Illrigger

Architects of Ruin are cool and calculating arcane knights who serve Asmodeus, deploying spells, steel, and subterfuge to win at any cost.

Asmodeus rules Acheron, the City of Fear. His illriggers scour the timescape, collecting secrets and spells designed to deceive and terrify his opponents. The war he fights against the other archdevils is one of deception and information.

His Architects of Ruin work to make Hell's enemies seem outnumbered and outmaneuvered. These illriggers are skillful spellblades on the battlefield, though some employ tactics such as research, infiltration, and propaganda to play mind games with their quarry. When an Architect of Ruin finally confronts an enemy, the advantage is theirs—they have studied, prepared, and gripped fate within their gauntlet, forcing it to favor them. They hungrily seek the dark arts to arm both themselves and Asmodeus with the impossible.

Once on each of your turns, you can cast one of your illrigger cantrips in place of one of your attacks granted by your Extra Attack feature.

You learn the following additional interdict boons at the noted illrigger levels. Once you learn an interdict boon granted by this feature, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of interdict boons you know.

When you cast an illrigger spell you know, you can burn two seals on an interdicted creature (no action required) to impose disadvantage on their saving throw against the spell.

You uncover two new ways to employ Asmodeus's magic:

Once you use one of these benefits, you can't use that benefit again until you finish a long rest.

The charismatic and manipulative Hellspeakers serve Moloch as they slip about the battlefield, coercing enemies into becoming unwitting allies.

Moloch rules Styx, the City of Lies, but his reach extends far beyond it. Hell's greatest politicians and diplomats rise to prominence through Moloch's subtle manipulations. They follow him with great loyalty, for they know they are nothing without him—and thus his power echoes through all of Hell.

Moloch's illriggers are silver-tongued enchanters, lulling his foes to complacency with sorcery and subterfuge until they wake and find themselves under the command of the Order of Desolation. These Hellspeakers train in the art known as the Red Cant or Hell's Cant. By understanding their enemy and through weaving subtle sorceries into normal speech, Hellspeakers can make their foes feel, think, or do nearly anything to accelerate Hell's victory.

Across the timescape, Hellspeakers enjoy a reputation as smiling rogues and swashbuckling villains. An asset in any negotiation, Hellspeakers know that in a world of lies, the truth can be as potent a weapon as steel.

You learn the following additional interdict boons at the noted illrigger levels. Once you learn an interdict boon granted by this feature, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of interdict boons you know.

You and each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you are immune to the charmed condition while you are conscious.

You can offer your allies a deal—at a price, of course. As a bonus action, you choose one willing ally within 60 feet of you who can hear you.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can choose to gain advantage on one attack roll or saving throw they make and can add a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus to the same roll. If this attack hits or this saving throw succeeds, the creature gains temporary hit points equal to your illrigger level. If this attack misses or this saving throw fails, the creature has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw they make. This disadvantage can't be canceled out with advantage in any way. A creature can strike only one deal with you at a time.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.

You can whisper to the legions of Hell, ensnaring enemies and calling allies. As an action, you can attempt to banish a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target is banished to the wastes of Hell for 1 minute, after which they return to the unoccupied space nearest to the one they left. A target banished in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect early on a success. A creature who succeeds on a saving throw against this effect becomes immune to your Quid Pro Quo for 24 hours.

Additionally, when a target is banished in this way, a devil jurist (from MCDM's Flee, Mortals!) or a horned devil (from the core rules) appears in their place. This devil acts as an ally to you and follows your commands until the banished creature is no longer banished, at which time the devil disappears.

Once you successfully banish a creature in this way, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

The heavily armored death troopers of Hell, Painkillers serve Dispater, leading from the front of every major infernal battle.

Dispater rules Dis, the City of War. When Hell invades another world, Dispater's army does the fighting and dying. His Painkillers are master strategists who lead from the front, inspiring terror and awe in their soldiers. The imperious Painkillers are full of pride and hubris, and they often obsess over their personal appearance.

