I was interviewed for a Podcast!

This is sort of old news now (since it was posted on three days ago) but in case anyone hasn't already heard, German AD&D (and other old-school wargames) uberfan Settembrini did a 3 hour interview with me for his podcast, which is now available for your listening pleasure. I've heard from people who've listened to the whole thing (or at least claim to have) that it's not totally boring and incomprehensible, so yay! 

I haven't listened to it (because I don't think I could stand to listen to my own voice for 3+ hours) but from memory we talked about (in no particular order and tending to ramble back and forth between topics) why we like AD&D better than BX D&D, my inspirations and methods for creating The Heroic Legendarium (and the bootleg "AD&D Companion" that preceded it), what makes for good adventures and why Temple of Elemental Evil isn't one, my games with Gary in the 80s playtesting Necropolis (and my attempts at leveraging that experience to create an accurate AD&D conversion of it), using miniatures vs theater of the mind, why I like wargames but am not actually very good at them, why and how OSRIC needs to be updated, whether it's possible to make the Upper Outer Planes a location for interesting adventures, and probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting. 

It was fun having a nice long conversation with someone who shares my enthusiasm for this stuff. Maybe it will also be fun to listen in on that conversation... 

Abyss Info Dump

As a companion of sorts to my recent post about the Upper Planes here's a collection of canonical (and quasi-canonical) info about the planes of the Abyss in AD&D. My starting point was the overview in the Demon entry of the Monster Manual II,  supplemented by the extensive notes from Gord's Greyhawk drawn from Gary Gygax's novels Come Endless Darkness and Dance of Demons (which, like all of Gygax's fiction are very weak in terms of plot, characterization, and dialogue, but are a treasure trove of setting info and color and constitute a virtual series of "lost" AD&D supplements) and the expansions and translations of that material into AD&D game format by my friend GT, some of which I've shared here previously with his permission. 

I'm not sure exactly where the line is drawn between what GT drew from Gary and what he created himself (particularly regarding the names and locations of the various lords' and princes' home planes) - some of it is definitely the former, but I suspect some is the latter as well (I tried to peruse the books themselves to verify references but it wasn't easy - it's a pity that when Krista Siren compiled the Gord's Greyhawk database back in the 90s that she didn't include page references!) so full credit and acknowledgment goes to GT for anything included below that was his original material and not something adapted from Gygax.

Like the Upper Planes info, this is an undeveloped info dump, a starting place for further development and additions, not an endpoint. In particular, there are still many princes and lords listed in the MM2 that have not been otherwise detailed. At least some of those names come from actual real-world mythology and folklore and we can surmise and extrapolate what those beings would be like based on those names (as GT has already done with a few of them) but that's a larger scale project that will have to be done over a considerable period of time. When/if I get around to that perhaps I'll do a follow-up post. 

As always, please note that post-Gygax TSR and Wizards of the Coast "official" sources of info on the planes (including the Manual of the Planes, Planescape campaign setting, et al) were not consulted or given any weight when compiling this info, and any resemblance between anything here and in any of those sources is purely coincidental, based on shared inspiration from the Gygax-era works and the real-world myth and folklore that underlies them.

As with the Upper Planes info I compiled all of this for my own use, but realized once I'd done so that it might be useful or inspiring to others as well, and since the work was already done I might as well share it. 

Notes: (F) after name = female demons; names in italics = not on the MM2 list

---------------------------------------------

THE ABYSS


MONARCHS OF DEMONDOM

Demogorgon - MM; He wields the artifact Venomfountain. Demogorgon rules (nominally) over forty layers of the Abyss (429 – 469), inhabited by vicious apes, reptiles, and bird-like monsters but his home is the 444th layer, referred to as Demogorgia. He has several death knights and a large contingent (generally a company of 100) of dusin demons guarding his stronghold at all times.

Graz'zt - MM2; rules an entire layer - Mezzafgraduun, 333rd layer of the Abyss, and levels 332 and 334 are directly ruled by him as well. He also holds nominal power from layer 304 to 346; dedicated foe of both Demogorgon and Orcus; confined to his own plane for a century; served by lamias. Graz'zt’s major artifact is The Eye of Deception.

Lolth (F) - FF; Demon Queen of Spiders; Her plane (“The Demonweb”) is the 66th level of the Abyss.

Marduk - lord of the 666 Type VI demons; owns the Fire Fan

Orcus - MM; rules manifold layers but his home plane is called Morterebus (Level 266). It is a dark and bone-littered plane populated with skeletal monsters, various sorts of zombies, huecuvae, shadows, sheet phantoms, vampires, and death knights. Owns the Rod of Unlife (aka Wand of Orcus).

Zuggtmov (F) - T1-4; Demoness Lady of Fungi; dread and fell ruler of the 222nd ghastly plane of the Abyss (Mycorji); owns the Cauldron of Corruption


LESSER DEMON PRINCES

Abraxas - Prince of Magic, detailed by GT; His Abyss level is 300, and he has aims to conquer back to Baphomet’s realm and through to Yeenoghu’s realm, which would give him seven levels and place him in a position of antagonism with Graz’zt. Ally of Demogorgon.

Ahrimanes - Prince of Darkness, detailed by GT; This demon prince is one of the most powerful of his kind, inhabiting the ranks of Demogorgon, Orcus, Graz'zt, Zuggtmoy, and such. He has been known to have alliances with Nergel and Ereshkigal when contending against the other greater demon princes; His dark and frigid plane (Drugaskanum) is located very deep within the Abyssal layers (rumored to be the 633rd layer).

Anarazel

Ansitif

Areex - demon prince (eventually conquered by Graz’zt) who plots with Zuggtmoy

Aseroth

Astaroth - detailed by GT; This demon prince is quite powerful and influential; not usually battling abroad as many demon princes and lords do, but content to consolidate his power at home. It is assumed that he merely bides his time in order to eventually become one of the greatest of all demon princes; His realm is called Scientiarrus (the 111th layer) and here he is rumored to hoard assorted arcane tomes and magic items, and retain a force of 40 companies of various demon sorts (mostly Type I – IV)

Azazel - He is a demon lord who is undecided in the wars with Graz’zt.

Dagon - Prince of Aquatic Monsters, detailed by GT; His realm is Dagnazotuus, a liquid plane with hezrou (type II), dretch, octopi, squids, kraken, sea snakes, eels, weird fish, and horrible fish-monsters

Eblis - a demon lord opposing Graz’zt.

Elazalag (F) - She is the overlord of the Abat-dolor demons, whom she rules from her palace in Iyondagur (layer 399). She is seven feet tall and beautiful. She rides a spike encrusted adamantine chariot that is driven by three hippokeres that are harnessed with iron chain. She is elegantly armored in dark chainmail with an adamantine helm and uses a morning star.

Ereshkigal (F) - Princess of the Dead, detailed by GT; Ereshkigal is the demoness queen of a vast, dark plane (Aralu-latari, level 356) of gray dust and stone inhabited by zombies and skeletons (wearing cloaks of gray feathers) and Type I demons. Her citadel is a mighty fortress of stone and baked-clay bricks surrounded by seven concentric stone walls. A Type VI demon of largest size (named Namtar) guards the gate of the outermost wall. Nergel is said to be her consort, and they often work together and co-rule levels 354 and 355.

