Archons

Archons are the soldiers of the gods, splinters of divine intent and possessing no will of their own. Courageous and fierce, they are charged with the protection of the outer planes, and are guardians of the faithful spirits of the mortal dead. Archons are sometimes deployed to aid, reward, or punish a deity's mortal followers, or wage war against their enemies.

Domain Manifestations. Each type of archon is a direct incarnation of a divine portfolio, not tied to any particular deity. Their alignment is tied directly to the gods they serve, and archons can come into conflict with each other if the deities clash. Nevertheless, all archons are united in their opposition to those that would destroy the gods - especially demons. Ultimately, the archons' mission is to perform the will of all deities, not to cling to one god and promote its cause above those of all others.

Astral Demise. Archons are incarnate fragments of a deity's power, and do not truly have souls of their own.
When one dies, its spark of life returns to its deity's domain as a lantern archon, leaving behind only its armor and any equipment it was wearing or carrying. Such items make for valuable treasure but draw the ire of the archon's allies.
Like fiends, archons can only be truly destroyed on their home plane, which varies depending on their sworn deity .

Immortal Nature. An archon doesn't need to breathe, eat, drink, or sleep, nor does it have any desire to.

Hound Archon

Lantern archons that perform exceptional service to their deity are gifted with the ability to take a more substantial shape, vaguely resembling a dog, but with the archon's typical featureless face. Legends are told of these glowing spirits watching over children as they sleep, or guiding them through dangerous wilderness to safety.

Hound archons serve as scouts and spies for greater archons, and administer the domain of Trickery. Unlike the gregarious lanterns, hounds rarely announce their presence. When they spot a potential threat, they alert their superiors before confronting the danger directly.

A hound archon that consistently demonstrates temperance and restraint is awarded the rank of warden.

Lantern Archon

Lantern archons are the smallest and weakest of the archons. Manifestations of the Light domain, they glow about as brightly as a torch. Thousands of these floating orbs gather in great clouds above the mountains and cities of the upper planes, suffusing those places with a soft golden light and the faint sound of singing and laughter.

Lantern archons are very friendly and usually eager to give what assistance they can. However, their bodies are just gaseous globes, and they are much too weak to render material aid. A stray lantern archon will gladly serve alongside any adventuring party aligned with its cause.
While in service to mortals, it feels safest in a hooded or bullseye lantern, where it acts as the lantern's light source.

Sword Archon

The domains of Forge and War are overseen by the sword archons. These archons are enforcers of divine rights, a pursuit to which they are perfectly suited.

A sword archon can instantly transform its arms into blades that burn with holy fire. While most revel in battle, they understand the heavy burden of the abilities available to them. Accordingly, sword archons use their powerful discorporation effect only against those enemies they know to have transgressed divine law or against the sworn enemies of the gods. Lawful sword archons reserve this power only for executions, following trial and sentencing by a throne archon.

Sword archons that demonstrate exceptional loyalty and courage are promoted to trumpet archons.

Throne Archons

The most exalted archons are guardians of the Arcana and Knowledge domains. Throne archons administer the cities and realms of the divine dominions, and have considerable influence on celestial politics as the official interpreters of their deity's will. Holding regal court in titanic halls, thone archons mediate disputes and resolve conflicts with clarity, wisdom, and grace. Clad in full plate and crown-like helms, they nevertheless avoid combat whenever they can, instead sending their minions forth to fight for them.

Trumpet Archon

Trumpet archons serve as celestial heralds and couriers, and are representatives of the Grave and Tempest domains. These archons range the farthest from their home planes, escorting the spirits of the faithful dead to their eternal reward (or punishment.) In this role they are known by mortals as 'grim reapers' or 'angels of death.' They also joyously return the souls of those that are returned to life.

Each trumpet archon carries a gleaming silver trumpet about 6 feet long, which it can transform into a silvered two-handed weapon at will (typically a greatsword or scythe.)
This trumpet becomes a useless chunk of metal in the hands of any creature other than its rightful owner.

On the rare occasions when an open position appears among the throne archons, a fully advanced trumpet archon is selected for promotion to their ranks.

Warden Archons

Archons become more humanoid as they advance, though they retain animal-like features for a time.
The solemn warden archons manifest Life and Nature, and their appointments include collars, girdles, and bracers.

