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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2008271" data-attributes="member: 172">Legions of HellLegions of Hell is the latest D20 System offering by Chris Pramas under the Green Ronin Productions banner. Pramas also wrote the Origins Award-winning adventure Death in Freeport for Green Ronin and the Guide to Hell supplement for AD&D 2nd edition for WotC.Legions of Hell (LoH) is essentially a new D20 System monsters sourcebook detailing many new inhabitants of the nether realm that the D&D game calls Hell or Baator. There is some additional material in the form of a brief outline of hell, prestige classes for followers of various servants of devils, and some material on celestials, with a primary focus on those celestials who have fallen away from the service of good and now participate in the hierarchy of hell.A First LookLoH is a modest sized booklet at 64 pages, and is staple bound. The cover are by Brom depicts some form of devil with a head resembling an animal skull. The cover is not nearly as attractive as the one that adorned the Guide to Hell (also by Brom.)The interior is black and white with illustrations for each creature ranging from middling to excellent. I especially liked the illustrations by Sam Wood and Raven Mimura. Mimura’s illustrations had a very crisp look to them and his illustrations of some of the baatezu (devil) nobles are especially nice. Sam Wood’s illustrations of some of the devils look somewhat Gigeresque and appropriately creepy looking.The text density is average and the margins are narrow. The whitespace is abundant, but those who deplored the cramped layout of the 3e Monster Manual will appreciate the much more spacious layout in LoH.A Deeper LookThe book starts of with a brief introductory section that very briefly outlines the 9 layers or circles of hell, and the ruler of each layer, the nature of infernal politics, the role of devils in the prime, a recap of the common baatezu abilities, and some thoughts on adapting the devils for your own use.As mentioned, the bulk of this book is devoted to devils or other servants of Hell. In all there are 41 new creatures, not counting tidbits like the mount of the master of the infernal hunt.The main section includes both non-unique creatures such as rank and file servants and agents of hell, and a number of unique fallen celestials and baatezu nobles. All told, the creatures in the book run the gamut of challenge ratings from ½ for the lowly knocker, to 24 for the fallen solar, Iblis.Each monster description has both campaign and rules information, and includes some good resources ideas for adventures and campaign. Many of the unique creatures plots and aspirations are described, and some of the unique creatures have specific followers. One of my favorites is the duchess of domination Hadriel, a creepy looking spine covered female figure. Hadriel has plots and aspirations in the lands of mortals underway to help advance her station in hell, and many of the creatures described elsewhere in the book are her servants, the gladiatrix (flail-wielding female gladiatorial devils), the darkspinx (half-fiend sphinx bodyguards), strigae (ghastly winged spies), painmistresses (strange baatezu with huge claws whose purpose is to inflict pain) and painshriekers (hideously deformed aberrations that emit a powerful shriek).Other favorites of mine in the book are the faceless (faceless fiendish assassins and masters of the blade), ashmede (hideous winged enforcers of the laws of hell), chamagons (magic-suppressing saboteurs), keres (female baateze elite soldiers that somewhat resemble Andariel from Diablo II) and Furcas (the baatezu Duke of Rhetoric).Note that none of the rulers of the nine circles of hell is given stats in the book; in interviews elsewhere the author has said that such powerful creatures are best reserved until such a time as WotC comes out with their epic-level campaigns book.The first appendix details three prestige classes the represents servants of specific devil nobles detailed in the book, and a sample NPC for each one:- Balan’s jackals follow Balan, who is depicted as a sort of Herne-type master-of-the-hunt figure. They gain abilities representing their bestial aspects, like greater rage and wild shape.- Montebanks are servants of Jalie, an undead fiend-lich. Montebanks gain a fiendish servant and powers that deal with cleverness and betrayal in addition to continued spell advancement.- Plaguelords are servants of Nergal, a fiend noble associated with pestilence. Plaguelords become vermin and gain powers associated with disease and rotting.Appendix 2 introduces the Fallen template, which is applied to celestials to create a “fallen celestial” which has been cast out of the upper planes. They are prevented from entering the upper planes or holy places, but their powers are twisted towards evil and they gain an impressive power to tempt and ensnare the souls of mortals.Appendix 3 outlines the hierarchy of celestials in the Seven Heavens, called angelic choirs. It also touches on the history of fallen angels and outlines a number of such creatures that now serve in the infernal hierarchy.The book finishes up with a listing of monsters by CR, a bibliography, the obligatory D20 license, and an ad for more Green Ronin products.Summary and ConclusionsThe material should be useful whether or not you use a specific incarnation of hell (e.g., if you use the 1e Dragon magazine version, Planescape, Guide to Hell version, your own, or even the Diablo II version of hell.)  The book seems to provide a lot of material without trying to provide too strict a definition of what is there.The creatures – especially the unique ones – come with some ideas that could easily be expanded upon for campaign ideas. It gives the book a definite feel that this is by no means the last word on Devils and there is plenty of room for DMs to build on what is there. I like that in supplement. To me, a supplement that provides a starting point and a variety of useful material is far better than one that circumscribes and leaves nothing to the imagination.The material describing the celestials and their relationship to hell shows a definite Judeo-Christian and Milton “Paradise Lost” influence. Depending on the tastes and campaign style, that may be good or bad. It does have a familiar feel to it, but it may be difficult to reconcile that feel with that of other campaign assumptions if you use the more traditional Greek and Nordic style pantheon of deities.To me, the book feels as if it has just the right size and price point. At $15, the book falls pleasantly short of what many D20 System vendors are expecting for supplements these days. At 64 pages and over 40 creatures, you get a great variety of foes for your players with a much smaller chance that large swaths of it would go unused than might be the case in a larger book.I also appreciated that there are creatures in the book for a wide variety of challenge ratings. That in and of itself should vastly increase the opportunities for fiendish DMs to inflict a few devils on the hapless players.The rules use and consistency is fairly solid throughout the book, but a few things raised my eyebrows. For example, the chamagon continually radiates an anti-magic shell, yet the description states that their lord teleports them into battle. Just how they are supposed to be able to do this is beyond me. Another example is that a few creatures like the ashmede and the faceless that seemed like powerful enough outsiders that they would have some for of damage reduction, but they had none.Overall, though, the book should be a useful resource for DMs that appreciate devils as villains, either in standard games or in exotic settings such as Planescape. I don’t know about the esteemed reader, but devils were a classic villain in the early days of my campaign. LoH has definitely whetted my appetite for the devils to have a comeback tour!Given the production qualities, ideas, and ready to use game content, I give the Legions of Hell 4 out of 5 pitchforks.Edit: In hindsight, I have really come to adore the style and substance of Legions of Hell. Though I don't think it is quite the value of the Book of Eldritch Might or Relics & Rituals (my benchmark "5" products), it is certainly in the top 20% of products AFAIAC.</blockquote>

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