Cerberi, “The Infernal Sentinels”
“Meet Cerberi the three-headed hellhounds that hunt souls and traps them in Hell forever!”

Cerberi are nightmarish, three-headed hounds born of Hell’s darkest pits, their flayed, sinewy bodies exposing raw muscle, bulging tendons, and veins that pulse with infernal fire. Each of their identical, skull-like canine heads drips with blood-flecked foam and burns with malevolent intellect, their eyes smoldering like dying embers. Their claws dig deep furrows into any surface, while their jagged teeth and flame-wreathed maws snap hungrily at all who dare cross their path.
Behavior: Despite their bestial appearance, cerberi possess a cunning, cruel intelligence. They are sadistic hunters who relish in terrorizing their prey, often toying with victims by allowing brief moments of escape before dragging them back to their doom. Their triple heads work in grim unison, snarling and growling as they coordinate attacks or track fleeing souls.
Habitat: Cerberi dwell in the infernal depths of Hell, particularly within the oppressive strongholds of Malbolgia, where they prowl ancient prisons and nightmarish breeding pits. They are often stationed as sentinels at gateways, vaults, or in the labyrinthine corridors of underworld fortresses.
Modus Operandi: Acting as relentless trackers and jailors, cerberi’s supernatural Soul Scent allows them to hunt living or undead targets without fail. Once their jaws close around a victim, the cursed prey becomes unable to escape the plane, eternally trapped as the cerberi drag them back to their masters. They strike with terrifying speed and coordination, overwhelming targets with brutal bites and tearing them apart with rending strikes.
Motivation: Born of cruelty and infernal design, cerberi exist to serve the tyrants of Hell, thriving on torment and violence. They loathe weakness and abhor their distant kin, the Hell Hounds, with whom they compete for infernal dominance. Whether bound to an evil master or unleashed upon a foe, their purpose is singular: to guard, hunt, and annihilate any who would challenge the will of Hell.
Cerberi 5e
Malbolgian Cerberi 5e
Cerberi Pathfinder
Cerberi

Medium Fiend (Lawful Evil, Extraplanar)
Armor Class. 16 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points. 97 (13d8 + 39)
Speed. 40 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 6 (-2) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws. Str +6, Con +5, Wis +4
Skills. Perception +6, Stealth +4, Survival +4
Damage Resistances. Fire; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities. Poison
Condition Immunities. Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses. Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages. Understands Infernal but cannot speak
Challenge. 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus. +3
Traits
Multiheaded Awareness.
The Cerberi has three heads. While it is conscious, it has advantage on:
- Wisdom (Perception) checks.
- Saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
Soul Scent.
The Cerberi can smell the presence of undead creatures and souls within 120 feet. It can track incorporeal undead as though they left physical tracks.
Cerberus’s Jaws (Curse, Recharge 5–6).
When the Cerberi hits a creature with a bite attack, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be cursed. A cursed creature is unable to leave the plane it is on, as though affected by a dimensional anchor spell. This effect lasts until removed by a remove curse spell or similar magic.
Pack Tactics.
The Cerberi has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the Cerberi’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Fiendish Resilience.
When the Cerberi takes damage, it can use its reaction to reduce the damage taken by 10.
Actions
Multiattack.
The Cerberi makes three bite attacks: one with each of its heads.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
- Hit: 9 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Infernal Snap (Recharge 5–6).
The Cerberi snaps with all three heads at once, targeting a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Snapping Surge.
The Cerberi lunges forward up to 20 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. If it ends this movement within 5 feet of a creature, it can make a single bite attack as part of this action.
Terrifying Howl (1/Day).
The Cerberi emits a dreadful, unholy howl. Each creature of the Cerberi’s choice within 30 feet that can hear it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the save at the end of its turn, ending the effect on a success.
Reactions
Fiery Retaliation.
When a creature within 5 feet hits the Cerberi with an attack, the Cerberi can unleash a burst of heat. The attacker must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Combat Tactics
- Opening Moves: The Cerberi opens combat with Terrifying Howl to frighten multiple opponents. Frightened creatures lose their ability to engage effectively.
- Aggression: It uses Snapping Surge to lunge into melee range of the party’s backline, targeting squishy spellcasters or ranged combatants.
- Multiattack Coordination: The Cerberi spreads its three bite attacks among multiple foes when surrounded or focuses them on a single target to maximize damage.