Fraz-Urb'luu - MM2; Prince of Deception; dwells on a dreary plane (the 363rd) that seems to be totally flat and featureless but is actually alive to his wishes and shapes itself accordingly into hills, caves, etc. The place is not only depressing and sickening but magic items there lose their dweomer. Ally of Demogorgon.

Lugush - demon prince opposing Graz’zt

Mastiphal

Nocticula (F)

Obox-ob

Palvlag - Demon Lord of Flame; detailed by GT (after Gord novels); Palvlag, like Pazuzu and Shabriri, is a surviving proto-demon; commands 50 Type VI demons

Pazuzu - MM2; Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms; “Proto-Demon,” rules the skies above all layers; does not compete for rulership on any plane or in any place - considers himself above competition; on amicable terms with daemons and dukes of Hell

Shabiri - Demon Lord of Water and Blindness, detailed by GT (after Gord novels); Like Pazuzu, Shabriri is a proto-demon of ancient origin and is on fairly decent terms with some daemon lords. Also like Pazuzu, he possesses an odd sense of humor and enjoys toying with victims and following odd whims.

Socothbenoth - Prince of Succubi and Incubi, detailed by GT; Socothbenoth’s realm is called Erossum, and is the 99th layer of the Abyss. This demon prince relies on diplomacy rather than brute force to maintain its stake in the Abyss.

Ushablator - great demon prince opposed to Graz’zt

Zortolagon - great demon prince opposed to Graz’zt


DEMON LORDS (those who do not have complete sovereignty over an entire layer)

Agadin - minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon

Ahazu

Aldinach (F)

Alrunes (F)

Apepi - a cobra headed demon who wields a khopesh. He has poison spittle

Ardat (F)

Arioch

Asima

Azael

Barbu (F)

Bayemon

Bechard

Baltazo

Baphomet - MM2; lord of minotaurs; wars against Yeenoghu, occasional ally of Graz’zt; His realm is called Shubgottia (Level 296).

Bulumuz - He is a demon lord who is initially undecided in the wars with Graz’zt.

Cabiri

Cagrino - a potent demon lord. He chitters.

Charun

Gresil

Juiblex - MM; rules a plane (the 224th, called Szhubloxa) with slimes, deadly puddings, jellies, and various ameboid monsters; cousin and ally of Zuggtmoy

Kostchtchie - MM2; so hateful that he is disliked by all the rest of his kind; served by leucrotta, frost giants, and white dragons; His home realm is known as Tschyrtolikya, and resembles snow-swept tundra with odd lichen-like growths and strange green-black conifers. It is level 347. He is allied with Graz’zt currently, and serves as a buffer to the forces of Nergel and Ereshkigal.

Laraie

Mandrillagon - This demon lord is a monstrous, blue-faced parody of a mandril. He has filthy yellow-gray fangs and speaks in roars, coughing, and barking. He controls two planes with his winged monkey demons. He is a long ally and blood kin of Demogorgon, whom he fears. He opposes Graz’zt

Meurteenz - a minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon

Munkir

Mycortte (F) - The chieftainess of an Abat-dolor region and the chamberlain and vice-princess to Elazalag.

Nekir

Nergel - Lord of Unlife, detailed by GT (after Gord novels); Nergel is a dark and dour demon lord having dominion over the unliving. He has the fealty of legions of shadows (q.v.) and shadow demons (q.v.) in the Abyss, and occasionally is known to be at odds with Graz’zt; His realm is called Meslamtaius (level 353), and is a benighted realm with dust-covered plains and deep caverns. It is largely inhabited by Type I demons, shadow demons, shadows, manes, skeletons, and zombies. He is consort to Ereshkigal (q.v.).

Nigroch - Elazalag‘s chief warrior and herald. He is accompanied by the Abat-dolor chevaliers.

Ogrijek - lord of the winged Nabassu demons, in charge of the voord and consul to Graz’zt.

Ojukalazogadit - detailed by GT (after Gord novels); a sexless, sprawling, imbecilic mass of chaotic matter that covers an entire layer (the 366th) of the Abyss under a featureless orange sky. Its surface is mostly a disgusting dun color, resembling ulcerous, infected flesh. It constantly seethes, pulses, exudes vile fluids, and extrudes extremities or forms gaping maws; and the entirety reeks of decay. Its consistency ranges from sinking morass to steel-hard chitin. Shrieks, moans, gurgling, rending sounds, and other disturbing noises are constantly emitted by the being in a maddening cacophony.

Poshban - a minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon.

Soneillon (F)

Verin - detailed by GT (after Gord novels); He is lord general and viceroy to Graz’zt, and is utterly loyal to that demon prince. While Graz’zt was imprisoned by Iggwilv, Verin continued to administer his realm until the demon prince returned.

Vloorm - a minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon.

Volophon - a minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon.

Yeenoghu - MM; rules a vast plane abounding with hyenas and hyenadons, gnolls, ghasts, ghouls, and a few trolls; His realm is called Jaklhout and is layer 303. He currently has a nonaggression pact with Graz’zt, such that he serves as a buffer to Graz’zt’s holdings and is not invaded by the forces of that demon prince.

Zerkar - a minor demon lord allied to Demogorgon.

Zabulon - He is a high rakshasa and ally of Verin


Non-Demon Deities Listed as Dwelling in the Abyss

Lu Yueh (Chinese)

Tou Mu (Chinese)

Kali (Indian)

Vaprak (Ogre)

Laogzed (Troglodyte)

Urdlen (Gnome)


Demon Races/Types and Other Abyssal Inhabitants

Type I - Vrock (MM); fight with needle-tined military forks

Type II - Hezrou (MM); fight with jagged blades

Type III - Glabrezu (MM)

Type IV - Gashnulfu (MM); fight with pole axes (individuals: Bilwhr, Johud, Nalfeshnee)

Type V - MM (individuals: Aishapra, Kevokulli, Marilith, Reharemme)

Type VI - Raloogs or Conflagrati; 666 total in the Abyss; kin to the proto-demons (MM) (individuals: Alzoll, Balor, Errtu, Gulcar, Ndulu, Ter-soth, Wendonai)

Abat-dolor - The Abat-dolor are an independent race of demons of which Graz’zt is a member. They are ebon-hued, six-fingered, seven to eight feet tall humanoids. They are more human and more civilized than most demons; yet they are reputed to be the most vicious of all demons. They are broken into the nine clans of pain, each of which has their own lord, with Elazalag serving as their overlord. They are independent of all other demon lords. The soldiers wear polished red bronze plate armor. They are armed with swords, spears, and light crossbows. Some have swivel-mounted antimatter guns which are used as a last resort and only by the order of Elazalag. Mezzafgraduun used to be held by the Abat-dolor under Graz’zt, while he was Elazalag’s consort. However, Iggwilv came to Mezzafgraduun and separated Graz’zt and four clans of Abat-dolor loyal to him from the rest of the Abat-dolor.

Achaierai - FF

Ahazu-demon - These are squarish, lank, long-armed greater demons that are affiliated with Demogorgon. (individual: Talonclast)

Alu-demon - MM2

Babau - MM2

Babau-ogres - larger versions of Babau

Bar-Lgura - MM2

Bodak - MM2

Boorixtroi - They are shuffle-footed, powerful, massive, stupid, lesser demons with disproportionately long right arms and shark-toothed, lipless mouths.

