Phistophilus

Phistophilus

(Creature)

2E1E

Common

Medium

Devil

Fiend

Level

10

Images of phistophiluses

Source: Monster Core, pg(s). 90–91

Legacy 2E: phistophiluses had the

LE

trait and lacked the

Unholy

trait in Bestiary 89–90.

Type

Outsider
(devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)

CR

10

Environment

Any (Hell)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of phistophiluses

Source: Bestiary 3, pg(s). 76f.

Ⅰ

Ⅱ

Phistophilus devils, or contract devils, serve Hell's bureaucracy as clerks, scribes, and—when given the opportunity—bargainers for mortal souls. While phistophilus' role as clerks and scribes might not make them fearsome combatants, their abilities to ensnare souls through infernal pacts makes them fearsome foes in less confrontational situations.

Appearance

A phistophilus has a muscular, though not bulky, human appearance, with flesh varying from the color of flaking rust to bronze or crimson. They stand as tall as a human. Males often sport a short black goatee. Contract devils have long black hair with a crown-like ring of several black horns that grow out of their heads often draped with scrolls bearing favorite or important infernal contracts covered in diabolical writing.

Infernal contracts

Phistophiluses fill a very distinct niche in Hell's infernal bureaucracy. They are Hell's clerks and scribes and as such they are rarely found outside the courts of Hell's rulers. They are particularly common in the Fallen Fastness on Dis, the library where all of the infernal oaths and laws are recorded and kept. Phistophiluses can sometimes be found in the Universe as they are infrequently summoned. They are normally summoned because of their ability to create infernal contracts, which can grant their recipient incredible power but the price is normally their mortal soul, a price only the most evil of creatures would be willing to pay. When outside of Hell's courts, phistophiluses look for mortals to sign away their souls in diabolic contracts in exchange for meeting their desires. If a particular mortal is very desirable, a phistophilus might instead fulfill multiple contracts at once for a price less than the signatory's soul but include subclauses and other manipulative schemes for the signatory to anyway side with Hell's forces.

A phistophilus has the ability to scry on any creature with which it has an infernal contract.

Signed contracts carried or draped on a phistophilus are immune to all forms of damage inflicted by any another creature, bar itself; a phistophilus can never be mentally tricked or compelled to destroy, nullify, or alter a contract.

As other devils must wade through bureaucracy or perform complex rituals to create an infernal contract with a mortal, they will often ask a contract devil for help.

Most contracts that created a coarti and are written on their body were drawn up by a phistophilus.

Abilities

Like many other devils, a phistophilus can summon other devils to its aid, including barbazus and osyluths.

A phistophilus's attacks cause infernal wounds that resist attempts of healing from spellcasters and magic items.

Notable phistophiluses

See also: Category:Phistophilus/Inhabitants

• Darukarex, who appears annually at the ruins of Nystra
• Coultharic, who advises mortals through the Black Brick in Katapesh

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.