101 Adventures in Hell

[Stormonu]

Many years ago, I wanted to run my gaming group on a quest through the 9 Hells, going from layer to layer. But I had a hard time coming up with interesting encounters other than "here's a pack of devils, go at them." So, what I'd like to see here is a bunch of ideas for interesting encounter set-ups that could be used to build a campaign with the PCs tromping through Hell with the eventual goal of facing, and perhaps defeating, the Lords of the Nine.

Rules: The encounter should be fairly edition-neutral - no stat blocks, please. Please annotate what layer the encounter is designed for.

Theme for the Nine Layers of Hell (as per my quick read of old D&D material)

1st: Avernus, the fiery plains; Thoughts of evil unacted upon and Lust
2nd: Dis, the Iron City; crimes of self-Indulgence and Gluttony
3rd: Minauros, the icy swamp; crimes of Greed
4th: Phelegothos, the river of fire; crimes of Violence
5th: Stygia, the sea of ice; crimes of Anger and hatred
6th: Malebolge, the boulder-strewn ravine; crimes of Heresy
7th: Maladomini, the burnt-out ruins; crimes of Fraud
8th: Caina, the realm of glaciers; crimes of Treachery and betrayal
9th: Nessus, the crater at evil's heart; all evils, of the worst sort

An example:

The Beggar (Avernus)
The players encounter a feeble old man in a loin cloth with a begging cup sitting atop a spread-out heap of rags. When he shakes the cup and asks for alms, there is the sound of a couple coins within. If given a coin of 1 sp value or greater, he will answer one question from the giver. If a coin is taken from his cup or one of the rags is taken, he explodes in a bloody spray, revealing a Cornugun (perhaps with back-up hidden amid the rags), who attempts to capture and spirit away the individual.

 

[Oryan77]

For great encounters in Hell, check out the 2e Fires of Dis adventure. It only takes place on the first 2 layers, but it has some great "random" encounters involving devils. It actually gives personality to them rather than them just being monsters to kill.

One easy way to make encounters more interesting when traveling from layer to layer (or plane to plane) is to create a task for the group to do just to be able to get from one location to the other. Each step can provide an encounter:

1. Get information about a gate/portal that will take you to the next layer.

For example, the encounter can involve negotiating with a devil that has that information (making a deal with him to get info; devils love to make deals). This can be a roleplaying encounter that also leads to another crazy encounter if the devil successfully pulls off a "bad deal".

Or you find out that the only devil with the information to a portal is one that the PC's have to search for. For example, maybe there's a black skinned Lemure that is obsessed with using this portal. It travels the plane until it reaches the portal, but somehow it dies soon after using it. It spawns again in the Maggot Pit as a Larva until it reshapes itself into a Lemure again and goes straight for this portal. If the PCs find this Larva, wait for it to form into a Lemure again, and follow it, they'll reach the portal. The next encounter can be something related to how it keeps dying after using the portal. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it was a Drow before becoming a petitioner and he needed to use the portal for something important, but failed. His soul doesn't belong here, which is why it keeps repeating this process over & over.

2. Figure out how to open the portal (get the portal key).

They know where the portal is, and are maybe told how the portal opens, but getting the key to open it requires it's own encounter.

For example, only the shriek of a Vargouille will open the portal. There is a Viper Tree forest on the plane that is known to be infested with Vargouilles. Not only do they have to defend against the forest and a nest of Vargouilles, but they have to figure out how to capture one alive.

3. The location of the portal is in an area that will create an encounter.

Using the environment always helps spice up an encounter. The portal could be at the top of a cliff, but the cliff is made of ice, or is hot, or infested with swarms of something evil, or it shoots out poisonous gas at random from the many holes that cover it. Something that requires a couple of skill checks is nice. The portal could require a puzzle to solve just to gain entrance to the room where the portal is located. You can even do the "toll bridge" routine where they have to pass by the portals guardian.

That's pretty much what I do when I run my planewalking games.

 

[Quickleaf]

I agree, the pillar of skulls from Fires of Dis (and PS:T) was particularly awesome. You might mine the thread I Started months back over here for ideas: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-pathfinder/321736-writing-4e-planescape-adventure-community.html

 

[Ravilah]

1. In order get through the toughest strongholds, the party will need a powerful denizen of the hells to be their "sponsor." As they know, the lords of the Hells are always engaged in either subtle or overt contention, backbiting, and subterfuge. So, say, the City of Dis has three powerful demon-lords all vying for control. They must choose which lord to approach, and be the instruments of helping him/her/it take down the others in exchange for protection, in order to survive their time in the city.
Of course, they'll know that they will likely be betrayed by their boss and will need to betray him right back.

2. Turns out that demon blood is a powerful alchemical agent, and the blood of different demon species have different uses. Some types make an unguent that will stave off the deadly cold of Caina, others allow them to communicate with the demon-bats of Malebolge (and ride them). If the party is going to survive, they will need to create some of these alchemical potions, and hunt down the key ingredient.

 

[steeldragons]

If I recall correctly...and this is a long shot (not to mention requiring quite a bit of campaign planning/work for you...sorry. )...

Asmodeus has/demands a meeting or conference, once per year, for the other 8 Dukes/Arch-Devils/whatever they're called these days to come to his stronghold and (I presume among other things) make gifts and re-declare their fealty (i.e. kiss his cloven feet).

Bare with me, this is all forming as I type...

There could be some over-arcing reason the party is going to Hell when they are...they might not have knowledge of this conference but whoever sent them there (or one of the other Dukes has put this all in motion?) does.

They enter the 1st plane of Hell. Adventure, adventure, clues, adventure.

2nd Plane: more clues, more adventure. Following clues from Hell 1 brings the party the info about this "meeting", when all of the Dukes will be in the smae place. Maybe meet, be propositioned by one of the Duke's second-in-command...the devil helps them in hopes that they will defeat their current master...making them the new ruler of Hell #ofyourchoice.

3rd Plane: adventures, adventures, clues, clues (one of which, maybe is some information of on the weaknesses of or some artifact that can defeat the various Dukes).

4th Plane: Survive. Adventure Adventure Adventure.

5th Plane: Hunt down their only HOPE of defeating the assembled Arch-devils. Adventure, more inside info? The devil-that's-been-helping- them-through's Duke is on his way to the meeting. More deals or offers of deals?

6th Plane: The Meeting Begins. The party needs to get to the 9th Hell in the next...say a week's time.

7th Plane: Fight. Survive. Attempt to Ambush the Dukes of Level # on their way to Asmodeus' stronghold.

8th Plane: Survive. Survive. Survive. Some final bit or extra piece that they need to beat the Dukes. Perhaps the double cross from the evil helping them comes up here? Or some other devil that they've encountered along the way has alerted the Duke's to their approach and been granted the authority to take them down (the Dukes themselves could hardly be expected to be troubled with some marginally skilled mortals).

9th Plane: The big showdown in the Asmodean Corral with as many of the Dukes of Hell as have survived to arrive at the meeting, as well as Asmodeus himself. Hyper-Boom-Super-Crash-Amazo-Battle-Death-O-Rama ensues.

Asmodeus sneezes. Everybody dies.

Ok. Not that last part...but maybe.

--SD

 

[john smith16]

Read Dante's inferno and or
la Viso Tnugdali by Jaques le Goff
both are discriptions of the main characters tour of hell by angelical beings.