Yugoloths: Do They Have an Identity Beyond the Blood War?

Demons and Devils are some of the most popular foes in D&D. These two factions seek to enact wicked plans in the Multiverse under the leadership of Archdevils and Demon Lords. The two groups of fiends butt heads in the endless Blood War, an altercation that also involves an obscure third group of fiends: the Yugoloths.

The Yugoloths were first known as the Daemons but, along with Demons and Devils, received a name change as a means to defend against bad press during the Satanic Panic of the 80's. Though the Demons and Devils eventually reclaimed their original names, the Daemons retained the Yugoloth identity. It was during this time that the Yugoloths also became known as mercenaries in the Blood War between Demons and Devils.

Little attention was paid towards Yugoloths in 3E, and 4E went so far as to fold them in with Demons (save for the Arcanaloths, which were given the name Raavasta). 5E made the Yugoloths distinct again, but also changed their lore to have been created by Night Hags at the request of Asmodeus only for them to have eventually become mercenaries for both sides of the Blood War.

The most recent 5E publication, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, opens with a message from the most famous of the Yugoloths, the Arcanaloth known as Shemeska the Marauder. Several Yugoloths are also statted-up in the book, and their role in the Blood War is mentioned. However, the book also devotes much, much more space to detailing Demons and Devils than it does their hired mercenaries, and the Yugoloth leaders are omitted in favor of Archdevils and Demon Lords.

With all this in mind I ask if there's really much of a point to the Yugoloths, at least as they are presented. Why are the Neutral Evil fiends just mercenaries in a certain conflict for the more popular and well-known Demons and Devils? Even the now independent Succubi at least have a reason to interact with PCs independent of Demons and Devils, but Yugoloths have little identity beyond their role in the Blood War.

Personally I feel like the Sorrowsworn detailed in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes fit better as a Neutral Evil race of fiends. They are embodiments of pointless suffering, which, in my opinion, feels more appropriate to the alignment than a group that is just a third-wheel in the Blood War.

Thoughts?

*Deleted by user*

Yugoloths suck, but they don't suck quite as bad as demodands/gehreleths.

In my own game, the line between dark fae and demons is already blurred (fae look humanoid, and demons look monstrous), and one-off unique yugoloths like Shemeska fit right into that. Strict and distinct categorizations may be aesthetically pleasing to some, but I prefer my evil extradimensional monsters to be mysterious.

If memory serves me correctly, there was a bit more detail about the Yugoloths in the 3e Manual of the Planes. But yeah, they’re mostly just “demons from a plane that’s not the Abyss.”

Still kinda bummed the wicked Tol-Kendar “bodywrecker” polearm didn’t make a return in Mordenkainen’s. I remember that being vicious fun to throw at PCs.

Yuogloths are the best!

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?640699-Language-is-like-an-Onion

You have to really look for reasons to include yugoloths, but they're there, though usually from the Mortal's end. Almost everything a Yugoloth is good for in the Blood War has some form of application in the Prime Material, though obviously a villain able to afford to command such creatures is no mere cultist.

Maybe Yugoloths get short shrift because there aren't many / any "known name" IRL examples of NE behavior?
Or just (besides Charon who is rather passive and waits for you to die of old age) no in-lore personalities to learn to love to hate and yet respect, while fighting to prevent its desires from coming to pass?

They were the evil puppet masters of the entire Multiverse in Planescape. I can't remember what book it was, but it stated they did in fact start Armageddon in the distant mythical past where they united all the fiends and nearly wiped out the Upper Planes. But the Demons and Devils turned on each other and started the Blood War so the Upper Planes were saved. The Yugoloths are the ones who eventually want to unite both sides of the Blood War again, so they can bring about Armageddon a second time and win. Though they're interested is having the Blood War continue because it ensures that the Fiendish forces get stronger and stronger, through constant training.

The elders of the Yugoloths the Baernoloths (whose ranks include Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna) are ancient evils who aim to bring more evil and misery across the planes, and are playing a very long game... Remember they come from the Gray Waste of Hades a plane that drains colour and emotions like caring away, and can spread like a disease.

Another thing is you should totally trust the friendly Arcanoloth Akin, who's a shopkeeper in Sigil, he's a much nicer guy than Shemeshka ever was...

It seems like if there were a summon fiendish mercenary spell (you get the yugoloth for a day, no concentration, but you can't end the spell [except by killing the yugoloth] early, and if someone makes it a better deal during the day*, you are hosed), then I think there would be more interest in them. I get that they are there mostly to supplement any fiendish encounter (devils or demons or any other fiend have a good in-story reason to have a yugoloth with them), but it seems like cosmic mercenaries plus PC's with a lot of gp's are a natural match.

Honestly, something like that seems more appropriate for wizards then summoning demons....

* And you can be sure they will try to get a better deal if they encounter anything with an int of 3 or more and some gold in its pockets.

Kobold Avenger said:

They were the evil puppet masters of the entire Multiverse in Planescape. I can't remember what book it was, but it stated they did in fact start Armageddon in the distant mythical past where they united all the fiends and nearly wiped out the Upper Planes. But the Demons and Devils turned on each other and started the Blood War so the Upper Planes were saved. The Yugoloths are the ones who eventually want to unite both sides of the Blood War again, so they can bring about Armageddon a second time and win. Though they're interested is having the Blood War continue because it ensures that the Fiendish forces get stronger and stronger, through constant training.

The elders of the Yugoloths the Baernoloths (whose ranks include Anthraxus and the General of Gehenna) are ancient evils who aim to bring more evil and misery across the planes, and are playing a very long game... Remember they come from the Gray Waste of Hades a plane that drains colour and emotions like caring away, and can spread like a disease.

Another thing is you should totally trust the friendly Arcanoloth Akin, who's a shopkeeper in Sigil, he's a much nicer guy than Shemeshka ever was...

Click to expand...

I figured there was probably more to them in Planescape, but what about other settings?

Plus, 5E separated Yugoloths from Demons again, but also made them merely the rogue product of Asmodeus' commission to the Night Hags, so they don't even have their Planescape hook anymore. Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes also presents Oinoloths as just another kind of Yugoloth rather than a title.