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Demon Marbas, Demon Lord of Plague and Forbidden Craft, The Lion of Hidden Wounds

“Marbas, the Lion of Hidden Wounds, offers forbidden knowledge and twisted healing—at the cost of your flesh, your mind, or both.”

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Marbas strides across broken stone and seething iron—a towering humanoid whose presence fuses primal fury with grotesque surgical precision. His body is gaunt and elongated, sinewed like a starving predator, yet armored in layered parchment robes and twisted flesh bindings sewn with arcane thread. His skin gleams like burnished bronze, etched with flayed symbols and cauterized script that glows faintly with internal heat.

But it is his head that defies sanity: a massive lion’s visage, regal and monstrous, framed by a mane of writhing, iron-bound cables and black tubing that crackle with green sparks. His mouth perpetually splits into a too-wide grin—filled with yellowed, obsidian fangs—and his breath reeks of scorched herbs, bloodsteel, and infected rot.

His eyes are not natural things, but spinning gyroscopes of searing light and Abyssal glyphs, ever-shifting, scanning reality like a living diagnostic engine. From a vertical, gaping wound in his chest, just beneath ceremonial surgical harnesses, beats a visible heart of exposed gears, glass vessels, and brass piping—ticking with rhythms only the damned understand.

Instead of hands, his fingers terminate in surgical instruments of infernal design—scalpels, saw-teeth, syringes, and reconfigurable blades—crafted from silver, bone, and once-living metal. They move independently, twitching with anticipation.

His voice is layered: the guttural growl of a beast woven with the calm, instructive cadence of a surgeon. When he speaks, the weak hear it inside their skull—each word an incision.

Lore

Marbas is the Demon Lord of Plague, Secrets, and Unnatural Craft—a patron of twisted physicians, deranged inventors, and seekers of knowledge not meant to be known. He embodies the paradox of disease and healing, of wisdom that enlightens and corrupts alike.

Long ago, Marbas was a forgotten godling of medicine and metallurgy who fell into the Abyss when his followers abandoned ethics in pursuit of “perfect cures” through suffering. Now he reigns over a churning, mechanical layer of the Abyss called Chirurgoth, a biomechanical nightmare of living scaffolds, self-mutilating constructs, and sentient diseases.

He exists not merely to spread suffering, but to reshape life itself—to refine flesh into precision, to replace mortality with artistry. His cults often begin in apothecaries, surgical colleges, or alchemical workshops, where desperation breeds compromise. Plague doctors and machinists alike offer prayers not to save lives, but to transcend them.

Marbas does not desire conquest. His aim is transformation—a final state of optimized life through torment, reconstruction, and knowledge torn from the cosmos like sinew from bone. He believes the multiverse is flawed, and only those who suffer can be rebuilt strong enough to survive its rebirth.

He teaches that:

  • Pain is revelation.
  • Secrets are scalpel blades.
  • Flesh is clay.

To follow Marbas is to embrace the sacred wound—to be unmade and remade in his image.

  • Marbas 5e
  • Marbas, Pathfinder

Marbas, Demon Prince of Plague and Forbidden Craft

Huge Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil
Tactical Role: Controller / Debilitator

Armor Class 25 (Natural Armor)

Hit Points 645 (43d12 + 387)

Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft.

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
30 (+10)22 (+6)29 (+9)34 (+12)27 (+8)26 (+8)

Saving Throws Str +19, Con +18, Int +21, Wis +17, Cha +17

Skills Arcana +21, Medicine +26, Insight +17, Intimidation +17

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

Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison

Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned

Senses Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 18

Languages Abyssal, Telepathy 120 ft., All Languages via Whispers of the Flesh

Proficiency Bonus +10

Challenge 33 (215,000 XP)

Traits

Mythic Resistance (3/Day)

If Marbas fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance

Marbas has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons

Marbas’s weapon attacks are magical.

Aura of Surgical Madness (Aura, 30 ft.)

Creatures of Marbas’s choice that start their turn within 30 feet must make a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 27 (6d8) psychic damage and become incapacitated until the end of their turn.

Flesh Architect

When a creature dies within 120 feet of Marbas, he can use his reaction to reanimate the corpse as a Plague-Warped Flesh Golem. It obeys him for 1 hour or until destroyed.

Whispers of the Flesh

Marbas can communicate with any creature that has a body capable of suffering, regardless of language.

Innate Spellcasting

Spell Save DC 29, Attack Bonus +21 to hit

Marbas’s innate spellcasting requires no material components. He can innately cast the following spells:

At will: Detect Thoughts, Greater Invisibility, Insect Plague, Contagion, Animate Dead, Wall of Flesh (homebrew)
3/day each: Harm, Modify Memory, Plane Shift, Disintegrate, Finger of Death
1/day each: Power Word Kill, Feeblemind, True Resurrection (only on constructs or aberrations)

Actions

Multiattack

Marbas makes three attacks: two with Surgical Talons and one with Gore Maw.

Surgical Talons (Magical Melee Weapon Attack): +19 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.

Hit: 31 (4d10 + 9) slashing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on Constitution saving throws for 1 minute.