Wardens are the guardians of the portals between layers of the Outer Planes, providing comfort and aid to weary travelers and preventing the unworthy from passing through. Wardens are also the watchers and scribes of their deities, observing other worlds through powerful divinations and keeping records of what they see. Because of this, they tend to have a keener understanding of mortal and fiendish affairs.

Wardens that overcome these temptations are rewarded with promotion to sword archons.

Elemental Archons

The portfolios of some deities may include the base elements. For example, deities with dominion over Light or Forge might create Fire Archons.
You can use the Elemental Myrmidons featured in Princes of the Apocalypse and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes to represent elemental archons, with the following changes:

• Type changes to celestial, of any alignment.
• Replace immunity to poison damage with resistance to radiant damage.
• Replace the condition immunities with charmed, exhaustion, and frightened.
• Replace languages with telepathy, with a range of 120 feet.

Hound Archon

Small celestial (archon, shapechanger),
any alignment

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• Armor Class 13
• Hit Points 38 (7d6 + 14)
• Speed 40 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	17 (+3)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

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• Skills Insight +4, Intimidate +5, Perception +4, Stealth +7
• Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
• Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

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Angelic Weapons. The archon's weapon attacks are magical. When the archon hits with any weapon,
the weapon deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).

Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the archon can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

Illumination. In its true form, the archon sheds dim light in a 30-foot radius.

Innate Spellcasting. The archon's spellcasting ability is Charisma. The archon can innately cast detect evil and good at will, requiring no components.

Shapechanger. The archon can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium dog, wolf, or similar beast, or back into its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form.
Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed, and is left behind if it dies.

Actions

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) radiant damage.

Menace. Each creature of the archon's choice that is within 60 ft. of the archon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Menace of all hound archons for the next 24 hours.

Variant: Archon Summoning

As an optional rule, an archon can use its action to summon more archons. It can use this ability once per day, with no chance of failure.

• A throne archon can summon 2d4 lantern archon swarms, 1d6 hound archons, 1d4 warden archons, 1d2 sword archons, or one trumpet archon.
• A trumpet archon can summon 1d6 lantern archon swarms, 1d4 hound archons, 1d3 warden archons, or one sword archon.
• A sword archon can summon 1d4 lantern archon swarms, 1d2 hound archons, or one warden archon.
• A warden archon can summon 1d2 lantern archon swarms, or one hound archon.
• A hound archon can summon one lantern archon swarm.

A summoned archon appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of its summoner, acts as an ally of its summoner, and can't summon other archons. It remains for 1 minute, until it or its summoner dies, or until its summoner dismisses it as an action.

Lantern Archon

Tiny celestial (archon), any alignment

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• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 5 (2d4)
• Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
1 (-5)	18 (+4)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)

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• Damage Immunities poison, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
• Senses passive Perception 11
• Languages all
• Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

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Ephemeral. The archon can’t wear or carry anything.

Illumination. The archon sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.

Actions

Light Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) radiant damage, and the target has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. Creatures that don't rely on sight don't suffer this additional effect.

Dispel Darkness. Any magical darkness within 30 feet of the archon is dispelled. Invisible creatures within 30 feet of the archon become outlined in dim, golden light, and can't benefit from invisibility until they are no longer within 30 feet of the archon.

Lantern Archon Familiars

The lantern archon may be an option for the improved familiar of a warlock with the Pact of the Chain, particularly one with the Celestial patron.

Swarm of Lanterns

Medium swarm of Tiny celestials (archons),
any alignment

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• Armor Class 14
• Hit Points 36 (8d8)
• Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
1 (-5)	18 (+4)	10 (+0)	7 (-2)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)

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• Skills Perception +3
• Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
• Damage Immunities poison, radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned, unconscious
• Senses passive Perception 13
• Languages all
• Challenge 2 (450 XP)

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Aura of Radiance. The swarm sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius. Within this radius, areas of magical darkness are automatically dispelled and creatures can't benefit from being invisible. The aura also radiates dim light for an additional 30 feet.

Ephemeral. The swarm can’t wear or carry anything.

Radiant Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and creatures that share the swarm's space are blinded.
The swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny lantern archon. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions

Light Rays. Each creature of the swarm's choice and within 60 feet of it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. Creatures that fail their saving throw take 10 (4d4) radiant damage, or 5 (2d4) radiant damage if the swarm has half its hit points or fewer. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage.

