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Eorran
2013-05-09, 08:29 AM
I'm running a game (4e, but not worried about mechanics at the moment) where the PCs are currently hidden in a Pit Fiend's treasure chamber, inside his palace, in Dis (the second layer of the Nine Hells). They're going to try and ambush the fiend, then get out. We've houseruled that to get out of Hell, they either need to make it up to the first layer or else find a pre-existing teleportation point, which are all presumably well-hidden and well-guarded.

The 4e monster manual gives a brief description of Dis as consisting of vast underground caverns, so I dug out my old 2e Menzoberranzan set and plan to crib off that for a lot of things.

The question I have is what would devil society look like on their own turf? Would there be merchants, traders, food? Places the PCs could hide (for a price, or for a favour?)

I don't have the manual of the planes, just looking for fun ideas I can incorporate.

jindra34
2013-05-09, 08:38 AM
The question I have is what would devil society look like on their own turf? Would there be merchants, traders, food? Places the PCs could hide (for a price, or for a favour?)


Yes there would be. The prices might not be to the player's liking, and the favors would have to be done up front. But remember in DnD Devils are a bunch of plotters who will try to get the most out of every situation. Which means as long as the party can show more benefit to being aided than not, they should be able to get some help out of them.

Slipperychicken
2013-05-09, 11:02 AM
The question I have is what would devil society look like on their own turf? Would there be merchants, traders, food?


Hell: if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!
Come for the torture, stay for the cuisine!
Meanest spices in the multiverse!
Everyday low prices!



Places the PCs could hide (for a price, or for a favour?)


Something tells me the physical manifestations of Lawful Evil aren't willing to hide people from their own bosses for cash. I could definitely see Devils pretending to hide the PCs, only to rat them out for brownie points and evulz. It could even be standard operating procedure (the bait-and-switch) when approached by non-devils who are trying to hide.

Steward
2013-05-09, 11:02 AM
Is cribbing from "Fiendish Codex 2" (the one about each layer of the 9 Hells) out of the question?

According to that book, Dis is considered one of the "safer" places for extraplanar travelers. It contains merchants (usually amnizus, which are these winged pig devils that are basically every stereotypical merchant, banker, stockbroker monster all wrapped into one).

It also says that the surface layer of Dis is dominated by the City of Dis, which is a massive urban concrete jungle. Its geography is constantly shifting and warping at random, making it a disorienting experience, but normal (well, magical) people can live there if they can handle harassment and taxation from Lord Dispater's servitors.

If you're willing to incorporate more material from FC2, remember that each layer holds divine realms as well as archdevil territory. If your party can get in good with a lawful evil deity, they might be willing to hide you in one of their territories.

Janus
2013-05-09, 03:17 PM
*ahem*
And I say to you, my brothers and sisters,
Hell is a deep, dark, foul-smelling prison of the damned! Filled with fire and brimstone, lost souls and demons!
And how do you escape this eternal damnation?
You blast the nasty pink demons right between their beady little eyes. :smallannoyed:

[source] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFeZSbA1XOg)

Nerd-o-rama
2013-05-09, 03:21 PM
Think cubicles.

Lord Haart
2013-05-09, 03:24 PM
winged pig devils that are basically every stereotypical merchant, banker, stockbroker monster all wrapped into one.Watt-o? The pun isn't good, but it came with such a discount!

Slipperychicken
2013-05-09, 04:02 PM
winged pig devils that are basically every stereotypical merchant, banker, stockbroker monster all wrapped into one).

Like this?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Watto_EPI_TPM.png

EDIT: Swordsage'd because I forgot the guy's name.

BWR
2013-05-09, 04:36 PM
If you don't mind some Planescape input:


Aaagh!
Aaagh!
AAAAAAAAAA....

A petitioner in the Iron City of Dis
Getting out of Baator is not as hard as some planes. It is perfectly possible to convince locals to help you. You just have to convince them they will be getting more for their trouble by helping you than they would just killing/enslaving you right there and taking your stuff.
You can buy maps to gates, and some of them are even accurate. Just make sure you get a well-worded promise that it is accurate.
Also, make sure there isn't a group of people waiting to waylay you at he gate.
Most gates are well-known and well-guarded by baatezu who won't listen to any "pretty please, let us pass". Those that aren't well known are usually so because they are temporary gates, shifting gates or lead to worse places than where you are.
Floating down the Styx is one option, but you'll usually end up somewhere different but just as bad.

The best thing you can do is have Plane Shift available. Buy, cheat or steal a scroll or kidnap a local powerful enough to cast it to get you out of there.

To reiterate: it is perfectly possible to convince a powerful enough baatezu to help you out, but you are quite literally dealing with the devil. Unless you are extraordinarily canny and deceptive and lucky, you will end up with the worse part of the bargain.
And if you do get out of there with the better part of the bargain, a certain fiend or fiends is likely to take it personally and slowly ruin your life.

