret police and the only people you could really trust were the people who were openly police, because at least you knew how far you had to toe the line with them.

I decided to avoid the 'loths because they'd have blurred lines too much, and been too similar to deisylith (there's no accident it ends with l-th) since ultimately the 'loths always seem more lawful leaning than not (with the exception of the baernoloths which were actually the initial design inspiration for phobasins). I'd say the arcanaloth idea is a good one, though if I was to make a variety of 'loth dedicated to fear it'd be a lesser yugoloth dealing specifically with rout, and battlefield panic in keeping with their occasional tinkering to create species that exist just to serve as mercenaries.


This reminds me of a concept I had a while ago on the last Halloween thread for phobia specific demons, I only ever made one (I think it was fear of getting fat...?), would you mind if I revisited the concept for the current Halloween thread?

I see absolutely no reason why I should mind or would have any particular right to object. I mean I already posted everything I intend to do and invited people to do them if they wanted. Personally I'm quite happy to see variations upon a similar theme, and would be glad to know I stirred someone to make something.

[Eldan]

You know, as much as I love the higher 'loths with their scheming and magic, I don't like the lesser ones. Most of them are just rather dull battle brutes.

Routing. Hm. Something that causes panic when it attacks, perhaps? Or for a fluffy ability, it makes enemies think they are losing and join it's side. Not sure how to run that, though.

[Zaydos]

I like Marraenoloths, and to a lesser extent Canoloth, but yeah for the most part the rank and file are the rank and file.

Also due to a request:

Phobasin's Hand: This scythe-like blade made of bone is attached to the wrist of a creature replacing its hand completely. This weapon functions as a Mw scythe of the creature's size but is a (effectively) one handed weapon with a 19-20/x4 critical threat and overcomes damage reduction as if it were Evil aligned. The creature may treat this grafted scythe as either a manufactured or natural weapon whichever is most beneficial in any given situation and may be enchanted as if it were a weapon. As this grafted weapon replaces the recipient's hand it prevents them from performing any task which requires two hands, unless one of those hands can be a weapon. The scythe may not be wielded two-handed.
Prerequisites: Graft Flesh, Keen Edge, creator must be a fiend. Market Price: 5,000 GP. Cost to Create: 2,500 GP and 200 XP.

[kinem]

I like 'em.

[Debihuman]

About the only thing that's missing is that the greatsword for the elder fear devil is Large. It helps to put magic weapons in italics too so people won't miss the "+". This helps novice DMs to see how weapon size works.

Attack: Large +2 greatsword +15 melee....

Well done!!!

Debby