Horned Devil 5e: Infernal Wounds, Hurl Flame and Flight

A horned devil is a CR 11 Large fiend with AC 18, 178 hit points (199 in 2024), a 60-foot fly speed, a 10-foot-reach fork and a tail that leaves an infernal wound: a bleed that drains 10 hit points at the start of each of the victim's turns until someone stanches it. It also throws fire from 150 feet. In the 2014 rules the fire is a backup attack. In the 2024 rules Hurl Flame deals 26 damage and the devil can throw it three times a turn, so the 2024 horned devil can fight the whole battle from the air.

Table of Contents

• •Horned Devil Stat Block (2014)
• •The Horned Devil in the 2024 Rules
• •How Horned Devils Fight
• •Running a Horned Devil Encounter
• •How Players Beat Horned Devils
• •Horned Devil Encounter Ideas
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Horned Devil Stat Block (2014)

The 2014 horned devil from SRD 5.1, the same stat block as the 2014 Monster Manual.

The 2014 turn is two fork attacks (15 piercing each) and one tail attack (10 piercing), all at +10 with 10-foot reach. It can swap any of the three for Hurl Flame, a +7 ranged spell attack out to 150 feet for 14 (4d6) fire. Hurl Flame hits less often and for less damage than the fork, so the 2014 devil throws fire only at targets it can't reach.

The tail is the threat. A creature it hits (other than an undead or construct) makes a DC 17 Constitution save or gets an infernal wound that costs 10 (3d6) hit points at the start of each of its turns. The wound stacks. Every further tail hit on a wounded target adds another 3d6, so after three tail hits the victim is losing about 31 hit points a turn before acting. Any creature can use an action to stanch it with a DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check, and any magical healing closes it, including a potion of healing.

Speed is only 20 feet on foot. In the air it moves 60.

The Horned Devil in the 2024 Rules

SRD 5.2.1 keeps the CR (11, 7,200 XP) and AC 18 and raises the hit points to 199.

The three changes that matter:

• •Fire is now the main attack. Three Hurl Flames average 78 damage if all hit, from 150 feet away. A 2024 horned devil that flies 60 feet up never has to land.
• •The wound is shorter but harder to treat. It no longer stacks and expires after a minute, but the Medicine DC jumped from 12 to 17 and only a spell closes it, not a potion. It also hits undead and constructs now.
• •Weapons work again. The 2024 devil lost its resistance to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks. Fighters who struggled against the 2014 version (without magic or silvered weapons) now deal full damage.

How Horned Devils Fight

2014: land, wound, repeat. Against AC 18, +10 hits on an 8 or better (65%). Two forks and a tail average about 26 damage a round (2 × 15 × 0.65 + 10 × 0.65), plus the wound. The devil should put its tail into the same target every turn so the wound keeps growing. A character with a +2 Con save fails DC 17 on 14 or lower, 70% of the time. After two rounds of tail hits, that character loses 21 hit points at the start of each turn, which forces the cleric to spend actions on healing instead of offense.

2014: use the air when it matters. With a 20-foot walking speed, the 2014 devil is slow on the ground. It flies to reposition, lands beside the wounded target and stays there. If the party holds a doorway, it hovers out of reach and throws 14-damage fire bolts until someone comes out.

2024: stay up, burn the casters. Hurl Flame at +8 hits AC 15 on a 7 or better (70%) for 26 damage. Three of them average about 55 damage a round against a wizard, which is most of a level 9 wizard's hit points. Against AC 18 the fork and the flame are nearly equal per attack (about 16 versus 14 expected), so the devil has no reason to land unless it wants to use Infernal Tail.

2024: when it does land, tail first. Infernal Tail is a DC 17 Dexterity save, not an attack roll, so high-AC fighters don't avoid it. Use it on the heavily armored character with a weak Dex save, then fork twice. The wound costs that character 10.5 hit points a turn for up to a minute, and stanching it takes an action and a DC 17 Medicine check, which a character with +5 Medicine fails 55% of the time.

It is smarter than it looks. Int 12, Wis 16, telepathy 120 feet. When it fights alongside lesser devils, have it call targets for them telepathically, and have it fly off at about a third of its hit points to report back rather than die for nothing.

