Buy me a coffeeDaemon, Vulnadaemon, “The Betrayer’s Wraith”
“This childlike horror is a master of betrayal and fear, lurking in the shadows to make your darkest nightmares come true!”
The Vulnudaemon is a horrific daemon from Pathfinder, embodying the terror of betrayal and murder. Appearance: Despite its small, childlike stature, it has a chilling appearance with ghostly pale skin, gaunt limbs, and a mouth filled with jagged, blood-stained teeth that resemble a gruesome wound. At times, it appears as a misty, cloaked figure, perpetually dripping blood—a form it takes only in Abaddon or in the presence of powerful daemons
Behavior and Modus Operandi: Vulnudaemons are highly manipulative and sadistic, enjoying the slow psychological torment of their victims. They observe from the shadows, using their Aura of Doom to induce a pervasive sense of dread before delivering a brutal final blow. These creatures blend into communities by impersonating ordinary members, from traders to travelers, switching identities and leaving confusion and death in their wake. With abilities like invisibility and illusion, they vanish seamlessly, complicating any pursuit by authorities or avengers
Habitat: On their native plane, Abaddon, Vulnudaemons wander bleak landscapes, drawn to conflict and treachery, where they thrive by preying on the unwary. When summoned to the Material Plane, they often reside in settlements, serving cultists of murder deities who revere them as instruments of divine wrath. Their modus operandi includes isolating targets, bleeding them gradually through minor wounds, and retreating before striking again, reveling in the drawn-out suffering they inflict
Motivation: Vulnudaemons crave the psychological unraveling of their prey, finding joy in betrayal and deceit. They are particularly compelled to destroy trust, often targeting people with close relationships, and they view each kill as a twisted form of art, savoring the fear and betrayal as much as the act of murder itself
Vulnadaemon 5e
Vulnadaemon Pathfinder
Vulnudaemon
Medium Fiend (Daemon), Neutral Evil
- Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points: 85 (13d8 + 26)
- Speed: 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) |
- Saving Throws: Dex +8, Wis +7, Cha +8
- Skills: Stealth +12, Deception +8, Insight +7, Perception +7
- Damage Resistances: Cold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
- Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
- Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 17
- Languages: Abyssal, Infernal, Common
- Challenge: 7 (2,900 XP)
- Proficiency Bonus: +3
Traits
- Aura of Doom: The Vulnudaemon radiates an aura of dread in a 30-foot radius. Any creature that starts its turn within this aura must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn.
- Invisibility: The Vulnudaemon can turn invisible as a bonus action. It remains invisible until it attacks or uses a spell. This ability can be used up to 3 times per day.
- Magic Resistance: The Vulnudaemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
- Multiattack: The Vulnudaemon makes three attacks: one with its Dagger of Betrayal and two with its Bite.
- Dagger of Betrayal: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage at the start of its next turn (this effect is considered Bleed damage).
- Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage.
- Spellcasting: The Vulnudaemon is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following spells prepared:
- Cantrips: Chill Touch, Minor Illusion, Thaumaturgy
- 1st level (4 slots): Blur, Inflict Wounds, Shield
- 2nd level (3 slots): Invisibility, Darkness, Death Knell
- 3rd level (3 slots): Fear, Bestow Curse
Tactics
- Ambush Predator: The Vulnudaemon prefers to ambush its prey. It uses Invisibility to surprise foes, ideally attacking from the shadows to inflict the Bleed effect with its Dagger of Betrayal.
- Aura of Doom: It will position itself near the center of a combat area to maximize the effectiveness of its Aura of Doom, sapping morale and creating openings for its attacks.
- Hit and Run: The Vulnudaemon uses its mobility to dart in and out of combat, taking advantage of its Fly speed to maintain distance and evade retaliation while inflicting damage.
- Spellcasting: It employs spells like Darkness and Fear to manipulate the battlefield, sowing confusion and panic among its enemies, and will often cast Invisibility to reposition as needed.
Lore
The Vulnudaemon embodies the horrors of betrayal and murder, often appearing in areas rife with deceit and treachery. With an insatiable hunger for chaos, it delights in instilling fear and panic in its victims, enjoying their suffering before delivering the fatal blow. Cultists of dark deities summon Vulnudaemons to carry out assassinations and spread despair, regarding them as sacred harbingers of death.
