DEMON
DEMON
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Each type of demon,
and especially the high-level demon lords and
princes, have many
unusual characteristics and extraordinary abilities.
Characteristics
and abilities which are common to all demons are covered
here. See the individual
treatment of each demon for specific information.
Demons are able to
move from their own plone into those of Tarterus,
Hades,
or Pandemonium or roam the astral
plane. However, they cannot
enter the material
plane without aid (conjuration, gate, or by name
speaking or similar
means).
Demons are chaotic
&& evil; the smarter and stronger rule those of their
kind who are weaker
and less intelligent. The less intelligent will attack
without question
and fight until slain. Demons of type V and
above are not
actually slain when
their {moterial} form is killed in combat;
their material
form being removed
from their USE, the demon in question is thereby
forced back to the
plane from whence it originally came, there to remain
until a century
has passed or until onother aids it to go forth again.
However, if demons
are encountered on their own plane, they can be
slain. No demon
can ever be subdued. All are able to divide their attacks
amongst two or even
three opponents if their means allow.
Demons will never
willingly serve anyone or anything.
If forced to serve
through magic || threat they will continually seek a way to slay their
master/captor.
Those to whom demons
show a liking are typically carried off to the demons' plane to become
a slave (although a favored one).
Note that demons
can be summoned by characters of any alignment,
but controlling
a demon is another matter entirely.
A thaumaturgic circle will serve to keep out demons of types I-V.
A special pentacle
is required for demons of type VI or greater.
<that is a pentagram>
The threat II reward
which the conjuring party uses to attempt gaining a demon's service must
be carefully handled by the DM.
Demons are repelled
by holy (good) relics || artifacts.
Demons'
Amulets: Demon lords && princes maintain their vital essences
in small containers
-- their souls, so to speak, are thus at once protected
and yet vulneroble
if some enterprising character should gain the amulet.
Demons with amulets
are able to magic jar once per day. Demons'
amulets
cannot be detected
as such by any magical means, and they do not
otherwise appear
unusual in any way. The device need not be with the
most powerful princes,
although the lesser demons typically need to carry
theirs on or near
their persons. Possession of an amulet gives the possessor
power over the demon
to whom it "belongs" for the space of,
for exomple, one
adventure, and never more than a day (24 hours). The
amulet must then
be returned to the demon -or it can be destroyed and
thus condemn the
prince to abyssment for a year (and he may return
thereafter only
if summoned). Use of an amulet is very, very dangerous.
Possession of one
will double chances of calling the attention of another
demon, ond any demon
not controlled by the device will immediately
attack the person
possessing such an amulet. If the amulet leaves the hand
of the one commanding
the demon to whom it belongs, that demon
attacks him in its
most effective fashion immediately, attempting his
utmost to slay and
then to carry all that remains to his own domain, i.e.
that character is
lost and gone forever. On the positive side, however, if
the wielder of the
amulet carefully repays the demon for aid rendered,
adds a considerable
sum for having the temerity to dare to command the
demon in the first
place, and then carefully restores the amulet to the
demon, the prince
might not bear him a grudge forever ofterwards nor
seek to hunt him
out whenever possible.
Q: Why do demon princes
hide their
amulets on the Prime Material
plane
where PCs can find them?
Why don?t
they keep them on the
Abyss, out of
a PC's reach?
A: Demon princes hide
their amulets all
over the multiverse, not
just on the Prime
Material, since they are
as much at risk in
the Abyss as anywhere else
from both
plane-traveling adventurers
and other
demons.
(142.10)
Demons frequently
roam the astral and ethereal
planes.
Their attention
is also attracted by persons in an ethereal state. If the name of a particularly
powerful demon is
spoken there is a chance that he will hear and turn his
attention to the
speaker. A base 5% chance is recommended to the
referee. Unless
prepared to avoid such attention -- or to control the
demon-the demon
will thereupon immediately kill, by whatever means
are most expeditious,
the one pronouncing his name.
If demon types I
through VI are encountered in lair there will be 1-6 of the
same type 75% of
the time and 1-6 mixed types I-VI 25% of the time.
In addition to the
separate characteristics and abilities of each sort of
demon, these monsters
have the following in common:
Types I-III are affected
by non-magical weapons
Type IV and greater
are not affected by non-magical weapons
All demons have these
abilities:
| Infravision | Teleportation (no error) |
| Darkness (r. varies) | Gate (specifics vary) <> |
Q. How long does a darkness spell cast
by a demon last? (Advanced)
A. The darkness cast by a demon is not a
spell, but an inherent ability. Demons
can cast darkness while engaged in
any other activity. Since it can be cast
at will, the darkness so caused will
last as long as the demon wishes.
