Buy me a coffeeHepharion, Master Smith of Hell
“Meet Hepharion: The Infernal Smith Crafting Deadly Weapons for Hell’s Darkest Lords!”
Hepharion, the Master Smith of Hell, is an imposing 18-foot-tall hierrmagon with a blistered, dull red body, scorched from constant exposure to the infernal forges. His most striking feature is his four massive arms, each bulging with muscles hardened by centuries of relentless smithing. With these powerful limbs, he wields a different warhammer in each hand, striking molten metal with a hypnotic, rhythmic precision. Six blackened horns ring his head like a crown, while his fanged maw spews sulfurous smoke and magma drips from his flared nostrils. His long, thick tail drags behind him, flicking impatiently at any disturbances.
Behavior: Hepharion is a solitary and obsessive figure, dedicated entirely to his craft. His four arms allow him to work at an inhuman speed, forging weapons for Hell’s armies with supernatural precision. Commanding absolute authority over his fellow hierrmagons, Hepharion speaks rarely, but when he does, his orders are followed without question. He avoids Hell’s politics, preferring the solitude of his forge, and engages in combat only when absolutely necessary, relying on his bodyguard, Malkadrac, and summoned devils to defend him.
Habitat: Hepharion resides in the Soul Forges of Avernus, a vast, hellish workshop on the first layer of the Nine Hells. The forge is an infernal nightmare of molten metal and burning souls, where the heat is so intense that even other devils struggle to endure it. Here, Hepharion and his hierrmagons churn out weapons for Hell’s legions, particularly for Bael’s Infernal Vanguard. His personal forge, at the heart of this infernal foundry, is a place of constant fiery activity, where the clang of his hammers echoes endlessly.
Modus Operandi: Hepharion’s four arms give him a tremendous advantage in his work, allowing him to craft multiple items simultaneously and produce enchanted weapons at an astonishing rate. His eldritch smithing combines his vast magical abilities with his natural talent, enabling him to forge weapons from the souls of the damned. In combat, if forced, he strikes with brutal efficiency, wielding all four hammers in tandem while using his spell-like abilities to shield himself or summon reinforcements. If the battle turns against him, he quickly teleports away, preferring to report any attack to his superiors rather than fight directly.
Motivation: Hepharion is driven by an insatiable desire to perfect his craft. His ultimate goal is to forge weapons of unparalleled destruction for Hell’s mightiest lords and to ensure the war machine of Hell never falters. Though offered political power and higher titles, Hepharion is content with his position as Hell’s premier smith, his loyalty tied to his craft and the endless battles of the Blood War. He seeks no glory beyond the satisfaction of his work, striving to create ever more powerful and destructive weapons to aid Hell’s infernal legions.
Hepharion 5e
Hepharion 3.5
Hepharion, Master Smith of Hell
Large Fiend (Devil), Lawful Evil
Armor Class 20 (Mithral Breastplate)
Hit Points 522 (36d10 + 252)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 (+15) | 19 (+4) | 30 (+10) | 22 (+6) | 16 (+3) | 21 (+5) |
Saving Throws
Strength +22, Dexterity +11, Constitution +18, Intelligence +13, Wisdom +10, Charisma +12
Skills
Appraise +45, Bluff +44, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +62, Craft (Armorsmithing) +62, Insight +42, Perception +42, Spellcraft +45
Damage Immunities
Fire, Poison
Condition Immunities
Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses
Darkvision 120 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft., Passive Perception 52
Languages
Infernal, Common, Telepathy 300 ft.
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
Actions
Multiattack. Hepharion makes four melee attacks with his warhammers or uses his spell-like abilities.
Flames of Phlegethon. Melee Weapon Attack: +22 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 3d6 + 15 bludgeoning damage plus 3d6 hellfire damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 1d10 hellfire damage at the start of its next turn.
Warhammer of Avernus. Melee Weapon Attack: +22 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 3d6 + 15 bludgeoning damage. The warhammer is a +5 weapon that deals an extra 2d6 damage against creatures of good alignment.
Special Traits
Eldritch Smithing. Hepharion can create magical items as if he were a spellcaster of level 36. He can use his spell-like abilities as prerequisites for magical item creation.
Quick Creation. Hepharion’s four arms allow him to produce items at an accelerated rate. His Craft checks for item creation are treated as if he were proficient in silver pieces instead of copper, and his weekly progress is calculated in gold instead of silver.
