So now WOTC is apparently dropping Official Content Books without prior advertising??

[animewatcha]

Chains of Asmodeus - https://www.dmsguild.com/product/457996/Chains-of-Asmodeus&affiliate_id=756269 . A book apparently meant for level 11-20.

Nerd Immersion review of it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFhLkRJuhM

So now we need to follow WOTC on DM's guild for content now? Proceeds go to Extra Life.

-edit- clarified to be a question.

[Psyren]

Chains of Asmodeus - https://www.dmsguild.com/product/457996/Chains-of-Asmodeus&affiliate_id=756269 . A book apparently meant for level 11-20.

Nerd Immersion review of it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFhLkRJuhM

So now we need to follow WOTC on DM's guild for content now. Proceeds go to Extra Life.

Does their official social media count as advertising? (https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/1719806523629596678)

[animewatcha]

of course I wouldn't catch it in the burying in their social media.

[Schwann145]

"Official 3rd Party"

What even is "official" anymore?

[Unoriginal]

Chains of Asmodeus - https://www.dmsguild.com/product/457996/Chains-of-Asmodeus&affiliate_id=756269 . A book apparently meant for level 11-20.

Nerd Immersion review of it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFhLkRJuhM

So now we need to follow WOTC on DM's guild for content now? Proceeds go to Extra Life.

-edit- clarified to be a question.

Apparently it is in the same category as Minsc's and Boo,'s Journal to Villainy, meaning WotC just letting it drop without much announcement is part of the course.


"Official 3rd Party"

What even is "official" anymore?

Corporate speak for "we didn't work on it but we're allowing it because it looks good reputation-and-money-wise".

[stoutstien]

"Official 3rd Party"

What even is "official" anymore?

It's official if it sells well but 3rd party if it flops.

[Arkhios]

Does their official social media count as advertising? (https://twitter.com/Wizards_DnD/status/1719806523629596678)

I dunno, who uses Xitter anyway?

[Dr.Samurai]

I'm very excited about this book actually, but I disagree with Nerd Immersion on the art; the art for the archdukes does not look great to me.

Still, I've been looking for lore on the Nine Hells, and this seems timely. I wonder how much of it will be repeated from previous editions though.

[Sigreid]

It's official if it sells well but 3rd party if it flops.
I think it's more along the lines of "they gave us a bigger cut so they could say their product was blesses by us. So they're still taking all the risk but we get more money"

[Amnestic]

I gave it a quick skim and it seems pretty okay, but anything more than a skim is gonna take time - roughly 180 pages of the actual adventure, plus supplementary material on both sides including group patrons and a 'corruption' system which has both mechanical and story effects.

Also Asmodeus' avatar statblock at CR30 is a bit of a doozy. You're not "meant" to fight him, from what I can tell, but he is statted out if you want to try. One of his possible lair actions is 'summon another archdevil' which is...well, probably not easy to deal with, needless to say.

[Sigreid]

I gave it a quick skim and it seems pretty okay, but anything more than a skim is gonna take time - roughly 180 pages of the actual adventure, plus supplementary material on both sides including group patrons and a 'corruption' system which has both mechanical and story effects.

Also Asmodeus' avatar statblock at CR30 is a bit of a doozy. You're not "meant" to fight him, from what I can tell, but he is statted out if you want to try. One of his possible lair actions is 'summon another archdevil' which is...well, probably not easy to deal with, needless to say.

I thought everyone learned back at Deities and Demigods that if players know there's a stat block, they're going to start plotting how to kill it. It's in their nature.

[Amnestic]

I thought everyone learned back at Deities and Demigods that if players know there's a stat block, they're going to start plotting how to kill it. It's in their nature.

This is at least explicitly an Avatar, not Asmodeus himself, so even if he gets killed it's not the actual god you're killing.

I expect if I did get to this point in the adventure I'd probably let the party try their hand at a fight as an 'alternate timeline' sorta deal, because...how often do you get the chance, you know?

[Unoriginal]

Also Asmodeus' avatar statblock at CR30 is a bit of a doozy. You're not "meant" to fight him, from what I can tell, but he is statted out if you want to try. One of his possible lair actions is 'summon another archdevil' which is...well, probably not easy to deal with, needless to say.

He can also summon a Pit Fiend, who while less powerful is more likely to not betray him.


