Deep Dive - The Arcanaloth
Slyer than Sly Cooper, more devious than Handsome Jack, and cunning to rival Sherlock Holmes; Arcanaloths are a distinct group of fiends, known as yugoloths, who make deals, pacts, and promises to any and everyone. They seek out knowledge and secrets, desiring nothing more than every scrap of information they can dredge up.
1e - Arcanadaemon
Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 1-3
Armor Class: -2
Move: 12"/18" (MC:B)
Hit Dice: 13+39
% in Lair: 10%
Treasure Type: H
No. of Attacks: 4
Damage/Attack: 1-4/1-4/2-16/1-6
Special Attacks: See below
Special Defenses: See below
Magic Resistance: 100% to first level spells
Intelligence: Supra-genius
Alignment: Neutral evil
Size: M (6' tall)
Psionic Ability: 202-300
Attack/Defense Modes: All/all
Level/X.P. Value: IX/6950 + 18/hp
Monster Manual 2 1983 TSR Inc / Jim Holloway
Introduced with the other daemons, the Arcanadaemon appears in Monster Manual 2 (1983). The first thing you might notice is that its name is Arcanadaemon and not Arcanaloth. We’ll cover why this change happened in the next edition; you just need to know that daemons are the inhabitants of Gehenna, Tarterus/Carceri, and Hades. They are not demons, like glabrezu and Orcus, or devils, like chain devils and Asmodeus. They are a separate category of fiends that make up the Neutral alignment of the Evil planes. Daemons do interact with devils and demons, but they owe allegiance to neither side unless they have made a deal that heavily favors them, and even then, it will be for a limited time.
The Arcanadaemons are powerful Greater Daemons who have human-like bodies with the head of a fanged jackal or war dog with ivory white horns. They are typically covered in a cloak, so we are unsure if they have a full fursuit or just a partial. What we do know is that they can make 4 attacks per round, twice with their powerful claws that deal 1-4 damage, a single vicious bite that deals 1-6 damage, and once with their horns that deal 2-16 damage.
While Arcanadaemons are powerful fighters, they have arcana in their name and so you know they are also powerful spellcasters. They can cast the burning hands spell at will and, in fact, cast that spell at the same time they are making their claw attacks. This means that while the tank is getting clawed up, everyone within 3 feet is getting burned alive.
After that, they can fly, shapechange, use telekinesis, create darkness, and even teleport around. They also have powerful psionic powers that augment their spellcasting and grant them even more spell-like abilities. On top of all that, they can use scrolls and wands, and so you are likely to encounter them with a fair amount of treasure that you’ll earn if you can defeat them.
How do you defeat them, you ask? Well, our knee-jerk response is to use our favorite spell, fireball. Though that’s probably not going to work very well. They are 100% immune to first-level spells cast by 11th-level spellcasters. This immunity decreases or increases based on the level of the spell and the level of the spellcaster in 5% increments, with stronger and higher level spells and spellcasters decreasing the total, while weaker and lower level spells and spellcasters increasing the total.
For example, if you were an 11th-level spellcaster hoping to cast fireball (and maybe sacrificing your brave barbarian in the process), the Arcanadaemon would have an 85% chance of being immune. Which probably means you killed your barbarian for no good reason. On the flip side, if you were a 20th-level spellcaster using a 6th-level spell like disintegrate, then the Arcanadaemon would have a 30% chance of being immune to the spell.
If you’ve read all that information and are now wondering where you can test your spell mettle on these daemons, we applaud your foolhardy behavior. You can find these daemons in red-iron forts where they lord over their petty baronies throughout the Lower Planes. The castles are stocked with lesser daemons and other guards, so you’ll need to keep your most powerful spells in reserve before facing the Arcanadaemon.
2e - Arcanaloth
Climate/Terrain: Lower Planes
Frequency: Very rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Diet: Carnivore
Intelligence: Supra-genius (19-20)
Treasure: H
Alignment: Neutral evil
No. Appearing: 1-3
Armor Class: -8
Movement: 12, Fl 18 (B)
Hit Dice: 12+24
THAC0: 9
No. of Attacks: 3
Damage/Attack: 1-4/1-4/2-12
Special Attacks: Claw Sting
Special Defenses: +3 or better weapons to hit, spell immunity
Magic Resistance: 60%
Size: M (6’ Tall)
Morale: Champion (15-16)
XP Value: 49,500
Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix 1991 TSR Inc
First appearing in Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix (1991) and reappearing in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994), the Arcanadaemon is now known as an Arcanaloth. In addition, the race of fiends formerly known as daemons has been renamed yugoloths.
