Blessing of Avernus (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If Zariel is reduced to 0 hit points, she is instead reduced to 1 hit point as Avernus itself heeds her call for additional power. Zariel immediately gains 580 temporary hit points. While she possesses these hit points, she gains immunity to cold, fire, and radiant damage and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from magical attacks.
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede Zariel’s darkvision.
Fiery Weapons. Zariel’s weapon attacks are magical. When she hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 36 (8d8) fire damage (included in the weapon attacks below).
Innate Spellcasting. Zariel’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 26). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: alter self (can become Medium when changing her appearance), detect evil and good, fireball, invisibility (self only), wall of fire
3/day each: blade barrier, dispel evil and good, finger of death
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Zariel fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Zariel has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Regeneration. Zariel regains 20 hit points at the start of her turn. If she takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of her next turn. Zariel dies only if she starts her turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.
Multiattack. Zariel attacks twice with her flail and once with Matalotok. She can substitute Horrid Touch for Matalotok.
Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage plus 36 (8d8) fire damage.
Matalotok (Warhammer). Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage, or 19 (2d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage when used with two hands, plus 36 (8d8) fire damage. In addition, the weapon emits a burst of cold that deals 10 (3d6) cold damage to each creature within 30 feet of it.
Horrid Touch (Recharge 5–6). Zariel touches one creature within 10 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or take 44 (8d10) necrotic damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target is also blinded and deafened. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Teleport. Zariel magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.
Zariel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Zariel regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Immolating Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). Zariel turns her magical gaze toward one creature she can see within 120 feet of her and commands it to combust. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or take 22 (4d10) fire damage.
Teleport. Zariel uses her Teleport action.
If Zariel's Mythic trait is active, she can choose from the options below as additional legendary actions while she possesses temporary hit points from Blessing of Avernus.
Infernal Retribution. Zariel glows with an inner fire. Until the start of her next turn, any creature that makes a melee attack against her takes 11 (2d10) fire damage.
Corrupted Soul (Costs 2 Actions). Zariel’s eyes weep a black ichor as she recognizes her fall from grace. All creatures who can see Zariel within 120 feet of her must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Zariel until the start of her next turn.
Archduke’s Summons (Costs 3 Actions). Zariel uses her weapon and slices a hole in an unoccupied adjacent space. Zariel summons 2d4 bearded devils, 1d4 barbed devils, or one erinyes. A summoned devil appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of Zariel, acts as an ally to her, and can’t summon other devils. It remains for 1 minute, until it or Zariel dies, or until Zariel dismisses it as an action.
Description
Once a mighty angel charged with watching the tides of the Blood War, Zariel succumbed to the corrupting influence of the Nine Hells and fell from grace. Asmodeus admired Zariel’s passion for war and offered her rulership of Avernus. She accepted his offer and was transformed by Asmodeus into an archdevil.
Zariel’s “rise” came at the expense of Bel, her pit fiend predecessor. Zariel and Bel hate each other. To keep Bel busy and out of her sight, Zariel tasks him with forging weapons, armor, and gruesome demon-slaying machines.
To replenish her legions, Zariel needs the souls of mortals to create lemures, which she can then promote to higher forms of devils. Only by tempting mortals with power on the Material Plane and striking bargains with them can she bind them to her in the afterlife.
Matalotok. Zariel recently defeated the demon lord Kostchtchie and took his hammer, Matalotok, which grants Zariel immunity to cold damage. Without this hammer, Zariel has resistance to cold damage instead.
Lair and Lair Actions
Zariel’s Lair
Zariel makes her lair in a basalt citadel that rises up in Avernus. From nearly a mile away, one can hear the screams and moans coming from the burned victims chained to the stronghold’s wall, the dying remains of those who failed to impress the archdevil. The stronghold, covering five square miles, is surrounded by walls reinforced with high turrets. Devils of all kinds crawl over the structure, ensuring that no intruders breach their defenses.
Lair Actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Zariel can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Zariel casts major image four times at its lowest level, targeting different areas with the spell. Zariel prefers to create images of intruders’ loved ones being burned alive. Zariel doesn’t need to concentrate on the spells, which end on initiative count 20 of the next round. Each creature that can see these illusions must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the illusion for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- Zariel casts her innate fireball spell.
Regional Effects. The region containing Zariel’s lair is warped by her magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- The area within 9 miles of the lair is filled with screaming voices and the stench of burning meat.
- Once every 60 feet within 1 mile of the lair, 10-foot-high gouts of flame rise from the ground. Any creature or object that touches the flame takes 7 (2d6) fire damage, though it can take this damage no more than once per round.
- The area within 2 miles, but no closer than 500 feet, of the lair is filled with smoke, which causes the area to be heavily obscured. The smoke can’t be cleared away.
If Zariel dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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