#archdevils

[shellem15]

Being a Devils girly is so funny, because once you look into it, the Hells are really just like:

Asmodeus: "Oh, hello. Who are you? You're staring at me--ah, wait, I know what this is. Let me explain: I always look like the most beautiful person anyone's ever seen. Everyone sees something different, I never know who I'm going to look like to people...You don't believe me, I understand. Everyone always thinks I'm lying, and I can never say anything to that. What can you say to someone who thinks you're lying to them? It's okay, I'm not offended...Your person, the one you see in my face, they must be very beautiful, though…I didn't thank you, earlier, for helping me. Noone's ever shown me such kindness before. Who would show mercy to such a dark and terrible creature as myself? You might be the most remarkable person I've ever met...I think we're going to do great things together."

Meanwhile, his asshole Archdevils:

Zariel: *Bursts through your front door.* "YOU, mortal, cowering in the corner. You have been drafted into THE BLOOD WAR. Report to your post IMMEDIATELY for further instruction. DO NOT RESIST. CONSCRIPTION IS MANDATORY AND TRAITORS WILL BE EXECUTED--"

Mammon: HELLO MORTALS. Mammon here, announcing the NEW RELEASE of my special edition MAMMON COIN today! Join this EXCLUSIVE community of INNOVATORS and ENTREPRENUERS, driving towards a NEW AND BRIGHT FUTURE of FINANCE. INVEST NOW at www.mammoncoin.com/ -- Have Fun!

Mephistopheles: "MORTALS. You are FAT, LAZY, UGLY, STUPID, and get NO BITCHES. Unlike me, who is the GREATEST AT EVERYTHING. Do you want to be SIGMA like ME? Do you want to stop being an UGLY, STUPID FUCKASS BETA MALE? You have to get your gains UP. You have to GO TO THE GYM. You have to break the WOKE LIBERAL mind control of these HOES and GO TO THE GYM and BE A MAN. For most of you, listening to this podcast is NOT ENOUGH. My 6-week-long HELLFIRE COURSE will teach YOU the SIGMA MALE GRINDSET, so that you can get RICH, FUCK BITCHES, and finally KILL your BOSS."

Bonus, for my bg3 girlies:

Raphael: Hello, mortals. Tis' I, Raphael. I see you're in a bit of bind, here, hmm? A bit of a mindflayer tadpole problem, I gather? Well, not to worry, because YOUR SAVIOR IS HERE. I, Raphael, the greatest and handsomest devil of all, can make all your worries disappear like that! All for the small, small price of one CROWN OF KARSUS, so that I may conqueror all the Hells under my boot. Ho ho, I see you're walking away. Playing catty with me, are you? Well, you don't seem to understand that I am the cat here, and you are the mouse in my claws. Meow. Yes, walk away now! You'll come crawling back to me later. I'll entertain myself watching you squirm, perhaps I might compose a few lyrics of poetry describing your misery. I myself am counted among the great poets, after all. Maybe I'll even grace you with their recitation once you come crawling back. Really, it would be an honor for such lowly mortal ears as yours, to witness but a fraction of my brilliance. And I am brilliant. Raphael the cambion, no one would expect one such as myself to rise to high places but I am a cut above the rest, the greatest devil of all, and once I acquire the Crown of Karsus all will know my glory. Songs will be sung of my brilliance, castles built in my honor, monuments raised--

[cryoverkiltmilk]

Glasya, Daughter of Asmodeus, Archdevil of Malbolge, Lord of the Sixth, through the ages.

4e Artist: Brian Valenzuela Source: Dungeon 197

3e Artist: Carl Frank Source: Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells

2e Artist: (unknown) Source: Guide to Hell

1e Artist: (unknown) Source: Monster Manual II

[honourablejester]

Another random bit of Pathfinder lore that I deeply enjoy: Barbatos, the Bearded Lord, is the youngest of the archdevils and rules over Avernus, the gates of Hell. But he's not a devil. In fact no one knows what he is. He just rocked up to Hell one day with an entire world's worth of souls, turned them into a new type of devil as an offering/bribe, and basically asked Asmodeus, hey, can I pitch my tent on your lawn? And Asmodeus looked at this entire world's worth of new servants and went ... you know what, sure, here's the keys to Hell, wanna be our doorwarden?