Spell Resistance. Hepharion has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spell-like Abilities
At will: Fireball, Greater Teleport, Keen Edge, Mage Armor, Mass Bull Strength, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray (3 rays), Shield
3/day: Unholy Blight, Summon Devils (summon 2d8 bearded devils, 1d4 hierrmagons, or 1 cornugon), Mage’s Sword, Order’s Wrath
1/year: Wish (only for enchanting arms and armor)
Caster Level: 36; Spell Save DC: 21
Tactics
- Preparation: Hepharion begins combat by casting Mass Bull Strength on himself and his allies. He often starts with Fireball to control the battlefield.
- Summoning Allies: If overwhelmed, he utilizes his Summon Devils ability to call for reinforcements, bolstering his side with additional fiends.
- Melee Combat: Hepharion relies on his Multiattack to deliver devastating strikes with his warhammers, targeting the strongest foes first. His Quick Creation ability allows him to create items mid-battle if needed.
- Retreat: If his hit points fall below half, Hepharion will use Greater Teleport to escape, ensuring he can report back to Duke Malphas about any transgressions.
Legendary Actions
Hepharion 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.
- Attack. Hepharion makes one melee attack with a warhammer.
- Cast a Spell. Hepharion casts one spell from his spell-like abilities.
- Summon Devils (Costs 2 Actions). Hepharion uses his Summon Devils ability to bring forth additional fiends to the battlefield.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Hepharion can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- Fiery Eruption. Choose a point within 120 feet. Flames erupt in a 20-foot radius; each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d10 fire damage and be knocked prone.
- Weapon Manifestation. Hepharion can conjure a magical weapon (as if using Summon Monster) to aid him in battle.
- Hellish Whispers. Hepharion can fill the minds of all creatures within 60 feet with terrifying whispers. Each creature must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of their next turn.
Hepharion, Master Smith of Hell
Hepharion is among the greatest of the hierrmagons. He is the most skilled of their race and has crafted the personal arms of many Dukes and even those for a few Lords of the Nine.
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He resides in Avernus, where his talents and those of his underlings are needed the most, as they churn out thousands of weapons an hour for Bael’s Infernal Vanguard. Hepharion is obeyed without question by the hierrmagons. His word is absolute law. No one but Duke Malphas or Lord Bael is allowed to gainsay his orders to them, save perhaps a Lord of the Nine. Asmodeus himself has decreed thus.
This prevents their valuable work from being interrupted or disturbed by the politics that pervade the rest of Hell. Hepharion works directly for Duke Malphas, and has the status of his most favored vassal. His passion for creating weapons of destruction and war is matched only by his talent. Despite holding the title of baron, he sees little time in the courts of Avernus, due to his responsibilities in the forges. Although some question his decision not to accept a promotion to Duke, the truth of the matter is that he has never been offered such. His true allegiance is ultimately to the war machine of Hell itself, and he is content with his position as Master Smith of Hell.
Hepharion stands fully 18 feet tall, and weighs 3000 pounds. Despite his immunity to fire, his body is blistered from the intense heat that he works with day after day, and is colored dull red. He has six horns, which ring his head in a crown like fashion. His massive arms bulge with muscles, hardened from constant work. He is never found without his bodyguard, Malkadrac (21 HD cornugon, 10th level devoted defender).
