By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a Succubus or an Incubus
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Succubus/Incubus can be found in the Monster Manual page 284-285.
For the purposes of simplicity, in this essay, I will utilize the term Succubus (Plural Succubi) to describe this creature.
Existing in the narrow space between Devil and Demon and essentially all the creatures of the lower planes is the unique fiend known as the Succubus.
Legend states that the Succubus is a female temptress that feeds on sexual energy and there is also a male version, the called an Incubus.
This legend is not true: this fiend is genderless, or more properly can assume whatever gender or form it determines will best tempt its target.
Succubi are outside the hierarchy or pecking order that rules most of the lower planes, they have been successful in maintaining their independence by working as “independent contractors” and harvesting souls that are not destined for down-below.
Souls are the currency of the lower planes and the souls of good people, who are newly corrupted, are highly prized and valued.
In order to maintain their independence, the Succubi have made alliance with and work for a wide variety of beings, demons, devils, hags, rakshasa and yugoloths. It is even rumored that the most powerful rulers of down-below keep a contingent of these creatures available to use as special tempters to remove or distract opposition to their nefarious plans.
These plans can include the creation of corrupted offspring to threaten the line of succession or to insert an heir to a line that will do the bidding of the lower planes, essentially corrupting a kingdom by usurping the royal line.
The Succubus is capable of mating with a mortal host and either impregnating or bearing a child with that mortal host. Such a child will have a marked tendency towards their evil heritage.
In most cases, adventurers are not important enough to merit the attention of a succubus attack, usually the adventurer group is called in, or in a political game, notices the odd and inexplicable change in behavior of a former benevolent individual.
A succubus attack usually begins by exploring the victims mind via their TELEPATHIC BOND ability. They seek out what the individual enjoys and desires until they understand the individual.
Choosing the path that they can most easily corrupt, usually sexuality, as such dreams are very easily accessed, the Succubus will gradually alter the dreamscape to wilder, more vivid and more exciting version of the dreams that the individual normally has.
They will continue this activity until the victim becomes more and more obsessed with the new dream and begins to think of it as their own normal desires.
The succubus may then choose to take a mortal form that matches the form most often found in the victims dreamscape, truly the “girl of their dreams”; and enter the victims real world in some minor, but gradually more important way.
Meanwhile, they’ll turn up the ‘heat’ in the dreamscape, and make their mortal form an active participant.When the succubus has the victim obsessing about her in both the dreaming and waking world, they may begin to require some “evidence of affection”, some minor trinket as gift, some offensive individual punished.
Eventually, they utilize their CHARM PERSON Ability to aid their victim in the seduction of an innocent, thus creating another layer of entanglement and potential pain.Ultimately, the goal of the Succubi is to accomplish a mission for its employer or to gain a soul that it can sell in “Hell’s Black Market”.
If the Succubus is working for an employer to accomplish some specific goal, then it will work towards accomplishing that goal, even if it takes years. On rare occasions a team of Succubi, one incarnating as a male the other as a female will inflame the desires of a pair of individuals for one another, creating or destroying any chance of a happy life that these individuals might have for one another.
Imagine a Prince, thoroughly seduced by an Incubus to enjoy only male company from his earliest years, being required to wed a Princess who has had her dreams fixed on the Prince as the husband of her dreams. The disappointment of both will create the most unhappy of matrimonial unions.
An example of Succubi-LIKE behavior: Henry the VIII of England became obsessed with Anne Boleyn. In order to pursue his obsession after he was denied a divorce by the Catholic Church, he created the Church of England, divorced Catherine of Aragon (a Spanish Princess) and then married Anne, and a succession of other women.
The political and religious stability of England was shaken to its roots for years as monarch after monarch took the throne and either encouraged Protestantism, or attempted reconciliation with the Catholic Church.