Cambion - MM2

Cataboligne - HL

Chagrin - massive arms, horny hands, long fingers with which they like to break necks and attack with their fists. Red rimmed eyes and an obscenely high pitched voice, but can imitate any human voice that they hear. Have acidic spittle and can produce flame. Are very intelligent. 33 of them are able to move out of the nether pits. Can hide in shadows, and like to sneak up from behind. (individuals: Krung, Yugnoth)

Chasme - MM2

Death Knight - FF

Demonic Beasts - There are 6000 kinds of animal brained demons Type one: elephantine in size, these have hippo bodies, snake necks, and beaked heads; Type two: these are bearlike mastadonian demons.

Demonic Brutes - There are 600 kinds of demon monsters more terrible than the Beasts. These are silent stalkers hunted by the demon lords with entourages of pike-wielding minions, who sometimes become the hunted. The demon lords carry special weapons to hunt the brutes. Many of them are more powerful than dragons.

Dretch - MM2

Dusin - GT

Goristroi - HL (as Grosskopf)

Hippokeres - GT

Kerzow - a demon type

Maluachau - pig demons

Manes - MM

Nabassu - MM2

Nikomars - saucer-eyed demons.

Quasit - MM

Retriever - FF

Rutterkin - MM2

Shadow Demon - FF

Shoosuva - Dragon #63

Skurda - GT

Ssilhex - snake demons.

Succubus - MM

Thang - a demon type with beetle brows.

Thunder Beast - MM2

Vargrineen - another type of Abysmal steed used by the Abat-dolor.

Voord - carrion eating demons. They are under Ogrijek‘s control.

Yatish - a demon type

Yochlol - MM2


Index of Abyssal Planes

1 - There is a maelstrom above this level which is controlled by no one. The plane itself is a desolate dun with leprous ochre growths and livid gashes of terra cotta. In the distance (from Gord and Gellor‘s entry point) stand several tall, flat-topped hills. Nearby is a portal to Layer 303. Also in the bluffs are portals to levels 2 through 21. A few hundred lesser demons live there. These portals are disguised as Bottomless pits, toothed maws, caldrons of lava, a grinding millstone, etc. A metallic sphincter is a gate to level 8.

8 - This layer is a frozen wasteland. There is an entrance on the Soulless Sounding here. It is reached by digging a hole in the frozen ground the size of a bier. Four feet below the surface is a coffin with a crystal lid and a rotting spinning corpse. This is the entrance.

66 - Demonweb - Lolth

99 - Erossum - Socothbenoth

111 - Scientiarrus - Astaroth

222 - Mycorji - Zuggtmoy

224 - Szhubloxa - Juiblex

266 - Morterebus - Orcus (also nominally rules many other layers)

296 - Shubgottia - Baphomet

300 - (unnamed) - Abraxas

303 - Jaklhout - Yeenoghu

333 - Mezzafgraduun - Graz’zt (also directly rules layers 332 and 334 and nominally layers 304-346)

347 - Tschyrtolikya - Kostchtchie

353 - Meslamtaius - Nergel (also co-rules layers 354 and 355 with Ereshkigal)

356 - Aralu-latari - Ereshkigal

363 - (unnamed) - Fraz-Urb’Iuu

366 - Ojukalazogadit

399 - Iyondagur - It is attached to layers 398, 400, and 366. It is held by the Abat-dolor demons. It is not a great strata, but is considered to be a large wild layer. The entrance from the Soulless Sounding is in the middle of the great plaza of Elazalag‘s fortress’s outer courtyard. The palace itself is in the center of the plane (if such a thing can be said). There are many frowning facades of hewn stone blocks hedging in this irregularly shaped area. Squads of Abat-dolor line the parapets on the walls of the square. Princess Elazalag is announced by iron rods pounding on wood and by deep horns that shake the stones. The fortress has a massive portcullis and drawbridge leading to the courtyard.

444 - Demogorgia - Demogorgon (also nominally rules layers 429-469)

633 - Drugaskanum - Ahrimanes

? - Dagnazotuus - Dagon


The Soulless Sounding - This is essentially an express route through the Abyss. There is an entrance on the eighth plane. It is reached by digging a hole in the frozen ground the size of a bier. Four feet below the surface is a coffin with a crystal lid and a rotting spinning corpse. This is the entrance. Inside are all things and nothing. It is very gloomy and sad. It is full of lost loves and melancholy dreams. Distance is variably distorted. It connects with 600 layers of the Abyss including most of the middle ones. It does not reach the first layer. It is a mind twisting passage and only the very strong can tolerate it for very long. The portal leading to Iyondagur (layer 399) consists of iridescent striations like black opal and silver, hammered into six horseshoe-shaped arches. The gate closest to the Iyondagur gate leads to a cold windswept waste plane filled with icy rock and scrub. This unnamed layer is full of demonic brutes and is adjacent to Mezzafgraduun (layer 333).

Brainstorm notes on the Upper Planes

Gary Gygax devoted a fair amount of attention and detail to the Lower Planes of AD&D, in both the rulebooks and especially his Gord novels, but left the Upper Planes mostly untouched except for names and a few supernatural creatures that dwell there (ki-rin, titans, baku, hollyphants, devas, etc.). His reason for doing so was presumably twofold - firstly that such realms don't offer the same sort of adventuring potential as the lower planes (putting Good deities to the sword and looting their stuff doesn't have quite the same appeal of doing the same to hordes of demons and devils), and secondly that as someone who was strongly religious in his personal life Gary was always very careful about "treading too close" to subjects and content that impinged upon real-world Judeo-Christian religion.

Nevertheless, even if there's not so much adventuring potential on these planes there is value in detailing them from a worldbuilding perspective, to give players a sense of what those realms are like (and what their characters can expect after death), as well as to provide a foundation to build upon in the event travel to one or more of these planes (intentionally or otherwise) does come up in play.

In that spirit, I've collected both notes from the AD&D canon of what is known about each of the Upper Planes (including which creatures and deities dwell in each of them) and have added some color and flavor of my own based on what felt fitting and appropriate for each plane. These are rough notes from a couple days of brainstorming activity and not intended to be complete or final, only a starting point and outpouring of ideas and inspirational nuggets to guide and inform potential future development.

Note that any resemblance between the below and other post-Gygax depictions of these planes (including TSR's Manual of the Planes and Planescape) is wholly coincidental and comes only from being derived from the same base (Gygax-era) source material.

UPPER PLANES

Weather is calm towards the lawful planes, turbulent towards the chaotic planes; climate is universally mild (warm or cool depending on specific plane/level) - it never rains on the lawful plains (but doesn’t create drought conditions), it rains (or snows) daily on the chaotic planes (but doesn’t create floods); it is never full night on the upper planes - daylight fades (in scintillating reds and oranges) to perpetual post-twilight with deep indigo sky and brilliant starlight; on the neutral planes there are always puffy white clouds in the western sky and menacing storm clouds in the eastern sky.

All senses (vision, hearing, smell/taste, and even feel) are sharpened and amplified on the upper planes, but at the same time visitors always have a sense of detachment and unreality similar to a waking dream or hallucination - it all feels “too real” to be real.

