The term "Hades" in AD&D® game
parlance refers to the entire Outer
Plane of absolute neutral evil alignment,
and, as the DEITIES & DEMIGODS
book states, the plane is "(named for)
its most powerful ruler." This article
deals only with that section of the
plane under the direct domination of
Hades himself, and most of the information
is adapted from Greek mythology.
Because the object of this
manuscript is to establish a playable
environment for AD&D game characters,
alterations (or omissions) have
been made from the original legends
so as to mesh with established ?facts?
from the game rulebooks. Some areas
are purposely left vague or undeveloped
to allow individual Dungeon
Masters to integrate the material into
their own campaigns. (Reading the
relevant myths is also helpful.)
Hades (the plane) is divided into the
Three Glooms. The First Gloom is the
"upper layer," and connects with the
Astral Plane. The Second Gloom refers
to that layer in which dwell other, less
important (for our purposes here)
deities, such as Hel and Ratri.
The
Third Gloom is the domain of Hades
(the deity) himself and is known as
Erebus, the "Covered Pit." To avoid
confusion, the term "Hades" from this
point on will refer only to the god,
unless otherwise indicated, and "Erebus
" will indicate his "plane." It may be
assumed that the other Glooms conform
to the laws and conditions described
herein, but information at this
point is scant. It is known that the
other gods of death try to avoid antagonizing
Hades (as do the gods of his
own pantheon), and will defer to him
on important matters.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The author is indebted to Ed Greenwood
and Roger E. Moore for their
ground-breaking work in matters
planar, and to Maud Gwynn Burnett
for obscure gossip concerning Greek
heroes, deities, and demigods. Other
sources included Robert Graves's
Greek Mythos; The
Golden Bough by J.
G. Frazer; Mythology by Edith Hamilton;
Bulfinch's Mythology; and Joseph
Campbell's The Masks of God.
The First and Second Glooms
Intrepid adventurers wishing access
to Erebus will always find themselves
deposited on the bank of the plane-twisting
river Styx across from the
entrance gates, no matter what means
of planar travel is employed. Across
the Styx can be seen the First Gloom,
which appears as a seemingly infinite
plain of black volcanic rock, dotted
here and there with pools of bubbling
lava. Here encounters may occur with
beings who are able to roam the
Lower Planes at will, as well as those
from the adjoining planes of Tartarus,
Gehenna, Concordant Opposition, and
the Astral Plane. A suggested Encounter
Table follows, which DMs may
adjust to their individual liking; since
there is no day or night as such in the
Glooms, an encounter check should be
made once every 12 hours. A roll of 1
on a d8 indicates an encounter.
Encounter Table I
| Dice | Encounter |
| 01-02 | Annis |
| 03-04 | Barghest |
| 05-08 | Catoblepas |
| 09-10 | Demodand |
| 11-12 | Demon |
| 13-14 | Devil |
| 15-25 | Ettercap |
| 26-35 | Giant, Fomorian |
| 36-37 | Rakshasa |
| 38-47 | Stench Kow |
| 48-57 | Thunder Beast |
| 58-00 | Special* |
*"On a result of 58-00, refer to the
table in the section on "Encounters in <link>
Erebus" (following "The house of
Hades") and roll for an encounter
using that table instead. If this second
roll is 90-92, ignore the result and roll
again.
Once (or if) the characters have successfully
crossed the Styx into the First Gloom,
there is little to be seen other than what
has been described. With some exploration
(2-8 "days") and a great deal of luck, a
party might come upon the vast roots of
the world-tree Ygdrassil thrusting from
the rock--this is the entrance to Niflheim,
home of the Norse goddess Hel, which
comprises part of the Second Gloom,
wherein also dwells Ratri. But the
Second
Gloom is another story. . . .
Crossing the Styx
Should the characters travel along the
bank of the Styx seeking a ford or bridge,
or away from the river (for whatever
reasons), it will eventually become obvious
that the Styx is a dimensional as well as
physical barrier -- in 1-4 days, they will
find themselves inexplicably back at the
exact location from which they started! If,
at this point, the PCs decide that venturing
into Erebus is perhaps a bad idea, it will
be necessary for them to retreat beyond
the influence of the Styx's anti-magic field
(see below) and employ whatever means
of extra-dimensional travel available to
them to escape this "moebius strip effect.
The River Styx is wide (¼ mi.), swift,
and deep, and has special properties of its
own, in keeping with its status as an interplanar
nexus (cf. Bifrost, DRAGON®
Magazine
issue #90, p. 36). Some of these
properties are detailed under the "Charon"
entry in the Monster Manual II, p. 28. In
addition, the Styx radiates an anti-magic
field that temporarily negates the magical
powers (and items) of all beings except
those native to the Lower Planes, or those
of godlike status. This field is more or less
tunnel-shaped, extending 50 yards on each
side and above the river, as well as into its
depths. Thus, the only safe passage across
is via Charon, as detailed in the aforementioned
MM II listing. It is important to
note, however, that while Charon and
other daemons are in general immune to
charm or suggestion spells, they may be
affected by the charming magic of a bard
of at least 12th level, if both their magic
resistance and saving throw fail. (Even
Hades himself may fall victim to a bard,
but in his case the bard must be of at least
20th level, such as Orpheus; see the Appendix
to this article.)
If the characters are already aboard
Charon's skiff, entering the Three Glooms
from another Lower Plane, they will be
deposited in the First Gloom.
Charon will also transport characters
back across the Styx on their return (if
they return) unless he is under specific
orders from Hades or Persephone not to
do so. However, he will charge triple his
original fee, and under no circumstances
will he ferry a shade (q.v.) from the
Glooms. If Charon is defeated in combat
(i.e., temporarily destroyed), his skiff will
remain and may be utilized by mortals,
but only for simple transport from one
bank to the other. Any attempt to deviate
from this route will result in the skiffs
capsizing 1-4 rounds from the round in
which the course was altered.
100 yards beyond the bank are
the adamtite gates to Erebus, 20'
wide & 20' tall, surmounted by the
scuplture of a large black ram,
the symbol of Hades.
Entering Erebus
To the right of the gates, a cave mouth is
also visible. Advancing to within 100'
of the gates will bring Cerberus
(DEITIES & DEMIGODS, p.61)
out of his lair to challenge
the intruders. There is a small chance
(10%) that this guardian maybe distracted
from his duties if food is thrown to him.
However, even if this ploy is successful,
and he is not attacked while eating, he will
remain so occupied for only 1-6 rounds.
The gates themselves are NOT locked; but
are heavy, and require the USE of the
STR percentage chance for bend bars/
lift gates to pull or push open. As well, any
character touching the enchanted adamantite
for the 1st time (even gauntleted)
must save vs. death magick prior to the
bend bars roll -- failure menas instant
death. (N.B. the soul of any character or
creature who dies at the gate or anywhere
else in Erebus will remain there regardless
of alignment, a slave to Hades, and it is
doubtful if another deity will intervene.)
The gates are indestructible to any being
of less than lesser-god status.
A 20'-wide black marble stairway
extends downward beyond the gates until
it becomes lost in the distance. It will TAKE
6-36 turns to descend, as this is NOT in
reality a physical corridor, but a magickal
gate leading to the 3rd Gloom.
The
stairway cannot be damaged or blocked
up by any means, magickal or otherwise. It
is also the sole exit from Erebus. Eventually,
a columned archway opens up into
what seems to be a large, underground
cavern.
The Third Gloom: Erebus
The walls & ceiling of this cavern
appear to be approximately 1/2 mile away,
but any deep enough penetration into
Erebus will soon reveal that no matter
how far in (or up) the characters venture,
the walls will always be that distant. The
semblance of finite space is just that -- a
semblance! A backward glance will reveal
the archway standing alone, columns
framing dead blackness, the cavern extending
behind it.
