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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sketchpad" data-source="post: 2011720" data-attributes="member: 9168">First off, let me say that this is not a d20 book.  Demon: Servants of Darkness is a supplement for Hero Games/DoJ, Inc. Hero System (specifically Champions, though it could be used for a multitude of other genres).  With that said, let me say that Demon is an interesting read.  Within the 120+ pages, one would find a detailed organization that’s perfect as opposition for mystic heroes. Looking through the book, Allen Thomas, the author, starts the reader off with a serving of Demon’s history.  Covering the organization from it’s inception to present day, this chapter also gives many plot hooks for the various ages of superheroes (from Pulps to the Bronze Age, including some info on the eighties and nineties).  It’s here that we’re introduced to Luther Black, Demon’s founder, and told of his strange and dark life, as well as information on various other members, some detailed within the book, while others are not.Moving forward, Chapter Two details Demon as an organization, noting who knows what, Demon’s goals and various principles that they adhere to.  I felt this chapter to be a bit light, as I would’ve liked to see more information on the agents here, as well as some extra package deals (mind you, there are package deals here … more on that later).  Chapter Three begins to give us the meat of the book, introducing us to Demon’s leadership and giving us more details on its leader, the mystical Luther Black.  It’s also within this chapter that stats for the various characters begin, all detailed with the normal Hero System format.  As an added bonus, Mr. Thomas has included package deals for “The Maleficia”, the Inner Circle’s eyes and ears in the “normal world.”  Like Chapter Three, Chapter Four gives a series of stats for Demon’s soldiers and independebt agents.  While there are no true package deals for the few soldiers/cultists available (a trend that was done quite well in Hero’s Viper and UNTIL books), there are notes on recruitment and cultist types (giving packages for various stereotypes).  Though the packages are a bit weak, the representation of power groups was very well done, giving sample spells and powers for GMs to give to the various soldiers.  Of the cultists listed, one of the staples of Demon past gets a bit of a face-lift: The Morbanes.  Speaking as an old Champions fan, I remember the Morbanes from the old “Primus & Demon” book and can easily state that these are not the Morbanes of old.  Finally we get a small sampling of super-villains that have some pretty interesting ideas behind them (The Devil Dog).What good would an organization be without an evil lair?  That’s exactly what Chapter Four gives … a small sampling of bases that Demon uses, including detailed maps and some interesting builds for base features.  Of the ones given, I’ve found the idea of a vacated movie studio as one of the most unique ideas presented, especially with Keith Curtis’ great cartography.  In addition to the lairs, there’s also a brief overview of Demon’s bases worldwide, giving some clues to where some other bases could be.  The last two chapters give the reader something that’s become expected from a Champions organization: Gadgets and Plot Ideas.  Though not as substantial as some of the other sections, Chapter Six gives a nice smattering of equipment that Demon members (or even other characters) may carry.  A nod to Mr. Thomas needs to be made here, as the treatment of Demon Bones was both interesting and a good build.  The final chapter, Chapter Seven, presents various ideas on how to use the organization, some intriguing plot hooks and, as with all Champions books, how Demon fits in with various genres.  Overall, the book is a good read, especially for fans of the “Iron Age” of comics.  The graphic design follows the uniform of typical Hero System books, though the illustrations were a bit lower quality in many regards.  On the plus side, fan-favorite, Storn Cook, created an incredible cover.  On a personal note, though I found the book an interesting read, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in the content.  Allen Thomas has created an intriguing organization that would appeal to fans of DC’s Vertigo line.  Unfortunately, I’m not within that demographic.  Demon has always been a favorite of mine since it was first created back in the ‘80s and, though it’s always been depicted as a creepy mystical organization, I think that the 5th edition version is too dark for my taste.</blockquote>

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