(Imagine #1)
Demons
are affected by the listed attack forms as noted below:
| Attack | Maximum damage Will be: |
| acid | full |
| cold | half |
| electricity (lightning) | half |
| fire (dragon, magical) | half |
| gas (poisonous, etc.) | half |
| iron weapon | full |
| magic missile | full |
| poison | full |
| silver weapon | none* |
*unless affected
by normal weapons in which case damage will be
according to the
weapon type.
Because they hove
a special form of telepathy, demons
are able to understand every intelligent communication.
Demons with average
or better intelligence are likewise able to converse.
<for ease of reference, standard demon abilities, ea. could just be added to each page, with a note that this has been done at the main entry for demons>
Question:
The MM says that demons && devils are
affected
by iron
and silver weapons but then it says that magic
weapons
are needed to hit
certain demons and devils.
Do iron
and silver weapons damage these creatures?
Answer: The
forms of attacks which affect all demons && devils
are
listed in the general
descriptions for each type of creature.
Everything in the
list applies to every creature of that type; in
other words, a demon
which is described as only being vulnera-
ble to magic weapons
is also vulnerable to iron weapons, even
the non-magical
type. A demon will take no damage from a silver
weapon, unless the
demon is a type which is vulnerable to
non-magical weapons,
in which case a silver weapon will have
the same damage
potential as a similar weapon made of any
other substance.
The situation is reversed for devils; all devils are vulnerable to
silver
weapons, even those who are otherwise only able to be hit
by magic weapons,
and no devil can be damaged by an iron
weapon unless that
devil is vulnerable to non-magical weapons.
Question: Are demons && devils immune to Sleep && Charm spells, just like the undead are?
Answer: Not
exactly, although the end result is about the same.
Demons &&
devils are not by nature immune to Sleep
&& Charm spells —
except for the manes
and lemures,
which are specifically
described as being immune to both those types of magic. The
rest of the ranks
don’t need to be “made” immune to Sleep spells
— they already are,
because the spell only affects creatures of
up to 4+4 hit dice,
and none of the demons or devils (except for
manes and lemures)
has a hit-dice figure lower than 5+5.
Demons && devils are technically vulnerable to the effects of
a Charm
Monster spell, but the percentages aren’t exactly in
favor of the character
who tries to use such a spell — and keep it
working after it
is cast. Considering the MR of
demons and devils,
plus the fact that they get a saving throw
against the spell
even if their MR fails, plus the fact
that they can successfully
“break” the charm after it is CAST, the
odds are definitely
against the spell caster.
For example,
consider an 11th-level magic-user trying to snare a “lowly” Type I demon
with Charm Monster:
The demon has a 50% chance (MR) of being unaffected,
a 35% chance to make a save vs. the spell even if its MR fails,
and a 45% chance per week thereafter of snapping out of it.
That all adds up to less than an 18% chance that the spell will succeed
and be effective for longer than one week.
The chance of suc-cess
is a lot lower for the most powerful demons and devils,
and it would not
be improper for a DM to simply rule that the “big names”
(Demogorgon,
Juiblex, Orcus, Yeenoghu, Asmodeus, Baalzebul, Dispater, Geryon) are effectively
immune to the spell.
The idea of being
able to bring one of the demon princes or arch-devils under control by
means of a mere 4th-level spell is hard to accept.
