Credits Contents

Introduction
Lead Designer: Drew Sweet
Additional Design: Rowan Roch Chapter 1: The Rules of Hell
Edited by: Brick Bradford, Christopher Pacca, Drew Sweet, Devil’s Bargain Inspiration
Rowan Koch Fiendish Grafts
Layout and Formatting: Drew Sweet
Cover Illustration by: Pablo Puglisi New Infernal War Machines
Interior Illustrations by: Cemarhy Art (“Snikik and the New Infernal War Machine Parts
Bounding Scales”), Igzell Vázquez (Infernal War Machines and Chapter 2: Fiendish Subclasses
the Dark Eight), Rukkiiru (“Circle of Desolation Druid” and Path of Abyssal Fury
“Oath of Hellfire Paladin”).
Graphic Design Credits: ObsidianDawn, virgothedreamer College of Heartbreakers
Circle of Desolation
All un-credited art is either public domain or used under the Oath of Hellfire
Creative Commons (3.0) Commercial Non-Attribution license.
Chapter 3: Devilish Denizens
A special thanks to everyone who supported us and made this The Dark Eight
project a reality! Hunger and Yee-Nee
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Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and Chapter 4: Locations and Encounters
their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast The Maggot Pit
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This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the
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permission under the Community Content Agreement for Chapter 5: Monsters
Dungeon Masters Guild. Pain Devil
Creeping Devil
All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Baaelzephon
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Pearza
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Chapter 6: Magic Items

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 Chapter 1
Rules Options
This chapter details a number of new rules options for
Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, all themed around or New Infernal War
specific to campaigns taking place in the Nine Hells. These
rules have been designed with the campaign Baldur’s Gate:
Descent into Avernus in mind, building off the content
Machines
In addition to the infernal war machines listed in Appendix
provided in that book, however feel free to use them in any
B of Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, this supplement
game that suits their use.
offers four new vehicles for your players and NPCs to use,

Devil’s Bargain
as well as a host of new weapon, armour and gadget
upgrades. It also provides you with a new way to power
infernal war machines using character hit dice, as an
Inspiration alternative to soul coins.

Campaigns involving the outer planes can be notoriously

dangerous for characters of all levels, and as the dungeon Life Fuel
master you may want to offer your players an additional Usually infernal war machines are powered by a soul-
safety net to help them survive. The devil’s bargain system consuming furnace that burns soul coins for fuel. This
offers players a secondary method of attaining inspiration means that characters who want to use an infernal war
for their characters to use. This helps them to turn crucial machine must be willing to burn the souls of sentient
rolls into successes, but also comes back to bite them at creatures for their own benefit. If a party wants to stay
the worst possible time. morally uncompromised, the dungeon master can allow an
A player can choose to take a devil’s bargain on any d20 infernal war machine’s furnace to be powered by the life
roll. They can choose to do so after they have seen the roll, force of still-living creatures in addition to soul coins.
but before the outcome is determined. That player then re- Using this rule, a creature can use it’s action while at the
rolls the d20, but must use the new result. The dungeon helm of the infernal war machine to expend any number of
master then records that the player made a bargain (known it’s available hit dice. For every hit dice spent the infernal
as incurring a debt), and that that player cannot make war machine can run for 1 hour. A creature cannot regain
another devil’s bargain until their debt is paid. the spent hit dice until the vehicle has run for a number of
At any point during play, the dungeon master can invoke hours equal to the number of hit dice it expended.
that player’s debt against them. When they do, they can If a creature expends a number of hit dice equal or
either re-roll a d20 roll made against the player by a greater than half its level within the span of 24 hours, they
monster (such as an attack roll, saving throw or ability take a level of exhaustion.
contest), or force the player to re-roll a d20 roll they made,
using the new result. This clears the player’s debt, and the
player is free to take a new bargain. Alternative Weapon Stations
When a session ends, all debts are wiped clean. This is to One weapon station can be switched with another, but the
encourage the dungeon master not to hoard debts against infernal war machine can’t have more weapon stations than
the players, and to cut down on book keeping between it normally has. A handful of new weapon stations are
sessions. However, if the dungeon master feels they can described in this section.
accurately record which players are in debt and keep track
between sessions, they can choose to do so. It is unwise to Negative Energy Bomb
hold onto a debt for more than a single full session, as
Harvested directly from a plane of depression and despair
doing so denies the player the opportunity to take future
such as Hades or the Shadowfell, these bombs detonate by
bargains. A dungeon master should also not be too
violently sucking all the happiness and life of the living
punishing when invoking a debt; this system is a tool for
creatures around them.
the player’s to use, and if they are punished too hard for
utilising it they may stop doing so. The system works best
Negative Energy Bomb (Requires 1 Crew and Grants
when the players have a tough choice to make and must
Half Cover, Recharge 5-6). Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit,
weight up the benefits, and also potential costs, of taking a
range 30 feet., one creature. Hit: The creature takes 5
bargain.
(1d10) bludgeoning damage. Hit or miss, the bomb then
explodes. The target and all creatures within 10 feet of
The Devil is Real where the bomb exploded must make a DC 15 Constitution
A fun optional addition to the inspiration system above is to tie the saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) necrotic damage on a failed
bargaining to an actual devil inside the game world. Consider allowing
the fiendish patron of the warlock to lend a portion of their power to save, or half as much on a successful save. The explosion
the party… for a price. Alternatively various fiends could all be has no effect on objects, undead or constructs.
attempting to lure the party further into corruption by offering them
bargains at the right times. If your party is playing Baldur’s Gate:
Descent into Avernus, the pit fiend Gargauth is in a prime position to
offer the party deals from within his prison of the Shield of the
Hidden Lord. If you do this however, the bargaining will have
ramifications for the characters inside the game world, and a good-
aligned character may feel unfairly disadvantaged for not taking
devil’s bargains if they are tied to a real devil.
 Soul Destroyer
The Soul Destroyer is a feared war machine on the front
lines of the Blood War. As a vehicle specifically designed for
combat, it does not move fast but is capable of enormous
destruction.

Infernal Cruiser
The Infernal Cruiser is a slick, speedy war machine which
is less suited for combat than it is for blazing across the
barren wastelands of Avernus. What it sacrifices in
durability it gains in speed, handling and style.
 Flame Screamer
The Flame Screamer is the second of Pearza’s vehicular
creations. A flying war machine, Screamers are designed to
Blood Diver soar above demon hordes and rain devastating explosions
The Blood Diver is one of two new breeds of infernal war down upon them. In addition to their soul furnace, they are
machines constructed by Pearza, the Minister of Research granted flight by two supplementary engines containing
of the Dark Eight. Capable of functioning as both a boat imprisoned fire elementals.
and submarine it has been specially designed to resist the
dangerous effects of the River Styx.
Lightning Reel vehicle invisible for 1 minute, or until it or a creature riding
Powered by a contained creature of elemental lightning, it makes an attack.
such as a baby behir, this lure lashes out with a bolt of At the start of every day, roll a d100. On a roll of 95-100,
lightning at nearby vehicles. This prevents them from a 3d4 zombies emerge from cloud and attack all creatures
escaping and deals consistent damage. they can see. On a roll of 1, all creature inside the war
machine are transported into the shadowfell.
Lightning Reel (Requires 1 Crew and Grants Half Cover). Ranged Spell
Attack: +5 to hit, range 90 feet., one target. Hit: 17 (3d10) lightning
damage, and the lure attaches itself to the target. While attached, the Racing Flames
target cannot move further away from the attacking vehicle and takes Streams of flame are drawn in magical paint along the
5 (1d10) lightning damage at the end of each of it’s turns. If the target
attempts to move away while the lure is attached, it can attempt a outside of the infernal war machine, which also sets fire to
DC15 Strength saving throw, freeing itself on a success. The target the external body of the vehicle. The flames surrounding
can only make this saving throw once on each of it’s turns. Activating
the lure while a target is attached to it drags the target up to 20 feet the vehicle are harmless and purely for decoration.
closer to the attacking vehicle. The lure can only have one target An infernal war machine with racing flames has it’s
attached at a time, and using the lure against another target frees the movement speed increased by 5 feet. Once per day it can
first.
benefit from the effects of a demon ichor boost without
needing to consume a vial of demon ichor (you must still
New Armour Upgrades roll on the mishap table).
An infernal war machine can receive one armour upgrade.
The following upgrades are provided in addition to those
listed in Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus.
New Magical Gadgets
Weapons are one thing, but often an infernal war machine
Acidic Coating is given an identity by it’s unique gadgets – the stranger the
better.
The acidic bile of a demon’s stomach acids coat the chassis
of the infernal war machine, pumped from the stomach of a
goristo or balor. Any creature that ends its turn in contact
Fiendish Gatcha
with the outside of the infernal war machine takes 1d6 acid This fun contraption is built into the helm of an infernal
damage. war machine, sitting just above the slot where soul coins
are inserted to power the furnace. Any creature that inserts
a soul coin into the furnace can use it’s action to turn the
Shroud of Shadow
handle of the fiendish gatcha. The mechanism clanks and
A cloud of impenetrable darkness billows around the
shudders as it siphons off a small portion of the expended
infernal war machine like smoke. This darkness is pulled
soul coin’s power to create a random fiendish trinket. The
from the Shadowfell and bound by magic to the vehicle.
trinket is then expelled into a catchment area below the
Ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage on the infernal
coin slot. The dungeon master can roll on the table below
war machine. In addition, a creature at the helm of the
to determine which trinket it creates, or create their own.
infernal mar machine can use it’s action to make the
Fiendish Trinket Table Mechanical Servants
Four tiny servant constructs that live in the war machine
d100 Trinket
have been given life by magic. They have an AC of 12, 10 hit
01-5 The finger of a humanoid wearing an ornate ring of points, a Strength of 10 and a Dexterity of 10. If one is
unknown origin
reduced to zero hit points, it collapses to junk on the floor
6-10 A piece of parchment covered with infernal scrawlings
that appear to be written in blood. When translated, and needs to be rebuilt by the expenditure of 10 gp worth
they read nonsense of materials and 4 hours of work with a relevant tool.
11-15 A tiny statue of a succubus that, when kissed, animates The servants can be verbally commanded as a bonus
and does a seductive dance for 6 seconds before action, and can move up to 25 feet in a turn. They can
becoming inanimate again
perform simple tasks that a human servant could do, such
16-20 A single potted plant only two inches tall. It has black as fetching things, cleaning, mending, folding clothes,
bark covered with veins of blood red. It must be fed
with a single drop of blood every day or it will wither lighting fires, serving food and pouring wine. Once a
and die command is given, the servant performs the task to the
21-25 The head of a wax doll missing it’s left eye best of it’s ability until it completes the task, and then
26-30 A single playing card bearing the face of a grinning waits for it’s next command. A servant ceases to function if
devil. The devil’s eyes always seem to follow you it moves more than 10 feet away from the infernal war
31-35 A tiny silver tooth machine.
36-40 A mechanical flip lighter made of infernal iron
41-45 A vial of blood with unknown origin Instruments of War
These intimidating instruments have been designed to
46-50 A tiny mirror that shows a fiendish version of whoever
is looking into it attach to the external chassis of an infernal war machine
51-55 A music box with a crank. When fully wound plays the and are usually played while the vehicle is moving.
chorus of Highway to Hell by ACDC Examples include a hallowed out horn of a goristro, a
56-60 A tiny bead that is warm to the touch. If thrown to the xylophone carved from the bones of a glabrezu or an
ground it shatters and makes the sound of an explosion enchanted lute than shoots jets of fire and produces a loud,
followed by maniacal laughter
electric sound. A creature that is proficient with the
61-65 A set of painted porcelain devil horns that can be worn
instrument, or has proficiency in the Performance skill, can
66-70 A single ice cube with a bug trapped inside it. The cube use it’s action to play the instrument. Until the start of it’s
never melts.
next turn all allied creatures that can hear the instrument
71-75 Slime the colour of lemure sludge have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks and can
76-80 A set of three bone dice. When all roll a 6, they burst add 1d4 to any attack roll, saving throw or ability check
into flame and the visage of Asmodeus appears before
vanishing. they make.
81-85 A set of black candles that smell like charred flesh when
lit Planar Jumper
86-90 A soul coin empty of all it’s charges Prerequisite: Teleporter
91-95 A tiny, still beating heart The vehicle’s driver can activate this magical device as an
action, causing the vehicle to teleport to an unoccupied
96-100 A kazoo
target destination on another plane of existence. All
creatures and objects in contact with the vehicle are
Ghostly Codex teleported along with it. The device needs 24 hours to
Infernal war machines are occasionally haunted by the recharge before being used again.
souls of dead sentient creatures which make their home in
the vehicles helm. The dungeon master chooses the nature
of the soul trapped in the codex; examples include a smith
who could never depart from his creation, an artificial
Fiendish Grafts
While the secrets detailing how are locked deep within
intelligence created for the purpose of inhabiting the
forbidden libraries and other locations of dark knowledge,
vehicle or a creature forever bound to haunt the vehicle
it is possible for mortal races to augment their physical
forever as punishment for an unfit crime. The soul usually
form with body parts harvested from fiends. These
has no physical form and lives inside the machine itself,
mutations are known as fiendish grafts, and are some of
but can exert a minor influence over things within the
the most dangerous and taboo rituals in the multiverse.
vehicle (such as knocking objects off shelves, causing the
Nonetheless many creatures seek out this forbidden power
engine to make noise or resisting the directions of the
to enhance their own strength or demonstrate their
driver) and is aware of everything that happens inside.
dedication to their fiendish patron. Some unfortunate
As an action, by expending 1 charge of a soul coin while
creatures, however, are unwilling victims who were used as
at the helm of the infernal war machine, the soul of the
tools in diabolical experiments, or were cursed with a graft
creature can be temporarily given form as a ghost for 1
as a part of a devilish contract.
hour. The dungeon master determines it’s alignment,
A fiendish graft, like a magic item, is something that the
personality and what it knows. The characters can ask it
dungeon master bestows to players during play. A devil may
questions, but it knows only what it knew in life, and may
offer the character an infernal arm in exchange for a
decline to answer them. Alternatively, they can cast the
favour, or the party may uncover a book of forbidden
augury spell instead of summoning the ghost, which acts
knowledge containing instructions on how to perform a
as the target of the spell instead.
graft.
A creature’s body usually tries to reject a fiendish graft
as the unholy nature of the body part places great physical
stress on the host. When a creature attains a fiendish
graft, they gain a level of exhaustion and must
succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or fall
unconscious for 1d8 hours. If they fail the saving throw by
5 or more, the graft fails and both body parts are lost.
A creature can only have a number of fiendish grafts
equal to their Constitution modifier. Attempting to exceed
this number results in a failed graft and the death of the
target creature, as their body becomes overwhelmed by
unbearable trauma inflicted upon it.

