I like the general premise. Summoning Demons should (by default; individual campaigns may differ) be a big deal, and a Demon Prince should be an even bigger deal. I 100% agree with that.
Though, I didn't really understand the point of the Orcus mention. It seemed a little bland with a side of bland while not really making sense in the context of the article.
I dislike the Gnoll story. I dislike it less now that I've had time to think about it. My initial reaction was probably more extremely negative than was warranted. I've managed to move from "absolute hate" to "dislike, but can live with I guess."
Wyatt said:ummoning a vrock or a bone devil is not easy. Well, bringing a devil to you isn't necessarily hard, but getting it to do what you want it to do is trickier—you need to give it something as well. And summoning a demon requires a messy blood sacrifice, so you're not going to do it unless you're really evil. It's easier to bring something like a modron or slaad, a yugoloth, or a gehreleth (demodand), and there are fewer strings attached.
The implication of this is that the focus of play should shift away from interesting, immediately engaging monsters like devils and demons and on to ones that have meaning only for a certain group of Planescape cogniscenti (demodands, daemons, modrons).
Honestly, I felt like he was just rating them from most to least iconic. Like the iconic monsters are tough to summon, but the equally powerful monsters he didn't feel are as iconic are easier to summon.But I'll agree with you partly here in that I vehemently disagree with Wyatt's statement that summoning something like a modron, slaad, yugoloth, or gehreleth should be intrinsically easier than summoning a demon or devil. Why? Honest question, why does he think that? I'm baffled here. Secondly I would posit that something being easier to summon can often mean that there are going to be even more strings attached (especially with 'loths) rather than fewer as Wyatt states.
The implication of this is that the focus of play should shift away from interesting, immediately engaging monsters like devils and demons and on to ones that have meaning only for a certain group of Planescape cogniscenti (demodands, daemons, modrons).
Wandering Monsters said:Although they were originally contained to that one Prime Material world, they spread like a plague and infected nearly every known world of the D&D multiverse.
We're obviously discussing different adventures. The one I am talking about is The Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga, TSR 9471 for AD&D 2E, published 1995. And it's goofy as hell.
<EDIT> And now that I've found the one in #83, it's only for 9th level and above anyway, not the 14th+ level ones I was discussing.
Seriously, though, that's pretty awful. "Demons and devils are too evil, so summon something else evil but not as interesting because plot"? I'm severely weirded out by the taking of interesting opponents and boxing them off as "too storyline important to put in your own stories".