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Erinyes 5e: Stats, Tactics and the 2024 Rope
The erinyes is a CR 12 Medium devil (8,400 XP) with AC 18 from plate armor, 153 hit points, a 60-foot fly speed and three weapon attacks a turn. In the 2014 rules every hit carries 13 extra poison damage, and its longbow can leave a target poisoned until someone casts Lesser Restoration. Its Parry reaction adds 4 to its AC against one melee hit. The 2024 version drops the bow and the poison, swings a Withering Sword that deals necrotic damage, and carries a magic rope that restrains a target 120 feet away with no escape check.
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Erinyes Stat Block (2014)
SRD 5.1 erinyes. Note that this version has no rope: the 2014 Monster Manual offers a rope of entanglement as an optional variant, but that option is not in SRD 5.1.
Erinyes
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
Armor Class 18 (plate armor)
Hit Points 153 (18d8+72)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR
18 (+4)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
18 (+4)
INT
14 (+2)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
18 (+4)
Saving Throws DEX +7, CON +8, WIS +6, CHA +8
Damage Resistances cold, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities fire; poison
Condition Immunities Poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 12 (XP 8,400; PB +4)
Traits
Hellish Weapons.The erinyes's weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 13 (3d8) poison damage on a hit (included in the attacks).
Magic Resistance.The erinyes has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack.The erinyes makes three attacks
Longsword.Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage if used with two hands, plus 13 (3d8) poison damage.
Longbow.Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) poison damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned. The poison lasts until it is removed by the lesser restoration spell or similar magic.
Reactions
Parry.The erinyes adds 4 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the erinyes must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Stat block from the SRD 5.1 (2014 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
The 2014 erinyes is a flying archer who can also fight in melee. Its Multiattack is three attacks in any mix of longsword and longbow, and Hellish Weapons adds 3d8 poison to each one. That poison is most of its damage: 13 of the 22 points on a two-handed sword hit, 13 of the 20 on an arrow. A character with poison resistance, like a dwarf, takes a lot less from this devil than the rest of the party.
The longbow rider matters more than the damage. On a hit the target makes a DC 14 Constitution save or is poisoned, and the poison has no duration. It lasts until Lesser Restoration or similar magic removes it. A poisoned character has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks for the rest of the day if nobody can cure it.
The 2024 Erinyes
SRD 5.2.1 keeps the CR, AC and flight, and turns the archer into a duelist with a lasso.
Erinyes
Medium Fiend (Devil), Lawful Evil
Armor Class 18
Initiative +7 (17)
Hit Points 178 (21d8 + 84)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR
18 (+4)save +4
DEX
16 (+3)save +7
CON
18 (+4)save +8
INT
14 (+2)save +2
WIS
14 (+2)save +2
CHA
18 (+4)save +8
Skills Perception +6, Persuasion +8
Resistances cold
Immunities fire; poison; Poisoned
Senses Truesight 120 ft.; Passive Perception 16
Languages Infernal; telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 12 (XP 8,400; PB +4)
Traits
Diabolical Restoration.If the erinyes dies outside the Nine Hells, its body disappears in sulfurous smoke, and it gains a new body instantly, reviving with all its Hit Points somewhere in the Nine Hells.
Magic Resistance.The erinyes has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Rope.The erinyes has a magic rope. While bearing it, the erinyes can use the Entangling Rope action. The rope has AC 20, HP 90, and Immunity to Poison and Psychic damage. The rope turns to dust if reduced to 0 Hit Points, if it is 5+ feet away from the erinyes for 1 hour or more, or if the erinyes dies. If the rope is damaged or destroyed, the erinyes can fully restore it when finishing a Short or Long Rest.
Actions
Multiattack.The erinyes makes three Withering Sword attacks and can use Entangling Rope.
Withering Sword.Melee Attack Roll: +8, reach 5 ft. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) Slashing damage plus 11 (2d10) Necrotic damage.
Entangling Rope (Requires Magic Rope).Strength Saving Throw: DC 16, one creature the erinyes can see within 120 feet. Failure: 14 (4d6) Force damage, and the target has the Restrained condition until the rope is destroyed, the erinyes uses a Bonus Action to release the target, or the erinyes uses Entangling Rope again.
Reactions
Parry.Trigger: The erinyes is hit by a melee attack roll while holding a weapon. Response: The erinyes adds 4 to its AC against that attack, possibly causing it to miss.
Stat block from the SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
2014 Erinyes
2024 Erinyes
HP
153
178
Attacks
3 (longsword and/or longbow)
3 Withering Swords + Entangling Rope
Damage per hit
22 melee (13 poison) or 20 ranged (13 poison)
24 (11 necrotic)
Ranged option
Longbow, 150/600 ft., poisons on a failed DC 14 Con save
Entangling Rope, 120 ft., DC 16 Str save, 14 force damage and Restrained
Saving throw proficiencies
Dex, Con, Wis, Cha
Dex, Con, Cha (Wis drops from +6 to +2)
Parry
Must see the attacker and wield a melee weapon
Triggers when a melee attack hits it while it holds any weapon
New traits
Magic Rope, Diabolical Restoration, Perception +6
Weapon resistance
B/P/S from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
None
The swap from poison to necrotic is the quiet change. Dwarves and anyone with poison resistance lost their built-in defense. The loud change is the rope.
How the rope works. As part of its Multiattack, the erinyes targets one creature it can see within 120 feet. On a failed DC 16 Strength save the target takes 14 (4d6) force damage and is Restrained. There is no escape DC. The condition ends only if the rope is destroyed (AC 20, 90 HP, immune to poison and psychic damage), the erinyes lets go as a bonus action, or the erinyes uses the rope on someone else. If the erinyes dies, the rope turns to dust.
