Demogorgon, Prince of Demons (CR 23)

Huge Outsider (Aquatic, Chaotic, Evil, Extraplanar, and Tanar'ri)
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Initiative: 12(+8 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., true seeing, Listen +38, and Spot +38
Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Common; telepathy 300 ft.

AC: 43 (-2 size, +8 Dex, +27 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 35
Hit Dice: 27d8+378 (499 hp); DR: DR 20/cold iron and good
Fort +29, Ref +23, Will +21
Speed: 30 ft. and Swim 50 ft.
Space: 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Base Attack +27; Grapple +49
Attack: Melee: 2 tentacles +39 and 2 bites +35 and tail slap +35
Damage: Tentacle 1d8+14 plus rot, bite 2d6+7, tail slap 2d6+7 plus energy drain
Special Attacks: dual action, gaze, summon tanarri
Attack Options: Combat Expertise, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Abilities: Str 38, Dex 27, Con 38, Int 26, Wis 22, Cha 28
Special Qualities: SQ amphibious, tanarri traits, fast healing 10; Immunities: electricity, poison; Resist: acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 34
Feats: Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dark Speech, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Multiattack, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack,
Skills: Bluff +39, Concentration +44, Diplomacy+43, Intimidate +41, Jump +52, Knowledge (arcana) +38, Knowledge (history) +38, Knowledge (nature) +38, Knowledge (the planes) +38, Listen +38, Move Silently +38, Search +38, Sense Motive +36, Spellcraft+40, Spot +38, and Swim +52
Advancement: -
Climate/Terrain:
Organization:
Treasure/Possessions: -

Source: Book of Vile Darkness
Fiendish Codex I

The demon towers a full 18 feet tall, his body at once sinuous like that of a snake and powerful like that of a great ape. Two baleful baboon heads leer from atop his lumbering shoulders, attached to which are two long, writhing tentacles. His lower torso is saurian, like some great reptile with an immense forked tail.

The Prince of Demons holds his title through sheer might alone. His name alone can inspire a primal fear.

Dual Actions (Ex): Demogorgon, having two heads with distinct intelligences and personalities, can take two rounds' worth of actions in any given round, as if he were two creatures. For instance, he could take two standard actions and two move actions, or he could take two full-round actions.

Energy Drain (Su): Any living creature hit by Demogorgon's tail slap gains 1d4 negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, Demogorgon heals 5 points of damage. If the amount of healing is more than the damage he has taken, he gains any excess as temporary hit points. If a negative level has not been removed before 24 hours have passed, the afflicted opponent must succeed on a DC 37 Fortitude save to remove it. Failure means that the opponent's level (or Hit Dice) is reduced by 1. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Gaze (Su): Each of Demogorgon's heads has its own gaze attack. Any creature within 30 feet of the demon lord must make two successful DC 32 Will saving throws each round at the beginning of its turn, the first save against Demogorgon's beguiling gaze and the second save against his insanity gaze. Creatures can avoid the need to make saving throws by averting their eyes or wearing a blindfold.

Demogorgon can actively target foes with his beguiling gaze and insanity gaze, in which case each gaze requires a standard action to activate. Thanks to his dual actions ability, Demogorgon can use both gazes in the same round. He must split these gaze attacks between two targets to gain their effects. Conversely, as a standard action, he can lock the gazes of both heads on a single target and use a special hypnosis gaze effect. Demogorgon cannot use his hypnosis gaze during the same round in which he uses his beguiling gaze, his insanity gaze, or both.

Beguiling Gaze: The gaze attack of Aameul, Demogorgon's left head, is the equivalent of a charm monster spell (DC 32) with a range of 30 feet.

Insanity Gaze: The gaze attack of Hethradiah, Demogorgon's right head, is the equivalent of an insanity spell (DC 32) with a range of 30 feet.

Hypnosis Gaze: If Demogorgon locks the gazes of both heads upon a single target within 30 feet, that creature is affected as though by a hypnotism spell. Only a target with 15 Hit Dice or more is allowed a DC 32 Will saving throw to resist the effect.

The save DCs for all three gaze attacks are Charisma-based.

