D&D 5E Chains of Asmodeus: Official 286-Page Nine Hells Book & Adventure Released!

For Extra Life, the children's hospital charity, Wizards of the Coast just released Chains of Asmodeus on DMsGuild in PDF format. Written by James Ohlen and Adrian Tchaikovsky, this book includes an adventure for levels 11-20, stat blocks for Asmodeus and the other archdevils, a corruption mechanic, and more.

Arcanum Worlds Presents: Chains of Asmodeus
Chains of Asmodeus is a 286-page source book and adventure for the Nine Hells written by legendary game designer James Ohlen (Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins) and award-winning author Adrian Tchaikovsky (Children of Time, The Tiger and the Wolf, The Doors of Eden). This book is beautifully illustrated with haunting art from Sergei Sarichev, Sergey Musin, Julian Calle, Sebastion Kowoll, Paul Adams, Luis Lasahido, and the Aaron Sims Company.

Travel through the Nine Hells to save your soul in this tome that includes:

• 50+ High Challenge Monsters
• Stat Blocks for Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine, and all major Archdevils
• 20+ Infernal Magic Items
• New Item Corruption Mechanic
• Details on all Layers of the Nine Hells, with Beautifully Illustrated Maps created by John Stevenson
• A Fiendish Adventure for Levels 11-20

The book includes full stat blocks for Asmodeus (CR30), Beelzebub, Belial, Dispater, Fierna, Glasya, Levistus, Mammon, Mephistopheles, and more including Bel, Zariel, and a ton of monsters and NPCs.

You can pick it up for $29.99 on DMsGuild.

 

[Incenjucar]

It doesn't really make sense as a mystery or whatever. If it must be kept in I'd just reveal the plot twist that the souls are actually still present inside Asmodeus, who consumes them like an addiction that is destroying him, and their collective will is actually why he has to keep doing all the other nonsense he gets up to - eventually they will overcome him entirely, and hells - and the gods - will tremble as all his lies are revealed.

 

[Jahydin]

We do not, after all, need a depiction of a fiend to resemble a currently-worshipped deity or a cultural stereotype.

Or go waaaaaay too far, like Paizo did with that one especially creepy demon.

 

[ReshiIRE]

Hrmmm. Asmodeous gettign all atheists - doesn't this reintroduce the Wall of the Faithless again, but slightly less worse? That is... naughty word, in my opinion; I do get that opens questions of 'why is the Forgotten Realms cosmology so naughty word up?', but it'd be nice for those questions to be addressed by players.* And the framing around this could theoretically be icky, without reading the book.

That makes me a little weary of buying this. But at the same time, it is for charity, and I would be primarily buying this to see what lore and structure I could borrow and to serve as inspiration - not for the mechanics or to run it as is. (since I don't run 5e).

Or go waaaaaay too far, like Paizo did with that one especially creepy demon.

That at-least has be excised without prejudice and burned to cinders nowadays, to the point where Paizo very much does not want you to reference anything to do with that on the forums (imo, rightly.)

* With the answer being "super murder Ao for being a stupid dumb prick and causing the Time of Troubles and the really bad aventure modules that came out of it**"

** ... then again the Time of Troubles did lead to Baldur's Gate 1, 2 and 3...

 

[RoughCoronet0]

As I mentioned previously, the whole "the souls of atheists are claimed by Asmodeus" has nothing to do with the Wall of the Faithless or even the Forgotten Realms, but is something that first was brought forth in the late 2e sourcebook Guide to Hell, which is basically a Planescape book published after the line had been cancelled.

Sorry, I wasn’t trying to imply it was, they were meant to be two different trains of thought in my comment that was addressing different posts made. I could have made that clearer.

 

[Weiley31]

What is interesting is the The Misc and Boo extra life product (also by James Ohlen) also had some of the same archdevils in it, but different stat blocks I think:

View attachment 320688

Like we'd ever know the true strength of creatures as devious as Arch devils. Given their nature, their lawful lying, all these hold a kernel of truth....

I wonder if the folks upset about Thor getting stats are equally upset about these.

I look at it as this: Chains of Asmodeus have the proper stats/versions of the Arch Devils as they are in the Nine Hells of Baator. When in the Mortal Plane, their Minsc and Boo statblocks are used instead.

 

[Weiley31]

Why is the universe unjust

The Universe: I don't know bro, sounds like a skill issue to me.

 

[dave2008]

I look at it as this: Chains of Asmodeus have the proper stats/versions of the Arch Devils as they are in the Nine Hells of Baator. When in the Mortal Plane, their Minsc and Boo statblocks are used instead.

I don't think there is enough difference for that to make a lot of sense though. I mean the Mephistopheles version in Chains is basically a simplified version of the one in Minsc & Boo, they are very similar (same CR, hit points, mostly the same powers, etc.). Generally I think of an archdevil as being stronger on the home court. I guess you could give the Chains version the mythic treatment to get you there.

Other than moving things around (to actions vs. traits, or bonus actions instead of legendary actions), the only difference is the Minsc & Boo version has a fire aura and full spellcasting (on top of the same innate casting). The Chains version has neither of these.

 

[Burnside]

Ted at Nerd Immersion released a review of it (hint, he thinks it is the best thing WotC has released in a while)...

FWIW, another "review" by a person who hasn't read the book they are "reviewing."

 

[Scribe]

Hrmmm. Asmodeous gettign all atheists - doesn't this reintroduce the Wall of the Faithless again, but slightly less worse? That is... naughty word, in my opinion; I do get that opens questions of 'why is the Forgotten Realms cosmology so naughty word up?', but it'd be nice for those questions to be addressed by players.* And the framing around this could theoretically be icky, without reading the book.

Its a topic fraught with peril on this board due to the rules, but its an interesting question all around.

I wish the Planescape book had addressed Gods a bit more (I didnt pick it up, I've had some costs hit me recently) from what I've read its not touched on.

Gods are, as this whole thing shows, the last great potential pitfall in the edition, and Wizards really hasnt addressed it.

 

[Incenjucar]

Its a topic fraught with peril on this board due to the rules, but its an interesting question all around.

I wish the Planescape book had addressed Gods a bit more (I didnt pick it up, I've had some costs hit me recently) from what I've read its not touched on.

Gods are, as this whole thing shows, the last great potential pitfall in the edition, and Wizards really hasnt addressed it.

I can confirm the 5E books barely touch on deities.