[33], One of Asmodeus's known favored tactics for the promotion of faithlessness did not involve him doing much at all. [88] This school of thought (one that came into being without Asmodeus's involvement but was ideal for his purposes regardless) rejected the divinity of gods, if not their existence, positing that they were just powerful beings of a level of strength that anyone could reach under the right circumstances. In this way, cults of Asmodeus are particularly insidious and sinister. Civilization, as he understood it, was a means of gaining power, the structures and technology created by society instruments to crush his enemies. A special rank of devils with more power and authority than most belonged to the members of the Nessian Guard. The forces at their disposal are listed, where appropriate: Asmodeus had been varyingly described as having no need for worship[186] and desperately craving true divinity. Asmodeus summons a devil in an unoccupied space within range (60 ft.). [176][175] The power balance of Hell was a fragile thing,[102] and the fall of the wrong lord at the wrong time had the potential to unleash utter catastrophe throughout the Nine Hells and planes beyond.[63]. The point of this is to keep your options open while running a creature such as this. Ruby Rod. [153] While willing to fawn if he had to,[152] he had openly and directly told Asmodeus of his ambition to usurp him with complete confidence. In this version, Asmodeus was originally an angel, built for fighting demons. Not even other devils living in Nessus were certain of the story that the Serpent's Coil, where the true form rested, was formed by the spiraling body of a plummeted Asmodeus. In truth, after committing himself to residing there he did not simply descend but was physically cast there by the gods. He managed to imprison her for a time before Asmodeus reinstated her again, declaring Bel's defensive tactics inadequate for fending off demonkind. [185][191] The most worthy cult leaders, whether directly in his cult or not, were granted the power to drain the vitality of their allies, even doing so automatically when unconscious. To ensure that Zargon stayed sealed away, Asmodeus encased the elder evil in stone and buried Zargon's worshipers alive. If Asmodeus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. On dying in Toril, a mortal's soul was shunted to the Fugue Plane, where it waited until whatever god they worshiped in life cared to take the soul to itself, for a length of time depending on how well the soul adhered to the deity's tenets. A large, white-hot flame appeared in front of her, the heat so intense she wiped sweat from her brow. It discusses older kings of Hell such as Lucifer or Satan whom Asmodeus deposed. Asmodeus himself confronted Laduguer after the temptations and attacks of his minions prove fruitless, yet he remained unfazed in the face of even Asmodeus's charm. Everything has a cost, even if youre a god. Since most clerics are in medium armor, the winged variant is a great choice. [114][117][118][119][120] Regardless, he hated the transformation and dreamed of the day he could cast off the curse and ascend to rule Hell with a certain someone at his feet, namely Asmodeus's daughter Glasya. As the ruler of devils, Asmodeus is not necessarily the definitive personification of evil. 3e [77] More to the point, while he viewed them as nothing more than a nuisance,[70] he knew they stood a chance of overwhelming the Hells were they to be united. Asmodeus is the leader of the devil race. The Dark Lord seemed to trust his counsel when offered, and he was something of a godfather to Glasya. [32][27][35] The forces of good were foolish, sentimental beings too soft and weak to do what had to be done. Alignment [33], To the mind of Asmodeus, the law was merely a tool by which others could be bent to his will. Lawful evil Symbol [3] The most elaborated of these descents and ascents boiled down to three primary origin stories: Jazirian and Ahriman forming the Outer Planes. He awaited the chance to permanently rid himself of her and retake his role as Warlord of Avernus. From small contracts for individual souls of great value to huge contracts that have landed him the souls of any true atheist, his commitment to law isnt just a flavor of evil; its his fuel for more evil deeds. At that point, they become lesser devils such as lemures or nupperibos. You could be enlisted in his services, which gives the DM a lot of wiggle room to create a god and their motivations. Lacking time as a tool and possibly even as an abstract concept, the demons fought each other in an environment of endless disorder for an innumerable period. His labyrinthine, insidious intrigues could seem inexplicable to most outside observers, for Asmodeus let even his own servants stew in fear of his next move. The question boils down to asking which side holds the definitive stance on evil, and who will reign supreme. [13] Standing above the common devils were Hell's nobility, the archdevils, the highest of which were the archdukes who ruled the first eight layers of Hell. If a creature has already been paralyzed by this ability, they must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be transformed into a lemure. [53] This changed after Asmodeus consumed Azuth and thus obtained true godhood, allowing him to grant spells to his followers and remove the vile rituals previously required to access such power. [33], This system had several additional benefits, first of which was reinforcing the Blood War. If the hearsay was to be believed, based more upon personal biases and allegiences than actual evidence as it was, Asmodeus was Graz'zt's father, spawned by a terrible union between him and the obyrith lord Pale Night. [145][151] Yet the slug archduke still burned with undying ambition for Asmodeus's throne just as he did with undying anger towards Asmodeus himself. However, Geryon was deposed despite his loyalty and Levistus was restored to consciousness and elevated to archdevil of Stygia. Such a feat would allow him to finally conquer the gods of the upper planes and eventually the multiverse in its entirety. The devil summoned is of a CR equal to or less than the roll. Faernian pantheon[1] However, this didnt mean that he didnt amass a large number of cults devoted to him. [202] Asmodeus established the infernal bureaucracy[181] and carved up Baator amongst his loyal servants, dividing the horrid domain into smaller realms and fiefdoms. Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Subservient deities Normally, this will be one of the Lords of the Nine or even several of them. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. [8][162] It was unclear where Geryon went or why Asmodeus forsook him. Three inverted triangles arranged in a long triangle At some point in history, he angered Asmodeus and was banished. [45], While many suspected Asmodeus got the better of his divine enemies with the Pact Primeval, no mortal had ever actually seen it. Asmodeus touches a target and fills their mind with images of lost desires and forgotten dreams. [55], Asmodeus was impossible to harm with spells below a certain level of power, as well as poison, paralysis, petrification, magic dealing with death, illusions, and attempts to influence his mind. [70][76], Despite his generally dismissive attitude towards the Blood War, Asmodeus, unlike some other lawful deities, recognized that it was not an entirely trivial matter. This allows you to keep everything that's happened, while allowing you to play the BBEG, and . He is wearing a brown robe with a gold trim, with a thick leather belt with a large gold buckle engraved with the symbol of a hammer and an anvil. [70] Once the Blood War was finally won once and for all, he would conquer all that remained of the lawful planes, crowning himself the undeniable sovereign of all reality. A falling out between angel and god ensued, and despite Asmodeus's protestations and warnings, He Who Was stood by his decision to strip Asmodeus of his station. For many mortal years the gods of law and good reveled in their purified domains only to discover an alarming drop in incoming souls. Domains Blood of My Blood (3/Day). Clawed fist gripping a skullRuby-tipped rodInverted pentagram [201] The demonic tanar'ri however would say that they themselves were ultimately the source of devilkind, that their baatezu archenemies were simply corrupted versions of themselves, a root of chaos so twisted that it became law. Without him, whom would I have to strive against? Normally, the campaign would end with Zariel either being killed, avoided, or joined. Mar 18, 2020. The exact circumstances were not known, but Asmodeus played a crucial role. At practically every curve in the road, theres some nefarious trickster, some crazed fanatic, or some murderous fiend waiting to end your life, or worse. Rather than kill his opponents, he preferred using these abilities to force would-be-foes to submit to him, or failing that flee for their lives. 5th Edition Statistics[1][11][12][13][14][15] Then, in a move that surprised everyone, Asmodeus punished his only loyal lord with exile, raising entombed Levistus back to the rank of archduke. Baator is called the nine hells because it is split into nine layers. Ranged Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 222/666 ft., one target. The Blood War, the eternal battle between the fiends of the lower planes, was often described as a kind of philosophical war over which form of evil would reign supreme. Remember, Asmodeus is one of the keenest strategic minds in the whole of the multiverse; hes studied the adventurers and prepared himself to not only defeat them but humiliate them. [79], Even while many devils continually damned souls to expand Hell's infernal army,[59] Asmodeus exempted himself from the duty of each archduke to provide soldiers or other aid to fight the Blood War. It was said that even devils were not exempt from the punishments of the realm of the damned, and Asmodeus too would have been physically warped by it,[204] or was perhaps cursed by his former superior.[205]. [66][206], Given the prior rule, the Twin Serpents decided that a third law would be needed to complete the triumvirate, both agreeing to define a center of reality to remain coiled around. So, if youre up for the challenge, beyond just running a god with the foremost tactical mind in the multiverse, I would like to suggest one more thing. [92] Either way, neither those gods nor Asmodeus himself wanted an open war in Hell,[93] and indeed the thought of pantheons descending onto his plane and upsetting Hell's delicate power balance filled him with dread. Bhaal had three avatar forms: the Slayer, the Ravager, and Kazgoroth. Furthermore, souls condemned to Baator were conscripted into the infernal army against the Abyss's forces of chaos, thereby protecting the cause of law and good from the forces of chaos and evil, which meant the souls were also used to further and protect the cause of law. Both were weakened by this struggle, having invested much of their power into defining the planes and their later battle. In creating this first ring, the Twin Serpents had established a fundamental planar principle, the Unity of Rings, instituting the importance of rings in the philosophy and geography of the planes. 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