I thought everyone learned back at Deities and Demigods that if players know there's a stat block, they're going to start plotting how to kill it. It's in their nature.

Asmodeus appreciates when people start plotting to kill him.

And even if he is brought to 0 HPs and doesn't regenerate, he just comes back to life after a while. Like all the other god statblocks in 5e so far.



I expect if I did get to this point in the adventure I'd probably let the party try their hand at a fight as an 'alternate timeline' sorta deal, because...how often do you get the chance, you know?

I'm sure Asmodeus would agree to a friendly spar, too.

[Psyren]

I dunno, who uses Xitter anyway?

I wish I didn't :smallsigh:


"Official 3rd Party"

What even is "official" anymore?

Anything where they're listed as the publisher.


I wonder how much of it will be repeated from previous editions though.

They're damned if they do that and damned if they don't - which I guess is fitting for a hell book :smallbiggrin:


I thought everyone learned back at Deities and Demigods that if players know there's a stat block, they're going to start plotting how to kill it. It's in their nature.


This is at least explicitly an Avatar, not Asmodeus himself, so even if he gets killed it's not the actual god you're killing.

I'm okay with it in this case as well because you can't actually kill him; even if the PCs win, he just discorporates for a little while.

[Theodoxus]

I dunno, who uses Xitter anyway?

That legit made me laugh. But the only people I don't call out for calling Twitter 'X' (or X, formerly known as Twitter), are those who always called Twitter "Little Blue Bird". And since I know no-one who has done that, I don't give anyone a break.

The App is Twitter. The Icon is X.

[Sigreid]

I wish I didn't :smallsigh:



Anything where they're listed as the publisher.



They're damned if they do that and damned if they don't - which I guess is fitting for a hell book :smallbiggrin:





I'm okay with it in this case as well because you can't actually kill him; even if the PCs win, he just discorporates for a little while.
Me too. I was just pointing out that as soon as there's a stat block the assumption becomes the party is going to try. At least in my experience.

[Brookshw]

He can also summon a Pit Fiend, who while less powerful is more likely to not betray him.


Eh? :smallconfused: Big A kees a legion of Pit Fiends in reserve in the 9th layer for when the blood war ends, weird to limit him to 1 unless it's per round...

[Amnestic]

Eh? :smallconfused: Big A kees a legion of Pit Fiends in reserve in the 9th layer for when the blood war ends, weird to limit him to 1 unless it's per round...

One of his lair actions "summon any devil, including archdevils". In addition, one of his (3 cost) legendary actions is "summon a pit fiend".

So if he wanted to, he could dump 1.5 pit fiends on the party each round (since you can't use the same lair action twice in a row).

[Dr.Samurai]

I think his lore includes that he carries wounds that are continuously bleeding from when he Fell, and that blood transforms into Pit Fiends when it hits the floor so... those abilities track.

[Unoriginal]

I think his lore includes that he carries wounds that are continuously bleeding from when he Fell, and that blood transforms into Pit Fiends when it hits the floor so... those abilities track.

That is not his lore in this edition.

There is no official "this is where Asmodeus comes from" answers, but the thesis that he fell is among the less likely ones, and certainly not a prevalent one in-universe.

All in all the "Big A was always an incarnation of lawful evil" is a common point in most theses on the question, and they diverge only in if he was the first Fiend in Hell,if he was there before and created it, or if he was made from an human soul like most Devils.

In any case I'm eternally happy of how 5e distanced itself of that Primeval Pact oxen manure (and basically declared it not canon when they declared the good gods won't coerce people to do good) and all that "Asmodeus is actually the most powerful being or the half of it that killed the other half" business.

[VampiricLongbow]

They did this before with Minc & Boo and the Witchlight supplement. They lowkey drop the charity product and then don't talk about it too much.

[Unoriginal]

They did this before with Minc & Boo and the Witchlight supplement. They lowkey drop the charity product and then don't talk about it too much.

Don't think they advertised the Tortle Package, A Grung Above, Kwalish's Lost Laboratory or Infernal War Machines Reborn much, either

[Dr.Samurai]

That is not his lore in this edition.

There is no official "this is where Asmodeus comes from" answers, but the thesis that he fell is among the less likely ones, and certainly not a prevalent one in-universe.