Though among the most chivalrous of the illriggers, a Painkiller's gallantry is twisted. They accept and honor challenges to single combat, and swiftly punish any who try to interfere—but if losing, they don't hesitate to cheat, and if winning, they arrogantly toy with an enemy before finishing them.

In a moment of weakness or desperation, a ruler in another world might see their army facing certain defeat and call on Dispater. Ever eager to sow strife and discord, Dispater often responds to these pleas by sending a Painkiller to lead the desperate ruler's armies.

You learn the following additional interdict boons at the noted illrigger levels. Once you learn an interdict boon granted by this feature, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of interdict boons you know.

When an ally within 30 feet of you who can hear you drops to 0 hit points without being killed outright, you can use your reaction to shout an order at them, causing them to drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this reaction, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

When you hit an interdicted creature with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to burn one of the seals on them to turn the hit into a critical hit. When you do, you also double the damage dice you roll for the burned seal.

You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

The blood-knights of Hell, Sanguine Knights serve Sutekh, Lord of Blood. Their sorceries drain their enemies' life force, pouring this stolen vitality into infernal rituals to turn the tide of battle.

Sutekh rules Naraka, the City of Blood. Recognized as the greatest sorcerer in hell, he carries the title of High Sanguinary and rules from the Temple of Vitality. He is a master of blood magic, and his inner circle of priests and wizards are the Bloodliches, undead spellcasters whose corporeal forms turned to ash centuries ago and whose bodies are crafted from solid blood.

Sutekh's illriggers all belong to a cult known as the Chalice of Vitality. Knights of the Chalice drink deeply of their enemies' essence, draining it to power their magics. Other members of the Order of Desecration fear that the Sanguine Knights seek more than Sutekh's mere ascension to the Throne of Hell; some whisper that the Chalice secretly schemes to make Sutekh a god. This would, of course, be treason.

You learn the following additional interdict boons at the noted illrigger levels. Once you learn an interdict boon granted by this feature, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of interdict boons you know.

The magic that shields your allies now also saps their enemies' strength. When an ally who has temporary hit points from your Exsanguinate feature is hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes cold, fire, or necrotic damage (your choice) equal to your illrigger level.

You have mastered the ability to enervate enemies and endow allies. When an interdicted creature within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or saving throw, you can use your reaction to burn one of the seals on them and transfer their power. The target must roll a d8 and subtract the number rolled from the triggering attack roll or saving throw.

You then empower an ally within 30 feet of you. The next time that ally makes an attack roll or saving throw, they roll a d8 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.

The hidden assassins of Hell, Shadowmasters serve Belial and excel at stealth and disguise.

Belial rules Gehennom, the City of Darkness. He strives to rule Hell through poison, torture, and assassination. His illriggers strike from the shadows or use deception to earn high-ranking positions close to powerful rulers. Many Shadowmasters run networks of spies and assassins who have no idea of the infernal provenance of their leader.

Shadowmasters are sworn not to reveal their true allegiance, and if need be, they must take their own lives to fulfill this oath. Many Shadowmasters prepare elaborate plans for their own assassination so that, should they risk discovery, their assassination obscures the truth. Of course, these killers never learn they were hired by their deceased target.

You learn the following additional interdict boons at the noted illrigger levels. Once you learn an interdict boon granted by this feature, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of interdict boons you know.

Shadows are your companion, aiding you in your exploits. You gain the following benefits:

You have perfected your assassin's strike. The extra damage from your Strike from the Dark feature increases to a number of d8s equal to your proficiency bonus (instead of that number of d4s), and you deal an extra 2d8 damage if the target is in dim light or darkness (instead of an extra 1d4 damage).

In addition, when you deal damage using Strike from the Dark, you can use your reaction to burn a seal on the creature, causing them to be blinded for 1 minute instead of dealing the seal's damage.