By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a
Balor
Note. This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Balor can be found in the Monster Manual page 55; additional information regarding demons can be found on pages 50-54 with other specific demonic types continuing to page 65.
Attempting to capture demonic lore and present a concise treatise of demonic motives and motivations in a single essay would be impossible, there are many volumes presented by both D&D authors and others that detail these in great depth, I encourage any DM that chooses to run a Demon as a foe for his players to research carefully prior to doing so. It will provide your players with a far more rewarding experience.
Demons are an embodiment of hatred, rage, anger and evil; they are mercurial and volatile, they enjoy causing pain and suffering.
Demons are not stupid brutes; most are above average in intelligence with some of genius ability.
Almost all are capable of delaying gratification in pursuit of a goal.
Demons tend to conform to one of several roles when dealing with the mortal world, these are:
- Assassin
- Brute
- Corruptor
- Manipulator
- Overlord
(See Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss [D&D 3.5] for a more complete description of these roles).
The Balor almost always takes the Overlord role.
As an Overlord, the Balor commands troops, summons reinforcements and dispatches foes with skill as well as simple brute strength.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about the Balor
Balor are huge, winged demons that are armed with weapons appropriate to their size, most often a sword and a whip.
A Balor burns with a magical fire, causing great damage to anyone that comes close to them.
This heat aura will cause anything flammable not worn or carried to ignite should the demon get close to it.
Balor move well, 40 feet per round on the ground; 80 feet per round in flight and can of course, teleport to anyplace they can see within 120 feet.
Physically Balor are supernaturally strong (+8), have above average dexterity (+2), and are inhumanly tough (+6).
Mentally Balor have superior intelligence (+5), are strong of will (+3), and have an ego and presence that are supernaturally acute (+6).
In short, a Balor is superior mentally and physically to any mortal.
Balor are resistant to damage from Cold, Lightning and nonmagical physical (weapon) attacks.
Balor are immune to damage from Fire or Poison; and are of course immune to the Poisoned Condition.
Balor have TRUESIGHT (120 feet) with a passive perception of 13.
Balor speak the Abyssal Tongue and can telepathically communicate (range 120 feet).
Balor have an innate magical resistance (saving throw advantage) against spells and spell-like attacks.
If a Balor is slain, it explodes, causing massive damage to anyone within 30 feet.
A Balor can summon other Demons to fight for it in battle. These are in addition to any it has called forth prior to the battle.
Step 2) How do they Fight?
Never forget that a Balor is a Demon and Overlord. As a Demon it will fight “Dirty”, it has no concept of personal honor or fair play.
As an Overlord It will have and assemble minions prior to any major confrontation. These minions can be Demonic but can just as easily be mortal creatures called to fight on the Demon’s behalf.
The Balor will be relentless with its minions, using them, sacrificing them, or even squandering them if it sees any advantage to doing so.
Minions will often be used to clog up entry and exit points and to direct the targets into terrain that has been chosen to provide advantage.
Remember that with flight and teleport, the Demons movement is unrestricted.
Balor whips have a range of 30 feet in addition to the 15-foot square that the demon itself occupies, this whip can be used to pull enemies up to 25 feet toward the Balor.
This will bring them into the range of the fire aura, this damage will be cumulative with the damage done by the Whip.
Balor Longswords create slashing and lightning damage; they do triple damage on a Critical Hit.
A Balor will spend at least a portion of its time observing the battle its minions are fighting, using these observations, it will attack where it can have the greatest effect, with the advantage of speed and mobility, it can easily move anywhere on the battlefield it chooses to be.
Changes that should be made to the Monster Manual entry
The Armor Class of the Balor is far too low. When you consider that this is a CR 19 creature that would be encountered by Tier 3 or 4 characters.
Consider. Fighter Str 20 (+5), proficiency bonus +5, and assuming a magical weapon of +2 = +12 to hit, thus an AC 19 creature would be hit on a 6 or better.
It is my considered opinion that these creatures would be harder to damage. I suggest an AC of 29.
The Hit Point total of the Balor is far too low. These creatures come from a highly aggressive and highly competitive environment in which only the truly strong survive.
Average Hit Points are simply not representative.
I suggest that somewhere close to the maximum of the 21d12+126 be used: (FYI: 21d12+126 = 378).
The Balor should be immune to damage from physical attacks and should be resistant to damage from silver or magical weaponry.
The Balor should be immune to damage from Lightning.
The listed Passive Perception of the Balor is far too low. This is normally calculated as 10 + Wis bonus + Proficiency Bonus therefore, the Passive perception should be 19.
Multiattack. When fighting with weaponry, the Balor should enjoy the multi-attack available to a fighter of the appropriate level: 3 attacks/round plus a single attack with the secondary weapon. For flexibility I would allow the Balor to split the four attacks such that it could make one sword and three whip, two sword and two whip or three sword and one whip.
The Movement of the Balor considering it’s 15-foot height, seems limited, 90 feet seems more appropriate. Its flight speed is likewise underwhelming, I suggest 160 feet.
I agree with the 120 feet of Truesight, but I believe that allowing Darkvision out to 360 feet is a reasonable and necessary addition.
AD&D 2E Monster Manual (pg. 337) provides the Balor with a few additional options such as a Fear effect from fist attacks and making the sword Vorpal.
I wouldn’t go that far, but I can easily see low level minions and bystanders fleeing in terror from the Demon.
These bystanders could be a planned yet highly chaotic additional complication to the plans of the Players.
I do like the notion that picking up the sword of a Balor can do massive damage or even cause instant death to the person that touched it. I also like the idea that the Balor can grapple with its whip.
AD&D 2E Monster Manual (pg. 337) provides the Balor with several spell-like abilities and power; most of these are included or shown in other abilities, but it is useful to consider that the Balor could use the spells:
- Dispel Magic
- Fear
- Pyrotechnics
- Suggestion
- Symbol (any type of symbol)
- Telekinesis
- Tongues
If you allow these spells, then the Balor will use them to create confusion and mayhem on the battlefield.
There is nothing they enjoy more than tricking an enemy into attacking their friend and ally. The SYMBOL spell is especially good at sowing mayhem.
Discord will disrupt plans and prepared courses of Action; Hopelessness and Insanity will incapacitate a combatant for a minute or more (probably the entire combat).