D&D 5E Bounded Accuracy and Asmodeus

[MNblockhead]

Pretty much this. Yeah a big enough group with enough determination can accomplish quite a bit. It is simply a matter of conviction. When the fiendish rabble come round and give their " sons of Scotland" speech, how many will flock to cause knowing that victory may be possible- with perhaps a 90% casualty rate?

That and they are all jealous of power and will be working against each other. Many would take the safer route of betraying them to gain the big A's favor.

 

[CapnZapp]

It isn't really that hard to keep the rabble in line if they fear you enough. All you have to do is keep them so scared that nobody wants to risk their neck by being the first voice of the revolution.

Except that what many of us want are big bad evil guys formidable enough not to have to rely on these tactics.

We want evil dragons and demons to be epic enough that the rules and the numbers support "yes, you would statistically be able to wipe out the entire duchy of Bleedingood, if you just make sure to take a long rest between picking off the Knights of Ni, the Fortress of Cuddly and the main city of Bleedingood itself.

This prognosis does not include the remote risk of a random party of heroes showing up to ruin your day, of course. End disclaimer."

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[S'mon]

Except that what many of us want are big bad evil guys formidable enough not to have to rely on these tactics.

We want evil dragons and demons to be epic enough that the rules and the numbers support "yes, you would statistically be able to wipe out the entire duchy of Bleedingood, if you just make sure to take a long rest between picking off the Knights of Ni, the Fortress of Cuddly and the main city of Bleedingood itself.

Pathfinder is still in print.

 

[SmokeyCriminal]

The machinations and politics to keep this from happening must be incredible.

Reminds me of a youtube video called The Rules for Rulers. It's really easy to follow and cute. The first part is about dictatorships which Asmodeus is, fundamentally, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs

 

[Mephista]

Even if the rest of the archprinces can gang up on Asmodeus, they probably won't succeed. Sure, bounded accuracy gives them a shot in a one-on-one fight, but don't forget a few of the King of Devil's tricks.

~ his blood being spilled spawns pit fiends. Renewable, high level mooks that can fight back and hurt the dukes of hell just as much as the princes and princesses of hell are hurting him.

~ The Ruby Rod has a reset button that can fully heal Asmodeus as well as channel some very powerful effects. The Ruby Rod is quite possibly one of the most powerful artifacts in all creation.

~ Getting to Asmodeus requires navigating one of the trickiest layers of Hell beset by resource-draining high level devils.

~ Killing Asmodeus would cause chaos in the multiverse - for as much as he's a god of evil, he's also keeping the devils focused on fighting the Abyss, he keeps the war generally from spilling over to non-evil planes, he's the original signer of the Pact Primeval, which can cause lots of issues if that gets null and void. So, while most goodly gods won't -like- him, he serves to weaken the other forces of evil. This gives Asmodeus allies that no archdevil could really tap into.

That's on top of getting the archdukes of hell united. Good luck with that!

I don't think that is officially the 5e lore. He was a god in 4e, but I don't think he is considered a god in any of the other editions.

He's still a god in Forgotten Realms. Not as strong as he was in 4e, but still there and going strong in 5e FR. Outside of FR? Saaa... no mention one way or another, which can mean anything.

 

[Mephista]

Except that what many of us want are big bad evil guys formidable enough not to have to rely on these tactics.

We want evil dragons and demons to be epic enough that the rules and the numbers support "yes, you would statistically be able to wipe out the entire duchy of Bleedingood, if you just make sure to take a long rest between picking off the Knights of Ni, the Fortress of Cuddly and the main city of Bleedingood itself.

This prognosis does not include the remote risk of a random party of heroes showing up to ruin your day, of course. End disclaimer."

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that the Nine Hells aren't the Abyss. Devils, desite having armies, are renowned for relying on trickery, corruption, and mine games. They seduce and flatter and lie and cheat, not rely on brute force.

Stories that involve the Hells tend to revolve around intrigue more than combat and rule-through-force. So, its natural that the main glue that holds the hells to gether is the same sort of story that the devils get involved in.

If you want a big bad fiendish brute for your story that rules through fear and force? You have the whole of the Abyss that does just that. The hells are made for different kinds of stories than that.

 

[dave2008]

He's still a god in Forgotten Realms. Not as strong as he was in 4e, but still there and going strong in 5e FR. Outside of FR? Saaa... no mention one way or another, which can mean anything.

Thank you for following up, I was unaware his status was different in FR.

 

[Caliburn101]

In Greyhawk lore there are three known 'Primals' (who existed at the start of the multiverse and preceded the Gods etc.).

1. Mok'Slyk the Serpent (basically he IS the Weave, and appears as a serpent-entity in Greyhawk)
2. The Lady of Pain (a Primal capable of denying even the most powerful Gods entry to her city)
3. Asmodeus...

The theory goes from old, old D&D gamelore that they are different fragments of the Primal creator of the universe, each with a secret agenda which reflects which part of that that ultimate being they were formed from.

 

[Corwin]

Except that what many of us want are big bad evil guys formidable enough not to have to rely on these tactics.

We want evil dragons and demons to be epic enough that the rules and the numbers support "yes, you would statistically be able to wipe out the entire duchy of Bleedingood, if you just make sure to take a long rest between picking off the Knights of Ni, the Fortress of Cuddly and the main city of Bleedingood itself.

The more complaints you raise about 5e, the more I'm certain there are better editions/systems out there for your playstyle. If you like, I'd be happy to make some recommendations. I'm all about helping people find the kind of game that best suits their needs/wants. It saddens me when people settle on playing a game that fails to meet their desires and expectations. Especially since there are so many out there. Pretty much something for everyone. The trick is finding the right fit.

 

[UnknownDyson]

I don't think that is officially the 5e lore. He was a god in 4e, but I don't think he is considered a god in any of the other editions.

He is listed as a god in the Sword Coast Adventurer's guide. With forgotten realms being the core setting, I think its safe to say that Asmodeus is a greater god by default. Of course you could change that, but in this case, we are referring to core.