Geryon is the final archdevil in the Monster Manual, clearly inspired by his appearance in Dante’s Inferno, but without the “infernal taxi service” aspect. The resulting devil is flavorful, ripe for expansion, and probably the most demon-like of his kin. Dante, of course, was not writing with role-playing games in mind, and certainly not with either AD&D’s or DCC’s alignment systems. For Dante, there was little or no difference between demons and devils, and the “Great Beast” of his poem was Lawful only in the senses that it followed the hierarchy of Hell and obeyed Virgil’s (divinely granted) command. This, at least, does give us something to work with, even if we omit Geryon’s stint as an infernal ferry service.
Geryon (Archdevil): Init +8;
Atk claw +14 melee (3d6) or tail sting +12 melee (2d4 plus venom) or stare or spell;
AC 23; HD 16d12 (133 hp); MV 20’ or fly 50’; Act 3d20; SP devil traits, venom
(1d5 Strength Damage and Fort DC 25 or die), rend, stare, spells, horn; SV Fort
+14, Ref +9, Will +14; AL L.
Spells (+20 to spell check): Charm person, comprehend languages, control ice, darkness, demon summoning, detect invisible, detect magic, dispel magic, and invisibility.
Rend: If Geryon hits the same opponent with both claws, he rends the unfortunate victim for an additional 3d6 damage.
Stare: Geryon’s stare causes fear (-2d on dice chain for all rolls, lasting 1d4 rounds, Will DC 25 negates) in a single opponent.
Horn: Geryon’s Horn is a great bull’s horn which, when blown, summons forth 5d4 prime minotaurs which will obey the winder to the death. The horn can only be blown once a week, and a mortal who dares wind this terrible horn permanently loses 1 point of Stamina for each minotaur it summons.
Devil 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.
Geryon, “the Wild Beast” has a ten-foot tall humanoid torso that ends in a snake-like tail some thirty feet long and tipped with a venomous stinger. Bat-like wings sprout from his shoulders. Although his face is handsome, it is cruel, and his hairy arms end in paw-like hands.
Geryon rules the fifth plane of Hell from a huge castle in the very middle of the plane, and seldom ventures forth from it. He is given to passionate bloodlust, and often loses his exceptional genius when the opportunity to revel in carnage arises. It may be imagined that Geryon is, to his hellish overlord Asmodeus, like a domesticate animal, bestial in nature but obedient to his master.
Those who would take this archdevil for their patron must likewise be willing to obey him, while otherwise surrendering part of their civilized nature. In order to ensure this, Geryon demands the sacrifice of someone important to the caster as part of the bonding ritual. This not only offers proof of fealty, but makes it difficult for the client caster to return to who they were before. As a result, Geryon is the only archdevil who foregoes formal contracts to obtain his patronage.
Invoke Patron check results:
12-13 Secluded within his castle in hell, Geryon hears the caster not. However, the caster’s own bestial nature answers the call, granting them a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls and damage for the next 1d5 + Caster Level rounds.
14-17 Bloodlust fills the caster’s mind, and they gain a +4 bonus to all melee attack rolls and damage for the next 1d6 + Caster Level rounds. Moreover, during this period they gain critical hits as a monster (Table M) whose Hit Dice are equal to their Caster Level.
18-19 As above, but the condition lasts 1d7 + Caster Level minutes, and during this time the caster ignores the first 2 points of damage from any source.
20-23 As above, but the caster ignores the first 5 points of damage, their critical range is extended to 19-20, and the condition lasts 1d4 + Caster Level turns. Unfortunately, the caster’s bloodlust is so great that, once they make a successful melee attack, they must succeed in a DC 5 Will save to stop attacking so long as even a single target – friend or foe – remains within 30 feet.
24-27 As above, but the caster also gains an
additional 1d20 action die which can be used for melee attacks only. Their
teeth and nails grow sharper and stronger, with a base damage of 1d6 for
unarmed attacks while this condition lasts. The Will save for the caster to
stop attacking increases to DC 10.
28-29 As above, but if the caster hits the same target with two claw attacks, they can rend for an additional 1d6 + Caster Level damage, and the Will save to stop attacking increases to DC 15.
30-31 The wild horn of Geyron echoes around the
caster. All foes within 500 feet must succeed in a DC 20 Will save or flee for
2d6 + Caster Level rounds. If they cannot flee, they collapse into a cowering,
sniveling mess upon a failed save.
1d3 rounds later, a group of 2d4 + Caster Level minotaurs appear, and
immediately begin to aid the caster in whatever way the caster directs. At the
end of each turn, one of the minotaurs disappears until none are left.
32+ The wild horn of Geyron echoes around the caster. All foes within 500 feet must succeed in a DC 25 Will save or flee for 2d6 + Caster Level minutes. If they cannot flee, they collapse into a cowering, sniveling mess upon a failed save. A group of 2d4 + Caster Level prime minotaurs appear, and immediately begin to aid the caster in whatever way the caster directs. At the end of each turn, one of the prime minotaurs disappears until none are left.
When the last prime minotaur is left, the caster has the option of permanently sacrificing 1 point of Stamina to make the creature serve until it, or the caster, is slain or banished back to its place of origin. If the sacrificed Stamina is ever undone (such as through a restore vitality spell), the prime minotaur instantly disappears. Depending upon circumstances, Geryon may also be displeased and exact some penalty.
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