Why the change? The Satanic Panic caused the creators of Dungeons & Dragons to be wary of mentioning demons and devils in their books until Planescape. Not only that, but when they did release the fiends, they renamed many of the creatures to no longer reference real-world demons and devils in an attempt to avoid pushback from those who thought this game would actually let you summon demons and devils instead of improve your math skills.
Arcanaloths have many abilities from before, though their powerful horn attack is gone, as are their horns, and instead their bite attacks have become more powerful. Though their claws also get an upgrade. When you are hit by them, you are lightly poisoned and suffer a permanent, cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls until bless, neutralize poison, or slow poison is cast on you. So if you get clawed up multiple times, you may soon have a negative attack modifier, and you'd better hope your cleric can save you before you become puppy chow.
Not only do their physical attacks get stronger, which is something they hate doing, but they have also grown in mage levels. They are now 12th-level mages with a thick spellbook filled with spells, along with a ton of spell-like powers that they can use as much as they like, including fly, fear, heat metal, magic missile, invisibility, and others.
Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix 1994 TSR Inc / Tony DiTerlizzi
If you thought better damage and tons more spells would mean that maybe the Arcanaloth would lose out in their defenses, you’re going to be disappointed. They still have their immunity to magic with a flat 60% magic resistance. They are also immune to mind-affecting spells, can never be surprised, and are only harmed by magic weapons with a +3 or greater magical enchantment.
If that still isn’t enough to get you to run away from them, they can use a gate spell and bring in backup to ruin your day, like mezzoloths, dergholoths, or even another Arcanaloth. We hope you had an emergency plan figured out and ready to go.
Of course, why would you end up fighting an Arcanaloth? What could possibly convince you that doing so would be a good idea? Well, one reason is that they are record keepers and pact makers for the yugoloths in the Blood War. They like to make deals with devils, share those details with the demons for a higher price, and then go back to the devils, showing that demons are willing to pay them more, and they demand extra souls to help the devils. They’ll keep going back and forth between the two, only ending their negotiations once one side refuses to go any higher.
In Faces of Conflict (1995), we get information that you’ll also stumble across the Acranaloths in Gehenna, notably in their Tower of the Arcanloths. This tower houses all the contracts the yugoloths have ever made for the Blood War, each contract magically burned into the living skin of petitioners found on the plane of Gehenna. No one is allowed into the tower unless they are an Arcanaloth or an ultroloth, so good luck breaking in and not immediately being discovered by the hundreds of Arcanaloths who call it home.
Uncaged: Faces of Sigil 1996 TSR Inc / Tony DiTerlizzi
The greatest information dealer in the multiverse makes her appearance in Uncaged: Faces of Sigil (1996) with Shemeshka the Marauder. This book highlights dozens of people you’ll meet in Sigil, including another Arcanaloth known as A’kin, but none can come close to Shemeshka, an Arcanaloth who is also called the King of the Cross-Trade.
She has woven a web of spies so tight in the city that she knows almost every secret in Sigil, and is more than happy to make up facts if it gets her what she wants. She is a master of getting what she wants, and many who have made deals with her have found themselves on the short end of the deal, stripped of their possessions and destitute or dead, but all according to the contract they signed with her.
Planes of Conflict 1995 TSR Inc / Tony DiTerlizzi
3e - Arcanaloth
Medium-Size Outsider (Evil)
Hit Dice: 12d8 (54 hp)
Initative: +7
Speed: 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (poor)
AC: 28 (+3 Dex, +15 natural), touch 13, flat-footed 25
Attacks: 2 claws +12 melee and bite +7 melee
Damage: Claw 1d4 plus poison, bite 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities: DR 15/+3, outsider traits, partial immunity to spells, SR 24, yugoloth traits
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +14
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 17
Skills: Bluff +17, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +19, Gather Information +18, Innuendo +19, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (arcana) +19, Knowledge (the planes) +19, Profession (scribe) +19, Sense Motive +19, Spellcraft +20
Feats: Empower Spell, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Spell Focus (Abjuration)
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary, pair, or embassy (3-4)
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: 13-24 HD (Medium-size)
The Arcanaloth makes its singular appearance in Monster Manual II (2002) alongside other yugoloths. To be honest, it seems a bit like a pushover in this edition with its measly 54 hit points despite having a Challenge Rating of 17. While it has Damage Reduction 15, this is overcome by +3 or greater weapons, and your players are likely to start gaining access to +3 weapons by the time they get into double-digit levels. Our best advice to keep your beautiful, arcane furry alive is to have them fly away to their wizard tower and cover it in traps.
