Glabrezu
- Size: Large
- Type: Fiend (Demon)
- Alignment: Chaotic Evil
- AC: 17
- Initiative: +6 (16)
- HP: 189 (18d10 + 90)
- Speed: 40 ft.
| ATTR | VAL | MOD | SAVE |
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 20 | +5 | +9 |
| DEX | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| CON | 21 | +5 | +9 |
| INT | 19 | +4 | +4 |
| WIS | 17 | +3 | +7 |
| CHA | 16 | +3 | +7 |
- Skills: Deception +7, Perception +7
- Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning
- Immunities: Poison; Poisoned
- Senses: Truesight 120 ft.; Passive Perception 17
- Languages: Abyssal; telepathy 120 ft.
- CR: 9 (XP 5,000; PB +4)
Traits
Demonic Restoration. If the glabrezu dies outside the Abyss, its body dissolves into ichor, and it gains a new body instantly, reviving with all its Hit Points somewhere in the Abyss.
Magic Resistance. The glabrezu has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The glabrezu makes two Pincer attacks and uses Pummel or Spellcasting.
Pincer. Melee Attack Roll: +9, reach 10 ft. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) Slashing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it has the Grappled condition (escape DC 15) from one of two pincers.
Pummel. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 17, one creature Grappled by the glabrezu. Failure: 15 (3d6 + 5) Bludgeoning damage. Success: Half damage.
Spellcasting. The glabrezu casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 16):
At Will: Darkness, Detect Magic, Dispel Magic
1/Day Each: Confusion, Fly, Power Word Stun
Lore & Background
Glabrezu are among the most cunning and manipulative of all demons, powerful fiends from the Abyss who specialize in corruption through temptation rather than brute force. These massive, four-armed demons stand over 15 feet tall, with two powerful arms ending in pincers and two smaller arms capable of fine manipulation. Their intelligence rivals that of the greatest mortal scholars, but their wisdom is twisted toward evil purposes and the corruption of mortal souls.
Unlike other demons who rely on violence and terror, glabrezu prefer to work through subtlety and seduction. They are master negotiators who delight in making deals with mortals, offering power, wealth, or knowledge in exchange for seemingly small favors that inevitably lead to damnation. These demons have an intimate understanding of mortal desires and weaknesses, making them exceptionally dangerous to those who seek shortcuts to power or solutions to desperate problems.
Combat Tactics
When forced into combat, glabrezu prove to be formidable opponents who combine physical prowess with magical abilities. Their Multiattack allows them to use both their massive Pincer attacks and their smaller Fist attacks in the same turn, potentially grappling opponents while continuing to pummel them. Their Magic Resistance makes them difficult to affect with spells.
Glabrezu prefer to avoid direct confrontation when possible, using their Confusion spell to turn enemies against each other and their Darkness spell to control the battlefield. They're intelligent enough to target spellcasters first and will use their Teleport ability to reposition themselves tactically or escape when the battle turns against them.
Encounter Ideas
The Devil's Bargain: A desperate noble has made a deal with a glabrezu to save his dying child, not realizing the demon's true nature. The party must find a way to break the contract before the demon claims the noble's soul and corrupts his entire bloodline.
The Corrupt Scholar: A glabrezu has been posing as a learned sage, offering forbidden knowledge to scholars and wizards in exchange for small favors. Its influence has begun to corrupt an entire academy of learning, and the party must expose the demon before it completes its grand design.
Infernal Mediator: Two warring factions have agreed to let a 'neutral' party mediate their dispute, not knowing that the mediator is actually a glabrezu seeking to escalate the conflict for its own purposes. The party must uncover the demon's true identity and prevent the war it's orchestrating.
The Tempter's Game: A glabrezu has been systematically approaching the party members individually, offering each of them exactly what they most desire in exchange for seemingly harmless favors. The party must recognize the pattern and work together to resist the demon's manipulations.
Lair Features
Glabrezu lairs are often luxurious and comfortable, designed to put visitors at ease and make them more susceptible to temptation. Rich furnishings, fine art, and comfortable seating create an atmosphere of wealth and sophistication. Libraries filled with rare and forbidden books offer knowledge that comes at a terrible price.
Contract chambers contain elaborate desks and writing materials for formalizing deals, while treasure rooms display the wealth the demon can offer to potential clients. Scrying pools allow the glabrezu to monitor its various schemes and the mortals it has corrupted.
Environmental Effects
The presence of a glabrezu subtly corrupts the moral atmosphere of an area. Negotiations and business deals in the vicinity become more cutthroat and unethical. People find themselves more willing to compromise their principles for personal gain, and trust between individuals begins to erode.
Contracts and legal documents may develop additional clauses or fine print that wasn't there before. Mirrors might show viewers their deepest desires rather than their reflection, and shadows sometimes move independently, reaching toward valuable objects.
Treasure
Glabrezu accumulate vast hoards of wealth, both as tools for temptation and as payment for their services. Rare gems, precious metals, and works of art fill their lairs, often arranged to maximum visual impact. Magical items of great power are common, though many come with hidden curses or costs.
Contracts and legal documents represent some of their most valuable possessions, containing the souls and services of countless mortals. Books of forbidden knowledge and scrolls of powerful spells are used as bait for scholarly types seeking power or understanding.
Plot Hooks
The Soul Market: A glabrezu has established a supernatural marketplace where mortals can trade years of their lives, memories, or aspects of their personality for immediate benefits. The party must shut down this operation before it corrupts an entire city.
Inherited Damnation: The party discovers that one of their allies has inherited a contract made by an ancestor with a glabrezu, and the demon has come to collect. They must find a way to break the generational curse without damning themselves in the process.
The Corruption Engine: A glabrezu has been systematically corrupting the leaders of various organizations - guilds, temples, and noble houses - to create a network of influence that spans multiple cities. The party must uncover and dismantle this conspiracy.
Divine Intervention: A glabrezu has been impersonating an angel or divine messenger, leading faithful mortals astray with false prophecies and corrupted miracles. The party must expose the deception and restore faith before an entire religion is perverted to serve the Abyss.