Devil’s Eye
This eye’s sclera is blood red, with both the iris and pupil
being an indistinguishable inky black. In darkness, the
pupil gives off a red glow like burning coals.
You gain darkvision to 60 feet, and magical darkness
doesn’t impede your vision for this distance.
If you have both of your eyes replaced with devil’s eyes,
your darkvision range and sight through magical darkness
increases to 120 feet.

Infernal Stinger
This dark red tail is curved and poised like a scorpion’s,
with a large bulbous stinger on the end. The stinger
functions as a natural weapon with which you can make
unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing
damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, and the
target must make a DC13 Constitution saving throw. On a
failure it takes an additional 2d6 poison damage.

Wings of the Fiend

These wings come in many shapes and sizes depending on
the fiend they originate from; a pit fiend’s wings are large
and leathery, while those of an ice devil are insect-like.
You gain a fly speed of 60 feet.

Arm of the Fiend

This muscled arm is dark red with skin like tough leather
hide, and each finger is tipped with a hooked claw-like nail.
Your Strength score increases by 2, to a maximum of 22,
and your claw can be used as a natural weapon with which
you can make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal
slashing damage equal to 1d8 + your Strength modifier.
In addition, you learn the produce flame cantrip, and
once per day you can cast the fireball spell without
expending a spell slot. Constitution is your spellcasting
ability modifier for these spells.

Abyssal Proboscis
Your mouth is replaced with a long, piercing proboscis that
extends up to two feet from your face. You cannot speak or
eat solid food, and must find other ways to communicate
and source nutrition.
As an action you can attack a creature with your
proboscis, piercing the creature’s flesh and draining its life
force. The proboscis is a natural weapon that you are
proficient with and uses your Strength modifier for attack
and damage rolls. When you hit with it, you deal piercing
damage equal to 2d6 + your Strength modifier plus an
additional 2d6 necrotic damage.
Once per day, you can spend 10 minutes draining the life
force from a deceased creature that is not undead, reducing
its body to an empty husk. Doing so grants you temporary
hit points equal to your level and provides you with enough
nourishment to sustain you for 1 day.
 Chapter 2
Fiendish Subclasses
This chapter details four new subclasses for players to use: Fiendish Constitution. You have resistance to poison
the College of Heartbreakers for the bard, the Circle of damage, and have advantage on saving throws against
Desolation for the druid and Oath of Hellfire for the being poisoned. If you are poisoned when you enter your
paladin. While these subclasses have been designed with rage, the effect is suspended for the duration of the rage.
the Nine Hells and Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus in Fiendish Vision. You gain a darkvision of 60 ft. If you
mind, they can be used in any campaign. already have darkvision, its range increases by 30ft.
Quasit Invisibility. As a reaction to taking damage, you
Path of Abyssal Fury can instantly turn invisible. You remain invisible until the
end of your next turn or until you make an attack. Once
The bloodlust and fury harboured by the demons of the you use this feature, you cannot do so until you finish a
Abyss is unmatched in all the planes. A barbarian who has short rest.
chosen the Path of Abyssal Fury has chosen to sacrifice
Savage Leap. While raging, your maximum long jump
their humanity to channel the dark and destructive power
distance is 30 feet and your maximum high jump distance
that only demons offer.
is 20 feet when you have a running start.
A barbarian belonging to this path may resent or
Spider Climb. You can climb difficult surfaces, including
embrace their powers. Many cultists choose to embark
on walls and ceilings, without need to make an ability
upon this dark path of their own volition, while others may
check. You can also cast the web spell once between long
have it forced upon them by a curse or diabolical
rests without expending a spell slot.
experiment. There are even cases of demons possessing
Vrock Wings. You grow a pair of feathered wings that
mortal creatures from an early age, lying dormant within
allow you to glide. You can use your reaction to reduce any
their consciousness and urging them to give into anger and
fall damage you take to 0.
grant them control, waiting for that moment when they can
Wretched Stink. While you are raging, when a creature
begin to sow chaos and discord.
ends its turn within 10 feet of you it must succeed on a
Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 poison damage.
Path of Abyssal Fury Features Once a creature succeeds against this saving throw, it
Barbarian Level Features becomes immune to the effects of your Wretched Stink for
3rd Abyssal Influence, Demonic Gifts 1 hour.
This damage increases to 1d8 at 5th level, 1d10 at 10th
6th Demonic Resistance (Third Demonic Gift)
level and 1d12 at 20th level.
10th Resilience of the Abyss (Fourth Demonic Gift)
14th Greater Demonic Gifts Demonic Resistance
Starting at 6th level, you have resistance to cold, fire and
Abyssal Influence lightning damage while you are raging.
At 3rd level, the influence of your demonic curse begins to
manifest. You learn to speak and write Abyssal. Resilience of the Abyss
Your body has been subject to the horrible influence of the
Demonic Gifts Abyss for so long it has has adapted to withstand even the
Starting at 3rd level, you can channel the dark influence of most dire conditions of that plane. Starting at 10th level,
the Abyss to warp your physical form. At 3rd level, you gain you suffer no negative effects from having one level of
two of the demonic gift options below. You gain one exhaustion (you suffer from subsequent levels of
additional demonic gift at 6th and 10th level. If a gift’s effect exhaustion as normal). Additionally, your exposure to the
requires a creature to make a saving throw, the DC equals horrors of the Abyss gives you advantage on saving throws
8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. against being frightened.
You can change one demonic gift you posses for another
whenever you finish a long rest. Greater Demonic Gifts
Demonic Weapons. You grow fiendish natural weapons. At 14th level, your despicable transformations become
They can be anything from a set of claws or a spiked tail to more potent. You can choose to change one of your
a tentacle or hooves etc. Regardless of its form, these Demonic Gifts whenever you finish a short rest. In
natural weapons can be used as unarmed strikes. On a hit, addition, you can choose to gain one of the following
the natural weapon deals 1d8 + your Strength modifier Greater Demonic Gifts. You can change which Greater
damage. You can choose whether it does bludgeoning, Demonic Gift you possess whenever you finish a long rest.
piercing or slashing damage, dependent on what form it Balor’s Wings. You gain a fly speed equal to your walking
takes. speed.
Additionally, when you use your Reckless Attack feature, Fire Aura. While you are raging, when hostile a creature
your demonic weapons score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or ends its turn within 10 feet of you, it must make a
20. Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 fire damage on a failure,
Cloak of Darkness. You can take the Hide action as a or half as much on a success.
bonus action while in dim light or darkness. Greater Fiendish Sight. You gain truesight to 30 feet
while raging.
 Toxic Aura. You can emit poisonous spores or gas from enchantment spell of 1st level of higher that you are
your altered form. As an action, all creatures within 10ft of concentrating on. The effect of that charm or spell
you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, immediately ends on that creature, and it takes psychic
they take 2d10 poison damage and are poisoned for 1 damage equal to the result of your bardic inspiration die +
minute. At the end of each of their turns, they can repeat your bard level + your Charisma modifier. You then gain
the saving throw, ending the condition on a success. On a temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt.
successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and
isn’t poisoned. Pursuasive Words
As of 6th level, you can communicate telepathically with all
College of Heartbreakers creatures charmed by you regardless of distance, so long as
you are on the same plane of existence.
Bard’s belonging the College of Heartbreakers know better In addition, when a creature attempts to re-make a save
than most the fickle nature of the mortal heart. It is said against a charm effect or enchantment spell of 1st level or
that long ago curious incubus and succubus made their higher that you cast, you can attempt to exert your
way to the material plane, using their fiendish charm and persuasive influence over them. As a reaction, you can
powers of seduction to bend smitten mortals to their will. make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception)
Soon enough avaricious mortals saw an opportunity to check contested by the targets Wisdom (Insight) check. On
learn from the fiends and, from there, the College of a success, the creature has disadvantage on the saving
Heartbreakers was founded. It’s members seek to benefit throw. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again
from playing the strings of the human heart, usually with until you finish a short or long rest.
little care for their victims emotional, or physical well being.
Members of this college like to keep their affiliation a Anything You Want Me To Be
secret, for if the game is known – the game is lost. These
Starting at 14th level, you have become an expert at
bards are charming schemers and masters of seduction
reading the desires of the heart and can mould your
who prey on the innocent and vulnerable. However, given
appearance to suit the exact preferences of those around
the chance, even those who know better can be taken in by you. You can cast the alter self spell at will.
their honeyed words and good looks. They do not always Additionally, as an action, you can force a creature you
ignite desire, often a heart can be tempted equally by can see within 60 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving
promise of companionship or opportunity. But one can be throw against your spell save DC. On a failure you learn
assured that as soon as the bard has gotten what they what physical form would most appeal to that creature, as
wanted they disappear, leaving only a trail of broken hearts well as how to behave to best court their favour. This gives
behind them. you advantage on all Charisma checks against them for the
next 24 hours. If the target succeeds the save they are
College of Heartbreakers Features immune to this ability for the next 24 hours.

