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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8964034" data-attributes="member: 20323">Holy moly! I know your question focuses on minions & environment, which I'll give some suggestions on, but first I would attack things the PCs/players believe to be true... revelation of ancestries that create a complication, withdrawal or reversal of blessings/boons they previously relied upon, betrayals of those closest to them, discovering that the old resurrection came with conditions, etc, etc.Vassals (canonical): Asmodeus has a whole bunch of vassals who you can bring into play, including...<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_archdevils#Alastor" target="_blank">Alastor</a>: The Executioner of Nessus, a pit fiend of maximum HP with broken wings, wielding a +3 battleaxe and a scythe (I'd make one or both "hellfire weapons" from BG<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />iA).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_archdevils#Baalberith" target="_blank">Baalberith</a>: Pit fiend major domo of Asmodeus's palace, who commanded palace guard of 66 pit fiends (I'd make them minions with 1 hp and a damage threshold of 20).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_archdevils#Bune" target="_blank">Bune</a>: A greedy horned devil (maximum HP) commander quick to heed Asmodeus' commands, He has regeneration (5), has a Frightful Touch, can cast cone of cold and symbol of death 1/day each, and can summon 1d4 cornungons 70% of the time.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Phongor" target="_blank">Phongor</a>: The dreaded Inquisitor of Hell who acts as something of a spymaster for Asmodeus, Phonger is a unique devil – 6 ft tall humanoid with alabaster skin, glittering pink eyes, oily black hair, tiny horns, a forked tail, red hooves, and a hoarse, hissing voice. A compliment of spined devils is at his beck and call. I would start with an archmage, and give him: (A) devil traits/resistances/immunities & stunning/pain effect immunity, (B) a poisonous cat-of-nine-tails, (C) truesight, (D) Frightful Presence, (E) modified spell list (contagion, shocking grasp, sending, symbol (pain)), (F) summon 1d6 spined devils 70%.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Rimmon" target="_blank">Rimmon</a>: Sarcastic and nasty gelugon (max HP) commander of the gelugon companies, he wields a trident, has Frightful Presence, has truesight, and cast these spells: magic, detect magic, wall of ice, ice storm, cone of cold, fly, lightning bolt, chain lightning, symbol (pain), and teleport. Also has wish-granting powers similar to a genie or what's described in BG<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />iA for greater devils.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Zagum" target="_blank">Zagum</a>: A cold-blooded, wryly humorous, and ambitious barbed devil (max HP) commander of the barbed devil companies, Zagum has Regeneration (5), Fearful Gaze, and can cast these spells: pyrotechnics, produce flame, wall of fire, dispel magic, hold person, hold monster, fly, symbol (pain), flame strike, and teleport. Also has wish-granting powers similar to a genie or what's described in BG<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />iA for greater devils.</li> </ul>Minions (my ideas): <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A red ruby golem made from shattered bits of the Shard of Evil, controlled by Asmodeus' ruby rod. I'd use a <a href="https://www.5esrd.com/database/creature/golem-smaragdine-3pp/" target="_blank">smargadine golem</a> (ToB) as a base, but give it a high Regeneration and/or Damage Threshold until the ruby rod is destroyed/dispelled/disarmed. And its strikes leave shards of evil essence embedded in the victim, with some kind of compounding corruption effect (e.g. similar to sword of wounding or wraith's life drain, but at 0 hp become Lawful Evil thrall of Asmodeus).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A pact that he can invoke, conjuring a NPC known to the party who is compelled to fight for Asmodeus.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A living spell that tears souls from their bodies, flinging the body to the Astral Plane. Reuniting them requires dispelling/slaying the living spell OR transporting to the Astral Plane and bringing the body back. If the soul is bodiless for ~3 rounds in the Nine Hells, pursuant to an ancient compact it becomes the "property" of Asmodeus.</li> </ul>Environment (my ideas):<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A wall of illusion casting anyone passing through in the role of Asmodeus from the "Trial of Asmodeus" (in which Asmodeus was condemned and fell from angelic grace).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Occam's Razor – a storm of blades (a la blade barrier), anyone damaged by it must save or have self deceit / false expectations stripped away, along with stripping multi-class powers, and anything vestigial/tacked on to the PC.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Angels with flayed skin on display like that human anatomy gallery exhibit, creating an aura that interferes with clerical magic – the aura can be lowered with Channel Divinity, deva's tears, a miracle, wish, etc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Massive holy symbols of Asmodeus (that triangle thingy) hanging over passages/doors which burn a symbol onto the skin of unwelcome guests entering. This acts to trigger certain spell effects (e.g. glyph of warding) in the manor, both increasing access & risk.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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