Pit Fiend
Description
Rulers of infernal realms, generals of Hell's armies, and advisors to the archfiends, pit fiends embody the awesome and terrible pinnacle of devilkind. Massive, physically indomitable, and possessed of ingenious evil intellects, these diabolical tyrants hold great autonomy whether in their service to the archfiends, in their rule of vast infernal fiefdoms, or in subjugation of mortal worlds. Thick muscles cling to their gigantic frames, armored over by dense, bladed scales capable of deflecting all but the most potent assaults. Fangs as thick as daggers fill their maws, bestial visages disguising some of the most insidious minds in Hell. Born within the depths of Nessus, the ninth and deepest layer of Hell, pit fiends are raised from the ranks of cornugons and gelugons by the archdevils and their dukes alone. While many travel to higher layers and far from Hell to command infernal legions, most remain in Nessus serving in the courts of Hell's elite or in dark councils with unknowable purposes. Pit fiends always stand over 14 feet tall, with wingspans in excess of 20 feet and weights over 1,000 pounds.
Pit fiends are masters of fire and prefer lands bathed in flame. In Hell, this predisposes them to Avernus, Dis, Malebolge, Nessus, and Phlegethon the layers most likely to harbor their burning temple-citadels. Fanatics obsessed with diabolical superiority and ironclad obedience, pit fiends left to their own devices raise massive armies, scouring the pits of Hell for the most depraved lemures to transform into true fiends. When convinced they've formed the perfect legions, they turn their attentions to vulnerable demiplanes and mortal worlds, eyeing them for infernal domination and the glory of conquest. While obedient to the hierarchies of their kind, they are also strict in their enforcement, and should a pit fiend find itself subservient to a master unfit to rule, it holds itself duty bound to cast down such an incompetent lord. Thus, whether as masters or servants, pit fiends embody the will of Hell's merciless law and assure that only the strongest of devilkind flourish (or dare to).
Only the most powerful of mortal spellcasters can or dare summon a pit fiend. These devils' reactions to summoning are deliberate and swift, usually typified by overwhelming rage that such insignificant beings would waste their immortal time. Those that cannot weather the devils' burning rage are slain—their souls typically racing the pit fiends back to Hell. Those who manage to keep control of the greater devils, though, intrigue them. A pit fiend might dutifully serve a mortal master for centuries, but its goal is always the same: to further corrupt the mortal soul, assure its absolute damnation, and when the mortal inevitably dies, claim its soul and begin the process of creating a perfectly corrupt lemure servant. Pit fiends know they are immortal and are intelligent enough to indulge in impossibly disciplined patience. As such, the eldest pit fiends see in their legions the faces of countless fools who once presumed themselves the devils' masters.
Combat Stats
- Melee
- 2 claws +32 (2d8+13), 2 wings +30 (2d6+6), bite +32 (4d6+13 plus poison and disease), tail slap +30 (2d8+6 plus grab)
- Space
- 10 ft.
- Reach
- 10 ft.
- DR
- 15/good and silver
- SR
- 31
- Aura
- fear (20 ft., DC 23)
Ability Scores
Proficiencies
Weapons: Martial, Simple
Special Attacks
constrict 2d8+19
Devil Shaping — Three times per day, a pit fiend can spend a minute to transform nearby lemures into other lesser devils. A pit fiend can transform one lemure for every Hit Die the pit fiend possesses. It can then reshape these lemures into a number of Hit Dice's worth of lesser devils equal to the number of lemures affected. For example, a typical 20 Hit Dice pit fiend could transform 20 lemures into two bone devils (10 HD each), or three bearded devils (6 HD each, leaving two lemures unchanged), or any other combination of lesser devils. Lemures to be reshaped must be within 50 feet of the pit fiend, becoming stationary and unable to move once the shaping begins. After a minute passes, the lemures reform into the shape of a new lesser devil ready to follow the orders of the pit fiend. Although pit fiends can, technically, elevate a mass of 20 lemures into a new pit fiend, most are hesitant to do so since they have no special control over a devil created in this manner.
Feats
Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fireball), Vital Strike
Special Abilities
Universal Monster Rules
Special Abilities
Feats, Traits & Items
As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach. You can only make one additional attack per round with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the previous foe and also within reach. If you hit, you can continue to make attacks against foes adjacent to the previous foe, so long as they are within your reach. You cannot attack an individual foe more than once during this attack action. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
Once per day, you may reroll a Will save. You must decide to use this ability before the results are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack three times and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon special abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
The creature's secondary attacks with natural weapons take only a –2 penalty.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Choose one of the creature's spell-like abilities, subject to the restrictions described in this feat. The creature can use the chosen spell-like ability as a quickened spell-like ability three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice per day).
Using a quickened spell-like ability is a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The creature can perform another action—including the use of another spell-like ability (but not another swift action)—in the same round that it uses a quickened spell-like ability. The creature may use only one quickened spell-like ability per round.
The creature can only select a spell-like ability duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to 1/2 its caster level (round down) – 4. For a summary, see the table below.
A spell-like ability that duplicates a spell with a casting time greater than 1 full round cannot be quickened.
When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
Skills
Appraise +17, Bluff +31, Diplomacy +31, Disguise +27, Fly +30, Intimidate +31, Knowledge (arcana) +28, Knowledge (planes) +31, Knowledge (religion) +31, Perception +33, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +31, Stealth +28, Survival +22, Use Magic Device +28