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

Pants · Nov 24, 2006

I'm gonna gank the first questions:

1) Are the Lords of the Nine given stats? If so, are they similar in power to the demon lord stats in FCI?

2) What monsters are in the book?

3) What prestige classes are in the book?

morbiczer · Nov 24, 2006

Pants said:
1) Are the Lords of the Nine given stats? If so, are they similar in power to the demon lord stats in FCI?

Sort of. The book gives you only stats for aspects of the nine archdevils, where each archdevil can only have one aspect in existence at one time. The ral statistics aren't given. The explanation for this is that these would vary depending on the nature of the campaign. there are some guidelines how to evolv them int ot true epic creature like in FC1.

The CRs are the following:

Aspect of Bel, Lord of the First - CR 20
Aspect of Dispater, Lord of the Second - CR 21
Aspect of Mammon, Lord of the Third - CR 21
Aspect of Belial, Lord of the Fourth - CR 21
Aspect of Fierna, Lord of the Fourth - CR 19 (This layer has two lords.)
Aspect of Levistus, Lord of the Fifth - CR 21
Aspect of Glasya, Lord of the Sixth - CR 22
Aspect of Baalzebul, Lord of the Seventh - CR 23
Aspect of Mephistoheles, Lord of the Eighth - CR 24
Aspect of Asmodeus, Lord of the Ninth - CR 27

2) What monsters are in the book?

There are 17 new devils and 1 construct (Hellfire Engine)

3) What prestige classes are in the book?[/QUOTE]

There are four prestige classes:

a) Hellbreaker Thieves who specialize in infiltrating infernal strongholds and relieving them of their treasure.
b) Hellfire Warlock Warlocks who use hellfire, a dangerous energy found only in the Nine Hells.
c) Hellreaver Good warriors who fight devils ang bet bonuses against them.
d) Soulgard Mostly clerics or paladins who try to save good souls who have been tricked by devils in to servitude. (Or something like that.)

Mark Hope · Nov 24, 2006

What's the word on the ancient baatorians? Do they make an appearance in the book?

How has Asmodeus' backstory been addressed (especially compared to earlier version of his origins)?

(You lucky dog - looking forward to this one a lot!)

morbiczer · Nov 24, 2006

The new monsters are:

Abishai (white, black, green, blue, and red) - CR 4-8 - Servants of Tiamat
Amnizu - CR 7 - Guardian devils who oversee traffic through the gates of hell.
Assassin Devil (Dogai) - CR 11 - Skilled killers.
Ayperobos Swarm - CR 12 - A swarm of Diminutive devils.
Harvester Devil (Falxugon) - CR 7 - Seductive schemers.
Hellfire Engine - CR 19 - Artillery used in the Blood War.
Kalabon - CR 1/2 - Devils spawned from the carcass of the Hag Countess.
Legion Devil (merregon) - CR 3 - Hell's weakest food soldiers.
Malebranche - CR 14 - Devils who serve other, more intelligent devils.
Narzugon - CR 5 - Elite cavalry of the baatezu.
Nupperibo - CR 2 - Tormented devils, ho have been demoted by their masters.
Orthon - CR 8 - Foot soldiers in Hell's armies.
Paeliryon - CR 18 - Crafty baatezu that manage vast spy networks across the planes.
Pain Devil (Excruciarch) - CR 7 - Diabolical torturers.
Pleasure Devil (Brachina) - CR 11 - Hell's version of the succubus.
Spined Devil (Spinagon) - CR 4 - Small fiends, sometimes used as spys by the archdevils.
Steel Devil (Bueroza) - CR 6 - Soldier in the Blood War.
Xerfilstyx - CR 15 - Terrifying devils living in the River Styx.

morbiczer · Nov 24, 2006

Mark Hope said:
What's the word on the ancient baatorians? Do they make an appearance in the book?

I haven't found anything about them yet. But I don't now what they are, so maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

How has Asmodeus' backstory been addressed (especially compared to earlier version of his origins)?

The book starts with a preface about The Pact Primeval. It is told as a myth, and the possibility is left open that it might not be really true.

