D&D 4E In 4E Asmodeus will be a god!

[Wormwood]

It actually makes a lot of sense. Unlike the abyss, where there are so many vying for the top dog spot, with Demogogon being the obvious, but contested head honcho, Asmodeus IS the ruler of the 9 hells, No Questions Asked.

The REAL question, in 4E how powerful does goodhood make someone? Is even being a lesser god as bad as divine rank 0 was? Are gods ever around a CR 10? Do they refom if 'killed'?

Exactly---this is simply more baseless speculation. We don't know squat about godhood or even the cosmology of 4e.

But I'm willing to take a bet that most gods (Asmodeus included) will have a killable "Aspect" in the MM.

At this point, I'm hoping that Orcus got a similar promotion.

 

[frankthedm]

At this point, I'm hoping this offends someone enough that they organize a protest.

And the protest makes national news.

And other folks find out and decide to form anti-D&D organizations.

And D&D becomes known as something your stuck-up parents *don't* want you to do.


Baby, you couldn't BUY publicity like that.

Yep!

You don't put a demon lord on a book cover if you don't want at least a little SATANIC PANIC!

ANd then when the book sales slow down, Hasbo vaults the D&D IP like they were going to anyhow.

 

[Roman]

This is a positive change that makes sense within the context of power levels in D&D mythology.

Delericho, I would not be too concerned by elevating him to deific status. What passes for a deity in D&D is very, very different than the omnipotent God in the Christian sense. Deities in D&D are nothing in comparison and their deific status merely denotes some portfolio and the fact that they are beyond the ken of mortals. This would fit even angels and demons as they are perceived by Christians in the real world.

 

[frankthedm]

At this point, I'm hoping that Orcus got a similar promotion.

Maybe if he can defeat Demogorgon and Grazzt.

 

[Wormwood]

Maybe if he can defeat Demogorgon and Grazzt.

Which reminds me to add 'rewrite the current canon' to my 4e Wish List.

 

[Xyxox]

Normally, I would agree absolutely. In this case, that will not work for me. This isn't a matter of some NPC I can just ignore or rewrite, or some rule I don't like... this is a matter of a demon from an active real-world mythology being assigned divine status. The notion makes me uncomfortable about the idea of picking up and using the 4e rules.

Please note that I am not some fundamentalist reactionary. I've never subscribed to the notion that D&D is somehow evil, or similar. And I was entirely comfortable with Asmodeus and the rest appearing in the game... provided they remained listed as Demons (or Devils, or Arch-devils, or whatever). That was all fine, just as long as they weren't gods. Change that as the default assumption and I have a very real problem.

Loki is a demon from an active real-world mythoogy (Asatru), too. Did you get upset over that in OD&D, 1E, 2E, or 3E? Loki was never a god in the Norse myths. He's a demon.

 

[Nifft]

I approve of this change, and all future changes that mirror my house rules.

Evil gods suck. Arch-fiends rule!

Cheers, -- N

 

[mhacdebhandia]

It does say Asmodeus won't be joining Orcus in the Monster Manual because the former was promoted to deity status, which strongly suggests that Orcus is not a deity.

I wonder if Orcus has been promoted to "top dog" in the Abyss in the aftermath of the Savage Tide Adventure Path, which could seriously weaken Demogorgon.

 

[frankthedm]

More to the point, was Asmodia / Amosdeus named in Old or New Testaments? I found a mention from Milton's paradice lost, but how much has been biblical canon?

 

[beepeearr]

Wow, let's see. the PHB will have a horned devil looking creature right on the cover, a demon blooded race as a PC race, a giant demon on the cover of the Monster Manual, and now they decided to make Asmodeus a god.

Wow. So much for trying to cultivate a new crop of young gamers. There are still plenty of people out there who cry that D&D is demonic, I don't see this as helping matters much. I don't have any problems with any this being part of the game, I just don't see it as a good idea to market it so much.

How many parents who don't play D&D are going to want to shell out 40 bucks so there kid can play a demonic half breed who could then choose to worship a real life devil. This is only a small part of the game sure, but it will also be the most visible, since it's right on the cover, which is why I think it might be a bad idea. I have friends who started gaming when his youth group pastor introduced them to the game. Somehow, I don't think to many pastors are going to be giddy about passing around a book that has elevated a real world demon to God status (differences aside, they still share the name), even if they know that is not what the game is all about.

I know that when I first looked at the covers, I thought man thats a lot of demonic imagery, the Giant red dragon on the monster manual problably won't help either, it's just another giant horned red creature, sitting on the shelf next to two others.