Demons, painted for this archiveNether Demon
Creature, Demons
Rulers of the lesser undead realms, each with its own kingdom of undead, subject to Mephistopheles and the arch demons, who war with rivals for living slaves. They cast spells as 14th level necromancers, gate in undead, rake with armor-rending claws and enslave with venomous bites; summoned for two healthy bound slaves.
From the book
Nether demons are the lords of the lesser undead realms. They obey Mephistopheles and the arch demons, but each rules its own kingdom of undead. Trapped in the abysmal planes of the undead, they loathe all living things and crave them as slaves and victims for torment and humiliation. Their undead armies often fight rival nether demons, and the winner takes the loser's human or demi-human slaves. They use greater demons as bodyguards and aides and sometimes cacodaemons as field commanders, and once such a war begins, usually only an arch demon or Mephistopheles can stop the slaughter.
In battle a nether demon normally protects itself with magic or brings 2-12 undead of any corporeal kind it likes through a gate to battle on its behalf. Pressed hard, it rakes with long talons that tear through any non-magical armor as if it were not there and usually knock a human-sized foe down. At close quarters it may bite with poisonous fangs whose venom saps the victim's will and makes them its slave for life, or until the curse is lifted, unless they save vs WILL.
Summoning one costs at least two humans or demi-humans as slaves, healthy and bound or otherwise unable to resist; otherwise it treats the pact as broken and tries to enslave the summoner. Under a pact it will perform one task, or bring through a gate as many as ten skeletons, zombies or ghouls that then belong to the summoner. As rulers of the undead realms, nether demons are feared and instantly obeyed by all undead, and they cast spells as 14th level necromancers (the appendix gives 20th level). They can teleport or travel between dimensions at will and sense invisible, astral and ethereal beings.
At a glance
- Rank
- Lords of the lesser undead realms; subject to Mephistopheles and the Arch Demons
- Realm
- Each rules a 'kingdom' of undead on the abysmal planes of the undead; rivals fight for human and demi-human slaves; only an Arch Demon or Mephistopheles can end such wars
- Servants
- Greater demons as bodyguards and aides; Cacodaemons as sub-commanders; undead fear and obey them
- Magic
- Spell casting of a 14th level necromancer
- Combat
- Defends with magic or gates in up to a dozen undead; claws tear through any non-magical armor and usually knock human-sized foes down; poisonous bite saps the will, making victims its slaves
- Summoning offering
- At least two humans or demi-humans as slaves, bound and healthy; otherwise it tries to enslave the summoner
- Service
- Any one task, or gating in up to ten of the summoner's own skeletons, zombies or ghouls
- Height/Length
- 10 ft.
- Weight
- 800 + lbs.
- STR
- 24
- SPD
- 16
- DEX
- 16
- CON
- 21
- INT
- 21
- WILL
- 16
- CHA
- 16
- PER
- 20
- Level
- 20
- Alignment
- Chaotic Evil
- Damage
- Claws: 1-10 (+ STR) each, tearing through non-magical armor; Bite: 1-10 (+ poison; see Comments)
- Special Attributes
- Senses invisible, astral and ethereal presences; can gate in 2-12 undead of whatever corporeal types it wants; spell casting (see Comments); Teleport and Dimension travel at will
- Armor
- As plate mail + 2
- Hit Points
- 90-100
- Comments
- Its bite forces a save vs WILL, or the victim becomes the demon's slave, permanently or until the curse is cured; every Nether Demon casts spells as a 20th level necromancer
The chapter (p.72) gives nether demons the spell casting of a 14th level necromancer; the appendix (p.113) gives 20th level.