Narzugon

Description

(From Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse - 2022):

Paladins who make deals with devils and carry their twisted sense of honor into the afterlife are especially valuable to the archdukes of the Nine Hells. These narzugons act as horrific perversions of knights errant, carrying out their masters’ will.

Narzugons wield hell-forged lances that shunt the souls of any they killed to the River Styx for rebirth as lemure (see the Monster Manual). Every lance bears the marks of both a narzugon and its master.

Each narzugon claims a nightmare (see the Monster Manual) as its mount. These steeds are bound by infernal tack and must respond to the summons and commands of the spurs’ wearer.

(From Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells - 2006):

This human-sized creature is entirely encased within spiked full plate armor. Sitting astride a massive beast that resembles a horse but snorts fl ames, the rider carries a lance on which a pennant waves in some unfelt breeze.

Narzugons are the elite cavalry of the baatezu. Mounted on nightmares or other fell beasts, they ride across the planes on errands of evil.

Narzugons are attached to infernal companies. Many serve as standard bearers, but when organized into greater numbers, they sweep in to wreak havoc in the enemy lines. A curious breed, narzugons are honorable warriors that prize forthright action and bravery over treacherous scheming. Narzugons are easily the most reliable troops in Hell’s legions. A narzugon sworn to serve a lord of Hell honors its vow until death. Stories persist of narzugons that allow their enemies the opportunity to surrender, or that stand aside while a disarmed opponent retrieves his weapon.  

Their honorable streak makes narzugons valuable within the ranks of Hell. The staggering majority of them are sworn to Asmodeus, and he attempts to prevent other devils from gathering these knights of Hell to their banners.  

Their reliability makes narzugons ideal agents to send to the Material Plane. Dispatched on unholy quests to recover evil items, destroy temples of good, and lead the legions of evil into battle, narzugons take on missions similar to adventurers. They are reliable enough to trust with long-term, important tasks far from Hell. A diabolic cult that receives a narzugon is favored indeed by a duke of Hell.

Environment: Narzugons are native to the Nine Hells of Baator. All nine layers have narzugon populations, though they tend to congregate near the strongholds and palaces of the archdevils. 

Typical Physical Characteristics: A narzugon stands just over 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. There is little discernible difference between individual narzugons.

Society: Misery defines the existence of a narzugon. Once great warriors on the Material Plane, they adhered to the letter of the law, regardless of the consequences. In death, they found an eternity in the Nine Hells to be their reward.  

The same mortal failing that led to their miserable fates holds true even as devils. They follow the letter of their commands, even if the act they perform is distasteful or clearly wrong. Despite their reservations, they follow through and fail only in death. The irony of their predicament is that nothing, aside from their own wickedness, binds them to their duty, and their suffering stems from the realization that their mortal virtue was a sham. 

Alignment: Narzugons are always lawful evil. They are disciplined and rigid in their outlooks and actions. Ranks of narzugons march in perfect time, and the massed charges they unleash in the Blood War put any mortal cavalry to shame.

Typical Treasure: Narzugons have standard treasure for their Challenge Rating, about 5,800 gp. They prefer gold, gems, and magic items looted from their enemies. A typical narzugon wears such treasures to showcase its fi ghting skill and tell others of the enemies it has bested.

Narzugons with class levels: Narzugons’ favored class is fighter. The most accomplished among them develop their mounted combat abilities. A few narzugons become horse archers, but such warriors are rare. Level Adjustment: +4

Combat: Narzugons are never encountered without their steeds, fierce nightmares captured and tamed for their use. They make extensive use of their mount’s abilities, charging to maximize the damage from their lances. Though quick to fight, narzugons never sacrifice their steeds needlessly, and always keep their well-being in mind. Should its mount become imperiled, a narzugon withdraws. 

A narzugon always attempts to charge. With its lance and special abilities, it can deliver a devastating attack that skewers even the toughest warrior. A narzugon then allows its nightmare mount to use its smoke special ability after it makes its attacks, leaving its foes trapped in a noxious cloud. The narzugon then uses the concealment provided by the smoke to move away and prepare another charge.  

If a narzugon faces enemies with ranged attacks, it tries to close to melee range while using scorching ray to return fire. In any case, a narzugon uses its nightmare mount’s etherealness to slip behind the enemy or escape from a dangerous situation.

A narzugon can direct its nightmare mount to rein in its smoke ability. A narzugon uses this tactic to avoid providing concealment to enemies it wishes to finish off with its longsword.

(From Manual of the Planes - 2001):

Narzugons are the baatezu's elite cavalry, riding nightmares or other fantastic steeds across the planes on errands of evil. When someone escapes Baator, narzugons are sent to chase the escapee down. And when the devils' dirty work needs to be done quickly on the Material Plane, narzugons travel there to prowl the countryside by night.

Narzugons are rarely seen without their hallmark spiked plate armor, of masterwork construction. Behind their visors, they resemble pale, grey humans whose eyes betray an incomparable sadness - but to gaze at the narzugon's face is to court death itself.

Most narzugons ride nightmares when on missions for the baatezu. Some ride greater barghests, fiendish dire boars, or even dragons.

Combat: Narzugons use their mounts to great advantage, employing maneuverability, charges, and ride-by attacks to good effect. But they're cautious enough to withdraw from combat if the mount is likely to perish.

A narzugon starts a fight by directing the mount to use its special abilities, then follows up with its own melee attacks. If the outcome of the battle is uncertain, the narzugon opens the visor on its helmet and makes gaze attacks.

Baleful Gaze (Su): Those who see the narzugon's unmasked face see their own worst fears reflected in its eyes. As they hold its gaze, the fearsome image grows like a hallucination until it blocks out reality completely. The baleful gaze functions as a phantasmal killer spell cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 18) against all within 30 feet.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - desecrate, doom, hold person, produce flame, suggestion; 1/day - order's wrath or unholy blight. These abilities are as the spells by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC = 14 + spell level).

At will, a narzugon can teleport without error itself and its mount as the spell cast by a 12th-level sorcerer.

Summon Baatezu (Sp): Once per day, a narzugon can attempt to summon 1d3 erinyes or another narzugon with a 30% chance of success.