Either translated using its Greek origins into “evil spirit” (kakodaimon) or from Latin roots as “pooping demon“, Doom’s iconic cacodemon is instantly recognizable far beyond its player base. With a design ripped from a Dungeon and Dragon’s cover for its 1987 Manual of the Planes which featured a wicked looking Astral Dreadnaught by legend Jeff Easley, the first cacodemon’s in the Doom franchise were literally chopped off heads of this classic D&D monster.
Spitting balls of plasma and hissing when they see a player, cacodemons were fairly easily outmaneuvered adversaries thanks to their slow speed and slow artillery. However, what made these baddies a hassle was their tendency to group up and lair with other monsters. From a D&D standpoint, their beholder and beholder-kin similarities makes for a nice straightforward enough conversion – and a challenge for players everywhere.