Druid Level Features

1st Promises of Sweet Nothings, Heartbreak
6th Persuasive Words
14th Anything You Want Me To Be

Promises of Sweet Nothings

Starting at 3rd level, you develop the smooth tongue and
quick wit that are the tools of the trade for many fiends. If
you speak to a humanoid alone for at least 1 minute, they
become susceptible to your enthralling influence. At the
end of the conversation, the target must succeed a Wisdom
saving throw against your spell save DC or become
charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target is
infatuated with you, obeying your commands to the best of
it’s ability in an attempt to please you. The target is
charmed in this way for 1 hour, until it is attacked or
damaged, or until it witnesses it’s allies being attacked or
damaged. If you ask them to do something that would
endanger them, or something uncharacteristic of their
personality, they can remake the Wisdom saving throw,
ending the effects of your charm on a success.
If the target succeeds it’s saving throw, it has no hint
that you tried to charm it.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until
you finish a short or long rest.

Heartbreak
At 3rd level, you can use your callous magic to emotionally
wound creatures infatuated with you. As a bonus action,
you can expend one use of your bardic inspiration. Choose
one creature charmed by you or under the effects of an
 Also as an action, you can touch an already deceased
creature or plant and reduce it to dust. When you do so,
you gain temporary hit points equal to your druid level. You
must complete a short or long rest before you can gain
temporary hit points from this feature again.
The damage of your blighted touch increases as you gain
levels in this class: to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level and
4d8 at 17th level.

Plague Swarm
Your hunger to devour all life allows you to transform into a
consuming, insectoid swarm. When you choose this circle
at 2nd level, you can use your Wild Shape feature to
transform into a Swarm of Insects (you ignore the Max. CR
column of the Beast Shapes table, but still abide by the
other limitations there). When you are in this form, your hit
points equal 4 times your druid level or the average hit
points of the swarm, whichever is higher. In addition, as a
reaction to being hit by an attack, you can use your Wild
Shape to immediately transform into a Swarm of Insects.

Aura of Decay
When you reach 6th level, rot and destruction follow you
wherever you go. As a bonus action, you can conjure an
aura of decay in a 20-foot radius centred on you that moves
with you for 1 minute. All natural plants and terrain that
enter your aura wither and die, allowing you to move
Circle of Desolation through them without being slowed or taking damage from
them if they had spines, thorns, or a similar hazard.
Death is just another part of life. Druids belonging to the
In addition, hostile creatures cannot regain hit points
Circle of Desolation exemplify this philosophy, believing
while in your aura, and must succeed on a Constitution
that all things must end and that the natural world is
saving throw at the start of each of their turns or take
doomed to fall to ruin. These druids thrive where life does
necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
not, in planes of barren wasteland, blight-filled forests or
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until
plague-ridden countries. Where suffering, struggle and
you finish a short or long rest.
death of the natural world can be found, a Circle of
Desolation druid is sure to be nearby.
These druids are often seen as the harbingers of Presence of Pestilence
misfortune and are shunned by other druids, who view Starting at 10th level, sickness and infection have bound
them as abominations and the antithesis of everything a themselves to your very essence. You no longer need to food
druid is supposed to represent. Circle of Desolation druids or drink to survive and are immune to disease and poison.
do not bring death however, they simply follow it. They have You can also cast the detect poison and disease spell at-will
an uncanny sense for when it is time for something to without expending a spell slot.
perish, and move to follow the trail of decay as it snakes its In addition, as an action, you can touch one piece of food
way across the land. On occasion they are known to aid in or drink and poison it for 1 hour. A creature that consumes
this process, usually in circumstances where some other the food or drink in that time must succeed on a
force is acting to prevent what they believe to be the Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or
natural and rightful decay of the world. become poisoned and afflicted by one of the following
additional effects of your choice:

Circle of Desolation Features • While poisoned, the creature takes 1d4 poison damage
Druid Level Features at the end of each of it’s turns.
1st Blighted Touch, Plague Swarm • While poisoned, the creature’s movement speed is
6th Aura of Decay reduced to 0.

10th Presence of Pestilence

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each
14th Curse of the Diseased of it’s turns, ending the poisoned condition on a success.
Only one piece of food or drink can be poisoned in this way
Blighted Touch at a time, if you use this feature again the first piece of food
Your touch can mar any living thing and bring it closer to or drink becomes safe to eat.
decay. At 2nd level, as an action, you can make a melee
spell attack against a creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit Versatile Damage Types
they take necrotic damage equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting Circle of Desolation druids use necrotic damage as their primary
ability modifier. This feature has no effect on undead or damage type, but this may not make sense for all character concepts.
A Circle of Desolation druid native to the Nine Hells may burn life
constructs. If you target a plant creature or magical plant, around it to ash, rather reduce it to dust. Therefore, it makes sense
you have advantage on the attack roll, and this feature for their Blighted Touch and Aura of Decay features to deal fire
deals maximum damage to it. damage instead of necrotic damage. Likewise, if a player wants their
character to focus on the poison and disease aspect of the subclass,
allowing them to deal poison damage instead of necrotic may help
with their immersion.
Curse of the Diseased beyond that. If the weapon is not already magical, it
At 14th level, you can exacerbate all the afflictions of the becomes magical for the duration.
lifeforms around you. As an action, all creatures of your This effect ends if you are no longer carrying or holding
choice within 60 feet of you who are either poisoned or this weapon, if you fall unconscious, or you choose to end
diseased must make a Constitution saving throw. On a it on your turn (no action required).
failed save, they take 10d6 necrotic damage and are Devil’s Tongue. As an action, you can use your Channel
incapacitated until the end of your next turn. On a Divinity to bless yourself with the wit and charm of a devil.
successful save they take half as much damage and aren’t For 10 minutes you have advantage on all Charisma ability
incapacitated. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so checks. In addition, during this time no matter what you
again until after you finish a long rest. say, magic that would determine if you are telling the truth
indicates you are being truthful, if you so choose, and you
can’t be compelled to tell the truth by magic.
Oath of Hellfire
Paladins who take the Oath of Hellfire have sworn to serve Oath Spells
a devilish master from the Nine Hells. Some dedicate their You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.
life to service of a specific devil, others pledge allegiance to
the Nine Hells themselves. The ultimate purpose of taking
this oath varies from paladin to paladin, but most
Oath of Hellfire
commonly it is a part of a pursuit for greater power that Paladin Level Spells
only the Nine Hells can provide. The most ‘noble’ of hellish 3rd cause fear, hellish rebuke
paladins call themselves Hellknights, and usually serve
5th darkness, enthrall
masters such as the archduchess Zariel, Bel or one of the
Dark Eight. These paladins have thrown themselves, quite 9th enemies abound, fear
literally, heart and soul behind the cause of the Blood War. 13th compulsion, wall of fire
Some fight on it’s front lines, while others traverse the 17th destructive wave, planar binding
material plane looking to claim souls to join their conquest
in death.
Fiendish Smite
Starting at 3rd level, your divine strikes are no longer
Oath of Hellfire Features fuelled by holy energy and instead channel the dark magic
Paladin Level Features of the Nine Hells. When you use your Divine Smite feature,
you deal fire or necrotic damage (your choice) instead of
3rd Oath Spells, Channel Divinity, Fiendish Smite
radiant. You may choose which damage type to use each
7th Aura of Devil’s Sight (10 ft.) time you use your Divine Smite feature.
15th Presence of Pestilence
18th Aura of Devil’s Sight (30 ft.) Aura of Devil’s Sight
20th Hellknight You emit a hellish aura that imbues those around you with
a sliver of fiendish power. You and all friendly creatures
within 10 feet of you gain darkvision to 60 feet and can see
Tenets of Hellfire
through magical darkness.
Just like the laws of devils, the tenets of the Oath of Hellfire
At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
are absolute. The exact tenets may vary depending on the
goals of each paladin but, once they are spoken, they blind
the paladin even in death.
Hellfire Retaliation
Further the Cause of Hell. The cause of the devils in Starting at 15th level, when a creature hits you with an
attack you can use your reaction to explode in a ball of
the Nine Hells is just. Without their ceaseless protection
hellish flames. All hostile creatures within 10 feet of you
the multiverse would crumble before the demonic threat.
must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save
Seek to propagate and represent the strength of the hells in
DC. On a failure they take 6d6 fire damage, or half as
every action you take.
much on a success. You can use this feature a number of
Corrupt Souls. The only great war takes place in
times equal to your Charisma modifier, regaining all
Avernus. Many worthless souls on the material plane can
expended uses on a long rest.
be put to better use fighting below. Do everything you can
to tempt those souls to join your cause.
Servant of Fiends. If a higher power commands you to
Hellknight
act, you do so unflinchingly. You are but a humble pawn in At 20th level, you have completed your transformation into
a a great and eternal war. One day, your impeccable service a hell-knight and enforcer of the fiendish cause. As an
will be rewarded. action, you channel the fires of hell into your body and gain
the following benefits:
Channel Divinity • You gain darkvision to 120 feet, and can see through
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following
magical darkness for that distance.
two channel divinity options.
• You add your Charisma modifier to your armour class.
Hellfire Weapon. As an action, you can call forth the • When you deal fire damage, you deal the maximum
fires of hell and imbue them into one weapon you are amount possible.
holding using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add
your Charisma modifier to damage rolls made with that Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you
weapon (with a minimum bonus of +1). The weapon also finish a long rest.
emits a bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light 20 feet
 Chapter 3
Devilish Denizens
The Nine Hells are home to some of the most corrupt and demanded more attention than the Lord’s of the Nine were
malicious beings in the multiverse. Everything from your able to give it. The rest of the Eight were selected by
run-of-the-mill scheming fiends to imprisoned gods can be Cantrum from his fiendish ranks, devils he deemed to be
found within it’s sprawling layers. The NPCs and factions ambitious, cunning and resourceful enough to lead their
listed in this chapter are based in Avernus, the first layer of side to victory. For centuries, under Cantrum’s guidance,
the Nine Hells, but feel free to use them anywhere they fit the Dark Eight were a terrifying force for change, not only
in your campaign. Some of these NPCs have stat blocks in the Blood War, but throughout the Nine Hells. At their
and further details, such as the Dark Eight, which you can peak, there were even whispers they could challenge the
find in Chapter 5. Lords of the Nine – something that should never be
possible in the infernal hierarchy.
Perhaps it was for this reason that their reign of
The Dark Eight dominance had to end. The night before Cantrum and the
The Blood War is the greatest conflict in the multiverse; an Eight were planning to execute a potentially war-ending
eternal struggle for power between the two most vile and assault into The Abyss, a squad of abishai assassins, sent
malevolent forces in the cosmos. Demons sail down the by Tiamat, murdered Cantrum in his own chambers. They
River Styx from The Abyss and are greeted by legions of plucked a celestial dagger from the body of a paladin
devils on it’s shores in Avernus. Those who are not well named Ra-Than and bathed it in the flames of Tiamat
versed in infernal law can be forgiven for assuming that the before plunging the weapon into Cantrum’s chest, killing
devilish forces are lead by the most powerful and well- him instantly. The great general’s blood warped the divine
known fiends in Baator; the Lords of the Nine. But this is essence of the blade, which was already corrupted by the
not the case. Asmodeus has tasked the Nine with Dragon Queen’s breath.
overseeing their respective layers of hell, a significant task Why Tiamat chose to slay Cantrum is still speculated to
in itself. Their spare time is occupied thwarting schemes to this day. Some say that he planned to bring the Blood War
overthrow them whilst plotting against their rivals in turn. into her territory, dragging her into a war she has little
While the Nine participate, they do not lead this war. That interest in fighting. Infernal scholars point to the celestial
is a task left to the great generals of hell; the Dark Eight. enchantments on the weapon as evidence of upper planar
meddling. Others believe that Tiamat was bribed by one of
Generals of the Eternal War the Lords of the Nine who couldn’t stand openly against the
The Dark Eight hold a unique position in the infernal Eight and the weapon was simply a decoy. The most
hierarchy. They are pit fiends who possess rank and power conspiratorial, however, is the belief that Asmodeus himself
well above the rest of their kind, but less than that of an had Cantrum killed.
archdevil. As such, they are considered by most to be The theory goes that Cantrum’s plan was so clever it
ascended pit fiends. Each possesses a sharp tactical mind actually had the potential to succeeded and permanently
and wields great influence in the hells, enough that not cripple the demonic forces. This would have opened the
even the Lords of the Nine can ignore their will. doors to an end for the Blood War. If that were to happen,
Each of the Eight oversee a crucial aspect of the devil’s Asmodeus would be asked to surrender his position as the
plan for the Blood War and personally leads a legion of leader of the Nine Hells. This is something that he would
fiends from each of the nine layers of hell (excluding never do, and as such would lead to a potentially even more
Nessus, which Asmodeus manages alone). Their duties destructive war with the upper planes. Fools who speak
include everything from ensuring troops have adequate this theory out loud are few and far between. Such
supplies and weaponry to keeping morale high against the slanderous conspiracies against Asmodeus tend to deny
innumerable hordes of the Abyss. you promotion, but these theorists have one solid and
The Eight reportedly meet four times a year in Malsheem, irrefutable piece of evidence on their side. Tiamat was
a titanic fortress in Nessus where they discuss never punished for her transgression.
developments and potential new tactics for the Blood War The Dark Eight chose to never replace their revered
with Asmodeus himself. They are wholly dedicated to the leader. Instead, they swore to follow his teachings and take
cause of the war and stopping the demonic incursion at on the mantle of the war themselves. The Eight have
any cost. They devote all of their time and effort towards undoubtedly done great things for the war in the millennia
achieving this goal, mostly unburdened by the political since, but many believe they will never again reach the
baggage that weighs down the rest of the nine hells. same glory as under the guiding hand of Cantrum.

