Archdevil, Belial

One half of this figure’s body is gleaming and beautiful with an angelic wing, while the other is scaled, scarred, and blackened.

Belial CR 28

XP 4,915,200
LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful, shapechanger)
Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, detect good, see in darkness, true seeing; Perception +45
Aura baleful beauty (30 ft., DC 39), shield of law (DC 31)

DEFENSE

AC 46, touch 35, flat-footed 37 (+4 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +11 natural, +12 profane)
hp 676 (33d10+495); regeneration 30 (deific or mythic)
Fort +37, Ref +23, Will +31; +8 vs. mind-affecting effects
Defensive Abilities amorphous anatomy, infernal resurrection, mind blank, reflexive shapeshifter; DR 20/epic, good, and silver; Immune ability damage, ability drain, charm, compulsion, death effects, energy drain, fire, petrification, poison, polymorph effects; Resist acid 30, cold 30; SR 39

OFFENSE

Speed 50 ft., fly 120 ft. (good)
Melee +4 speed unholy ranseur +51/+46/+41/+36 (2d4+26/19– 20/×3), caress +40 touch (special), 2 wings +40 (2d8+6), gore +40 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks fiendish fluttering, hedonistic hope, ranseur mastery
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 28th; concentration +41)

Constant—detect chaos, detect good, mind blank, shield of law (DC 31), true seeing
At will—astral projection, baleful polymorph^M (DC 28), desecrate^M, dictum^M (DC 30), dominate person^M (DC 28), greater dispel magic, greater teleport, matchmaker (DC 26), modify memory^M (DC 27), order’s wrath^M (DC 27), unhallow
3/day—quickened mass suggestion (DC 29), prismatic spray^M (DC 30), summon devils, sympathy (DC 31), waves of ecstasy (DC 30)
1/day—overwhelming presence (DC 32), time stop^M, wish^M

^M Belial can use this ability’s mythic version in their realm.

STATISTICS

Str 34, Dex 26, Con 41, Int 31, Wis 28, Cha 37
Base Atk +33; CMB +45 (+49 disarm); CMD 80 (82 vs. disarm)
Feats Combat Expertise, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Greater Disarm, Greater Weapon Focus (ranseur), Greater Weapon Specialization (ranseur), Improved Critical (ranseur), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (mass suggestion), Weapon Focus (ranseur), Weapon Specialization (ranseur)
Skills Acrobatics +41, Bluff +49, Craft (weapons) +46, Diplomacy +49, Disguise +49, Fly +48, Intimidate +46, Knowledge (arcana, local, religion) +43, Knowledge (planes) +46, Linguistics +46, Perception +45, Sense Motive +45, Spellcraft +46, Use Magic Device +49
Languages all (language mastery); telepathy 300 ft.
SQ change shape (see below)

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Amorphous Anatomy (Ex)

Belial’s constant shapechanging occurs within their body as well as outwardly, causing their vital organs to rapidly shift configuration and location. This grants the archdevil a 50% chance to ignore additional damage from critical hits and sneak attacks, and renders them immune to polymorph effects. Belial recovers from physical effects that cause the blinded, deafened, or dazzled condition after 1 round by shifting their form to create new sensory organs to replace those that were compromised.

Baleful Beauty (Su)

No matter what form Belial takes, the archdevil can adopt an aspect of unearthly beauty, causing either all humanoids (if in a humanoid form or the archdevil’s true form) or all creatures of the archdevil’s assumed type (if in another form) within 30 feet with line of sight to Belial to be filled with lust for them. Such a creature rushes toward the splendid figure to kiss the archdevil on its next turn, subjecting itself to the effects of Belial’s caress. Alternatively, the archdevil can adopt a guise of extreme and appalling horror, causing creatures of that type to become nauseated for 1d6 rounds and to take 1d6 points of Strength damage. A creature can resist either effect with a successful DC 39 Will save, and a creature that successfully saves against either effect is immune to that effect for 24 hours, though it must attempt a new save against the opposite effect. This is a mind-affecting emotion effect. The DC is Charisma-based.

