The Archdevil Template

Creating an Archdevil Template” Arch-devil” is a template that can be added to any Duke of Hell, malefircarim, or Lawful Evil Fallen celestial with at least 30 HD.

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On rare occasions (DM discretion), Asmodeus, The King of Hell, may grant this boon to other powerful Lawful Evil creatures with at least 31 Hit Dice; mortals promoted in this fashion must be at least 31st level. Ascended mortals will use the totality of their character class in place of HD where HD is used as a basis upon which to determine DCs unless otherwise noted. Additionally, when used on a Duke of Hell, many of the arch-devil adjustments do not stack unless otherwise noted.

The base creature’s sub-types change to Extraplanar, Evil, and Lawful. An arch-devil uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities, and special qualities except as noted here:

Hit Dice: The Archdevil receives maximum hit points per Hit Die.

Speed: The base speed of the creature is increased by 30 to all modes of movement except Fly; this stacks with the increase granted by the Duke of Hell template. All Archdevils gain the ability to Fly 200 ft (perfect). If the base creature had a better Fly speed, it retains that speed.

Armor Class: If the base creature or Duke of Hell already has a natural armor class, it remains the same. If the base creature does not have an inherent natural armor class, it gains natural armor of +20. In either case, the creature gains a +6 profane bonus to armor class (which overlaps with that possessed by the Duke of Hell template) and a deflection bonus to Armor Class equal to its Charisma bonus.

Arch-Devil Qualities: The arch-devil retains the base creature’s special qualities. The arch-devil also gains the following:

• Immunity to fire and poison.
• Resistance to acid 30 and cold 30.
• See in Darkness (Su): The arch-devil can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
• Telepathy 1,000 ft.
• Damage Reduction: The arch-devil acquires damage reduction 30/epic, good, and silver; if the damage reduced number for the base creature was higher, the arch-devil retains it, although the material(s) necessary to breach the reduction are replaced with epic, good, and silver.
• Regeneration (Ex): Regeneration equal to double the arch-devil’s Constitution modifier. The arch-devil takes normal damage from epic, good-aligned silvered weapons, or from spells and effects with the good descriptor.
• Spell Resistance equal to the arch-devil’s challenge rating +12.
• Arch-devil Awareness: An arch-devil can sense any-thing within one mile around the mentioning of its name, titles, or an item of importance to it for up to one hour after
  the event. This power is barred from places associated with gods of goodness, the Lords of the Nine, and beings with divine ranks or cosmic ranks of 1 or higher.
• Divine Rank 0: As part of the higher-level nobility of Hell, the arch-devil gain a degree of might unknown to mortals and common devils. An arch-devil gains immunity to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters its form. An arch-devil is not subject to energy drain, ability drain, or ability damage. An arch-devil is immune to mind-affecting effects. An arch-devil is immortal and cannot die from natural causes. An arch-devil does not age, and does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. The only way for an arch-devil to die is through special circumstances.

Call Devils (Sp): Like the Dukes of Hell, arch-devils are able to call devils. However, despite their vaunted status as near supreme devils, many arch-devils rarely attempt to call common devils, fearing the wrath of The Overlord of Hell. Additionally, many common devils, aware of the outcast nature of most arch-devils, often ignore calling attempts. As a standard action, an archdevil can attempt to call devils. The arch-devil may attempt to call up to three times a day, 3 pit fiends, 9 gelugons or cornugons, or 18 of any lesser type of devil. An arch-devils commands more powerful devils than average. When the arch-devil calls devils, these devils have twice their normal Hit Dice. For instance, if Merorem the Darkwind were to call gelugons, the gelugons who answered would possess 32 Hit Dice. Since these devils are called, they have the ability to summon other devils as their descriptions allow. For outcast arch-devils, there is only a 50% chance the call will be answered. Outcast arch-devils maintain their own cadre of servants, which they can call in a manner similar to devils, falling within the same CR spread. They do not suffer the 50% penalty when calling these servants. For example, Semyaza, a fallen solar, has his own array of fallen planetars who serve his whims. Call devils is equivalent to an epic spell.