Cantrum’s Legacy
Cantrum was the ninth member and revered leader of the
Dark Eight who was assassinated under mysterious
circumstances. History remembers him as not only one of
the greatest tactical minds of the Blood War, but also one of
the most feared and powerful generals in the entire
multiverse.
Cantrum was personally appointed by Asmodeus to lead
the Blood War when it became clear that the conflict
Symbols of the War replace them. If the offer is declined (which it rarely is) the
Heroism isn’t something that is typically associated with fiend is quickly eliminated to cover the evidence. Once a
fiends of the Nine Hells, who scorn virtue and condemn deal is made the promoted fiend is stripped of everything
altruism. But the Dark Eight represent something as close that made them unique and individual. They are broken
to virtue as you can find in the hells. They do not seek down into their barest essence and then reborn in a new
promotion or rulership, and tend to avoid the petty political body identical to the deceased member of the Eight. The
games of the plane. They are only interested in power, glory memories and experiences of the general and the newly-
on the battlefield and the eradication of the demon threat. promoted devil merge to form a single, new consciousness.
Many who believe in the tale of Asmodeus’ trial see the The result is a devil who looks identical to the deceased
Dark Eight as the first barrier standing between them and general, and who possesses their abilities and memories,
oblivion in the face of the demonic hordes. They have but is still a functionally distinct being. By this scheme the
dedicated their lives to defending the multiverse from Dark Eight are able to maintain the illusion of immortality
destruction – what could be more heroic than that? before their troops, while still evolving and adapting to new
Going to war under the leadership of one of the Dark developments in the war.
Eight is one of the greatest honours a lesser devil can Furcas and Zapan are the only two generals to have
achieve, and often puts them in good stead for promotion never perished throughout the entire history of the Blood
as the Eight reward strength and cunning over political War. For Furcas, this is because of his obsession with living
tact. While the Lords of the Nine are careful with their at all costs, while Zapan makes sure to keep a wide breadth
promotions so as to avoid empowering rivals who would of the front lines of the war at all times.
seek to topple them, the Eight are eternal and readily
promote any fiend who proves themselves on the battlefield.
That is not to say that the Eight shun the politics of the
Snikik
Long ago the gnome god Garl Glittergold stole a portion of
hells, however. They still wield power enough to rival
Tiamut’s treasure out from under her nose. To retrieve it
archdevils and influence to get what they want, when they
she sent Kurtulmak, the patron god of kobolds, a cunning
want it. An archdevil that lacks the support of the Dark
but not particularly wise deity. By enticing Kurtulmak to
Eight will quickly find unrest in their ranks and avenues to
anger, Garl was able to trap him in a series of impossibly
new power closed. Zariel is the current victim of the Eight’s
convoluted catacombs and then sealed the exits. To this
political bullying. Bel, the previous ruler of Avernus, had a
day, Kurtulmak remains trapped in those tunnels, vowing
strong relationship with the Dark Eight and they did not
to one day return and take his vengeance on all of gnome-
take well to him being spontaneously disposed in favour of
kind.
a traitorous angel. The Eight are another challenge the new
duchess of Avernus must face in her road to conquest. Snikik is a Kobold Scale Sorcerer currently in charge of
a group of roaming kobolds who call themselves the Order
of the Bounding Scales (more because it sounds
Same Name, Different Devil
authoritative than any understanding of what an order
The Dark Eight are infamous throughout the multiverse as
actually is). The Order was originally created to find a way
immortal beings who thrive on warfare and bloodshed.
to free Kurtulmak, but in the many years that have elapsed
They have stood at the helm of the Blood War since it’s
since his imprisonment these kobolds have all but forgotten
inception and will continue to fight in the war until the day
their founding purpose. They are now nothing more than
it ends. But, with two notable exceptions, the Eight devils
band of roaming bandits.
that live today are not the same Eight that were appointed
Snikik is a prideful but cowardly leader who wormed his
by Cantrum all those years ago. Their immortality is a
way into leadership by taking advantage of others’
facade constructed by Zimimar, a necessary deceit to
misfortune and claiming credit for others’ successes.
maintain the illusion of unity and strength among the
Recently, he has set his mind on asserting himself as a
Hells’ greatest generals.
warlord of the Avernus wasteland, challenging the other
If a member of the Dark Eight ever dies on the battlefield
warlords to wars for the rights to their territory. It was one
a suitable devil from their ranks, usually one of their high
such challenge that lead him into conflict with
commanders or confidants, is immediately promoted to
 to a location in order to devour all life in it. During her
travels she hopes to uncover a way to free Crokek’toeck,
Yeenoghu’s pet, who will help her reduce Avernus to a truly
lifeless waste.
Yee-Nee, Hunger’s second in command, is a Gnoll Fang
of Yeenoghu whose mind was injured during the demon
lord’s assault on Avernus. This has rendered him dumb
and even less capable of rational thought than the average
gnoll, but also more savage. He listens only to Hunger,
whom he still recognises as superior, but quickly attacks
any other creature he views as a source of food. The only
reason Hunger keeps him around is because he can
summon more gnolls to replace those who perish, ensuring
that the warband survives,

The Howling Famine

Hunger and Yee-Nee’s warband has managed to procure
two Demon Grinders which they have named Yeenoghu’s
Jaw and Yeenoghu’s Jaw II (gnolls are not the most creative
creatures). Hunger usually rides in Jaw I, while Yee-Nee
charges with the Jaw II, and each is filled with enough
gnolls to drive each vehicle. Each machine is fitted with
drums made from the tanned skin of a barlgura (see
Instruments of War in Chapter 1) that they use to herald
their arrival, accompanied by their chilling war chant.

Bitterbreath, who so terrified the cowardly kobold that General Bross

Snikik now avoids him at all costs.
The fire giant General Bross knows one thing and one
The warlords see Snikik and his Bounding Scales as little
thing only – metalwork. He has spent his entire life in some
more than a pathetic joke and pay them no mind. However,
of the greatest of forges in the multiverse, and burns with
Snikik’s hugely inflated sense of self-importance refuses to
an unquenchable desire to improve his craft. He strives to
acknowledge this fact and he continues to refer to himself
one day be the best known giant smith in all the planes.
as a mighty warlord at every opportunity. He even goes as
However his ambitions took a turn for the worst when they
far as falsely claiming alliances with the other warlords –
lead him into the service of Dispater, the Lord of the
when whoever he is talking to isn’t likely to know better.
Second on Dis. The archdevil promised that working in his
hellish forges would be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Order of the Bounding Scales However, he then proceeded to use Bross as little more
The Order Snikik leads is so-called because, unlike the than hired muscle, stoking the forge’s flames while the
warlords he emulates, Snikik has been unable to steal an paranoid Lord’s confidants performed all the serious
infernal war machine. Instead, he and his inventors have metalwork. Infuriated and insulted at this slight against his
created a strange new magic item known as an infernal skill, Bross broke his contract and fled from Dis to Avernus
pogo (see Chapter 6 for details). It is not an efficient means where he was contacted by yet another archdevil – Bel, the
of travel, but certainly makes their targets look twice at newly disposed Lord of the First.
them. At any given time, the Order of the Bounding Scales Bel offered Bross significantly improved terms over
consists of Snikik, 3d4 kobold inventors, 2d4 kobold Dispater. He not only promised to wipe clean Bross’ duties
dragonshields, and 6d10 kobolds, all riding infernal owed to the Lord of the Second, but provided the fire giant
pogos. with men enough to build a forge worthy of, as he put it,
“the might and grandeur of Surtr”. While Bross was
suspicious, the giant was once again tempted by the
Hunger and Yee-Nee archdevil’s offerings and accepted. However once the forge
When Yeenoghu was beaten from Avernus by Zariel, he left was complete, Bross realised that nothing he created in the
countless of his gnoll followers behind. Zariel’s forces wiped flames of his new home could be branded with his
most of them out, but some survived and united to form a craftmark – the unique sign that craftsmen use to identify
war band known as the Howling Famine. They now roam their work as their own. Under contract, Bel owned the
the wastes of Avernus devouring all in their path, led by giant’s forge and everything it produces, and Bross would
their savage leaders; Hunger and Yee-Nee. be unable to claim the credit for his creations.
Hunger is a flind who still remains loyal to Yeenoghu Furious that he had, once more, been tricked and now
after all these years, and eagerly awaits her master’s faced a lifetime of thankless work that would do nothing to
return. She believes this will only happen when only those further his ambition, the fire giant broke his contract again
worthy of his hunger and fury remain on Avernus. She has and fled the volcano – which is now known as Bel’s Forge.
hideous, infected burns down one side of her face from a However, the magic of the archdevil’s pact prevents Bross
conflict with Princeps Kovik, towards whom she harbours a from leaving Avernus, and so the embittered giant has been
deep and seething hatred. The two warlords are rivals and wandering it’s wastes in search of a means to break his
will attempt to destroy each other on sight. infernal bindings. Currently, he is hiding out in the ruined
Hunger is the so-called brains of the warband’s city of Darkspine (see Chapter 4).
operation, even if their plans rarely move beyond travelling
 Chapter 4
Hellish Encounters
This chapter provides new locations for dungeon masters to mortals and dispatches his discontented second-in-
use in their Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus campaigns, command, Akthox the bone devil, to deal with them
or any campaign involving the Nine Hells. instead. Akthox flies over, accompanied by three pain
devils to investigate the party and their reasons for being