So he's the gatekeeper, the waywalker, the offerer of ruinous deals, and no one knows what he is, but Asmodeus sure won't turn down offerings of that magnitude and, given that the lovecraftian gods also exist in Pathfinder, there's a bit of me that wonders if Nyarlathotep or Yog Sothoth managed to plant an envoy or even an aspect of themselves inside Hell. I just. I enjoy the intrigue. And the brass balls. No need to infiltrate Hell or any of that nonsense, just rock straight up and ask for a job. Gotta love it.

[lawful-evil-novelist]

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes partially proves Mordenkainen is full of shit for going "Nessus is a barren uninhabited wasteland because Asmodeus is so paranoid" when Asmodeus has like, a whole entire fucking palace staff including a chamberlain AND a majordomo.

[desertdruidcrafts]

The Lords of the Nine, finally finished after like a month of working lol the gang’s all here! Other forms and lesser archdevils to come. I might even throw up some statblocks Tuesday of the ones I have done.

[greedykiwi]

Meet the Archdevils

Archdevil, Belial

 One half of this figure’s body is gleaming and beautiful with an angelic wing, while the other is scaled, scarred, and blackened.

Below is the complete stat block for the Archdevil Belial. Archdevils function as a 10th-rank mythic creature when in its realm and gain a +10 to sense motive and initiative checks.

Use in your own campaign at your own risk. Archdevils are normally included in campaigns as an enemy if the PC’s are to fight them, are normally added into mythic campaigns.

Everything below and including the image is from Paizo’s Pathfinder Bestiary 6 book.

BELIAL

 CR 28

LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful, shapechanger) 

Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, detect good, see in darkness, true seeing; Perception +45 

Aura baleful beauty (30 ft., DC 39), shield of law (DC 31) 

DEFENSE 

AC 46, touch 35, flat-footed 37 (+4 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +11 natural, +12 profane) 

hp 676 (33d10+495); regeneration 30 (deific or mythic) 

Fort +37, Ref +23, Will +31; +8 vs. mind-affecting effects 

Defensive Abilities amorphous anatomy, infernal resurrection, mind blank, reflexive shapeshifter; DR 20/epic, good, and silver; Immune ability damage, ability drain, charm, compulsion, death effects, energy drain, fire, petrification, poison, polymorph effects; Resist acid 30, cold 30; SR 39 

OFFENSE 

Speed 50 ft., fly 120 ft. (good) 

Melee +4 speed unholy ranseur +51/+46/+41/+36 (2d4+26/19– 20/×3), caress +40 touch (special), 2 wings +40 (2d8+6), gore +40 (1d6+6) 

Special Attacks fiendish fluttering, hedonistic hope, ranseur mastery 

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 28th; concentration +41) 

Constant—detect chaos, detect good, mind blank, shield of law (DC 31), true seeing 

At will—astral projection, baleful polymorph (DC 28), desecrate, dictum (DC 30), dominate person (DC 28), greater dispel magic, greater teleport, matchmaker (DC 26), modify memory (DC 27), order’s wrath (DC 27), unhallow 

3/day—quickened mass suggestion (DC 29), prismatic spray (DC 30), summon devils, sympathy (DC 31), waves of ecstasy (DC 30) 

1/day—overwhelming presence (DC 32), time stop, wishc( Belial can use this ability’s mythic version in their realm.) 

STATISTICS 

Str 34, Dex 26, Con 41, Int 31, Wis 28, Cha 37 

Base Atk +33; CMB +45 (+49 disarm); CMD 80 (82 vs. disarm) 

Feats Combat Expertise, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Greater Disarm, Greater Weapon Focus (ranseur), Greater Weapon Specialization (ranseur), Improved Critical (ranseur), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (mass suggestion), Weapon Focus (ranseur), Weapon Specialization (ranseur) 

Skills Acrobatics +41, Bluff +49, Craft (weapons) +46, Diplomacy +49, Disguise +49, Fly +48, Intimidate +46, Knowledge (arcana, local, religion) +43, Knowledge (planes) +46, Linguistics +46, Perception +45, Sense Motive +45, Spellcraft +46, Use Magic Device +49 

Languages all (language mastery); telepathy 300 ft. SQ change shape (see below) 

 SPECIAL ABILITIES 

Amorphous Anatomy (Ex) Belial’s constant shapechanging occurs within their body as well as outwardly, causing their vital organs to rapidly shift configuration and location. This grants the archdevil a 50% chance to ignore additional damage from critical hits and sneak attacks, and renders them immune to polymorph effects. Belial recovers from physical effects that cause the blinded, deafened, or dazzled condition after 1 round by shifting their form to create new sensory organs to replace those that were compromised. 