Diabolical Adaptation (Su): Some arch-devils will exhibit special abilities or qualities different from their peers. For example, while most arch-devils are completely immune to all kinds of fire, magical or mundane, an arch-devil hoping to become a god associated with winter may be immune to cold. Each arch-devil gains at least one special ability or one special quality in keeping with his/her duties and areas of interest upon its promotion; for every 20 total Hit Dice and class levels possessed, the arch-devil acquires an additional special ability or special quality. This replaces, and does not stack with, any existing benefits from previous Diabolical Adaptations from the Duke of Hell or another similar template. It is interesting to note that some creatures, particularly malefircareim, do not retain their racial special abilities upon gaining the arch-devil template.

Diabolical Aura (Ex): The presence of an arch-devil is so vile that it causes lesser beings to cower or pay homage to the might of the evil they represent. All within 90 feet of an arch-devil must make a successful Will save equal to 10 + ½ the devil’s Hit Dice + the devil’s Charisma modifier + any existing enchantment bonuses (e.g., from the Spell Focus: Enchantment feat). Those who succumb to the evil the arch-devil represents suffer one of the two following effects as determined by the arch-devil (who can change the effect, or discontinue it, as a free action):

Cower: Affected beings cower before the might of the devil. They can defend themselves normally but take no actions.

Induce Fear: Affected beings become panicked and suffer a –4 morale penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks. The merest glance or gesture from the devil makes them frightened, and they flee from it as quickly as they can. A panicked creature has a 50% chance to drop what it’s holding, chooses its path randomly (as long as it’s getting away from immediate danger), and flees any other dangers that confront it. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers.

The arch-devil can make its servants, worshippers,” beings of Lawful Evil alignment, or a mixture of all three types immune to this effect as a free action. This immunity lasts one day or until the arch-devil dismisses it.

Deities and cosmic entities are immune to an arch-devil’s diabolical aura, except on a successful opposed rank check.

Diabolical aura replaces any existing fear auras of the base creature.

Diabolical Metamorphosis: Almost all arch-devils experience some kind of physical change upon their apotheosis into this new status. This new form always relates to their duties and desires. For example, the lustful Semyaza often appears as the physically beautiful Solar he once was. This allows a degree of flexibility for the designer. Any adjustments in size and physical make up may affect the arch-devil’s attack methods or his advancement benefits. The designer should modify attack methods and locomotion accordingly, but keep basic combat statistics the same.

Diabolical Prowess: An arch-devil possesses might beyond that of lesser beings. He receives a +9 profane bonus to the DC of his special attacks, spells, and spell-like abilities, and to the effective caster level of his spell-casting, if any.

Locked Within the Gates: An arch-devil cannot travel into the Prime Material Plane by “traditional means.” Thus, the arch-devil cannot use nor take advantage of spells like planeshift or gate to travel between the Realities. Only powerful magicks, like circle of the Nine Pits, grants an arch-devil the ability to enter the Prime. Interestingly, if an arch-devil is given certain magic items, such as an amulet of the planes, by a mortal, he can use it to travel to the mortal coil once a year for up to nine days; while the mortal must be willing, he cannot be a sworn servant or worshipper of the arch-devil.

The Presence of Hell (Su): So terrible is the presence of an arch-devil that it may corrupt an entire area with but a thought. Once per day as a standard action, an arch-devil may unhallow an area with a radius centered on its person equal to 30 feet per Hit Dice. The arch-devil can determine which spell to attach to unhallow as listed in the Player’s Handbook. The duration and all associated effects of unhallow and the adjoined spell are based upon the arch-devil’s spell-like ability caster level.

Although an arch-devil detests the forces of righteousness, he also fears them. As a result, an arch-devil finds it difficult to enter any hallowed site. An arch-devil attempting to enter a hallowed site must make a Will save DC equal to 40 + the divine rank of the represented god (if unknown, assume the highest possible numeric value of the divine ranks) + the god’s Charisma modifier (if this is unknown, assume a +9); an arch-devil cannot use its Spell Resistance to overcome this effect. If the arch-devil succeeds in entering the hallowed area, the area immediately becomes unhallowed as described above. Once an arch-devil breaches holy ground, the god in question is immediately alerted to the fiend’s presence and will often (DM’s discretion) send a proxy or an avatar to deal with the intrusion.