All in all the "Big A was always an incarnation of lawful evil" is a common point in most theses on the question, and they diverge only in if he was the first Fiend in Hell,if he was there before and created it, or if he was made from an human soul like most Devils.

In any case I'm eternally happy of how 5e distanced itself of that Primeval Pact oxen manure (and basically declared it not canon when they declared the good gods won't coerce people to do good) and all that "Asmodeus is actually the most powerful being or the half of it that killed the other half" business.
Yeah, it's always hard for me personally when the goodly gods have to buy in on the evil stuff; I've never been crazy with the Pact Primeval.


Is everyone saying that WotC participates in Extra Life but doesn't advertise the product to boost sales/charity?

[VampiricLongbow]

Don't think they advertised the Tortle Package, A Grung Above, Kwalish's Lost Laboratory or Infernal War Machines Reborn much, either

Exactly.

Kind of interesting how the Tortle went from this lowkey addition to a very beloved race in the wider D&D sphere.



Is everyone saying that WotC participates in Extra Life but doesn't advertise the product to boost sales/charity?

It sounds very bad when you put it like that. "We make a product that benefits children who need help but we don't advertise that product much (if at all)." :smalleek:

[Unoriginal]

Exactly.

Kind of interesting how the Tortle went from this lowkey addition to a very beloved race in the wider D&D sphere.



It sounds very bad when you put it like that. "We make a product that benefits children who need help but we don't advertise that product much (if at all)." :smalleek:

It sounds very bad because it is.

Advertising costs money, letting other peeps use you IP to write stuff doesn't.

[Psyren]

Again though, they did promote it on social media. It's also as of this writing on the front page of DMsGuild under "newest D&D from Wizards." What exactly is the ask here, a billboard in Times Square? Skywriting maybe?

[Sigreid]

Again though, they did promote it on social media. It's also as of this writing on the front page of DMsGuild under "newest D&D from Wizards." What exactly is the ask here, a billboard in Times Square? Skywriting maybe?
I first saw info on it on my YouTube stream so I do agree that the word is getting out.

[Dr.Samurai]

*sidesteps reflexive cheerleading for WotC*

I recently watched a video about the Book of Many Things, a product I was not at all interested in, and now I am excited for it. And it's not because Todd Kenreck is an amazing hype man or something. Similarly, I had no idea about this new Asmodeus book until Nerd Immersion's video popped up on my feed.

I don't think a video on their channel leading up to launch is too much to ask. But apparently it's either a post on twitter day of release, or skywriting it over Times Square :smallconfused:. (Note, I'm not particularly vexed by this. It just seems weird to do a charity and not try to help it out. The reflexive running to WotC's defense is weirder still.)

[Arkhios]

The App is Twitter. The Icon is X.

To be brutally honest, I don't even care (what it's called). Never used it myself. The format just doesn't appeal to me. Then again, I've always been a little on the fence about Facebook/Meta, too. I use it only because family and friends use it. Would prefer not to.

[titi]

Skywriting maybe?

Maybe they didn't learn the spell?

[Luccan]

Exactly.

Kind of interesting how the Tortle went from this lowkey addition to a very beloved race in the wider D&D sphere.


Tortles have a few distinct advantages to becoming well known:

1. Being the first charity race released
2. Good racial abilities, pretty much regardless of class. I mean , the AC alone is ridiculous and given the drip feed of magic items 5e prefers, giving up the potential for magic armor isn't nearly as impactful as it would be in some editions
3. Not having a gimmick intended to keep them from being played in regular games, like the Grung and especially Locathah
4. There are at least 4 very popular anthropomorphic turtles to inspire playing a turtle-person

[Brookshw]

In any case I'm eternally happy of how 5e distanced itself of that Primeval Pact oxen manure (and basically declared it not canon when they declared the good gods won't coerce people to do good) and all that "Asmodeus is actually the most powerful being or the half of it that killed the other half" business.

Can a 3rd party distance 5e from prior canon? Seems like they lack authority, though I guess they're official for whatever that's worth:smallconfused:

[Unoriginal]

Can a 3rd party distance 5e from prior canon? Seems like they lack authority, though I guess they're official for whatever that's worth:smallconfused:

3rd party certainly cannot do that.

I wasn't talking about 3rd party, though, I was talking about the 5e PHB and subsequent material.

