Demon

Demons are chthonic supernatural beings originating in the lower planes of existence, and most especially the Abyss. As a race of beings utterly devoid of compassion or charity, they exist for the sole purpose of wringing pain from their victims while acting to bring misery and suffering to other beings. Upon their own plane of existence they receive the souls of the Damned, who are condemned to an eternity of torture following their death; these wretched beings are herded into nightmarish pits, where they are imprisoned while gleefully harrowed and tormented by demons.

Demons are subject to powerful and malevolent gods, many of whom are horrific beyond demonic standards. By such entities, demons are forced to work as slaves, performing tasks beyond torturing the Damned; this includes acting as servants, standing guard, performing for entertainment and for carnal purposes ... acts that demons find humiliating. More than anything, demons ache to escape these tasks and wreak anguish upon innocent, unsuspecting beings on the prime material plane. This gives them great pleasure and joy. If they obtain this opportunity, demons will seek to possess the hapless creature and work evil and harm upon the world through the victim's person.

Types

While thousands of demon species exist, only a few appear in numbers outside of the Abyss so as to become familiar. Each has a range of dangerous natural abilities, along with powers they all have in common. There are eight well known demon types:

• Balrog
• Glabrezu
• Hezrou
• Manes
• Marilith
• Nalfeshnee
• Succubus
• Vrock

Each serves a different function within the demonic heirarchy. Part of their duties include maintaining order upon lesser species of demon, though even the weakest chafe and struggle to free themselves, even temporarily, from the least responsibilities. The result is a continuous, irrational chaos, with the strong bullying the weak while the weak bully the Damned.

Natural Abilities

These are magic powers that can be performed at will by all demons, regardless of type. Each can be done at a cost of only 1 action point. They don't require casting or discharge, and cannot be disrupted in combat as spells can; they don't require concentration.

• Ultravision enables the demon to see natural light that's normally invisible to humanoid eyes, effectively illuminating darkness to the intensity of dusk or dawn.
• Darkness can be conjured at will surrounding the demon, plunging a 20 ft. radius area into inky blackness. This eliminates infravision as well a natural light — but has no effect on ultravision, so while the demon's enemies can't see, the demon can.

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Additionally, demons can produce darkness at will, encircling themselves with a 20 ft. radius of inky blackness, which can be dispelled only with dispel magic.

Demons are also able to gate in other demons, always of their own kind but sometimes greater or lesser demons as well. Demons will resort to this ability when they are pressed in combat ~ but only if their presence in a particular time and place is absolutely required, due to commands that have been given by the gods. Otherwise, the demon is far more likely to simply teleport to safety, as this is also among their abilities. Demons will make rich and continuous use of their teleport ability, moving from place to place in a combat more easily than moving even a single hex. They are known to attack, teleport, then use the remainder of their movement that round to attack again.

They have limits. They can only use one magical power per round, including darkness, teleport and gate. They can perform that one magical attack, however, and employ their physical attacks as well.

Immunities

All demons are immune to normal weapons. To cause damage to a demon, the weapon must be made of magic. Take note, however, that if the demon is in possession of a creature's body, then the body itself can be killed by use of normal weapons. This body will have a set number of biological hit points (BU), but never hit points gained from levels, as the will driving the movement of the body is the demon's, that cannot benefit from the host's knowledge. Damage done to the body is not counted against the possessing demon.

If the host body is then killed, the demon will shuck it away, revealing itself for what it truly is. Often, up until it is revealed, a demon will hold back on revealing most of its powers, particularly teleport and overt magic; once it is exposed, however, the demon will likely unleash all the power it has.

Demons are have immunity to many elemental attacks, such as those that employ cold, electricity, fire or gas of any type. They are not affected by the spells death nor trap the soul, as they have no life or soul that may be taken or trapped.

Misconceptions

Through the millennia, a great number of folk tales have arisen that suggest that demons can be controlled by various means that do not exist as limits on other monsters. These fabrications are designed to undermine very powerful monsters with tricks and shortcuts ~ and, in fact, are all completely false with regards to the actual nature of demons.

Demons have names, but having knowledge of these names grants no power over a demon. Demons are not repelled by the presence of holy symbols, relics or artifacts (given that they act in the service of many gods that also employ these symbols).

There is no such thing as a "demon's amulet" that maintains the demon's essence to ensure that it returns to the underworld after it has been killed on the Prime Material Plane — this just happens. Therefore, there is no special object that, if possessed, that makes a demon into a mindless slave.

For further information on the motivation of demons in the underworld, see Demonic Culture and Origins.

See Bestiary