Food and drink are plentiful on all upper planes (type depending on the plane) and require minimal effort in cultivation and preparation; eating a meal of upper planes food will instantly refresh the eater, functioning as a combined elixir of health, potion of vitality, and potion of extra healing (effective once per day per individual), however, for every such meal consumed the eater has a cumulative 10% chance per meal of completely and permanently forgetting their mortal life. Any food or drink taken away from its native plane loses all extraordinary powers and becomes normal food in all respects.

Architectural style, clothing, cuisine, types of flora and fauna, and all other visual trappings are variable based on the culture and expectations of the visitor - everything will always appear comfortable and familiar but may well appear differently to a visitor (or deceased soul) from a different culture or alternate prime plane. The deities who dwell in and rule over each plane are able to modify such appearances at will, as often as desired.

The primary and most common inhabitants of all the upper planes are mortal souls of humans and demi-humans (save elves, whose spirits dwell temporarily in Alfheim before being sent back to the mortal realm). The lawful planes are densely populated towns, the neutral planes less so (small villages of at most a couple hundred souls), and the chaotic planes are sparsely populated (single-family homesteads). In their natural state these souls have no memory of their mortal existence (or more than a few days in the past) and are wholly content to repeat endlessly their narrow pattern of post-mortal existence (though certain spells, such as Speak With Dead, will temporarily bring back their mortal memories). They do not fight (except for those who feed themselves by hunting) or use any magic. They can all communicate with each other and any other person or animal via telepathy. They cannot be permanently killed by physical means (they regenerate 1 hp/turn from all forms of damage and will always be fully restored within 24 hours) though some spells - such as Destruction - may do so. They will never willingly leave their plane/level unless extraordinary magic is employed. If attacked all animals in the area (which are actually immortal spirits in animal form) will come to their defense. If that is not sufficient, the more powerful supernatural beings native to that plane will intercede and the offenders will be detained, ejected, or slain depending on the magnitude of their offense. The majority of post-mortal souls dwell on the first level of each plane - the mass of regular, mundane individuals of the corresponding alignment. The upper levels of the planes are inhabited by the souls of the most pious and exemplary, the heroes and saints of the various religions.

Inhabitants of the Upper Planes generally: Agathion, Deva, Hollyphant, Planetar, Solar

[See also Heroic Legendarium p. 89 for guidelines regarding how magic items and spells are affected on the Outer Planes]

Arcadia

Endless Town (cobbled and lighted streets and open squares with inviting cafes and taverns and shops, comfortable bourgeois homes (warm hearths, soft beds, plush sitting chairs), no garbage or foul smells, no rats or pestilence, no crime)

1. Rustic suburbs (gardeners (vegetables, herbs, small livestock) - St. Cuthbert, The Protector)
2. Midtown (crafters and artisans - Pholtus, dwarf gods)
3. High street (bankers, jewelers, luxury goods - Marduk)

Inhabitants: n/a

Deities: St. Cuthbert (Greyhawk), Pholtus (Greyhawk), Marduk (Babylonian), Moradin (Dwarf), Berronar (Dwarf), Clanggedin Silverbeard (Dwarf), The Protector (my pantheon)


Heaven

Endless Leisure (1st level is an endless beach with warm water and gentle tides, higher levels are ivory buildings and amphitheaters on puffy white clouds)

1. Sport (Girru)
2. Games (chess, etc) (Heironeous, The Father)
3. Intellectual pursuit (philosophy, debate) (Chung Kuel, ki-rin)
4. Sculpture & painting (Ebisu)
5. Dance (Kuan Yin, platinum dragon)
6. Music (Surya)
7. Poetry (Vishnu)

Inhabitants: Platinum Dragon, Ki-rin, (Lammasu), (Shedu)

Deities: Heironeous (Greyhawk), Girru (Babylonian), Chung Kuel (Chinese), Kuan Yin (Chinese), Surya (Indian), Vishnu (Indian), Ebisu (Japanese), The Father (my pantheon)


Paradise

Endless Savannah (wild cattle, horses, and dogs, antelope, impalas, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, etc.)

1. Lowlands (Epimetheus, Halfling gods, The Mother)
2. Uplands (Ukko, Gnome gods, air maidens)

Inhabitants: Air Maiden

Deities: Ukko (Finnish), Epimetheus (Greek), Garl Glittergold (Gnome), Baervan Wildwanderer (Gnome), Segojan Earthcrawler (Gnome), Flandal Steelskin (Gnome), Yondalla (Halfling), Arvoreen (Halfling), Cyrollalee (Halfling), The Mother (my pantheon)


Elysium

Endless River (self-maintaining croplands on either bank - wheat, barley, millet, sorghum, lentils, peas, beans, dates, figs, watermelons, pomegranates, coriander, cumin, coffee, sugar cane, rice)

1. Delta (Egyptian gods, The Grower, phoenix) 
2. Lower river (Ishtar, baku)
3. Upper river (Sumerian gods)
4. Headwaters (other gods, moon dog)

Inhabitants: Baku, Moon Dog, Phoenix

Deities: Ishtar (Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Seker (Egyptian), Ushas (Indian), Tsukiyomi (Japanese), Bragi (Norse), Enlil (Sumerian), Nanna-Sin (Sumerian), Nin-Hursag (Sumerian), The Grower (my pantheon)


Happy Hunting Grounds

Endless Forest (elk, deer, moose, squirrels, birds; fruit, nuts, berries, mushrooms)

1. Boreal (American gods, Brother Sun)
2. Temperate (Skerrit)
3. Jungle (Bast)

Inhabitants: Thunderbird

Deities: Raven (American), Hotoru (American), Snake Man (American), Bast (Egyptian), Skerrit (Centaur), Brother Sun (my pantheon)


Olympus

Endless Mountain (storms)

1. Forested foothills (Alfheim - elf gods)
2. Slopes & vales (pastoral (sheep, goats, alpaca, rabbits) - Nephthys, foo creatures)
3. Cloud-capped heights (godsland - Greek gods, titans, eudaimones)

Inhabitants: Titan, Foo Creature, Eudaimon, (Opinicus)

Deities: Nephthys (Egyptian), Zeus (Greek), Aphrodite (Greek), Apollo (Greek), Ares (Greek), Artemis (Greek), Athena (Greek), Demeter (Greek), Dionysus (Greek), Hera (Greek), Hermes (Greek), Nike (Greek), Poseidon (Greek), Prometheus (Greek), Tyche (Greek), Corellon Larethian (Elf), Deep Sashelas (Elf), Rillifane Rallathil (Elf), Aerdrie Faenya (Elf), Erevan Ilsere (Elf), Solonor Thelandria (Elf), Hanali Celanil (Elf), Labelas Enoreth (Elf)


Gladsheim

Endless Adventure

1. Midgard (realm of endless cliffs, fjords, volcanoes; storm-tossed sea - Tritherion, Indian, Japanese gods)
2. Asgard (realm above (mountain-tops) - Norse gods, The Son, valkyries)
3. Niflheim (realm below (caves) - includes Muspelheim, Nidavelir, Svartalfheim)

Inhabitants: Valkyrie

Deities: Tritherion (Greyhawk), Karttikeya (Indian), Lakshmi (Indian), Hachiman (Japanese), Oh Kuni Nushi (Japanese), Odin (Norse), Aegir (Norse), Balder (Norse), Forseti (Norse), Frey (Norse), Freya (Norse), Frigga (Norse), Heimdall (Norse), Idun (Norse), Loki (Norse), Magni (Norse), Modi (Norse), Sif (Norse), Thor (Norse), Tyr (Norse), Uller (Norse), Vidar (Norse), The Son (my pantheon)

