Hellghost


Climate/Terrain: The Nine Hells
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: High (13-14)
Treasure: Nil
Alignment: LE

No. Appearing: 2-8
Armor Class: - 4
Movement: 12
Hit Dice: 8
Thac0: 13
# of Attacks: 2 or 1
Damage/Attack: 1d6+6/1d6+6 or by weapon
Special Attacks: Shriek, spells
Special Defenses: +2 weapon to hit
Magic Resistance: 50%
Size: L (10')
Morale: Champion (15-16)
XP Value: 11,000
 ___________________________


Appearance: Hellghosts are the royal guards of the diabolic hierarchy. Dukes and Arch-Devils often use them as bodyguards while travelling or to stand as honor guards at formal meetings. Hellghosts are dressed in horrific, polished black armor, replete with spikes and sharpened edges. Their armor is always engraved with scenes of depravity and pain, and diabolical runes. A hellghost's head is a devilish skull encased in bluish-white flames. They wear no helmets or other armor on their heads. They carry staffs topped with horned animal skulls, the shaft being carved of gnarled, twisting bone, engraved with fell runes. When speaking, a hellghosts's voice reminds mortals of the sound of breaking bone.

Combat: Hellghosts are ferocious in combat, especially when protecting the Duke or Arch-Devil they're assigned to. Hellghosts tend to attack with their staffs first, as this is their primary weapon. When striking, the +3 staff inflicts 2d6+9 damage (includes STR bonus). In addition, the victim must save vs. rod, staff, and wand or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. The hellghost may also use the magical abilities of the staff. Each staff can cast a cold blue fire burst which shoots forth in a cone 15' wide at the end, inflicting 12d6 damage (save vs spell for half damage). Though flame-like, this damage burns due to the intense cold (not heat), so treat as cold damage. The DM may require a save vs. cold for all affected items due to the brittleness inflicted upon them by such intense cold.

The staff can also cast wither by touch. This attack requires a save vs. petrification at a -2 penalty or the limb touched withers away. If the save is successful, the limb is merely numbed for 2d6 rounds or until healed with a cure serious wounds or stronger healing spell is applied.

Any mortal who handles the staff of a hellghost is paralyzed (no save) and takes 2d4 damage per round from intense cold. Anyone who touches the victim also takes 2d4 cold damage that round. The only way to remove the staff from the victim's grip is to cast dispel magic at 12th level or higher, or to use a limited wish or wish spell. Nothing else short of death will remove the victim's death grip on the staff, although a hellghost can dispel the grip to reclaim his weapon at any time.

If disarmed, the hellghost attacks with its gauntlet-covered fists, doing 1d6+6 points of damage per blow (2 per round). It can also shriek once every 3 rounds. The shriek is a chilling, piercing wail which numbs the soul. Anyone within a 60' radius who hears it must save vs. paralyzation or fall to the floor trembling, their soul numbed by the horror of the shriek. This trembling paralysis lasts 2d6 rounds and the victim can do nothing during this time. Anyone who saves vs. the shriek is immune to that particular hellghost's shrieks for the remainder of that encounter, but must save again if hearing a different hellghost's shriek or the same hellghost's wail in a later encounter.

Hellghosts can also cast all necromantic spells in the PHB as a 12th-level wizard.

Habitat/Society: Hellghosts serve only Dukes and Arch-Devils as honor guards as well as body guards. Being under the control of the most powerful devils, they are exempt from the Blood War, and are not subject to commands of more powerful devils such as pit fiends. They enjoy a special status in the Nine Hells. They are almost never seen in less than pairs of two or more, and tend to travel in groups of 4-8 when serving a Duke or Arch-Devil.

Ecology: Not being part of the Blood War, hellghosts serve no function in the ecology of the Nine Hells beyond their protective duties.

Variants: None.

Back to previous frontpage

Ahead to next monster