AC 13
HP 45 (10d8; bloodied 22)
Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.
Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +2, Cha +5
Skills Stealth +5 (+1d4)
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistances acid, fire, thunder; damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities cold, lightning, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed , fatigue , grappled , paralyzed , petrified , poisoned , prone , restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
Chaotic Evil. The demon radiates a Chaotic and Evil aura.
Incorporeal. The demon can move through creatures and objects. It takes 3 (1d6) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the demon has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
Darken Light. The demon magically targets a nonmagical flame or an area of magical light created by a 2nd-level or lower spell slot within 60 feet. Any area of bright light created by the light source instead casts dim light for 10 minutes.
Replace Shadow. The demon targets a humanoid within 5 feet that is in dim light and can’t see the demon. The target makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw . On a success, the target is aware of the demon. On a failure, the target is unaware of the demon, the target no longer casts a natural shadow, and the demon magically takes on the shape of the target’s shadow, appearing indistinguishable from a natural shadow except when it attacks. The demon shares the target’s space and moves with the target. When the demon is dealt damage while sharing the target’s space, it takes half the damage (rounded down) and the other half is dealt to the target. The effect ends when the target drops to 0 hit points, the demon no longer shares the target’s space, the demon or target is affected by dispel evil and good or a similar effect, or the demon begins its turn in an area of sunlight.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) cold damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Shadow Sneak. The demon takes the Hide action even if obscured only by dim light or darkness.
Combat
The shadow demon uses Darken Light to create areas of dim light and Shadow Sneak to hide in plain sight. It then uses Replace Shadow. Once it has done so, it may use its claws immediately, or it may travel with its victim for some time before it attacks. If it’s unable to use Replace Shadow, it tries to attack from hiding. It flees if dealt radiant damage.
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.
Appearing as gaunt, winged figures made of semi-solid darkness, shadow demons are often mistaken for specters or other undead. In fact, they are what becomes of a more powerful demon when its essence is prevented from reforming in the Abyss. Shadow demons hate bright light and can magically cause torches and other light sources to dim on command. More frightening, however, is their ability to meld with another creature’s shadow, literally following in the unwitting victim’s footsteps until the chance to strike presents itself.
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 slaying (celestials) , 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.