Buy me a coffeeDaemon, Derghodaemon, “The Harvesters of Suffering”
“Discover the Derghodaemon: a towering insectoid terror that thrives on violent insanity and unleashes chaos with swarms of biting doom!”
The Derghodaemon is a towering insectoid monstrosity, standing around 9 feet tall and weighing 800 pounds. Its grotesque form features a bulbous, heavily armored body supported by three spindly legs. Numerous clawed limbs, each multi-jointed and razor-sharp, sprout from its torso like a grotesque bouquet. Its chitinous exoskeleton grinds together with every movement, creating an eerie, unsettling sound. The creature’s head is crowned with multi-faceted eyes that provide all-around vision, while its mandibles snap menacingly. It is often shrouded in a swarm of biting insects, enhancing its fearsome presence.
Behavior
Derghodaemons are instinct-driven and savage, their low intelligence compensated by a brutal and relentless nature. They prey on the weak, relishing the agony and fear of their victims before delivering a devastating final blow. These fiends often serve as shock troops in fiendish armies, where their durability, viciousness, and terror-inducing presence make them highly effective. Their behavior reflects a single-minded pursuit of chaos and carnage, leaving devastation in their wake.
Habitat
Native to Abaddon, the Outer Plane of neutral evil, Derghodaemons thrive in realms of violent conflict and chaos. They are drawn to places of carnage, such as battlefields and sites of mass slaughter, where they revel in the suffering and madness of the dying. In mortal worlds, they are typically summoned by powerful spellcasters or manifest in locations plagued by violence and despair.
Modus Operandi
The Derghodaemon begins its assault by activating its feeblemind aura, an ability that mentally debilitates nearby foes, leaving them vulnerable and confused. It then closes in with its array of claws, delivering rapid, rending attacks capable of tearing through flesh and bone. The swarms of insects it controls serve both as an offensive tool and a psychological weapon, disorienting enemies and amplifying terror. Its spell-like abilities, such as insect plague and creeping doom, allow it to wreak havoc on a larger scale, while teleportation ensures it can pursue fleeing prey.
Motivation
Driven by a hunger for suffering and chaos, the Derghodaemon’s sole purpose is to spread violence and madness. It thrives on the despair of its victims, embodying the chaotic and destructive nature of violent death. This fiend is a manifestation of Abaddon’s grim philosophy, dedicated to annihilation and the eradication of sanity and hope.
Derghodaemon 5e
Derghodaemon Pathfinder
Derghodaemon
Large Fiend (Daemon), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 18 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 190 (20d10 + 80)
Speed: 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 (+7) | 18 (+4) | 22 (+6) | 8 (-1) | 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) |
Saving Throws: Con +12, Dex +9, Wis +8
Damage Resistances: Cold 10, Fire 10, Lightning 10
Damage Immunities: Acid, Death, Disease, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 13
Languages: Abyssal, Infernal, Telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge: 14 (11,500 XP)
TRAITS
Swarmwalking. The Derghodaemon is immune to damage or distraction caused by swarms.
Aura of Feeblemind (Recharge 5–6). The Derghodaemon emits a powerful aura that affects all creatures within 30 feet. Any creature that starts its turn within the aura must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as though by the feeblemind spell. The creature can attempt the save again at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success. The DC is Charisma-based.
All-Around Vision. The Derghodaemon has advantage on Perception checks that rely on sight, and it cannot be surprised.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Derghodaemon makes three attacks: one with its Mandibles and two with its Claws.
Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d8 + 7) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d8 + 7) slashing damage.
Rend (Recharge 5–6). The Derghodaemon makes two claw attacks against a single target. If both hits land, the target takes an additional 14 (4d6) slashing damage and must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 Constitution damage.
Summon Swarm (1/day). The Derghodaemon can use its action to summon a swarm of insects. The swarm occupies a 10-foot radius sphere and remains for 1 minute. Any creature starting its turn within the swarm must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 12 (2d6 + 5) poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. The swarm can be destroyed with a dispel magic spell or a targeted attack (AC 14, 30 hit points).
Creeping Doom (1/day). The Derghodaemon summons a cloud of writhing insects that moves within a 60-foot radius, blocking vision and causing chaos. All creatures within the cloud must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 27 (6d8) poison damage and be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the blindness on a success.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Derghodaemon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Derghodaemon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Claw Attack. The Derghodaemon makes one claw attack.
- Summon Insects (Costs 2 Actions). The Derghodaemon summons a small swarm of biting insects within 30 feet. The swarm lasts for 1 minute and can deal 8 (2d6) piercing damage at the start of each of its turns.
