Normally, the campaign would end with Zariel either being killed, avoided, or joined. Asmodeus approved this under the condition that Bel would concentrate on the Blood War with the Dark Eight. [27] He also recruited new ones. The Asmodean advocate gains an insight . [45], Asmodeus argued that criminals had to suffer as a warning to others, a few made to suffer so that the majority saw the consequences. 5e Asmodeus is a tyrant who sees chaos and its agents as the multiverse's greatest threat, so it makes sense that a cleric of his would be similar. Doing so would have to require learning the location of his true form and finding ways to kill him as well. Guide to Hell claimed that his wish was to destroy all creation by making all sentient beings atheists, thus negating the belief energy holding the Outer Planes together, so that he might fill the void and create it entirely in his own image, without the help of any other deity. [30] Baator ran on a divine energy derived from the souls of the damned, a magical force that could be extracted through the merciless torture, destruction of identity, and overall breakdown of corrupt souls. Subservient deities Asmodeus's true form was that of a scaled serpent hundreds of miles long, his acid-black blood, a substance beyond foul, exuding from eons-old wounds. My original intent was to show how magnificent I am (my charisma is higher than my Wisdom) and the wonderful powers I possess . Holy day(s) With the multiverse broken down and him having survived its fall, he would remake reality as he desired. Then, in a move that surprised everyone, Asmodeus punished his only loyal lord with exile, raising entombed Levistus back to the rank of archduke. Home Plane At 1st level, an Asmodean advocate learns to choose her words so carefully that even when she says something designed to deceive listeners, the words are phrased to be technically true. When the position of an archduke needed to be filled, it was his right to choose who would do so, always selecting one of the unique devils in Hell's ranks. Depending on which origin you choose to accept, this could be devils origin as angels, or it could be an interaction further down the line. However, this didnt mean that he didnt amass a large number of cults devoted to him. Asmodeus is the leader of the devil race. [229] After Levistus succeeded in taking over Stygia from Geryon,[127] an angry Asmodeus encased Levistus in an ice block where he lay unconscious. [205] Late into the ancient war between law and chaos, the Dawn War, after the fall of the Queen of Chaos and the removal of demons from play, Asmodeus was among the deific exemplars of chastity and virtue appointed to guard the prison of Tharizdun. [173] Rejecting his heritage and status, he made his conquests his own kingdom of Azzagrat. [234][235], Even after the Reckoning, the archdevils continued to experience upheavals. Conference with their clergies revealed that the forces of Asmodeus, and this point called devils, were intentionally corrupting mortals, and a quickly formed divine delegation soon learned that Baator had been transformed into nine tiers of horror, the souls harvested for power and transformed into mindless monsters to build a devil army. Now, tell me again how you and your ilk are the victims in this eternal struggle? A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of their turn to end the effect. This was arguably the only point the histories of the Abyss all agreed on and,[202] by some interpretations, could be argued correct. An evil cleric is not just evil themselves, they are advocates and salespeople for Evil. Asmodeus killed most himself, but despite the destruction of all their lords, Zargon himself, even against one as mighty as Asmodeus, was resistant to the worst he could muster. Sulfuric Step. In yet another war, Asmodeus and his allies massacred their progenitors and enslaving those who remained. [219], Contrary to its presentation in the popular "Pact Primeval" myth, Baator was not uninhabited when Asmodeus and his fallen company arrived. There are many different ranks of devils, but the three main categories, below archdevil, of course, are least devils, lesser devils, and greater devils. His rivals were inferior minds lacking the skill to see his vision through. [131][132][102] Having once prized himself on his mobility,[133] Levistus held a special spite in his heart for Asmodeus[134] and no gratitude for his reinstatement, blinded as he was by his need for vengeance and likely to undermine all Hell just to get it. It was unclear if he could kill archevils with a thought; some suspected that he could and did in the case of the Hag Countess's sudden and sudden death, and while seemingly involved, it was unclear how much of a part he played and to what degree one could say she had "died". He fell until he could literally fall no further, hitting the deepest part - The Pit; therafter he laid and schemed even as his wounds still bled. With this final act of corruption, the shard turned him and his forces into the first devils, and Asmodeus was cursed to never leave Baator. Even when wracked by constant pain, he managed to appear blithely unbothered, and seemed almost chillingly reasonable. Asmodeus's true form was that of a scaled serpent hundreds of miles long, his acid-black blood, a substance beyond foul, exuding from eons-old wounds. [12], Mephistopheles: Like Dispater, Mephistopheles was said to be one of Asmodeus's companions before they descended into Hell[113] and was his greatest ally. Chaos made for easy conquest, and to conquer was to bring others under control. Asmodeus himself is left intentionally dark and largely undefined, though his power is made clear, with more detail devoted to the history of his race and their conquered plane. [60][27] Furthermore his cult subsumed all others,[187] for technically every diabolic cult was simply a subdivision of his own and every leader of such a group was mandated to acknowledge his power and pledge allegiance to him. Secretly enraged, Tiamat believed Asmodeus and the others saw her as a "mere monster" to be duped and exploited, and became determined to obtain some level of freedom from