Facts about Odd Alley and Weird Way

Odd Alley and Weird Way were created by Gary Gygax as an inter dimensional nexus-point and goblin market. “The Strange Occurrence on Odd Alley” was announced by Gary in Dragon #102 as a story scheduled for publication in the May 1986 issue of Amazing Stories magazine, but it did not appear there, and instead was first published in the 1987 collection Night Arrant, under a slightly different title - “A Weird Occurrence in Odd Alley.” Odd Alley and Weird Way also existed in the Greyhawk Campaign:  Rob Kuntz (as Robilar) adventured and found a ring of spell turning there in late 1973. The potential for use of these locations in D&D games is huge, so I felt it was worth collecting all of the facts about them from the story for myself and others to use as a baseline towards creating our own versions:

Odd Alley is located in the Old City of Greyhawk. It is so difficult to locate that most citizens of the metropolis are unaware of its existence. Its head is blocked by an old, rusted locked iron gate that is shunned by all living creatures. Knocking, banging, and pounding will not open the gate and magic also doesn’t affect it. 

There are several business establishments and dwellings in the alley, none of which have back doors or even back windows onto the area behind the gate:

• A junk shop (run by a miserly old half-elf named Scriggin)
• A used clothing store
• Freedle’s Librarium
• A potter’s booth
• The Sunken Grotto Tavern (near the gate)
• A money changer’s stall
• Green Wulfurt’s apothecary
• The crazy limner’s place
• Zreed’s Antiquary (nearest the mouth)
• An old warehouse and stable (at the mouth of the alley across from Zreed’s)

A barely-noticeable passageway near the Sunken Grotto Tavern leads to the other side of the gate, which is also locked. 

A special coin-shaped token of unrecognizable metal with a hand on one face and a rectangle on the other, when placed against the gate with the hand-side up causes it to glow phosphorescent, shimmer, and then disappear, opening a mist-filled passage that leads to Weird Way. Once passed through, the gate closed behind the travelers and cannot be opened by the same token. [There is a method of passing back through the gate, but it is never explained in the story - likely because Gary intended to continue using this location in his games and didn’t want to make things too easy for potential future players.]

Weird Way is wide, curving cobblestone street about 1,000 feet long, well lit by torches, lanthorns, and glowing globes at night. 

The following locations are found in Weird Way (none have rear exits; most have apartments on upper floors with dovecotes and small gardens - from the rooftops can be seen a wall of impenetrable, colorless nothingness surrounding Weird Way through which only sunlight penetrates):

Left side of the street:

1. Dome of Delights: A beehive-shaped structure with a sign depicting a buxom young lady (brothel)
2. Achmut's Cut-rate Carpets: Across from the Tower Tavern and Count Joseph's Emporium of the Unusual.
3. Pagoda of Pools: The department for extraplanar travel to the upper, lower, and other outer planes. 
4. Juxort's Charts and Maps: A shop to the left of the gate.
5. Wonders of the World: A shop to the left of the gate, next to Juxort's.
6. The Helix: An exclusive club. Entered through a plain doorway off the Way separated from the street by a two-story wall. The building is throne shaped with low wings and a tower in the middle; the central garden patio has a fountain. Guarded antechamber leads to a wide spiral stair to a grand salon on the second floor. A transporter in one of the turrets leads to Rel Mord - a block of gneiss activated by a disc of reddish metal.
7. The Explorer's Inn: Has two dining areas - a members’ salon and a general parlor - plus a common room with a well-stocked bar. Lies at the end of Weird Way just before the plaza. Provides a service to allow its customers to chronogate through time and unusual probability lines. Filled with potted flowers and shrubs, and trophies (curios and hunting souvenirs) line the walls, are displayed in cases and are atop every surface. The floor is of worn narrow-sawn oak, with wainscotted walls and smoke-blackened ceiling beams.

Right side of the street:

1. Tower Tavern: Across from the Dome of Delights and Achmut's Cut-rate Carpets.
2. Count Joseph's Emporium of the Unusual: Across from the Dome of Delights and Achmut's Cut-rate Carpets. Count Joseph is a tall, pear-shaped man of indeterminate age wearing powdered wig. He loves to haggle and buys and sells treasures of the multiverse - Yeogorian door-knockers, Staffordshire Toby mugs, etc. He pays in domars (from Gamma World - “small, lightweight coin, inlaid with colors and symbols denoting various denominations; nearly indestructible and impossible to counterfeit”), sequins (from Planet of Adventure), scrip, credits, iridium, jotellium in addition to metal coins of strange and unidentifiable minting. He is possibly in league with Plincourt (q.v.).
3. Pavilion of Portals: Has broad double doors, a wide portico running the entire length of the long plastered building, strange columns, a tent-like roof and tower tops, and draped windows and entrance. It is cool and dim inside, where broad endless marble-walled and tile-floored corridors are tended by a gnome wearing red and saffron tailored  livery with puffs and slashes revealing flashes of contrasting colors. The corridors lead to gates identified by sigils which will send those who traverse them to parallel prime planes such as Yarth and Aerth - but not to Oerth, which is considered too dangerous and uncivilized, or other inhospitable planes or dead-end dimensions. Fees for passage are charged in credits, domars, and standard precious metals. 
4. Abner Grontny the Outfitter: A shop to the right of the gate, across from Juxort's
5. The Arms Exchange: A shop to the right of the gate, across from Wonders of the World.
6. Elixirs from Everywhere: A shop to the right of the gate, near Abner Grotny’s and the Arms Exchange.
7. Multiversal Armorer: Lies at the end of Weird Way, just before the plaza, across from the Explorer's Inn.

Faire Market: The walled plaza at the end of the alley is 300 feet deep by 600 feet broad. It is lined by booths and stalls that are bustling by day but deserted at night. There are no other exits from the plaza except to Weird Way.

• "Rare Wine at Bargain Prices": A maroon and citrine-draped booth in the Faire Market that sells wines including Yugharian Purple and vintage wines from Earth.
• Sogil the Gemner: A gem/jewelry store located at the end of Faire Market. Sogil is old, bald, skinny, doddering, and fearful and wears an enchanted protective brooch.
• Hostel of Ineffable Comfort: Located at the end of Faire Market. Run by Huskons and the night manager Plincourt, a vampire. The first floor is a narrow lobby, richly furnished with displayed artwork, thick carpet, and a counter of rosewood to the right of the entrance. Offers drinks, meals, clothes-mending and tailoring, and the Gedrusian exotic dancers. Rooms are on the second floor: an expensive suite -   the Burke and Hare Suite with padded canopy beds, and a cramped one, the Bates Complex, plus ordinary rooms. There is a 3’ wide secret passage behind the rooms with spiral stairs to a secret room in the cellar behind the hinged back of an old cupboard in a storeroom with a cistern in the floor. A kitchen, refectory, and office - with a small table and box of coins, notes, and bills - are on the top floor. The Hostel employs Yagbo, a porter who carts luggage to the Hostel in his spiked wheelbarrow. He is a raggedy, stooped and bent creature with greasy hair but is very big and strong. He blows a whistle to warn pedestrians out of the way of his cart. Yagbo and an accomplice (Lou) use the secret passage and sleep poison (breathing the fumes knocks the victim out for 1-2 hours) to capture patrons for Plincourt to feed upon and then dispose of the bodies in the cistern. 
• The Fragrant Blossom: A tea house in Faire Market near the Hostel.
• At least six other places are at the far end of the Faire Market.

