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Breadcrumb

Barbed Devil

Challenge
Alignment
Terrain
str
18
dex
16
con
18
int
12
wis
14
cha
14

AC 15 (natural armor)

HP 102 (12d8 + 48; bloodied 51)

Speed 30 ft.


Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 15

Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7, Wis +5, Cha +5

Skills Athletics +7, Deception +5, Insight +5, Perception +5 (+1d4)

Damage Resistances cold; damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.


Barbed Hide. A creature that grapples or is grappled by the devil takes 5 (1d10) piercing damage at the beginning of the devil’s turn.

Devil’s Sight. The devil’s darkvision penetrates magical darkness .

Lawful Evil. The devil radiates a Lawful and Evil aura. 

Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.


ACTIONS

Multiattack. The devil makes two attacks with its claws and one with its tail. Alternatively, it uses Hurl Flame twice.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. If both claw attacks hit the same Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 15). While the target is grappled, this attack may be used only against the grappled creature and has advantage against that creature.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target the devil is not grappling. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 150 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it catches on fire, taking 5 (1d10) ongoing fire damage. If the target is an unattended flammable object, it catches on fire. A creature can use an action to extinguish this fire.

Combat

The barbed devil grapples a creature and holds it tight, using its tail to fend off other attackers. Until it closes with its enemy, it hurls flame. A barbed devil follows instructions from its superiors and never deserts a post or abandons a pursuit.


Devil Names

Abathon, Alashel, Arcaxes, Asardel, Atha-Xul, Barashiel, Bel Nakari, Beleth, Besthelias, Bethegar, Brimstone, Calderax, Cenereth, Damaceus, Decimeth, Demedal, Elthodrath, Gethen, Glibris, Gur-Toras, Heleph, Ibaris, Kamien, Kush, Lorza, Machem, Maethiel, Meltis, Nensis, Silithis, Thaxes, Turel, Vish-Alatith, Zethayn, Zir


Legends and Lore

With an Arcana or Religion check, characters can learn the following:

DC 10 Many scholars believe that devils are angels that fell from grace. When touched by evil, mortal souls may transform into devils, as well.

DC 15 Neither fire nor poison harms a devil, and even magical darkness doesn’t impede a devil’s vision. They are supernaturally resistant to mundane damage, although magical and silvered weapons wound them normally.

DC 20 Though irredeemably evil, devils can be bargained with at the bargainer’s peril. They generally keep their word.

Description

Barbed devils are the untiring sentinels of hell. They protect treasure vaults, serve more powerful devils as bodyguards, and patrol the halls of infernal citadels looking for intruders. Needle-sharp spines cover their bodies, and their eyes—which seem to burn with penetrating flame—continually shift about as they keep watch over their charges.

Behavior

1 Whispering poison into a mortal’s ear

2 Engaging the pious in philosophical debate, so as to sow doubt

3 Offers the party the information they seek, for a price

4 Indulging pleasures of the flesh: enjoying a meal, listening to music, flirting with mortals

5 Hunting a mortal who defaulted on a deal

6 Imprisoned by ancient runes and seals; can’t leave its current general area

7 Guarding or otherwise serving a summoner

8 Guarding a sinister treasure, such as a forbidden book or cursed weapon

Signs

Wilderness and Underground Signs

1 A shrine to an archdevil, lit with black candles

2 Footprints, strangely warm to the touch

3 A waft of brimstone at a lonely crossroads

4 The remains of a humanoid who was clearly tortured to death


Settlement Signs

1 Statues of saints crying blood

2 Church bells magically fall silent

3 An infernal contract, as yet unsigned

4 Animals gather in large numbers, become aggressive, or die unexpectedly

Encounters

Most devils are imprisoned in Hell but some are loosed upon the world by wicked spellcasters. 

CR 0–2 imp ; 1d8 lemures

CR 3–4 bearded devil ; 2 lemure bands ; imp leading lemure band

CR 5–10 1 or 2 barbed devils ; bone devil ; chain devil ; 2 or 3 bearded devils ; bearded devil , barbed devil , or night hag leading 2 lemure bands

Treasure a silver cup etched with a blasphemous word (the first three times the word is spoken, the cup fills with a greater healing potion ; the fourth time, the cup breaks)

CR 11–16 horned devil , erinyes , ice devil , or chained one , possibly with 1 or 2 lemure bands ; 3 barbed devils ; barbed devil with 3 bearded devils

Treasure signed infernal contract that frees an evil soul from Hell if destroyed, manual of quickness of action

CR 17–22 pit fiend ; bone devil , chain devil , horned devil , erinyes , or ice devil with 3 bearded devils ; erinyes with 1d6 + 3 harpies ; chain devil with chained one

Treasure 3 rubies (5,000 gp each), spell scrolls of magic circle and raise dead , rope of entanglement

CR 23–30 pit fiend with 1 to 3 bearded devils or hell hounds ; 4 bearded devils or barbed devils with bone devil , chain devil , or horned devil ;  2 erinyes or ice devils ; ice devil with 1d4 + 2 winter wolves  

Treasure 1,300 pp, 2 potions of flying , 3 trident (named Artifice; acts as a hat of disguise but the trident can’t be disguised)

CR 31+ Pit Fiend General , possibly with 1d4 + 2 emure bands or bearded devils ; pit fiend with 3 or 4 barbed devils ; 3 or 4 erinyes

Treasure gold and ruby scepter (25,000 gp), forbidden book with gold and diamond binding (25,000 gp), 13 star rubies (1,000 gp each), spell scroll of gate , animated shield , deck of many things

Monster Type Description

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.