Foray into Hell

[SuperJebba]

Hey, guys. I'm looking for information on creating an epic level experience for my players in Hell. Does anyone know of any good resources out there for doing this? Or adventures I could convert? I would like to create something myself, but I don't think I'm nefarious enough to create adventures revolving around devils. They are just too conniving and sneaky for me. I can barely find ways of tricking my children into doing things I want them to do.

I own a couple books. I think I have the Fiendish Codex: Tyrants of the Nine Hells, the Manual of the Planes and I would imagine the Books of Vile Darkness and Exalted Deeds might be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[Crust]

Ed Greenwood's novel Elminster in Hell is, in my opinion, a eye-popping first-hand experience of Hell's horrors from the perspective of some of the most-powerful archwizards in the Forgotten Realms library. Aside from the source books already mentioned, that novel can be a great resource on the experience of Hell's top layer. The novel shows the epic mess a romp through Avernus could lead to with millions of devils converging on Halaster, the Simbul, and Mystra herself as they try to save Elminster from the clutches of an arch devil. "In the heart of a million devils and more, Mystra glared and slew, glared and slew." That quote has stayed with me since reading the novel about ten years ago.

I plan on taking my epic PCs into Hell as the culminating event in our current campaign, reworking the 2E module A Paladin in Hell (another potentially good resource), and Elminster in Hell is one of my chief inspirations and sources of "what should happen" on Avernus.

 

[Empirate]

I think you should ask yourself one question before you get started: Why Hell? Why is it a compelling setting I want to base an adventure or even a campaign in?


For example, you could be all about devils being cool monsters. You don't need to place your adventure in hell to bring in lots of devils, though, so this reason doesn't really make a good base for coming up with a hellish campaign.

If you're just about cool, sinister locations, then it doesn't have to be hell itself, either. In fact, most layers of the 9 Hells aren't that interesting where planar geography is concerned. Might look into Pandemonium, or Acheron, or Carceri instead, or the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, of course. Might even simply base the campaign in the Underdark.

Or, you might be intrigued by the idea of a twisted, fiendish bureaucracy the PCs have to come to terms with. In this case, I'd recommend reading up on Soviet history (or read some novels based on it, like Child 44 and Kolyma by Tom Rob Smith). Then, exchange human secret police agents with Bone Devils, the local police station is manned... err, 'deviled' by Bearded Devils, and so on.

Or, to you hell is all about the classical themes of sin and punishment. In that case, most NPCs encountered should be the dead themselves, endlessly being punished for their wrongdoings in the most imaginative ways possible, bemoaning their fate. A look into Dante's Divine Comedy would seem appropriate for the powerful imagery, and a fully serious take on the theme of sinfulness and condemnation. This campaign needs a very serious tone, and some basic moral questions underlying its whole structure, to work out well, I believe.


All in all, I'd recommend you get a feel for what you want out of the adventure or campaign first.

 

[rgard]

Hi, not Hell, but we did adventure in the Abyss. Our party went there to mine Abyssal Bloodiron.

Whether Hell or the Abyss, the PCs will have to learn think like their opponents. They will have to stay one step ahead to avoid everything going south.

Other resources you could use:

1. WotC's Planar Handbook.
2. MGP's The Book of Hell.
3. Black Death Publishing's Into the Gates of Hell
4. Green Ronin's Book of Fiends (has devils and fiends)

All the above are available from RPGNow.com

Legions of Hell from Green Ronin is 3.0, but I don't see that at RPGNow.

Also, Ari Marmell wrote the Fiendblade, which is a 20 level class from Lion's Den Press (Classes of Legend series). I really like the class and it's based on Moorcock's Elric. It's a available at RPGNow and I can't recommend it enough for the one of the players.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Swedish Chef]

There is a 2nd edition adventure called A Paladin in Hell. That might give you a bit of good information, or at least help frame an adventure. In addition, Paizo's last Adventure Path in Dungeon Magazine was into the Abyss. Again, some interesting information (demons, not devils, obviously, but could still be helpful).