Running a Horned Devil Encounter

One horned devil is 7,200 XP. With the 2024 budget for four characters:

For a real fight at level 11, pair it with a chain devil (3,900 XP) for 11,100 XP, a Moderate encounter (11,100 of the 11,600 Moderate budget). The chain devil pins people on the ground while the horned devil burns them from above. Two horned devils (14,400 XP) are a High encounter at that level (14,400 of the 16,400 High budget).

Under the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide guidelines (used in our encounter calculator), one horned devil is a Medium fight for four level 11 characters (6,400 Medium, 9,600 Hard). Two horned devils count as 21,600 XP after the ×1.5 group multiplier, well past Deadly (14,400).

Terrain decides how hard the 2024 version is. A cavern with a 20-foot ceiling caps its altitude. An open sky or a huge throne room lets it stay out of melee forever.

How Players Beat Horned Devils

• •Bring ranged damage, or ground it. A 2024 horned devil 60 feet up ignores your melee characters. Longbows, Eldritch Blast, Lightning Bolt and Haste on your best archer matter more than any sword.
• •Close the wound fast. In 2014, any magical healing does it, so a Healing Word as a bonus action solves the problem. In 2024 the spell still works but potions don't, and the Medicine DC is 17. Keep a spell slot for it.
• •Don't use fire. It is immune to fire and poison in both editions and resists cold. Use radiant, force, lightning, thunder or acid.
• •Target Intelligence or Constitution. Int +1 and Con +5 are its weakest saves. Magic Resistance gives Advantage on all of them, so a no-save spell like Magic Missile or an attack-roll spell like Guiding Bolt is more reliable.
• •Hurl Flame isn't a spell. Counterspell can't stop it in either edition. Cover can: a creature behind three-quarters cover gets +5 AC against it.
• •Send it home. Dispel Evil and Good imposes Disadvantage on its attacks and its Dismissal option (a melee spell attack in 2014, a target within 5 feet in 2024) returns it to the Hells on a failed Charisma save (+7, or +8 in 2024, with Advantage). Hold Person can't target it.

Horned Devil Encounter Ideas

The siege captain. A fortress has held out for a week against a devil-pact army. Every night a horned devil flies over the walls, throws fire at the grain stores and wounds one sentry with its tail. The party is asked to stop the raids. The devil isn't attacking at random: it is wounding the same officer each night, and someone inside keeps "forgetting" to heal him.

The contract enforcer. A noble signed an infernal contract and missed a payment. A horned devil arrives to collect, accompanied by two bearded devils. It would rather negotiate than fight: it offers the party the noble's debt instead. Accepting is a terrible idea, which is the hook for the next arc.

The burning bridge. The party crosses a long rope bridge over a gorge when a horned devil drops out of the clouds. Hurl Flame sets flammable objects alight, and a rope bridge is a flammable object. The fight is a race: kill or drive off the devil, or get off the bridge before it burns through.

Frequently Asked Questions

What CR is a horned devil in 5e?

The horned devil is CR 11 (7,200 XP) in both the 2014 and 2024 rules.

How does a horned devil's infernal wound work?

In 2014, a creature hit by the tail must pass a DC 17 Constitution save or lose 10 (3d6) hit points at the start of each of its turns. Each further tail hit adds another 3d6. A DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check or any magical healing closes it. In 2024, Infernal Tail is a DC 17 Dexterity save; the wound doesn't stack, lasts up to 1 minute, and closes with a DC 17 Medicine check or a spell that restores hit points.

Can a horned devil fly?

Yes. It has a fly speed of 60 feet in both editions, with a walking speed of 20 feet in 2014 and 30 feet in 2024.

Is a horned devil immune to fire?

Yes. It is immune to fire and poison damage and the poisoned condition, and it resists cold damage. The 2014 version also resists bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered.

What is the difference between a horned devil and a chain devil?

The chain devil (CR 8) is a Medium grappler that restrains targets with chains and can't fly. The horned devil (CR 11) is a Large flier that wounds targets with its tail and throws fire from 150 feet. The chain devil controls a room; the horned devil controls the sky above it.

How much damage does a horned devil do per round?

In 2014, two forks and a tail average 40 damage if all hit (about 26 against AC 18), plus the infernal wound. In 2024, three Hurl Flames average 78 if all hit, and three Searing Forks average 72. Use the damage calculator to check it against your party's AC.

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.