The general appearance of Erebus is, to
say the least, peculiar. Giant stalagmites,
stalactites, outcroppings, etc., are very
much in evidence, just as in a natural cave,
but these have been carved and sculpted
so as to resemble the architectural designs
of classical Greece. Doric columns,
frescoed <doric>
pediments, and so on -- even the
mainly boiling lava-pools are perfectly bordered
with intricate tiling. All of the above
is of course executed in marblelike stone
of deepest black. The overall ambience is
of wanding within some vast Hellenic
palace.
As ordered as all of this may seem at
first, it will soon be noticed that there is a
great deal of activity everywhere, most of
it consisting of the demolition and reconstruction
of the "terrain," overseen by
various hordlings, daemons,
mephits and the like. The manual labor is
representative of the many punishments
which may be imposed on those spirits of
the dead (or shades) who were less than <shades>
perfect in life. (For example: a sculptor
may be seen putting the finishing touches
on a small icon, only to be informed by a
nearby piscodaemon that "it isn't quite
right" and will have to be done over, the
point underscored with a rake of its claw.
This in itself might not seem to severe,
unless it is known that this has been going
on for several hundred years and will
continue for all eternity!)
Travelling for about 3 hours on foot
(following a more or less straight path
from the archway) will bring visitors to
the only fixed and permanent structure in
Erebus, the beautiful (and forbidding)
Stygian marble palace wherein dwells
Hades himself. Little is known
of the interior
of the house, as Hades allows none of the
few heroes who have braved Erebus, none
have penetrated past the palace's foyer.
Hades' underlings are, of course, much too
frightened of him to reveal any of the
house's secrets. However, several sparse
facts have been accumulated by brave
scholars and adventurers.
A meadow of asphodel, palne and ghostly <asphodel>
lily-like flowers, surrounds the dwelling,
which covers an entire acre of ground,
and a long avenue leads up to the front
doors, lined on the left by cypress trees,
on the right by black poplars. Where the <poplars>
rows terminate, flanking the doors, are
twin pools of clear green water. The pool
on the left springs from the Lethe, river of
forgetfulness, and all who drink from it
must save vs. poison or be permanently
feebleminded (a wish, alter reality,
or
limited wish will cure this effect). Even if
they are somehow cured, victims will still
have no memory of the time preceding the
cure. A drink from the right-hand pool of
Memory may completely negate the effects
of the first pool, but only if Hades or
Persephone wills it; otherwise, it is
just water.
The front doors to the house are unguarded
and unlocked (the palace is FORBIDDEN
to all except by Hades' permission,
and no native of the 3 Glooms would
violate its sanctity), and immediately inside
Is a large reception hall. The decor is all
black marble and gold, austere but of
terrible grandeur. Various types of furniture <dmg.i>
are distributed about, one of which is
Hades' chair of forgetfulness, which will
resemble an ordinary chair. Should a
character for any reason sit in this chair,
the following effects will occur: the victim
must first save vs. poison or be stricken as
if by the pool of Lethe (q.v.). Regardless of
whether or not this save is successful, the
character will find him or herself stuck to
the chair, and can be freed only by Hades?
command, or pried from it by a being with
godlike strength, as follows:
| Strength | Chance for success |
| 19 | 15% |
| 20 | 25% |
| 21 | 35% |
| 22 | 45% |
| 23 | 60% |
| 24 | 75% |
| 25 | 90% |
Even if he is pried from the chair, part
of the victim will inevitably be left behind
(so to speak), resulting in 5-20 points of
damage. Attempts at release may be tried
as often as desired, but damage occurs on
each occasion, with or without success.
If Hades is somewhere within the many
rooms of the palace, which he almost
invariably is (95% chance), he will appear
to confront intruders in 1-4 turns. Although
he is instantly aware of the presence
of living beings who do not belong in
the Third Gloom, he will usually leave
them to his minions, but he will always
personally take a hand when foolhardy
adventurers muddy up his front hall! If his
queen, Persephone, is in the Lower Planes
(25% chance) there is a 30% chance that
she will accompany Hades. (Otherwise she
will be in the Nine Hells visiting Hecate,
whose company she prefers.)
Hades is treated for the most part as
per
the DEITIES & DEMIGODS book.
It should be
taken into account that, while he is fierce,
terrible, and jealous of his rights, his evil is
not always of the malicious variety; after
all, he became Lord of the Underworld by
chance, when he and his brothers (Zeus
and Poseidon) divided up the Universe
among them by choosing lots. However, he
is subject to moods of unpredictability and
cannot totally be trusted. He is also subject
to fits of lust, especially in the case of
attractive, non-human females (and if
Persephone is away).
Statistics and information on Persephone
are in the Appendix to this article.
There is also a 33% chance of the Oinodaemon
(currently Anthraxus) accompanying
them, in the palace on business. If
Hades and Persephone are both absent,
the Oinodaemon will definitely be in residence,
acting as major-domo.
Hades will politely welcome his "guests,"
inviting them to be comfortable, and to
take food and drink with him. Usually he
will not even question them as to their
purpose in his domain, and he has little
knowledge or interest in the Upper World.
"Getting comfortable" in Hades' house
could lead to entrapment in the chair of
forgetfulness (q.v.), and lunching in Erebus
is equally fraught with peril: The partaking
of any food or drink (excepting the
twin pools) indigenous to Erebus will
result in the victim's immediate physical
death, and his or her soul being bound
forever to Hades. A save vs. death magic is
allowed, but at -4 on the die.
Failing in these subterfuges, Hades will
not act directly against characters unless
attacked, but will order them out of his
house, relying on his various underlings to
ensure that they do not leave Erebus. Of
course, if he is attacked or his hospitality
blatantly violated, he will not hesitate to
use all the power at his command to crush
the impudent mortals.
Persephone, on the other hand, can be
both gracious and merciful, if she feels
that whatever quest the party is on is one
of importance, and may even attempt to
sway Hades in their favor. However, her
first loyalty is to her husband and his
kingdom, and she will act in no manner
that might endanger either.
If the Oinodaemon is alone in the
house,
he will act as per the MM II, p.30, but will
try to avoid combat within the sacred
precincts of the palace unless he is attacked
first.
It is rumored that fabulous, untold
wealth is stored in the House, perhaps
even an artifact or two, although none of
good alignment. Hades is something of a
miser, and is sometimes called Pluton, "the
rich one." There is also said to be a comprehensive
list of daemonic personal
names, which is perhaps one of the reasons
he is held in such esteem by
daemonkind.
Further, the 3 Furies (Alecto,
Tisiphone,
and Megare; DEITIES & DEMIGODS)
also have
apartments in the house of Hades, but are
not under his direct control -- their use as
an instrument of punishment is restricted
to a full council of Olympian gods. On the
roof of the palace is a stable where Hades"
black-and-gold chariot is kept, along with
the four nightmares that draw it.
Encounters in Erebus
There is much seemingly mindless activity
going on at all times in Erebus ? constant
construction, daemonic beings
hurrying hither and yon on dark incomprehensible
missions (well, almost incomprehensible;
it's certain they're up to no
good!), and thus encounter checks should
be made each turn, 1-3 on a d10 indicating
an encounter. DMs should also keep in
mind that due to the continuous "redecorating,
" characters might at times find
themselves venturing into walled areas
(something like a roofless dungeon or
labyrinth) and so surprise will become an
important factor.
All living beings are considered fair
game in Erebus, unless protected by Hades
or Persephone, and most encounters will
result in combat. More powerful beings
will always send lesser minions into the
fray first, if possible. Detailed notes on
encounters follow the table below. (Note:
All random encounters will occur beyond
a ½-mile radius of the house of Hades, this
area around the palace being sacrosanct.)