The Maggot Pit at the pit. If they are simply exploring, Akthox sees an
opportunity and offers to show them around the pit as a
When the characters arrive at this location, read or ‘tour’ (“we don’t get a lot of visitors to this stinking place”,
paraphrase the following boxed text to the players: “it would be my pleasure to do something other than goad
around these incompetent fools”). His goal, however, is to
A spiralling vortex of black cloud and flame breaks through the red get the characters close enough to the edge of the pit to
Avernus sky, descending into a massive rift in the earth that yawns push them in and let the maggots devour them. If the
open like a hungry jaw. This fissure is at least a mile across and characters want to meet with Zaebos, Akthox refuses
filled to the brim with writhing, screaming white maggots that unless they possess a letter of introduction, and even then
wallow in a filthy gray sludge. Three raised walkways, fashioned he does so begrudgingly (many devils have been demoted
for interrupting Zaebos in the midst of her work).
from infernal iron, sit above the pit that leads to a large pyramid in
If a creature is pushed into the pit, their soul
it’s centre. Devils holding long nets walk along the walkways in
immediately begins to be devoured by the white maggots. A
patrols, scooping up misshapen masses of the gray ooze.
creature that starts it’s turn in the pit must make a DC 14
Several stone strongholds dot the perimeter of the pit, with Charisma saving throw. On a failure it takes 10 (2d10)
numerous large carts with cages attached moving between the necrotic damage, or half as much on a success.
buildings, each carrying a dozen moaning lemures as cargo.

The Maggot Pit is where the souls of the dammed come to The Harvesting Strongholds
be transformed into lemures. The souls are pulled by the The strongholds are sturdy stone buildings that were built
vortex from elsewhere in the planes into Avernus, where long ago using petrified souls from the pit. Their twisted
they are slowly and painfully consumed by the white and anguished faces are forever trapped in its walls. The
maggots inside the pit, and stripped of any purity or good walls surrounding them are 20 feet high, have an AC of 20
they may have had. The maggots then excrete what and 40 hit points. Each stronghold is home to one bone
remains of the soul as a noxious gray waste that they then devil, 1d4 barbed devils and 3d6 pain devils. Half of the
wallow gleefully in. Some of that waste is strong enough to pain devils are out on patrol over the pit.
maintain it’s form, which cries out in lamentation and The strongholds themselves hold nothing of value and
agony at it’s situation, until it is eventually scooped out by are simply used as a barracks for the devils who man the
the pain devils that patrol the shores. pit. They are also a storage area and processing site for the
The large iron building in the center of the pit belong to lemures.
Zaebos, the Minister of Promotions of the Dark Eight. While

Zaebos’ Iron Pyramid

a majority of her records are in Maladomini, she often does
her work inside her private office here at the pit – she finds
the cacophonous screaming and moaning of the maggots Zaebos’ pyramid is made entirely from infernal iron, with
and lemures to be calming. no windows or entrance points other than a single set of
huge gold doors on the ground floor. If a creature wishes to
reach Zaebos, they would need to ascend through all four
Approaching the Pit floors of the pyramid to reach her in her private office on
The Maggot Pit is one of the most revolting places in all the 5th floor. If the party has a letter of introduction,
Avernus, filled with such overwhelming evil that many can’t Akthox leads them through the four floors without harm.
stomach it. Creatures of neutral or good alignment sense Otherwise all the devils in the pyramid descend upon
an uncomfortable aura of corruption emanating from the them, knocking them unconscious and then throwing them
pit which becomes almost palpable the closer they get. If into the Maggot Pit.
they come within 1,000 feet of the pit they must succeed • The first floor is one huge open space filled with 5d6
on a DC13 Constitution saving throw or keel over and imps, 3d10 spined devils and 3d10 barbed devils. All
throw up, becoming incapacitated until they are an
the devils are in a rush, and can be seen ferrying
adequate distance away from the pit. A creature can
papers and tomes of bureaucratic records throughout
remake this saving throw at the end of each of their turns,
the floor. There are two large staircases against the
and once a creature succeeds on it they are immune to the
east wall of the pyramid, and a huge, roaring fireplace
effects of the pit for 24 hours.
20 feet wide on the south wall. The fireplace is lit and
The pit is patrolled by devils whose job it is to scoop up
devils frequently emerge from and disappear into it.
lemures and deliver them to the archdevils whom their
The fireplace is a permanent portal to Zaebos’ offices
souls are promised to, or else they are delivered to Zariel
in Maladomini, but will not function for any creature
for use in the blood war. If the characters approach without
that is not a devil. In addition, the flames are real and
concealing themselves, a horned devil stronghold will burn any creature that steps into them for 1d6 fire
supervisor, named Batrisker, becomes aware of the party’s damage.
presence. He is too lazy to bother with some wandering
• The second floor is maze of tiny, isolated cubicles filled both prideful and slothful, and maintains the tavern only
with 5d4 barbed devils and 1d6 horned devils so he can preserve the guise of doing his job of intelligence
hunched over wrought-iron desks doing mind- gathering for the Dark Eight. He spends his days sleeping,
numbing paperwork. The sounds of scratching on bullying his imp servants and writing what he believes will
parchment, stamping and disgruntled sighs are the be the next great infernal novel. The yet-untitled book stars
only sounds heard on this floor. These devils are a misunderstood horned devil who is constantly overlooked
particularly bored and will leap at any opportunity to for promotions due to the unfair scheming of others and
start a fight. through no fault of his own. The novel culminates in the
• The third floor is Zaebos’ private office, guarded by two devil breaking free of the infernal hierarchy, falling in love
erinyes’. Inside, Zaebos sits at her desk busy at work with a beautiful erinyes and the two of them confronting
combing through Zariel’s recent report of her devil Asmodeus and destroying the Pact Primeval. It is not well
promotions. She is trying to find an inconsistency she written. But, if pressed, Jebelam is eager to show it off to
can punish the archduchess for (for more information the characters and he is liable to prattle on endlessly about
on Zaebos see Chapter 5). She has little patience for the nuances of his literary style that “material minds
the characters and is visibly impatient with their simply cannot capture”.
arrival. When they explain their situation, Zaebos Presently, however, Jebelam is frustrated by the presence
comes to a similar conclusion as Bel, and sends the of the fugitive fire giants General Brosss who is holding up
characters off to retrieve the adamantine rods from the in the ruins of the city’s town hall (for more information
wrecked flying fortress (if you use Zaebos in place of pertaining to Bross, see Chapter 3). Jebelam has informed
Bel for this part of the story, she may be the one who Zaebos of the Dark Eight of the giant’s presence. The
has the Sibriex imprisoned). general is aware of Bel and Bross’ history together and
plans to quickly inform the disposed lord of his defectors
whereabouts. But things are not moving fast enough for
Darkspine Jebelam, who wants the insubordinate giant gone so he
When the characters approach this location, read or can continue to write in peace. He offers to compensate the
paraphrase the following boxed text to the players: party with gold or soul coins for disposing of the “arrogant
brute”, but may also choose to divulge information about
Avernus and it’s inhabitants as a reward if the characters
You approach a ruined, lifeless city that appears to be nothing
reveal their interest in it. He will offer nothing, however,
more than a husk of it’s former glory. Where once towering until the job is done.
buildings and extravagant statues stood, there are now only piles
of rubble and detritus that were looted long ago. Only a single
tavern appears to be intact, but is nonetheless neglected by it’s Dealing With Bross
owner. The ground beneath your feet shakes slightly, and you can General Bross has been camping in the wreckage of the
make out the shape of a huge humanoid moving amongst the towns meeting hall for around a week, planning his next
remains of what was once a town hall. move and using the little cover provided to him by the
collapsing buildings to hide from Bel’s spies (see Chapter 3
This ruined city was once located in the Outlands before, for more information on General Bross). If the characters
just like Eltruel, it was pulled down into the hells by greedy approach him looking for a fight, he retaliates in full force.
demons eager to plunder the souls of it’s inhabitants. In it’s Even if they approach him carefully and without
prime it was a key trade city for the hells, functioning as confrontation, he still draws his weapon on them and
the only direct connection between the hells and the rest of attacks, believing them to be assassins sent by Bel to kill
the multiverse via the neutral territory of the Outlands. him.
Now it serves as a grim reminder of what could happen to If the characters successfully calm down the giant by
Eltruel if the characters abandon it. convincing him they aren’t spies of Bel or another archdevil
(possibly by citing the fact that they are mortals and not
devils), Bross explains his predicament to them. His
The Pig and Poke ultimate goal is to either escape from Avernus or take back
The city has only one permanent resident, a reclusive Bel’s Forge, which he refuses to acknowledge as the devil’s
horned devil named Jebelam who runs a barely and instead calls it “my forge”. He was planning to depart
functioning tavern known as the Pig and Poke. Jebelam is from Darkspine temporarily the next day to investigate
 what he believes to be a crash site of a Flame Screamer will come looking for them. When she finds them she will
(see Chapter 1) that he saw go down the night before. He is undoubtedly demote them, and so they are simply waiting,
willing to offer the party an upgrade to their own infernal resigned to their fate. The devils are hostile to the
war machine if they go and investigate it for him, as he characters when they approach and try to defend what
does not want to risk being observed by Bel’s spies. cargo they have left. They fight to the death, for them it is
If the party reveals that they have some way of getting an better to die trying to defend the weapons than face
audience with Bel, or otherwise into his forge, the giant demotion from Baaelzephon. If it looks like they are going
asks them to consider setting free the four fire giants who to lose, one of them smashes the remaining engine and
are still trapped in the forge. General Bross forged the releases the fire elemental trapped inside. The elemental
shackles that bind the giants, and designed them with a attacks all creatures indiscriminately, however the devils
master command word that would free whoever was bound are immune to it’s fire attacks and thus pay it no mind.
by them when he started to suspect that they may one day If the characters possess an infernal war machine the
be used to bind him. When the words “Freedom is the devils instead try to bargain with them, claiming that
Greatest Weapon” is spoken aloud in Giant while the Baaelzephon will reward them for delivering the weapons to
shackles are within 60 feet of the speaker, the shackles their destination. In this instance they see the characters
unlock and free the giants of their imprisonment and as their one way out of this situation, and will do and say
bindings to Bel. If the characters convince him they will do whatever they need to in order to get the weapons to
their best to free his friends, either through a DC 16 Baaelzephon at Camp Bloodlust.
Persuasion or Deception check, Bross gives them a helm of
teleportation (see Dungeon Master’s Guide) to help them
with their escape.
Developments
After the characters have dealt with the devils, either by
making a deal with them or killing them, a rival war band
Developments arrives hoping to salvage scrap from the crash. This could
The characters can choose to either free the giants on their be one of the warlords listed in Baldur’s Gate: Descent into
first visit to Bel’s Forge, or on their return trip once they Avernus or provided in Chapter 3 of this document.
posses the nine adamantine rods. When they do, the If the players resolve to deliver the weapons to
archdevil is furious at being tricked and immediately Baaelzephon, they will need to travel to Camp Bloodlust,
attempts to cast imprisonment on one of the party however other creatures they encounter advise them
members or the giants to subdue them. If a full fight strongly against this due to the locations proximity to the
breaks out, he calls down re-enforcements from upstairs in Blood War.
the form of a pit fiend and three ice devils.
The players may also choose to betray General Bross to
court Bel’s favor. Revealing where the rogue fire giant is
Treasure
hiding pleases Bel, and he rewards the characters with the A number of weapons can be found in and around the
hellfire weapons resting on the wall in his forge. crash site. If the characters search for them, all they can
If the characters return to Bross with at least one of the salvage are 3d6 longswords, 3d4 pikes, 1d4 war picks, 3d4
fire giants, he is astonished and enormously thankful to daggers, 1d4 shields, 2d6 spears, 1d10 mauls, 1d10
them. In exchange for their act of courage, Bross reveals to lances, 1d8 warhammers and a 1d4 barbazu glaives (see
them his pet project; a Soul Destroyer (see Chapter 1 for Chapter 6 for statistics).
more details). If the characters would rather keep their The characters can salvage scrap from the crashed war
current infernal war machine, he instead offers to upgrade machine, but the vehicle itself is far beyond repair. If they
their vehicle with two additions of their choice. They could choose to repair their own war machine using the scrap,
also convince him to repair the Flame Screamer (see their vehicle regains twice the amount of hit points as
Chapter 1) at the crash site for them, however that would normal due to the extra volume of materials. They can also
take significantly more time. remove the engine containing the fire elemental (if it is
intact) with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check, adding the
character’s proficiency if using a relevant tool. The engine
Screamer Crash Site can then be installed onto a different infernal war machine,
When the characters approach this location, read or giving the vehicle the benefits of Racing Flames (see
paraphrase the following boxed text to the players: Chapter 1 for more details). The engine can also be
destroyed as an action to release the fire elemental inside.