Baleful Beauty (Su) No matter what form Belial takes, the archdevil can adopt an aspect of unearthly beauty, causing either all humanoids (if in a humanoid form or the archdevil’s true form) or all creatures of the archdevil’s assumed type (if in another form) within 30 feet with line of sight to Belial to be filled with lust for them. Such a creature rushes toward the splendid figure to kiss the archdevil on its next turn, subjecting itself to the effects of Belial’s caress. Alternatively, the archdevil can adopt a guise of extreme and appalling horror, causing creatures of that type to become nauseated for 1d6 rounds and to take 1d6 points of Strength damage. A creature can resist either effect with a successful DC 39 Will save, and a creature that successfully saves against either effect is immune to that effect for 24 hours, though it must attempt a new save against the opposite effect. This is a mind-affecting emotion effect. The DC is Charisma-based. 

Caress (Su) A creature caressed or kissed by Belial gains 2 negative levels, and must succeed at a DC 39 Fortitude save or also take 1d4 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage. As a swift action when using a spell-like ability, Belial can force a single creature currently suffering from any of these effects from a caress to roll twice on any saving throws against that spell-like ability and to use the lower result. The save DC is Charisma-based. 

Change Shape (Su) Belial can assume the form of any creature when changing shape, but the specific powers granted are limited to those available in the options for greater polymorph. Using change shape is a move action for Belial. 

Fiendish Fluttering (Ex) If Belial strikes a creature with both wings in the same round, the target is staggered for 1 round and dazzled for 1d4 rounds by flying feathers and scabrous scales. With a successful DC 41 Fortitude save, the target negates the staggered condition and reduces the duration of the dazzled condition to 1 round. This is a vision-based effect. The save DC is Constitution-based. 

Hedonistic Hope (Su) When any creatures (friend or foe) within 30 feet of Belial gain a morale bonus or a beneficial emotion effect, Belial can choose to gain the same benefit (including the highest bonus, if there are multiple morale bonuses of the same kind). In addition, when Belial confirms a critical hit, they suppress all morale bonuses affecting the target for 1 minute. 

Ranseur Mastery (Ex) Belial can attack adjacent foes with a ranseur as if it were not a reach weapon, and counts as a 20th-level fighter for the purposes of fulfilling feat prerequisites for ranseurrelated feats. 

Reflexive Shapeshifter (Su) Once per minute as an immediate action when Belial would be struck in melee by a non-reach weapon, the archdevil can use change shape to assume a different form of a smaller size, gaining a +10 dodge bonus to their AC against that attack; if this causes the attack to miss, they take no damage and can then move up to 30 feet in any direction before automatically reverting to their previous form. This ability and movement do not provoke attacks of opportunity. 

Belial, the Pale Kiss, was created by Asmodeus as an object of adoration, a being that would  be perfect in form and face in the eyes of every creature. The Prince of Devils granted Belial virtually unlimited malleability of form, enabling them to become whatever and whomever might be most alluring to those the archdevil encountered, along with a boundless imagination to create inspirational art and implements of war. Belial finds equal bliss in pleasure and in pain and revels in the act of creation, whether of innovations in magical or martial fields. The Pale Kiss designs new weapons for the legions of Hell, shapes new manifestations of magic for the minions of devilry to unleash upon foes, and even spawns entirely new races of infernal servitors, though the fiend cares little for creations once birthed, swiftly moving on to new interests. Belial’s true natural form is unknown to all but Asmodeus, who has not shared even with Belial the secret of the archdevil’s infernal genesis. The Pale Kiss changes shape almost constantly, at times seemingly without conscious thought. In council with the other lords of Hell, Belial typically appears as a delicately built humanoid between 5 and 6 feet tall with pale skin and hair but burning eyes, with one half of their body shining and angelic and the other as scarred, misshapen, and grotesque as the most hideous malebranche. Their weapons and gear are always finely crafted, though marred where they defaced them in their erratic rages. Belial’s carnal lust is both expansive and insatiable, and they freely shift form, species, and gender when engaging with mortal and immortal lovers across the universe, leaving innumerable half-fiends of every description in their wake. 