Erebus encounter table
| Dice | Encounter |
| 01-03 | Arcanadaemon |
| 04-10 | Derghodaemon |
| 11-26 | Diakk |
| 27 | Hero |
| 28-40 | Hordling |
| 41-47 | Hydrodaemon |
| 48-59 | Larva |
| 60-69 | Mephit |
| 70-76 | Mezzodaemon |
| 77 | Night Hag |
| 78 | Nycadaemon |
| 79-89 | Piscodaemon |
| 90-92 | Shade (Erebian) |
| 93 | Ultradaemon |
| 94-00 | Yagnodaemon |
Arcanadaemon
-- Should this encounter
come up, there is a 7% chance that the
characters will be in the vicinity of one of
this race's red-iron forts (MM II).
Otherwise
it is with a single arcanadaemon.
Derghodaemon -- 1-4 creatures, as per MM II.
Diakk -- 2-16 diakki; see MM II.
Hero -- Several exceptional adventurers
of myth and lejend (most commonly
known are those of the Greek mythos)
have entered and even harrowed Erebus,
for purposes of their own. Because the
Outer Planes are common to many different
eras and alternate Prime Material
Planes, it is possible for player characters
to encounter such heroes, who may aid
the party or enlist its aid in their own
quests, depending on the hero's individual
bent. Odysseus, Theseus,
and Heracles are
some examples who can be found in the
DDG book, and statistics for Orpheus
appear in this article's Appendix. The DM
should research the relevant myths if
using these heroes, or design other heroes
and heroines with their own reasons for
invading the Underworld.
Hordling -- Packs of 2-16; due to
the
random nature of hordling physical types,
these should be pre-rolled as per the MM
II.
Hydrodaemon -- Although these
lesser
daemons are most numerous in and
around the Styx, they can be found elsewhere
in Erebus in groups of 2-8, as per
MM II.
Larva -- These damned souls (see the
Monster Manual) will always be guarded
by 1-4 diakki (q.v.)and if the larvae
are
endangered, their night hag "owner"
(q.v.)
will arrive in 1-3 rounds.
Mephit -- 2-8 of these evil Lower Plane
errand-boys will be encountered, as per
the FIEND FOLIO® Tome; for specific
type
of mephit, roll d4: 1= fire, 2
= lava,
3 = smoke, 4 = steam.
Mezzodaemon -- 1-2, as per FF.
Night Hag -- 1-2, as MM
listing, and a
50% chance of nightmare (MM)
steeds.
Nycadaemon -- 1 only; see FF.
Piscodaemon -- 3-12; see MM II.
Shade -- These are the noncorporeal
spirits of those neutral evil beings who are
consigned to the eternal twilight of Erebus,
or creatures of other alignments who
are undergoing temporary punishment.
Normally, shades are invisible to living
beings, but Hades may decide to display a
shade suffering his ordained penance (see
below) either as an object lesson, or just to
be nasty. Certain spells (such as speak with
dead) may summon a shade. (Do not confuse
these creatures with shades from the
Plane of Shadow, which do not exist in the
Glooms.)
Ultradaemon -- 1 only, as per MM II.
Yagnodaemon -- 1-6; see MM II.
Crime and punishment
The following examples from Greek
mythology illustrate what sorts of
punishments
the party may witness being visited
upon some of the more unfortunate residents
of this realm. (DMs are encouraged
to be inventive in coming up with other
similar tasks.)
Sisyphus -- This man's crime was of
betraying divine secrets (further compounded
by handcuffing Hades himself,
through trickery), and he is condemned to
roll a huge boulder to the brow of a hill in
Erebus, and topple it over; however, at the
last second, the weight of the stone always
defeats him -- it bounces back down the
hill and he must repeat the entire process.
Tantalus -- Tantalus erred unforgivably
on two occasions. To begin with, he stole
divine food from an Olympian banquet to
share among his mortal friends; this in
itself was enough to incur Zeus' wrath,
but before it was even discovered, he
committed his second transgression. He
held another banquet, which the gods
attended, and when he ran short of food
served the deities his son Pelops, in a stew.
Tantalus now (and for all time) hangs from
the bough of a fruit tree in Erebus, a pool
of water near at hand. However, the food
and drink always remain just beyond his
reach, and he is perennially hungry and
thirsty.
Ixion -- Not satisfied with murdering his
fiance, Dia, Ixion then attempted to seduce
Hera, wife of Zeus
(a bad idea from the
start). Ixion was tricked by Zeus into betraying
himself, and was bound to a perpetually
burning wheel of fire which
whirls eternally around Erebus.
Note: Any attempt, however futile, to
interfere with a tormented shade?s fate
will result in the appearance of something
to deal with the blasphemers -- the DM
should roll on the Erebus encounter table,
disregarding results of hero, larva, and
shade.
Daemonic society and social order
Erebus has no rigidly defined power
structure such as exists among the lawful
denizens of the Nine Hells, nor is it the
anarchic free-for-all of the Abyss. In general ,
the strong dominate the weak by
whatever means, but there are recognizable
patterns of organization, pecking
orders, and rules of thumb to guide DMs
in setting up a cohesive adventuring milieu
in the Glooms.
Hades and Persephone
are, obviously,
the most important and powerful forces in
Erebus, but may be treated more as "spiritual
" leaders, in that they take little interest
in the mundane affairs of the Covered
Pit (almost as little as they take in Upper
World activities). All "temporal" matters
are handled by the incumbent Oinodaemon.
The position of Oinodaemon is always
held by one of a small group of unique
daemonic beings of great power, as detailed
in the MM II as of this writing
the
post is occupied by Anthraxus. Chief
among his duties is ensuring the continued
flow of tribute " gold, gems, etc. " from
the independent baronies and arcanadaemonic
city-states into Hades? coffers. As
well, the Oinodaemon oversees the perpetual
tortures/punishments that have been
ordained for specific shades (q.v.) whenever
Hades is too busy brooding to do so
himself. He must also be on constant
guard against attacks or assassination
attempts from those aforementioned
daemons who covet his office.
These daemon lords reside in rich, ostentatious
palaces whose locations are
nonetheless cloaked in secrecy, well hidden
from all except those who inhabit
them. The tyrants surround themselves
with personal armies made up of any
creatures who will serve them (for wealth
or power) regardless of the race and/or
class distinctions which form, as shall be
seen, the basis for the social structure of
the arcanadaemons.
(Note: Charon may very well be a
daemon lord of this same general type, but
he is answerable only to Hades, and his
charonadaemons, in turn, serve only him.
Charon also has some authority over hydrodaemons,
and most other daemons
fear him.)
It is the arcanadaemon civilization that
shows the most definition and organization.
The walled forts of the arcanadaemons
are in fact small cities, similar to
the city-states of ancient Greece. A council
of 2-8 arcanadaemons administrates each
city; these councils are appointed or
elected by different procedures from city
to city. Not all of the inhabitants of these
cities are full-fledged citizens, and the
requirements for citizenship are quite
specific: a citizen must be a being whose
racial name contains the suffix "daemon,"
and (in game-statistic terms) must have
greater than 11 hit dice. Intelligence is not
a factor ? the less intellectually gifted
daemons will usually form the city-state?s
army/police force. Citizens will have paid
servants (usually daemons of less than 11
HD), and unpaid slaves (subjugated non-daemonic
creatures -- mephits, hordlings,
etc.). Other powerful or useful "barbarians"
(night hags, demodands, and the like)
who have or could be valuable to the city-state
are tolerated and comparitively well
treated socially, but will never be given
citizen status. The actual privelages of a
citizen differ in each city-state, each state
being autonomous and self-sufficient.
At the bottom of the heap (and this
applies throughout Erebus) are larvae and
shades, who have no status at all; larvae
are little more than commodities, while
shades are "non-persons" to be either
ignored or punished at Hade's command.