Weapons litter the ground as you emerge over a small rise to see a
still smoking crash site. The vehicle is clearly supposed to fly, with
one wing being blown completely off and the rest heavily damaged.
Three wounded devils are seated in a makeshift hut fashioned with
loose scrap from the vehicle.

The smoldering vehicle is a Flame Screamer (see Chapter 1)

that was struck by a fireball in midair, destroying one of it’s
wings. The pilot, a barbed devil named Corthic, as well as
two bearded devil crew members named Levyn and Forn,
survived. The devils were supposed to be transporting an
emergency shipment of weapons to the front lines of the
Blood War, and know that when the shipment doesn’t
arrive Baaelzephon, the Supply Master of the Dark Eight,
Camp Bloodlust
When the characters approach this location, read or
paraphrase the following boxed text to the players:

The first thing you notice is the silence. The area surrounding the
camp is barren of all life and movement for several miles. There is
no roaring of engines, no curious devils swooping through the air.
But soon enough that silence gives way to the cacophonous sound
of hundreds of voices shouting. The echoing boom of explosions
rip through the air, which noticeably rises in temperature. In the
distance you can see hundreds of red, brown and purple tents set
up in a regimented, organized fashion. Countless devils of all sizes
move between the tents with rigorous haste. To the west of the
camp you can see a legion of devils arriving in a perfectly square
formation. To the east a slightly less organized and significantly
smaller legion of devils return from the front lines.

Camp Bloodlust is far off the Carographer’s map of

Avernus, sitting on the very edge of the wastes at the
border of the Blood War. It is an exceedingly dangerous
location, and the characters should be aware of that going
in. It is not a location they will stumble across in their
travels and will only visit it if they intend to join the Blood
War or are delivering the weapons from the Screamer
Crash Site to Baaelzephon.
The perimeter devils refuse to let the characters
approach the camp without a letter of introduction or the
missing weapons from the Flame Screamer’s shipment. Two
horned devils and ten bearded devils try and dispel them
first, but if the characters survive and linger in the area an
entire army descends upon them.

Developments
If the characters have the shipment of weapons for
Baaelzephon (see Chapter 5 for more details), the general
meets with them and eagerly thanks them for their service
to the Blood War. Impressed by their spunk and dedication
to delivering the weapons, she offers the characters the
chance to fight in the Blood War. Alternatively, if they’re not
interested in being on the front lines, she offers them a
chance to serve her as informants while on Avernus. In
exchange for their loyalty Baaelzephon can offer each
character a single magic item of very rare value or less,
however they must first sign a contract with her. The
contract is convoluted, but a creature that can speak
Infernal can attempt to find flaws and loopholes
Baaelzephon has left in it by making a DC20 Intelligence
(Investigation) check. If they succeed, they notice that the
contract states that Baaelzephon will have claim to half of
any treasure they find, as well as any magic items she
deems useful to the Blood War. If called out on this clause,
Baaelzephon attempts to dismiss it as a formality, stating
that the characters can easily request to keep any items
they believe they would make good use of. If the character’s
turn her down and still expect a reward, in an act of
generosity she offers to enchant one weapon belonging to
each character with one of the following three benefits:
• The weapon deals an additional 1d6 fire damage on a
hit.
• The weapon gains an additional +1 bonus to it’s attack
and damage rolls (to a maximum of +3).
• The weapon has advantage on attack rolls against
demons.
 Chapter 5
New Monsters
This chapter contains a number of new monsters for you to
use in your campaign, focusing on the Nine Hells and the
Blood War. Some of these stat blocks are adapted from
earlier editions of the game, while others are existing
monsters given form for the first time or entirely new
creations.

Pain Devil
These sadistic torturers wear a heavy metal or leather
mask over their faces, leaving only their blood red eyes
visible. They usually wear intimidating, spiked armour
covered in dried blood and wield weapons like daggers,
flails and other painful instruments.
Pain devils, true to their name, revel in the pleasure that
comes from others pain. They gleefully punish devils and
other creatures that break hells’ laws or scheme against
their superiors. A pain devil’s malevolent cruelty is so
potent that it permeates in an aura around them.
Creatures that come close to a pain devil feel painful cuts
begin to manifest on their bodies, and find that the pain
devil knows just where to hit them to elicit the greatest
amount of pain.