Weird Way is crowded with people from across the Flanaess (Dyvers, Ket and the West, Nyrond) as well as from many other worlds including Aerth and Yarth, civilized ogre magi, blue-skinned people with green hair and eyes, dwarfs, furry-faced humanoids with purple eyes, etc. A few pass through the portal from Odd Alley, but most enter and exit via the other portals.

Another holiday treat

In the same spirit as my last post, here's another preview of content that will eventually appear in The Heroic Legendarium that seems to capture that creepy Halloween-season vibe. This was originally drafted as an encounter area in a dungeon,  but in Gygaxy fashion I realized I could generalize it into a class of monster. There's some conceptual weirdness here that all makes sense in my mind, but I might not have explained clearly. Comments letting me know if you are or aren't able to follow the description here are welcome.

MIRROR-FIEND

FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-3
ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 12
HIT DICE: 4+3
% IN LAIR: 100%
TREASURE TYPE: D
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 – 4/1 –4/1-10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Silver or magic weapons to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: M
PSYCHIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil/nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: V/ 320 + 5/hp

These nightmarish creatures dwell in non-dimensional space and are only able to access the Prime Material Plane when two mirrors are set up in direct opposition to as to create an endless series of reflections. When such a conjunction is created there is a 5% chance per turn that a group of mirror-fiends will be drawn to it. If so, they will initially appear in the 12th reflection deep (which is typically the very limit of where any detail can be made out by an individual standing before the mirrors) of one mirror or the other, though if more than one mirror-fiend is encountered some may appear in each mirror. When they first appear, someone looking into the mirror only has a 5% chance to notice their presence, but each round they will move 1-3 panes closer, and with each pane the chance of noticing them increases by 10% (so they will always be noticed in the first or second reflection). Moving, covering, or breaking either mirror (or plunging the area into total darkness) will prevent the fiend from approaching, but if the mirrors are again aligned within one hour the fiends will still be there, in the pane they had last reached. Otherwise, they will wander off and a new check will be made to see if a different fiend appears when and if the mirrors are realigned.

While within the reflections, mirror-fiends cannot interact with the reflections of the characters and cannot be affected by individuals in the Prime Material Plane unless they are able to reach into either the Ethereal Plane or non-dimensional space. If the fiends reach the first reflection, they can climb through the mirror into the Prime Material Plane, where they can both attack and be attacked. They will typically attempt to grapple opponents - if both claws hit the victim suffers no damage but is held fast and can only escape by means of a successful bend bars check, or a successful counter-grapple or attack (both made at -2 “to hit” and, in the latter case, limited to a knife, dagger, or similarly small weapon as the character’s arms are held). The next round following a successful grappling attempt, the mirror-fiend will lift its victim and climb back into the mirror. The fiends will usually carry victims back to them lair in the 13th reflection - passing through 1-3 reflections per round - and will then devour them with their oversized and razor-sharp teeth.

Each reflection-space looks identical to the Prime Material Plane space being reflected except that (1) any reflected beings are only silent images that cannot be interacted with, and (2) the space only exists in the area that is included in the reflection plus a few feet beyond in each direction, beyond which is pure black non-dimensional space. Beings within the reflection only appear in the reflection in which they are located, not any of the others and can only be communicated with via telepathy or similar means. If the mirrors are taken out of alignment, covered, broken, or plunged into  while a character is within the reflection then that character is trapped in non-dimensional space unless he or she has some means of traveling across planes. If the character does not move and the reflection-pattern is recreated exactly then he or she will still be present in the reflection when it reappears. Otherwise, the character will be forever lost in non-dimensional space (with perhaps a miniscule random chance of wandering into another reflection-pattern, or perhaps into the back end of a portable hole).

Even if a character who has been dragged into the mirror manages to slay the mirror-fiend, they will still face a considerable challenge returning to the Prime Material Plane, for they cannot cross through mirrors (nor can they break or move them in the reflection-space). Unless the character has some means of traveling across planes, the only ways to get back to the Prime Material Plane are (1) to force or convince a mirror-fiend to carry them, or (2) to cover him or herself with the blood of a freshly slain mirror-fiend. Each mirror-fiend has sufficient blood (a nasty-smelling, sticky black ichor) to cover up to three human-sized individuals and their possessions, but the blood only retains its potency for three turns after the mirror-fiend is slain. A blood-coated individual can pass through one reflection-level per round. If the character wasn’t keeping count it may be a matter of trial and error how many reflection-levels they must pass through to reach the Prime Material Plane, and if there are no companions there to serve as an anchor, it may not be immediately obvious which layer is actually the correct one until they try to move beyond the reflection-area.

Mirror-fiends’ treasure is always stored in their lair on the 13th reflection-level. While this lair can be reached by following the reflections in both directions from the Prime Material Plane, there is only one lair, not two. If two or more characters have entered their lair from opposite directions at the same time they will end up in the same place and temporarily can return to the Prime Material Plane in either direction, unless all of them leave in the same direction.

Mirror-fiends communicate with each other telepathically and do not speak or make any noise.

Description: These creatures generally appear as a distorted, horrible version of the individual(s) looking into the mirrors in which they dwell - their flesh is pallid, their teeth and fingernails sharp, and their eyes featureless and black. Their true, natural form is as thin and gray-skinned humanoids with sharp talons, oversized jaws and pointed teeth, and stringy white hair, but this form is only likely to ever be visible to an individual with true seeing or similar ability.

The Heroic Legendarium

Most of the 11 readers of this blog are probably familiar with the "AD&D Companion," the book of uncollected AD&D material by Gary Gygax (mostly from Dragon magazine) + original material I wrote based on or inspired by Gary's unrealized ideas and post-TSR games, that I compiled a few years ago and distributed as a pdf. I put a lot of work into that document and was pretty proud of it, but due to the nature of its contents was always leery of distributing it too widely lest I invite a Cease & Desist Letter from Wizards of the Coast or the Gygax Estate, or both.

Those same 11 readers may also remember that there was some D&D rules content on this blog (some new races, spells, monsters, magic items, etc.) that is no longer here. The two are related.

A couple months ago I began revising the Companion to remove all of the content that was directly copied from a prior source - in some cases adapting it, in other cases leaving it on the cutting room floor - as well as editing the whole thing to become OGL-compatible via OSRIC, which consisted mostly of changing references from "DM" to "GM" and not referring to AD&D or any of its rulebooks by name, but also of substituting out a few other "protected IP" terms - such as names of particular off-limits monsters, planes, locations, and characters. [A key point worth mentioning here is that in those cases where the OSRIC rules differ from AD&D - either through that work's editors' legal caution or personal preferences - I have not adapted my work to their standards and in particular have not adapted any of the alternate/substitute versions of AD&D classes found in Dangerous Dungeons (though I have pulled some names of monsters and planes from there).] Doing all of that left about 2/3 of the material from the Companion - those parts I wrote or adapted myself - all safely OGL compliant. From there I started plugging in new material I'd written since the Companion was released, as well as revising and updating the contents to reflect a couple years of additional playtesting and feedback. Some of this material has previously been posted here, but much of it is new.