Border greater greater daemons, however, have
been to entertian themselves with
such diversions as flinging fruits and veggies
at Tantalus (q.v.) <link>
The city-states of the arcanadaemon
race are in a constant state of flux as far
as their relationships to one another are
concerned: wars are fought, treaties are
signed; alliances are formed and broken;
espionage is planned or thwarted. Only if
Erebus were to be threatened by a sizable
and mighty outside force would all of the
city-states band together at once. It is also
not unknown for one of the daemon lords
to temporarily abandon intrigues against
his peers for the Oinodaemonship in favor
of invading a neighboring city-state, and
vice versa.
Note well, however, that none of the
beings in Erebus, in any combination, will
attempt to usurp Hades' position of ultimate
ruler, for any reason whatsoever.
Life in the land of the dead
From the above overview of daemonic
society, and by consulting encounter information
(and hints and specifics throughout
this article) as well as official material in
the various manuals, the DM should have
little trouble envisioning a comprehensive
Erebian "culture," at least as far as one
exists. To further facilitate this, the following
section examines in slightly more detail
what Roger Moore refers to as "What
night hags do all day." This general "pattern of
behavior" may then serve as a
guideline to handling other denizens of
this place, when such creatures are not
dealt with elsewhere.
Night hags are tolerated (if not necessarily
respected) by all major demons, devils
and daemons throughout the Lower
Planes (and, by extension, down through the
pecking orders). This tolerance is, of
course, due to their traffic in larvae
(q.v.).
What has been hitherto unrevealed
concerning larvae is their need to be
sprayed regularly with human or demi-human
blood, in order to remain hale and
healthy (or rather, un -healthy!). At least
4 times daily (every 6 hours), each
larva must be sprinkled with about 1
ounce of this substance, which is then
absorbed by its wrinkled, wormy skin.
Thus, the night hag herself ranges the
Prime Material Plane not merely working
random evil, as has been assumed, but
also collecting nourishment for her "cash-flock."
(The blood of good-aligned beings is
held to be of superior nutritional quality
to any other type, by the way.) Vials or
flasks of bone are the most common vessels
for collection and storage of the precious
liquid; these are then usually buried
near the plots of ground allotted to hags
for their herds, complete with diakka
guards.
Whennot gathering or watering her
charges, a night hag will be off negotiating
for the trading and/or acquisition of larva,
or perhaps bartering with others of
her kind for blook, should heer own supply
be low or spent. (Living adventurers in the
Glooms would, of course, be considered
wonderful sources.)
Hags will defend to the death the source
of their livelihood, and each will come to
the defense of another hag's property,
especially if the benefactor can work out
some deal with the beneficiary in return
for the promise of such aid.
Other intelligent inhabitants of Erebus
will have similarly unattractive hobbies
and/or occupations.
Special conditions
The environment of the 3 Glooms is
very different from that of the Prime;
Hades has adapted the
plane over countless millennia to suit his
own somber and isolated personality.
Despite the PRESENCE of numerous lava
pools, it is always uncomfortably cold in
Erebus, and eternal state of early winter.
Lighting throughout the Glooms is consistent
and, well, gloomy -- all creatures
not native, to the Lower Planes can see as
well as a human at dusk, but no better.
Further, since what light does exist is
emitted from the atmosphere itself rather
than from a single source, no shadows were
ever cast -- an eerie effect in so dark a
place. Torches, lanterns, etc. will be
"damped" as well in the Glooms, to confirm
to these conditions -- Hades does not
want anyone to "brighten up his day."
Other effects of this phenomena will be
evident in sections to come.
Spell alterations
Magical conditions are in many cases
much changed from those familiar to spellcasters
from the Prime.
For example, necromantic spells are the
the special province of Hades, and in any
event he does not allow, in Erebus, the use
of any spells that heal or restore life -- his
is, after all, a Land of the Dead. His clerics
are granted curative spells on other
planes, with the proviso that they be used
sparingly and only on other servants of
Hades.
There are a number of other factors at
work in the magickal framework of the
Glooms that will serve to warp or negate
spell functions. A list of spells from the
Players Handbook and Unearthed
Arcana
follows, with notes on unusual results. A
letter in parentheses after the spell name
indicates tha tthe normal effect is negated
or altered for a specific reason:
(P) -- involves communication with or
travel to a plane that does not connect
with the Glooms, and thus is ineffective.
(N) -- indicates spells under Hades'
direct
control, and so may be altered if not negated.
He allows the reverse of curative
spells, even if the victims are to be his own
"troops." Death is death, after all, and his
horde of servant is unlimited.
(C) -- indicates will-force "charm" spells
which may not work, either because of
exceptional wisdom scores or innate resistance
(e.g., all domestic life forms are immune
to: charm and suggestion spells):
(I) -- indicates illusion/phantasm magics
that may be ineffective against with
exceptional INT.
(U) -- indicates that the 3 Glooms
are an unnatural environment; therefore
spells utilizing natural forces or affecting
"natural" creatures (i.e., insects or mammals)
will fail, unless or plants on
which the spell is CAST were transported
from the Prime.
(L) -- refers tot he fact that Hades prefers
his realm to remain constantly
gloomy; thus, any light (or darkness) spells
will fail. In addition, those spells which
shed light as a byproduct (such as fireball)
will function normally as to damage inflicted, etc.
but will provide no illumination.
Note that those native creatures with
spell-like abilities of light and darkness will
hesitate to USE them for fear of displeasing
Hades.
(E) -- indicates that the overpowering
evil that pervades the Glooms may cause
certain spells to misfire or fail.
As on other Outer Planes, clerics, druids,
and higher-level paladins will be unable to
recover spells of the 3rd level or higher,
since these are granted directly by deites
and their servant, and such beings will
not interfere
Cleric spells
Abjure - (E); the reverse of this spell,
implore, will attract Hades'
attention.
Within 1-4 rounds, 2-8 arcanadaemon will
be dispatched to investigate.
Aerial servant -- (P); no link
to Elemental
Plane of Air.
Aid -- (E); recipient suffers the effects
of
a curse
Air walk -- (U); X
Animate dead -- (N); X
Animate dead monsters -- (N); X
Animate
object -- No animated object
will attack a permanent resident of the
Lower Planes.
Astral spell
-- This spell can only be
used to reach the 1st Gloom, or to travel
from there to the Prime Material Plane,
Tartarus, or Gehenna.
Atonement
-- (P); the cleric will know
before casting the spell that it will fail
unless the cleric's deity reside sin one of
the Glooms of Hades.
Bless -- (E); the bless is warped into
its
reverse, curse.
Ceremony -
(E); the various applications
of this spell will react in opposition to the
regular effect or simply will not function.
The applications are as follows:
Coming
of age -- (E); results in curse
on good recipient.
Burial
-- (E); corpse is protected from
good rather than evil.
Marriage
-- (E); no marriage made in
Hades can be saved.
Dedication
-- (E); spell makes recipient
dedicated to evil.
Investiture
-- Effective only in the
investiture of an aspiring
1st-level evil
cleric.
Consecrate
item -- (E); ceremony
desecrates any item useful
in good-aligned
religious ceremonies.
Evil ceremonial
items are consecrated as
normal.
Ordination
-- Ceremony works only
in the ordination of evil
clerics.
Special
vows -- Ceremony works only
in regard to evil cavaliers
or anti-paladins.
In this respect, special
vows
work as normal (with the
exception
that a recipient of a quest
from a similarly
aligned caster has a -5
on saving throw).
Consecrate
ground -- (E); ceremony
works normally for evil
clerics. A good
cleric conducting this ceremony
will
desecrate the area in question,
making
it usable for evil purposes
only.
Anathematize
--Spell will work only
on non-native inhabitants
of the plane.
Chant -- (E); duration is limited to
1
round/level of the cleric.
Cloak of fear -- (I)
Cloudburst -- (U); X
Command -- (C)
Commune -- (P); see atonement
Combine -- Ineffective when combining
abilities to TURN undead.
