Fortnight of Chaos, Part VIa: Lesser Chaos Demons

LESSER CHAOS DEMONS

Demons of chaos fall into three categories: lesser demons, greater demons, and exalted demons and princes. Today’s installment of the Fortnight of Chaos presents old-school conversions for lesser chaos demons: demon steeds, furies, flesh hounds, bloodletters, demonettes, nurgling swarms, plaguebearers, horrors, flamers and screamers.

COMMON DEMONIC TRAITS & ABILITIES

Demons of chaos have certain special abilities in common, described below.

Infravision: Chaos demons possess infravision to 60, 90 or 120 feet.

Damage Resistance: Depending on type, chaos demons take half-damage from cold, electrical, fire, gas or poison attacks.

Frenzy: Depending on type, chaos demons fly into a battle frenzy after slaying an enemy, gaining +1 to hit and damage until they are slain or all enemies have perished. The bonus is gained only once, despite multiple kills.

Immunities: Chaos demons are immune to charm and sleep spells (and similar magical effects). In addition, they gain +4 to saving throws to resist attempts at mental control or domination (such as command, confusion, hypnotism and suggestion spells, to name a few).

Instability: Chaos demons are especially volatile beings and their grip on the prime material plane is tenuous unless bound or summoned by powerful magic. Whenever a demon fails a morale check in combat, there is a 90% chance it loses its grasp on the material plane and disappears back to the chaos void. Subtract 10% from the base 90% chance for each HD possessed by the demon. For example, a 4HD demon has a 50% chance to disappear when it fails a morale check. There will always be a 10% chance for a demon to disappear regardless of its hit dice.

DEMON STEEDS

Demon steeds are ridden by demons or powerful chaos champions and knights. They may be any beast type—war horses, bears, lizards, etc.—but regardless of their original nature, demonic steeds are hideously malformed and cruelly armed with sharp horns, spikes and armor plates.

Combat: A demon steed may breathe noxious gas (or fire, lightning, cold, etc.) instead of using its hooves to attack. A steed’s breath is linear, 15 feet long and 5 feet wide. All creatures in the area must save vs breath attack or suffer 3d4 damage (half-damage on a successful save). Demon steeds possess infravision to 90 feet, and take half-damage from cold, fire and electrical attacks. They also possess standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Demon Steed: AC 5; HD 4+4***; hp 22; MV 120' (40'); #AT 2 hooves or 1 breath; DAM 1d6/1d6 or 3d4; SA noxious breath; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F4; ML 10; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 1 (with rider); XP 365.

FURIES

Weakest of all chaos demons, the leathery-winged furies resemble emaciated vultures with long beaks full of razor-sharp fangs.

Combat: Furies typically attack in small packs, targeting isolated foes and spellcasters. Furies take half-damage from gas and poison attacks. They also possess infravision to 120 feet, and standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Furies: AC 7; HD 1**; hp 5; MV 30’ (10’), fly 180' (60'); #AT 1 beak or talons; DAM 1d4; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F1; ML 7; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 3d6; XP 16.

FLESH HOUNDS

Flesh hounds are powerfully-muscled demonic versions of warhounds.

Combat: A flesh hounds rips through foes with its razor-sharp claws or great fang-filled maw, hungry for the taste of mortal flesh. A flesh hound takes half-damage from gas and poison attacks, and benefits from frenzy. It also has infravision to 120 feet, and standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Flesh Hounds: AC 7; HD 2***; hp 9; MV 180' (60'); #AT 1 bite or claws; DAM 1d6; SA frenzy; SD damage resistance; immunities; SV F2; ML 9; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 2d6; XP 47.

BLOODLETTERS

Bloodletters are bestial demons with fanged maws, gore encrusted manes and skin that drips with blood.

Combat: A bloodletter has armor plates fused to its skin and its favored weapon is a battle axe. A bloodletter takes half-damage from gas and poison attacks, and benefits from frenzy. It also has infravision to 90 feet, and standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Bloodletter: AC 6; HD 3***; hp 14; MV 120' (40'); #AT 1 battle axe; DAM 1d8; SA frenzy; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F3; ML 10; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 2d4; XP 95.

DEMONETTES

Demonettes are seductively alluring yet viciously cruel female demons.

Combat: A demonette wears piecemeal armor and attacks with a curved sword in one hand and a scythe-like talon in place of her other hand. A demonette exudes an aura of seduction and delight that distracts foes—those coming within 10 feet of the demonette must make a save vs spells or suffer the effects of a confusion spell for 1d6 rounds. Once a saving throw is successful, a foe is immune to the seductive aura of that demonette for the remainder of the day. A demonette has infravision to 60 feet, and takes half-damage from cold, fire and electrical attacks. A demonette also possesses standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Demonette: AC 6; HD 4***; hp 18; MV 120' (40'); #AT 2 long sword and talon; DAM 1d8/1d6; SA seduction; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F4; ML 10; AL CE; HC VI; #ENC 1d6; XP 245.

