Devil, Barbed Devil (Hamatula)

The scourge of humanity and the cosmos, devils are fiends from the Nine Hells of Baator, a lawful evil realm. Devils enjoy bullying those weaker than themselves and often attack good creatures just to gain a trophy or three. The most powerful devils occupy themselves with plots to seize power, wreck civilizations, and inflict misery upon mortals.

Many devils are surrounded by a fear aura, which they use to break up powerful groups and defeat opponents piecemeal. Devils with spell-like abilities use their illusion abilities to delude and confuse foes as much as possible. A favorite trick is to create illusory reinforcements; enemies can never be entirely sure if a threat is only a figment or real summoned devils joining the fray.

The most numerous devils are the baatezu, infamous for their strength, evil temperament, and ruthlessly efficient organization. Baatezu have a rigid caste system, in which authority derives not only from power but also from station. They occupy themselves mainly with extending their influence throughout the planes by corrupting mortals. Baatezu who further this goal are usually rewarded with improved stations.

Barbed devils, also called hamatulas, serve as guardians of vaults and bodyguards to the most powerful denizens of the Nine Hells.

A barbed devil is about 7 feet tall and weighs about 300 pounds.

Barbed devils eagerly fight with their claws, trying to impale their opponents. They use hold person to immobilize those who avoid their hug attacks.

A barbed devil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

See in Darkness (Su): Can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.

Fear (Su): A creature hit by a barbed devil must succeed on a DC 20 Will save or be affected as though by fear (caster level 9th).

Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected by that same barbed devil’s fear ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Impale (Ex): A barbed devil deals 3d8+9 points of piercing damage to a grabbed opponent with a successful grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a barbed devil must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can impale the opponent on its barbed body.

Summon Devil (Sp): Once per day a barbed devil can attempt to summon 1d6 bearded devils or another barbed devil with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 4th-level spell.

Barbed Defense (Su): Any creature striking a barbed devil with handheld weapons or natural weapons takes 1d8+6 points of piercing and slashing damage from the devil’s barbs. Note that weapons with exceptional reach, such as longspears, do not endanger their users in this way.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), hold person (DC 16), major image (DC 17), scorching ray (2 rays only). 1/day—order’s wrath (DC 18), unholy blight (DC 18). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.