 Belial is revered by those who crave wanton pleasures and forbidden desires but who hide beneath a mask of respectability and propriety. Adulterers celebrate the archdevil’s rites alongside sadists, torturers, and worse; all two-faced deceivers willing to plumb the depths of depravity to fulfill their desires seek Belial’s felicitations. The Pale Kiss’s sacred places are often in large cities or remote and beautiful natural settings that hide grisly boudoirs and orgiastic abattoirs. Belial’s unholy symbol is a split-faced mask, one side of which is smiling and white and the other frowning and red. Their favored weapon is the ranseur. The Pale Kiss grants access to the domains of Charm, Destruction, Evil, and Law, and to the subdomains of Catastrophe, Devil, Lust, and Rage.

[shellem15]

This has been commented on many times in this fandom, but I'm using it as a springboard for my own brainrot Raphael really is just like his daddy. There's the obvious stuff—the narcissism, the dramatics, the convoluted plots and just the general messy bitchery—but there's also the stuff under the surface. Both have massive inferiority complexes, both are extremely envious and power-hungry (Mephistopheles in particular for the envy part, but we'll touch on that later), and both act extremely obsessive towards certain tools, goals, and—most relevant to this post—people.

Now Raphael is definitely weird towards Tav/Durge, but it's a bit more ambiguous as to whether he's obsessed with them in particular or just sees them as a means to an end. The situation with Hope, on the other hand, is quite explicit. Raphael is obsessed with her, even naming his home after her, but there's not really anything material he gets out of her. Him imprisoning and torturing her is not a means to an end, he just does it because he's a sadist. He wants her attention, he is entertained by her defiance, he wants to break her—he both loves and loathes her.

And what do you know! Raphael's thing towards Hope is kinda similar to how Mephistopheles acts with his object of obsession—Asmodeus. Now, if you need to know anything about Mephisto's character, it's that he's envious. Envious towards his peers, envious towards his betters, even envious towards his inferiors—he resents that others' have what he does not. Even Martinet, Asmodeus' unflappable constable, thinks so: "Were Mephistopheles to become the King of Hell, it would take him less than an hour to start wondering why he wasn’t also ruler of Mount Celestia." (Guide to Hell, p. 45)

The #1 target of Mephisto's envy is Asmodeus. The man is capital-o Obsessed with him, ya'll.  Asmo is on his mind 24/7, haunting his every thought. He lives rent-free in Mephisto's head.

Mephisto is the silver medal to Asmo's golden 1st place. Eternally living in his shadow, the Starscream to Asmo's Megatron. He is always one step behind him—like, Mephistopheles has been trying to become a god for a while now, and just when he was about to succeed, the spellplague happened and Asmodeus ate the god Azuth like an energy bar, snatching up godhood by sheer luck. And then, of course, Mephisto's godhood plan fell through so now the power divide between them is even greater than it was before.

Bro tries so hard and it just doesn't work. Like, when Mephisto was going through his rebrand phase as the Lord of Hellfire, he changed his appearance to that of the "quintessential devil". But all that ended up doing is making mortals confused about who exactly he is—a lot of mortals straight up think he is Asmodeus. Like, to the point that Asmo just went "you're the manager of my cults now lol", so now the distinction between the two is even more blurry. Also, Mephisto's wife is straight up closer to Asmo than she is to him (see my Baalphegor post), which is just another spit in the face. Bro cannot win. (This ties into another similarity between him and his son; Raphael clearly got the loser gene from him.)

Now, obviously the situation between Raphael and Hope is very different than Mephisto's relationship towards Asmo—Hope is Raphael's captive, while Asmo is Mephisto's boss; Hope's life has been upended and tormented by Raphael, while Mephisto is at most an annoyance towards Asmo (bro has repeatedly told Asmo to his face that he would usurp him and Asmo is just like "whatever, dude")—but the level of obsession is similar. Raphael hates hope but is also desperate for her affection, Mephistopheles loathes and envies Asmodeus but is also his greatest ally. Both are desperate to fu—*ahem* both are psycho-sexually obsessed with them.

So, yeah. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

TLDR: Raphael inherited his psycho-sexually obsessive tendencies from his daddy lol. Also you should really read the lore about Asmodeus and Mephistopheles' relationship because it's actually insane y'all. Like this shit was made for the gays people.

[shellem15]

Imagining Brennan's version of Asmodeus next to dnd basic's archdevils is so goddamn funny. Here's the most manipulative, terrifying man in the world and his 9 adult swim-ass Saturday morning cartoon villain underlings. They are all trying to kill him and they are failing miserably at it.

Fuckin Calamity, downfall, divergence. And imagining this cartoony shit is just happening in the background shshasjska