That effort is still ongoing (a lot of new material exists only in rough-draft or outline form and still needs to be expanded and polished) but I'm making good progress and it seems likely at this point that within a couple of months I will have a document at least the size of the original Companion (if not larger) that consists entirely of original content - some of it adapted from other games, the rest of it original to me, but inspired by the spirit and flavor of Gary Gygax's AD&D. I'm calling this new version The Heroic Legendarium (because I obviously can't use its old name) and I think it's going to be very useful to anyone who plays AD&D or OSRIC in the manner of the original Gary Gygax-penned rules and adventures - that it really will feel like something TSR might have put out had Gary remained in control and the company not shifted directions creatively, a way for those of us who still hold onto and prefer that original creative vision to continue in that direction rather than remaining frozen in amber.

A few items from the old version are gone (Roger Moore's very long and boring article from Dragon magazine about the Astral Plane has been deleted and adapted into 2-3 paragraphs of useful info, the monsters and magic items collected from TSR's 1984-85 modules are no longer included, and neither is the Hunter class) but I feel the new material that's been added in their place all still captures the same spirit more than makes up the difference. I'm also declaring everything in the book to be "OSRIC Reference Content," so that any other OSRIC-licensed product may use and refer back to it: if someone writing an OSRIC adventure wants to use one of the classes, races, monsters, magic items, or anything else from this book they will be able to. I'm probably kidding myself about the likelihood of anyone actually doing so, but it seems kind of cool that they'll at least have the option to.

The downside (for you, not for me) is that now that I will no longer under the cloud of potential C&Ds, I'm no longer going to give it away for free - it will go up on one or more web-stores (as pdf and/or POD) and I too may get to live the dream of earning dozens of dollars as an rpg publisher. I don't have an estimated release date yet because I'm still working on the text (and haven't even begun to tackle the subsequent challenges of transforming that text into a credible publishable product) but I've made sufficient progress, and am sufficiently excited, that I wanted to share this update with all 11 of you, to let you know what I've been up to during the last few months and what's to come in the future. I hope you'll stay tuned!

[D&D] "Lost" Gygax Monsters (Part 6)

Finishing this series up with a variety of demons. All of them were introduced in Gary's Gord novels - the cataboligne in Saga Of Old City (TSR, 1985) and Necropolis (as "blue demon"), Vuron in Sea of Death, the others in Dance of Demons - and were given AD&D stats by the illustrious GT.

Note that in addition to all of these creatures from Gary's novels, the massive document that GT sent me also included a large number of creatures of his own design, or adapted from other sources, that fill in both even more of AD&D's planar cosmology and also the other continents and realms on the planet of Oerth (Gonduria, Jahind, Suhfang, etc.) that were mentioned but never detailed by Gary. This stuff is also great, and fully captures and conveys the same flavor as Gary's creations (and, given that he did some work with Gary in the post-TSR era, it's likely that Gary would have given at least some of these creations his "official" blessing had he been in position to do so) and is very much worth sharing, but I don't really consider it my place to do so here. Hopefully he will some day see fit to share them more widely himself :)

DEMON

Cataboligne

FREQUENCY: Very rare

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: -3

MOVE: 9"

HIT DICE: 9

% IN LAIR: 20%

TREASURE TYPE: G

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1 – 6/1 – 6/ 2 - 8

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 60%

INTELLIGENCE: Very

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (8'+ tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: 150

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/ 2900 + 12/HP

Cataboligne demons are quite nasty, and often summoned to be used as guardians.  They may, at will and once per melee round, use the following abilities: animate dead (as 9^th level magic-user), cause fear (as wand), cause paralysis (as wand), change self, darkness (10' radius), detect invisible, dispel magic, levitate (as a 9^th level magic-user), magic missile (four missiles), telekinese (4000 g.p.), and teleport (no error).  Catabolignes regenerate as do trolls until they are totally slain. 

This demon has a wrinkled visage with wide, fanged mouth, yellow eyes with horizontally-slitted pupils, and horns.  Its body is gray-blue and covered by plated scales, and twin rows of triangular spines run down its back.  Its hands and feet are wickedly-clawed and its somewhat short tail ends in a spike.

Dusin

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1 - 6

ARMOR CLASS: -2

MOVE: 9"//12"

HIT DICE: 9

% IN LAIR: 10%

TREASURE TYPE: D

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3 or 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/2-12 or by weapon type

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Tail

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 55%

INTELLIGENCE: Average

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: M (7')

PSIONIC ABILITY: 100

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/ 2600 + 12/HP

These demons are servants to Demogorgon (q.v.), and often serve as his personal guards.  They attack with their claws and vicious bite, and may sweep their tail at opponents behind them for 2 – 8 points.  They may, at will and once per melee round, use the following abilities: darkness (10' radius), detect invisible, cause fear (as wand), levitate (as 9^th level magic-user), polymorph self, telekinese (4000 g.p.), and teleport (no error).  They have a 30% chance to gate in 1 – 2 more dusins.  Dusins commonly wield +1 iron-bladed halberds.

Dusins appear as large, scaled humanoids with crocodile heads and scaly tails.  Their arms are somewhat stubby and end in clawed hands.  Their normal habitat is within the swamps of Demogorgon’s realm.  Demogorgon can field nearly 50,000 of these demons if needed.*

*See “Dance of Demons”, page 85, by Gary Gygax.

Nergel (Lord of Unlife)

FREQUENCY: Unique

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: -5

MOVE: 12"

HIT DICE: 96 hp

% IN LAIR: 50%

TREASURE TYPE: H, V

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-7/2-7

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%

INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius (19)

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (7' tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: 230

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X/ 43,680*

Nergel is a dark and dour demon lord having dominion over the unliving.  He has the fealty of legions of shadows (q.v.) and shadow demons (q.v.) in the Abyss, and occasionally is known to be at odds with Graz’zt.

Nergel appears as a hunch-backed man with misshapen shoulders and an uneven gait.  He has slab-like cheeks around a fanged mouth; dark eyes that flash orange when he is angry, and a wattled neck.  He wears black robes and carries an ebon staff.  This staff is +3 to hit and possesses two major powers: first, its touch will slay any creature not of like or higher status to Nergel if they fail a save versus Death magic (d6+3 damage if save is made), and secondly it can instantly summon seven babau demons (once per day).  If he opts not to use his staff to attack, he may make two attacks with his clawed hands.  Nergel may also use any of the following powers at will, once per melee round: animate dead, cause fear (as wand), charm monster, charm person, clairvoy, clairaudience, continual darkness, create illusion (as wand), detect invisible, detect magic, dispel magic, ESP, polymorph self, read languages, read magic, suggest, telekinese (9,000gp), and teleport (no error).  Once each day he may summon either 3 – 18 shadows or 2 – 8 shadow demons within one round.

His realm is called Meslamtaius (level 353), and is a benighted realm with dust-covered plains and deep caverns.  It is largely inhabited by Type I demons, shadow demons, shadows, manes, skeletons, and zombies.  He is consort to Ereshkigal (q.v.).

