Powerful evil entities are certainly on a par with deities.
check any slid book of mythology, and that's evident.
Their powers are generally destrictive, not creative, but that goes with the territory
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There is a whole host of creatures which have been created for the game
of AD&D that have either been spawned
from the minds and myths of past man or created entirely from the minds
of the game masters.
Such a wide diversity of creatures and subcultures requires an equally
wide diversity of deities and lesser beings of power.
The nonhuman races occupy different places places in every Dungeon
Master's individual world.
Therefore,
it would be extremely difficult to create complete pantheons of nonhuman
gods that would be appropriate to every campaign.
This section seeks to only to outline some major beings important to
the races created in the AD&D family.
A complete pantheon of all dwarven gods,
demigods and heroes can easily be imagined,
but its complete notation is too awesome a task for a work of this
limited size
(as would be the complete notation of the deities of any of
the nonhuman races).
Let this section serve as a springboard for the DM.
It presents a start for any extensive pantheon that the referee feels
he or she may need.
As humanoid shamans (and witch doctors) increase in level,
they also increase to a degree in HD and combat ability.
For each level of ability above the 1st,
the shaman adds 1-4 HP (1d4) to his or her total.
For every two levels of shaman ability,
the creature fights as if one HD better on the ATTACK
MATRIX FOR MONSTERS.
Witch doctors' clerical (shaman) and MU levels are not added together,
but are paired,
like multi-classing characters.
They gain 2-5 HP for each level above 1st/1st as long as they advance
in tandem,
buy only the normal 1-4 HP per level when their shaman abilities surpass
their max. MU abilities.
The levels of experience of witch doctors'
MU abilities are not detailed in this volume,
but may be found in the DMG.
Examples: A 4th level gnoll shaman would have the following HD:
2d8 (his normal amount) + 3d4 (his shaman bonus).
He would fight as a 4 HD monster.
A 5th level goblin shaman would have 4d4 plus 1-7 HP,
and would fight as a 3-1 (or "2-3+") HD monster.
A 3/3 orc witch doctor would have 1d8 plus 2d4 + 2 HP,
and would fight as a 2 HD monster.
NOTE: The following beings from the MMand
FF should be treated as lesser gods,
though they very rarely have human worshipers:
MONSTER MANUAL
Demon:
Demogorgon
Juiblex
Orcus
Yeenoghu
Devil:
Asmodeus
Baalzebul
Dispater
Geryon
Dragon:
Bahamut
Tiamat
FIEND FOLIO
Demon:
Lolth (detailed in this
volume)
Elemental Princes of Evil
Slaad:
Ssendam
Ygorl
<new tables>
<note: there should be a DEITY: line, where PSIONIC
ABILITY: would be, in the MM statblocks>
<list of lesser gods. notes made at the MM. they're
still all here. etc.>
| 1. PC Races | 2. Nonhumans' Deities | - | 3. Devil Worship, etc. | 4. Non-Humans, as well |
| - | - | - | - | DDG |
1. PC Races (links to individual tables)
| Dwarves | Elves | Gnomes | Halflings | Half-Orcs |
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
<see if TAB for sub-tables>
1a. Dwarves
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
<note: Hephaestus could be added>
1b. Elves
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
1c. Gnomes
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
1d. Halflings
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
1a. Half-Orcs
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
<remem, the subtables should be mirrored in the PH>
| Bugbear | Hruggek |
| Centaur | Skerrit |
| Dwarf | Moradin |
| Elf | Corellon Larethian |
| Elf, Aquatic | Deep Sashelas |
| Elf, Drow | Lolth |
| Elf, Wood | Rillifane Rallathil |
| Ettin | Grolantor |
| Giant, Fire | Surtur |
| Giant, Frost | Thrym |
| Giant, Hill | Grolantor |
| Giant, Stone | Skoraeus Stonebones |
| Gnoll | Yeenoghu |
| Gnome | Garl Glittergold |
| Goblin | Maglubiyet |
| Halfling | Yondalla |
| Hobgoblin | Maglubiyet |
| Ixitxachitl | Demogorgon |
| Kobold | Kurtulmak |
| Kuo-Toa | Blibdoolpoolp |
| Lizard Men | Semuanya |
| Locathah | Eadro |
| Merman | Eadro |
| Ogre | Vaprak |
| Orc | Gruumsh |
| Sahuagin | Sekolah |
| Satyr | Skerrit |
| Troglodyte | Laogzed |
<>
3. Devil Worship, Demonology, Weird Cults, etc.
The following rarely have human worshipers
...