Monster Manual 2 2002 Wizards of the Coast / David A Roach
Of course, Arcanaloths aren’t pushovers when it comes to obliterating a party of spellcasters. They boast immunity to poison and acid, and have resistance to cold, fire, and electricity, and those are just for being a yugoloth. Arcanaloths add on their immunity to mind-affecting spells, and have a ton of at-will spells they can cast, along with being 12th-level sorcerers. This basically means that the Game Master can adapt their spells to whatever they need them to be to counter the party and blow them up with 6th-level spells.
In addition, Arcanaloths have the at-will spell shapechange, which allows them to transform into any creature that they’ve seen with up to the same number of hit dice that the Arcanaloth has. So it could turn into a dragon, a powerful elemental, or something else equally devastating to destroy the party. In addition, each time it transforms with shapechange, it regains hit points equal to the number of hit dice it has. While regaining 12 hit points may not seem like a lot, it adds up as your barbarian feebly attempts to kill the constantly shifting trickster while being blasted with powerful spells.
Perhaps we judged the Arcanaloth too harshly in this edition, but we hope that the Arcanaloth prepared a teleport spell or two to flee from combat if things turn ugly.
4e - Raavasta
Level 19 Lurker
Medium elemental humanoid (shapechanger) XP 2,400
Initiative +19; Senses Perception +18; truesight 6
HP 136; Bloodied 68
AC 32; Fortitude 29; Reflex 32; Will 33
Resist 10 psychic, 10 variable (3/encounter; see “Resist,” Monster Manual, page 282)
Speed 8
Claws of Blindness (standard; at-will) +23 vs. AC; 1d6 + 6 damage, and the target is blinded (save ends).
Mind Lure (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅ ) ✦ Psychic Ranged 10; +22 vs. Will; 1d10 + 7 psychic damage, and the target slides 5 squares and grants combat advantage to the raavasta observer until the end of the target’s next turn.
Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph The raavasta observer can alter its physical form to take on the appearance of any Medium humanoid, including a unique individual (see “Change Shape,” Monster Manual, page 280).
Cloak and Claw The raavasta observer deals an extra 2d6 damage against a target when it makes an attack while it has total concealment.
Vanish (immediate reaction, when an enemy hits the raavasta observer; recharge ⚄ ⚅ ) ✦ Illusion The raavasta observer shifts 3 squares and is invisible until the end of its next turn or until it attacks.
Alignment Evil; Languages All
Skills Bluff +21, Stealth +20
Str 15 (+11) Dex 22 (+15) Wis 18 (+13) Con 16 (+12) Int 19 (+13) Cha 24 (+16)
Equipment fine clothing
Another edition, another name change with the Raavasta introduced in Manual of the Planes (2008). Why the name change this edition? There isn’t really a clear reason, but our best guess is that with the extreme changes to the cosmology, the wizards that live along the coast decided to shake up their demons and devils. There is no more Blood War in this edition, so mercenaries who rely almost exclusively on the Blood War to make their platinum pieces didn’t fit with the lore they were creating for this edition.
Manual of Planes 2008 Wizards of the Coast / Chippy
Now, how do we know that the Raavastas are Arcanaloths? Beyond being described as fox-headed humanoids who are capable of altering their form with magic, have a vast love for making deals, seek all knowledge, and are described as the offspring of Arcanaloths, we have Shemeshka the Marauder. In Manual of Planes, she is introduced as a Raavasta and one of the few who wear her true form almost exclusively.
Raavasta are not just re-named Arcanaloths, but have a bit of a change in their lore for this edition. They are found in the Abyss, manipulating demon lords and their servants, but can also be found throughout the Elemental Chaos, like in the City of Brass, and in Sigil. If you ever think you’re getting a good deal with a Raavasta, be warned that they use rituals to augment their bargaining tactics, and it can be almost impossible to catch them in a lie, even with magic to help you.