Caress (Su)

A creature caressed or kissed by Belial gains 2 negative levels, and must succeed at a DC 39 Fortitude save or also take 1d4 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage. As a swift action when using a spell-like ability, Belial can force a single creature currently suffering from any of these effects from a caress to roll twice on any saving throws against that spell-like ability and to use the lower result. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Change Shape (Su)

Belial can assume the form of any creature when changing shape, but the specific powers granted are limited to those available in the options for greater polymorph. Using change shape is a move action for Belial.

Fiendish Fluttering (Ex)

If Belial strikes a creature with both wings in the same round, the target is staggered for 1 round and dazzled for 1d4 rounds by flying feathers and scabrous scales. With a successful DC 41 Fortitude save, the target negates the staggered condition and reduces the duration of the dazzled condition to 1 round. This is a vision-based effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Hedonistic Hope (Su)

When any creatures (friend or foe) within 30 feet of Belial gain a morale bonus or a beneficial emotion effect, Belial can choose to gain the same benefit (including the highest bonus, if there are multiple morale bonuses of the same kind). In addition, when Belial confirms a critical hit, they suppress all morale bonuses affecting the target for 1 minute.

Ranseur Mastery (Ex)

Belial can attack adjacent foes with a ranseur as if it were not a reach weapon, and counts as a 20th-level fighter for the purposes of fulfilling feat prerequisites for ranseur-related feats.

Reflexive Shapeshifter (Su)

Once per minute as an immediate action when Belial would be struck in melee by a non-reach weapon, the archdevil can use change shape to assume a different form of a smaller size, gaining a +10 dodge bonus to their AC against that attack; if this causes the attack to miss, they take no damage and can then move up to 30 feet in any direction before automatically reverting to their previous form. This ability and movement do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Hell)
Organization solitary (unique)
Treasure triple (+4 speed unholy ranseur, other treasure)

Belial, the Pale Kiss, was created by Asmodeus as an object of adoration, a being that would be perfect in form and face in the eyes of every creature.

The Prince of Devils granted Belial virtually unlimited malleability of form, enabling them to become whatever and whomever might be most alluring to those the archdevil encountered, along with a boundless imagination to create inspirational art and implements of war. Belial finds equal bliss in pleasure and in pain and revels in the act of creation, whether of innovations in magical or martial fields. The Pale Kiss designs new weapons for the legions of Hell, shapes new manifestations of magic for the minions of devilry to unleash upon foes, and even spawns entirely new races of infernal servitors, though the fiend cares little for creations once birthed, swiftly moving on to new interests.

Belial’s true natural form is unknown to all but Asmodeus, who has not shared even with Belial the secret of the archdevil’s infernal genesis. The Pale Kiss changes shape almost constantly, at times seemingly without conscious thought. In council with the other lords of Hell, Belial typically appears as a delicately built humanoid between 5 and 6 feet tall with pale skin and hair but burning eyes, with one half of their body shining and angelic and the other as scarred, misshapen, and grotesque as the most hideous malebranche. Their weapons and gear are always finely crafted, though marred where they defaced them in their erratic rages. Belial’s carnal lust is both expansive and insatiable, and they freely shift form, species, and gender when engaging with mortal and immortal lovers across the universe, leaving innumerable half-fiends of every description in their wake.

Belial’s Cult

Belial is revered by those who crave wanton pleasures and forbidden desires but who hide beneath a mask of respectability and propriety. Adulterers celebrate the archdevil’s rites alongside sadists, torturers, and worse; all two-faced deceivers willing to plumb the depths of depravity to fulfill their desires seek Belial’s felicitations.

The Pale Kiss’s sacred places are often in large cities or remote and beautiful natural settings that hide grisly boudoirs and orgiastic abattoirs.

Belial’s unholy symbol is a split-faced mask, one side of which is smiling and white and the other frowning and red. Their favored weapon is the ranseur. The Pale Kiss grants access to the domains of Charm, Destruction, Evil, and Law, and to the subdomains of Catastrophe, Devil, Lust, and Rage.