Conjure
animals -- (U); any "animal" that
might be found in the Glooms is a "monster" for spell purposes.
Continual light (all) -- (L); X
Control weather -- (U); X
Create water -- The reverse of
this spell
cannot be used to destroy any of the native
waters of the Glooms.
Cure
blindness -- (E); this spell will be
twisted into its reverse; no effect vs. deities,
demigods or supernatural servants.
Cure disease -- (E); see cure blindness.
Cure/cause
wounds (all) -- (N); only
cause modes will function.
Death's door -- (E); renders recipient
an
additional 1-9 HP below 0.
Detect evil/good
-- (E); this spell is almost
useless in both its aspects. Detect good will
register only an absence of evil in good or
neutral beings.
Detect lie -- Ineffective against deities & demigods.
Detect life -- Will only function if used on living creatures native to the Prime Material Plane.
Detect magick
-- All the Glooms are
highly magickal, making this spell useless
except to detect non-magickal items.
Dispel magick
-- Ineffective against the
magickal properties of the plane; if cast at a
person or persons who have travelled to
the Glooms via an astral spell, it will send
them (if successful) back to the plane of
origin.
Divination -- (P), see atonement.
Dust devil -- (P); X; will attract
Charon's
attention.
Earthquake -- (U); X
Enthrall -- (C)
Exaction -- (P); X; this spell results
only
in attracting Hades' attention.
Within 1-4
rounds, the Oinodaemon will appear and
investigate.
Exorcise -- No effect on items that
have
had powers altered by the environment of
the Glooms.
Feign death
-- (N); any being not native
to the Lower Planes who has this spell cast
upon it must save vs. death magick or the
feigned death will be real death.
Find the path -- (U); X
Flame strike -- (L)
Forbiddance -- (E); spells works
only in
respect to NE clerics, and has no effect
on Hades himself.
Gate -- No deity who does
not live in the
3 Glooms will come through a gate
cast there, and any being summoned from
another plane will recognize its surroundings
and very likely depart at once. Hades
will always know when a gate is opened
into Erebus, and within 1-4 rounds will
have dispatched 2-8 lesser daemons to
check it out.
Giant insect -- (U)
Glyph of warding -- (U); ineffective
if
not cast by a creature native to the Lower Planes.
Golem -- X; due to the necessity of a
prayer spell being used in the casting, this
spell will only work in cases described
above for atonement.
Heal -- (N); see cure/cause wounds. .
Heroes' feast -- Anyone partaking
of a
heroes' feast in the domain of Hades suffers
reversed effects: they are immediately
affected by cure disease and poison, and
take 5-8 points of damage after imbibing
the beverage that is a part of the feast.
Th efood renders a curse (as per the reverse
of a bless spell) upon those who eat
it. In addition, any characters or creatures
partaking of the feast are extremely susceptible
to fear, hopelessness, and panic
for 12 hours afterward.
Holy symbol -- (E); effective only
in
creating an unholy symbol.
Holy/unholy word -- (E); holy
word will
fail completely, while an unholy word will
send good creatures back to their own
plane, including any good-aligned party
members within the AREA of spell effect.
Insect Plague -- (U)
Invisibility to undead -- (N); X
Know alignment -- See detect evil/good.
Locate
object -- This cannot be used to
locate deities, nor their magickal weapons
and devices.
Lower water
-- (U); this spell will not
affect the "natural" waters of the Glooms,
such as the pool of Lethe.
Magic font -- This spell works only
for
evil clerics whose deities reside in 1 of
the Glooms.
Magical vestment -- (E); will not function
for good clerics because of the absence of
consecrated group in Erebus.
Meld into stone -- (U); X
Messenger -- (U)
Negative plane protection -- (P); X
Neutralize
poison -- (E); only the reverse,
poison, functions;
it does not affect
deities of this plane.
Part water -- See lower water.
Precipitation -- (U); X
Protection
from evil/good
(all) -- (E); only
good may be protected against, at double
strength.
Purify
food and drink -- This spell does
not affect food and drink indigenous to
Erebus.
Quest -- (C)
Rainbow -- (U); X
Raise dead -- (N); only slay living functions.
Regenerate -- (N); see cure/cause wounds.
Remove curse
-- (E); when cast, this spell
will function as a bestow
curse, and is permanent.
Remove paralysis -- (E); reverse
of spell,
cause paralysis,
occurs.
Remove/cause fear -- (C)
Restoration -- (N); see cure/cause wounds.
Resurrection -- (N); see cure/cause wounds.
SANCTUARY -- This spell is ineffective
against deities and greater daemons; other
creatures attacking the caster are allowed
a +2 on their SAVE vs. spell.
Slow poison -- (N); X <is something missing here?>
Snake charm -- (U)
Speak with animals -- (U)
Speak with dead -- The casting
of this
spell will result in the summoning of a
shade (q.v.), and differs from the Players
Handbook description in that "time
dead"
is not a factor. The shade will remain for
2-7 rounds, during which time 1 question
per round may be asked and answered,
according to the shade's knowledge. Note
that should the caster concentrate on a
specific "ghost," that shade will appear if
the person in questioni was indeed consigned
to Erebus.
Speak with monsters -- Note
that this
includes shades (q.v.)
Speak
with plants -- (U); speak with
monsters is
required to commuicate with
vegetation natural to the Glooms.
Spike growth -- (U); X
Spiritual hammer -- See atonement.
Sticks to snakes -- (U)
Stone tell -- (U)
Succor -- See word of recall below.
Symbol -- Will not affect deities or demigods.
True seeing
-- Use of this spell will expose
the ultimate, unrelenting evil that
permeates the Glooms, and if the spellcaster
is of good alignment he will be
stunned and helpless for 25 rounds. After
the stunning effect wears off, a saving
throw vs. spell must be made (wisdom
bonuses for mental saves applicable) or
the victim will be stricken as if by
feeblemind. Deities and creatures of the
Lower Planes may use this spell safely.
Water walk -- (U); X
Word of recall -- If a cleric
in Erebus has
his sanctuary on the Prime Material Plane,
there is a 20% chance that he will be lost
upon casting this spell, as per the DMG, p.
42.
Druid spells
Animal friendship -- (U)
Animal growth -- (U)
Animal summoning I -- (U)
Animal summoning II -- (U)
Animal summoning III -- (U)
Animate rock -- See cleric spell animate object.
Anti-animal shell -- (U)
Anti-plant shell -- (U)
Call lightning -- (U); X
Call woodland beings -- (U)
CEREMONY -- See cleric spell.
Changestaff -- (U)
Chariot of Sustarre -- (P);
X
Charm
person or mammal -- (C); (U)
Cloudburst -- (U); X
Commune with nature -- (U)
Confusion -- (C)
Conjure elemental (all) --
(P); X; will,
however, attract Charon's attention.
Control weather -- See cleric spell create food and water. <missing spell>
Creeping doom -- (U)
Cure disease -- See cleric spell.
Cure/cause wounds (all) -- See cleric spell.
Detect balance -- (E); preponderance
of
neutral evil will render this spell nearly
worthless. See cleric spell detect evil/good.
Detect magick -- See cleric spell.
Dispel magick -- See cleric
spell.
Entangle -- (U)
Faerie Fire -- (L)
Feeblemind -- (C)
Feign death -- See cleric spell.
Fire seeds -- (L)
Fire storm -- (L)
Flame blade -- (L)
Goodberry -- (U); neither the positive
nor reversed version of this spell will
work.
Hallucinatory forest -- (I)
Hold animal -- (U)
Hold plant -- (U)
Insect plague -- (U)
Invisibility to animals -- (U)
Know alignment -- See cleric
spell detect
evil/good.
Liveoak -- (U); X
Locate animals -- (U)
Moonbeam -- (L); X
Neutralize poison -- See cleric spell.
