You’re staring at a character sheet, sweating. The Dungeon Master just described a creature with slicked-back hair, impeccable robes, and a smile that makes your skin crawl. This isn't a mindless monster. It's a devil. If you’re playing D&D, you’ve probably realized that fighting a demon is easy—you just hit it until it stops moving. But Dungeons and Dragons devils? They don't want to eat your face. They want your soul. And they have a contract to prove it’s theirs.
The Nine Hells are a bureaucracy of pain. It’s weirdly relatable. Everyone has a boss. Everyone is trying to climb the corporate ladder, except the ladder is made of screaming spirits and the HR department is a pit of literal fire.
The Hierarchy of the Nine Hells is Total Chaos (Legally Speaking)
Lawful Evil isn't just a label on a stat block. It is a way of life for every devil from the lowliest Lemure to Asmodeus himself. They physically cannot break a contract. That’s their weakness, but it’s also their greatest weapon. You can’t just "beat" a devil in a negotiation if you haven't read the fine print.
Most players get confused about the difference between demons and devils. Think of it like this: Demons are a riot in a dumpster fire. Devils are a predatory payday loan company.
The structure of the Nine Hells is based on the Pact Primeval. According to the Manual of the Planes, this is the cosmic legal document that gives devils the right to harvest souls. They aren't just being mean; they’re doing their jobs. If a mortal signs away their soul for a +3 Longsword, the devil is just a service provider fulfilling a request.
Asmodeus sits at the top in Malsheem. He’s the CEO. Under him are the Archdukes, like Zariel, who rules Avernus. Zariel is a fan favorite because she used to be a celestial. She went to hell to fight the Blood War and ended up staying to lead the armies. It’s a classic "you become what you hunt" story. Then you’ve got Dispater in the Iron City of Dis, who is basically a paranoid shut-in with the best security system in the multiverse.
How Devils Actually Rank Up
Promotion in the Hells is literal. You don't just get a raise. Your body is physically rewritten into a more powerful form.
A Lemure is a blob of sentient melted wax. It’s pathetic. But if it does its job—usually being fodder in the Blood War—it might get promoted to an Imp. Imps are the spies. They’re the ones whispering in the ears of greedy merchants. If that Imp excels, it might eventually become a Bearded Devil, then a Chain Devil, and if it’s lucky (and ruthless), a Pit Fiend.
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The competition is cutthroat. Literally. If a subordinate can find a legal loophole to depose their superior, they will. This makes every interaction with a devil a high-stakes game of chess where the devil has been playing for 10,000 years and you just learned the rules five minutes ago.
The Blood War: Why Devils Aren't Invading Your Campaign Right Now
You might wonder why these incredibly powerful beings haven't just taken over the Material Plane. The answer is the Blood War. It is an eternal conflict between the devils of the Nine Hells and the demons of the Abyss. It’s been going on since the beginning of time.
If the devils stop fighting, the demons overrun everything. This is the ultimate "lesser of two evils" argument. Devils often use this to recruit adventurers. "Hey, I know I'm evil," a devil might say, "but if I don't win this battle, a million dretch are going to eat your hometown."
It’s a compelling argument. It’s also usually a trap.
The geography of Avernus, the first layer, is a wasteland because of this war. It’s filled with Infernal War Machines—think Mad Max but powered by soul coins. Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus really leaned into this aesthetic. You have devils driving spiked hot rods across a desert of bone dust. It’s metal.
Don't Sign Anything: The Art of the Infernal Contract
The core of any interaction with Dungeons and Dragons devils should be the contract. In Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes, the mechanics of these deals are laid out clearly.
Devils offer two types of deals:
- The Vanity Deal: Small favors. You want a bit of gold or a specific piece of information. The price is usually a service or a minor soul-tainting act.
- The Soul Pact: This is the big one. You get the world, but when you die, your soul goes straight to the Hells to become a Lemure.
The trick is that devils are patient. They won't ask for your soul right away. They’ll offer you a small favor for a "future consideration." That future consideration is always a trap.
Suppose you’re a Paladin. A devil offers to save a starving village. All you have to do is sign a paper saying you’ll let the devil take one "unwanted" item from the village later. You agree. A year later, the devil returns and claims an "unwanted" child—the orphan nobody liked. Now you’ve allowed a kidnapping, your oath is broken, and the devil has more leverage over you.
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That’s how they get you. It’s never a jump scare. It’s a slow slide into the pit.
Common Devil Archetypes You’ll Run Into
- Erinyes: They look like fallen angels. They are the bounty hunters of the Hells. If you break a contract, they come for you. They don't miss.
- Bone Devils (Osyluths): The middle managers. They have scorpion tails and a terrifying skeletal appearance. They are obsessed with rank and love to narc on other devils.
- Ice Devils (Gelugons): The tacticians. They hate everything. They live in the frozen layers like Cania and are incredibly smart. If you’re fighting one, you’ve already lost, you just don't know it yet.
- Rakshasa: Technically they aren't "devils" in the bureaucratic sense (they're fiends who reincarnate on the Material Plane), but they fit the vibe. They have backwards hands and a taste for luxury. They are the ultimate "villain in plain sight."
Why Your Campaign Needs More Devils
Most DMs use Orcs or Goblins because they’re easy. But Dungeons and Dragons devils offer something better: drama.
A devil is a recurring villain who can’t be killed easily. If you kill a devil on the Material Plane, they just reform in the Hells. They don't die. They just get annoyed and start planning a 50-year revenge plot against your family.
They also provide a moral grey area. Can a "Good" party work with a devil? Yes. Should they? Probably not. But when the world is ending, that contract starts looking pretty tempting.
I once ran a game where the players had to get through a magically locked door. A devil appeared and offered the key. The price? The rogue had to give up his "voice." The player thought it meant he couldn't speak. He agreed.
It turned out the devil took his political voice. The rogue was the heir to a throne, and suddenly, no one recognized his claim. He existed, but he had no authority. That’s a devil move.
Actionable Tips for Running Devils
If you want to make devils feel real in your game, stop treating them like bags of hit points. They are NPCs first and monsters second.
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- Focus on the quid pro quo. Never have a devil attack first. Have them talk. They should always want something more than just a fight.
- Use the environment. The Nine Hells are oppressive. The heat in Phlegethos isn't just "hot"—it's a spiritual weight. The cold in Stygia isn't just "cold"—it's the feeling of hope dying.
- The Fine Print. Actually write out a physical contract on a piece of paper. Stain it with tea to make it look old. Give it to your players. Watch them spend thirty minutes IRL trying to find the loopholes. It’s the best engagement you’ll ever get.
- Tiered Rewards. Devils offer exactly what a character lacks. If the Wizard wants spells, the devil has an ancient spellbook. If the Fighter wants power, the devil has a belt of giant strength.
Moving Forward With Your Infernal Encounters
To really master the use of Dungeons and Dragons devils, you should look into the Monster Manual and Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. They give you the stats, but the real flavor is in the lore.
Read up on the Blood War specifically. Understanding the tension between chaos (Demons) and order (Devils) allows you to create adventures that aren't just "go here and kill that." It creates a living, breathing multiverse.
Start by introducing a minor devil—perhaps an Imp disguised as a raven—who offers the party a "helpful" hint. Don't ask for anything in return yet. Just establish that the devil is a source of information. Build that trust. Then, when the stakes are at their highest, have the devil show up with a pen and a piece of parchment.
That is how you play Lawful Evil. That is how you use devils.