Demon Lords. You use 'em?

[MerakSpielman]

Everybody seems to love those demon lords. You know the ones. Orcus being the prime example. The big uber-monsters of the Hells and Abyss.

I don't know... they just seem a bit... overused to me. I kind of like it when the overarching take-over-the-multiverse plot ISN'T being organized by a powerful demon/devil Lord.

So, do these buggers figure into your campaigns in any significant way?

 

[Deadguy]

My newest campaign - Talyr - is going to be the very first to ever use these quintissential BBEGs. Before I have laways avoided them. Partly this was because they were always statted up in places my players could easily see them, so they would lack the mystery that I wanted to evoke. Partly it was because they are very tied to the game's Great Wheel cosmology, and I have never used that in a game (okay, once).

But mostly it was because I didn't have a use for these guys. They fall into an awkward spot, being neither representatives of a type, nor yet divine beings to be worshipped. I would far rather use maleficent divine beings than the 'arch' dark powers any day. It's quite hard to put a finger on exactly why. Perhaps because they are superfluous to needs. When I have Dark Gods to oppose the Light, I don't need unique diabolic powers too.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

The longest-running campaign I've ever been a part of, a bit over a year of weekly gaming, was based on the idea of an evil wizard plotting to bring Orcus to the Prime. When we finally discovered the plot it sent a shiver down my spine. There's a certain power in the names of the big evils. Orcus. Demogorgon. Asmodeus.

As a DM I've never used them, mainly because I like to create backstories too much, so I don't use many stock gods or devils/demons.

 

[Shemeska]

Everybody seems to love those demon lords. You know the ones. Orcus being the prime example. The big uber-monsters of the Hells and Abyss.

I don't know... they just seem a bit... overused to me. I kind of like it when the overarching take-over-the-multiverse plot ISN'T being organized by a powerful demon/devil Lord.

So, do these buggers figure into your campaigns in any significant way?

Check out the link to my storyhour, I'm delving into fiendish politics fairly heavily, and without spoiling much for those following the SH, I've got a cabal of Arcanaloths and an organized group of Baernaloths (though both groups are not necessarily in league with one another) behind the campaign metaplot. Most of those I'm using, aren't any of the iconic Yugoloths from earlier editions. Only two of them, Helekanalaith the Keeper of the Tower of the Arcanaloths and my namesake, even appear in print. And Helekanalaith only appears as an obscure name with a title in a single quote in the Planes of Conflict Box Set. The others I've made up as needed.

I've largely eschewed the 'big name' Abyssal Lords and Lords of the 9 to avoid any cliches. The 'loths are largely underused and underdetailed compared to the Tanar'ri and Baatezu, so I've had fun detailing my own stock of critters. Its been fun to use them.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I used to, but I've not used them since 3E. I designed one campaign world for 3E where there were no evil gods; good gods, neutral gods, and the archfiends (who were on the level of gods, but had a different origin and source of power). But we only got a few games into that campaign before we abandoned it for various reasons, so the presence of the archfiends never really came up.

I'd like to use them at some point, though. And if I ever have the time between pre-assigned contracted projects, I've got a module I'm planning to write that involves an ancient shrine to Anthraxus.

 

[Pants]

I prefer them over evil gods for many reasons:
1) They have their 'big names' attached to them.
2) They represent a form of evil that COULD be directly challenged by the players should it ever come to pass. Gods represent a tier beyond what mortals can even comprehend, while the fiend lords represent something prime-shatteringly powerful, but still confrontable.
3) I simply like the Fiend Lords more, ever since I was perusing through my friend's old 1st edition Monster Manuals and I came upon the entries for Charon Orcus, and Demogorgon. Simple nostalgia really.
4) They're cool.

 

[Wombat]

I used 'em a couple times back in OD&D days, but not since.

While I can handle certain epic notions, none of my players (or myself, for that matter) is into planehopping and the like. So since we don't go to Orcusheim (or whatever), and he doesn't come to us, there is no encounter.

Not really our style.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Part of what made me think of the question was the Book of Vile Darkness. It seemed, when people were anticipating it coming out, one of the Big Things people were looking forward to was some new stat blocks for the Big Bad Demons. Interestingly, this is one of the things that interested me least about the book, and until I heard people saying these things, I was pretty much considering those to be wasted pages.

 

[DragonLancer]

My last camapign had the party defeat a Dragon possessed by DemoGorgon, but I rarely ever throw them against demon lords and princes.

 

[Nifft]

IMC, they are the "Evil Gods" -- they grant spells and everything.

-- N