| Juiblex | Orcus | - | - | - |
| Asmodeus | Baalzebul | Dispater | Geryon | - |
| Tiamat | - | - | - | Bahamut |
| Cryonax | Imix | Ogrémoch | Olhydra | Yan-C-Bin |
| Ssendam | Ygorl | - | - | - |
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
<have an official table>
<make a theory table: idea is to have everything integrated ...>
4. Non-Humans, as well
The following accept non-humans as worshippers
...
| - | Snake-Man |
| - | Druaga |
| - | Nergal |
| - | Diancecht |
| - | Goibhnie |
| - | Lugh |
| - | Silvanus |
| - | Camazotz |
| - | Huhueteotl |
| - | Mictlantecuhtli |
| - | Tlazteotl |
| Deep Ones | Cthulhu |
| - | Azathoth |
| - | Cthuga |
| - | Hastur |
| - | Ithaqua |
| - | Nyarlathotep |
| - | Shub-Niggurath |
| - | Yog-Sothoth |
| - | Apshai |
| - | Bast |
| - | Isis |
| - | Ptah |
| - | Set |
| - | Thoth |
| - | Artemis |
| - | Hades |
| - | Pan |
| - | Poseidon |
| - | Kali |
| - | Ratri |
| - | Tvashtri |
| - | Vishnu |
| - | Arioch |
| - | Darnizhan |
| - | Donblas |
| - | Fileet |
| - | Grome |
| - | Haaaashastaak |
| - | Kakatal |
| - | Meerclar |
| - | Misha |
| - | Nnuuurrrr'c'c |
| - | Nuru-ah |
| - | Pyaray |
| - | Roofdrak |
| - | Straasha |
| - | Xiombarg |
| - | Death |
| - | Rat God |
| - | <fini : Norse> |
| ^ | - | - | - | DDG |
<compile a list of deities that accept non-humans as their worshipers>
<make demi-human sections>
Powerful evil entities are
certainly on a par with deities.
check any slid book of mythology,
and that's evident.
Their powers are generally
destrictive, not creative, but that goes with the territory
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by khyron1144
Hi Gary,
I apologize, if this has
been asked before, but were any of the unique monsters in the orginal Monster
Manual 2 intended to be lesser deities as the Deities and Demigods cyclopedia
says the Archdevils and Demon Princes and Princes of Elemental Evil are?
In my campaign, I've always gone with the assumption that any unique monster from one of the 1e hardbacks that's tagged with the label Archdevil or Demon Prince is a lesser deity, as are the Princes of Elemental Evil, The Cat Lord, Anthraxus, and Primus.
Thanks.
Based on our world's actual
mythology, such evil entities can be a lot more than lesser deities. Using
the criteria mentioned, some are greater ones on a par with the benign
deities.
Cheers,
Gary
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nagora
...
Which brings me to a question
for Gary:
You've mentioned a few times the fact that no one in your campaign would ever have been able to take on a Demon Prince. Yet I think many people would consider Mordy more than so able on his own, let alone with Robilar and some of the other "big names" in tow.
I think this reflects a general difficulty for DMs to really get to grips with the level of challenge such an opponent is supposed to represent (for instance, there is an active thread over at Dragonfoot's 1st edition forum about why Asmodeus is a whimp because he "only has 199" hit points).
In broad terms, Gary, how would you recommend a DM doing justice to the power of the top ranks of the Evil planes when encountered by high level PCs?
Such deital figures are
so far beyond ant effects by mortals that I would simply give a warning
to that effect, then:
Asmodeus (or whomever it was the PCs were contemplating assaulting) would send in a few companies of devils (or demons) so as to have some entertaining sport to amuse him for a time. When he tired of that, it would be time do something such as begin killing each of the offending mortals slowly with his power, drawing out their soul if not protected from him by some other like deity, and sending it off to suffer in one of the hells or a layer of the abyss.
If: "Hey! you can't do that because X isn't like that in the book," so what? Who says that the information in that work is correct in regards to deities? Do you imagne they are going to reveal their secrets to the likes of you?
Cheers,
Gary
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