The Illrigger is a Charisma-based complete martial class designed for the 2014 version of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, introduced by MCDM Productions, known for Flee, Mortals! and monthly digital issu♛es of Arcadia. The Illrigger isn’t a homebrew addition or a reskinned fighter; it’s a fully-featured class that offers a fiendish alternative to more traditional martial archetype🌄s.

Related
Dungeons & Drag⭕ons: What Are The Nine Hells?

The🌞 Nine Hells are the rea🌊lm of devils in the Dungeons & Dragons cosmology.

We'll break down everything you need to build an optimized and memorable Illrigger. We’ll walk through the class features, discuss the strengths of each subclass, and recommend ideal race and background pairings. You’ll also find advice on abilitౠy score priorities and feats. Whether you’re playing a dark campaign or just want an infernal villain build, the Illrigger has everything you need to stand out.

Illrigger Overview

An Illrigger in dark armor raises a red fist, fighting off enemies with a devil army behind him.
Art by Grace Cheung

In-universe, Illriggers serve the archdevils of Hell as elite agents who operate without oversight. They’re tactical, deadly, and indepenꦯdent by design. What sets the class apart m🎶echanically is its mix of martial combat, spellcasting, and battlefield control. You can build toward frontline damage, ranged harassment, or support and utility depending on your subclass.

The Illrigger has a d10 Hit Die and is proficient with light/me⭕dium armor, shields, and all weapons, making it durable and versatile. It saves with Constitution and Charisma and picks two skills from a broad list covering combat, social, and ste﷽alth options.

For melee builds like Painkiller or Sanguine Knight, take a chain shirt, shield, and martial weapon. For ranged or caster builds like Architect of Ruin or Shadowmaster, go with leather armor and finesse/ranged weapons, but grab a shield if you can. A 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:high armor class benefits very class.

Illrigger Features

Level Feature Feature Descriptions
1 Baleful Interdict, Forked Tongue Place magical seals on enemies and burn them for extra damage; learn languages.
2 Combat Mastery, Interdiction Pick a combat style; gain access to Interdict Boons for unique effects.
3 Diabolic Contract, Invoke Hell Choose your subclass and gain a powerful once-per-rest ability.
4 Ability Score Improvement Increase one ability score by 2 or two by 1; or take a feat.
5 Extra Attack Gain the ability to attack twice on your turn.
6 Infernal Conduit Use d10s to heal allies or hurt enemies while healing yourself.
7 Diabolic Contract feature Gain subclass-specific feature.
8 Ability Score Improvement Another ASI or feat slot.
9 Forked Tongue improvement Gain a new language and advantage on Insight checks.
10 Blood Price Use a Hit Die to boost a failed saving throw.
11 Diabolic Contract feature, Infernal Conduit improvement, Terrorizing Force More subclass features; improved Infernal Conduit and extra damage on attacks.
12 Ability Score Improvement Another ASI or feat slot.
13 No new features at this level.
14 Superior Interdict Seal damage ignores resistance; regain a seal as bonus action (once per LR).
15 Diabolic Contract feature Final subclass feature unlocked.
16 Ability Score Improvement Another ASI or feat slot.
17 Infernal Majesty Activate a 10-minute hellform with flight, resistances, and resurrection.
18 No new features at this level.
19 Ability Score Improvement Final ASI or feat slot.
20 Master of Hell Unleash a massive hellstorm with one of three devastating effects.

Best Ability Scores For An Illrigger

A tattooed Architect of Ruin tears a page from a tome, grinning as they lift it to the light with triumph.
Art by Grace Cheung

The Illrigger is a flexible class that plays differently depending on your subclass, combat style, and whether you're focusing more on melee, ranged, or support/spellcasting. That said, every build starts with one rule of thumb; for example, Charisma and Constitution are always important.

Aim for even-numbered scores when assigning ability points. There’s no benefit to a 17 over a 16 unless you plan to increase it later. If you're taking a half-feat that boosts a stat by +1, starting with an odd number is fine.

Priority Rank Ability Score Description
1 Charisma (CHA) Primary stat. Powers your spellcasting, class features, and Interdictions. Max this early.
2 Constitution (CON) Improves HP and Constitution saves, helps maintain concentration on spells.
3 Dexterity (DEX) or Strength (STR) Determines Armor Class if wearing light or medium armor, and is useful for ranged/finesse weapons. Is a common saving throw.
4 Strength (STR) or Dexterity (DEX) Choose based on weapon and armor. STR for heavy armor and most melee weapons.
5 Wisdom (WIS) Moderate priority. Boosts Perception and some common saving throws.
6 Intelligence (INT) Least useful for Illriggers unless you want to be a bookish type. Considered the default dump stat.

Choosing your Subclass

A bald, pale Illrigger Hellspeaker with black tattoos wears dark armor with gold trim. He stands in front of stormclouds, sword in one hand in front of him.
Art by Grace Cheung

At 3rd level, every Illrigger signs a Diabolic Contract, aligning themselves with one of five archdevils. Each subclass changes your role in and out of combat and offers unique abilities that scale as you level. Whether you want to be a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:spell-slinging caster, a frontline bruiser, or a sneaky assassin, your contract defines how your Illrigger plays. U♋nderstanding each subclass’s strengths will help you build around it from the start.

