Hordes of the Abyss.

[JoeGKushner]

I'm very interested in seeing what kinds of creatures are in the book.
Looks like the Molydeus, Rutterkin, and Chasme are in there, but what about the others?

Answered in partial review.

What kinds of feats, spells, and PrC's are in the book?

No PrCs. Feats include Vile and Heritor feats. Spells range in variety but some new Domains.

How much room is spent on demonic anatomy, physiology, and psychology?

Not much.

How much room is spent on Abyssal Lairs?

A little more. We get several examples. One thing I'm not up to is that Lolth is presented as still being in the Abyss. I thought her whole thing became a seperate plane?

 

[JoeGKushner]

*flutters fiendish eyelashes*

1) Is there anything in the flavor text that gives justifications to the Abyssal Lords being able to manhandle deities, given the rather unfortunate false dichotomy between archfiends and true deities that 3e has provided us with? Ie is there material on the control Abyssal Lords have over their own layers of the Abyss?

That the abyss favors them. They have personality and charm. It also notes that the Abyss can respawn an abyssall lord. Very wishy washy in my opnion.

2) Is there anything mentioned regarding the origins of the Tanar'ri, specifically tied to the Heart of Darkness mythos and the General of Gehenna.

"If Ahm is correct, demons manifest as extensions of chaos and evil left in the Abyss after the deities, devils and other powers had "ascended" to other palnes. Some notes towards the back when dealing with the history of the Abyss and good old Queen of Chaos and Miska the Wolf-Spider, the first "Prince of Demons." The old denizens, the obyriths, are pretty much dead and dying. Very similiar to the race from Green Ronin's book. The Loumaras on the other hand are newcomes that are "the byproduct of the plane's attempt to digest the fitful last dreams of a dying pathenon of evil gods." Good writing there! Perfect for Exalted!

3) Spill the beans on the two non-Tanar'ri races of CE fiends. Do they predate the arrival of the Tanar'ri in the Abyss, post date it? I'm keen to see where they went with this.

The obyriths created the tanar'ri but the loumaras are new.

4) Pale Night: what's the dark on her relationship with the Tanar'ri, or lack thereof. Is she actually a Tanar'ri, or something... else?

"Pale Night is an enigma." An obrith who was ancient even during that race's reign on the Abyss. She lives on Baphomet's lair, the 600th level.

5) What is mentioned regarding Charon as a yugoloth lord, and what context is he mentioned in.

Still reading over it, but I may have missed him entirely as I don't recall seeing him mentioned. Let me check the index. Oh wait... no index.

6) What sort of material is there on the Tanar'ri within the context of fighting the Blood War?

Not much. They fight the blood war, each other, and serve the demon princes. Very glossed over. But at 160 pages, how else could it be?

 

[JoeGKushner]

The point has already been made that the weaker stats repesent them outside of their planar layers.

Keep your eye on the ball, folks.

Unless I'm missing it, the book doesn't actually say that. It notes that "Characters are most likely to face a demon lord on its home layer of the Abyss." This doesn't grant it any inherent abilities but does give it "home court" advantage as many of the Abyss mini-planes are not safe for mortals. It also notes that they are never alone.

So yeah, those weak stats do NOT rerpesent them outside their lairs, but represents them as they are.

 

[Zarnam]

Hello again Joe, some questions for you, please

1. Do we get PrC Thralls of Dagon/Obox-ob/Pale Night/Malcanthet ??
2. Is there any mention of Vucarik of Chains, Lupercio, Alvarez ??
3. Is there a mention of Dwiergus, the Chrysalis Lord ??
4. Any evil artifacts ??

Thanks !!

 

[arntof]

, I don't look forward to having to cover that ground with one dimensional munchkins on the WotC boards.

*feels hurt*

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hello again Joe, some questions for you, please

1. Do we get PrC Thralls of Dagon/Obox-ob/Pale Night/Malcanthet ??
2. Is there any mention of Vucarik of Chains, Lupercio, Alvarez ??
3. Is there a mention of Dwiergus, the Chrysalis Lord ??
4. Any evil artifacts ??

Thanks !!

No PrCs at all.

They're mentioned on the appendix 1, lords of the abyss.

Evil artifacts? The Black Scrolls of Ahm. Not necessarily 'evil' per say though.

 

[Zarnam]

By saying "mentioned" I presume something like : "Vucarik of Chains, abyssal lord"

 

[JoeGKushner]

Name, title, concerns, layer. They also have notes. d for deceased, f for female, 0 for obyrith. A - indicates that they don't actually have a laryer of the abyss.

 

[Sammael]

I just read the whole review.

Er... so there is no description of the Abyss or its layers whatsoever in the book?

 

[Mouseferatu]

One thing I'm not up to is that Lolth is presented as still being in the Abyss. I thought her whole thing became a seperate plane?

Only in a Forgotten Realms product, and therefore only in the FR cosmology. Core books are not beholden to FR-specific books.