| Hepharion, Master Smith of Hell | |
| Hierrmagon (Sergeant Major of the Infernal Vanguard) | |
| Huge outsider (Devil, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful) | |
| Hit Dice | 36d8+360 (522 hp) |
| Initiative | +4 |
| Speed | 40 ft. |
| Armor Class | 38 (+10 armor, +4 Dexterity, +16 natural, -2 size), touch 12, flat-footed 34 |
| Base Attack/Grapple | +36/+59 |
| Attack | Flames of Phlegethon (Phlegethos) +54 melee (3d6 + 20 + 1d6 (hellfire) x3 +1d10 (hellfire)) or Discretion of Minauros +43 ranged (3d6+20 x3) |
| Full Attack | Flames of Phlegethon (Phlegethos) +54/+49/+44/+39 (3d6 + 20 + 1d6 (hellfire) x3 +1d10 (hellfire)) and 3 warhammers +54/+49/+44 (3d6+12 x3 plus special*) * Special: Vengance of Avernus has the demon bane and Order of Dis has the axiomatic enchantments upon them) |
| Space/Reach | 15 ft./15 ft. |
| Special Attacks | Spell-like abilities, summon devils |
| Special Qualities | Damage reduction 15/good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., eldritch smithing, immunity to fire and poison, quick creation, resistance to acid 15 and cold 15, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 33, telepathy 300 ft. |
| Saves | Fort +35, Ref +29, Will +28 |
| Abilities | Strength 40, Dexterity 19, Constitution 30, Intelligence 22, Wisdom 16, Charisma 21 |
| Skills | Appraise +45 (+49 when dealing with metals), Bluff +44, Climb +54, Concentration +49, Craft (armorsmithing) +62, Craft (weaponsmithing) +62, Diplomacy +44, Disable Device +45, Jump +58, Listen +42, Knowledge (Metallurgy) +45, Sense Motive+42, Spellcraft +45, Spot+42 |
| Feats | Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Greater Multiweapon Fighting, Improved Multiweapon Fighting, Leadership, Multiweapon Fighting, Skill Focus {Craft (armorsmithing)}, Skill Focus {Craft (weaponsmithing)} |
| Epic Feats | Craft Epic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation (Arms and Armor), Epic Skill Focus {Craft (armorsmithing)}, Epic Skill Focus {Craft (weaponsmithing)} |
| Climate/Terrain | Avernus, First of the Nine Hells of Perdition |
| Organization | Solitary (unique) or with bodyguard (Malkadrac, unique cornugon) |
| Challenge Rating | 21 |
| Treasure | Double Standard |
| Alignment | Lawful Evil |
Combat
Hepharion is rarely involved in combat, but he is a formidable opponent if roused. He usually casts mass bull strength on his bodyguard, before using his “buff” spells to aid himself. Following that, he usually summons more devils if there is a large group, or wades in after his bodyguard if there is not. If the fight goes against him, (reduced to half his hp or less) he teleports away immediately, and will almost certainly be reporting to Duke Malphas of the transgression. His bodyguard will remain for 1 round after his escape to cover the retreat before teleporting away himself.
Spell-like Abilities: At will – fireball, greater teleport, keen edge, mage armor, mass bull strength, Resist Energy, resistance, scorching ray (3 rays), sheild;
- 3/day – mage’s sword, order’s wrath, summon monster IX, unholy blight;
- 1/year – wish*.
Caster level 36 th ; DC 15 + spell level.
*Hepharion may only use wish in conjunction with enchanting arms and armor, and never for any other purpose.
Summon Devils (Sp): Thrice per day, Hepharion can automatically summon 2d8 bearded devils, 1d4 hierrmagons, or 1 cornugon. These devils may have twice their standard HD. Malphas has afforded Hepharion the ability to summon a cornugon to better keep his Master Armorer safe.
Eldritch Smithing (Su): Hepharion is capable of creating magical items. He has an effective caster level of 36. He can use his spell-like abilities as the prerequisites for special item abilities. However, Hepharion must have the proper access to spells – be it from scrolls or his spell-like abilities – and the appropriate item creation feats in order to create magic items. Gold and XP costs are not reduced for Hepharion.
Quick Creation (Ex): Because of his 4 arms, Hepharion is capable of producing items at a much faster rate than normal. His Craft checks to determine progress per day are done in silver pieces rather than copper, and his checks per week are done in gold pieces rather than silver. This has no effect on his time spent enchanting weapons.
Possessions: Hepharion possesses 4 huge warhammers, each bearing a separate enchantment. Flames of Phlegethon is a +5 hellfire burst warhammer. Vengeance of Avernus is a +5 cold iron demon bane warhammer. Order of Dis is a +5 lawful adamantine warhammer. Discretion of Minauros is a +5 hellforge iron warhammer of throwing, returning and distance.
Hepharion also wears an elaborate breastplate with a flowing red cloak attached. This is a +5 mithral breastplate of heavy fortification, and a cloak of resistance +5.
Skills: Hepharion receives a +4 racial bonus on all Craft checks dealing with metal.
Feats: Coupled with his natural abilities, Hepharion’s Multiweapon Fighting feats allow him to attack with all of his arms at no penalty.