- Infernal Snap: When surrounded, it uses Infernal Snap to punish enemies in close quarters with its fiery cone attack.
- Survivability: Thanks to Fiendish Resilience, the Cerberi can use its reaction to reduce incoming damage. This allows it to fight aggressively while maintaining survivability.
Description
A Cerberi is a terrifying, three-headed beast with sinewy muscles and a charred hide, its form barely holding back the essence of smoldering fire within. Its glowing eyes and obsidian fangs drip with molten heat, and its heads snarl in unsettling harmony as it prowls forward. Cerberi are known as both brutal hunters and steadfast guardians, their presence often a sign of dreadful torment or extraplanar imprisonment.
They roam cursed battlefields, infernal realms, and shattered crypts, ever-watchful for those foolish enough to cross their masters. Relentless and cunning, they revel in terrorizing prey with their coordinated strikes and devastating roars, dragging souls to their eternal doom.

Amid a chorus of snarls and a mist of blood-flecked foam, a monstrously powerful hound lopes forth. Yet, like the victim of some monstrous torture, every strip of the beast’s hide has been peeled away, leaving wet sinew and bulging tendons exposed. Most terrible, though, is the creature’s head, or rather, heads, bone, fangs, and flame uniting in three identically terrible canine visages.
Source Pathfinder #28: The Infernal Syndrome pg. 84
Originally posted on Archives of Nethys
The mythical watchdogs of Hell, cerberi bear the bodies of terrible, powerful hounds and the essences of fiends. Relied upon by villains and frightful beings as guardians and gaolers, these three-headed canine abominations possess far greater cunning than their flensed, bestial appearances would suggest a terrible intellect they pour largely into malice and enjoyment of their victims’ tormented ends.
Cerberi draw upon a legendary pedigree, all reputedly tracing their lineage to Cerberus, a single primordial evil beast said to still guard the foundations of of Hades, deathly realm. Brethren to hell hounds, cerberi loathe their distant kin, viciously attacking such hellspawn if not kept at heel by a tyrannical master. Such are the cruel devices of Hell, though, that brazen hatred breeds ingenuity and new evils. Thus, within the depths of the infernal realm, amid the indomitable pits and fortresses of Malbolgia, devils work at nightmarish beast pens, forcibly breeding monstrous hybrids. Born in fury and profanity, Malbolgian cerberi rage forth, ferocious three-headed hell hounds the size of bulls and more than willing and capable of slaughtering their loathed Nessian warhound kindred.
A typical cerberi stands a broad 4 feet tall and weighs over 200 pounds, while a Malbolgian cerberi can reach over 6 feet in height and weigh upward of 400 pounds.
Cerberi CR 6 |
XP 2,400 LE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful) Init +6; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., soul scent; Perception +15 |
DEFENSE |
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dexterity, +6 natural) hp 76 (8d10+32) Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +4 |
OFFENSE |
Speed 40 ft. Melee 3 bites +11 (1d6+3 plus cerberus’s jaws) Special Attacks rend (2 bites, 1d6+4 or 3 bites, 1d6+6) |
STATISTICS |
Strength 16, Dexterity 14, Constitution 19, Intelligence 6, Wisdom 15, Charisma 9 Base Atk +8; CMB +11; CMD 23 (27 vs. trip) Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Stand Still Skills Acrobatics +13 (+17 jumping), Perception +15, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +13, Survival +13; Racial Modifiers +4 Survival when tracking undead Languages Infernal (cannot speak) |
ECOLOGY |
Environment any (Hell) Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3-9) Treasure incidental |
SPECIAL ABILITIES |
Cerberus’s Jaws (Su) Curse – bite; save Fort DC 18; effect forbidden to leave plane. Any creature afflicted by this curse is affected as if by a more potent and persistent version of the spell dimensional anchor. This effect is treated as the spell, though it has no visual expression. Spells attempting to move multiple creatures from a plane that also target those affected by Cerberus’s jaws work normally for all but the cursed. In addition to spells, the cursed cannot make use of portals or similar extraordinary methods of leaving a plane, finding themselves either physically barred from such passages or having the effect simply fail to function for them. remove curse ends this effect as normal. The save DC is Constitution-based. Soul Scent (Su) This ability functions as the Scent ability, except that cerberi gain a +4 bonus on Survival checks made to find or follow the tracks of the undead. In addition, they can detect the passage of soul stuff with this ability, allowing them to Track incorporeal undead just as normal creatures. |
Malbolgian Cerberi

Large Fiend (Lawful Evil, Extraplanar)
Armor Class. 19 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points. 189 (18d10 + 72)
Speed. 50 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 (+6) | 14 (+2) | 19 (+4) | 8 (-1) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) |
Saving Throws. Str +9, Con +7, Wis +6, Cha +4
Skills. Perception +9, Intimidation +7, Survival +6
Damage Resistances. Cold; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities. Fire, Poison
Condition Immunities. Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses. Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 19
Languages. Understands Infernal and Common, but cannot speak
Challenge. 11 (7,200 XP)
Proficiency Bonus. +4
Traits
Triple-Headed Awareness.
