Succubus

A succubus ) was a type of demon, a beautiful lesser breed of tanar'ri from the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. They existed to seduce and tempt mortals and eventually slay them and take their life energy back to the Abyss.   In the 15 century DR, they were considered to be a form of devil instead, and they tempted mortals into villainy.

Of the many demons that exist in the universe, succubi were most often encountered in the mortal world. This was due to their extraordinary beauty and carnal desires; traits that attracted mortal spellcasters to summon the demoness forth to use for their own debased desire. Succubi delighted in causing suffering by manipulating the desires of mortals and tempting them into depraved acts that they would normally avoid. This strife often caused the destruction of long-term relationships and sowed distrust between life-long friends and lovers. Succubi were not warriors. Their method of causing destruction was slow and manipulative when compared to other demons. These beautiful fiends would often go to great lengths to avoid battle, using their many demonic powers to assume mortal guises and manipulate others around them to fight in their stead.

The male counterpart of this creature was called an incubus. They were significantly rarer than the female of their kind, and devilish female succubi could also assume male form with their shapechanging powers. However, incubi were just as impossible to resist for mortal women as the succubus was to mortal men. It was theorized that female succubi in male form had no power over women when they did so and lost their power over men until they re-assumed their female form.

Description
When uncovered in her true demonic form, a succubus appeared as a stunningly beautiful woman of statuesque build and perfect figure, with flawless skin and raven-black hair, but also clawed fingers and large bat-like wings mounted on their backs. Their eyes were said to glow with sinister desire. Small horns or a tail might also be seen. Succubi stood on average around 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and weighed 125 pounds (57 kilograms). They were by far the most attractive of the otherwise-hideous tanar'ri, maybe even of all demons.

Incubi, meanwhile, appeared as perfect examples of the male of whatever race they were working with.

However, they often used their shapechanging ability to assume a humanoid form, and could maintain such as a disguise for as long as they liked. Devilish succubi could appear as either sex, but were always good-looking to an observer.

Abilities
With a kiss of her lips, an embrace in her arms, or something more intimate, a succubus could drain the life energy of a mortal who lacked stamina, weakening them in every aspect. For mortals who were unwilling, and perhaps some who were willing, the succubus would have to grapple him or her in order to lay their kiss somewhere. Caught in the throes of passion, the victim often didn't even notice their life drained away, unless they could keep their heads. Moreover, as with a suggestion spell, the kiss made the victim desire another kiss, if they did not have the willpower to resist, so they inevitably and willingly gave up their energy to the succubus. Previously, they were presumed to be capable of any kind of suggestion, without application of a kiss.

In contrast, a devilish succubus was a more commanding, dominant figure. Her kiss had instead a charming effect, causing a victim to be unable to attack her and even take attacks meant for their new mistress. If the succubus could keep her slave, then a kiss once a day was enough to keep them in her thrall, though she could only have one such slave at a time. Furthermore, at will, she could dominate the mind of another, even at a distance, though only for several seconds. They usually used this to make a worthy target come to them for the charming kiss.

To aid their efforts, a succubus could change their bodies, as with a polymorph or shapechange spell, into any humanoid form, as small as a halfling or tall as a human of approximately their own height and weight. This could even include demihumans. They could maintain this appearance indefinitely, and it granted them skill in disguise. They could take the forms of specific people.

Succubi were uncanny linguists, able to speak all languages, or at least just the language of their victim, as with a permanent tongues spell. Like other demons, they possessed telepathy, but preferred to speak aloud with mortals.

They had an array of other powers too, being able to become ethereal (as with an oil of etherealness  or ethereal jaunt, though only themselves and what they carried), to charm people   and even monsters, to read minds,    to listen from afar as with clairaudience,   and to cross planes as with plane shift  or greater teleport (but taking only themselves and what they carried) They could use such magic as often as they pleased.

Moreover, once a day, they could attempt to summon back-up if threatened. Originally, with a 40% chance of success, they could gate in a type IV or type VI demon or, very rarely, even a demon prince or lord. After the Time of Troubles of 1358 DR, this came in the form of a single balor with a 40% chance of success. After the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, this was but a single vrock with only a 30% success rate.

While devilish succubi lacked all this magic, they also had a corrupting touch with which to defend themselves.

They were good listeners and good at noticing things. They were persuasive, deceptive, stealthy, and had a little skill in bonds, both tying them and escaping them.