At the beginning of time there was first chaos, then law. The gods of law created angels to help them in the fight against chaos, Asmodeus was the most powerful of them. As time went by Asmodeus and some of the other angels began to take on some of the traits of their enemies, and the lawful gods and the other angels wanted to get rid of them, but since they broke no laws, they could not do this.

Then the gods started to create worlds and mortals, but they saw, that some of their creations started to lean towards the demons and chaos. Asmodeus explained to the gods, that the mortals will only follow the law, if they will have to fear punishment, and Asmodeus and his followers persuaded the gods to introduce punishment for the sinners after death. This was then adminstered by the (soon to be) devils. When the gods saw what was done to the sinners they were terrified, but there was nothing they could do against it, since they had agreed to introduce punishment before. But they agreed to take on Asmodeus' offer to relocate to Baator, "a than bleak and featureless plain". But first Asmodeus persuaded the gods to sign the Pact Primeval, which specified the boundaries of Hell and the rules of the transmission of wicked souls.

Mephistopheles and Dispater are mentioned as companions of Asmodeus, as are erinyes.

Later on, in the Chapter about Layer Nine, we learn that the deities physically cast him out of the upper realms. He still suffers from the wounds he took when falling through the rock and soil of Baator.

Shellman · Nov 24, 2006

Well,

I am personally looking forward to FCII, flawed or not! I've been disappointed with the lack of attention the Lords of Nine have gotten through most of the different MM's up to present. I am up for as much depraved, vile darkness wotc can drum up from the Lords of Nine.

Of course this just comes from my groups campaigns where demons always seem to be the BBEG or the instrument of destruction some Villian drums up to use against us.

morbiczer · Nov 24, 2006

I have to go sleep now, but I'll be glad to answer all questions in the morning.

Shemeska · Nov 24, 2006

morbiczer said:
The book starts with a preface about The Pact Primeval. It is told as a myth, and the possibility is left open that it might not be really true.

At the beginning of time there was first chaos, then law. The gods of law created angels to help them in the fight against chaos, Asmodeus was the most powerful of them. As time went by Asmodeus and some of the other angels began to take on some of the traits of their enemies, and the lawful gods and the other angels wanted to get rid of them, but since they broke no laws, they could not do this.

Then the gods started to create worlds and mortals, but they saw, that some of their creations started to lean towards the demons and chaos. Asmodeus explained to the gods, that the mortals will only follow the law, if they will have to fear punishment, and Asmodeus and his followers persuaded the gods to introduce punishment for the sinners after death. This was then adminstered by the (soon to be) devils. When the gods saw what was done to the sinners they were terrified, but there was nothing they could do against it, since they had agreed to introduce punishment before. But they agreed to take on Asmodeus' offer to relocate to Baator, "a than bleak and featureless plain". But first Asmodeus persuaded the gods to sign the Pact Primeval, which specified the boundaries of Hell and the rules of the transmission of wicked souls.

Well... wow... that's a whole lot of diabolic propaganda. But it doesn't directly contradict any of the known prehistory of the lower planes, and seems to omit any history before the existance of deities. At least it's told as a myth.

This is good on one level, in that it doesn't radically contradict the material in FC:I, Faces of Evil, or Hellbound, but it doesn't from what you've said seem to go out of its way to tie into them either (such as discussion of the Ancient Baatorians, the Baernaloth creation myth, etc).

And Malagard is dead. Hmm.

I'm not sure how to respond to that yet. I'll have to know more details first.

Shemeska · Nov 24, 2006

morbiczer said:
I have to go selep now, but I'll be glad to answer all questions in the morning.

For the morning:

Any mention of the Ancient Baatorians (the original inhabitants of Baator that existed prior to the arrival of the Baatezu)?

Any mention of the Ancient Baatorians and their cities locked in the ice of Cania?

Any mention of an origin story for the Kytons of Jangling Hiter?

Any details on where the Baatezu came from originally?

Any detail on Zariel, former Lord of the 1st?

Any mention of alternate origin myths besides the one you mentioned above?