D&D 5E Tier 4+ Encounter with Asmodeus

[LordEntrails]

As my campaign nears it's end, the party is about to encounter Asmodeus. What are some good cohorts to add to support him? What about some thematic environmental hazards?

Setting is to be an oversized manor. Figured to have some fire and lightning hazards in the doorways. Maybe a few blinking portals that teleport 'victims' to other places in the manor. Encounter CR is probably 35-38. Not too worried about being too much.

For reference, party is of 6 level 20 characters with solid to high magic.

 

[cranberry]

OT: I like the idea of god/godlike beings having stats. (e.g. Deities & Demi-Gods)

But what concerns me, is that if WoTC ever decides to publish such stats, they will end up "Vecna-fying" these beings, that should (IMO), be nearly impossible to defeat.

 

[Clint_L]

• A pact that he can invoke, conjuring a NPC known to the party who is compelled to fight for Asmodeus.

Love this suggestion. I would make it one or more of their loved ones - that will totally change the nature of the battle.

 

[LordEntrails]

Love this suggestion. I would make it one or more of their loved ones - that will totally change the nature of the battle.

Ooh... Yea, I really like that... Other than combat, how might the party overcome this charm? Dispel Magic? Restoration?

 

[Quickleaf]

Ooh... Yea, I really like that... Other than combat, how might the party overcome this charm? Dispel Magic? Restoration?

With high-emotional stake charm-boss encounters in general, especially high-level campaign closers, and especially the prince of lies, I think a "sway the NPC over with roleplay citing past connections / bonding moments / things you did to support each other" would be very apropos.

To get 5e mechanistic, adapt a skill challenge format – you need 6 "successes" or "valid convincing talking points" to win them over, but 3 "failures" or "rounds without convincing them" or "a bad/false/antagonizing talking point" cements Asmodeus' control over the mind, body, and soul.

 

[Bacon Bits]

Asmodeus is typically represented as being the ultimate ruler of the Nine Hells. That would likely mean he has contracts, obligations, and favors that could be called in on any other archdevil. Likely could do the same with several Lawful Evil deities, as well. And fallen angels, demons and daemons foolish enough to bargain with the lord of deception. Even likely good-aligned lawful creatures bound to a term of service. He doesn't have friends in high places, but that's because he hasn't got friends. He's certainly got depths of resources beyond imagining.

Personally, though, I would want to end the campaign with something beyond epic.

To me that would mean that Asmodeus not only calls in aid from across the multiverse, he could also call in aid from multiverses beyond. Have him bring in characters from non D&D canon. Call in The Shrike from The Hyperion Cantos. Call in The King in Yellow. Let the White Witch of Narnia bring her host. Bring in Sephiroth and Gannondorf. Bring in Aku, the shapeshifting master of darkness. Bring in Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor. Bring in Darth Vader. Or bring in the good guys, bound to a favor for Asmodeus, and let him laugh as good destroys itself in his name. Find the characters that your players love in anything outside of D&D, and let The Devil lose upon them.

And the most important part is that the final battle should be as much of a Xanatos Gambit as you can make it.

 

[LordEntrails]

Personally, though, I would want to end the campaign with something beyond epic.

Note, this is not the end of the campaign (that's probably the next encounter after this one, when they try to finally kill Ebondeath now that they have destroyed all 3 of his phylacteries, and in turn have made him more powerful as they released the stored energies). And I don't actually plan for the party to destroy/kill Asmo, but rather just defeat him enough that they can return to their reality.

This is more that Asmo is annoyed with them enough that he has gone to some lengths to try and kill them. Not a full out everything he has, but enough that he feels it will at least keep them from interfering in his plans again (like they have done repeatedly with the Cassalanters).

All good ideas, and I appreciate you taking the time to express them

 

[LordEntrails]

To get 5e mechanistic, adapt a skill challenge format – you need 6 "successes" or "valid convincing talking points" to win them over, but 3 "failures" or "rounds without convincing them" or "a bad/false/antagonizing talking point" cements Asmodeus' control over the mind, body, and soul.

I often use Skill Challanges like this. But in this case I want the encounter to be relatively fast moving with combat going on. The party will also be split up around the manor so won't all be able to deal with each frenemy in full strength, and would want such to probably take no more than 3 rounds.

I'm thinking to have a series of charmed NPCs, as well as a few past enemies brought back (the Cassalanters) and then some other interesting character to support.

 

[Stalker0]

I recently ran my own version of killed asmodeus, though I did more a CR 25ish for that (and did not have his stats so I used Vecna with all spell access and a devil abilities added in).

I think the lair is a key factor, the best enemy at high levels is the enemy you can’t beat, the environment. Here’s what I did (the room I used had a torrent of souls)

1) on 20 init, dc 20 con save for all players. On failure, you drop to 0. Unless you have some means to immediate go to 1 hp or higher (death ward, etc), you die, your soul goes to asmodeus (Aka no res)

3) on 15, dc 20 cha save on one target. Target suffers ghost possession.

3) on 10, 60 lemurs are created (I used 4e minion rules and 5e mob rules to keep it simple)

 

[LordEntrails]

So the party started this encounter last night. We are still in the middle of it, but they did just encounter and identify Asmodeus before we ended. The player commentary went something like:

Player 1: "Is that Amadeus?"
Player 2: "Oh sh!t. No, not quite."
Player 1: "Well you did say you wanted to fight something epic."
Player 3: "Can I run away now?"

 

[Blue]

I often use Skill Challanges like this. But in this case I want the encounter to be relatively fast moving with combat going on. The party will also be split up around the manor so won't all be able to deal with each frenemy in full strength, and would want such to probably take no more than 3 rounds.

I'm thinking to have a series of charmed NPCs, as well as a few past enemies brought back (the Cassalanters) and then some other interesting character to support.

And once the party gets used to seeing loved ones and trusted friends, then hit them with a succubus that looks like one they had lost. Not that a CR 4 can do anything, even the draining kiss is DC 15 CON save, but just to show you can't trust anything at Asmodeus' manor.

EDIT: That's what I get for posting before finishing the thread. Didn't realize they had already gotten up to him. Love to hear how it turns out.