The last bit of information we get is that scholars believe that Raavasta were once Arcanaloths before the demon lords drove them out of the Abyss due to their conniving ways. It is from those demons who were driven out that formed Raavasta and Rakshasa, though Rakshasas strongly disagree with this. This might be more of a smoking gun than Shemeshka that Raavasta are Arcanaloths, but at our table, Shemeshka is treated with love and respect (also legally, we made a deal with her, and now we have to).
Finally, let’s look at the powers that the Raavasta have. Their claws can blind creatures, they can use mental powers to dominate other creatures who rip into their minds, and they can change their shape at will and take on the physical form of any Medium humanoid. Lastly, they have a variety of powers to vanish when they are attacked, turning invisible and utilizing their powers to flee any situation that threatens their life or a deal from being broken.
The article, Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Shemeshka the Marauder, written by Brian R. James and Todd Steward, appears in Dungeon #205 (Aug 2012) and gives Shemeshka a deep dive treatment, sharing many of her deals and history in Sigil. She buys and sells secrets and souls, with her clawed fingers in almost every activity and business in Sigil. She has a variety of businesses that operate at her pleasure, with their owners an almost constant revolving door if they happen to displease her for any slight, no matter how big or small.
Dungeon #205 Aug 2012 Wizards of the Coast / Tony Foti
5e - Arcanaloth
Medium fiend (yugoloth), neutral evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 104 (16d8 + 32)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
Str 17 (+3) Dex 12 (+1) Con 14 (+2) Int 20 (+5) Wis 16 (+3) Cha 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +9, Wis +7, Cha +7
Skills Arcana +13, Deception +9, Insight +9, Perception +7
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities acid, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Innate Spellcasting. The arcanaloth’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The arcanaloth can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: alter self, darkness, heat metal, invisibility (self only), magic missile
Magic Resistance. The arcanaloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The arcanaloth’s weapon attacks are magical.
Spellcasting. The arcanaloth is a 16th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The arcanaloth has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, identify, shield, Tenser’s floating disk
2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, mirror image, phantasmal force, suggestion
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fear, fireball
4th level (3 slots): banishment, dimension door
5th level (2 slots): contact other plane, hold monster
6th level (1 slot): chain lightning
7th level (1 slot): finger of death
8th level (1 slot): mind blank
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. The target must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Teleport. The arcanaloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Monster Manual 2014 Wizards of the Coast / Andrew Mar
Back to their not-quite-original name, the Arcanaloth make their appearance in the Monster Manual (2014). We knew that they couldn’t hide from us by using shapechange on the name of their species. They are sly creatures who are now jackal-headed furries who like to disguise their form, all the better to gain the trust of other creatures and worm their way into good deals and secret knowledge. They are back to being the dealmakers for yugoloth armies and pit devil and demon against each other when it comes to who will offer the yugoloths the best reward for backing them in their ongoing conflict.
They have a huge variety of spells, now described as 16th-level wizards, giving them up to 8th-level spells. This is more magic than they’ve ever had in previous editions, and they put it to good use with chain lightning and finger of death to rip apart any who tries to break a deal with them. Perhaps some coastal wizards made a deal with Shemeshka to get the Arcanaloths a bit more wizardly power.
The Arcanaloth is re-released in the 2024 Monster Manual, but this time, they are given a powerful tome that they can trap their enemies in. When they hit a creature with their claw, they can trap the target in a demiplane within their soul tome. While in the soul tome, the target can only attempt to save itself. If it fails three saves, it is permanently locked away in the soul tome until the book is destroyed or the Arcanaloth releases them… probably to trade the soul to another Arcanaloth or to a powerful demon looking for more warriors to press-gang into its armies.
Monster Manual 2024 Wizards of the Coast / John Patrick Gañas
Arcanaloths show up wherever there is arcane lore and terrible knowledge. They are happy to make a deal with anyone, but most people regret that deal very soon after making it. While the Arcanaloths may have an image problem, they can rely on their arcane powers to transform their bodies, taking on whatever form is most likely to get them the best deal possible.
If you enjoy our Deep Dive series, consider
supporting us on Patreon
and following us on Facebook and Instagram!
