Beelzebub

Huge fiend (devil), lawful evil

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)

Hit Points 312 (25d12 + 150)

Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (hover), swim 40 ft.

STR 27 (+8) · DEX 14 (+2) · CON 25 (+7) · INT 22 (+6) · WIS 20 (+5) · CHA 26 (+8)

Saving Throws Str +14, Con +13, Wis +11, Cha +14

Skills Deception +14, Insight +11, Intimidation +14, Perception +11, Religion +12

Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks that aren’t made with silver or cold iron

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Beelzebub fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. Beelzebub has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons. Beelzebub’s weapon attacks are magical.

Shapechanger. Beelzebub can use his action to polymorph into a Large giant fly, goat, serpent, calf, leopard, or back into his true form. His statistics are the same in each form.

Lord of the Flies (Aura). A 30-foot-radius cloud of biting, plague-ridden flies surrounds Beelzebub. The area is lightly obscured and difficult terrain for creatures other than fiends. A creature that starts its turn in the aura must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) poison damage and be poisoned until the start of its next turn. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to this aura until the start of its next turn. The aura ends while Beelzebub is incapacitated.

Innate Spellcasting. Spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks. Beelzebub’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma; he can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic (PHB, p. 231/262), insect plague (PHB, p. 254/289), suggestion (PHB, p. 279/321)

3/day each: dominate monster (PHB, p. 235/265), flame strike (PHB, p. 242/275), mass suggestion (PHB, p. 258/296), teleport (PHB, p. 281/331)

1/day each: power word stun (PHB, p. 267/306), true resurrection (fiends only; PHB, p. 284/336)

Actions

Multiattack. Beelzebub makes three attacks: one with his Scepter of Decay and two Plague Claw attacks.

Scepter of Decay. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) slashing damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.

Plague Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

Hellish Swarm (Recharge 5–6). Swarms of infernal flies erupt in a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on a point Beelzebub can see within 120 feet. Each creature in the area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) necrotic damage and 45 (10d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The area becomes heavily obscured until the end of Beelzebub’s next turn.

Bonus Actions

Swarming Step. Beelzebub disperses into a cloud of flies and magically teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see, reappearing in his true form.

Reactions

Wing Parry. Beelzebub adds +4 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding no less than one free wing.

Legendary Actions

Beelzebub can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Beelzebub regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Beelzebub makes one Plague Claw attack.

Move. Beelzebub moves up to half his speed.

Cloud of Flies (Costs 2 Actions). Creatures of Beelzebub’s choice within his aura immediately take 10 (3d6) poison damage.

Wing Buffet (Costs 3 Actions). Beelzebub beats his massive wings. Each creature within 15 feet of him must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or take 19 (3d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. Beelzebub can then fly up to half his flying speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Lore

The lord of flies whose decaying aura sends swarms to blind and devour while his fly-body resists physical harm.

Originally, Beelzebub was known as Baal-Zebul (“Lord of the Heavenly Heights”) in Ekron, a Philistine city where he was revered as patron and oracle, especially for divination by flies, which revealed the gods’ will and diagnosed disease. In Jewish tradition his name was purposely reshaped to Baal-Zebub (“Lord of the Flies”) to mock the idolaters, granting him dominion only over filth and insects. In early Christianity Beelzebub took on the guise of prince of demons, and as medieval demonology evolved he became a fallen angel, demon of gluttony and pride, and—within modern occult lore—the supreme arch-demon and ruler of the Order of the Fly.

According to treatises, Beelzebub had been a cherub or seraph, holding one of the highest ranks in the angelic hierarchy. Close to Lucifer, he was marked by great wisdom and power. His fall is tied to Lucifer’s revolt, in which he served as strategist and first ally to answer the call to rise against God. After the long descent he retained much of his power and helped found the infernal order, actively supporting Satan’s plan to corrupt humankind.

From Demonic Bestiary 5E, p. 24 · Fern Flower Press