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.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

Just because you don't understand how a sensitivty reader can improve a work doesn't mean it can't. This post is really just you saying you don't really know anything about what a sensitivity reader that's really good can do. It's essentially a cultural consultant that can help you represent ideas in a better, "truer," way, essentially sharpening the vision for the work and adding a level of freshness that casual research or mainstream knowledge won't give. Not every reader will do this, and not every suggestion offered should be used.

I clearly said that the default is that it will be improved is not correct, not that it could not improve it. I gave an example where using one might make sense. I listed what I would spend money on before I considered it.

I did not do what your strawperson construction claimed, including and especially your claim that I do not understand what they do. I understand, I just believe there are much more important things to spend money on before spending money on that.

I have seen quite a few publishers decide to spend money on an editing pass concentrating on that and thought it probably was a good idea to do so. But they had already invested in the areas I had flagged and had enough budget to spend on a pass looking for issues with the way a culture was presented.

 

[Shardstone]

I clearly said that the default is that it will be improved is not correct, not that it could not improve it. I gave an example where using one might make sense. I listed what I would spend money on before I considered it.

I did not do what your strawperson construction claimed, including and especially your claim that I do not understand what they do. I understand, I just believe there are much more important things to spend money on before spending money on that.

I have seen quite a few publishers decide to spend money on an editing pass concentrating on that and thought it probably was a good idea to do so. But they had already invested in the areas I had flagged and had enough budget to spend on a pass looking for issues with the way a culture was presented.

This is a non-conversation because you're just repeating what I said with different words and pretending we disagreed because you want to try and minimize what I said. Don't respond to me again unless you have something constructive or new to say.

 

[M.L. Martin]

Given that this book had a cultural consultant, does it include any notes about the fact that Asmodeus is a demon in a book (Tobit) held as Sacred Scripture by a majority of the world's Christians, and his use and portrayal in D&D may seem inaccurate or misguided to some?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Given that this book had a cultural consultant, does it include any notes about the fact that Asmodeus is a demon in a book (Tobit) held as Sacred Scripture by a majority of the world's Christians, and his use and portrayal in D&D may seem inaccurate or misguided to some?

This is exactly my point. You raise this issue, and now you've been given a warning not to include content.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

This is a non-conversation because you're just repeating what I said with different words and pretending we disagreed because you want to try and minimize what I said. Don't respond to me again unless you have something constructive or new to say.

Exactly. You quoted my post, told me that I don’t understand what a sensitivity reader does, and then posted this when I pointed out that you are strawpersoning my position. Obviously you are not getting your point across.

I doubt that we are too far apart in thinking that some subjects need that type of pass. I do not agree that by default it gets better and I don’t think sensitivity editors/consultants are by default good at what they do in an RPG context. The reason why products are written for RPG is different than many other uses - they are games and the core rules concentrate on violent ways to defeat and overcome obstacles. Many of those obstacles are based on myths and legends of many cultures.

Just look at the reactions in this thread to the book and it did have a consultant work on it. As I asked up above, when dealing with such beings of great evil that are in many cases names the same with generally the same characteristics of some major religions, how can this even be balanced?

 

[Shardstone]

Exactly. You quoted my post, told me that I don’t understand what a sensitivity reader does, and then posted this when I pointed out that you are strawpersoning my position. Obviously you are not getting your point across.

I doubt that we are too far apart in thinking that some subjects need that type of pass. I do not agree that by default it gets better and I don’t think sensitivity editors/consultants are by default good at what they do in an RPG context. The reason why products are written for RPG is different than many other uses - they are games and the core rules concentrate on violent ways to defeat and overcome obstacles. Many of those obstacles are based on myths and legends of many cultures.

Just look at the reactions in this thread to the book and it did have a consultant work on it. As I asked up above, when dealing with such beings of great evil that are in many cases names the same with generally the same characteristics of some major religions, how can this even be balanced?

I think you are hung up on the "default" part. I don't think by default it will lead to improvements. I think by default, it gives you another set of eyes and an expert opinion to chew on. I don't believe in an artist making changes to their work that they don't think polishes or sharpens the vision. Sometimes, I've talked to sensitivity readers who helped me realize that I slightly more grounded take on a concept will improve my work. Others, I've gotten feedback that would have muddied the vision of the work and ignored it.

I don't think there is anything sacred in any religion that should preclude it from being used in D&D. I believe that all aspects of culture exist to be manipulated, transferred to others, reimagined, and applied to art. To that end, it doesn't bother me to see demons or, in my case, Buddhist ideas, and so forth. What bothers me is when something like voodoo is only used for black magic and evil. That, I think, is trite, simple, and unfresh.

Good literary examples are things like the book Siddhartha, which seperates the famed Buddha into two characters (Siddhartha and Gautama), with Siddhartha living an overall heathen life until he attains enlightenment at the very end of the story. This book was written by a German, but his understanding of the religion and myths associated with it allowed for him to create something fresh, compelling, and new.

When it comes to the Hells, I think we're already very far separated from actual Christianity. After all, before Dante's Inferno hit mainstream a few hundred years ago, the idea of Hell and Satan were a lot different. I've done a lot of research into Christianity and how it has changed overtime, and the way its used now is in line with how its been reinterpreted in the past.

I also understand that my views are my own and that numerous people in other cultures don't want their beliefs used to make Fantasy ideas. I think that's a fine thing, but I think what matters most is that you're not completely butchering an idea but instead reimagining it in a new context. In this aspect, sensitivity readers can help an artist polish their vision for said reimaging. Your mileage may vary.

Oh and sorry for being snappy in my last post.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I know that when my products have been included as part of charity bundles, DriveThru/DMsGuild have always donated their cut to the charity as well. I can't imagine that wouldn't be the case here.

I was really trying to point out that WotC doesn’t get 50% of a DMsGuild product

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Given that this book had a cultural consultant, does it include any notes about the fact that Asmodeus is a demon in a book (Tobit) held as Sacred Scripture by a majority of the world's Christians, and his use and portrayal in D&D may seem inaccurate or misguided to some?

Not that I am aware of

 

[Eyes of Nine]

to avoid any possibility of controversy that might lead to reduced sales.

Hasbro's sole reason for existence is to generate sales (well, technically profit). All the art and craft and history etc etc that we argue about here and elsewhere - is all just marketing

 

[Micah Sweet]

Hasbro's sole reason for existence is to generate sales (well, technically profit). All the art and craft and history etc etc that we argue about here and elsewhere - is all just marketing

If that were an axiom, they would pick a more lucrative industry than RPGs.