Imp
Tiny Fiend (Devil) · · CR 1
- Fiend (Devil)
- Tiny
- Tier 1
Imp at CR 1 is logged as a tiny fiend (devil); alignment lawful evil. Habitat: any. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 1
- Type
- Fiend (Devil)
- Size
- Tiny
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Any
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Imps inhabit the Nine Hells but spend much of their existence on the Material Plane, bound to mortal patrons through pacts. They serve as familiars, spies, and saboteurs for warlocks and devil-cult priests, gathering information and souls for their infernal employers. They feed on inflicted suffering and stolen secrets, requiring little material sustenance. A patron who dies typically frees the imp, who returns to Hell with whatever it has gathered, sometimes setting up shop independently while seeking a new master.
Behaviour
Imps are cunning, patient, and exquisitely petty. They enjoy long-running schemes more than quick kills, taking pleasure in slowly corrupting a mortal household over years. They form attachments of a sort to patrons, especially clever ones, and sulk when ignored. They lie compulsively, including to themselves, and find honesty distasteful even when convenient. Their humor runs to cruelty, and their loyalty is conditional on advantage.
Origin
Imps are lesser devils in the infernal hierarchy, formed from damned souls reshaped through Hell's bureaucracy. They were once mortals who bargained badly or sinned creatively enough to attract notice from a pit fiend or archdevil. Their service as familiars is itself a form of damnation, polishing them for promotion through millennia of careful corruption. Most imps remember nothing of their mortal lives, which their masters consider an improvement.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Imp
- What is the challenge rating of Imp?
- Imp is rated CR 1. The rating works against tier-1 parties.
- What type of creature is Imp?
- By creature type, Imp is a fiend (devil), tiny size.
- Where does Imp live?
- No specific habitat is listed for Imp — it can show up in any region.