# Demon, Molydeus >[!rimg]+ > ![[Placeholder2.png]] *The fiend stands 12 feet tall and wields a massive greataxe carved with jagged runes and a glittering red ruby set into the base of its shaft. The demon has crimson skin, clawed hands, and the head of a leering demonic hyena with silver eyes and great slavering fangs. A writhing snake protrudes from the side of the demon’s neck, coiling and hissing menacingly.* <div class="grid-container"><div class="MON">Molydeus</div> <div class="CR">CR 19 (204,800 XP)</div> <div class="SOU">Fiendish Codex 1 pg. 46</div> <div class="SYS">Dungeons & Dragons 3.5</div></div> CE Large Outsider (chaotic, demon, evil) **Init** +10 **Senses** darkvision 60 ft., all-around vision, _true seeing_; **Perception** +33 #### defense **AC** 40, 18 touch, 34 flat-footed (+4 armor, +3 deflection, +6 Dex, +18 natural, -1 size) **hp** 295 (19d10+190); fast healing 30 **Fort** +21, **Refl** +12, **Will** +18 **Feint** 43, **Demoralize** 36 **Defensive Abilities** evasion **DR** 15/cold iron and good; **SR** 30 **Immune** electricity, poison; **Resist** acid 10, cold 10, fire 10 #### offense **Speed** 40 ft. **Melee** +1 dancing vorpal cold iron greataxe +28/+23/+18/+13 (3d6+14/19-20/x3), bite +25 (2d6+4), bite +25 (1d6+4 plus poison) or 2 claws +27 (1d6+9), bite +27 (2d6+9), bite +25 (1d6+4 plus poison) **Space** 10 ft., **Reach** 10 ft. **Spell-Like Abilities** (CL 19th; Concentration +28) > **Constant**— _true seeing_ > At will— _baleful polymorph_, _blasphemy_, _blindness/deafness_, _charm person_, _fear_, _fly_, _greater dispel magic_, _invisibility_, _greater teleport_ (self plus 50 lbs. only), _suggestion_, _telekinesis_, _vampiric touch_ > **7/day**— _dimensional lock_, _lightning bolt_ > **3/day**— quickened _telekinesis_ > **1/day**— _summon_ (level 9, 1d6 babaus, 1d4 chasmes, or one marilith, 100%), _trap the soul_ #### statistics **Str** 28, **Dex** 22, **Con** 30, **Int** 21, **Wis** 24, **Cha** 28 **BAB** +19, **CMB** +29, **CMD** 48, **TA** +27, **RTA** +24 **Feats** [[Alertness]], [[Combat Reflexes]], [[Combat Expertise]], [[Improved Critical]] (greataxe), [[Improved Disarm]], [[Improved Initiative]], [[Improved Trip]], [[Multiattack]], [[Power Attack]], [[Quicken Spell-Like Ability]] (telekinesis) **Skills** Bluff +31, Diplomacy +28, Intimidate +31, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (history) +24, Knowledge (planes) +27, Perception +33, Sense Motive +33, Spellcraft +27, Survival +29, Use Magic Device +31 **Languages** Abyssal, Auran, Celestial, Common, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft. #### Special Abilities ### Piercing Strike (Su) A molydeus can strike through many forms of damage reduction with its weapons. The first time it strikes a foe, damage reduction applies normally to the blow. All following strikes automatically ignore damage reduction, save for damage reduction that requires a specific material (such as silver, cold iron, or adamantine) to bypass, epic damage reduction, or damage reduction that doesn’t allow any form of bypass (such as that granted to barbarians). ### Poison (Su) Snake bite—Injury; *save* Fort DC 29; *frequency* 1/round for 6 rounds; *effect* 1d6 Con drain; _cure_ 3 consecutive saves. A creature reduced to 0 Constitution by this poison immediately transforms into a mane. Only a _miracle_ or _wish_ can reverse this transformation. Molydeus venom is supernaturally potent and can harm creatures normally immune to poison (including those under the effects of spells such as neutralize poison or heroes’ feast, but not constructs, oozes, plants, or undead). Against such creatures, its effects are halved #### tactics A molydeus is one of the most dangerous and ruthless tanar’ri, feared by many even more than the dreaded balor. A molydeus always enters combat with fly and invisibility in effect if it can, and makes sure to place a dimensional lock in the combat arena to prevent creatures from escaping by the use of teleport. A molydeus is fearless in combat, trusting its fast healing, spell resistance, and damage reduction to protect it from anything its enemies might use against it. Once in melee range, a molydeus activates the dancing quality of its axe, which makes a full attack action. Its snake head bites as well, and it uses a quickened telekinesis to try to disarm any weapons wielded by its enemies (with a preference for disarming cold iron weapons). Over the next three rounds it repeats these actions, adding spelllike abilities (blasphemy, lightning bolt, and baleful polymorph, in that order). Note that a molydeus’s Concentration bonus is high enough that it automatically makes any check to use spell-like abilities in combat. #### Gear **Combat Gear** > +1 dancing vorpal cold iron greataxe, horn of blasting, bracers of armor +4, ring of protection +3, ring of evasion **Other gear** > gems worth 1,000 gp #### Ecology **Terrain** **Organization** **Treasure** **Advancement** 20–29 HD (Large); 30–57 HD (Huge) A molydeus is a powerful tanar’ri that serves as an enforcer for a powerful demon lord. A molydeus is almost always encountered alone or with a troupe of weaker demons; it is a rare event in which a molydeus is forced to confront another of its kind. A molydeus encountered away from its home is almost always hunting a particular quarry, be it a rogue demon or a powerful mortal that has insulted a demon lord. Some powerful spellcasters have the hubris to try using gate spells to call a specific molydeus to do their bidding. These spellcasters are well advised to have powerful assistance at hand, for a molydeus does not suffer taking orders from anything other than the demon lords themselves. Sometimes a molydeus is assigned to eliminate a particular threat. More often, however, a molydeus simply wanders the Abyss searching for conscripts, Blood War deserters, or unwelcome intruders, meting out punishment as it sees fi t. Molydei serve as generals for demon lords, and on some layers of the Abyss they rule vast nations of demons as if they were themselves lords. Molydei are found throughout the Abyss, although they are by no means numerous. A single layer might have one molydeus demon. A molydeus stands 12 feet tall and weighs 1,500 pounds. ### Society When not hunting rogue demons or other interlopers, a molydeus relaxes at its Abyssal fortress, basking in the glory of its past victories. Other demons fear it, if not for its ability to punch through damage reduction with ease then for the fact that its venom can poison even other demons. The threat of transformation into a mane is one of the few shared fears among demonkind, and no creature causes it more than the molydeus.