Perfect Vessel

A Perfect Vessel is the ultimate stage of fiendish possession, where the victim's soul is so deeply traumatized and damaged that it lies dormant, rendering any hope of recovery nearly impossible. In this state, the victim becomes a puppet under the complete control of the possessing fiend. Fiends inhabiting such vessels have a wellspring of power at their disposal, drawn from the remnants of a still-living soul rather than the typically depleted souls of the deceased found in the underworld.
Fiends within a Perfect Vessel exploit their newfound dominance to further their sinister agendas. Their primary objective is to promote their preferred sin, encouraging its indulgence in others and corrupting those who cross their path. They systematically undermine the institutions of good, perpetuating suffering and making virtues increasingly elusive.
Fiends in Perfect Vessels are driven solely by their self-interest, often indulging in their own vices, which can prove to be their greatest weakness. This stage allows them to lead a double life, navigating mortal existence while satisfying their own desires and malevolent intentions.

Perfect Vessel of Indolence CR: 5

Small to Medium fiend (humanoid), any evil

Armor Class: 15 (Natural)

Hit Points: 8d10+16

Speed: 30 ft

STR

14 +2

DEX

16 +3

CON

14 +2

INT

15 +2

WIS

14 +2

CHA

18 +4

Saving Throws: Charisma, Dexterity

Skills: Deception +8, Insight +6, Persuasion +10

Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant

Damage Resistances: Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Silvered

Damage Immunities: Poison

Condition Immunities: Poisoned

Senses: Truesight, 60 ft.
Telepathy, 120 ft.

Languages: All languages except Celestial, Telepathy within 120 ft.

Challenge Rating: 5 ( 1800 XP)

Proficiency Bonus: 3

At will: Thaumaturgy, Prestidigitation, Detect Thoughts, Friends

Telepathy 120 ft.

Actions

Multiattack. The Perfect Vessel of Indolence makes two attacks with its Rapier, or one each with its Rapier and it's Crush Hope.
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, (1d8+4) necrotic damage.
Crush Hope. Target creature must make a DC 17 saving throw or take 2d8+3 psychic damage and lose their next Action. If they succeed, they lose their next Reaction and take no damage instead.

Bonus Actions

Taunt. Target creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 1d4+4 psychic damage and immediately use their reaction to attack the Perfect Vessel at disadvantage.

Reactions

Flawless Parry. The Perfect Vessel adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the Perfect Vessel must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Castigation. When the Perfect Vessel takes damage, they can use their reaction to shout down the offending enemy. The enemy must make a DC 16 Dexterity Saving Throw or take 2d8+4 Fire damage.

Regional Effects

A settlement or polity where a Perfect Vessel of Indolence is established looks like many decadent bodies throughout history, teetering on collapse. The party might notice one or more of these things:
The locals are suspicious of strangers, and regularly accuse people of working for some sort of secret police.
The government officials are ambivalent to the suffering and needs of their people except in very specific ways that might benefit their station.
The ruling class are particularly mendacious, often to the point of murder. Merit is almost as good a method for improving one's caste as poison. Almost.
Infrastructure is suffering. Silos lay fallow, streets are cracked and decaying, and government buildings are run down and look ready to crumble.

Usual Tactics

Perfect Vessels of Indolence are ambitious, but lazy. If they're going to draw their swords, it's going to be against a worthy foe who as been ground down to almost nothing by as many minions as they can throw. If they can wrap themselves in the law and have guards and other nobles get in the way of their enemies, all the better. A Perfect Vessel of Indolence will never stand and fight a fair fight if they can help it.

This Perfect Vessel is the ultimate goal of pride and sloth. Of all sorts of Perfect Vessels, those dedicated to Indolence are the most likely to get sidetracked, and the most likely to use minions.
If they didn't possess nobility at the outset, they will do what they can to insinuate themselves into ever higher tiers of power. Their major goal is to get into a position where others can do the fomenting for them. When this happens, the politics of the region will fall into increasingly Byzantine treachery and entire kingdoms can fall into ruins simply through the slow attrition of neglect and ambition.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Perfect Vessels look like the humanoid that they are possessing, but altered to suit the tastes and needs of the fiend that housed them. This can mean otherworldly beauty for a fiend that has social and political ambition, a horror of twisted limbs and fleshy pseudopods that crabwalks backwards along the ceiling for a more creative fiend, or a hulking brute with twisted features hiding behind a mask and a battleaxe for the more direct type.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Perfect Vessels require the food and water of their host body, but also require sin to maintain their existence. Each Perfect Vessel shares the chosen Vice of their fiendish rider. They must spread this sin, causing others to indulge in it while also indulging themselves, to maintain their semi-mortal life.

Behaviour

Perfect Vessels share the behavior and priorities of the fiendish rider with two exceptions: one, they especially enjoy tormenting their host by preying on their immediate family members, friends and allies. Two, indulging in their OWN vices and pleasures is so much more satisfying in mortal realms than in their home plane that even the most self-controlled and determined rider can't long resist getting at least briefly sidetracked when tempted.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Grimlocks were known to occasionally allow a fiend or aberration into the bodies of a chosen sacrifice or hero and to let them take over in order to have a potent weapon of war.
It is rumored that the first Yuan-Ti were born when the Saurian experimented with serpentine demons and elven slaves.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Perfect Vessels have Truesight out to 60 ft. and Telepathy out to 120 ft. They can mimic the effects of a Detect Thoughts spell at will.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Baatezu