Gristly Demodand

Large Fiend (Demodand), Chaotic Evil

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Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 297 (22d10 + 176)

Speed 40 ft., Fly 50 ft. (Average)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
26 (+8)	18 (+4)	26 (+8)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)

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Saving Throws Str +14, Con +14, Wis +8, Cha +11

Skills Intimidation +12, Perception +9, Stealth +10

Damage Resistances Cold, Fire, Psychic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Damage Immunities Acid, Poison

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 19

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Telepathy 120 ft.

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Fiendish Traits

Magic Resistance.

The Gristly Demodand has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons.

The Gristly Demodand’s weapon attacks are magical.

Heretical Soul.

The Gristly Demodand cannot be affected by divination spells unless it allows it. Clerics and paladins of good-aligned deities have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws against it.

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Actions

Multiattack.

The Gristly Demodand makes three attacks: one with its Vicious Maul and two with its Claws. It can replace one Claw attack with Sacrilegious Spittle, if available.

Vicious Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

• Hit: 26 (4d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
• On a critical hit, the target must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

• Hit: 19 (3d6 + 8) slashing damage.
• If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the Demodand can’t claw another target.

Sacrilegious Spittle (Recharge 5–6).

The Demodand expels a cone of acidic mucus in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw:

• On a failure, a target takes 36 (8d8) acid damage and is entangled in corrosive slime for 1 minute. While entangled, the target is restrained and takes 9 (2d8) acid damage at the end of each of its turns.
• A creature can attempt a DC 19 Strength check as an action to tear free.

Faith-Stealing Strike. (1/Turn)

When the Gristly Demodand hits a creature with a melee attack, it can force the target to make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure:

• The target loses all benefits of divine magic (such as spells, a paladin’s Aura, or a cleric’s Channel Divinity) until the end of its next turn.
• If the target is a celestial, it also takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage.

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Bonus Actions

Malevolent Step (Recharge 4–6).

The Gristly Demodand teleports up to 40 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. If it teleports adjacent to a creature, that creature must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the Demodand for 1 minute.

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Reactions

Unholy Resilience.

When the Demodand takes damage, it can use its reaction to reduce the damage by 10 (3d6). If the attacker is good-aligned or wielding a holy weapon, the damage reduction is halved.

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Legendary Actions (Optional: If used as a boss monster)

The Gristly Demodand can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. It can use only one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Maul Strike. The Demodand makes one Vicious Maul attack.
• Terrifying Glare. The Demodand targets one creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of its next turn.
• Demonic Leap (Costs 2 Actions). The Demodand jumps up to 30 feet, ignoring difficult terrain. It can make a Claw attack as part of this action.

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Tactics

Pre-Combat

• Ambush Specialist: The Gristly Demodand prefers to strike from the shadows, using Stealth and Malevolent Step to close the distance suddenly.
• Targeting the Holy: It prioritizes divine casters, attempting to shut down clerics and paladins with Faith-Stealing Strike.

In Combat

• Opener: The Demodand begins combat by spitting its acidic mucus to restrain multiple foes.
• Melee Devastation: It follows up with grappling claw attacks to isolate a victim, then pummels them with its maul.
• Movement & Positioning: It stays mobile, using Malevolent Step to teleport between weaker enemies or avoid retaliation.
• Psychological Warfare: The Demodand uses Intimidation checks, laughing and taunting its prey, forcing Wisdom saves whenever possible to frighten enemies.

When Bloodied (Below 150 HP)

• Reckless Ferocity: It becomes more aggressive, using Faith-Stealing Strike every turn and focusing on anyone still standing.
• Legendary Action Surge: If using legendary actions, it rapidly strikes multiple foes, teleporting between them to finish them off one by one.

Final Stand

• Fight to the Bitter End: The Gristly Demodand fights until slain, laughing even as it falls. If outnumbered, it will attempt a devastating last Sacrilegious Spittle before going down.

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Lair Actions (Optional: If encountered in its domain)

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Gristly Demodand’s lair warps reality, causing one of the following effects:

• Walls ooze acidic mucus, creating areas of difficult terrain that deal acid damage to creatures that pass through them.
• Chains animate, attempting to restrain intruders for 1 minute (Escape DC 19).
• Darkness surges, causing all light sources to dim and imposing disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks for one round.

Gristly Demodand

This obese humanoid has a wide mouth, batlike wings, and pale fluid seeping from rolls of black, greasy skin.

Gristly Demodand CR 17

XP 102,400
CE Medium outsider (chaotic, demodand, evil, extraplanar)
Init +10; Senses darkvision 120 ft., detect good, detect magic, see invisibility; Perception +25

DEFENSE

AC 32, touch 16, flat-footed 26 (+1 armor, +6 Dex, +15 natural)
hp 264 (23d10+138); fast healing 10
Fort +19, Ref +15, Will +15; +4 vs. divine spells
Defensive Abilities fortification (50%); DR 15/good and slashing;
Immune acid, poison; Resist cold 10, fire 10; SR 28

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee +1 vicious maul +34/+29/+24/+19 (2d6+16/19–20/×3 plus 2d6) or 2 claws +33 (2d6+10)
Special Attacks faith-stealing strike (DC 25), sacrilegious spittle
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 17th; concentration +21)

Constant—detect good, detect magic, see invisibility
At will—dimensional anchor, fear (DC 18), protection from good, seek thoughts (DC 17)
3/day—quickened excruciating deformation (DC 17), greater dispel magic, quickened pain strike (DC 17)
1/day—mass pain strike (DC 19), summon (level 6, 1d4 tarry demodands or 1d2 stringy demodands 55%), waves of exhaustion

STATISTICS

Str 31, Dex 22, Con 23, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 18
Base Atk +23; CMB +33; CMD 49
Feats Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Improved Critical (maul), Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (excruciating deformation), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (pain strike), Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical
Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +22, Climb +25, Fly +29, Intimidate +40, Knowledge (arcana, planes, religion) +14, Perception +25, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +23, Stealth +29, Survival +25
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common
SQ heretical soul

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Sacrilegious Spittle (Ex)

As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, a gristly demodand can spit acidic mucus in a 30-foot cone. Creatures in the area take 15d6 points of acid damage (DC 27 Reflex half), and are entangled on a failed save. Entangled creatures take 5d6 points of acid damage each round at the end of their turns. Creatures that take acid damage from sacrilegious spittle are also subject to the demodand’s faith-stealing strike. Each round on its turn, an entangled creature may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect, as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. The save DC is Constitution-based.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Abyss)
Organization solitary, pair, or tangle (3–8)
Treasure standard

Gristly demodands delight in inflicting pain and suffering, eagerly fulfilling their roles in demodand culture as assassins, executioners, and torturers. These fiends conduct special missions of reconnaissance, disruption, and violent destruction, frequently leading crack units of tarry demodands into hostile lands, where they attack key demonic installations in order to subject their captives to brutal and insidious torture for the purpose of extracting information.

A gristly demodand’s skin is stretched so taut over rolls of fat and cartilaginous flesh that it continually rips and splits, though a yellowwhite mucus that oozes out from within heals these superficial tears, keeping its body intact.

A typical gristly demodand is 7 feet tall and weighs up to 600 pounds.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5 © 2015, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Creighton Broadhurst, Robert Brookes, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Joe Homes, James Jacobs, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Ben McFarland, Jason Nelson, Thom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Alistair Rigg, Alex Riggs, David N. Ross, Wes Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Mike Shel, James L. Sutter, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.