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.

 

[Micah Sweet]

... huh.

Okay, let me clarify. A good sensitivity reader or anyone even REMOTELY aware of the history of some of this stuff could have caught that.

And yet...

 

[Micah Sweet]

Then you are uninformed. Educate yourself.

Then tell me how I'm wrong. What's the point of disputing a claim without a full response?

 

[Scribe]

Then tell me how I'm wrong. What's the point of disputing a claim without a full response?

The concept (the reader) has merit. We (all of us) dont know, what we dont know. The Spelljammer thing is a great example.

If you are not an American or versed in its history (I am neither), then the concept of the Minstrel stuff would never have crossed your mind. If you are versed in that era, then apparently it cannot be unseen.

Then you have the whole origin of the species stuff, and 'how does this happen', because we all have blind spots.

 

[darjr]

Might be worth pointing out that the bit about atheists going to the Hells is a single line in Asmodeus's description in the appendix, and even he doesn't know for certain that that's how it actually works. It's just a theory to explain his intermittent interest in being worshipped as a god himself.

In fact, as written, the PCs don't even physically fight him in the adventure, so as DM, you'll probably never even directly refer to that section in play. It's not a major theme in the book or anything and, in fact, the whole issue of the Hells as an afterlife isn't really touched on. The only souls that are definitely trapped there are ones relevant to the PCs, and they all ended up there via taking out infernal contracts. The theme is very much about knowingly damning oneself.

In fact:

Spoiler: Spoiler for the endgame

Even the "bad ending", with a character that gave in to every temptation on the way down to Nessus and flubs the chance to wheedle a better deal out of Asmodeus, your fate is just to become a horned devil in his service when you die.

Thank you for pointing this out.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I thought they had one for that product and everyone missed it.

And yet...

Pre-Hadozee, when a member of the WotC team thought that a facet of a book might be problematic, they would flag that aspect for review by a cultural consultant. Not every aspect/word of the books were reviewed by cultural consultants/sensitivity readers. The hadozee slipped through WotC's sensitivity reader system because of this. After the Hadozee, WotC has had a sensitivity reader/cultural consultant read every word of every official book they publish so problematic content like the Hadozee don't "slip through" like they did in Spelljammer.

This is why this book has a cultural consultant. Because WotC has committed to always using one so situations like the Hadozee don't happen again.

WotC Outlines D&D's New Inclusivity Process

After addressing community concerns in Spelljammer, WotC's Chris Perkins outlined D&D's new Inclusivity procedures for the roleplaying game.

www.belloflostsouls.net

 

[Micah Sweet]

The concept (the reader) has merit. We (all of us) dont know, what we dont know. The Spelljammer thing is a great example.

If you are not an American or versed in its history (I am neither), then the concept of the Minstrel stuff would never have crossed your mind. If you are versed in that era, then apparently it cannot be unseen.

Then you have the whole origin of the species stuff, and 'how does this happen', because we all have blind spots.

And I can understand that. I still feel that their primary job is to warn you against certain content. That sits uneasily with me.

 

[ReshiIRE]

Might be worth pointing out that the bit about atheists going to the Hells is a single line in Asmodeus's description in the appendix, and even he doesn't know for certain that that's how it actually works. It's just a theory to explain his intermittent interest in being worshipped as a god himself.

In fact, as written, the PCs don't even physically fight him in the adventure, so as DM, you'll probably never even directly refer to that section in play. It's not a major theme in the book or anything and, in fact, the whole issue of the Hells as an afterlife isn't really touched on. The only souls that are definitely trapped there are ones relevant to the PCs, and they all ended up there via taking out infernal contracts. The theme is very much about knowingly damning oneself.

In fact:

Spoiler: Spoiler for the endgame

Even the "bad ending", with a character that gave in to every temptation on the way down to Nessus and flubs the chance to wheedle a better deal out of Asmodeus, your fate is just to become a horned devil in his service when you die.

I think then I'll pick this up at some stage as an inspiration piece ^.^

 

[Zaukrie]

And I can understand that. I still feel that their primary job is to warn you against certain content. That sits uneasily with me.

It sits uneasy that companies should be more aware of possibly insulting people?

 

[Micah Sweet]

It sits uneasy that companies should be more aware of possibly insulting people?

It leads to an inclination for the company in question to be overcautious, to avoid any possibility of controversy that might lead to reduced sales. Released products becomes blander and less interesting.

 

[vecna00]

It leads to an inclination for the company in question to be overcautious, to avoid any possibility of controversy that might lead to reduced sales. Released products becomes blander and less interesting.

Does it?