View source for Devil (D&D)

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| style="border-right: 0px;" | Alignment || style="border-left: 0px;" | [[Lawful Evil]]
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''Not to be confused with ''the'' [[Devil]].''

In D&D, '''devils''' are a race of [[Lawful Evil]] [[fiend | fiends]]—malignant spirits who follow a strict hierarchy and adhere to rules.

In the cosmology of D&D, devils are to be contrasted with [[demon | demons]]. Demons in D&D are [[Chaotic Evil]] fiends: evil spirits of disorder and mayhem who seek nothing more than to destroy anything they can get their hands on. Devils, on the other hand, are patient, follow rules, have strict codes of conduct, obey the speed limit, use a knife and fork, and call their mom on the weekends.

== Origin ==

The origin of devils in the multiverse is unclear. There are many competing theories.

According to the Pact Primeval myth, devils are fallen angels. The angels were created by the gods during the primordial war against the demons, but eventually the gods grew tired and created servants to fight the war for them. Over time, the gods grew to shun their angels almost as much as the demons, for their angels had become terrible. The greatest of the angels, Asmodeus, then made a deal with the gods: he would take his work to another plane of existence, where he would continue the war against the demons and punish those mortals who made enemies of the gods. The realm he chose is the one we now call the Nine Hells of Baator.

According to the Imorkellum myth, which Abn-Azer subscribes to, devils are fallen angels, but they were expelled to Baator after a massive civil war in the heavens, called the Imorkellum. Asmodeus, greatest of the angels, had grown disillusioned with the gods, whom he said were (either deliberately or inadvertently) prolonging the war against the demons by permitting mortals to sin, which he claimed was the fuel that powered the Abyss. Why allow evil at all? he asked. Why not intervene in the material world and punish the wicked while they are alive, so that men will always choose goodness over evil? This ideological rift split the heavens in two, and his side lost. He and his angels were hurled into the hells, where they are now forced to fight the war from the front lines.

== Types of devils ==

=== Baatezu ===

The most common type of devil in D&D are the ''[[baatezu]]''. Whenever scholars on [[Oerth]] or [[Toril]] talk about devils, they're usually talking about [[baatezu]]—similarly to how they're generally talking about [[tanar'ri]] when they mention demons.

What's the difference between a baatezu devil and a non-baatezu devil? It's kind of unclear, but some examples of non-baatezu devils are imps, kytons, and hellwasps.

In Pathfinder, there are no subraces of devil—there are just devils. The devils there are basically "all baatezu," if you will, but they don't use the term "baatezu" at all.

The baatezu are, generally speaking, servants of [[Asmodeus]]. 

== Infernal hierarchy ==

There are many different types of devils. They follow a very strict hierarchy, though our understanding of said hierarchy is very limited. Everyone and their grandma seems to have their own model of the infernal hierarchy and many of them are mutually contradictory or even self-contradictory.

Unlike tanar'ri (who evolve like Pokémon as they get stronger), devils need to get promoted by a superior in order to move up the corporate ladder.

== Hierarchy of Mordenkainen ==

This is the infernal hierarchy according to [[Mordenkainen]].

=== Lowest of the Low (Rank 1) ===

# <li value="1">Lemures and nupperibos</li>

=== Lesser (Ranks 2-7) ===

# <li value="2">Imps</li>
# <li value="3">Spined devils (spinagons)</li>
# <li value="4">[[Barbazu | Bearded devils (barbazus)]] and merregons (legion devils)</li>
# <li value="5">[[Hamatula | Barbed devils (hamatulas)]]</li>
# <li value="6">[[Kyton | Chain devils (kytons/velstracs)]]</li>
# <li value="7">[[Osyluth | Bone devils (osyluths)]]</li>

=== Greater (Ranks 8-11) ===

# <li value="8">[[Cornugon | Horned devils (cornugons)]] and orthons</li>
# <li value="9">[[Erinys | Erinyes (fury devils)]]</li>
# <li value="10">[[Gelugon | Ice devils (gelugons)]] and narzugons (hell knights)</li>
# <li value="11">[[Amnizu]] and [[pit fiend | pit fiends (tyrant devils)]]</li>

=== Archdevils (Ranks 12-13) ===

# <li value="12">Dukes</li>
# <li value="13">Archdukes ([[Lords of the Nine]]), with [[Asmodeus]] above them all.</li>

== Hierarchy of Pathfinder ==

This is the infernal hierarchy according to the sages of Golarion.<ref>See: [https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Devil PathfinderWiki:Devil].</ref>

This is (roughly) in ascending order of authority.

=== Least devils ===
* [[Nupperibo | Nupperibos]]
* [[Lemure | Lemures]]
* [[Imp | Imps]]

=== Lesser devils ===
* Gaavs
* Zebubs
* Ukobachs
* [[Barbazu | Barbazus (bearded devils)]]
* Lesser gidim
* Magaavs
* Levalochs
* Salikotals
* Ascensoriel
* [[Erinys | Erinyes (fury devils)]]
* Sarglagons
* Chortovs
* Ghalshoatons
* [[Osyluth | Osyluths (bone devils)]]
* Phistophiluses
* Uniilas
* [[Hamatula | Hamatulas (barbed devils)]]
* Ayngavhauls
* Edavagors

=== Greater devils ===
* Gylous
* Greater gidim
* Bdellavritras
* [[Cornugon | Cornugons (horned devils)]]
* [[Gelugon | Gelugons (ice devils)]]
* Deimaviggas
* Advodazas
* Puragaus
* [[Pit fiend | Pit fiends (tyrant devils)]]

=== Lords of Hell ===
* Malebranche
* [[Infernal duke | Infernal dukes]]
* [[Queens of the Night]]
* Archdevils
* [[Asmodeus]]

== Endnotes ==

<!--
== Hierarchy (D&D) ==

This is the infernal hierarchy according to the sages of Planescape.

=== Greater devils ===

* Pit fiend. CR 20.
* Amnizu. CR 18.
* Paeliryon. CR 18.
* Gelugon. CR 14.
* Cornugon. CR 11.
-->