Rot Demon [True Tanar'ri]

A rot demon is a lump of phosphorescent green filth inside a cracked, leathery crust that constantly seeps slime and soaks it back in. Three to seven dark, bulging eye-globules dot its body. It can stiffen into a semi-solid shape whose pseudopods wield weapons and handle objects with unsettling skill. It is clearly kin to the slimes, jellies and oozes of mortal worlds.

It is never surprised in the Abyss, and elsewhere only on a 1. It can be hurt only by cold iron or +2 or better weapons; electricity, poison and nonmagical fire do nothing, cold and magical fire deal half, and acid and harmful gases have no effect. Slashing and bludgeoning blows deal half damage, while piercing weapons reach its vitals for full damage.

Four whip-fast pseudopods strike each round for 2d4 apiece, each hit smearing corrosive slime. Unless the victim saves vs. poison, the slime deals 1d6 more per round for 1-6 rounds or until scraped off, and either way the acid may ruin some of the victim's gear.

It can also turn into a reeking 20' x 20' x 10' cloud that blocks normal sight and acts as cloudkill. In this form it is immune to physical harm and moves only 1, but gust of wind or a similar effect deals 1d6 per caster level, no save. Shifting into or out of cloud form takes a full round of nothing else.

Along with the usual tanar'ri powers, it uses these at will as an 11th-level caster unless noted: hold person, detect magic, dispel magic, stinking cloud, cause disease, enervation, wall of ice, cone of cold (3/day), command over any ooze, slime, jelly or fungus monster, and a touch that putrefies food and drink. Once daily it may try to gate 1 hezrou (70%) or 1-3 buzzing demons (30%), succeeding half the time.

Rot demons thrive in layers so vile that other demons shun them, and act as envoys, spies and assassins for the demon lords of the Abyss. Most errands stay within the Abyss, since the lords constantly plot against one another, but some take them across the Outer Planes or to the Prime to defile something lovely, a task they relish.

The endless war between demons and devils barely interests them. They avoid babaus and warden demons by retreating into filth no one will follow through, though they attack any baatezu met on the job. They are rare and feared, because tanar'ri have no natural defense against their acid or poison cloud. Serving a lord grants some protection, but when that lord falls, its rot demon often falls too.

Succubi and glabrezu drag mortals down to the Abyss; the rot demon brings the Abyss up to them. It smashes beauty, desecrates holy places, and fans fear and grudges into hatred, all to swell the Abyss's power. The plague and malice one plants can engulf a whole land, sinking thousands into war and ruin.