Arcane Order
Order of Diabolists
All wizards delve into esoteric magics - but the Order of Diabolists is for those whose ambition outstrips their good sense. Diabolists seek to control the power of the Hells, binding devils and outsmarting infernal contracts. They rarely indulge in the shortcut of a full pact; the Diabolist's practice is to master forbidden power through rigor and study.
The Order of Diabolists draws wizards from all walks of life — forbidden power tempts all kinds. The nature of their study inherently draws the amoral and underhanded, but not all of these wizards follow evil; some seek to understand wicked tools in order to better combat them.
Order of Diabolists Features
| Wizard Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 2nd | Forbidden Knowledge, Hellfire Magic |
| 6th | Devil Summoner |
| 10th | Sulfurous Tongue |
| 14th | Tainted Soul |
Forbidden Knowledge
At 2nd level, you focus your studies on the lower planes, and prioritize the tomes you're probably not supposed to be reading. You gain proficiency in Religion, or a Wizard skill of your choice if you're already proficient. You have advantage on a Religion or Arcana checks related to devils, demons, or the lower planes.
Additionally, when you cast a spell that summons fiends, you can cast the spell with components worth half the stated value.
Hellfire Magic
Also at 2nd level, you can alter your spellcasting, conjuring hellfire to enhance your magic. When you cast a spell that deals fire or necrotic damage, or a creature you've summoned deals damage, you can add bonus damage equal to half your wizard level. If you do so, the damage is transmuted to hellfire, with half the damage becoming necrotic and half fire.
You can summon hellfire in this way a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, regaining all uses after a long rest.
Half Damage
If you roll an odd damage result for a hellfire effect, there will be one point of damage left over when you divide by two. That point can be either damage type, player's choice.
Devil Summoner
At 6th level, your interest in the hells takes a notably darker turn. Fiends you summon gain temporary hit points equal to your wizard level, and you gain advantage on saving throws to maintain concentration when concentrating on a spell that summoned a fiend.
Sulfurous Tongue
At 10th level, you hone your skill for infernal negotiations. When you make a Charisma check, you can expend a spell slot as a reaction to gain advantage on the check and add a bonus equal to +2 per slot level, up to a maximum of +10.
Additionally, when you attempt a Charisma check to negotiate with a fiend, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the check result.
Tainted Soul
At 14th level, your hellish researches have enabled you to incorporate fiendish aspects into your own person. Select two of the following benefits:
- Your creature type changes to Fiend.
- You gain resistance to one of the following damage types of your choice: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
- You gain limited magic resistance, granting you advantage on the first saving throw you make against a spell after every short or long rest.
- As a reaction before you take damage, you can gain resistance to one instance of nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.
- Fiends of challenge rating 8 and lower believe you to be a fiend, and treat you as one of their own kind.
You can change these selections anytime you gain a level in this class.
Order of Diabolists quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this subclass to choose from.
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You perpetually reek of brimstone. |
| 2 | You like to style your hair in the shape of little horns. |
| 3 | All your outfits are red and black. |
| 4 | Your pupils flicker with reddish light in the dark. |
| 5 | You often describe demons as beautiful. |
| 6 | You have a heavy lock on your spellbook, and never let others read it. |
Diabolism vs. Demonology
D&D draws a hard line between devils (lawful fiends, called Baatezu in past editions) and demons (chaotic fiends, called Tanar'ri). This subclass is tailored to the devilish side of things. But if your setting is more relaxed about the distinction, or you just want wider options in the spells available to a Diabolist, you can choose to overlook the differences between the two.
Appendix 1: Fiendish Spells
An effective diabolist needs some more reliable summoning spells than are available to most wizards. It's suggested a DM allows a diabolist to learn the following spells.
Bind Lesser Fiend
2nd-level conjuration
- Classes: Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a blasphemous statuette of a fiend, worth at least 200 gp)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You chant a vile spell, conjuring up a single fiend to serve you. The spell conjures one fiend which uses the Bound Fiend stat block below, and you select either the Imp, Quasit, or Vargouille option when you cast the spell. In combat, the fiend shares your initiative count but takes its turns immediately after yours. It can't be dismissed and lasts for 1 hour after its summoning. It disappears when reduced to 0 hit points.
The fiend is an ally to you and your companions and hostile to all other creatures. If you lose concentration on the spell, it does not disappear. Instead, it becomes hostile toward you and your companions.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, certain values increase in its stat block.
Conjure Minor Fiends
3rd-level conjuration
- Classes: Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (100 gp worth of incense mixed with humanoid blood, which the spell consumes)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
- Replaces: Summon Lesser Demons
You recite a dark incantation, summoning a group of minor fiends to do your bidding. You may choose the plane you call them from. The spell conjures two demons which use the Minor Fiend stat block below. Alternatively, your DM may choose any number of fiends whose combined challenge ratings are 2 or lower. In combat, the fiends share your initiative count but take their turns immediately after yours.