Pass plant -- (U)
Plant door -- (U)
Plant growth -- (U)
Precipitation -- (U); X
Predict weather -- (U); X
Produce fire -- (L)
Produce flame -- (L)
Purify water -- See cleric spell
purify
food and drink.
Pyrotechnics
-- (L); only the smoke
mode will function.
Reflecting pool -- (U); X
Reincarnate -- (N); X
Repel insects -- (U)
Slow poison -- (E); see cleric
spell. <?>
Speak with animals -- See
cleric
spell. <?>
Speak with plants -- See
cleric
spell.
Spike growth -- See cleric
spell.
Spike stones -- See cleric
spell. <?>
Starshine -- (L); X
Sticks to snakes -- See cleric spell.
Summon insects -- (U)
Sunray -- (L); X
Transmute metal to wood -- (U); X
Transmute rock to mud -- (U); X
Transmute water to dust -- (U); X
Transport via plants -- (U)
TURN wood (U)
Wall of fire -- (L)
Warp wood -- (U)
Water
breathing -- (U); (E); the duration
of the spell is halved (3 turns/level) in any
"natural" waters of the Three Glooms.
Weather summoning -- U; X
Magic-user spells
Cantrips --
(Variable); the majority of
cantrips have a limited use on this plane.
Specifics, by category, are as follows:
Useful -- (U); all magics in this
category
work only on materials transported
from the Prime Material Plane.
Reversed -- (U); same as for
useful
cantrips.
Legerdemain -- (U) for change,
mute,
and present; (I) for hide
and palm.
Distract works normally.
Person-affecting -- (C)
Personal -- (L) for bluelight
and firefinger.
Bee, bug,
gnats,
mouse,
and
spider do not work, while smokepuff,
tweak, and unlock
work normally.
Haunting-sound -- (I) for
all except
whistle, which works normally.
Affect normal fires -- (L);
use of this
spell will reduce or increase the size of the
flame only, not its light output.
Airy water -- See druid spell. <?>
Animal growth -- See druid spell.
Antipathy/sympathy -- (C)
Astral spell -- See cleric
spell.
Audible glamer -- (I)
Banishment -- (P); spell is ineffective,
but
if attempted it will attract the attention of
Hades, who will dispatch the Oinodaemon
to investigate.
Binding -- (P); spell will succeed
only in
attracting the attention of Hades,
who will
dispatch either the Oinodaemon
(30%
chance) or 2-8 arcanadaemons
(70%) to
investigate.
Blink -- (P); X; no contact with the
Ethereal
Plane.
Burning hands -- (L)
Cacodemon -- (P)
Chain lightning -- (L)
Charm monster -- (C)
Charm person -- See druid spell
charm
person or mammal.
Charm plants -- (U)
Clone -- (N); X
Cloudburst -- (U); X
Confusion -- See druid spell.
Conjure elemental -- (P);
X; will attract
the attention of Charon.
Contact
other dimension -- Careful record
must be kept of how far away an other-planar
power is. (e.g., a being from the
Elemental Plane of Fire would be 4 planes
removed, requiring the spell to cross the
Astral, Prime Material,
and Ether Dimensions.)
Contingency -- This spell only
functions
with respect to other spells that work
(normally or otherwise) on Erebus.
Continual light (all) -- (L); X
Control weather -- See cleric spell.
Crystalbrittle -- (U)
Dancing lights -- (L)
Darkness, 15' radius -- (L); X
Deeppockets -- Spell functions
normally,
except that 40% of the time, materials
placed in the pockets are irretrievably
gated to the First Gloom.
Delayed blast fireball -- (L)
Demand -- (C)
Detect evil/good (all) -- See cleric spell.
Detect
invisibility -- No ethereal or outof-
phase objects will be seen, as the
Glooms have no contact with the Ethereal
Plane, and only from the First Gloom can
astral objects or beings be seen.
Detect magic -- See cleric spell.
Dig -- (U); X; Erebus
is composed of rock
and marble -- even the trees root in stone.
Dimension
door -- Functions only from
the First Gloom.
Disintegrate -- Deities will re-form
into
material shape: greater gods, 1-4 hours;
lesser gods, 2-8 hours; demigods, 3-12
hours.
Eyebite -- (C)
Fabricate -- (C); material from the
Prime
Material Plane can only be fabricated into
something else native to that plane.
Feeblemind -- See druid spell.
Feign death -- See cleric spell.
Find familiar --If successful, this
spell
will only be answered for NE
magic-users, and will call a nalg (see
DRAGON® #86).
Fire charm -- (L); (C); see druid
spell
charm person or mammal.
Fire shield -- (L)
Fire trap -- (L)
Fireball -- (L)
Firewater -- (U), (L); spell works
only on
materials transported from the Prime
Material Plane, and light is not emitted
from the flame.
Flame arrow -- (L)
Flaming sphere -- (L)
Forget -- (C); ineffective vs. daemons.
Friends -- (C)
Gate -- See cleric spell.
Geas -- (C); ineffective vs. daemons.
Guards and wards -- Note separate
spell
effects such as suggestion.
Hallucinatory terrain -- (I)
Hold monster -- (C)
Hold portal -- A deity or demigod
will
negate the spell effect by touch.
Identify -- Only vague information
will
be received if the spell is cast on an artifact,
major weapon, or device used by a
deity, such as Hades' chair of
forgetfulness.
Imprisonment/freedom -- (E); X
Infravision -- (L); X
Invisible stalker -- (P); X
Invisibility
(all) -- The DM must check all
daemons' chances for detecting
invisibility
as per intelligence and hit dice, DMG, p.60.
Irritation -- (U)
Item -- (U)
Know alignment -- (E); see cleric
spell
detect evil/good.
Lejend lore -- On<ly> vague information
will be available on beings, places, or
things native to the Glooms.
Leomund's lamentable belabourment -- (C)
Leomund's secret chest
-- (P); contact
with Ethereal Plane required.
Leomund's secure shelter
-- (U); the
spell, however, does summon one shade,
as per unseen servant.
Lightning bolt -- (L)
Limited wish
-- No wish-type spell will
affect a deity on its plane of origin, and
attempting to use it thus will cause Hades
to send 1-6 greater daemons to attack the <greater=arcanadaemon,
ultrodaemon,
mezzodaemon?,
nycadaemon?>
caster. A limited wish will allow a being to
depart for another plane, but will not
summon a creature from a different plane.
Shadows in Erebus cannot be affected by <shadows or shades?>
wishes.
Locate object -- See cleric spell.
Lower water -- See cleric spell.
Magic jar -- (I)
Magic mirror -- Peering from one
Gloom
to another is as to another plane ( -25%
penalty). Use of such an item will immediately
alert any daemonic life forms being
peered at to the user's location. If the
viewer is on the same plane as the
daemon, the daemon will know the viewer
's direction and approximate distance
after 1-4 rounds. If the viewer is on a
different plane, the daemon will know
these facts after 3-12 rounds.
Magic mouth
-- Cannot be set to "trigger
" for "deity" without a specific description
of the god involved.
Mass charm -- (C)
Massmorph-- (I)
Material -- (U); X
Maze -- See cleric
spell true seeing for
effects.
Melf's minute meteor -- (L)
Melt -- (U)
Meteor swarm -- (L)
Mirror image -- (L)
Monster summoning (all) -- Summons
only Erebian shades. (1 shade per level of
the spell, i.e., I, II,
III,
etc.) If any attempt is
made to control the shade(s), Hades
may
well send 1-6 hordlings to punish such
impudence on the summoner's part.
Shades called in this manner will remain 1-
4 rounds,
Mordenkainen's disjunction
-- Ineffective
against any magic items indigenous to
Erebus.
Mordenkainen's
magnificent mansion --
(P); this spell will fail, and there is a 20%
chance that the caster will be instantly
transported to the First Gloom.
