Abishai, Blue

Archmage-hunting greater devil. A powerful divine servant.

Imagine a humanoid covered in blue scales, with the head, wings and tail of a dragon. Electricity crackles and jolts around it and a lightning halo crowns its head.

When a magic user creates a spell that is too powerful, a blue abishai comes down to kill it and return the spell to the gods.

Two steps ahead, drunk on power, hoarding knowledge.


 
HD: 6 Armor: as chain
Hit it: normal Dodge it: normal
Move: normal, fly fast  

It is immune to electricity. It resists everything else (because it’s a divine servant). It can see in the dark and speak telepathically. Out of combat, it can cast evokation, divination, conjuration and electric-themed magic.

Attacks (1/round)

Bite. The abishai makes one melee attack (1D6) which inflicts additional lightning damage (1D6).

Platinum Kris. The abishai makes one melee attack (1D6) with its platinum weapon and casts a spell.

Spellcasting. Teleport, Force Cage, Capture Spell, Chain Lightning, Disguise Self, Charm Person & Detect Magic.

Summon Divine Servants (recharge 2/6). The abishai summons 1D4 HD of lesser divine servants, which appear in 1D4 turns.



Random Encounter
  1. Monster: 1 blue abishai.
  2. Lair: An arcane vault, sealed in lightning and containing a hoard of arcane lore.
      OR
    Omen: A tear in space crackles with electricity.
  3. Spoor: The content of a wizard’s study, scattered and crackling with lightning.
  4. Tracks: Air crackling with arcane energy.
  5. Trace: [Rumor] A local wizard has disappeared, hit by lightning.
  6. Trace: A mysterious semi-hidden orb, inert. Actually scries the mind of magic users.
Celestial Pact

Evil celestials give the reward and the quest at the same time, then try to make accomplishing the quest impossible within the decided time frame. Good celestials give a quest first and the reward upon completion. The price of breaking a pact is always your soul.

Reward:

  1. An orb which creates an arc of electricity between it and any magic nearby.
  2. A grimoire with 3 random spells.
  3. You grow blue dragon scales which give you protection like leather armor.
  4. A blue Imp follower.
  5. One blue horn that absorbs electricity like the Fourth Ward.
  6. Access to a well-equipped wizard lab hidden in a permanent lightning storm in the astral sea.

Quest:

  1. You must discover a spell powerful enough to destroy an army. Ensure you are the only one to know it.
  2. You must kill an archmage who knows too much.
  3. You must discover a spell that can kill or trap wizards.
  4. You must kill the apprentice of an ancient dragon.
  5. You must enslave a wizard.
  6. You must steal a legendary artifact.


DM Notes

I love devils, I’d even say they are my favorite type of monsters to run. I was always confused with how DnD cosmology had devils that plotted against the gods, good aligned celestials serving the gods and evil gods that were served by … random evil monsters ? I prefer my gods to be assholes trying to maintain the status quo with arbitrary rules and devils to be the ones who punish those who disobey. Being creatures of order, each devil has a clear behavior they punish. Adapted from Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foe — SaltyGoo

Written on November 14, 2020