Fiendish Codex II next month--Any scoop/rumors/etc.?

[Razz]

What the?

Why're almost half of the "new" monsters repeats? Yet we didn't get a fix on the Klurichir in FCI? They were updated by the 3.5 Update Booklet that you can download on the website...what gives?

A couple needed updating badly, like the Paelyrion, but the Spinagon, Narzugon, Xerfilstyx, Amnizu, and Abishai were fine the way they were.

*sigh*

 

[Shemeska]

I haven't found any mention of the Ancient Baatorians (yet). Generaly there is no history section besides the creation myth I already mentioned, although there might be some mention of earlier times in the writeups of the individual layers, I haven't read them yet.

That's incredibly disappointing.

A city named Kintyre is mentioned which is buried deep in ice, but Mephistopheles has recently ordered to excavate it, since he believes that there are secrets there which would aid his research in hellfire. No mention of Ancient Baatorians though.

Pretty much the same exact rumor that we've seen in the 3e MotP, 2e Guide to Hell, and not as much as we saw from Planescape. No mention of the Ancients? Man, that's a wasted opportunity.

Jangling Hiter is mentioned, but not the origin of the kytons.

Meh. I take it there's also no mention of the maturing nupperibo/ancient baatorian locked away in the tower of Panos Qytel there in that city by its kyton ruler? If not, again a big disappointment.

The myth at the beginning says that at least some of them are fallen angels (Asmodeus, Dispater, Mephitopheels, erinyes), where angels aren't necessarily good. The way I understand it, lemures are created from the tormented souls who come to Hell after their death, and if they are lucky, sooner or later they get promoted to more powerful status. So that's probably where most of the devils come from.

Color me uninspired. But at least it doesn't directly contradict material from other sources that we know aren't (entirely) diabolic myth. But the erinyes as fallen angels is just a lame 3.5 thing.

He is mentioned as the former ruler of the layer, replaced by Bel. In a sidebar it is written that "legend has it that the fireballs that detonate across Avernus in a seemingly random pattern are generated by Zariel, a trapped former archduke from whom Bel parasitically draws his power."

That's a shame. They don't go into any further detail than the MotP or GtH did? Meh.

And "He"? Zariel was female. Did they actually shift her gender around, or were you just using 'he' as a generic pronoun?

...


Perhaps I'm just spoiled by the likes of Fiendish Codex I or Faces of Evil. But from what you've said, the book really is underwhelming me. So many things that seem to just have been inexplicably not addressed despite being an undercurrent through most of the more detailed source material.

 

[Shemeska]

Does the entry on Nupperibos at least detail that they're actually the least form of Ancient Baatorians, that the Baatezu tend to round them up and kill them in order to then warp their essence into lemures?

 

[Psion]

Does the entry on Nupperibos at least detail that they're actually the least form of Ancient Baatorians, that the Baatezu tend to round them up and kill them in order to then warp their essence into lemures?

Saying that they are demoted devils sounds like they weren't saying that.

 

[Psion]

That's incredibly disappointing.

I don't think so. I think the ancient baatorians are a great opportunity for DMs to flesh out their own universe. I hate being spoon fed every little detail of the cosmology.

 

[Shemeska]

I don't think so. I think the ancient baatorians are a great opportunity for DMs to flesh out their own universe. I hate being spoon fed every little detail of the cosmology.

But so far they don't even appear to be mentioned in the book. That's worrying. You don't have to go into detail to say that they existed, to just hint and drop rumors etc (like how FC:I presented multiple prehistory myths on the Abyss, including some that linked back to a twist upon the Baernaloth legends, etc).

 

[morbiczer]

And "He"? Zariel was female. Did they actually shift her gender around, or were you just using 'he' as a generic pronoun?

No, but book doesn't call her either he or she, and since her title was "archduke", i just assumed that he was male.

Does the entry on Nupperibos at least detail that they're actually the least form of Ancient Baatorians, that the Baatezu tend to round them up and kill them in order to then warp their essence into lemures?

In the book nupperibos are outsider native to the Nine Hells of Baator, and the tormented forms of a devil that had failed its master, and has been transformed into a pathetic, weak creature. They are blind and deaf, but have blindsight 30 ft. They are used as soldiers in the Blood War, but also as beasts of burden or slave labor. They are almost mindless.

No Ancient Baatorians are mentioned in their description.

 

[Shemeska]

In the book nupperibos are outsider native to the Nine Hells of Baator, and the tormented forms of a devil that had failed its master, and has been transformed into a pathetic, weak creature. They are blind and deaf, but have blindsight 30 ft. They are used as soldiers in the Blood War, but also as beasts of burden or slave labor. They are almost mindless.

No Ancient Baatorians are mentioned in their description.

*sigh*

 

[Agamemnon]

Oh bollocks.

That sounds disappointing, like someone's taken all the intriguing side plots away from our favorite Infernal denizens.

What next? Declaring A'kin's alignment out loud in FC3? (thankfully, I don't think we're in danger there)

 

[Baron Opal]

Well, dang. Ever since I had to sell all of my Planescape stuff and I heard that the FC series was coming I was hoping that I would not have the need to re-aquire the collection. Looks like I need to hit up eBay for the Law boxed set, at least.

Still, even so, I'll reserve final judgement until I peruse it in the game store. It's not an auto-buy anymore, however.