As demons, they were immune to all fire, whether mundane or magical, and could only be hurt by moderately enchanted weapons. Later, they were considered to be immune to electricity and poison; resistant to acid, cold, and fire and to spells; and were best harmed by cold iron or good weapons. Devilish succubi were merely highly resistance to fire.

Their wings, when they had them, let them fly with average ability.

Combat
Lovers not fighters, succubi fled all conflict if they could, using their claws only as a last resort. They focused on dodging blows and running for safety. However, they were rarely taken by surprise.

Instead, they preferred subterfuge and seduction, turning their enemies against each other, making them into loyal servants, or trying to get individuals alone. A preferred tactic was to disguise themselves and feign friendship or pretend to be a damsel in distress, especially if encountered in a dungeon, then find a moment to be alone with a potential victim where they could use their life-draining kiss.

Activities
Succubi lived to seduce and tempt mortal beings of the Prime Material Plane,  and in the end slay them and carry their life-forces back with them, for the destruction of mortals increased the power of the Abyss. This in turn aided the demons in the Blood War. They seemed to have fed on this life-force themselves.

Succubi typically targeted men of energy and passion. The fiery spirits of humans meant they were easier prey, so succubi did not often concern themselves with demihumans. They were content to take things slow and work subtly. Incubi meanwhile tempted mortal females.

Devilish succubi were also adept at winning hearts and breaking hearts, but they also made for cunning and skilled spies and assassins. They served higher-ranked devils as scouts and advisors, as emissaries to key mortals, and of course as concubines.

Society
Succubi were independent of tanar'ri society, going where they liked and doing as they willed, and answering to none. The greater tanar'ri tolerated them and accepted their independence, for they served the Abyss in their own way. In turn, succubi could dominate lesser demons a mixture of threats and wits.

Preferring to work alone, they operated as singles   and rarely gathered in numbers.

Succubi greatly outnumbered incubi. The reason for this was unknown, but sages speculated it was because mortal men were easily swayed by beauty than women.

Many succubi were under the command of the demon lord Graz'zt, but on the whole, they were ruled by their queen, Malcanthet.

Procreation
A succubus and an incubus did not mate with one another to procreate.

The female child of a succubus and a human male was traditionally called an alu-fiend. Those with non-evil human fathers had a slight tendency to avoid the evil of their heritage. The male child of an incubus (indeed, any lesser tanar'ri) and a human female was a cambion. Again, those with non-evil human fathers had a slight tendency to be non-evil. However, the offspring of an alu-fiend or cambion's union with a human had no specific name but fell into the larger category of tiefling. In the Realms circa 1370 DR, these terms were defined regardless of sex: a cambion was the spawn of a tanar'ri and a human or demihuman, while alu-fiends were specifically a subgroup of cambions with succubus or incubus parents. Finally, tanar'ric tieflings were any descendants with a less than 50% demonic bloodline or even more distant ancestry. Succubi, along with mariliths, were the most common ancestors of these demon-blooded tieflings.

History
Circa −4800 DR, the noble but half-fiend sun elf House Dlardrageth allied with three minor noble houses—Aelorothi, Ealoeth, and Floshin—of the sun elven realm of Siluvanede and incited crossbreeding with demons to strengthen their bloodlines. Succubi and incubi were of course among these demons. These unions spawned demon–elf hybrids: half-elf cambions and alu-fiends known as daemonfey and the half-elf tielfings known as fey'ri. The fey'ri had the power to shapeshift as easily as their succubi and incubi ancestors did. These now fey'ri houses, while hiding their heritage, soon began to dominate Siluvanede.

Whereas succubi and incubi were previously known to the tanar'ri demons of the Abyss,   after the Spellplague of 1385 DR, they were presumed to be devils of the Nine Hells. According to Lorcan, the reason for this was that the succubi decided on a species-wide level to switch allegiances around the same time as Asmodeus gained his godhood. The rumor was that through this act, Asmodeus gained the last bit of necessary power to push the Abyss to the bottom of the Elemental Chaos to end the Blood War.

Reputation
"Succubus" was a not uncommon nickname or title in the Realms. "The Succubus" was an assassin of the Night Masks active around 1370 DR known for using contact poison on her lips and killing with a kiss. The goddess Sharess was called "Succubus of Sensation".

Notable Succubi

 * Blooden
 * Arunika
 * Malcanthet
 * Soneillon, the Queen of Whispers