AC 10
HP 18 (4d6 + 4; bloodied 9)
Speed 20 ft.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 11
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages Abyssal
Chaotic Evil. The dretch radiates a Chaotic and Evil aura.
Energy-Sucking Aura. A non-demon creature that takes an action or bonus action while within 10 feet of a dretch can’t take another action, bonus action, or reaction until the start of its next turn.
ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.
Combat
Dretches shamble toward living creatures, hungering for their souls but too cowardly to attack unless they outnumber their enemy by at least 2-to-1. They flee once they no longer outnumber their enemy by this margin.
Demon Names
Abigor, Aborag, Agoraxas, Algalar, Ana-Sepiya, Arcanax, Argenthrixus, Ashban, Brezremith, Caim, Carn, Carnifex, Gall, Hacari, Ignax, Ildramath, Iritra, Lachirax, Maggoth, Malfias, Milviash, Moloth, Morza, Namazeu, Razortail, Sarzan, Serechor, Suroth, Tehezu, Uzuzzu, Velavis, Velgizich, Wreak, Zugor, Zuthis
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, characters can learn the following:
DC 10 Demons are fiends spawned from the Abyss. They are creatures of pure chaos: even the most intelligent demon can’t be reasoned with.
DC 15 Poison can’t adversely affect a demon’s alien physiology. They shrug off much of the damage caused by cold, fire, lightning, and mundane weapons.
DC 20 The most powerful demons are even more resilient. They entirely ignore the effects of many magic spells.
Weak, disgusting creatures doomed to torment, dretches would be pitiable were they not so loathsome. Dretches have pinched, bat-like faces and shamble about on legs barely strong enough to support their bulbous torsos. Their incompetence, combined with nearly limitless numbers, make dretches perfect cannon fodder. Demonic generals often position mobs of dretches along their front lines to slow enemy charges and take the brunt of magical attacks.
1–3 Committing acts of mindless destruction (setting a fire, uprooting trees, defiling a holy site)
4 Trapped in an abandoned summoning circle
5 Pacing the far side of a magic mirror or planar gate, waiting to be released
6 Mangling the corpse of a recent kill
7 Guarding or patrolling, under the control of a summoner
8 Using napkins and rusted cutlery to dine on humanoid corpses
9 Drawn to you by the secret holy or unholy power of one of your magic items
10 if you let it live, it promises to harm one of your enemies
1 Pained screams accompanied by guttural laughter
2 Residual negative emotions (envy, paranoia, rage) subtly influence the area’s inhabitants
3 Horribly misshapen animals, born with extra legs, eyes, or heads
4 The remains of another monster, torn limb from limb
5 A human corpse; its face is frozen in an expression of horror
6 Clawed footprints
Demons are native to the Abyss but can threaten any part of the world if summoned or by bursting through poorly-sealed arcane gates.
CR 3–4 horde demon ; shadow demon ; quasit with 1 to 3 death dogs
CR 5–10 glabrezu ; hezrou ; vrock ; 2 or 3 horde demons ; 2 shadow demons ; shadow demon with 1d4 shadows
Treasure 1 warhammer (named Night Terror; its wielder is rattled while in darkness)
CR 11–16 horde demon band ; marilith ; nalfeshnee ; glabrezu with 1 or 2 horde demons ; hezrou with 1d6 + 2 ghouls ; 3 or 4 shadow demons
Treasure 2 scimitar (named Wrath; intelligent, Lawful Evil, with Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma scores of 12)
CR 17–22 balor ; 2 glabrezu ; 3 vrocks ; horde demon band with cambion , hezrou , or vrock
Treasure gold demon idol (7,500 gp), 2 bottles containing invisible wine that act as potions of invisibility , spell scrolls of contact other plane and dominate person , demon armor
CR 23–30 balor general ; balor or marilith with horde demon band ; marilith with 2 spirit nagas
Treasure massive ruby (25,000 gp) that contains a soul trapped by the magic jar spell, spell scrolls of magic jar and plane shift , 3 arrows of celestial slaying , 2 longsword (named Storm Claw; its wielder can cast lightning bolt with no components once per long rest, saving throw DC 18)
CR 31+ balor general with horde demon band , marilith , or nalfeshnee ; balor with 1d4 + 1 vrocks ; marilith with 3 or 4 hezrous
Treasure gemmed black iron war horn (25,000 gp), gemmed dragonbone crown (25,000 gp), 4 elemental gems (water) , Ioun stone of leadership , vorpal sword
Fiends are evil-aligned creatures from Hell, the Abyss, and other cursed realms. Most fiends are demons and devils, each of which have their own subtypes and hierarchies. Some fiends, such as hell hounds , are neither demons nor devils.