Dantalian

Large fiend (fallen angel), lawful evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points 263 (17d10 + 170)

Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR 18 (+4) · DEX 16 (+3) · CON 20 (+5) · INT 26 (+8) · WIS 22 (+6) · CHA 24 (+7)

Saving Throws Dex +9, Con +11, Int +14, Wis +12, Cha +13

Skills Arcana +20, Deception +13, History +20, Insight +12, Persuasion +13

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison, psychic

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21

Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 19 (22,000 XP)

Traits

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

Aura of Perfumed Hypnosis. A beguiling fragrance fills the air in a 30-foot radius around Dantalian. A creature that starts its turn in the aura must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and be unable to take reactions until the start of its next turn. Creatures that are immune to being charmed automatically succeed on this save.

Empty Mind Vulnerability. If a creature is immune to psychic damage or to the charmed condition, Dantalian’s attack rolls against that creature are made with disadvantage and the creature has advantage on saving throws against Dantalian’s spells and abilities.

Keeper of the Forbidden Library. Dantalian has advantage on all Intelligence checks and is considered proficient in every skill that uses Intelligence.

Innate Spellcasting. Dantalian’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect thoughts (PHB, p. 231/262), dissonant whispers (PHB, p. 234/262), disguise self (PHB, p. 233/262), minor illusion (PHB, p. 260/298)

3/day each: confusion (PHB, p. 224/253), dominate person (PHB, p. 235/266), fear (PHB, p. 239/271), modify memory (PHB, p. 261/299), telekinesis (PHB, p. 280/331), teleport (PHB, p. 281/331), wall of force (PHB, p. 285/338)

1/day each: dominate monster (PHB, p. 235/265), maze (PHB, p. 258/296), mass suggestion (PHB, p. 258/296), weird (PHB, p. 288/341)

Actions

Multiattack. Dantalian makes two Mind Tear attacks.

Mind Tear. Ranged Spell Attack: +14 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) psychic damage.

Thought Theft (Recharge 5–6). Dantalian targets one creature he can see within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw, taking 55 (10d10) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. On a failure, the target is also stunned until the end of Dantalian’s next turn, and Dantalian instantly learns all languages the creature knows and gains knowledge of its surface thoughts for 1 hour.

Bonus Actions

Illusory Step. Dantalian magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Immediately after he teleports, he becomes invisible until the start of his next turn or until he makes an attack roll.

Reactions

Counter-Thought. When a creature Dantalian can see casts a spell, he can force it to make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the spell fails and the slot is expended, and Dantalian regains hit points equal to twice the spell’s level.

Legendary Actions

Dantalian 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. Dantalian regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Mind Tear. Dantalian makes one Mind Tear attack.

Intrude Thoughts (Costs 2 Actions). Dantalian casts detect thoughts or dissonant whispers.

Memory Rewrite (Costs 3 Actions). One creature Dantalian can see within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed and incapacitated until the end of Dantalian’s next turn.

Lore

A multifaced man holding a book who reads minds and switches persona and spell set each round.

Dantalian is regarded by demonologists as one of the most intellectually advanced and psychologically intricate infernal figures. He bears the title of Grand Duke of Hell, indicating substantial influence within the infernal bureaucracy. In demonological taxonomy, Dantalian is classified as a fallen angel who, prior to his descent, belonged to one of the celestial orders of Powers or Guardian Angels, directly responsible for cataloging and preserving divine knowledge, the history of creation, and the secrets of existence. His transition into an infernal state did not strip him of his passion for systematizing information, but it did alter the vector of how that knowledge is applied. In modern demonolatry he is often called the “Keeper of the Forbidden Library” (Keeper of the Forbidden Library of Bibliotheca), underscoring his role as the eternal bibliographer of hidden truths.

His appearance is designed to evoke horror, disorientation, and cognitive dissonance in any unprepared observer bold enough to trespass into his reality. According to the legends, Dantalian manifests as a man whose body is crowned with multiple faces. These faces belong to men and women of every conceivable historical era, of all races, ages, and social strata. Their nature is not static; they are not merely masks attached to flesh. The faces are in constant motion: they replace each other like a mad kaleidoscope, silently whisper, weep, laugh hysterically, and articulate, creating a visual cacophony of staggering intensity. Every face appearing on his body is the reflection of a mind Dantalian has ever consumed.

From Demonic Bestiary 5E, p. 44 · Fern Flower Press