[gloryblaze]

For what it’s worth, the adventure portion of this book includes an aboleth that knows the truth of Asmodeus’s backstory. The module gives you three options (the serpent of law thing, the Pact Primeval thing, and 4e’s He Who Was/Shard of Evil thing) and tells you to pick which one is true for your campaign.

[Unoriginal]

For what it’s worth, the adventure portion of this book includes an aboleth that knows the truth of Asmodeus’s backstory. The module gives you three options (the serpent of law thing, the Pact Primeval thing, and 4e’s He Who Was/Shard of Evil thing) and tells you to pick which one is true for your campaign.

So they literally chose the three worst ideas ever associated with the character in D&D history?

Very good thing it's not a canon module, then.

Hopefully the statblocks and magic items are better. The Asmodeus statblock was encouraging, but that's visibly not an indicator of the writing quality...

[Psyren]

*sidesteps reflexive cheerleading for WotC*

I'm just striving for a modicum of rationality; I know that word flies out the window when WotC breathes around here, but still.


Can a 3rd party distance 5e from prior canon? Seems like they lack authority, though I guess they're official for whatever that's worth:smallconfused:

It's not actually 3rd-party though, WotC published it. They just did it through their PDF-only channel.

[JadedDM]

Psh, Asmodeus Shasmodeus. Who even cares about that guy? You're all burying the lede here.

Tiax is involved.

Tiax WILL rule ALL! 'Tis destined to be so.

[Brookshw]

It's not actually 3rd-party though, WotC published it. They just did it through their PDF-only channel.

Ahhh, thanks for the clarification.

[Unoriginal]

Ahhh, thanks for the clarification.

It's 3rd party because it was written by someone who isn't a WotC employee or contractor, and who didn't get WotC oversight while writing it.

Same person wrote the Minsc's and Boo's Journal to Villainy under the same conditions, and that book contains several creatures that later got published differently by WotC.

[VampiricLongbow]

For what it’s worth, the adventure portion of this book includes an aboleth that knows the truth of Asmodeus’s backstory. The... 4e’s He Who Was/Shard of Evil thing...

YEEEEEESSSSSS! :smallbiggrin:

That one is my favorite backstory. :smallbiggrin:

[rlc]

That legit made me laugh. But the only people I don't call out for calling Twitter 'X' (or X, formerly known as Twitter), are those who always called Twitter "Little Blue Bird". And since I know no-one who has done that, I don't give anyone a break.

The App is Twitter. The Icon is X.

These may be the least important hairs I’ve ever seen split.

[Blatant Beast]

I'm just striving for a modicum of rationality; I know that word flies out the window when WotC breathes around here, but still.

While there is legitimate criticisms that could be leveled in regards to 5e design and handling, I don’t think the Extra Life/Children Hospital charity content should be the subject of it.

Folks, WotC has released Extra Life Charity content for both Magic the Gathering and D&D for years now. This seems the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.

[P. G. Macer]

While there is legitimate criticisms that could be leveled in regards to 5e design and handling, I don’t think the Extra Life/Children Hospital charity content should be the subject of it.

Folks, WotC has released Extra Life Charity content for both Magic the Gathering and D&D for years now. This seems the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.

I mean, I have some issues with one particular bundle, or rather the target of its proceeds, but I’m not sure if talking about the details of it violates the Forum Rules, so I’m going to err on the side of caution and refrain from going further.

[Theodoxus]

These may be the least important hairs I’ve ever seen split.

Perhaps, but it drives me nuts all the tiptoeing around by various press agencies on what to call Twitter. And it isn't "X".

[Sigreid]

Perhaps, but it drives me nuts all the tiptoeing around by various press agencies on what to call Twitter. And it isn't "X".

First time I followed a link to a picture's source at it started loading by displaying a giant x, I closed the page thinking I'd hit on an adult site. Wasn't looming for that at that time or place.

[Dr.Samurai]

While there is legitimate criticisms that could be leveled in regards to 5e design and handling, I don’t think the Extra Life/Children Hospital charity content should be the subject of it.

Folks, WotC has released Extra Life Charity content for both Magic the Gathering and D&D for years now. This seems the very definition of a tempest in a teapot.
There is nothing in this thread even remotely resembling a tempest, in actuality.

I purchased the PDF, so I'll say whatever I like, many thanks :smallcool:.

Thank goodness Nerd Immersion made a video, and YouTube recommended it to me.