<add entry at
demon lord and/or prince>
Hiddukel
(god of demons)
1. Demogorgon (Prince of Demons)
2. Juiblex (The Faceless Lord)
3. Manes (Sub-Demon) - r
4. Manes (Sub-Demon) - r
5. Orcus (Prince of the Undead)
6. Succubus - r
7. Succubus - r
6. Type I (Vrock) - c
7. Type I (Vrock) - c
8. Type I (Vrock) - c
9. Type I (Vrock) - c
10. Type II (Hezrou) - c
11. Type II (Hezrou) - c
12. Type II (Hezrou) - c
13. Type II (Hezrou) - c
14. Type III (Glabrezu) - u
15. Type III (Glabrezu) - u
16. Type III (Glabrezu) - u
17. Type IV (d8: 1-2 = Bilwhr, 3-4 = Johud,
5-6 = Nalfeshnee, 7-8 = etc.) - u
18. Type IV (d8: 1-2 = Bilwhr, 3-4 = Johud,
5-6 = Nalfeshnee, 7-8 = etc.) - u
19. Type IV (d8: 1-2 = Bilwhr, 3-4 = Johud,
5-6 = Nalfeshnee, 7-8 = etc.) - u
20. Type V (d10: 1-2 = Aishapra, 3-4 =
Kevokulli, 5-6 = Marilith, 7-8 = Rehnaremme, 7-8 = etc.) - r
21. Type V (d10: 1-2 = Aishapra, 3-4 =
Kevokulli, 5-6 = Marilith, 7-8 = Rehnaremme, 7-8 = etc.) - r
22. Type VI (d6: 1 = Alzoll, 2 = Balor,
3 = Errtu, 4 = Ndulu, 5 = Ter-soth, 6 = Wendonai) - r
23. Type VI (d6: 1 = Alzoll, 2 = Balor,
3 = Errtu, 4 = Ndulu, 5 = Ter-soth, 6 = Wendonai) - r
24. Yeenoghu (Demon Lord of Gnolls)
25. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
26. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
27. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
28. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
29. Random Uncommon Demon (cf. DMG.194)
30. Random Uncommon Demon (cf. DMG.194)
31. Random Uncommon Demon (cf. DMG.194)
32. Random Rare Demon (cf. DMG.194)
32. Random Rare Demon (cf. DMG.194)
33. Lolth
34. Abraxas
35. Ahazu (Demon Lord)
36. Ahrimanes
37. Aldinach (Demon Lady)
38. Alrunes (Demon Lady)
39. Anarazel
40. Ansitif
41. Ardat (Demon Lady)
42. Areex
43. Aseroth
44. Asima (Demon Lord)
45. Astaroth
46. Azael (Demon Lord)
47. Barbu (Demon Lady)
48. Bayemon (Demon Lord)
49. Bechard (Demon Lord)
50. Baltazo (Demon Lord)
51. Baphomet (Demon Lord)
52. Cabiri (Demon Lord)
53. Charun (Demon Lord)
54. Dagon
55. Eblis
56. Ereshkigal
57. Fraz-Urb'luu (Prince of Deception)
58. Graz'zt (Demon Prince)
59. Gresili (Demon Lord)
60. Kostchtchie (Demon Lord)
61. Laraie (Demon Lord)
62. Mastiphal
63. Munkir (Demon Lord)
64. Nekir (Demon Lord)
65. Nergel (Demon Lord)
66. Nocticula (female)
67. Obox-ob
68. Pazuzu (Prince of the Lower Aerial
Kingdoms)
69. Socothbenoth
70. Soneillon (Demon Lady)
71. Verin (Demon Lord)
72. Zuggtomy (female)
73. Alu-demon (Semi-demon)
74. Alu-demon (Semi-demon)
75. Babau (Minor Demon)
76. Babau (Minor Demon)
77. Babau (Minor Demon)
78. Bar-Lgura (Minor Demon)
79. Bar-Lgura (Minor Demon)
80. Bar-Lgura (Minor Demon)
81. Cambion (Semi-demon) (d2: 1 = Major,
2 = Baron/Marquis)
82. Chasme (Minor Demon)
83. Chasme (Minor Demon)
84. Chasme (Minor Demon)
85. Chasme (Minor Demon)
86. Dretch (Minor Demon)
87. Dretch (Minor Demon)
88. Dretch (Minor Demon)
89. Dretch (Minor Demon)
90. Nabassu (Major Demon)
91. Rutterkin (Minor Demon)
92. Rutterkin (Minor Demon)
93. Rutterkin (Minor Demon)
94. Rutterkin (Minor Demon)
95. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
96. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
97. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
99. Random Common Demon (cf. DMG.194)
100. Goristro
<redo this table -- it is too heavily weighted towards demon lords, princes, et. al.>
1. Demogorgon (Prince of Demons)
2. Juiblex (The Faceless Lord)
3. Orcus (Prince of the Undead)
4. Yeenoghu (Demon Lord of Gnolls)
5. Lolth
6. Abraxas
7. Ahazu (Demon Lord)
8. Ahrimanes
9. Aldinach (Demon Lady)
10. Alrunes (Demon Lady)
11. Anarazel
12. Ansitif
13. Ardat (Demon Lady)
14. Areex
15. Aseroth
16. Asima (Demon Lord)
17. Astaroth
18. Azael (Demon Lord)
19. Barbu (Demon Lady)
20. Bayemon (Demon Lord)
21. Bechard (Demon Lord)
22. Baltazo (Demon Lord)
23. Baphomet (Demon Lord)
24. Cabiri (Demon Lord)
25. Charun (Demon Lord)
26. Dagon
27. Eblis
28. Ereshkigal
29. Fraz-Urb'luu (Prince of Deception)
30. Graz'zt (Demon Prince)
31. Gresili (Demon Lord)
32. Kostchtchie (Demon Lord)
33. Laraie (Demon Lord)
34. Mastiphal
35. Munkir (Demon Lord)
36. Nekir (Demon Lord)
37. Nergel (Demon Lord)
38. Nocticula (female)
39. Obox-ob
40. Pazuzu (Prince of the Lower Aerial
Kingdoms)
41. Socothbenoth
42. Soneillon (Demon Lady)
43. Verin (Demon Lord)
44. Zuggtomy (female)
-
3RD21ST wrote:
Hello Gary,
Good to see that you are up and about promoting the hobby. Best wishes for you as far as your health is concerned.