Creeping Devil
These devils exclusively make up Furcas’ legion, known of
the Creeping Cadre. They start off very physically weak,
but for every creature they kill they grow in power until
they become a towing threat that looms over the battlefield.
When in their weakest form, creeping devils look like a
sickly and malnourished devil with ebony skin. As they
strengthen, however, they grow hideous long claws, their
teeth lengthen, and muscles form. At their strongest they
become huge, muscular hulks the opposite of what they
started at. But they can only reach this form by
successfully killing a powerful demon like a Balor, and so
few every reach this final stage.
The Dark Eight spear driving itself into the heart of said assassin. The
sphere's added awareness makes it nigh on impossible to
Below the rank of archdevil but above that of pit fiends, the catch Baaelzephon by surprise.
Dark Eight are devilish generals charged with leading the
Blood War on behalf of all the Nine Hells of Baator. They The Stygian Champions
are oddities in the infernal hierarchy, occupying a unique When Baalzephon is not behind her desk or out making
position between ordinary pit fiends and fully-fledged deals, she leads a legion of fiends from the fifth layer of
archdevils that makes them the envy of many lesser fiends. hell, known as the Stygian Champions. These devils are
While their positions may technically be lesser than the always very well equipped with the best weapons and
Lords of the Nine, their role on the plane is no less armour available. They are trained to harvest the remains
important and their influence is considerable. Each general of their fallen foes after combat to either sell to black-
oversees a crucial aspect of the Blood War and commands market dealers or to forge into weapons of their own.
a personalised legion of fiends from one of the top Eight
layers of hell.
Corin
Corin is a dangerous anomaly in the Eight; a force of chaos
Baaelzephon and change and possibly the most unpredictable devil in all
Tens of thousands of devils fight and die in the Blood War the Nine Hells. He can change his shape at will, disguising
every day in locations scattered across the multiverse. It is himself as everything from angels to demons, a unique skill
Baaelzephon’s job as the Master of Supply to ensure that among devils that he puts to excellent use as the
every single one is well-equipped to skewer demons by the Spymaster of the Dark Eight. He carefully infiltrates enemy
dozen. It is a monumental task and one she does not take ranks to sow discord and distrust among the troops, or to
lightly. She knows that if she slips up and a single legion steal valuable information to aid the devil’s cause. He is
goes into battle with inadequate weaponry, it could be all known to disappear for months at a time while deep
the demons need to gain the upper hand in that arm of the undercover, often without warning, but through unknown
war. As such, she is a meticulous planner who spends means he still manages to run his network of spies from
much of her time behind a desk running numbers, making within enemy ranks. In one of his most famous missions he
sure that every dagger and coin is accounted for. Her skill returned from a six month deployment within the Abyss
at trade and diplomacy is infamous in the Nine Hells and with information on the planned movements of the
she is at the centre of a continuously changing web of demonic hordes spanning the next decade. Before this
deals, trade alliances and other political manoeuvrings. time, the devils believed the demon’s attack patterns to be
Baaelzephon is a master of the art of the deal who never random, owing to their lack of leadership and cohesion.
gets anything less than what she wants out of any given However, Corin’s accurate predictions of the assaults
exchange. Unlike many others of her kind, she does not proved not only that the demons possess some level of
make deals founded on fear or bullying. Instead, she makes forethought and planning, but also cemented Corin’s worth
the other party an offer they cannot refuse. As the Master as an invaluable source of intelligence for the devils.
of Supply she has many unique trade connections that Corin is as fickle as fire, flipping between melancholic
provide her access to gifts that other beings would, and do, brooding and a rage worthy of Baphomet with little notice.
sell their souls for. She has little use for a holy artefact His fellow generals describe his behaviour as that of an
forged atop Mount Celestia that falls into her possession. ‘impetuous child’, constantly pushing the boundaries of his
But such a weapon is worth a great deal to angels, who lawful nature and displaying very little control over his
may provide her with enough weapons to arm a dozen emotions and actions. However, this is all nothing more
legions in exchange for it’s safe return. than a ruse the Spymaster uses to trick his opponents.
Baaelzephon possesses a magical item known as the Could a devil who has no control over their emotions hide
Sphere of Midas. This autonomous floating orb, made of amongst angels for months on end? In fact, Corin has such
pure gold, circles her at all times and acts as a secondary masterful control over not only his physical appearance,
sensor, perceiving and reacting to the environment around but his emotional and mental state, that no one knows
the fiend. Baaelzephon can change the shape and hardness where his facade begins and ends.
of the liquid metal at will. One moment it may be a shield
defending from an assassin’s blade, and the next it is a The Serpentine Order
Corin’s pattern of individualism and isolation has caught
The Stygian Champions up to him in recent years. His personal legion, the
If you choose to use the Stygian Champions as a part of your
campaign and expect the players to come face-to-face with them, Serpentine Order, defected and betrayed him in favour of
use this guide to determine which magic items they posses: Levistus, Lord of the Fifth, a little over three centuries ago.
For every devil in the encounter, roll a d10. On a result of 1-4 the
fiend possesses one uncommon magic item, on a result of 5-6 they A small legion of expert spies who specialised in infiltrating
possess one rare magic item, on a result of 7-8 they possess a very demonic forces, Corin neglected to win their continued
rare magic item, and on a result of 9-10 you must roll again twice on
this table, the fiend gaining multiple magic items (this result can be loyalty with promises of promotion and further rewards.
rolled more than once, the fiend gaining more magic items as After their defection the Spymaster retreated into obscurity.
appropriate). The magic items can be chosen by you, or can be rolled
randomly using the treasure tables in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. He stopped attending meetings of the Dark Eight at
Always remember to recalculate the Challenge Rating of the devils Malsheem in person and provides only scant reports
using the Create a Monster section of the Dungeon Master’s Guide through a combination of illusions and telepathy. The
before building an encounter involving them, and update their stat
blocks to reflect their new abilities. Some magic items can make Serpentine Order now works exclusively for Levistus, who
even low-CR devils significantly more challenging for the players. has made excellent use of their infiltration skills for his
You must also consider the possibility that the players could defeat
the devils and claim the magic items for their own, so be cautious own benefit., revelling in the irony of sending them to spy
when giving the devils magic items you would not want the players on Pearza in particular.
to have. No member of the Stygian Champions should have a magic
item of legendary rarity or an artifact, as such weapons are usually
held by Baalzephon in her treasury so as to not risk losing them on
the battlefield.
Dagos
Dagos is a true general in every sense of the title. He has
Furcas
won more victories on the battlefield than the rest of the Furcas is one of only two surviving members of the original
Eight combined. As the Strategist of the Dark Eight he Dark Eight, and for good reason. Baator’s Minister of
wields an unparalleled mind for tactical warfare. He follows Mortal Relations is terrified of true death and has done
orders to the letter and expects absolute obedience from his everything in his power to ensure that he will never perish
subordinates, not hesitating to ruthlessly demote those He became the first devil to ever successfully unlock the
who displease him. secrets of undeath.
Dagos is notoriously distrustful, even by devil standards. Like many of his kind, Furcas can discern a creature’s
Devils who work in close proximity to him have their minds innermost fears and desires at a glance. However, unlike
and bodies systematically broken through physical and Baaelzephon, who uses this information to tempt others
psychological torture, usually reserved for captured enemy into deals, Furcas warps the creatures fears and
forces, because Dagos views everyone he meets as an insecurities until they see danger in their own shadow. He
enemy. Once they are damaged beyond repair by his turns best friends into sworn enemies and brave knights
methods, Dagos rebuilds them from the ground up as a into paranoid husks of their former selves. To Furcas, fear
loyal soliders, unable to fathom betraying their leader. Only is the universal motivator. Some creatures may be greedy,
in this way is Dagos able to command such unerring other vengeful, but all fear something and Furcas will use
loyalty from his troops. that knowledge to goad creatures into soul-binding deals.
Dagos believes wholeheartedly in the cause of the Blood Furcas knows fear in others so well because he is,
War and hates demons more than anything else in the himself, crippled by it. Early on in his career as a general
multiverse. He wears his accomplishments with pride, he was killed by Demogorgon, the Prince of the Abyss, in
adorning himself with the claws, fangs and scales of great an epic clash. His body was destroyed and his soul cast
demons he has killed as emblems of his victories. His back into the maggot pits of Avernus. While he recovered
weapon is an arcane machine gun that is fuelled by demon and quickly returned to his former position, all the pain,
ichor, capable of launching destructive waves that shame and torment of being reborn a failure was nothing
annihilate droves of demons at a time. compared to being faced with the oblivion of non-existance.
Ever since, Furcas has dedicated himself to the pursuit of
The Few true immortality. He has uncovered ancient secrets of
undeath from the days of before the Blood War and, if
Dagos accepts only the highest quality of soldiers into his
treacherous rumours are to be believed, from Orcus
personal ranks. These fiends, known as The Few, are
himself. Many in the hells doubt he can even be called a
hurled deep into the Abyss without weapons or supplies
fiend any more, believing he has given up so much of his
and are expected to not only survive, but to find a means of
nature that he has become a true undead.
escape within a set time frame. A vast majority of devils
Furcas has been known to frequently volunteer to be a
subjected to this test perish. Many (particularly
part of Mephistopheles’ dangerous experiments with arcane
Baaelzephon) have criticised Dagos, claiming his methods
firepower, simply to test himself and his body to ensure he
waste good blood that would be better utilised fighting in
can survive no matter what horrors the Blood War throws
the war itself. But no one can deny the effectiveness of The
at him. In one memorable instance, the Lord of the Eighth
Few who survive. They are the highest ranking and most
unleashed the full brunt of his armoury on Furcas, only for
elite legion of devils fighting the Blood War today, who are
Furcas to emerge unharmed from a melted wasteland,
called in only for the most crucial of missions.
wearing nothing but a malicious grin.