Historical Note: This is an almost inexcusable simplification of a very dark chapter in English history. I am not suggesting that that Anne Boleyn was a Succubus. I am merely suggesting that the actions of a succubus to corrupt the dreams of Henry and create an obsession for Anne would be a possible in game causation in a similar situation.
Because the Succubus works outside the hierarchy of the Lower Planes, they are far more free to act, they do not require formal contracts to gain control of a soul, they merely have to cause it to betray a its former self in a thought, a word and a deed.
If the Succubus is working for itself, it wants to corrupt the actions of the individual, without corrupting the soul. Essentially, they want them to be pure and innocent, yet give in because they simply cannot help themselves.
Once they have possession of the soul, the Succubus will seal the bargain with her DEADLY KISS ability, draining the individual to death and taking the soul with her.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about the Succubus
Physically weak (Str 8), but extremely nimble (Dex 17), and has above average toughness (Con 13).
Mentally, they are very intelligent (15), have above average wisdom (12) and are amazingly charismatic (20).
A Succubus is proficient in Deception (+9), Insight (+5), Perception (+5), Persuasion (+9) and Stealth (+7).
A Succubus has damage resistance (1/2 damage) to Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, and non-magical weaponry (Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing attacks).
A Succubus has Darkvision 60-foot, and a passive perception of 15.
A Succubus can speak Abyssal, Common, Infernal or use telepathy to speak directly to anyone within 60 feet.
A Succubus can form a telepathic bond with a creature, usually its victim and can always communicate with that creature, ignoring all distance restrictions. They can even communicate to creatures not on the same plane of existence.
A Succubus is a Shape changer, using a polymorph sell-like ability to assume the form of a small or medium sized humanoid. The shape change ability if fully customizable and the creature can ‘LOOK’ any way it desires, usually using this ability to insert itself into its victim’s life physically. If the Succubus desires the ability to fly, it must use its own form or a form that has wings.
Unless pressed, a Succubus will only assume its natural form when EtherealThe Succubus is can freely enter or leave the prime material plane and move to the ethereal plane at will. When Ethereal the creature is effectively invisible, yet still capable of interacting with the minds of those on the Prime Material Plane.
The Succubus has a Walking speed of 30-feet per round, and a flying speed of 60-feet per round.
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy
Succubus mission strategy, having been covered extensively above, will not be repeated here.
Their day to day strategy is to remain undetected while they interact with their chosen victim.
It is rare for a Succubus to be working speculatively, they almost always have an employer and a mission that they are accomplishing for that employer.
Step 3) Determine Tactics
A Succubus is always on the lookout for those that are attempting to detect it and its actions, when possible, it will use its skill in Deception, Insight and Persuasion to discredit or otherwise create negative feelings toward potential troublemakers.
If necessary, the Succubus will utilize its CHARM ability to either gain a champion to fight its enemies or usurp one of its enemies to make an ally.
While Succubi can fight, they will avoid doing so unless absolutely forced to do so, far preferring to simply go Ethereal and follow the enemy undetected. Once the creature has relaxed its guard, the Succubus will manifest and utilize its DRAINING KISS ability on a preferably sleeping (Incapacitated) target, with appropriate surprise, the kiss can be repeated multiple times.
A victim killed by the DRAINING KISS (zero hit points) is DEAD, and not allowed death saves.
Step 4) DM Tips and Observations
As you can probably tell from my narrative above, I feel that the Succubus is a poor choice as a combat challenge.
These creatures are excellent causations in a game focused on an investigation to determine the causes of behavioral changes in individual.
These creatures should NEVER be used on a Player Character. The reasons for this are many:· It takes away Player Agency, effectively, the PC becomes an NPC, because it is being controlled.
It focuses a huge portion of the game on a single Player, what’s the rest of the table doing while the DM and the single player are describing their dreams, or the consummation of those dreams.·
The simple fact that the temptations offered by the Succubus are often Sexual in nature make the description of this creatures’ methods inappropriate in most group settings.