Demonic Knight

Family: Demons

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (half plate)
Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	13 (+1)	18 (+4)	17 (+3)	18 (+4)	18 (+4)

Skills Arcana +6, Athletics +8, Perception +7, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Abyssal, Common
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Special Traits

• Innate Spellcasting. The demonic knight’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can cast the following spells without requiring material components:
  • At will: detect magic, wall of ice
  • 2/day: dispel magic
  • 1/day each: bestow curse, fireball
• Magic Weapon. The demonic knight’s weapon attacks are considered magical for the purposes of damage resistance.

Actions

• Multiattack. The demonic knight makes two longsword attacks, or one one-handed longsword attack and one mailed fist attack.
• Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage if used with two hands.
• Mailed Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
• Breath of Unlife (Recharge 5-6). The demonic knight releases a 10- foot cone of necrotic breath. Creatures in the area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 28 (8d6) necrotic damage. If a humanoid creature is slain by this damage, it rises as a shadow demon under the command of the demonic knight that created it. The new shadow demon remains enslaved to the demonic knight until the knight’s death and cannot summon demons of its own. A demonic knight can only have two such shadow demons under its command.
• Summon Demon (1/day). A demonic knight has a 50 percent chance of summoning 1d4 shadow demons, 2 hezrous, 1 glabrezu, 1 vrock, or 1 marilith. The summoned demon appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet. It cannot summon further demons and remains only for 1 minute before vanishing. It disappears early if it or the demonic knight is slain.

About

This creature appears as a human-sized humanoid dressed in black iron armor. Its head is completely hidden behind a dull black helm.

The demonic knight – known by some as a death knight – is rumored to be the creation of the great demon prince Orcus, the Prince of the Undead.

Some sages doubt the validity of such a claim since the demonic knights are not undead. Though no link has been proven, however, it is known that three of the most powerful demonic knights (Baruliis, Caines, and Arrunes) make their home on the same plane of the Abyss as the Prince of the Undead within the shadows of his great citadel. The true origins of the demonic knight lay hidden deep in the stinking pits of the Abyss, and those brave few who have dared search for these secrets have never returned. The demonic knights serve their master (whoever it may be) with unswerving loyalty.

They never question their orders and never question their superior. They are often sent to the Material Plane to recruit new bodies for their master’s next plot or deception, or to punish those that have offended their lord. On some occasions, they are simply sent to another plane to corrupt and slay those that are just and good (to the delight of their master).

A demonic knight appears as a 6-foot-tall humanoid dressed in black iron half-plate armor. Its head is completely hidden beneath a helmet that it never removes. A black iron longsword is slung at its hip. Some demonic knights don capes and other decorations as a badge of station. It is unknown exactly how many demonic knights exist, but they are believed to number no more than nine.

A demonic knight attacks using its longsword (or fists, if unarmed).

Against powerful opponents, it attempts to use its breath of unlife to weaken its foes before slaying them. If melee goes against the demonic knight, it summons demons to aid it or cover its escape.