Mordenkainen's sword --
Will attack
astral beings only if cast from the First
Gloom, and does not reach into the Ethereal
Plane or hit out-of-phase opponents.
Mount -- (U); X
Move earth -- See dig.
Otto's irresistible dance
-- Deities, demigods,
and daemons do not dance.
Part water -- See cleric spell.
Phantasmal force -- (I)
Plant growth -- (U)
Polymorph
self -- Cannot be used to
assume the appearance of a specific deity.
Power word (all) -- Ineffective against
deities or demigods.
Precipitation -- (U); X
Preserve -- See cleric spell purify
food
and drink.
Project
image -- (I); if the image is recognized
as false, a being capable of negating
it will do so.
Protection from evil/good
(all) -- See
cleric spell.
Pyrotechnics - See druid spell.
Ray of enfeeblement -- (C)
Reincarnation -- See druid spell.
Remove curse -- See cleric spell.
Rope trick
-- There is a 20% chance that
the "extra-dimensional space" will be on
the First Gloom.
Scare -- (C)
Sending -- A failed attempt to send
a
message to another plane results in the
message being received by Hades, who
will dispatch 2-8 arcanadaemons.
Sepia snake sigil -- (L)
Sequester -- (I)
Simulacrum -- (I)
Sink (UA) -
Sleep - No effect on deities or demi-gods.
SLOW -- Will affect a deity or demigod
for but one round.
Spiritwrack -- Daemons may be affected by this spell.
Stoneskin -- (U)
Succor -- See cleric
spell.
Suggestion -- (C)
Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter -- (C)
Taunt -- (I)
Teleport -- Cannot be used to cross planes.
Teleport
without error -- Caster can use
spell to enter and exit Erebus, but will
have an added 20% chance of error. Failure
results in the caster being teleported
randomly.
Time stop -- Deities will be able
to use
innate magical abilities to escape death,
and will be aware of all that is occuring.
Torment -- (C)
Transmute rock to mud -- See druid spell.
Transmute water to dust -- (U); X
Trap the soul -- no effect on deities.
Truename -- Spell effects vary as
follows:
(C) for multiple suggestion or weakness
and surrender; (U) for polymorph,
which works only on items brought with
the caster to Erebus; and transport is limited
in power as is teleport without error
(see above).
Ultravision
-- Spell-induced sight is
reduced by 50%, as given in Unearthed
Arcana.
Unseen servant -- 1 Erebian shade,
as
per monster summoning.
Vanish -- (P); requires contact with
the
Ethereal Plane.
Ventriloquism -- (I)
Wall of fire -- See druid spell.
Water breathing -- See druid spell.
Wind wall -- (U); X
Wish -- A wish allows
entry or exit, and
shades may be affected. Deities can be
contacted as per usual with spells of this
type (see atonement). See also limited
wish.
Zephyr -- (U); X
Illusionist spells
Cantrips -- General information
as given
above for M-U cantrips applies to
illusionist cantrips as well. Special limitations
are as follows:
Colored lights
-- (L); X
Dim -- (L); X
Haze -- (U); X
Mirage -- (I)
Noise -- (I)
Rainbow -- (L);
X
Two-D'lusion
-- (I)
Advanced illusion -- (I)
Alter reality -- See m-u spell limited wish.
Alter self -- (I)
Astral spell -- See cleric spell.
Audible glamer -- See m-u spell.
Blindness -- (I)
Blur -- (I)
Change self -- (I)
Chaos -- (C)
Chromatic orb -- The special powers
of
this spell are limited in a variety of manners,
according to the color of the orb
generated:
Pearly -- (L); X
Ruby -- (U)
Flame -- (L); will only work on materials
not indigenous to Erebus.
Sapphire -- X
Amethys -- X
Ashen -- (N); X
Color spray -- (L)
Confusion -- See druid spell.
Conjure animals -- See cleric spell.
Continual darkness (all)
-- See m-u spell
darkness 15' radius.
Continual light (all) -- See
cleric
spell.
Dancing lights -- See m-u spell.
Deafness -- (1)
Delude -- See cleric spell detect evil/good.
Demi-shadow
magic -- (I); victims who
fail saving throws take only 1/2 damage.
Demi-shadow
monsters -- (I); all monsters
have 1/2 the given HP and
inflict 1/2 the given damage
against victims who make their saves,
due to the remoteness of the
Glooms in relation to tthe Plane of Shadow.
Detect invisibility -- See m-u spell.
Detect magick -- See cleric spell.
Dispel exhaustion -- (I)
Dispel magick -- See cleric spell.
Dream -- Spell is limited by case as
determined by these guidelines (see m-u
spells wish and limited
wish for helpful
information).
Emotion -- (C)
Fascinate -- (I)
Hallucinatory terrain -- See m-u spell.
Hypnotic pattern -- (I); ineffective
against deities and demigods.
Hypnotism -- (C)
Illusionary script -- (I);
ineffective
against deities and demigods.
Improved phantasmal force -- (I)
Invisibility (all) -- See m-u spell.
Magic mouth -- See m-u spell.
Mass suggestion -- (C)
Mirage arcane -- (I)
Mirror image -- See m-u spell.
Misdirection -- (I)
Mislead -- (I)
Non-detection -- Will not prevent
detection
by deities or demigods.
Paralyzation -- (I); does not
prevent the
use of spell-like abilities by deities.
Phantasmagoria (I)
Phantasmal force -- See m-u spell.
Phantasmal killer -- (I); ineffective against deities and demigods.
Phantom armor -- (I)
Programmed illusion -- (I)
Projected image -- See m-u spell.
Rainbow pattern -- (L); X
Rope trick -- See m-u spell.
Shades -- See shadow
monsters (Note:
do not confuse with native Erebian shades.)
Shadow door -- (I) will not fool
a deity
of average or better INT.
Shadow magic -- See demi-shadow magic.
Shadow monsters -- See demi-shadow monsters.
Shadow walk -- X
Spectral force -- (I)
Spook -- (I)
Suggestion -- See m-u spell.
Summon shadow -- (P); X; no link to Negative Material Plane.
Tempus fugit -- (I); will not work
on
natives of Erebus.
True sight -- See cleric spell true seeing.
Ultravision -- See m-u spell.
Vacancy (I)
Veil (I)
Ventriloquism -- See m-u spell.
Vision -- (P); this spell functions
only
from the 1st Gloom, and even then no
contact can be made with the Elemental,
Ethereal, or Positive/Negative Material Planes.
Weird -- (I); combat will occur as normal,
though it is impossible to kill any relatives
of Erebus.
Wraithform -- (I)
1st-Level Magic-User
Spells -- See
appropriate m-u spell.
Magic item alterations
Any power of a magic item that duplicates
a spell or spell-like effect described
in the above section on spell alterations (or in the description of
the general properties of Erebus) will be altered in like manner.
Scrolls: Most protection scrolls function normally, except that one of protection from traps will not function against traps in the house of Hades.
Potions: A potion of etherealness or
treasure finding will not function in the
3 Glooms, nor will a potion
of undead
control or a potion of
rainbow hues. A
potion of animal control is ineffective
against indigenous animal life.
Rings: Neither a ring of djinni summoning
nor one of elemental control will
work, as no connections are available to
the Elemental Planes. A ring of animal
friendship will not affect natives of Erebus,
and a ring of blinking is totally ineffective.
A ring of mind shielding has the
same limitations as an ESP spell in shielding
with regard to the natives of Erebus. Rings
of protection are altered
as per magic
armors, below.
Wands/Staves/Rods: A rod of beguiling or
rulership, as well as a staff of command
and a wand of size alteration, will be ineffective
against beings on their native planes. A wand of
Metal and mineral detection is non-functional
Weapon-like functions of devices such
as the rod of lordly might,
are affected as
per the following section on weapons.