Spell-like Abilities or Psionics: An arch-devil retains the spell-like abilities and psionic attacks of the base creature. Across the board, however, an arch-devil will lose abilities that allow it to see through illusion or determine if another creature is being honest; thus a fallen advanced Solar would lose the ability to discern lies and true see. The caster level for spell-like abilities is always the arch-devil’s Hit Dice + 9, with spellcasting class levels having a 50% chance per level of increasing the caster level by +1. Ascended mortals cast as 40th level sorcerers; additionally, for every spellcasting class level over 31st level, there is a 50% chance that the mortal will gain a one level increase in their spell-like ability caster level.

All arch-devils gain the following spell-like abilities:

• at will: animate dead, blasphemy, charm monster, deeper darkness, delayed blast fireball, desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, Detect Magic, flame strike, greater dispel magic, greater invisibility, greater teleport, Magic Circle Against Chaos, magic circle against good, mass hold monster, mirage arcana, persistent image, polymorph, power word stun, raise dead, suggestion, symbol of pain, unhallow, unholy aura, wall of fire.
• 3/day: destruction, firestorm, meteor swarm, oppress.
• 1/day: hellball, wish.

If the base creature already had access to a listed spell, it does not gain the ability to cast the spell multiple times. In other words, an infernal that becomes an arch-devil cannot cast hellball twice a day despite having the ability to cast the spell naturally.

Abilities: The arch-devil may apply up to a total of 9 points to his ability scores, scattering as necessary to meet his new responsibilities in Hell (the designer is un-der no obligation to use these points). The arch-devil may also “swap” existing ability scores on a two for one basis; i.e. the Arch-Devil could exchange 2 points of Strength for 1 point of Intelligence. These bonuses stack with those gained by the Duke of Hell template.

Feats: The arch-devil typically retains any existing feats of the base creature, although at times the arch-devil will “swap” one feat for another so long as the arch-devil meets the prerequisites for the new feat. All arch-devils gain the Corrupt Spell-like Ability and Dark Speech feats listed in the Book of Vile Darkness as bonus feats and Epic Evil Brand as a bonus feat as listed in Epic Insights, a Wizards of the Coast web enhancement.

Class Levels: The arch-devil may acquire class levels. An arch-devil tends to have at least 15 levels in at least one class suited to his desires and duties; indeed, many are multi-classed. Semyaza, for example, a lecher and whore, has levels in bard, while arrogant Eblis has levels in fighter and ur-priest. This class level acquisition assumes that the arch-devil attained power and experience above and beyond those of his peers during the time before his ascendancy. In certain instances, some class options may seem incompatible due to alignment concerns; however, the arch-devil likely attained such levels prior to become Lawful, Evil, or both. While level advancement does not provide size increase adjustments, the arch-devil gains feats, skills, increased attack bonuses, and the like as if he were an epic NPC.

Challenge Rating: +6 + ½ class level. It is important to remember to adjust the CR of the base creature beyond just size adjustments (as described in the Monster Manual). For example, if a pit fiend was the base creature and, upon its promotion to arch-devil status, it lost its disease, poison, and constriction, the base CR should be reduced by 2 (each ability counts as 2 points to the CR equation divided by 3). Note that this increase to CR overlaps (does not stack with) that granted by the Duke of Hell template.

Treasure: Quadruple standard

Alignment: Always Lawful Evil

Advancement: By character class

Summoning: An arch-devil can be summoned using the guidelines found in Forbidden Magic. Note that in the summoning descriptions of certain arch-devils found below, some adverse effects are mentioned for those who summon arch-devils without protective magicks in place – a foolish venture. These adverse effects are supernatural in nature in all cases, and thus are not thwarted by Spell Resistance.