Hellfire Wyrm

Hellfire wyrms are draconic agents of the Nine Hells of Baator that live among humanoid races on the Material Plane. They are masterful power brokers, manipulating people and events in subtle ways. Hellfire wyrms can steer rulers to fight in unjust wars, or support unholy alliances, or even commit despotic acts against their people.

A hellfire wyrm is a diabolic-looking, winged dragon with vicious bone spikes jutting from its head and shoulders. Smoke rises continually from its scales, and its eyes burn an intense yellow. The monster’s scales shift in color to give the appearance of flowing molten lava, and they stink of brimstone.

Hellfire wyrms entrench themselves in regional politics by using their knowledge, wealth, and persuasive abilities to force through their foul agendas. The typical wyrm does not limit its actions to any one kingdom, and it often has a different identity for each realm it visits. It takes great pains to hide its draconic form, usually assuming the shape of a charismatic tiefling when dealing with humanoids and assassinating anyone who learns its true identity. Hellfire wyrms retreat to secret lairs when not actively scheming.

A hellfire wyrm speaks Draconic, Infernal, and Common, as well as the languages of any nearby humanoid races.

Combat

Utterly fearless and almost unstoppable in battle, hellfire wyrms are expert tacticians. They keep to the air, slinging mind-affecting spells and withering breath attacks at their enemies.

Breath Weapon (Su): A hellfire wyrm can breathe a 50-foot cone of infernal flame that deals 14d10 points of damage. Each creature caught in the area can attempt a Reflex save (DC 29) to take half damage. One-half of the damage from this attack derives from infernal power and is therefore not subject to reduction by protective elemental magic. Once the wyrm breathes, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using its breath weapon again.

Crush (Ex): A flying hellfire wyrm can land on opponents three or more size categories smaller than itself as a standard action, using its whole body to crush them. A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit under the wyrm’s body. Each creature in the affected area must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 29) or be pinned, automatically taking 2d8+13 points of bludgeoning damage. Thereafter, if the wyrm chooses to maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack (grapple bonus +40). While pinned, the opponent takes crush damage each round.

Frightful Presence (Ex): When a hellfire wyrm charges, attacks, or flies overhead, it inspires terror in all creatures within 240 feet that have fewer Hit Dice or levels than it has. Each potentially affected opponent must attempt a Will save (DC 30). On a failure, a creature with 4 or fewer Hit Dice becomes panicked for 4d6 rounds, and one with 5 or more Hit Dice becomes shaken for 4d6 rounds. A successful save leaves that opponent immune to that hellfire wyrm’s frightful presence for 24 hours. Dragons ignore the frightful presence effect of a hellfire wyrm.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​blasphemy, charm person, demand, desecrate, dictum, fire storm, greater dispel magic, hold person, greater invisibility, greater teleport, misdirection, pyrotechnics, sending, suggestion, true seeing (divine version), unholy aura, unhallow, wall of fire. Caster level 20th; save DC 19 + spell level.

Fiendish Form (Su): At will, a hellfire wyrm can produce an effect like that of a shapechange spell, except that only the normal form of any tiefling or devil may be assumed.

Immunities: A hellfire wyrm is immune to sleep and paralysis effects.

Infernal Aura (Su): Any creature within 5 feet of a hellfire wyrm automatically takes 5d4 points of fire damage per round. It can suppress this aura as a free action.

Keen Senses (Ex): A hellfire wyrm sees four times as well as a human in low-light conditions and twice as well in normal light. It also has darkvision with a range of 120 feet.

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Once per day, a hellfire wyrm may summon a single barbazu, cornugon, or gelugon with a 100% chance of success. This ability functions like a summon monster spell of the appropriate level. A summoned devil automatically returns whence it came after 1 hour. A baatezu that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour.

Feats: A creature that is flung by a hellfire wyrm after being snatched travels 100 feet and takes 10d6 points of damage. If the hellfire wyrm is flying, the creature takes this damage or the appropriate falling damage, whichever is greater.

Source: Monster Manual II, page 125. This creature’s statistics block has been updated to version 3.5 as given in the D&D® V.3.5 Accessory Update for Monster Manual II.