Backwards link to D Part 1 - Daemon to Demodand...
Moving swiftly on, to a different part of the Lower Planes; this section is mainly demons.
Demon.
The preamble to this section is a diverting read, though it naturally reruns some of the information from MM and also follows the general content of all the Daemon/Demon/Devil intros.
If a demon likes you (Reaction Roll?) it carries you off and makes you its slave, apparently favoured - so that's okay.
Nice list of who's-who in the Abyss, noting who's merely a Lord, and who's classed as female. Some names recognisable from IRL demonology and some from D&D, but also some that I wasn't able to track down in my pre-internet tomes of forbidden lore.
Plus, some suggestions about inhabitants of various infamous layers, and mention of the Goristroi - which isn't otherwise featured in MM, FF, MM2 or DMG, AFAIK.
Alu-demon.
An ancient Babylonian (male?) demon, born of a human, but in D&D it's the female offspring of a Succubus (MM) and a human. Because she can be a levelled Magic User, she can easily end up more formidable than its mum - with which she shares a number of powers.
Personally, I don't think demonic ancestry should be as cut-and-dried as the Alu-demon and Cambion are presented, though they make obvious candidates for featured villains in a game.
'Some 20% are not totally devoted to Evil'.
Babau.
An interesting outcome, especially if this was based on the Babau of folklore/mythology - basically a Bogeyman with regional variations of appearance, habit and name. Sometimes referred to as 'The Black Man', but I don't think it has anything in particular to do with witches (or Nyarlathotep).
The D&D version is a giant skeleton in all-over 'form-fitting black leather' with even bigger head, hands and feet, dripping with slippery red slime - which is a great look for any self-respecting monster, demon or bogey.
Nothing about its habits; the usual, mainly unremarkable, spell-like ability choices (though I always like heat metal). Glowing red eyes with a ray of enfeeblement gaze-attack.
The description puts me in mind of a kind of Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones bugbear/ogre - so maybe they were trying for a Bogeyman vibe. I'd take it out of demon category and let it get back to its roots -scaring children and lurking under stairs while being much too big and powerful for this to make much sense.
Baphomet (Demon Lord).
Giant Minotaur, at war with Yeenoghu. I prefer mine with goat bits and ambiguous gender presentation.
His breath weapon being a gout/quart of unholy water and his attacks destroying equipment are really the only things that distinguish him from any other sack of hit points with a spell list.
Bar-Lgura.
Big scary demon orangutan that likes to spoil the plans of greater demons by manipulating their less intelligent minions. They 'shun most other types of demon', but no clues as to who the exceptions are.
In mythology, the Bar-lgura sits on the roof of your house, waiting to pounce when you come outside - so I don't know what, if anything, fed into the D&D version from the source material.
Create water and plant growth are interesting additions to the usual suspects for spell-like abilities. Overall, I rather like the Bar-lgura (a lot of it is the impactful illo), but I'd love to know a little more about the source material and the decisions that led to this particular monster.
Cambion.
The male offspring of a human female and a demon. Famous cambions include Caliban and Merlin, and I'd be happy to go with demonic ancestry not just boiling down to Ability Score bonuses and special abilities.
The description specifies the ranks of Major Demon, Baron and Marquis - but the three monster manuals only identify the Nabassu as a Major Demon, and then several Princes and Lords. There's an interpretation of some text in the Monster Manual that suggests the Type VI/ Balor is on a different level to the other Typed demons, so they might also be included.
I don't really know where all these demon daddies are meant to come from.
Chasme.
Cross between a fly and a humanoid, with a blood-sucking nose. A description that doesn't capture my gut feeling that this is somehow more genuinely demonic than other entries under the demon umbrella. Or it could be that disgust is a commonplace reaction to flies (I bet it smells, too).
Has a hummadruz ability, so therefore I'm almost duty bound to like it, even if I didn't already.
Dretch.
Fairly unremarkable minor demon. I guess they're ultimately meant to be swarm monsters, and how creepy or threatening they are will depend on how you run them, rather than anything intrinsic to the monster.
Fraz-Urb'luu (Prince of Deception).
The home plane that shapes itself to his wishes is interesting, but otherwise this is a sack of hit points with a spell list.
He can trick other Princes into appearing when he opens a gate, which has potential.
Graz'zt (Demon Prince).
'The handsomest of demon rulers' hangs out with 'sexy lady' monsters - lamias, succubi and Type VI demons.