Subclass Combat Role Non-Combat Role
Architect of Ruin (Asmodeus) Spellblade / Controller. Uses spells and Interdicts to shape combat while still being dangerous with weapons. Face / Strategist. High Charisma and social manipulation abilities, great for leadership, scheming, or intrigue.
Hellspeaker (Moloch) Support Caster. Provides infernal magic and battlefield manipulation. Gives buffs, debuffs, and utility without needing to be in melee. Occult Advisor. Great for lore checks, magical investigation, or negotiating with fiends.
Painkiller (Dispater) Frontline Bruiser. Built for close-quarters combat, excels in durability and damage output with a focus on melee dominance. Enforcer / Bodyguard. Useful for intimidation and leading through fear or strength.
Sanguine Knight (Sutekh) Lifesteal Skirmisher. Balances offense and defense through life-drain effects, thrives in long fights. Scout / Survivor. Can handle solo missions, recovers faster from danger.
Shadowmaster (Belial) Stealth Assassin. Excels at ambushes, burst damage, and mobility. Spy / Infiltrator. Perfect for espionage-heavy games, subterfuge, and social deception.

Best Species For An Illrigger

Male devil with feathered wings, a moustache, and a beard holding out a contract
Art by Grace Cheung

Your choice of species can add flavor, powerful skills, or complementary features to your Illrigger build. While Charisma is vital for nearly every subclass, your secondary ability scores—like Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution—can shift depending on your chosen contract. Some species offer strong thematic synergy, while others give you bonus feats, mobility, or fortitude that make the class shine earlier.

Species What It Contributes Best Subclasses
Tiefling Naturally high Charisma, resistance to fire damage, and access to free spells. Is great for thematics and spellcasting subclasses. Architect of Ruin, Hellspeaker
Goliath Strong Strength and Constitution, plus damage resistance and survivability. Ideal for tanky melee builds. Painkiller, Sanguine Knight
Shadar-Kai (Elf) Teleportation, necrotic resistance, and survivability features are excellent for ambush or hit-and-run builds. Shadowmaster, Sanguine Knight
Variant Human Early feat access and flexible stat bonuses let you customize your build from level 1. Any (based on feat and stat spread)
Half-Orc Free crit survivability, bonus melee damage on crits, and Intimidation. Painkiller
Dragonborn Breath weapon, elemental resistance, and strong Charisma. Architect of Ruin, Hellspeaker
Genasi Varies by subspecies, but many offer Constitution, Charisma, and elemental resistances. Good utility and flavor. Any (especially Hellspeaker or Architect of Ruin)

Species choice is ultimately up to you. There’s no wrong option. Pick what fits your concept, then build around it.

Best Feats for Illriggers

Illrigger Shadowmaser with purple skin and white hair assassinates a target with blood magic.
Art by Grace Cheung

Illriggers already have a lot going on, but the right feat can make your build even better. Because the class combines martial combat with spellcasting, you’ll want feats that reinforce your strengths, whether that’s maintaining c🍸oncentration, landing harder hits, or leaning into your charisma. Some buiℱlds benefit from combat feats, while others shine with spellcasting or party support ones.

Feat What It Does Best For
War Caster Helps maintain concentration on spells, and allows casting during opportunity attacks. Perfect for spellcasting Illriggers. Architect of Ruin, Hellspeaker
Resilient (Constitution) Boosts your Constitution and gives proficiency in Con saving throws. Is critical for maintaining concentration on spells. All builds (especially casters)
Fey Touched / Shadow Touched Grants a +1 to Charisma and a free utility spell like Misty Step or Invisibility. Ideal for mobility and theme. Architect of Ruin, Shadowmaster
Great Weapon Master / Sharpshooter Increases your damage ceiling with heavy weapons or ranged attacks. Great for Painkiller or Dexterity-based builds. Painkiller, Shadowmaster
Inspiring Leader Uses your high Charisma to grant temp HP to allies before combat. Excellent for party support and leadership flavor. Any Charisma-focused subclass

Best Backgrounds for an Illrigger

Illrigger standing with their back to a blue portal, infernal sigil floating above their hand.
Art by Grace Cheung

Backgrounds add flavor, starting proficiencies, an🔜d occasionally useful tools or languages, but they can also support your roleplaying style. The best backgrounds g📖ives you access to important skills like Intimidation, Deception, or Athletics, perfect for strengthening your Illrigger in combat or social situations. Here are five backgrounds that work well with the Illrigger’s theme and mechanics.

Background What It Adds Best For
Soldier Grants Athletics and Intimidation, perfect for frontline builds or martial Illriggers. Painkiller, Sanguine Knight
Noble Grants Persuasion and History, along with a noble title. Great for roleplay campaigns. Architect of Ruin
Guard Provides Athletics and Insight, ideal for bruiser builds or Illriggers acting as agents or heavy protection. Painkiller, Architect of Ruin
Criminal Gives you Deception and Stealth. Is ideal for any Illrigger who works from the shadows. Shadowmaster, Sanguine Knight
Charlatan Grants Deception and Sleight of Hand, plus forgery tools. Is excellent for infiltration and manipulation. Shadowmaster, Architect of Ruin

If you’re leaning into weapon-focused builds, don’t overlook Piercer, Slasher, or Crusher. These feats add extra damage and give you control options based on your weapon type. For Illriggers focused on countering casters, Mage Slayer can be a brutal pick for a more anti-magic, frontline fighter.

Next
Dungeons & Dragons: Every Martial Melee Weaponꦜ, Ranked

Here is every martial melee weapon in Dungeons & Dragons,𒈔 ranked!