Devil Erinyes

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John Singer Sargent Orestes Pursued by the Furies 1921

John Singer Sargent Orestes Pursued by the Furies 1921


Erinyes prefer to engage in combat from a distance. They use charm monster to distract or disorganize their opponents, then rain down fiery arrows from above.


Entangle (Ex): Each erinyes carries a stout rope some 50 feet long that entangles opponents of any size as an animate rope spell (caster level 16th). An erinyes can hurl its rope 30 feet with no range penalty. Typically, an erinyes entangles a foe, lifts it into the air, and drops it from a great height.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will-greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), charm monster (DC 19), minor image (DC 17), unholy blight

(DC 19). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Summon (Sp): Once per day an erinyes can attempt to summon 1d4 Erinyes with a 50% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.

true seeing (Su): Erinyes continuously use true seeing, as the spell (caster level 14th).

The Erinyes (the Romans call them the Furies) were female personifications of vengeance. When a formulaic oath in invokes "those who beneath the earth punish whoever has sworn a false oath. The Erinyes are simply an embodiment of the act of self-cursing contained in the oath". They were been born from the blood of Ouranos when Cronus castrated him.

The heads of the Erinyes are wreathed with serpents, their eyes drip with blood, and their whole appearance is horrific and appalling with the wings of a bat or bird.

Erinyes in Mythology

The Erinyes stand for the rightness of things within the standard order; for example, Heraclitus declared that if Helios decided to change the course of the Sun through the sky, they would prevent him from doing so. But for the most part they were understood as the persecutors of mortal men and women who broke "natural" laws. In particular, those who broke ties of kinship through murder brought special attention from the Erinyes. It was believed in early epochs that human beings might not have the right to punish such crimes, instead leaving the matter to the dead man's Erinyes to exact retribution.

The Erinyes were connected with Nemesis as enforcers of a just balance in human affairs. The goddess Nike originally filled a similar role, as the bringer of a just victory. When not stalking victims on Earth, the Furies were thought to dwell in Tartarus, where they applied their tortures to the damned souls there.

The Erinyes are particularly known for the persecution of Orestes for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra. Since Apollo had told Orestes to kill the murderer of his father, Agamemnon, and that person turned out to be his mother, Orestes prayed to him. Athena intervened and the Erinyes turned into the Eumenides ("kindly ones"), as they were called in their beneficial aspects. The story of these events form the basis of the final play in Aeschylus' cycle The Oresteia.

These are female spirits who exact vengeance against those who committed specific crimes. Erinyes also seek to tempt mortals into depravity. They look like comely women except for their huge feathery wings and sinister eyes. An erinyes stands about 6 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds.

Source(s) 3.5E Monster Manual I, 3E Monster Manual I, Planescape Appendix 1, Outer Planes (MC8), 1E Monster Manual 1

Medium outsider (Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful)
Hit Dice 9d8+45 (85 hp)
Initiative +5
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 50 ft. (good)
Armor Class 23 (+5 Dexterity, +8 natural) touch 15, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple +9/+14
Attack longsword +14 melee (1d8+5/19-20) or +1 flaming composite longbow (+5 Strength bonus) +15 ranged (1d8+6/x3 plus 1d6 fire) or rope +14 ranged (entangle)
Full Attack longsword +14/+9 melee (1d8+5/19-20) or +1 flaming composite longbow (+5 Strength bonus) +15/+10 ranged (1d8+6/x3 plus 1d6 fire) or rope +14 ranged (entangle)
Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks Entangle, spell-like abilities, summon devil
Special Qualities Damage reduction 5/good, Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, see in darkness, Spell Resistance 20, telepathy 100 ft., true seeing
Saves Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +10
Abilities Strength 21, Dexterity 21, Constitution 21, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 18, Charisma 20

Concentration +17, Diplomacy +7, Escape Artist +17, Hide +17, Knowledge (any two) +14, Listen +16, Move Silently +17, Search +14, Sense Motive +16, Spot +16, Survival +4 (+6 following tracks), Use Rope +5 (+7 with bindings)

Feats DodgeB, MobilityB, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run
Environment A lawful evil-aligned plane
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 8
Treasure Standard, plus rope and +1 flaming composite longbow (+5 Strength bonus)
Alignment Always lawful evil
Advancement 10-18 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment +7

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