Sword Archon

Large celestial (archon), any alignment

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• Armor Class 16 (breastplate)
• Hit Points 147 (14d10 + 70)
• Speed 40 ft., fly 90 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
19 (+4)	15 (+2)	20 (+5)	15 (+2)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)

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• Skills Insight +9, Intimidate +8, Persuasion +8
• Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
• Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 14
• Languages telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

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Angelic Weapons. The archon's weapon attacks are magical. When the archon hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 3d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).

Dive Attack. If the archon is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a melee weapon attack, the attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) damage to the target.

Innate Spellcasting. The archon's spellcasting ability is Charisma. The archon can innately cast detect evil and good at will, requiring only verbal components.

Magic Resistance. The archon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The archon makes two melee attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) radiant damage.

Reactions

Discorporate (3/day). When the archon reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, it can use its reaction to sunder the creature's spirit from its body, killing it instantly. The creature's spirit is imprisoned on a plane of the archon's choice, and the creature cannot thereafter be returned to life without permission from the powers of that plane.

Warden Archon

Medium celestial (archon), any alignment

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• Armor Class 13 (15 with shield equipped)
• Hit Points 119 (14d8 + 56)
• Speed 30 ft.

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STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	16 (+3)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	20 (+5)	17 (+3)

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• Skills Medicine +5, Nature +5, Religion +8
• Damage Resistances radiant; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
• Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 15
• Languages telepathy 60 ft.
• Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

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Angelic Weapons. The archon's weapon attacks are magical. When the archon hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 2d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).

Innate Spellcasting. The archon's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). The archon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: animal friendship, bless, detect evil and good
3/day each: beacon of hope, hold monster, sanctuary

Magic Resistance. The archon has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Ritual Caster. The archon can cast any spell of 5th level or lower on the Cleric spell list as a ritual. Spells without the Ritual tag take an additional hour to cast, instead of 10 minutes. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom
(spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks).

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Actions

Multiattack. The archon makes two claw attacks.
If both attacks hit the same target, the target is also grappled (escape DC 15.) The archon cannot use this action while it has a shield or weapon equipped.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) radiant damage.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage if held in two hands,
plus 9 (2d8) radiant damage.

Preserve Life. The archon restores 50 hit points, divided as the archon chooses, among any number of creatures within 30 feet of it, restoring each creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. This ability has no effect on undead or constructs.

Variant: Owl Archons

Most warden archons have somewhat bear-like features (as much as an archon can have features), but some that serve deities with dominion over Nature instead resemble owls, with wings in place of arms. Owl archons use the Druid spell list instead of the Cleric spell list for ritual casting.
Owl archons can't use shields or manufactured weapons, but have a flying speed of 90 feet.

 

Ritual Casting

Warden archons can use their ritual casting ability to administer almost any healing or divination magic required of it, with some advance notice. When a throne archon issues an order, it is usually a warden archon that actually casts the required spell. Typical services include geas, greater restoration, legend lore, raise dead, and scrying. Warden archons also officiate the ceremony spell, which can be found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything or the Unearthed Arcana: Starter Spells article on the D&D website.

An archon asked to cast a spell on a petitioner's behalf might require a donation, in addition to providing all necessary material components.

Archons in Fifth Edition: Design Philosophy

For most of of D&D's history, archons have been bound to the symmetry of the Great Wheel cosmology as the inhabitants of the Lawful Good planes, counterparts to the Neutral Good guardinals and the Chaotic Good eladrin. This document's approach is to assign celestial archons the role of 4th Edition's angels, as devoted servants of the gods collectively.

Like clerics, these archons can be of any alignment consistent with their deity, and can be cast as adversaries for the player characters to engage in negotiations or battle.
The intention is for archons fill the lower ranks of the divine hierarchy, and serve as minions of neutral or evil gods that don't use fiends to do their bidding. The traditional archon ranks have been assigned specific principles—divine domains—to better inspire the DM in their use as guardians, emissaries, judges, or even assassins.

The change in appearance is a reflection of their change in nature. 4th edition angels are depicted as less humanoid in appearance, more like impartial embodiments of immortal power. They are faceless, sometimes metallic or stonelike in form, trailing into astral essence. They are uncaring and relentless, and their new look reinforces that aspect.
This otherworldly appearance also sets them apart from the winged-humanoid aasimon and beast-headed guardinals.

Archons on the Great Wheel. Old-school DMs who want to maintain the old cosmology are welcome to use these statistics to represent Lawful Good archons, and recast the 5e Monster Manual's angels as Neutral Good aasimon. Similarly, the eladrin in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes are now Chaotic Good celestials, rather than Chaotic Neutral fey.