Gore Maw (Magical Melee Weapon Attack): +19 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 41 (6d10 + 9) piercing damage. Marbas heals half the damage dealt.

Wall of Flesh (Recharge 5–6)

Marbas creates a 60-foot long, 15-foot high, 10-foot thick wall of screaming flesh. Creatures in the wall’s space must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained and blinded. Restrained creatures take 44 (8d10) necrotic damage at the start of each turn. The wall lasts for 1 minute.

Legendary Actions

Marbas can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Marbas regains spent actions at the start of his turn.

Maddening Whisper

One creature Marbas can see within 60 feet must make a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 22 (5d8) psychic damage and be frightened until the end of its next turn.

Unmake Flesh (Costs 2 Actions)

Marbas targets one creature within 60 feet. It must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or take 54 (12d8) force damage. On a success, it takes half.

Surgical Reposition

Marbas teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. His Aura of Surgical Madness activates upon arrival.

Lair Actions (Initiative 20, Losing Ties)

• Plague Surge

All other creatures in the lair must make a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or contract a magical disease (DM’s choice or roll).

• Animate Construct Flesh

One corpse, golem, or machine in the lair gains 50 temporary HP and advantage on attack rolls until the next round.

• Unseen Surgeons

Invisible spirits descend on a 20-foot-radius area. Creatures inside must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 6d10 psychic damage and be incapacitated until the end of their next turn.

Regional Effects (6-mile radius)

  • Plaguebirth. Diseased creatures that die in the region rise as plague zombies unless their bodies are burned.
  • Living Architecture. Structures shift, pulse, or trap intruders with tendrils.
  • Secret Carvings. Arcane glyphs appear unnaturally. Reading them requires a DC 22 Arcana check and deals 6d10 psychic damage on failure.

If Marbas is slain in his lair, his body explodes in gore and re-forms after 66 days in the furnace-flesh pits of Chirurgoth unless a Wish or divine banishment is used.

Marbas, Demon Prince of Plague and Forbidden Craft

CR: 30
XP: 512,000
NE Huge Outsider (Demon, Extraplanar, Evil)
Init: +12; Senses: darkvision 120 ft., true seeing; Perception +35

Defense

AC: 45, touch 20, flat-footed 33 (+12 Dex, +25 natural, -2 size)
HP: 850 (68d10+408)
Fort: +32; Ref: +28; Will: +28
Defensive Abilities: regeneration 10 (good and positive energy); resistance cold 20, fire 20, electricity 20; immune poison, disease, necromancy
DR: 15/good and silver
Weaknesses: vulnerability to good 15, vulnerability to positive energy 15

Offense

Speed: 50 ft., climb 40 ft.
Melee:

  • Surgical Talons +40/+35/+30 (4d8+15/19–20 plus 6d6 necrotic damage and target takes –4 penalty on Fort saves for 1 minute)
  • Gore Maw +40/+35/+30 (6d10+15 plus lifesteal 50%)
    Ranged:
  • Infectious Spit +35 ranged touch (6d8 poison damage plus disease, Fort DC 39 negates)
    Special Attacks: Aura of Surgical Madness (30 ft., DC 39 Will), Flesh Architect (reanimate corpses), mythic resistance (3/day)

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 30th; concentration +37)

  • At will—detect thoughts, greater invisibility, insect plague, contagion, animate dead, wall of flesh (homebrew)
  • 3/day—harm, modify memory, plane shift, disintegrate, finger of death
  • 1/day—power word kill, feeblemind, true resurrection (constructs or aberrations only)

Statistics

Str: 36, Dex: 34, Con: 28, Int: 34, Wis: 30, Cha: 30
Base Atk: +68; CMB: +52; CMD: 67
Feats: Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Combat Casting, Weapon Focus (Talons), Weapon Specialization (Talons), Improved Critical (Talons), Toughness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack, etc.
Skills: Arcana +45, Intimidate +38, Knowledge (arcana) +45, Perception +35, Stealth +30, Survival +30
Languages: Abyssal, Aklo, telepathy 120 ft.

Ecology

Environment: The Abyss or plague-ravaged wastelands
Organization: Solitary or with minions (plague golems, cultists)
Treasure: Standard demon hoard

Special Abilities

Aura of Surgical Madness (Su): Creatures that start their turn within 30 ft. must succeed on a DC 39 Will save or take 6d8 psychic damage and be stunned for 1 round.

Flesh Architect (Su): When a creature dies within 120 ft., Marbas can animate its corpse as a Plague-Warped Flesh Golem under his control for 1 hour.

Mythic Resistance (Ex) 3/day: Marbas can choose to succeed on any saving throw he fails.

Whispers of the Flesh (Su): Marbas can telepathically communicate with any creature capable of feeling pain or suffering.

Lair Actions

  • Plague Surge: All creatures in lair must succeed on Fortitude save (DC 39) or contract a magical disease.
  • Animate Construct Flesh: One corpse or construct gains 50 temporary HP and advantage on attacks for 1 round.
  • Unseen Surgeons: Invisible spirits swarm a 20-ft radius area; creatures fail a DC 39 Will save take 6d10 psychic damage and are stunned for 1 round.

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