The fiends are friendly to you and your companions and hostile to all other creatures. If you lose concentration on the spell, they do not disappear. Instead, they become hostile toward you and your companions. They can't be dismissed and last for 1 hour after their summoning. A fiend disappears when reduced to 0 hit points.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot above 3rd level, the number of minor fiends or the combined challenge rating of the summoned fiends increases by 1 for each slot level above 3rd.
Bound Fiend
Medium Fiend
- Armor Class 12 + the level of the spell (natural armor)
- Hit Points 10 (Imp) or 15 (Quasit & Vargouille) + 5 for each spell level above 2nd
- Speed (Imp) 20 ft., fly 30 ft.
- Speed (Quasit) 40 ft.
- Speed (Vargouille) 5 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages understands the languages you speak
- Proficiency equals your bonus
Magic Resistance. The fiend has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Shapechanger (Imp and Quasit only). The fiend can use its action to polymorph into a beast form that resembles a rat, a raven, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any items it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed.
Poison Claws (Quasit Only). The first time a creature takes damage from the quasit, it must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, it is poisoned for 1 minute. It can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.
Shriek (Vargouille only, Recharge 5-6). At the end of its turn in combat, the vargouille shrieks. Each humanoid and beast within 30 feet of the vargouille and able to hear it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC be frightened until the end of the vargouille’s next turn.
Rotting Bite (Vargouille Only). Once per turn, the vargouille can attempt to inflict a decaying curse with its bite. The target must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, it cannot recover hit points for 1 minute. It can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.
Actions
Multiattack. The animal makes a number of attacks equal to half this spell's level (rounded down).
Sting (Imp Only). Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 + the spell's level piercing damage + 1d10 poison damage.
Claws (Quasit Only). Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + the spell's level piercing damage + 2d4 poison damage.
Bite (Vargouille Only). Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 + the spell's level piercing damage.
Minor Fiend
Medium fiend (demon)
- Armor Class 14
- Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)
- Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
- Damage Immunities poison
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages Abyssal or Infernal, understands one language you can speak
- Proficiency 2
- Challenge 1
Magic Resistance. The fiend has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The fiend can make two attacks, only one of which can be Abyssal Bile.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 3 slashing damage.
Abyssal Bile. The fiend sprays abyssal bile at one creature within 10 feet of it. The target must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure, it rolls 1d4 and is afflicted by a condition according to the result.
- 1: The target is frightened of the fiend.
- 2: The target is poisoned.
- 3: The target is restrained.
- 4: The target erupts into black flames, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of each of its turns.
The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. Once a creature successfully saves against this ability, it is immune for 24 hours.
Devil Binding
5th-level conjuration
- Classes: Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 minute
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood and 665 gp worth of incense)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
- Replaces: Infernal Calling
You recite a profane chant to summon a devil, which appears in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. The devil's challenge rating is at least 4 and no higher than 8. The DM chooses the devil’s type, and it is under the DM's control. If you know a devil's true name or possess its talisman, you can attempt to summon that devil regardless of its challenge rating.
The devil typically resents being summoned but will not harm you for the duration. On each of your turns, you can command it. It obeys orders it considers reasonable and fights ruthlessly, but will retreat to preserve its life and rank.
After 10 minutes, the devil can ignore your commands and might choose to remain and pursue its own goals. You may attempt to reason with, persuade, or strike a deal that aligns with its interests. If you maintain concentration for the full duration, you may return the devil to whence it came, otherwise, it remains summoned indefinitely.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the devil's possible challenge rating increases by 2 for each slot level above 5th.
Summoning that Doesn't Suck
D&D's fiend-summoning spells are all intentionally extremely difficult to use; the designers intended fiend summoning to be possible but so impractical that adventurers won't bother. Bind lesser fiend, conjure minor fiends, and devil binding all provide some streamlining. Summoning in this way is still more dangerous than with more reliable spells, but it's not automatically a stupid thing to do.
Change Log
v0.1
- Rough Draft
Credits & References:
Order of Diabolists created by somanyrobots Discord | Patreon
Art
Akoum Flameseeker, by Willian Murai © Wizards of the Coast LLC
Spells
- Conjure Minor Fiends and Devil Binding by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots
- Bind Lesser Fiend by somanyrobots
Includes spells from Spells That Don't Suck by Omega Ankh and somanyrobots, which is licensed CC-BY and available here.
Fan Content Policy
This work is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
5E SRD Content
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available here.
The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available here.