Also I have a question for you concerning the true names of the demon princes and arch devils. There are a handful, give or take a few, of spells that will cause such beings considerable pain and/or discomfort if used in conjunction with their true name. My question is, did you ever jot down the true names of demon princes and arch devils? I am just dying to know what some of their real names are. Having the eye for detail that you do, my guess is that you did do this for many if not all of them. My next guess would be that you could count on one hand the ones who appear in the various monster encyclopedias under their true name. I refuse to believe that you would ever make something that easy for players. However, as a DM, I would very much like to know what those names are. Is there a way for me to find out what those true names are, other than convince you that I should not be kept on a need to know basis for said information? :D
Best Wishes,
Rob
Howdy Rob!
To be succinct, i created
out of whole cloth the true names of very few demons.
Only if a powerful PC
was bent on encountering such an entity did I spend time to develop such
details.
If you are planning to
have a list of true names,
then I suggest you make
them up based on the commonly known name(s) of the demon in question, and
keep that list well hidden from prying eyes.
Imagine you being in
the same boat as Rumplestiltskin 
Cheers,
Gary
predavolk wrote:
Hi Gary, a few questions
about demons in 1st Ed if you don't mind.
1- What was the inspiration
for their telekinetic abilities?
2- IF you were DMing them,
would you allow them to use their spell-like powers at the same time as
melee attacks (i.e., they'd be "free" uses) and could they be interrupted
like spells?
Thanks.
I am rather tired of AD&D
questions, but as there seems to be no one else answering them, I will
galdly do so for a fellow gamer. 
The telekinetic
abilities of demons were inspired by accounts of demonic possession.
I simply elaborated on that
theme.
I definately did not contemplate the use of spell-like powers as an attack form that could take place as these monsters attacked physically.
Cheers,
Gary
<underline added>
Working downwards, I envisaged
that the Demon Lords numbered somewhat greater than the number of layers
of the Abyss.
However, as the place is
of Chaos, as with all numbers there some uncertainty must always exist.
So anywhere from 600 to
800 of them might exist at a given time, the larger layers having more
than one.
When I am less busy I'll
see about the humor on the website you note.
As for playing an evil-race
character as non-evil, sure! Why not, as there is variation of such outlook
in most fantasy races.
The general alignment category
speaks to the racial propensity and the bent of the majority of it, but
certainly a lot of individuals can be different.
That does not apply to it
inherantly evil entities such as vampires, let alone demons and devils.
There the modification might
be in orderliness (Law-Chaos) and the degree of Evil, the dilligence
with which the wicked and malign is pursued.
Just as there are truly
evil
people with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, so too all such creatures
of Evil, for they epitomize that trait.
Cheers,
Gary
Setting aside the debate
of nature versus nurture, there are always abberations, and with intelligent
creatures change is possible.
Consider how many monks
and priests were martyred in the conversion of the Friesains to Christianity,
but eventually they prevailed.
Contrast that with non-intelligent
species, a wolverine for example.
The likelihood of one not
being an aggressive hunter-killer is infinitismal.
"Outsiders" is not a term
that properly connotes non-human origination. It implies that the world
is the inner, central place.
Demons and devils are creatures
of pure evil, just as there those of pure good.
Neither sort of entity can
ever be anything else in my view. It is akin to the wolverine example given
above.
"Minorities" aren't that
in their own country, and RPGs, D&D in particular, are played in thre
majority of nations of the world.
It is social-economic class
that is the determanant, not ethnicity.
Most gamers are highly literate
and of the middle class.
About a quarter of them
are connected to information technology.
In all, males outnumber
females by about 9 to 1--so there's the minority that publishers would
most like to attract to RPGs 
Cheers,
Gary
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by CRGreathouse
I have some questions about
monster origins--if you don't mind, Gary. I'd really like to know where
the ideas came from originally: legends, thought processes, inspirations,
etc.
