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Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)

Abyssal Maw, Abyssal Skulker, and Abyssal Ravager

Demons are the most widespread race of fiends in the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss. Demons have no true rulers, though powerful demon lords are able to gain enough power and influence to gain control over sizeable armies of demonic creatures.

In First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, some types of demons were not given species names, but were rather referred to as "Type I" through "Type VI" demons. In subsequent editions, Types I-VI were instead known as Vrocks, Hezrou, Glabrezu, Nalfeshnee, Mariliths, and Balors, respectively. Some of these names were originally given in the First Edition Monster Manual as example names of specific demons of that type, so (for instance) Marilith was the originally the name of an individual Type V demon.

There are currently three known subtypes of demon:

Obyrith

The obyriths are so ancient that they predate mortal life, and even the gods. They rarely have a humanoid shape, and some say that just looking at an obyrith can drive a mortal insane. Some obyrith lords have evolved over time to take on more recognizable shapes, such as Pazuzu or Pale Night. Other known obyrith demon lords include

  • Obox-ob
  • Dagon
  • The Queen of Chaos
  • The Malgoth, Ugudenk, Bechard and Cabiri (imprisoned in the Wells of Darkness)
  • Asima and numerous other obyrith lords whose names were lost to time have been destroyed.

Known types of obyrith include the ekolid and sibriex.

Tanar'ri

The tanar'ri are a race of numerous demons originally created by the obyriths as slaves. The tanar'ri eventually revolted against the obyriths, killing most of them, and taking over as the dominant race of demons on the Abyss. Most known demon lords are tanar'ri, with the exceptions being listed above.

The tanar'ri are essentially classic demons; those that arose as a result of faith and humanity. They're reflections of cruelty and evil and sin, and usually have a basic humanoid shape, although there are several exceptions.

Jovoc, Palrethee, and Zovvut

There are many known types of tanar'ri, including:

Loumara

The loumara are a relatively new demonic race, much younger than the tanar'ri. They are still centuries old, but this is still recent in a place like the Abyss where time doesn't mean the same thing as it does on the Material Plane. As a result, no loumara have become powerful enough to be recognized and famous as a demon lord.

Loumara are usually immaterial or invisible demons that are more like ghosts or undead than demons. All loumara can possess living creatures.

Known types of loumara include the dybbuk and guecubu.

Other demons

Not all known demons fit into one of the above races. Such non-typed demons include:

  • Abyssal drake
  • Abyssal eviscerator
  • Abyssal maw
  • Abyssal ravager
  • Abyssal skulker
  • Ankashar
  • Artaaglith
  • Bebelith
  • Blood fiend
  • Broodswarm
  • Ghour
  • Lilitu
  • Quasit
  • Retriever
  • Shadow demon
  • Skulvyn
  • Wastrilith
  • Yochlol
  • Zovvut.

Elemental demons also exist, beings spawned from the broken souls of Blood War casualties and resembling the elemental material that spawned them. Known types include: air, ash, earth, fire, ice, and water.

References

  • Bonny, Ed, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter. Monster Manual II (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
  • Cagle, Eric, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt. Fiend Folio (Wizards of the Coast, 2003).
  • Cook, Monte. Book of Vile Darkness (Wizards of the Coast, 2004).
  • Grubb, Jeff. Manual of the Planes (TSR, 1987). ISBN 0786918500
  • Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. Manual of the Planes (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
  • Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977).
  • Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983). ISBN 0786928735
  • Jacobs, James. "The Demonimicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet." Dragon #341 (Paizo Publishing, 2006).
  • Jacobs, James. "The Demonimicon of Iggwilv: Fraz-Urb’luu." Dragon #333 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
  • Jacobs, James. "The Demonimicon of Iggwilv: Kostchtchie." Dragon #345 (Paizo Publishing, 2006).
  • Jacobs, James. "The Demonimicon of Iggwilv: Pazuzu." Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
  • Jacobs, James. "The Demonimicon of Iggwilv: Zuggtmoy." Dragon #337 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).
  • Jacobs, James, Erik Mona, and Ed Stark. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Wizards of the Coast, 2006).
  • Marmell, Ari. The Ebon Maw: Beware the Waking Hunger, Dragon #312(Paizo Publishing), 2003.
  • McComb, Colin. Faces of Evil: The Fiends (TSR, 1997). ISBN 0786906847
  • Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).
  • Smith, Lester W, and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Chaos (TSR, 1994).
  • Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1994).
  • Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio (TSR, 1981).
  • Various. Monster Manual III (Wizards of the Coast, 2004).
  • Various. Dragon Compendium, Volume 1 (Paizo Publishing, 2005).