How the Erinyes Fights
2014: stay in the air and shoot. With a 60-foot fly speed and 150-foot normal range, the 2014 erinyes can hover out of reach and fire three arrows a turn. Against AC 18, its +7 bow hits on 11 or better (50%), for about 30 expected damage a turn. Against a wizard with a +2 Constitution save, each arrow has about a 27% chance to hit and poison, so three arrows poison the wizard about 62% of the time. Spread arrows across the casters first. A poisoned caster still casts spells, but a poisoned rogue or ranger loses most of their damage to disadvantage.
2014: land when a target is alone. Three two-handed longsword attacks at +8 hit AC 18 55% of the time, for about 36 expected damage. Land next to whoever can't follow it back into the air.
2024: rope, then cut. The 2024 erinyes ropes first and swings second. Against a wizard with a +0 Strength save, the rope lands 75% of the time. A Restrained target grants Advantage, so the three swords go from 55% to about 80% to hit:
2024 Multiattack vs AC 18
Expected sword damage
Plus rope (on failed save)
Target not restrained
about 40
14 force
Target restrained
about 57
14 force
Rope someone at the far end of the battlefield and leave them there. They can't walk to help, can't get away, and the party has to spend attacks on a rope with AC 20 to free them.
Parry on the right hit. Parry adds 4 AC after the erinyes knows it was hit. Use it on the hit that barely landed, preferably from the attack carrying a smite or sneak attack. Against a +11 attacker it turns about 3 hits in 10 into misses. It works once per round, so the fighter's second and third attacks go through.
Use the truesight. The erinyes sees invisible creatures and through magical darkness out to 120 feet. Invisible scouts and Darkness-based ambushes don't work on it.
How Many Erinyes for a Level 11 Party?
One erinyes is 8,400 XP. For four characters under the 2024 budget:
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
Suggested
9
5,200
8,000
10,400
1 erinyes (High, just over the 8,000 Moderate budget)
11
7,600
11,600
16,400
1 erinyes (Moderate), or 1 erinyes + 2 bearded devils (9,800, still Moderate)
13
10,400
16,800
21,600
2 erinyes (Moderate)
Under the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide guidelines (used by our encounter calculator), one erinyes against four level 11 characters is Medium (6,400 to 9,599 XP). Two erinyes count as 16,800 x 1.5 = 25,200 XP, which is past Deadly for level 13 (20,400).
A single erinyes is a fine mini-boss. Its best role is the lieutenant: a pursuer sent ahead of a pit fiend, a jailer, or the enforcer at a devil's contract signing.
How Players Beat an Erinyes
•Pack Lesser Restoration against the 2014 version. It ends the indefinite longbow poison. Heroes' Feast shuts it off for 24 hours: the 2014 spell grants immunity to poison (damage and condition), the 2024 spell grants poison resistance and immunity to the Poisoned condition.
•Target Wisdom on the 2024 erinyes. It lost Wisdom save proficiency and has only +2. Magic Resistance gives it advantage, but a DC 17 Wisdom save is still a coin flip at best for it. Hold Person won't work, because erinyes are Fiends, not Humanoids.
•Don't bother with fire. Erinyes are immune to fire and poison and resist cold. Radiant, force, lightning, thunder and necrotic all deal full damage.
•Ground it. A flying erinyes beats a party with no ranged attacks. Longbows and ranged spells like Lightning Bolt keep the pressure on, and a 2014 archer that is losing a shooting war has to land and use its sword.
•Break the rope or kill the erinyes. The rope has 90 HP and AC 20. The erinyes has 178 HP and AC 18. If the restrained character is safe for now, focusing the erinyes is usually faster, because its death destroys the rope too.
•Send it home.Banishment on a Fiend that stays gone for the full minute doesn't come back. Its Charisma save is +8 with advantage, so do it after it has spent its turn, and protect the caster's concentration.
Erinyes Encounter Ideas
The warrant. A noble broke a contract with a devil, and an erinyes has come to collect him. She doesn't care about the party unless they stand between her and the target. The party can fight her, hand him over, or find the contract and argue its terms. She keeps her word to the letter, and only to the letter.
The bridge of ropes. In the 2024 rules, an erinyes ropes the party's strongest fighter on a rope bridge over a chasm, then attacks the bridge's anchor instead of the party. The restrained fighter can't move. Everyone else has to choose between the rope and the anchor.
Arrows from the bell tower. A 2014 erinyes perches in a cathedral bell tower and shoots poisoned arrows at anyone crossing the square below. The town's only cleric who can cast Lesser Restoration is among the poisoned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is an erinyes in 5e?
An erinyes is CR 12 and worth 8,400 XP in both the 2014 and 2024 rules.
Does the 5e erinyes have a rope of entanglement?
Not in the 2014 SRD. The 2014 Monster Manual gives the erinyes a rope of entanglement as an optional variant. The 2024 SRD erinyes has a Magic Rope trait and an Entangling Rope action built into its stat block: DC 16 Strength save, 14 force damage and Restrained.
How does the erinyes's Parry work?
When a melee attack would hit it, the erinyes can use its reaction to add 4 to its AC against that attack, possibly making it miss. In 2014 it must see the attacker and wield a melee weapon; in 2024 it only needs to be holding a weapon.
Is the erinyes a devil or a demon?
A devil. Both the 2014 and 2024 stat blocks list it as a Medium Fiend (Devil), lawful evil. It speaks Infernal, is immune to fire, and in 2024 it revives in the Nine Hells when killed elsewhere.
What changed for the erinyes in the 2024 rules?
HP rose from 153 to 178, the longbow and poison damage were removed, the sword deals 2d10 necrotic instead of 3d8 poison, and it gained a magic rope that restrains a target within 120 feet. It also lost Wisdom save proficiency.
Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.