Rakshasa (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
In the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, a rakshasa is a type of evil outsider
that is now native to the Material Plane. They are powerful sorcerers
and, although they disdain physical fighting as ignoble, can be dangerous in close combat as well.
, The Strategic Review #5, December 1975.
The rakshasa (demons of India) appeared in Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes
(1976).
The rakshasa lord and the rakshasa knight appeared in Dragon
#84 (April 1984).
The Zakya rakshasa for the Eberron
campaign setting appeared in the Eberron Campaign Setting
(2004).
The Ak'chazar rakshasa and the Naztharune rakshasa appeared in Monster Manual III (2004).
The rakshasa is further detailed in Dragon
#326 (December 2004), in "The Ecology of the Rakshasa."
The rakshasa overlords for the Eberron setting appeared in Dragon #337 (November 2005).
The Naityan rakshasa appeared in the Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (2006).
although they are clearly not human, as they appear more as humanoid beasts, usually tigers. Their hands also look disturbing to most humans, as their palms are where the back of the hands would be in humans. The Rakshasa are capable of hiding their disturbing appearance at any time, as they can choose any humanoid form at will. All rakshasas wear human clothing of the highest quality.
The Ak'chazar have the heads of white tiger
s and are thinner than common Rakshasa. They are unusually powerful spellcasters, even for Rakshasa, and specialize in necromantic
magic. To use their necromantic powers to their full potential the Ak'chazar often use graveyards or old battlefields as their headquarters
. When working on one of their dark schemes the Ak'chazar often let their undead
do the physical work while they stay behind the scenes themselves.
The Naztharune have the heads of black tigers and are covered in black fur. They have few magical powers but compensate by being strong fighters, specializing in assassination. They lack most Rakshasa's need to be the leader of any organisation that they are part of, often working for other Rakshasa.
The Naityan Rakshasa are shapeshifters with the ability to utilize different supernatural combat styles based on their current forms.
The Zakyas resemble standard rakshasas, but rather than focusing on sorcery, they are skilled melee combatants and weapon masters. They use their weak magical powers to supplement their martial prowess.
Rakshasa Knights focus on hunting paladins on behalf of Ravanna, while Rakshasa Lords serve as his high priests.
.
Rakshasa revere Ravanna, King of Rakshasas, a ten-headed lesser god who can only be harmed by non-deific creatures from the Material Plane.
As spirits, rakshasas are virtually immortal. They produce a new generation every century to replace the rakshasas that have been slain in battle. No creatures prey on rakshasas except those who would avenge their victims.
campaign setting, rakshasa were once a major world power, but were defeated and forced into withdrawal from active participation in world events by the couatl
s. Rakshasa rajahs are beings of near deific power, although they are not deities. Also known as Overlords, they are second only to the progenitor dragons and the release of one is a world-threatening event.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, a rakshasa is a type of evil outsider
Outsider (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an outsider is a type of creature, or "creature type". Outsiders are at least partially composed of the essence of a plane other than the Prime Material Plane....
that is now native to the Material Plane. They are powerful sorcerers
Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)
The sorcerer is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A sorcerer is weak in melee combat, but a master of arcane magic, the most generally powerful form of D&D magic. Sorcerers' magical ability is innate rather than studied...
and, although they disdain physical fighting as ignoble, can be dangerous in close combat as well.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The rakshasa first appeared in the official newsletter of TSR GamesTSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
, The Strategic Review #5, December 1975.
The rakshasa (demons of India) appeared in Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes
Gods, Demi-gods & Heroes
Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes is a supplementary rulebook for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The work provides information on the pantheons and constructs of the Egyptian, Hindu, Greek, Celtic, Norse, Finnish, Aztec, Mayan, Chinese, and Japanese mythologies, as well as...
(1976).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The rakshasa appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977). “Known first in India, these evil spirits encased in flesh are spreading."The rakshasa lord and the rakshasa knight appeared in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#84 (April 1984).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The rakshasa appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), along with the greater rakshasa, the rakshasa maharaja, the rakshasa rajah, and the rakshasa ruhk. The rakshasa and these other variants are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
The rakshasa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
The rakshasa appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).The Zakya rakshasa for the Eberron
Eberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting appeared in the Eberron Campaign Setting
Eberron Campaign Setting
Eberron Campaign Setting is a hardcover accessory for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:The Eberron Campaign Setting book introduced Eberron, and is the core campaign setting, providing the campaign specific rules and details on the continent of Khorvaire...
(2004).
The Ak'chazar rakshasa and the Naztharune rakshasa appeared in Monster Manual III (2004).
The rakshasa is further detailed in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#326 (December 2004), in "The Ecology of the Rakshasa."
The rakshasa overlords for the Eberron setting appeared in Dragon #337 (November 2005).
The Naityan rakshasa appeared in the Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
The rakshasa appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).Physical description
Rakshasas stand 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh between 250 and 300 pounds. Their natural shapes are relatively humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
although they are clearly not human, as they appear more as humanoid beasts, usually tigers. Their hands also look disturbing to most humans, as their palms are where the back of the hands would be in humans. The Rakshasa are capable of hiding their disturbing appearance at any time, as they can choose any humanoid form at will. All rakshasas wear human clothing of the highest quality.
Types
In addition to the most common, there are several different castes of Rakshasa.The Ak'chazar have the heads of white tiger
White tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
s and are thinner than common Rakshasa. They are unusually powerful spellcasters, even for Rakshasa, and specialize in necromantic
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
magic. To use their necromantic powers to their full potential the Ak'chazar often use graveyards or old battlefields as their headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
. When working on one of their dark schemes the Ak'chazar often let their undead
Undead (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
do the physical work while they stay behind the scenes themselves.
The Naztharune have the heads of black tigers and are covered in black fur. They have few magical powers but compensate by being strong fighters, specializing in assassination. They lack most Rakshasa's need to be the leader of any organisation that they are part of, often working for other Rakshasa.
The Naityan Rakshasa are shapeshifters with the ability to utilize different supernatural combat styles based on their current forms.
The Zakyas resemble standard rakshasas, but rather than focusing on sorcery, they are skilled melee combatants and weapon masters. They use their weak magical powers to supplement their martial prowess.
Rakshasa Knights focus on hunting paladins on behalf of Ravanna, while Rakshasa Lords serve as his high priests.
Society
Rakshasa are solitary beings, although they do occasionally cooperate with each other. Since Rakshasa are ambitious beings, as well as being solitary, sorcerous shapeshifters, they typically hold leading positions in whatever undertaking they are involved in. They are therefore typical boss monstersBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
.
Rakshasa revere Ravanna, King of Rakshasas, a ten-headed lesser god who can only be harmed by non-deific creatures from the Material Plane.
As spirits, rakshasas are virtually immortal. They produce a new generation every century to replace the rakshasas that have been slain in battle. No creatures prey on rakshasas except those who would avenge their victims.
Rakshasa in Eberron
In the EberronEberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting, rakshasa were once a major world power, but were defeated and forced into withdrawal from active participation in world events by the couatl
Couatl
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the couatl is a large serpentine creature, and in 3rd edition is considered a native outsider.-Publication history:...
s. Rakshasa rajahs are beings of near deific power, although they are not deities. Also known as Overlords, they are second only to the progenitor dragons and the release of one is a world-threatening event.