Skip to main content

Demon Armor

Demon Armor
  • Category: Armor (Any Light, Medium, or Heavy)
  • Rarity: Very Rare (Requires Attunement)

While wearing this armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class, and you know Abyssal. In addition, the armor's clawed gauntlets allow your Unarmed Strikes to deal 1d8 Slashing damage instead of the usual Bludgeoning damage, and you gain a +1 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes.

Curse. Once you don this cursed armor, you can't doff it unless you are targeted by a Remove Curse spell or similar magic. While wearing the armor, you have Disadvantage on attack rolls against demons and on saving throws against their spells and special abilities.

Tactical Applications​

Combat Strategy: This cursed armor creates a dangerous tactical dilemma - enhanced melee capabilities at the cost of vulnerability to demonic threats. Best suited for characters who rarely encounter demons or who have strong curse removal support.

Class Synergies:

  • Monks: Exceptional synergy with unarmed combat focus, turning every strike into slashing damage
  • Barbarians: Natural claw attacks complement rage-fueled combat style
  • Fighters: Additional AC and weapon versatility for grappling builds
  • Warlocks: Thematic alignment with otherworldly patrons, potential demonic connections

Build Considerations: Ideal for unarmed combat specialists, but requires careful risk assessment in campaigns featuring frequent demonic encounters.

Acquisition Methods​

Crafting Requirements: Requires demon-forged materials, abyssal steel, and binding rituals. Extremely dangerous to create - costs 25,000+ gp and risks creator's soul.

Common Sources:

  • Defeated demon lords or their champions
  • Ancient battlefields where demons were slain
  • Cursed armories in the Nine Hells or Abyss
  • Corrupt smiths dealing with fiendish entities
  • Demonic cult treasuries

Alternative Acquisition: Sometimes found protecting unholy sites or worn by fallen paladins who succumbed to corruption.

Value & Trade​

Estimated Value: 18,000-35,000 gp, though many refuse to trade it due to its cursed nature.

Trade Considerations: Most reputable dealers won't handle cursed items. Typically traded in black markets, among desperate adventurers, or by those unaware of the curse.

Character Integration​

Roleplay Elements: The armor whispers in Abyssal, gradually influences the wearer toward evil acts, and creates internal conflict between power and corruption.

Character Concepts:

  • Reformed cultist seeking redemption while bound to their dark past
  • Desperate warrior who accepted cursed power to save loved ones
  • Scholar studying demonic artifacts who became trapped by their research
  • Paladin who fell from grace and now struggles with their tainted equipment

Adventure Hooks​

The Binding Ritual: Creator seeks to break free from demonic contract that created the armor, requiring complex ritual components.

Demon Hunt: The armor's original demonic owner tracks the wearer, seeking to reclaim their prize through increasingly dangerous encounters.

Corruption Spreads: The armor slowly influences nearby holy sites, requiring the party to seek powerful clerics or celestial intervention.

The Rival Claim: Another demon or devil claims ownership of the armor, leading to planar politics and otherworldly negotiations.

Variants & Customization​

Demon Lord's Regalia (Legendary): Complete armor set with additional demonic powers, immunity to charm effects, and frightening presence.

Pit Fiend Plate (Artifact): Ancient armor granting flight, fire immunity, and summoning abilities, but with correspondingly severe curses.

Lesser Fiend Mail (Rare): Reduced version with +1 AC and claw attacks but without the curse or Abyssal knowledge.

Specialized Variants:

  • Succubus Silk: Light armor variant focusing on charm effects and social manipulation
  • Balor's Wrath: Heavy armor with fire damage and whip-like appendages
  • Vrock Feathers: Medium armor granting limited flight and stunning screech abilities

Lore & History​

Origins: Forged in the depths of the Abyss using souls of defeated warriors, each suit represents a demon's attempt to create the perfect corrupted champion.

Historical Significance: Worn by legendary anti-paladins and fallen heroes, this armor appears throughout history at pivotal moments of moral corruption.

Cultural Impact: Serves as a cautionary tale about the price of power - many cultures have legends warning against wearing "gifts" from fiends.

Magical Craft: The binding process requires willing sacrifice of virtue, making each suit a permanent gateway for demonic influence.

Balancing Notes​

Introduction Timing: Best introduced at levels 8-12 when players can handle the moral complexity and have access to curse removal.

Campaign Impact: The curse creates ongoing tension and roleplay opportunities while providing significant combat benefits for unarmed fighters.

Moral Complexity: The armor forces players to weigh immediate tactical advantages against long-term spiritual consequences.

Encounter Design​

Recommended Challenges:

  • Demonic encounters where the wearer's disadvantage creates tactical complications
  • Social situations where the armor's evil aura affects NPC reactions
  • Moral dilemmas involving the armor's whispered suggestions
  • Curse removal quests requiring rare components or dangerous rituals

Tactical Adjustments: Include demons in encounters to highlight the armor's curse, but balance with non-demonic threats where it shines.

Cursed Equipment: Armor of Vulnerability, Berserker Axe, and other items that provide power at significant cost.

Demonic Artifacts:

  • Demon weapons that complement the armor's evil nature
  • Amulets providing protection against the armor's corrupting influence
  • Holy symbols that conflict with the armor's presence

Complementary Equipment: Items that help mitigate the curse's effects or enhance the demonic theme without additional penalties.

Roleplay Opportunities​

Moral Struggle: The character wrestles with the armor's corrupting whispers and must choose between power and righteousness.

Language Barrier: Suddenly understanding Abyssal opens new dialogue options but also exposes the character to demonic communications.

Social Stigma: NPCs react with fear or hostility to the armor's obviously demonic appearance, creating social challenges.

Redemption Arc: The character seeks to purify the armor or find a way to use its power for good despite its evil origins.