Alejandro
2013-05-09, 04:40 PM
Souls in little vials as currency!

vasharanpaladin
2013-05-09, 08:51 PM
Each layer can be considered a miniplane on its own. I'm fond of the Fiendish Codex description, regardless of which edition I'm playing in.

The second circle, Dis, is infinite and stifling. An endless city of iron buildings, bounded on all sides by walls. The heat of millions of bodies surrounds you, pressing in on all sides. At its center, the Iron Tower where the lord of this dark place rules in paranoia. At its edges, red-hot iron walls, that serve not to keep creatures out, for all Dis has to fear are demons who wouldn't be turned away by the heat, or to keep them penned in... the damned souls packed like sardines in the infinite Iron City do that on their own.

Devils are rare and omnipresent; their threat comes not from open confrontation, but from the knowledge that they are watching. Most watch over the damned from the rooftops, or from the Iron Tower... the outside, as the master of this dread city does not trust even his bodyguards. The streets are madness, turning in upon themselves in labyrinthine passage, such that moving toward your destination only serves to get you more and more lost. Imps may offer to guide lost travelers to their destinations (or their masters) for a price.

And, of course, the greatest threats to the party are not the lurking devils, but the damned souls cast down to Dispater's domain. Devils, at least, are upfront regarding their natures.. the damned, once mortal themselves, may seem to be helpful, but are all too eager to drag the PCs down with themselves. They will not approach the PCs of their own accord, but watch them with wary eyes, only actively interfering should the PCs speak to them (in which case they will gleefully cast them to the hounds) or else manage to find their way to the gates of the city... as mentioned before, the gates need no guards, for the damned will do everything in their power to prevent each other (and the PCs) from leaving.

Eorran
2013-05-09, 08:59 PM
Souls in little vials as currency!

Actually, I came up with something similar - favors owed by mortals, creatures, or other devils, held in little parchements in bottles. The implication is that the contract enforces payment on whoever made it, when the holder calls it due. Some may be more limited than others.

I figure the devils consider gold, gems, etc almost worthless, but favors or contracts are hugely valuable.

vasharanpaladin
2013-05-09, 09:01 PM
I figure the devils consider gold, gems, etc almost worthless, but favors or contracts are hugely valuable.

Devils would prefer gold and astral diamonds, for monetary currency. Silver ("stingers") hurts them, and copper ("greens") corrodes at their touch. :smallamused:

Asmodai
2013-05-11, 10:58 AM
Dis is a major trade hub in the Multiverse, and it's not that hard to get into or out of. Adventurers do end up there be it for employment, trade or just quests for the impossible. This has the added benefit that you will be able to barter with a lot of Goods you have at hand - gems, gold, magical items, favours (just don't offer them silver, that will end badly for you).

So yeah it's not that bad a place to be at. Of course, the Devil whose house they crashed may have something to say on letting you waltz out. The fun part, though, is that he doesn't have the whole city at his disposal. Anyone not directly under his thumb won't care, heck they might step on him for being bad for business ;)

But you asked what does it look like?
Going through my Baator booklet quickly...

In the middle of the layer of Dis (a cavernous mountainous layer) lays the city of Dis. It is walled by jutting spikes of blackened Iron that are interspread with pathways into the city. The city itself is infinite in size, and built of deformed blackened iron scalding to the touch. Walking on the streets is enough to burn your feet without adequate protection (the book mentions the heaviest boot leather at a minimum). It is also mentioned that metal armors heat up quite uncomfortably while in Dis, making alternatives quite a bit more popular. The parts of the town that are most tied to trade and services have special considerations for visitors, and are not nearly as uncomfortable.

The one building that can be seen from all of the city is Disapater's Tower. An unyielding and horrifying structure of iron and lead that reminds everyone in the city who is in charge. Disapater is a tyrant and highly capable overlord, however he seems to enjoy being... quirky. He may have strange things at odds with each other ordered to different groups of devils and/or petitioners. The example listed is a group paving the street with glossy new sheets of metal, while another group following them only to remove the metal and pave it with cobblestones.

Oh and for bonus points: Something Dark an Secret is being built beyond the walls of the Iron city. Something so secret it is being guarded by Pit Fiends, and none of the poor soul involved in its construction can leave the place of construction. Some say the Baatezu are building a copy of Sigil there, others... have worse ideas :P

SimonMoon6
2013-05-11, 11:26 AM
Blackadder: You see, the thing about heaven is that heaven is for people who like the sort of things that go on in heaven. Like, well, singing, talking to God, watering pot plants. Whereas Hell, on the other hand, is for people who like the other sorts of things: [with relish] adultery, pillage, torture — those... areas.