NURGLING SWARMS

A nurgling swarm is a writhing mass of hundreds of tiny demons covered in boils, filth and grime.

Combat: A nurgling swarm overwhelms its foes with sheer numbers. A swarm is considered to occupy a 10-foot by 10-foot area at all times and does not roll to hit, rather it simply moves into a space and any targets in that space automatically suffer 1d4 damage from the swarm’s mass of filthy bites and tearing claws. Unarmored foes suffer double damage from a swarm. A foe fleeing from a swarm suffers 1 point of damage for an additional 3 rounds, as some of the aggravating tiny demons cling to him. A swarm takes no damage from weapons, but may be damaged by area attacks such as spells, flaming oil or acid, and the like. A nurgling swarm has infravision to 60 feet, and takes half-damage from gas and poison attacks. A swarm also has standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Nurgling Swarm: AC 7; HD 2**; hp 9; MV 120' (40'); #AT 1 swarm 10’ x 10’ area; DAM 1d4; SD damage resistance; immunities; SV F2; ML 11; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 1d6; XP 38.

PLAGUEBEARERS

Plaguebearers are grotesquely malformed, vaguely humanoid demons with rotted flesh split in dozens of places to reveal disgusting organs.

Combat: A plaguebearer attacks with filth-encrusted claws. It is surrounded by a cloud of flies that buzz and distract opponents within 5 feet, imposing a -1 penalty to attacks. In place of its claw attacks, a plagubearer may vomit a stream of guts, maggots and slime in a 10-foot by 5-foot line. Those caught in the stream must make a save vs poison or be nauseated (as the stinking cloud spell) for 1d4 rounds. A plaguebearer takes half-damage from gas and poison attacks, and has infravision to 60 feet. It also has standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Plaguebearer: AC 6; HD 3****; hp 14; MV 90' (30'); #AT 2 claws or 1 vomit; DAM 1d4/1d4; SA vomit; SD cloud of flies, damage resistance, immunities; SV F3; ML 10; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 2d4; XP 110.

HORRORS

Chaos horrors embody pure chaos. They are only vaguely humanoid and the dark power within them causes horrors to continually sprout limbs and tentacles, and crackle with eldritch energy.

Combat: In combat, a chaos horror wields corrupted spells in addition to its gangly, clawed limbs. Horrors may unleash bolts of dark energy upon enemies twice per day—this functions as magic missile cast as a 5th level spellcaster. Alternatively, once per day, a horror may make a special melee attack with one of its claws. If the horror hits, the target takes 1d4 damage as normal but must also make a save vs spells or immediately mutate into a chaos horror (as the polymorph other spell), and then join the side of chaos in the battle. The polymorph effect lasts until the target is slain or is subject to a dispel magic spell. A chaos horror takes half-damage from cold, electrical and fire attacks, and has infravision to 60 feet. It also has standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Horror: AC 7; HD 3***; hp 14; MV 120' (40'); #AT 2 claws or 1 spell; DAM 1d4/1d4 or special; SA spell-like abilities; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F3; ML 10; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 2d4; XP 95.

FLAMERS

Chaos flamers are snake-like demons with gnarled maws and limbs that shoot flaming bolts.

Combat: Each round a flamer makes 3 flaming bolt ranged attacks. The flamer may target up to 3 creatures within a 90-foot range. A flamer takes half-damage from cold, fire and electrical attacks, and has infravision to 90 feet. It also has standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Flamer: AC 6; HD 4**; hp 18; MV 90' (30'); #AT 3 flame bolts; DAM 1d4/1d4/1d4; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F4; ML 10; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 1d6; XP 190.

SCREAMERS

Chaos screamers are flying manta ray-like demons arrayed with cruel fangs, horns and slashing tendrils.

Combat: A screamer attacks from the air with its long horns and slashing tendrils. If it chooses, a screamer may make a swooping horn attack upon a surprised enemy, dealing double damage. A screamer takes half-damage from cold, electrical and fire damage, and has infravision to 120 feet. It also has standard chaos demon immunities and instability.

Screamer: AC 5; HD 4**; hp 18; MV fly 180’ (60’); #AT 2 horn and tendril or 1 swooping horn; DAM 1d4/1d3 or 2d4; SD damage resistance, immunities; SV F4; ML 9; AL CE; HC none; #ENC 2d6; XP 190.