Ojukalazogadit

FREQUENCY: Unique

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: 8 overall, but variable to -4

MOVE: Special

HIT DICE: Infinite

% IN LAIR: 100%

TREASURE TYPE: Nil

NO. OF ATTACKS: See below

DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

INTELLIGENCE: Low

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (a plane of the Abyss)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: N/A

Ojukalazogadit is a sexless, sprawling, imbecilic mass of chaotic matter that covers an entire layer (the 366^th) of the Abyss under a featureless orange sky.  Its surface is mostly a disgusting dun color, resembling ulcerous, infected flesh.  It constantly seethes, pulses, exudes vile fluids, and extrudes extremities or forms gaping maws; and the entirety reeks of decay.  Its consistency ranges from sinking morass to steel-hard chitin.  Shrieks, moans, gurgling, rending sounds, and other disturbing noises are constantly emitted by the being in a maddening cacophony.

Because of its very nature, its attacks are entirely variable—it is fully capable of attacking and devouring anything from insect size up to a behemoth.  Methods of attack range from mandibles, claws, tentacles, pseudopods, fanged mouths, adhesive mucus, acidic or alkaline secretions, poisonous vapors, and any number of other forms; all made from its mass and then reabsorbed!  Damage is, of course, variable depending on the attack.

Only the entital force of a Greater God can possibly have any lasting effect upon Ojukalazogadit, due to its sheer size and power.

Palvlag (Demon Lord of Flame)

FREQUENCY: Unique

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: -5

MOVE: 9"/18"

HIT DICE: 144 hp

% IN LAIR: 50%

TREASURE TYPE: S, T, U, V, W, X, Z

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2 – 8 (x2) or by weapon +8

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius (19)

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (12' tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: 244

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X /52,050*

Palvlag, like Pazuzu and Shabriri, is a surviving proto-demon.  He appears as a type VI demon with four eyes of flaming orange.  His very blood is molten phlogiston.  There is a marked resemblance between Palvlag and Marduk, Lord of the Type VI demons, and they may be related.

Palvlag will usually attack with his claws rather than a weapon, but at times he will wield a gigantic two-handed +3 flaming sword (2 – 12 +3, +8 for STR).  He may immolate at will to inflict 6 – 24 points of damage on any creature not immune to fire attacks within a 10' radius.  He also has the following abilities, usable at will once per melee round: astral travel, darkness (50' radius), detect invisible, detect magic, flesh to stone, know alignment, pyrotechnics, shape change, tongues, teleport (no error), wall of fire, and unholy word.  Palvlag may also use wish once per day and symbol (1 each of pain, hopelessness and death).  His gaze causes insanity to anyone he wills (save vs. Spell), and thrice each day he may breathe fire from his mouth (as a red dragon) doing 66 points of damage.  He may gate in 6 Type VI demons (75% chance).  He has double normal range infravision and ultravision, and he regenerates 1 hit point every round.

Palvlag lacks the odd sense of humor common to Pazuzu and Shabriri, and he is a serious opponent in combat.

Shabriri (Demon Lord of Water & Blindness)

FREQUENCY: Unique

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: -8

MOVE: 12"//20"

HIT DICE: 155 hp

% IN LAIR: 20%

TREASURE TYPE: S, T, U, V, W, X, Z

NO. OF ATTACKS: 5

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2 – 8 (x4)/2 – 12

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%

INTELLIGENCE: Supra-genius (19)

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (10' tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: 255

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X/ 56,700*

Shabriri has the form of a hulking demon with horn-plated flesh and four arms ending in clawed hands.  His head has four red-glowing eyes and a fang-filled maw.  Like Pazuzu, Shabriri is a proto-demon of ancient origin and is on fairly decent terms with some daemon lords.  Also like Pazuzu, he possesses an odd sense of humor and enjoys toying with victims and following odd whims.  He may actually prolong combat with foes if he finds it amusing!

He prefers to attack and rend with his four clawed hands and bite, but this demon lord also has the following abilities, usable at will once per melee round: astral travel, cause blindness, create water, darkness (50' radius), detect invisible, detect magic, flesh to stone, know alignment, raise/lower water, shape change, tongues, teleport (no error), unholy word, and wall of fog.  In addition, Shabriri may use wish once per day and symbol (1 each of pain, hopelessness and death).  His gaze causes insanity to anyone he wills (save vs. Spell), and thrice each day he may expel a gout of negative energy stuff from his mouth that does 66 points of damage to one victim up to 1" range (save vs. Spell for ½ damage).  He may gate in 6 Type IV demons (75% chance) if pressed.  He has double normal range infravision and ultravision, and he regenerates 1 hit point every round.

 

Skurda

FREQUENCY: Rare

NO. APPEARING: 1 – 4

ARMOR CLASS: -3

MOVE: 15"

HIT DICE: 10

% IN LAIR: 15%

TREASURE TYPE: B

NO. OF ATTACKS: 3

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10/1-10/1-6

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison sting

SPECIAL DEFENSES: See below

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%

INTELLIGENCE: Low

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil

SIZE: L (10' long)

PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VII/ 4050 + 15/HP

Skurda are fearsome demons that are used as guards by several Abyssal rulers, notably Graz'zt and Lolth.  Skurda have the appearance of hulking, scorpion-bodied demons with a human-like torso and arms, both covered in armoring chitin.  Their heads have compound eyes, and mandibles around their mouth.  Their arms end in fearsome pincers.

Skurda attack with their mighty pincers (Strength = 18) and tail sting.  In addition to wounding, the stinger is poison and requires a saving throw at -1, failure of which indicates death!  They may use the following powers, at will, once per melee round: Darkness (15' radius), detect invisible, telekinese (3000 g.p.), and teleport (no error).  They may also gate in another skurda (30% chance).

Verin (Vuron) (Demon Lord)

FREQUENCY: Unique

NO. APPEARING: 1

ARMOR CLASS: 0 (-4)

MOVE: 12"

HIT DICE: 96 hp

% IN LAIR: 20%

TREASURE TYPE: U, Z

NO. OF ATTACKS: 2

DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below

SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below

SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better weapon to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%

INTELLIGENCE: Godlike (22)

ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil (neutral)

SIZE: L (8' tall)

PSIONIC ABILITY: 230

LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: X/ 45,023*

Verin appears as a tall, thin, sexless albino humanoid with reddish-pink eyes.  His face is handsome, though stamped with evil, and his voice is bell-like.  He is lord general and viceroy to Graz’zt, and is utterly loyal to that demon prince.  While Graz’zt was imprisoned by Iggwilv, Verin continued to administer his realm until the demon prince returned.  Although he certainly has the demonic capacity for rage and cruelty, Verin tends to be more measured and thoughtful in his actions than most of his ilk.  He is well-versed in arcane knowledge and in battle strategy.

He wields a +4 lance in battle that is composed of milky crystal, with which he strikes twice in a round.  Any creature struck by it must save vs. death at -4 or die.  Even such as a demon lord or daemon ruler must save (but without penalty) or perish!  Those who save will still take 5 – 50 points of damage from the fell energies contained within this weapon.  He will wear armor of silvery metal into battle that gives him an AC of -4.

Verin has the following powers usable at will, once per melee round: charm person, clairaudience, clairvoyance, darkness (15' radius), detect good, detect invisible, detect magic, ESP, etherealness (self), fear (as wand), heal (3/day), suggestion, , telekinese (9,000 gp), and teleport (no error).  Once per day, he has an 85% chance of gating in 1 – 2 Type VI demons (90%) or Graz’zt himself (10%).