What can you (will you) tell us about the Umber Hulk? They're my favorite D&D monsters, really. What inspired you? I like the fact that they look like ordinary monsters, but they're actually intelligent and have a particular 'culture' of their own.
What about the diobolic heirarchy
(Type I, II, ... or their named equivilents)? Were those designed wholecloth,
or did you find inspiration in particular sources? Dante seems a natural
influence...?
Hail CRGreathouse,
Allow me to preface my answers
with a brief statement regarding my reading.
From the time I was about
five I was read fairy tales and read them.
Soon thereafter I added
fables and legends, and by age 12 I was an avid fan of fantasy and SF stories,
reading a book a day.
Along with that I read a
lot of mythology and history (fact and fiction), some Westerns, Murder
and Oriental mystery stories, horror, occult, and action yarns.
Later on, in searching for
new creatures to add to the D&D monster roster I devoted a lot of research
time to folklore.
The umber hulk a creation
made from the whole cloth of my imagination.
they were meant to be a
considerable challenge to potent PCs, so they were given the abilities
you appreciate.
The demon types I, II, III,
etc. were similarly devised using mainly my imagination.
The devils
were a mix of imagination and Dante's writing.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
Hey Gary I was recently
reading through the Monster Manual and MM II, specifically regarding Demons
and Devils. Under the entry for Demons the table lists them as receiving
full damage from iron weapons, whereas Devils are immune to such weapons.
I've noticed this before, but don't recall having it come into play.
that's correct.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
My question is, does this
mean that demons are immune to the average sword made from steel? I assume
that a magic sword made from steel would affect the demon. Also, would
both demons and devils be immune from wooden weapons (such as a club or
staff) barring any magical bonuses?
Yes, only magic weapons
(and cold-wrought iron ones) affect demons. That includes steel ones and
wooden weapons, unless one is a rakshasa, they being subject to wod as
other demonic types are to iron.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
One last question, did you
ever have any PC's who faced demons who were armed with iron weapons, or
did they simply use magical ones?
Gray Mouser
Iron weapons affect demons,
and so yes, I have DMed a cleric PC in a party that used an iron mace to
harm a demon, a low level one of Type I or II, I don't recall which it
was.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray
Mouser
2) Can all demons and devil
possess someone or only certain types (presumably the more powerful ones)?
It is up to the DM, but
I'd say that those of 5th rank or above can attempt possession as if casting
a magic jar spell.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Soel
Hello, Gary!
I don't know if you've covered this question before (very likely, I'd guess,) but I would like to ask you about your initial inspiration for coming up with differing distinctions for the fiendish creatures. Mainly, what caused you (taking an assumption it was your idea to do this,) to separate the classical demon into demons and devils and others?
I can understand having a hell, but I guess another part of the question is, why were other lower planes of existence created?
Thanx in advance!
Howdy Soel,
The separation of demons
and devils followed rather naturally from the use
of the alignments.
Demons in mythology are
typically depicted as being brutish and chaotic, while devils are more
orderly and cunning, so there you have the distinction.
The lower planes were a drawn from mythology as well, those being the realms of evil, the evil dead, and whatever was malign.
Cheers,
Gary
Yuletide Felicitations Gray
Mouser
You have the differences between demons and devils I envisaged well in hand.
Demons are also unpredictable,
not prone to follow instructions save through fear and force.
A major one might well not
cause death and desituction, but rather do something wealsome on a whim...or
be exceptionally cruel.
Devils are far more predictable and orderly in their evil activities. Of course they too are subject to force and fear, but they need not be supervised continually to be assured of their acting as instructed, because their own nature is regimentation and obedience to those more powerful and malicious.
Christmas best wishes,
Gary
The many monsters I devised
for the A/D&D games came from a variety
of sources including mythology, legends, medieval bestiaries, folklore,
fairy tales, and authored fiction.
The demon names were dug
up form medieval sources in the main.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesM
...
With all that as preamble:
What was your original intention here, if you recall?
What did those parenthetical
names represent?
I am assuming the Types
IV-VI names are just that -- proper names of individual demons -- but what
about the Types I-III demons?
Thanks kindly.
Feel free to address me
as Gary if you like. We are fellow gamers after all 
Anyway, the Type I through
III demons being both rather stupid and also cannon fodder were not individually
named, each sort being one of the vrock, herzou, etc.
The higher ranking demons
had no species name but rather personal names.
So calling all Type VI demons Balor is not what was meant.
Cheers,
Gary
<added entry links>