The Creeping Cadre

Furcas’ personal legion is known as the Creeping Cadre, a
group of physically frail devils who are able to drain the life
energy from their enemies and use it to bolster their own
strength. The Cadre is usually sent in to fight small and
relatively weak scouting groups of demons. This allows
them to gain a foothold of power that quickly snowballs so
that by the time the bulk of the horde arrives, the Cadre
has become a threat of monstrous proportions.
Pearza Zaebos
There are two great research centres in the Nine Hells; the Zaebos posesses one of the most coveted positions in the
scattered laboratories of Cania run by Mephistopheles, and hells; as the Minister of Promotions she holds the future
Pearza’s fabled Gardens of Blood. As the Chief of Research successes and failures of almost every devil in her hands.
in the Dark Eight, it is Pearza’s responsibility to be All promotions and demotions throughout the infernal
constantly investigating and crafting new and devastating hierarchy must be reported to and approved by her; even
weapons with which to win the Blood War. The general and the Lords of the Nine are audited by Zaebos and her
the Cold Lord of Cania do not get along and are constantly bureaucratic thugs. Any discrepancies in their book-
dispatching spies into each others others ranks to steal keeping is quickly and efficiently sorted in one way or
their riva’s research and sabotage their experiments. Fools another, often to the disadvantage of the Lord who may or
who don’t value their lives whisper that in the past the two may not have been intentionally at fault. A more selfish
had a history together, but whatever relationship they may devil would attempt to leverage their position for their own
have had has long since been replaced by a venomous and gain, promoting those fiends who promise them power and
destructive rivalry. If ever the two were to reconcile, their riches, while demoting those that pose a threat. But while
combined knowledge would undoubtedly pose a serious other devils play this game, Zaebos knows that if she
threat to not only the Blood War, but the entire multiverse. participated it would soon lead to the collapse of the entire
However, as of yet, such an alliance is exceedingly unlikely. infernal hierarchy. Her role demands absolute attention to
Despite (or perhaps partially because of) her dispute with detail and perfect adherence to the law and, as such, she is
Mephistopheles, Pearza maintains a good relationship with a jaded and unemphatic leader who cares only that the
two other Lords of the Nine. Dispater funds much of her laws of the Pact Primeval are upheld and order is
research and uses his vast network of knowledge to procure maintained.
new leads on potential projects for her. In exchange, he has Like the bureaucracy she serves Zaebos is slow, careful
almost exclusive rights to Pearza’s findings, which he then and methodical with her actions, rarely acting on impulse
prepares for mass production and sells back to and always considering what is the most efficient solution.
Baaelzephon for use in the Blood War. Meanwhile, Fierna She sees others as numbers and statistics, and will
and Pearza are widely known to be good friends and allies, willingly sacrifice thousands of lives for the sake of making
Pearza often taking responsibility and leading Fierna’s her bureaucratic paperwork balance. As such, she has
troops in the Blood War when the latter is unable (or something of an image problem, one that she does not care
cannot be bothered) to. much for, but that Zimimar works tireless to try and rectify.
Pearza conducts her experiments in her Gardens of Zaebos has been killed and replaced more times than any
Blood, a series of sprawling demiplanes that are nigh other member of the Dark Eight, not because she fights on
impossible to access, let alone navigate. She conducts her the front lines, but because devils are vindictive creatures.
experiments out of hell because of the dangerous nature of As the final arbiter on all promotions and demotions, any
her research – by hosting it in a demiplane, any fiends who fiend who has ever been denied a promotion blames her for
perish as a part of an unfortunate mishap (which is often) their failure, and many have successfully taken their
are recycled into the Maggot Pit instead of being vengeance over the years.
permanently destroyed. This means there is an especially Zaebos was infamously the one to uncover the treachery
high turnover of fiends among her ranks but, nonetheless, of Baalzebul after his failed coup against Asmodeus, and
working for her is one of the most sought-after positions in resented the punishment that was bestowed upon him. In
the hells. Intelligent and cunning fiends find promotion her eyes, the destruction and alteration of such sacred
easily under Pearza, who is keen to keep alive anyone she documents was sacrilege of the highest order, and she
thinks could prove useful to her research. pushed for Baalzebul to be executed. Evidently, this did not
happen, but it soured the relationship between the two
The Walkers in Fire bureaucrats and they have yet to reconcile to this day.
Pearza’s personal legion, the Walkers in Fire, are a unit of She built her private office above the Maggot Pit on
flying devils who rain aerial assaults down on unsuspecting Avernus, where she monitors the dammed souls coming
demons. Historically, their main weapons were fire and into to hell and ensures an adequate number are promoted
acid. However, recently they have started to carry a new to meet the quota for the Blood War. She wears armour
and devastating substance of Pearza’s own creation known wrought of infernal iron that has been bathed in the larvae
as blackflame. This dangerously volatile flame consumes mucus of the pits, and she can use it to drain the souls of
demon flesh while leaving that of devil’s untouched, and the pits to heal herself when in combat.
has already been used to great effect in the war. However
the ingredients for blackflame, while unknown to all but The Gleaming Guard
Pearza, are presumably exceedingly rare and time- Zaebos commands a legion known as the Gleaming Guard,
consuming to work with. She and Dispater are working devils who are adorned with exquisite, shining armour that
tirelessly to perfect it’s recipe and find a way to mass never tarnishes. Mammon gifted the legion to Zaebos long
produce it. When they succeed, the tide of the Blood War ago as a bribe, expecting her to promote a number of his
could change forever. generals in exchange for his generosity. To Mammon’s rage,
she did not. She refused to break the set order of
promotion that was laid out. To add insult to injury, kept
the legion anyway. It would not be a stretch to say
Mammon was behind the death of that particular Zaebos,
however her successors don’t seem to have learnt the
lesson the Lord was trying to teach.
 Zimimar
After thousands of years of ceaseless conflict in the Blood
War, it is to be expected that some fiends may loose faith in
the possibility of the war ever ending. It is Zimimar’s role as
the Minister of Morale to quash these concerns and rally
the devilish troops behind the cause of the Blood War – to
rid the multiverse of the demonic blight and achieve glory
in doing so.
Zimimar is unique among fiends for her humane
Zapan treatment of her inferiors. She is uncharacteristically
friendly and even kind to those around her. She bestows
Zapan is a force of pure charisma on the level of Fierna and
her charming smile equally to the lowliest lemure and
Asmodeus, which makes him frighteningly well suited to
mightiest of pit fiends. She butts heads constantly with
his role as the Minister of Immortal Diplomacy. While
Furcas over the nature of leadership; while he believes fear
Furcas is busy dragging mortal souls into the Blood War,
is the strongest motivator in the multiverse, she argues
Zapan is gallivanting across the multiverse, attracting allies
that troops who are forced to fight out of fear are less
and rallying the cause of the hells even as far as the upper
effective than those who willingly fight until their last
planes. This is why he has been able to survive the eons
breath for their cause.
without being replaced; he makes a point of staying far
But it should come as no surprise that this guise of
away from the front lines of the war where he could be
friendship and positivity is only skin deep. Underneath her
killed and lose his position.
charming smiles and rousing words is a vile and corrupt
Zapan was once Asmodeus’ protege who followed the
individual who revels in the pain of others. Zimimar is said
Lord of the Nine everywhere he went and served him
to never stop smiling, even while a creature is torn limb
dutifully. Many saw him as the Lord’s adopted son, an
from limb before her. She has numerous “intelligence
obedient child in stark contrast to the impudent Glasya.
gathering” devices she utilizes to extract information about
But behind the facade of loyalty, Zapan was always an
“traitors to the cause” and Dark Eight naysayers. She goes
ambitious schemer, and plotted to one day supplant his
to great lengths to cover up the devil’s failures in the Blood
father as the ruler of the Nine Hells. His appointment as a
War, in particular the Dark Eight themselves, in the name
member of the Dark Eight was perceived as a promotion,
of keeping morale high. But the most malicious part of her
when in truth it was a curse. As a general of the Eight he
scheme is her network of spies and informants. She has
was more or less free from the infernal hierarchy, and could
thousands of devils working for her in every corner of hell,
do what he pleased without fear of demotion, while still
and wherever they catch word of dissent or disloyalty to the
being able to work closely with his father – seemingly the
cause of the war, those sources are quickly silenced. Her
perfect position for a treacherous schemer. However, Zapan
positive demeanor allows her to get away with terrible
quickly realised that his new role demanded that much of
atrocities against her own kind, even though many know
his time be spent away from the Nine Hells. This severely
that her scheme is fake, the omnipresent fear she has
limited the amount of influence he had in the goings on of
stoked in others leaves every being who dares to oppose her
his home plane. Without openly acting against Zapan,
afraid of their own shadow.
Asmodeus had managed to successfully remove him from
Even Zimimar’s physical appearance is nothing more
Baator’s inner political sphere and as a threat to his
than an illusion. Many years ago she fell into a lake of
throne. Zapan was furious, but has never once shown it or
demon ichor and was permanently transformed into what
wavered from excellence at his job. He has single-handedly
some would say is a true reflection of herself; a hideous,
avoided numerous wars between the hells and the upper
deformed monstrosity the likes of which are only spawned
planes, successfully brokered crucial deals with planars of
from the depths of the Abyss. To remedy this, the
all kinds and has cemented himself as one of the most well-
superficial general has layered herself with illusions and
liked fiends in the multiverse, despite his heritage. He is
spells to make her appear as though she is unchanged,
the only fiend welcome in many of the Upper Planes, from
while she works to restore her true grandeur. This has so
the halls of Elysium to the tunnels of Mount Celestia.
far been unsuccessful, so she has resorted to commanding
Zapan drapes himself in a cloak of infernal flames that
her network of propaganda and spies from within her base
can melt any substance. With a single touch he can set fire
in the frozen wastes of Stygia. Occasionally, a gargantuan
to a creature’s soul, burning it from the inside out.
visage of her smiling face fills the sky above the Blood War,
encouraging her troops to fight their hardest by enticing
The Iron Defenders them with offerings of promotion.
Zapan long ago surrendered to Dispater the control of his
legion, the Iron Defenders, in a bid to spend as little time The Smiling Arms
around the forefront of the Blood War as possible. The
Her personal legion are infamous throughout the hells, as
Defenders are genius’ of defensive tactics and engineering,
much for their activity away from the Blood War as in it. On
erecting gargantuan walls of admantine and infernal steel
the battlefield, her Smiling Arms are magnificent
to halt the flow of demons. If Zapan were not so
shocktroopers who airdrop into the heart of demon swarms
outrageously successful at his role as the Minister of
and break them up. Their deaths framed as glorious
Immortal Diplomacy, such behavior from a general would
sacrifices to the cause of the war. But their main use is
be unacceptable and cause for immediate demotion. But it
acting on information given to them by Zimimar’s agents.
is a testament to Zapan’s skill as an orator and negotiator
They weed out dissenters who speak against the cause of
that despite his direct neglect of the physical war effort, he
the war and silencing their thoughts before they can catch
still holds his position in the Eight.
on.
 Chapter 6
Magic Items
This section details a selection of fiendish-themed magic maintaining your connection with the spirit as if you were
items, and one artefact, for use in your campaigns. concentrating on a spell.
While the vestige is active, it deals additional psychic
Dagger of Ra-Than damage to all creatures you damage with a weapon attack.
Weapon (dagger), artifact (requires attunement) The psychic damage is equal to half of the damage dealt by
This dagger was originally crafted in Mount Celestia and your attack.
was brought down to the hells by a mighty paladin named The spirit returns to the helm after 1 minute, or when
Ra-Than, who met his fate somewhere in the throes of the your concentration is broken. When this effect ends, the
Blood War. The dagger was picked up by the abishai impact of the otherworldly force leaving your body cripples
servants of Tiamat and given her divine blessing, you, and you can’t move or take actions until the end of
tarnishing the pristine silver of the blade to shine with the your next turn. After you have used this feature, the helm
five colours of the Dragon Queen’s heads. The dagger was may not be used again until after 9 days have passed.
then used to slay Cantrum, the mighty leader of the Dark
Eight, by plunging it into his chest. The furious fiend’s Infernal Pogo
blood corrupted the blade for a third time, cursing it so Wonderous item (uncommon)
that none of the Queen’s followers would ever be able to This contraption, invented by Snikik of the Order of the
wield it again. Bounding Scales, weighs 15 pounds and is wrought of
The Ragger of Ra-Than is a magic weapon that grants a infernal iron. It has 3 charges, and it regains 1d4 expended
+3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. It deals charges at dawn. It has a movement speed of 30 feet. As a
an extra 2d6 damage of one of the following damage types bonus action, you can expend a charge to make a bounding
(your choice): acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or radiant. leap, instantly jumping a further 30 feet. It can carry up to
If the target is a fiend or dragon, this damage is increased 200 pounds.
by 1d6. Weapon attacks with this dagger score a critical hit While you are not riding the pogo, you can pull a trigger
on a roll of a 19 or 20. on the handle of the pogo and expend a charge to fire an
The holy origin of the blade resents the forces that have explosive shell from the items foot. The Infernal Pogo
corrupted it. Any dragon that willing touches the Dagger of functions as a material ranged weapon with a range of
Ra-Than takes 20d6 radiant damage, and they cannot 20/60. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage
attune to it. and 2d10 fire damage, and must succeed on a DC12
Elemental Ward. You can cast the absorb elements spell Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from you.
at-will.
Random Properties. The Dagger of Ra-Than has the Infernal Chains
following randomly determined properties: Wonderous item, rare (requires attunement)
• 2 minor beneficial properties This set of three enchanted chains forged of infernal iron
• 1 major beneficial property are favoured by chain devils. The chains can be used as
• 2 minor detrimental properties melee weapons with a range of 10 feet, the finesse property,
and deal 1d10 damage on a hit. If the creature attuned to
Barbazu Glaive the chains is a spellcaster, they can use their spellcasting
Weapon (glaive), uncommon ability modifier for attack and damage rolls using the
A creature that takes damage from this weapon must chains. The chains count as magical for the purposes of
succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a overcoming damage resistances and immunities.
failure, the target becomes poisoned and cannot regain hit When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can
points until the end of it’s next turn. use your bonus action to make a single attack with the
chains. When a creature is hit by a chain, it becomes
grappled. While grappled, the creature takes 1d4 piercing
Helm of the Fallen Warrior damage at the end of each of it’s turns. You can only
Wonderous item, very rare (requires attunement)
grapple a number of creatures equal to the number of
This battered helm once belonged to a mighty warrior that
chains, and you cannot attack with a chain while it is
perished during the Hellrider’s assault during the Blood
grappling a creature.
War. As an action, you can call fourth the spirit of the
helm, who appears as a spectral knight within 60 feet of
you. The spirit is friendly to you and your companions and
Mark of Invisible Alignment
Wonderous item, uncommon
will follow your commands. The spirit returns to their rest
This small, tear-shaped gemstone can be placed against a
after 10 minutes or when they drop to 0 hit points. Once
creature’s forehead. When it is, the gemstone merges with
you use the Helm, it cant be used again until the next
their skin and disappears, leaving an invisible imprint on
dawn.
their flesh, detectable only by a faint glow of illusion magic
Vestige of War. As an action, you can instead welcome
when subject to the detect magic spell.
the spirit into your body, merging the essence of both your
The mark masks the creature’s type and alignment,
souls. For 1 minute, a ghostly vestige rises from your body
which the target decides upon when the mark is created.
and strikes in unison with your attacks. You must focus on
Any attempt to magically divine or sense the creature’s type
or alignment reveals the creature’s chosen result.
 Casting dispel magic on the mark removes it permanently
and reveals the creature’s true type and alignment.

Pick of Abyssal Power

Wonderous item, uncommon
This pick for a fretted instrument is made from the tooth of
a demon. The music the instrument plays carries with it an
uncomfortable, haunting undertone, no matter what song
or instrument it is played on.
The pick has 3 charges. You can expend one charge to
cast absorb elements as a first level spell. Whenever you
cast a spell using an instrument with the pick that deals
either fire, cold or lighting damage, you can expend one
charge choose to reroll a number of damage dice equal to
your charisma modifier.
The pick regains 1d4 charges at dawn.

Silvered Claw Bracer

Wonderous item, uncommon
This bracer is of unknown origin, but sometimes demons
are seen wielding them in the front of the blood war. The
bracers deal 1d6 piercing damage on a hit, have the finesse
property, and deal an extra 2d4 damage against devils and
lycanthropes.

Ring of Arcane Dealings

Wonderous item, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
This ring is made of infernal iron and guided with gold.
Arcane symbols dance around its surface, and it gives off
slight warmth to the touch.
The ring has 5 charges that can be used to cast any spell
on your spell list. As a bonus action, you can cast any spell
you know, expending a number of charges equal to the
spells level (you cast it as a bonus action regardless of the
spell’s usual casting time). Once all 5 charges are
expended, the ring ceases to glow and becomes mundane.
At any point, when the ring has less than its maximum
number of charges, it can drain magical energy from the
creature attuned to it. The creature loses a number of spell
slots equal to the number of charges missing on the ring
+1. For example, if the ring has two charges remaining, it
could drain four 1st level spell slots, 2nd level spell slots, or
one 3rd level and one 1st level slot.