Vulnadaemon
A bloody, tooth-filled mouth that looks almost like a horrific gash gasps in the neck of this pale, childlike horror.
[This content was created for the Pathfinder rules by Paizo Publishing LLC and is part of the Pathfinder RPG product line.]
These deceptive daemons personify death resulting from murder accented with betrayal. Most often formed from the souls of evil creatures killed by family or friends, vulnudaemons spread their insanity throughout the worlds by deceiving and killing all creatures they meet.
Vulnudaemons stalk their prey, infecting them with a sense of impending doom and watching their reactions, learning their responses before attacking and savoring their death.
These daemons serve as excellent assassins, hiding in the shadows before debilitating their enemies, or striking from the protection of invisibility in order to deliver the killing blow. When facing stronger enemies, vulnudaemons seek to wear them down through a series of attacks, nicking at them and darting off, then repeating the process until their opponents bleed out.
Vulnudaemons often find themselves called to the Material Plane by cultists of deities associated with murder and assassination. These cultists often see vulnudaemons as sacred creatures favored by their deity, and rather than simply use the daemons as assassins, cultists often grant them a shocking degree of freedom to wander the region as they will, picking victims to fit their own agendas and murdering whomever they wish.
Cultists who conjure vulnudaemons into the world usually take care to show the daemons a secret hand sign or other code that members of the cult can show them, lest the monsters decide to target one of the believers for an attack. Whether or not an accidentally targeted cultist has the time to flash her safety sign to the daemon should the creature attack her at a later date is, of course, another matter.
Vulnudaemons stand 3 feet tall and weigh 25 pounds.
| Vulnadaemon CR 4 |
| XP 1,200 NE Small outsider (daemon, evil, extraplanar) Init +3; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., detect good, detect magic; Perception +10 Aura aura of doom (30 ft., DC 18) |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dexterity, +3 natural, +1 size) hp 39 (6d10+6) Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6 DR 5/good or silver; Immune acid, death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 30 ft. Melee short sword +10/+5 (1d4+2/19-20 plus bleed), bite +5 (1d3+1) Special Attacks bleed (1d4), sneak attack +1d6 Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; Concentration +10) Constant – detect good, detect magic 3/day – blur, death knell (DC 15), invisibility, minor image (DC 14) 1/day – inflict critical wounds (DC 17), summon (level 2, 1d4 cacodaemons 40%) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 14, Dexterity 17, Constitution 13, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 13, Charisma 16 Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 20 Feats Ability Focus (aura of doom), Combat Casting, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +12, Diplomacy +10, Fly +11, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (planes) +8, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +16 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft. |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Aura of Doom (Su) As a free action, a vulnudaemon can radiate an aura of dread and hopelessness. Any creature within 30 feet of the vulnudaemon must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or become shaken for as long as it remains in the aura. |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment any (Abaddon) Organization solitary, pair, or murder (3-12) Treasure standard |
About this Daemon Type
Preferring to disguise themselves as mortals or other creatures, vulnudaemons rarely assume their true forms unless they are forced to do so or are in the presence of a greater daemon. When they do, they appear as partially coalescent clouds of bloody mist in the form of a ghostly, cloaked figure, perpetually dripping and reabsorbing a crimson trail. In Abaddon, they often pose as the hunted, hiding among them and killing them one by one, escalating the violence each time.
On the Material Plane, vulnudaemons also dwell among their prey, insinuating themselves into settlements as traders or other mundane member of society. From there, the deaths spread. Such killing sprees are exceptional difficult to combat, as vulnudaemons frequently switch personae, adopting the lives and covers of their victims, confounding investigations before vanishing without a trace, leaving only fear and rumors in their wake.
- Personification of Death: Murder.
- Preferred Sacrifice: A bound and helpless intelligent creature for the vulnudaemon to kill and impersonate.
Source Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Book of the Damned, Vol. 3 © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Todd Stewart.
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3, © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors Jesse Benner, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.