The Rakshasa is an interesting creature. They have been included in every edition of Dungeons & Dragons, being developed further and further as the years passed. We haven’t run into them very often and that’s a shame because they are one of those creatures that have endless possibilities on how they can be played.

Rakshasas are mythical demons from the Hindu religion. Made by Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, the Rakshasa immediately turned on their creator and started eating him. Vishnu was the first god to come to Brahma’s aid and the Rakshasa were banished to Earth. In the Hindu religion, they were depicted as fierce-looking and enormous creatures with two fangs and having sharp, claw-like fingernails. These large and vicious creatures who love human flesh and are known to be cannibals. Some Rakshasas are so ferocious, they have been shown with flaming red eyes and hair, drinking the blood of their victims with their palms or from a human skull. They can fly, vanish, and had mastered the power of illusion, which allowed them to change size at will and become any creature they desired. Female Rakshasas were known as Rakshasi and they used their powers of illusion to turn into beautiful women that would seduce their victims. Later on, Rakshasas were incorporated into the Buddhist religion.

One last thing of note about the Rakshasa before we begin… They have some of the best art throughout the editions of any creature we have done a deep dive for… which doesn't exactly set the bar very high.

OD&D - The Rakshasa (Demons of India)

Armor Class: -5

Move: 18/36

Hit Points: 200

Magic Ability: (See Below)

Fighter Ability: 15th Level

Psionic Ability: Class 6

The Rakshasa was first introduced in an official newsletter put out by TSR in 1975, The Strategic Review #5. The first supplement to have the Rakshasa was the Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes (1976) and there are several key differences between the two.

In the newsletter, they are slightly weaker though highlight that they can cast Magic-User and Cleric spells, are unaffected by spells of 8th level or lower, and have the powers of ESP to confuse and throw their prey off guard. In the Supplement IV, there is no mention of those abilities but rather that they are so powerful that even gods fear them and they have these powers: shapechange, fight invisible except against gods, regenerate as a troll, crave the taste of human flesh, and cannot refuse a gambling bet. I’m not sure the inability to refuse a gambling bet is a power, but it’s there!

This is our first look at the Rakshasa and it is clear they are going to be total badasses. They fight gods, the regenerate health, eat humans and they can shapechange! It’s the shapechange ability that makes the Rakshasa a truly devastating creature. Shape Change in OD&D is insanely powerful and is a 9th level Magic-User spell that allows you to take on the shape of whatever creature you want, and you can change your form multiple times while under the spell.

The example given in the OD&D spell description makes one realize just how powerful the spell is but it’s not crazy enough. Let’s assume you and your army come across a Rakshasa. As he is a level 15 fighter he can easily pummel the crap out of you but as there are so many of you, the Rakshasa can change into a beholder. As the Rakshasa-beholder begins wiping out your army, you rally your troops and charge the creature. The Rakshasa can then change into a dragon and fly high above your troops. Before you get much of a chance to try and spread your troops, the Rakshasa-dragon dive bombs and with his fire breath lies waste to the rest of your army. For fun, the Rakshasa-dragon can then change into a huge boulder and squish any survivors. The Rakshasa is a complete badass and is probably the type of person that doesn’t look back at explosions when they calmly walk away from them.

Though most gods have the ability to shapechange, so we can’t even begin to imagine what those crazy fights look like.

AD&D - Rakshasa