Pit Fiend vs Balor....BLOODWAR....who would win ?

[Hackenslash]

I like this idea too....

......I could see this playing out in a campaign where it looks like the Balor has every advantage in the upcoming battle to be outdone, in the end, by the double-crossing devils.

I've always kind of had the idea that the reason the nine hells can battle the obviously much larger abyss and hold them to a stalemate is due to superior planning and tactics. I could even theorize that the strife between Graz'zt, Orcus, and Demogorgan are the result of hellish machinations (ala Asmodeus).

Good Point, Hjorimir. I like this double crossing idea and it would seem all the more prevelent in a climatic battle to have the mighty Balor defeated only through the traitorous actions of his own allies, with the not quite so injured Pit Fiend smirking to himself in the background. The Blood War has always interested me but I was confused over the new DR issues and how it would pan out in direct confrontation. It would be really cool if someone wrote some more details about it, or even better wrote a whole book on it or a novell with anti-heros in the form of Devils against the overwhelming odds of the Abysal Hordes. I'm sure it would be epic stuff and would make an even better movie...Any further thoughts...Cheers All !!!!

 

[Hackenslash]

BUMP!!!

Hi All,

Any other thoughts on the rules regarding this encounter or maybe rules that I may have overlooked for the Blood War.

 

[Epametheus]

How I'd expect match-up between a generic balor and generic pit-fiend to go is pretty simple -- either they'd spam Mass Hold Monster/Dominate Monster at each other until one finally botched the save, or one of them would realize that the battle was too even for either of them to win and teleport away. A balor might not care about having 50/50 odds, but the pit-fiend most certainly would care.

It looks like pit-fiends are actually superior in melee now (the unarmed attack for the balor seems to have been nerfed a little).

However, if you're basing a quest around these guys, they shouldn't be measly generics. Realistically (as much as such a term could apply to DnD), Pit Fiends and Balors are unholy generals of the highest order, and can pretty much acquire whatever the hell they want. I can easily picture a balor lugging around a huge +5 holy anarchic lawful-outsider bane silvered great-axe for the sole purpose of smiting the hated baatezu. Yeah, it'll suffer a negative level whenever it picks up Ghrn'sha the Devil Splitter, but when you live in Hell, suffering some slight discomfort is a small price to pay for victory.

And if the Pit Fiend needs the PCs to help it against the Balor, then the Balor probably needs the PCs to help it against the Pit Fiend. Have both sides competing for the loyalty (and quite possibly, souls) of the PCs.

 

[The Little Raven]

EDIT: No point.

 

[DMBronsonBaker]

Just as a house rule to simplify things like this,my group runs it like,if you have DR equal too,or greater than,your opponents DR,you get through it. Cause chances are if you have skin that thick,the muscle underneath it can certainly hit hard enough to get through.

 

[Thunderfoot]

All this new fangled Planescape bloodwar stuff. What a bunch a hoowy.

Back in my day they were called Type 6 demons - and they didn't regenerate. And Pit Fiends, they aren't gonna be off fight over some piece of useless plane that neither side can use. No siree, Asmodeous and Orcus have better things for their lieutenants to do - like torture lowly souls and whip lesser demon/devils into line. Bloodwar, heh.

(This semi humorous rant is brought to you by the 1eAD&D Monster Manual pages 16, 17, 19, 20 & 23. And by the letter Q.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

Just as a house rule to simplify things like this,my group runs it like,if you have DR equal too,or greater than,your opponents DR,you get through it. Cause chances are if you have skin that thick,the muscle underneath it can certainly hit hard enough to get through.

Holy thread necromancy, batman!

Nice to have you aboard, DMBronsonBaker - I'd be interested in hearing what it was about a 7 year old thread that prompted you to join in the conversation

Seriously, was it a result of a google search, or something similar?

Cheers