How Devils Get Ahead In The World

[Kae'Yoss]

I remember a lot of vague mentions of that sort of thing in 1st and second edition. Wizards really should release some core books on fiends, celestials etc....(maybe they have and I just dont know it)....I dont think a lot of specfics have ever been given though at least not that I myself have seen....

You mean the Fiend Folio, a book for earlier editions, or the new Fiend Folio, that will be released in a couple of months?

I thought a familiar's alignment changes to the same alignment as their master's? Or do you have to be Evil to get an Imp as a familiar in the first place?

AFAIK the usual one-step rule for alignments applies here: so Imps are only for LN, LE and NE characters.

 

[Kaji]

In response: No I'm not trying to convince my DM to allow me to advance my imp to a Pit Fiend, just to advance him to some slightly higher devil, haven't picked which one yet. The point about the Fiend Folio is good, I'd forgotten about that one, maybe they will include more details there. As for Epic Levels, we're not there yet, but we will be. I think we're taking this campaign to around 28th level or so before we wrap it up. Anyone else recall a reference to Orcus being a former Necromancer who clawed his way to the top? That's a bit I'd love to read.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

As some people have mentioned, there was some information in the 2nd Ed. Planescape boxed sets. The most powerful pit fiends would review everyone's curriculum every once in a while and advance those that had performed well (usually regarding the Blood War).

I remember one of the devils (or demons) couldn't advance and had to go back to the worst type (lemures? manes?) before it could advance again.

IIRC, in Planescape, i'm not sure if the imps and quasits were actually considered full-fledged baatezu or tanari

I have all the Planescape boxes, and i still consider them as one of the most inventive, off-the-wall creative writing i've ever seen.

maitre D

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I heard once that Orcus created the undead (which would imply that he's far older than humankind)

 

[Roman]

2nd Edition AD&D Planscape product "Planes of Law" did state that devils indeed do advance from larvae to lemures to imps to various types of baatezu and eventually some reach pit fiend status. The mechanics for this advancement, however, were more or less ommited. I would absolutely love to have rules for devil, demon, etc. advancement!

The idea on souls being necessary is a good one - is there any product with more info on this matter?

 

[Gez]

You can find the History of Orcus burried in the library of the Necromancer's Skull Tower. Here's a direct link. That'll be 5 larvaes, g'd sir.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Is anyone else reminded of monsters "evolving" in Pokemon?

 

[Roman]

Faces of evil, fiends is an AD&D 2nd Edition product with considerable detail on this subject. Basically, batezu are promoted on the basis of their preformance, skill and cunning. The promotion is done by their superiors. I must say, however, that the creature must spend at least a century in each form before moving on to a new one and it usually takes considerably longer than a century. Also worth mentioning is the fact that imps must be demoted to lemures before they can be promoted any higher and as I already mentioned they have to stay in the rather weak lemure form for at least a century.

 

[LostSoul]

The way I see it, each generation of lesser fiends eventually "grows up" or matures into a more powerful form. The environment changes over thousands of years, so that's why you see different types of fiends. When the first Pit Fiends were around, it helped if you had the traits that Pit Fiends have. When the ... Ice Devils, whatever they're called, were growing, Hell was frozen over and they turned into what we see today.

That's my take on things but it ain't supported by anyone with cash.

 

[Corwyn]

There was a tree diagram in one of the Planescape boxes that showed the advancement of the different fiends, but the rules for this advancement were indeed not given. Those are for the dm to think up.
Although I think it would take a long time no matter what step you take.