Hellish adventures

[martixy]

I've been going through some adventures recently, and many of them have dealt with Abyssal politics - Savage tide, Expedition to the Demonweb pits, Maure castle, the Demonomicon from the Dragon mags.

From the adventures I've stumbled upon there seems to be a distinct lack of representation from the other side of the lower planes - the Hells. Red Hand of Doom is tangentially related, in that it deals with Tiamat, who is resident there.

Can someone suggest adventures and resources and that go in-depth on the Hells(apart from the Fiendish Codex).

[Eldan]

Not much in third edition, really. There's the Book of Vile Darkness. For Adventures, there's Lord of the Iron Fortress.

There's some Planescape sources that might be useful.

Planes of Law
Hellbound: The Blood War
Faces of Evil: the Fiends
The Deva Spark
Fires of Dis

[Telonius]

Shackled City has part of the adventure path occurring on a level of the Abyss (Occipitus), and has some Grazzt-related material by way of that. But there's also a big chunk of it devoted to Carceri (Demodand invasion, and the entire last chapter). Not exactly Baator, but at least it's not Demon-specific.

[martixy]

Not much in third edition, really. There's the Book of Vile Darkness. For Adventures, there's Lord of the Iron Fortress.

There's some Planescape sources that might be useful.

Planes of Law
Hellbound: The Blood War
Faces of Evil: the Fiends
The Deva Spark
Fires of Dis

Ah, good old Planescape. I'd forgotten how them berks used to talk.

Mostly interested in lore, so that'll do just fine. Thanks.


Shackled City has part of the adventure path occurring on a level of the Abyss (Occipitus), and has some Grazzt-related material by way of that. But there's also a big chunk of it devoted to Carceri (Demodand invasion, and the entire last chapter). Not exactly Baator, but at least it's not Demon-specific.

In no way does that feature Baator. In fact it straight up contributes to the lore of the Abyss: Adimarchus is literally a demon-lord and directly related to Graz'zt's history(though it could very well be a retcon, given the history of publication).

Also, I dislike Shackled city. I find it a dreadfully silly adventure(from what accounts I've seen anyway, haven't read or played the thing, just summaries).

[Krobar]

I never really found a whole lot, and so I had to wing a lot of it. I started with... What is the nature of Baator? Bureaucracy of course. Then I spent some time putting together a horrible, complicated bureaucracy. Starting with the Adventurers' Permit Office in the City of Dis. Lots of forms to fill out there, in triplicate, and multiple trips to make. And don't be at all late or you have to start the process over. And don't get in the wrong line either. Oh, and they were open at bizarre times, and the hours were posted only in the City Code. It was a FULL TWO SESSIONS just to obtain the needed permits to adventure outside the City of Dis.

The more a pain in the behind you can make it, the better. It is HELL after all.

My players wanted to go, and then never wanted to go back.

[martixy]

I never really found a whole lot, and so I had to wing a lot of it. I started with... What is the nature of Baator? Bureaucracy of course. Then I spent some time putting together a horrible, complicated bureaucracy. Starting with the Adventurers' Permit Office in the City of Dis. Lots of forms to fill out there, in triplicate, and multiple trips to make. And don't be at all late or you have to start the process over. And don't get in the wrong line either. Oh, and they were open at bizarre times, and the hours were posted only in the City Code. It was a FULL TWO SESSIONS just to obtain the needed permits to adventure outside the City of Dis.

The more a pain in the behind you can make it, the better. It is HELL after all.

My players wanted to go, and then never wanted to go back.

Heh... this reminds me, one of my all time favourite cursed items is the Ring of Bureaucratic Wizardry.

But bureaucracy is only one of the many insidious aspects of the Hells. There's plenty of potential there. Faustian deals, the cut-throat politics, the supreme BBEG, the Pact primeval. It's the perfect excuse the let loose your inner Machiavelli. Though I have to say I distinctly dislike Asmodeus' origin story, both for its biblical vibes and for making fools out of the gods. (My personal version sees him as an opportunistic creature that allied with the gods for survival and going for the whole "better to reign and hell than serve in heaven" shtick.)

[DrKerosene]

IIRC, there was an adventure where you went to one of the lower planes, if you came back alive you could continue taking levels in Paladin (if you multi-classed out and can't use those feats like Ascetic Knight). I believe it worked for Monks too.

I cannot find it with a googling though, so it might just be another Abyss adventure. If so, sorry.

[atemu1234]

I personally am a fan of A Paladin in Hell. It's AD&D, so it's a little bit older and would take some (actually, a fair bit of) conversion, but in my opinion, it's worth it.