This lanky, gray, hairless fiend grins widely, revealing a mouth full of long, sharp teeth and a lolling tongue, dripping saliva. Four short, black horns crown its temples and forehead above a pair of shining black eyes. The creature’s hunched posture makes it hard to gauge its true size.
Cruel Hunters. Vellso demons chase after their quarry in a loping crouch, employing their wiry arms and the claws on their fingers to gain a purchase as they run up vertical surfaces as quickly as they do on level ground. These fiends love nothing more than hunting intelligent creatures, scraping their claws loudly against stone as they stalk their prey. They also enjoy biting their prey a single time then releasing it, sometimes for days, allowing the wound to fester and torment the hunted.
Summoned to the Chase. For all their love of hunting, vellso eat little of what they kill. This makes the vellso of great use to ghouls and other creatures capable of summoning them, as prey is either left to be devoured or to rise as undead, usually marked in some way to show it was slain by the demon.
Telepaths. Vellso have difficulty with speech due to their dagger-like teeth and long, lolling tongues. They rely on their telepathy for communication.
Vellso
Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evilArmor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 9 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 7 (-2) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +8, Survival +5
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Keen Smell. The vellso has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Magic Resistance. The vellso has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The vellso’s weapon attacks are magical.
Spider Climb. The vellso can climb surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The vellso makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 13 (3d8) necrotic damage and contract the carrion curse disease (see sidebar).
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack:// +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. If an infected creature succeeds on the saving throw, it no longer gains exhaustion levels each day. A second successful save at the end of a long rest cures the disease. The abyssal disease resists many efforts at treatment and can only be cured by a greater restoration spell or similar magic. A living creature that dies from the effects of carrion curse has a 75% chance of rising again as a blood zombie (see page 393) within 24 hours.