Weapons, armor and protective devices:
All magical weapons and armor (including
rings of protection)
will have "plusses"
lowered by 1 on the 1st Gloom, 2 in any
of the kingdoms of the 2nd Gloom, and
3 in Erebus. This applies also to cursed
items, but in the reversed direction. Further,
any weapons of "good" alignment will
suffer a -1 penal ty "to hit" due to the
inherent evil of the Glooms. (Note that
none of the above stipulations apply to
artifacts or other items which have multi-planar
existence.) Bracers of defense function
normally.
Miscellaneous devices: Any device that
summons creatures from the Elemental,
Ethereal, or Positive/Negative Material
Planes will be unable to use such powers.
Artifacts, however, function normally in
all respects.
Amulet of the Planes:
Usable only from
the 1st Gloom, to connect with the bordering
planes.
Amulet versus undead will not function.
Bag of devouring: Will
disappear as soon
as the bearer enters the 1st Gloom.
Book of exalted deeds:
This tome must
make a SAVE vs. disintegration
upon 1st being introduced into any of the
Glooms, or crumble to dust.
Candle of invocation
(incense of meditation,
necklace of prayer
beads): will not
function unless the cleric's deity resides in
1 of the 3 Glooms.
Crystal ball: Note that for
purposes of
scrying, peering from 1 Gloom to another
is as to another plane (-25% penalty).
Cubic gate (well
of many worlds): Opens
a path to any plane from any other plane.
Deck of many things:
All plaques drawn
function normally, with the exception of
the Skull; this card in the Glooms summons
a major death! (i.e., a minor death
given more power due to the nature of the
Glooms -- AC -5, Move 24", HP 99, No. of
Attacks 4, Damage/Attack (scythe) 5-20,
MR 55%, engages in combat and saves as a
16th-level <Lord>, and is immune to mental
attack forms. )
Horn of blasting: Will
not weaken or
destroy any structure in the Glooms.
Iron flask: Will not capture
natives of
the Glooms; on the other hand, a nycadaemon,
night hag or mezzodaemon released
from a flask will know where it is,
and try to summon aid to destroy
whoever released it, and any companions.
Pipes of the sewers: No rats exist in Erebus.
Portable hole: Functions
normally, except
that 20% of the Time a gate will open
onto the 1st Gloom. The same limitation
applies to a girdle of
many pouches, a
pouch of access, and Heward's handy
haversack.
Sphere of annihilation:
These phenomena
do not and cannot exist in the Glooms.
Talisman of pure good: Non-functional.
Trident of fish command:
Any aquatic
life (i.e., in the Styx) is unaffected.
Note that any artifacts or relics extant in
Erebus will be secure in Hades' house,
and
none would be of good alignment.
Psionic alterations
Psionics function with only minor modifications,
listed below. Combat by psionics
is handled
Animal telepathy -- All natives
of Erebus
are classed as "monsters." <cf. "Monster,
The Term>
Astral projection -- See cleric's astral spell.
Body equilibrium -- Anyone
using this
discipline to walk upon the waters of the
Styx will be subject to the effects of those
waters.
Detection of good or evil
-- See cleric
spell detect evil.
Detection of magick -- See cleric spell detect magick.
Dimension door -- See m-u spell.
Dimension walk -- Although the
character
cannot cross dimensions with this
talent, he might end up in another Gloom
if the powerw "malfunctions."
Domination -- (C)
Etherealness -- (P); no contact with the Ethereal Plane.
Hypnosis -- Note intelligence ranges;
deities and demigods immune.
Invisibility -- As this is a mind-control
talent, it is not treated as illusion/phantasm;
the chart on DMG p.60 does
not apply.
Mass domination -- (C)
Molecular agitation (manipulation,
rearrangement)
--
The magickal weapons and tools of the gods cannot be
affected by these talents.
Object reading -- If used in
Erebus,
scenes from Greek mythology will be
viewed.
Probability travel -- See
cleric spell
plane shift. <?>
Sensitivity to
psychic impressions --
See cleric spell true seeing.
Shape alteration -- See m-u spell polymorph self.
Telempathic projection
-- (C)
Telepathic projection
-- (C)
Teleportation -- See m-u spell teleport.
Character ability alterations
Due to the innate and absolute evil of
the 3 Glooms, all characters of "good"
alignment will suffer a -1 penalty "to hit"
while on this plane.
Assassins cannot successfully disguise
themselves as a deity, see also the
notes concerning thieves.
Bards should consult the notes for
thieves and the references to bards earlier
in this article. Lejend lore ability is unaffected.
Clerics have no power against the undead
in Erebus (including Shades, which may
be classed as undead) as death is the
province of Hades exclusively.
See also
clerical spell alterations.
Druids see appropriate spell alterations.
Fighters function normally, although
magickal items may be allowed.
Illusionists see appropriate spell alterations.
Magic-users see appropriate spell alterations.
Monks cannot speak with animals or
plants, and the quivering palm attack is
useless against deities or other creatures
affected only by magic weapons.
Paladins will find their laying
on hands
ability negated, as well as that of, undead-turning;
see also clerical spell alterations, where applicable.
Rangers may re-learn druid spells of
1st
and 2nd level, and all m-u spells (see applicable
alterations); their tracking ability is
unfortunately useless in Erebus.
Thieves will find hide in shadows to
be
ineffective in Erebus, due to the complete
lack of shadows! Stealing from Hades
or
Persephone is punishable by death by
SLOW torture.
Appendix:
Persephone (Queen of the Underworld)
Orpheus (Patron of Bards)
Afterword
The 3rd Gloom of Hades -- not a safe
place for less than 4-8 characters, each of
at least 10th level, to go gallivanting about
in! Because of the life-negating quality of
Erebus, clerics are of little or no value to a
party, while magic-users will find themselves
in unusual danger due t othe unpredictable
twisting and/or malfunctioning of
many spells. Fighter classes should be
arcanely well-armed and protected, but
not, of course, to the POINT of Game imbalance
and indiscriminate god-bashing.
Properly warded thieves and assassins of
high level should function almost normally
as well; a brave assassin might even find
that class's skills in demand among the
various overlords, barons and councils.
The PRESENCE of a bard of 12th level or
higher can also be of great advantage, as
has been indicated previously, In some
cases, the DM may also feel the need for
an NPC hero (see the Erebus encounter <>
table) to act as a guide, or to provide additional
muscle. (Such a hero should not be
subject to use by the party as hordling-fodder,
or be always counted upon to get
them out of trouble.)
But why, we may ask, would any adventurer
in his or her right mind, of whatever
level or type, go crashing into this gods-forsaken
place?
After all, the sole reason for existence
for most of the intelligent creatures in this
dark realm is to accumulate wealth and
personal power in the most enjoyable
manner possible — by the oppresion and/
or death of the weak and the good. True,
some races have “jobs,” but essentially they
revel in the eternal struggle for the dominance
of evil.
Still, according to myth and legend (both
of the Greek and AD&D game varieties),
good reasons abound for invading Erebus.
(And who said adventurers were in their
right minds anyway?)
There is that most noble of all purposes,
close to the hearts of all paladins — the
confrontation with (and with any luck,
defeat of) the forces of evil on their home
ground, which often goes hand-in-gauntlet
with the glory and honor inherent in
descending into the Hall of Death and
returning to tell of it (or at least becoming
the posthumous subject of a rousing saga).
Or, like Orpheus, a character (or NPC)
may have lost a loved one to Hades unjustly,
and may mount an expedition in
hopes of bringing the victim back up into
the light of day. The gods themselves
might even set such a task to the proper
group of heroic characters.
The above are but a few suggestions for
the motivation behind a foray into the
Third Gloom — inventive DMs will come
up with many others. Perhaps a brave
party might storm the gates of Erebus just
for the Hades of it!
SEPTEMBER 1986