- Frightening Mandibles (Costs 3 Actions). The Derghodaemon screeches with its mandibles, causing all creatures within 30 feet to make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
TACTICS
The Derghodaemon is a brutal and relentless combatant that fights without mercy. It opens a battle by using its Aura of Feeblemind to incapacitate enemies with its psychic assault, reducing their intelligence and making them vulnerable to its other abilities. If the enemies are clustered, it will use Summon Swarm to overwhelm them with biting insects while focusing on a high-value target with its Rend and Mandibles attacks. The Derghodaemon is not particularly intelligent, but it is cunning enough to use its Creeping Doom to corner enemies and control the flow of battle.
In larger engagements, the Derghodaemon prefers to move around the battlefield, staying just outside the reach of its enemies and using its Legendary Actions to disrupt and disorient. If its health begins to dwindle, it will summon additional swarms to protect itself while retreating to a more favorable position.
REACTIONS
Defensive Swarm. When the Derghodaemon is hit by an attack, it can use its reaction to call a small swarm of insects to its defense. The swarm absorbs some of the damage, reducing it by 15 (4d6) damage. The swarm disappears after it absorbs a total of 15 damage.
CONTEXT & FIGHTING STYLE
The Derghodaemon embodies pure death and destruction, reveling in chaos and the suffering of others. It fights not only to destroy, but to break the will of its enemies through both physical violence and mental assault. Its insect swarms act as an extension of its will, creating a disorienting and harrowing environment for its enemies. It uses its Legendary Actions and Creeping Doom to manipulate the battlefield, striking from the shadows and overwhelming its foes.
This creature would be most terrifying in an environment that complements its otherworldly nature, such as an infernal battlefield or the ruins of a cursed city. It is the very personification of relentless pursuit, hunting down the weak and the dying to feast on their suffering.
Derghodaemon
A deadly and vicious bouquet of insectile claws sprouts from this horrid, three-legged, multi-eyed beast.
These brutal daemons personify death resulting from violent insanity, such as being murdered by a maniac or torn to shreds by a pack of rabid predators. These insectoid creatures roam the Outer Planes, scavenging battlefields and following the inevitable trail of violence in those hostile worlds.
They hunt the weak and dying along the fringe of battles, feeding off their victims’ suffering until they make their kill. Attacks from a derghodaemon often come from within a cloud of biting insects.
Brutish and low on intellect, derghodaemons find themselves serving as front-line fighters in fiendish armies. A derghodaemon stands 9 feet tall and weighs 800 pounds.
| Derghodaemon CR 12 |
| XP 19,200 NE Large outsider (daemon, evil, extraplanar) Init +5; Senses all-around vision, Darkvision 60 ft., Detect Magic, see invisibility; Perception +28 Aura feeblemind (DC 20) |
| DEFENSE |
| AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 22 (+5 Dexterity, +13 natural, 1 size) hp 161 (14d10+84) Fort +15, Ref +14, Will +7 DR 10/good; Immune acid, death effects, disease, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 23 |
| OFFENSE |
| Speed 40 ft. Melee 5 claws +21 (1d6+8/1920) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d8+12 plus 2 Constitution damage) Spell-like Abilities (CL 12th; Concentration +15) Constant – Detect Magic, see invisibility At will – greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only) 3/day – fear (DC 17), quickened summon swarm 1/day – creeping doom, Insect Plague, summon (level 4, 1 derghodaemon 30%) |
| STATISTICS |
| Strength 27, Dexterity 20, Constitution 22, Intelligence 7, Wisdom 17, Charisma 16 Base Atk +14; CMB +23; CMD 38 (40 vs. trip) Feats Cleave, Critical Focus, Improved Critical (claws), Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (summon swarm), Sickening Critical, Vital Strike Skills Intimidate +20, Perception +28, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +18 Languages Abyssal, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft. SQ swarmwalking |
| ECOLOGY |
| Environment any (Abaddon) Organization solitary or infestation (2-6) Treasure standard |
| SPECIAL ABILITIES |
| Feeblemind Aura (Su) By grinding and clicking its mandibles and chitinous plates together (a free action), a derghodaemon can affect all creatures within 30 feet as if by a feeblemind spell. Daemons are immune to this effect, but all other creatures must make a DC 20 Will save to resist the effects. A creature that makes this save is immune to the effect for 24 hours. A creature that fails remains affected as long as the derghodaemon continues to maintain the aura and the subject remains within 30 feet of the derghodaemon. Once either condition ends, the victim of this effect can attempt a new DC 20 Will save once per minute to recover from the effect; otherwise, it can be cured by a heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish spell. A derghodaemon cannot use its spell-like abilities or rend attack in any round in which it uses its feeblemind aura. This is a sonic mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Swarmwalking (Su) A derghodaemon is immune to damage or distraction effects caused by swarms. |