When converting the demons and devils from the original Monster Manual, some deviation from the strict order of presentation is required. Specifically, the demon princes and archdevils must be formatted in a manner similar to the way I did Lolth and the Slaad Lords from the Fiend Folio.
You will laugh, but since first playing this game, I had Juiblex’s name wrong. Until actually doing the conversion work, I had always somehow read the Faceless Lord as “Julibex”. Not a huge difference, but any error that lasts around four decades is worth noting. Like Demogorgon, I referenced Juiblex (or, rather, Jubilex!) in AD&D 1e games, but he never made a personal appearance. Just as well, because the demon lords are a TPK any way you slice them!
Juiblex (The
Faceless Lord): Init +11; Atk caustic lash +22 melee (10’ range, 4d10)
or spew primordial slime or spell; AC 27; HD 26d12 (88 hp); MV 10’; Act 4d20; SP
demon traits, spew primordial slime, spellcasting, miasmal aura; regenerate 1d4
hp/round, infravision 200’; SV Fort +14, Ref +16, Will +18; AL C.
Spells (+22 to spell check): Charm person, choking cloud, darkness, demon summoning, dispel magic, ESP, fly, forget, invisibility, paralysis, phantasm, and scare.
Spew Primordial Slime: Once every 1d5 rounds, Juiblex can use an action die to spew a 1 HD primeval slime at a target within 10’, with the slime attacking the target immediately and each round thereafter. The slime is persistent, and exists until destroyed. The judge is encouraged to have several varieties of primeval slime prepared, following the description on pages 423-424 of the core rulebook.
Miasmal Aura: So foul is the Faceless Lord that mortal creatures within 30’ of his revolting person must succeed in a DC 22 Fort save each round or suffer 1d3 points of Stamina damage and 1d6 hp damage.
Demon traits: Telepathy, immunities (weapons of less than +5 enchantment or natural attacks from creatures of 12 HD or less, fire, cold, electricity, gas, acid), projection (teleport at will to any location, as long as not bound or otherwise summoned; can project astrally and ethereally), crit range 15-20.
Juiblex is reclusive and hates intrusion by any form of normal creature, instead surrounding himself with various forms of ooze and primeval slime. Even other demons and infernal creatures shun his company. Mortal wizards who wish to bond with the Faceless Lord must do so in some slimy, malodorous place, such as a cesspit. Those so foolish to traffic with Juiblex find themselves coming to resemble his revolting personage over time, and eventually devolve into some form of primordial oozing slime themselves.
Invoke Patron check results:
12-13 The caster’s flesh melts like putty over the course of a round, healing 1d6 + CL damage as it is restored to its former appearance and consistency. During this round, the caster takes only half damage from any source.
14-17 The caster’s legs and lower torso become a column of odiferous jelly, allowing them to move at 40’ on land, 20’ on walls, or jet upwards 30’ per round on an expanding column of ooze, attaining heights of up to 90’. The caster retains this form for 1d3 + CL minutes before returning to normal.
18-19 The caster’s face becomes a mass of featureless putrescent slime, which somehow does not interfere with speech, sight, spellcasting, or hearing. Once per round, without using an action die, the caster may make a melee attack with a pseudopod from this slime against a target up to 30’ away, doing 2d6 + CL damage if the attack hits. After 3d6 + CL rounds, the caster’s face returns to normal.
20-23 Something akin to Juiblex’s own miasmal stench exudes from the caster, causing all living creatures within 30’ of the caster – friend as well as foe – to make a DC 15 Fort save each round or take 1d4 damage. This effect lasts 1d3 + CL turns, and persists even if the caster is reduced to 0 hp or slain. Only the caster’s familiar (if any) is unaffected.
24-27 Once per round, the caster may vomit forth an infernal ooze, to a range of 10’, which immediately attacks an opponent if possible. Vomiting forth an ooze uses an action die and prevents spellcasting that round (unless the spell does not require a verbal component, due to a mercurial effect for instance). This effect lasts for 1d6 + CL rounds. The infernal oozes act as the caster desires, but 2d8 + CL turns, the caster must make a Luck check on 1d14 (roll under Luck). If the caster succeeds, the oozes merely dissipate, returning to the Abyss. If the caster fails, any surviving infernal oozes turn on them, doing everything in their power to destroy the caster unless banished or destroyed themselves. The caster has gained the notice of Juiblex, and the Faceless Lord does not care to be disturbed.
Infernal Ooze: Init +0; Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d6+4 plus paralysis); AC 12; HD 2d12 (13 hp); MV 20’, climb 20’; Act 1d20; SP paralysis (1d6 hours, DC 16 Fort negates), half damage from non-magical weapons, half damage from magical slicing and piercing weapons, immune to non-magical slicing and piercing weapons, immunity to fire; SV Fort +6, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
28-29 The caster and their gear collapse into a pool of sentient primeval slime with 1 HD per CL (re-roll hp using 1d8 per die; any damage taken comes from any “extra” hit points first). The caster becomes a pool of slime with one 5-foot section per level. The slime can pull itself into a roughly humanoid shaped pile of filth at will, and in this form it can both speak and cast spells, but cannot make pseudopod attacks, and can only use whatever action dice the caster has in their native form. The primeval slime otherwise follows the description on pages 423-424 of the core rulebook.
The caster may maintain this form for up to 1d6 + CL hours, but when they attempt to regain their normal shape they must succeed in a Luck check on 1d16 (roll under) to do so. If they fail the Luck check, Juiblex has taken umbrage at their disturbing him, and they retain the slime form permanently, or until they receive a remove curse with a spell check result of 34+. If forced to remain a slime, the caster takes 1d3 Personality damage each day, and, should their Personality ever fall to 0, they lose their sentience so long as they retain this form (Personality damage may recover only once restored to original shape).
Primeval slime: Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4); AC 10; HD 1d8 per 5’ square; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 1d20 per 5’ square; SP half damage from slicing and piercing weapons, 1d4+1 special properties from table on page 424 of the core rulebook; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will as caster; AL as caster.
30-31 The dubious favor of the Faceless Lord touches the caster. The caster, and up to five willing allies within 500’, gain CL special abilities from the table on page 424 of the core rulebook. Half of these, rounded up, may be chosen by the caster, and half are randomly determined, but the same set of abilities are gained by all effected. These abilities remain for 1d6 hours, after which each affected being must succeed in a Luck check on 1d20 (roll under) or suffer 1d4 points of permanent Strength, Agility, or Stamina damage as part of their flesh sloughs off into nascent primordial slimes exhibiting traits similar to those granted the caster and their allies. The slimes are not immediately hostile if the area is vacated and they are left alone.
32+ The Faceless Lord shows great, if momentary, favor to the caster and up to five allies of their choosing. In the first round, all of the affected have their flesh melt and run, healing all wounds, including lost body parts, broken bones, and even ability score damage.
For the next 1d12 + CL rounds, all affected are semi-gelid, taking only half damage from piercing and slashing weapons, as well as from heat, fire, cold, and electricity. They gain an additional +3 bonus to attack rolls, damage, spell checks, and AC due to the influence of the demon lord.
Finally, for the following 1d12 + CL rounds, all affected regenerate 1d3 hp per round due to the plasticity of their flesh.
Once these effects end, the caster must succeed in a Luck check on 1d24 (roll under) or be dragged bodily to the Abyss to answer to the Faceless Lord for their impertinence. Juiblex cares little for what happens on mortal planes, so unless the judge rules otherwise, this concludes an otherwise successful career in the arcane arts. Perhaps a special quest can be devised (for the caster or their allies) to free the caster from the Abyss…?
