Daemon, Venedaemon

Family: Daemons

Medium fiend (daemon), neutral evil

Armor Class 19 (arcane robes, oversized wizards’ hat)
Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)

Saves Str +7, Con +6, Int +7, Cha +6
Skills Arcana +7, Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +4, Stealth +7
Damage Immunities acid
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that are not silver
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The venedaemon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The cambion can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • 3/day each: dimension door, dispel magic, slow
• Spellcasting. The venedaemon is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The venedaemon has the following wizard spells prepared:
  • Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation
  • 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, shield
  • 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, suggestion
  • 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, minute meteors
  • 4th level (3 slots): greater invisibility, ice storm
  • 5th level (1 slot): cone of cold
• Arcane Soul-Crush. A venedaemon may consume a held soul gem as a reaction or bonus action, allowing it to cast any of its spells known without using a spell slot. For the daemon to use this ability, the consumed gem must contain the soul of a creature with Hit Dice equal to or greater than the spell level of the desired spell. It starts any encounter with 1d4+1 soul gem of 1d6 level each. If it kills a creature using a spell the target’s soul becomes a soul gem. If that soul gem is consumed the target is permanently killed.
• Magic Resistance. The venedaemon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The venedaemon makes two tentacle attacks or uses its Cold Ray twice.
• Tentacle. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage.
• Cold Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage.
• Summon Daemon (1/Day). The vulnudaemon has a 40 percent chance of summoning 1d4 cacodaemon. A summoned cacodaemon appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of its summoner, acts as an ally of its summoner, and can’t summon other daemons. It remains for 1 minute, until it or its summoner dies, or until its summoner dismisses it as an action.

ABOUT

The venedaemon personifies death by magic, and so possesses an inborn talent for all manner of sorcery. As hungry for souls as any other member of its daemonic brethren, the venedaemon thirsts equally for intangible wealth through the acquisition of knowledge, so that it can best utilize the arcane magic lurking within its blood. In particular, venedaemons yearn for the secrets and magical lore held within the bindings of wizards’ tomes, knowing that these arcane formulae are the key to unlocking their mysterious powers. In the process of acquiring such tomes of knowledge, venedaemons invariably come across other forms of information—whether it be info regarding a rival daemon’s weaknesses, lore that hints at a wealth of unclaimed souls hidden in one of Abaddon’s vast caverns, or a rumor of some hidden and terrible source of daemonic power—that they can make use of in trading with other daemons.

These rumors and smatterings of advice can be sold to other daemons for captured souls, and the trade often goes both ways, as venedaemons are also inclined to trade their hardearned soul gems for tomes of magic other fiends may have chanced upon. Venedaemons are gaunt, and despite standing close to 7 feet tall, they rarely weigh more than 150 pounds.