Belial

Large fiend (archdevil), lawful evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)

Hit Points 400 (32d12 + 192)

Speed 50 ft., fly 80 ft. (hover), teleport 120 ft.

STR 24 (+7) · DEX 20 (+5) · CON 26 (+8) · INT 25 (+7) · WIS 22 (+6) · CHA 28 (+9)

Saving Throws Dex +12, Con +15, Int +14, Wis +13, Cha +16

Skills Arcana +14, Deception +16, Insight +13, Perception +13, Persuasion +16, Stealth +12

Damage Resistances cold; lightning; necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., darkvision 240 ft., passive Perception 23

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)

Traits

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

Regeneration. Belial regains 30 hit points at the start of his turn. If he takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.

Shapechanger. Belial can use his action to polymorph into any Medium or Large humanoid or fiend, or back into his true form. His statistics remain the same in each form, and any equipment he is wearing or carrying is absorbed or worn by the new form (Belial’s choice).

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

Magic Weapons. Belial’s weapon attacks are magical.

Hellfire Aura. At the start of each of Belial’s turns, each creature of his choice that starts its turn within 30 feet of him takes 10 fire damage plus 10 psychic damage (no save).

Innate Spellcasting. Belial’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (save DC 23, +15 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic (PHB, p. 231/262), disguise self (PHB, p. 233/262), darkness (PHB, p. 230/260), minor illusion (PHB, p. 260/298), suggestion (PHB, p. 279/321), thaumaturgy (PHB, p. 282/333)

3/day each: dominate person (PHB, p. 235/266), fireball (PHB, p. 241/274), greater invisibility (PHB, p. 246/281), wall of fire (PHB, p. 285/338), creation (PHB, p. 229/259), dimension door (PHB, p. 233/262)

1/day each: dominate monster (PHB, p. 235/265), plane shift (self only; PHB, p. 266/305), meteor swarm (PHB, p. 259/298)

Command Legions (Recharge 5–6). As an action, Belial conjures ten bearded devils or two barbed devils that appear in unoccupied spaces he can see within 60 feet. The devils are loyal to Belial, act on his initiative, and disappear when reduced to 0 hit points or after 1 hour.

Actions

Multiattack. Belial makes four attacks: three with his Hellfire Blade and one with his Whip-Tail.

Hellfire Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4d8 + 7 (25) slashing damage plus 4d8 (18) fire damage.

Whip-Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 4d6 + 7 (21) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Cruel Whispers (Recharge 4–6). Belial targets one creature he can see within 120 feet. The target must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 10d10 (55) psychic damage and is charmed by Belial for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the creature uses its reactions to make one weapon attack against a creature of Belial’s choice when Belial commands (no action required). The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions

Shadow Step. Belial magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see that is in dim light or darkness.

Reactions

Infernal Riposte. When a creature within 10 feet of Belial hits him with an attack, Belial can make one Hellfire Blade attack against that creature.

Legendary Actions

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

Attack. Belial makes one Hellfire Blade or Whip-Tail attack.

Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions). Belial casts an at-will innate spell or uses Shadow Step.

Hellfire Eruption (Costs 2 Actions). Belial targets a point he can see within 60 feet; each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d6 fire damage plus 10d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Lore

A splendid yet deceitful fiery charioteer who fosters arrogance and treachery.

The name Belial (Heb. בְּלִיַּעַל, Bəlīyyaʿal) is most often read as a blend of “beli” (“without”) and “ya’al” (“worth”), yielding “worthless,” “useless,” “without merit.” In more esoteric renderings it becomes “beli-ol,” that is, “without a yoke” or “unbowed,” underscoring his rejection of any divine or moral law. He is portrayed as one of the most brutal and depraved spirits, wrapped in a love of vice pursued purely for vice’s sake.

According to the Lemegeton and Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Belial was created immediately after Lucifer, which explains both his age and his power. His celestial origin ties him to the highest angelic orders—Seraphim and Virtues—and he retains a share of their dignity even after the Fall. Ancient texts describing the demon swing from dazzling angelic beauty to chthonic ugliness. He is pictured as pale, with blue eyes that pierce magical darkness, and a cross-shaped scar above the left eye earned quarreling with Agares. The angelic aspect shows blond or golden hair, majestic wings that sometimes blaze, and garments of gold-embroidered doublets and silk cloaks; the demonic side appears in horns of various shape and size, skin either crimson or deathly white, and—in some grimoires—serpentine traits, a whip-tail, and spined wings. He can change form, shifting height, gender, and even species, which lets him father numerous offspring among both humans and demons.

From Demonic Bestiary 5E, p. 26 · Fern Flower Press