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.

 

[Zaukrie]

I was talking about the book in this thread and WotC.

Way to go folks.

That's hard to tell, given the overall conversation occurring. Professional companies? 100 percent agree.

 

[dave2008]

I was talking about the book in this thread and WotC.

Giving the thrust of the text around yours that was not clear. It is different for WotC and small 3PP .

 

[darjr]

I must add, good points.

 

[dave2008]

@darjr it was at least this post below where you quoted a comment from @Reynard that included: "That is different than making it a de facto "requirement" for publishing in the RPG space." That made it feel like you where talking about all publishers, not just WotC.

It is easy to misunderstand things.

Absolutely. So hire an expert.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I mean I don't think they were lying to me?

I'm a middle aged dude who played sports his frame didn't really support, and then followed that up with a near decade of hard martial arts, and I've got tons of structural damage.

The doctors didn't find nothing, only that they couldn't fix it.

It took another set of eyes.

Don't mind my comment. Personal joke.

 

[Incenjucar]

"Ideal" is a strong word. I might be inclined to agree with "it would be nice."

But here's the thing: what if the supplement is about the vikings from the perspective of their enemies? What is the job of the sensitivity reader with regards to discussions about raids, pillaging and capturing and selling slaves? Is the goal to eliminate the uncomfortable elements? That doesn't make sense in the context?

Or less controversially, what purpose does the sensitivity reader serve in a book of 12 Ice Spells for your Elementalist?

Ideal is the correct word. The whole point is to have someone around who can point things out that you didn't think about. They don't have control, they just provide an additional perspective for you to consider. If you want you can double down on anything they point out as problematic. Your ice spells might accidentally use the name of a major religious icon you didn't know about, etc.

 

[darjr]

@darjr it was at least this post below where you quoted a comment from @Reynard that included: "That is different than making it a de facto "requirement" for publishing in the RPG space." That made it feel like you where talking about all publishers, not just WotC.

It is easy to misunderstand things.

I’m not dogmatic about these things.

With most things your mileage may vary.

 

[dave2008]

I’m not dogmatic about these things.

With most things your mileage may vary.

I didn't think so. I also know how easy it is to be misunderstood when you are only responding to one part of a comment, but quoted the whole thing which includes things you did not intend to respond to.

 

[Zaukrie]

Ideal is the correct word. The whole point is to have someone around who can point things out that you didn't think about. They don't have control, they just provide an additional perspective for you to consider. If you want you can double down on anything they point out as problematic. Your ice spells might accidentally use the name of a major religious icon you didn't know about, etc.

I make up names in my fiction, and search the Internet for the word just in case..... It is surprising how often the made up name is a word.

 

[Dire Bare]

I gross less than 500 Dollars a year most years.... This seems like bad advice, unless I should just be giving money away. The vast majority of people sell less than 100 copies of what they publish.

Please. Cry me a river. Edit: Mod makes a good point. Sorry.

Creating and selling your art, game design or otherwise, is a choice. If you choose to cut corners due to the expense, it's understandable to a point. But your work will be improved if you don't cut those corners. That's not gatekeeping, that's not requiring "permission" to share your art, that's good advice on being a successful artist putting out quality product.

And yes . . . it's tough. And generally, as an audience, we do tend to cut indie artists some slack because we know it's expensive to hire sensitivity readers, editors, layout artists, illustrators . . . . but that doesn't mean you shouldn't aspire to reach a point where you can engage with those professionals.

And . . . it's within your reach. Plenty of other small time game publishers do it. You can too.