Fiend Factory 5E. White Dwarf 48: Servitor Demons

 Issue 48: Servitor Demons

 

Starting from issue 44, there is a lengthy series on demons and demonists, predominantly for RuneQuest. I assume that this is for the non-Gloranthan “Questworld” setting that GW were trying to push, but it’s got some great stuff in it. Part One gives the basic mechanics of demon summoning for RuneQuest, Part Two gives statistics for the lesser demons, and Part Three describes the demon lords. The demonic creatures are deliciously warped and different, perhaps most akin to something from Michael Moorcock. I particularly like the demon lord Bakshuro the Screamer, who lives in a dimension of pain that only he can endure.

Last issue (47), our old pal Phil Masters came up with a Demonist class for D&D, and in this issue there are D&D stats for the lesser demons, put together by Liz Fletcher. In some cases her statistics are quite sparse, and I’ve had to go back to the RQ stats by Dave Morris to flesh them out.

Also in this issue is a scenario, The Lone and Level Sands, that uses both RQ and D&D mechanics. I remember playing through it – at heart it’s a fairly clichéd trap-filled desert tomb, but it’s great fun to play.

Of the Lesser Demons, there is quite a selection:

 

Gremlins are tiny and imbue bad luck on people nearby. Stalkers are demonic assassins that looks like withered vultures and can pass through walls. I’ve folded assassination skills into the B’krath, so despite being great, they’re a little redundant. Porphyrs are basically vampires, and would make a good alternative source for vampires in a campaign setting. Amorphs are ooze creatures, and the RQ version describes them as “full of eyes and chattering mouths”. That’s a gibbering mouther, basically. The Pazuzu (the demon, remember, from The Exorcist) is a lean, winged, desert demon able to cast illusions. I think there was a pazuzu in the MM2.

 

Demon Wolves are yet one more of the “monster dog” creatures, although this has the interesting twist that anyone hitting it suffers a curse where they lose the ability in a random appendage. The Incubus/Succubus, well, there’s already one of those in the 5E MM, and finally there’s the Nightmare, for which once more there are already 5E statistics.

 

So, an interesting selection, and I’ve picked the most innovative four (yes folks, you get four for the price of one this week), which I have designated as a “servitor” subclass of fiend. They may or not be “demons” in the strict D&D cosmological sense, i.e. they do not necessarily stem from the Abyss, and in fact most are neutral evil rather than chaotic evil.

 

The Sraim is a maggoty creature that is usually summoned to help the summoner find objects; although they can also spit “acidic venom” (for RuneQuest this is a weak poison but I’ve made it acidic), they are quite weak in combat. They require a vial of acid as payment.

 

The Rult are similarly disturbing in appearance, like giant hunched shadowy flies. Rult can teleport, carrying one creature with them, and they can also breathe a poisonous vapour. Rults must be summoned at the site of execution of a person that has killed more than once – a very specific set of criteria – and they bargain for treasure as payment.

 

The B’krath are assassins, summoned usually to kill somebody where subtlety is less important. B’krath always first appear in threes, resembling lean humanoids with animalistic features and short black fur. B’krath prefer payment in gold dust, and lots of it.

 

Finally the Storm Demon is the most physically powerful of the four, a giant made of lightning, essentially. They require payment in sapphire dust. There’s no description of any specialism if storm demons. I guess you’d summon them whenever a giant made of lightning would be a useful asset.

 

No particular notes on the statistics for these creatures as they are generally self-explanatory. I used the RuneQuest stats, especially for the ability scores, using RQ Power as a guide for D&D Wisdom and/or Charisma (the two games share the rest of the ability scores).

 

Sraim

Medium fiend (servitor), chaotic evil

Armour Class 11 (natural armour) Hit Points 16 (3d8 +3) Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Skills Investigation +4, Perception +5 Senses passive Perception 15

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Common

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Locate Object. The sraim can locate objects as per the spell, except that there is no maximum range, and the ability is not blocked by lead. The sraim can locate specific objects that either itself or its summoner have seen before, even just the once. ACTIONS

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 3 (1d6 ) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) acid damage. Spit Acid. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 15/30 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d10) acid damage.

 

 

Rult

Medium fiend (servitor), neutral evil

Armour Class 16 (natural armour) Hit Points 27 (6d8) Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 10 (+0)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Skills Perception +4 Senses passive Perception 14

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Common

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Teleport. The rult can teleport without error to any spot within 5 miles, as long as a creature (living or dead) that the rult has once touched is at the destination. It can carry one Medium-sized creature plus equipment with it. ACTIONS

Multiattack. The rult makes two claw attacks. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 +3) slashing damage. Poison Breath (Recharge 4-6). The rult breathes a 30-foot cone of poisonous gas. All creatures within the area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, or take 4 (1d8) poison damage. This damage cannot be healed with magic.

 

 

B’krath

Medium fiend (servitor), neutral evil

Armour Class 19 (natural armour) Hit Points 67 (9d8 +27) Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 21 (+5) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 9 (-1)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Skills Perception +5, Stealth +9 Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Common

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Assassinate. The b’krath has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in combat yet. In addition, any hit it scores against a surprised opponent is automatically a critical hit. Light Sensitivity. When in bright illumination, a b’krath has disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Sneak Attack. The b’krath does an extra 17 (5d6) damage to any opponent against which it has advantage, or if another enemy is within 5 feet of it, or if it is incapacitated, and the b’krath doesn’t have disadvantage. Triplets. The b’krath will always appear in groups of three. Each member of a b’krath triplet can exchange hit points with another, as long as they are within 60 feet of each other, and conscious. ACTIONS

Multiattack. The b’krath makes two claw attacks. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d4 +5) slashing damage.

 

 

Storm Demon

Large fiend (servitor), neutral

Armour Class 13 Hit Points 126 (12d10 + 60) Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 15 (+3) 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)

Proficiency Bonus +2 Saving Throws Dex +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage Immunities lightning Senses passive Perception 15

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Common

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Lightning Aura. Any creature attacking the storm demon with metal weapons takes 4 (1d8) lightning damage. ACTIONS

Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d8) lightning damage. Lightning Bolt Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 60/90 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (4d6) lightning damage.