If You’re Gonna Go Bad, Go Big with Archdevils and Demon Lords for 5E D&D

My first fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign focused on the big bad of a Demon Lord. Gnar’Kee’Tis was a major deal and the final battle of a game lasting over four years. Over the course of this 5E D&D campaign I newly written lore for the current edition. The players were shocked when I described gnolls being transformed from straight up hyenas. As the quadrupeds became bipedal humanoids the players thought I had made it up. But it was right in the Monster Manual.

Evil with an impact

For my game I took things a step further than the material in the book and created my own Demon Lord, who was tied to the orcs. Other RPGs have linked orcs and demons before so I decided to go with it in mine. By typical D&D standards orcs are brutal and take what they like. They enjoy killing and win by strength and ferocity alone. These traits are mirrored in those same creatures of the lower planes. Given this I reasoned it would not take long before a worthy orc champion heeded the call of a Demon Lord offering power and fulfilling dark promises.

You might be looking to create your own Archdevil or Demon Lord with lore you establish over the course of the game or you may want to use one that already exists. In either case this post is inspired by a selection of stunning miniatures from our friends over at WizKids. Their D&D Icons of The Realms Miniatures: Archdevils – Bael, Bel, and Zariel and Juiblex, Demon Lord of Slime and Ooze got me thinking about how impactful these sorts of big bads have been for my games. These minis, along with all the other great fiends, make for an excellent addition to a collection or can be used as a great villain to end the game on a high note. You should really check these ones out.

These minis can be used as is and as intended or re-imagined for your own uses. Juiblex could be a massive slime monster on any kind of power scale you need, Bel could be an oversized Minotaur or a combination of minotaur and giant. Bel is clearly a demon or devil but need not be an Archdevil or Demon Lord status. Zariel could easily be a normal person transformed by either divine or profane power. However you decide to use these they are great minis and look excellent on a shelf or a battle grid.

Bael

Bronze General of the Devils. An expert on military and battle stratagem he prefers to turn his enemies into his servants but has no problem killing them outright. If you are going to use Bael in a game those who follow or serve him will not only be martially minded but will have a respect and care for the craft of martial prowess. The enemies will be disciplined and well organized. If the party is defeated in combat they would absolutely take prisoners. From there the party will have opportunities to escape. Meanwhile the servants of Bael would try to corrupt and persuade the party to join them.

Bel

Zariel’s Second in Command. If you want to use them in a game, while Bel is expected to follow Zariel they hate each other and avoid the other at all costs. Being devils, it is possible perhaps through double agents, triple layers of secrecy or otherwise Bel is trying to use the adventurers to get rid of Zariel so he can climb the ladder within the infernal hierarchy and gain better prestige with Asmodeus.

Zariel

Archduke and Ruler of Avernus. There are so many ways to use this fallen angel. Does she want to get rid of Bel, with whom she is always at odds? Perhaps through trickery or something else Zariel is willing to work with heroes to get rid of such a foe. Or if you are looking for even more issues what if Zariel is looking to overthrow Asmodeus? It you are looking for an even stronger angle what if Zariel is interested in redeeming herself and no longer being a devil but restoring their angelic stature?

Jubilex

“Called the Faceless Lord and the Oozing Hunger in ancient grimoires, Juiblex is demon lord of slime and ooze, a noxious creature that doesn’t care about the plots and schemes of others of its kind. It exists only to consume, digesting and transforming living matter into more of itself.”

Those who give themselves over to the lord of slimes could either care about the angle of consuming — literally — everything in their path or they could focus on the desire for everything to exist in an ooze-like state. Having bizarre half-ooze people found or bodies found partially dissolved could be the start of a long journey to be pitted against this major lord of oozes.

Thanks for reading. Want to really ramp up the Demon Lord action in your 5E D&D game? In Out of the Abyss a foul spell tears open portals to the demonic Abyss. The ensuring insanity escalates and threatens to shake the world to its foundations. Until next time, stay nerdy!

*Featured image — A selection of Demon Lords and Archdevils from 5E D&D includes Bael, Zariel, Juiblex and Bel. You can find a great deal of lore about the struggle between the Nine Hells and the Abyss along with the major players in this cosmic Blood War inside Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, which also contains guidance for adding demonic and devilish cults into your games. [Composite images courtesy Wizards of the Coast]

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