Rot (Su): Any living creature touched by Demogorgon's tentacles must succeed on a DC 37 Fortitude save, or its flesh and bones begin to rot. The creature takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage immediately and 1 point of Constitution damage every hour thereafter until it dies or a remove disease spell is cast. The spell stops further damage, but lost Constitution points return only with natural healing and cannot be restored with magic. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Summon Tanar'ri (Sp): Once per day, Demogorgon can automatically summon ld8 vrocks, 1d6 hezrous, 1d4 glabrezu, 1d3 nalfeshnees, 1 marilith, or 1 balor. This ability is a equivalent of a 9th-level spell (CL 20th).

Amphibious (Ex): Even though Demogorgon has the aquatic subtype, he can survive indefinitely on land.

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th): At will - astral projection, contagion (DC varies), desecrate, detect good, detect law, fly, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, project image, telekinesis (DC 24), unhallow, unholy blight (DC 23) 3/day - feeblemind (DC 24), symbol of death (DC 27) 1/day - dominate person (DC 28)

Strategy and Tactics

Demogorgon is a powerful foe, yet he disdains direct confrontations. He would rather send his minions (of which he has many) into battle to settle his disputes. If Demogorgon must fight, he uses project image first from a secure location protected by demonic minions and symbols of death. He uses his spell-like abilities (leading with dominate person and feeblemind), using two per round until he is confronted in combat.

In melee, Demogorgon typically takes a full attack action, a move action, and a standard action to use a spell-like ability. He prefers to use his beguiling gaze and insanity gaze passively, rather than sacrificing opportunities to make physical attacks or use spell-like abilities. He saves his hypnosis gaze for when he fights a single foe.

Servants, Enemies, and Goals

Inside the Prince of Demons rages a secret war for control of himself. Demogorgon has two heads and therefore two minds, and each one seeks domination of the other. Aameul is the persona in control of Demogorgon's left head, while Hethradiah controls the right. Each is unable to control the other, nor could one slay the other without also perishing. By most definitions, this internal conflict would be described as insanity, but that would be applying inappropriate mortal standards to one whom such standards can never apply.

Demogorgon's war with Orcus and Graz'zt has been epic in scope. Their armies have clashed throughout the Abyss since the dawn of the tanar'ri race. For a time, Orcus vanished (apparently slain), as did Graz'zt (who was imprisoned on the Material Plane by the archmage Iggwilv), yet never has the Abyss known complete peace from this eternal war.

Demogorgon is served by all manner of demons, some of which (such as the retriever) were actually created by him. Many powerful and unique demons serve him as well, and he commands armies of evil lizardfolk, scheming yuan-ti, sadistic troglodytes, vampiric ixitxachitl, and countless shoals of Abyssal aquatic predators. His close alliance with the ancient demon lord Dagon has provided him with access to Abyssal secrets that the other demon lords could only guess about. The methods of creating the powerful undead warlords known as death knights represent the least of these secrets, yet they are horrific and potent nevertheless.

Worshipers of Demogorgon are more likely to be scaly things that hide from the light than humans or members of other civilized races. Despite his statue in the Abyss, the vast majority of the Material Plane is blissfully ignorant of his existence, yet they know his works, if only indirectly. The troglodytes worship him as Ahmon-Ibor, the Sibilant Beast, and use his teachings to bring vile intelligence and fanaticism to the beasts of the wild. Yuan-ti know him as Siosivash and raise great temples to him in sunken caverns. The unknowable ixitxachitl are his chosen minions on the Material Plane, and even they dare not speak his name aloud. The rare human cults that venerate the Prince of Demons welcome piracy and cannibalism with open arms.

While humanoid cults dedicated to Demogorgon might be rare, individual humanoid worshipers of the Prince of Demons are more likely menaces. These followers often control the societies they live in or have much influence over those who do. They keep their faith secret from society, and use their power to spread evil and misery in his unspoken name.

Clerics of Demogorgon have access to the domains of Chaos, Corruption, Demonic, and Evil. His symbol is a forked tail.

Demogorgon Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (the planes) can learn more about Demogorgon. When a character makes a successful skill check, the following lore is revealed, including the information from lower DCs.

Updated to Fiendish Codex I