The Malbolgian Cerberi has three heads, granting it the following benefits:
- Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.
- Advantage on saving throws against blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and unconscious effects.
- It cannot be surprised while it is conscious.
Soul Scent.
The Malbolgian Cerberi can detect living creatures, undead, and creatures with souls within 300 feet. It can track incorporeal undead as if they left physical tracks.
Infernal Resilience.
At the start of its turn, the Malbolgian Cerberi regenerates 10 hit points if it has at least 1 hit point and is not in sunlight or on consecrated ground.
Hellish Vitality.
If the Malbolgian Cerberi fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. It can use this ability once per day.
Flaming Presence.
Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the Malbolgian Cerberi takes 10 (3d6) fire damage. Flammable objects in this area ignite.
Malbolgian Chains (Recharge 5–6).
The Cerberi summons infernal chains to lash out at its enemies. As a bonus action, it causes chains to burst from the ground within a 20-foot radius centered on itself. All creatures in the area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained. Creatures restrained by the chains take 10 (3d6) fire damage at the start of their turns. A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC 17 Strength check to escape.
Actions
Multiattack.
The Malbolgian Cerberi makes three attacks: one with each of its heads.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
- Hit: 15 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Infernal Breath (Recharge 5–6).
The Cerberi exhales fiery hellflame in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Creatures that fail the save are ignited, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage at the start of their turns until they take an action to extinguish the flames.
Terrifying Howl (Recharge 6).
The Cerberi releases a horrific, bone-shaking howl. Each creature of the Cerberi’s choice within 60 feet that can hear it must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. While frightened, creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against the Cerberi’s abilities. A frightened creature can repeat the save at the end of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Infernal Pounce.
The Cerberi leaps up to 30 feet in a straight line and lands in a space occupied by a creature. The creature must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw or take 14 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage, be knocked prone, and be subject to one bite attack as part of this action. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and remains standing.
Reactions
Flaming Retaliation.
When a creature within 5 feet hits the Cerberi with a melee attack, the Cerberi can release a burst of flame. The attacker must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half on a success.
Combat Tactics
- Opening Move: The Malbolgian Cerberi starts combat with Terrifying Howl to frighten multiple foes, reducing their effectiveness.
- Infernal Breath: It positions itself to target as many enemies as possible with its Infernal Breath cone, igniting the battlefield.
- Malbolgian Chains: When overwhelmed, it uses Malbolgian Chains to restrain enemies, locking them in place for further punishment.
- Relentless Assault: It uses Multiattack to bite foes and strategically follows up with Infernal Pounce to knock high-value targets prone and keep them vulnerable.
- Resilience: Thanks to Infernal Resilience, the Cerberi shrugs off damage over time, forcing enemies to focus fire to bring it down.
The Malbolgian Cerberi thrives in melee combat, leveraging its terrifying abilities and powerful attacks to dominate groups of enemies. When on the defensive, it uses Flaming Retaliation and regenerates health, turning attrition battles in its favor.
Description
The Malbolgian Cerberi is a massive, three-headed infernal hound forged in the unyielding pits of Malbolgia. Its towering form stands 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs nearly 800 pounds, covered in charred, flame-seared hide. Each head bears glowing crimson eyes, molten fangs, and spews smoke and ash as it snarls. Chains wrap its torso, dragging along with infernal clinking as it moves with unnatural speed.
The ground around it cracks and smolders, glowing with embered light. Its presence alone feels suffocating—an oppressive heat and aura of dread that scorches all life near it. Malbolgian Cerberi serve the tyrants of Hell as elite guardians and hunters, tirelessly pursuing their prey across planes.