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Imp Familiar

Challenge
Alignment
Terrain
str
6
dex
16
con
12
int
10
wis
12
cha
14

AC 13

HP 14 (4d4 + 4; bloodied 7)

Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.


Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13

Skills Deception +4 (+1d4), Insight +3, Perception +3, Persuasion +4, Stealth +5

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

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.


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

Ventriloquism. The imp can perfectly imitate any voice it has heard. It can make its voice appear to originate from any point within 30 feet.

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

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

Familiar. The imp can communicate telepathically with its master while they are within 1 mile of each other. When the imp is within 10 feet of its master, its master shares its Magic Resistance trait.


ACTIONS

Sting (Bite While Shapeshifted). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

Shapeshift. The imp magically changes its form into a rat (speed 20 ft.), raven (20 ft., fly 60 ft.), or spider (20 ft., climb 20 ft.) or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form except for its movement speeds. Equipment it carries is not transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.


BONUS ACTIONS

Invisibility. The imp magically turns invisible , along with any equipment carried. This invisibility ends if the imp makes an attack, falls unconscious , or dismisses the effect.

Combat

Whenever the imp attacks with its sting, it turns invisible immediately afterwards and then moves if it can. It might spend some turns hiding without attacking. It changes targets and tactics frequently, since it can be killed with a readied action or an area attack if it becomes too predictable. Once damaged, it hides invisibly. The imp sometimes uses its Ventriloquism ability to create confusion and miscommunication.


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

An imp can serve a spellcaster as a familiar. Either the familiar or master can end this relationship at any time. If the imp’s master dies and isn’t restored to life within 7 days, the imp gains the master’s soul, and the master can’t be returned to life until the soul is recovered.

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.