My favourite thing about this guy's entry is that it conjures the image of an army/nation composed of troglodytes, harpies and bar-lgura (Graz'zt was snatched from his victory over them), which gives me far more food for thought than anything else in this entry.
If he wasn't so powerful, being accompanied at all times by 1-3 lamias would also be interesting.
Kostchtchie (Demon Lord).
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| This comes up on the image search, and I think gives a good idea of where I think Kostchtchie should be coming from. I also used to have this edition and gave it all up for a little less baggage when I moved. |
He's disliked by all other demons, except the minor ones.
'Dislike' feels very mild, and also conjures up the image of minor demons checking in on him to see if he's okay, or just coming over to hang out and shoot the breeze. Served by frost giants and has a white dragon as a mount/pet.
And he has a favourite - not favoured, not preferred, but favourite - weapon (huge hammer of cold iron, with nickel and silver inlays), which he looks like he's hugging, maybe even about to kiss, in the illo. I've read The Walking Dead so I know who Neagan is.
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| Kostchtchie by the book. |
I was going to say Kossy is just another hp-and-spell-list, but there's potentially a lot more going on if you're prepared to take seriously not taking it seriously. There's also an air about the description, illo and special abilities that suggests a mythological/folkloric giant rather than a demon.
Nabassu.
Their life-cycle means that they come to the Prime Material Plane to feed on humans and grow stronger (improve hit points and AC), in a similar manner to the Barghest.
Signature ability is death stealing, which is a 'harmless' attack - there's no obvious effect until the character dies (and that could be right now or further down the line), when they immediately rise up as a ghoul or ghast. The stolen death can be used to instakill someone else (it specifies that used against the original owner, they still come back as ghast or ghoul), and they rise up as a shadow - 'doomed to serve the nabassu whenever called'. Just this ability would make a good solid monster, demonic or otherwise - and it's also a delicious power for a necromantic staff or ritual knife.
Other special abilities are very necromancer/undead flavoured (energy drain, etherealness, paralyzation, regenerate, silence, vampiric attack). If your Vampires are corpses possessed by demons, then Nabassu are the demons that do that - in fact, reskin Nabassu as Vampires, because it will work.
Like.
Pazuzu (Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms).
At first glance, this is another sack of hit points etcetera etcetera entry, but there's quite a bit more to Pazuzu than this - he has a personality.
For a start, he's able to travel the planes with much greater freedom than other Lower Planars - including being able to come to the Prime Material - and is 'on amicable terms with mighty daemons and the dukes of Hell'.
He engages in what I consider to be traditional demonic behaviour, attempting to corrupt clerics and paladins by offering aid in exchange for services that cause 'chaos but not always direct evil'. He can grant a wish once per day.
He has 'a great sense of humor' and doesn't mind being defeat/outwitted, if the opponent is canny enough (Rule of Cool?).
Pazuzu's spell-like powers have a thematic harmony that those of many other demon lords/princes don't, and include statue - which I suppose could be a nod to him featuring in The Exorcist. His breath weapon is tri-fold - poison gas (effects undefined but size is equal to green dragon breath, so it could be save or die, or damage=current hp), creeping doom and insect plague - I'm getting strong visuals.
Even his bodyguard is interesting, being 6 Type VI demons but specified as 'not those listed in MONSTER MANUAL 1'. What does this mean?
Rutterkin.
Weak and low-ranking demons, but they have an arsenal of interesting weapons which I would not allow them to monopolise. They do hang with Chasmes, so they've also got that going for them.
Derro.
These are an AD&D analogue of Shaver's Dero. Which means there's a whole body of literature (fiction or otherwise) to dip into and build with. Or someone just used the name, and let everyone else make the connections.
While this is a pretty standard wargame army entry - leader-types and weapon distribution - it does hint at other aspects of the culture: sunlight nauseates them; technology and materials (repeating crossbows, dragon hide armour); gargoyles and lamia as allies; the sage-like savants.
They're also probably humans, albeit short, subterranean and cannibalistic. As a monster, I think they're instantly likeable and I'd hope everyone has their own favourite extrapolation of the Derro.
Deva.
Apologies - Devas as well as Daemons have substantial adds to their HD (from 28 - 32).
There are a few suggestive details scattered about - Astral Devas are unaffected by total vacuum; Movanic Devas will not be attacked by plant monsters - but basically they're angels without saying they're angels, and Good=boring/ hp sack + spell list applies.
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