the King of Hell. Baalzebul was allowed to keep his position but his body was transformed into a giant slug. Supreme Master of the Nine HellsLord of NessusThe Lord of the Ninth[1]The Lord of the Ruby Rod[2]Lord of Lies[3]Prince of Evil[4]The Cloven[1]Old Hoof and Horn[1]The Archfiend[5]The Raging Fiend[6] The Reigning Serpent[7] The Rebellious One[8] Asmodeus addressing the celestial jury in, Felstak Goldgrief, Tyrant of Goethelskar. In areas hostile to lawful evil, temples were hidden in subterranean complexes and the nature of their god hidden to unproven initiates. [135], For Asmodeus's part, Levistus was in poor standing with him. [28] He was perhaps older than the rule of belief in the planes,[3] to be counted amongst various other unfathomably old beings in the ranks of the Ancient Brethren. He awaited the chance to permanently rid himself of her and retake his role as Warlord of Avernus. The following beings were among the most notable subjects of Asmodeus on Nessus. He mandated Bel advise Zariel, and while Bel would not try to depose her since she seemed to have his favor, he would undermine her and encourage unwise behavior in the hopes his mutually hated rival seemed inept. Power Level [147][146] And yet, for reasons no archduke could fathom, Asmodeus occasionally showed favor to his fallen foe. There is no stat block for Asmodeus in 5e, but that certainly shouldnt stop you from pitting your adventurers against him. [110][164][165] Moloch would later come to resent the ascension of Glasya to archduchess of his former realm, a clear act of favoritism by her father. In 2nd edition's Guide to Hell, it is stated that Asmodeus was a Lawful Evil or corrupted Lawful Neutral serpentine entity who, along with his Lawful Good counterpart serpent Jazirian, was responsible for the current ring-shaped structure of the Outer Planes. It was at this point, however, that the two disregarded the importance of law, unwilling to concede to the other in its best interests. [241] Asmodeus and Azuth began to struggle for control of their shared body and as a result the hierarchy of the Nine Hells was jeopardized. By his own accounts, Asmodeus states that all of his actions are based on necessity. Mortals often viewed their deities as too omnipotent to be deceived, but Asmodeus knew better. Alignment Even then, there should still be some serious gauntlets to face before dealing with Asmodeus directly. Favored weapon Hit points lost to necrotic damage from this weapon can only be regained through a short or long rest rather than by regeneration, magic, or any other means. [32], The horn of Zargon Asmodeus abandoned landed where the city of Cynidicea eventually arose. Much like Asmodeus, the newly created worlds were scarred for the betterment of law. [105][106] She accepted his terms, and through doing so became, in a sense, a jewel in Asmodeus's crown. Their horns, tails, and thick tails can make the more pronounced tieflings hard to miss in any society. [25] The greatest devil[25] and ruler of all devilkind,[5] the Lord of the Ninth was overlord of the Nine Hells as a whole.[25]. But she wanted to fight in it too and eventually ran off to do that. What is less well known is that this massive planar torture chamber is an elaborate way to siphon off magic. Gargauth left either because he tried and failed to oust Asmodeus and had to flee or because Asmodeus killed Beherit, Gargauth's closest ally, which prompted the Outcast to leave. It was through them that he intended to spread peace and justice throughout the multiverse,[210] and the most powerful of these warrior exarchs was Asmodeus. As for why a night hag was made archduchess at all, many in Hell had come to suspect Asmodeus only raised her up as a vulnerable placeholder until such a time when he and Glasya could come to terms. In societies devoted to him, all advancement whether political, social, or economic was tied to membership of the cult. The Archfiend protested and the angels agreed to have a hearing with Asmodeus after accepting his proposal to ask Primus of the modrons to be an impartial judge. So it was that unbelief was perhaps Asmodeus's greatest weapon, the means by which he undermined the gods and subverted the very role of Hell itself in the order of all things. [32], Asmodeus argued that he'd never done anything wrong for he consistently acted as a lawful creature in accordance with infernal tradition in service to the cause of law and the continued existence of the multiverse. People pray to him if they've transgressed against another god so that when they die they can skip the queue for the various afterlives and go straight to one where they can basically do what they wish, in exchange for becoming a lesser devil in death. It was also a great way to keep the demon population in check since demons could eventually control the multiverse if they werent otherwise occupied. Each archdevil is a unique creature, having achieved status by particularly evil deeds. In the earlier days of the Blood War, he was tasked with retrieving the heart of the Abyss, and though initially successful was stalled after conquering three layers and forced to consolidate his holdings and rethink his strategy. If Asmodeus fails a concentration save at any time, he may choose which spell ends. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. At their further questioning he unsheathed Punishment itself, at this time shaped like a mighty sword, an ultimate weapon of law Asmodeus allegedly invented himself. The natural place to start talking about a deity thats been around since AD&D is the appearance. [239], After the Spellplague, Asmodeus re-instituted Belial as an archdevil, which presumably meant that he'd demoted Fierna from that position. [19][60] All temples were full of his symbols; his ruby-tipped rod emblem was used for subtlety while his skull-gripping clawed fist was used in devil-dominated societies, but sometimes an inverted pentagram would suffice. My question is more, does he want me to get people to follow him or to believe that there is no afterlife (which I guess kind of ties into the get what you want now kind of thing). [33], This system had several additional benefits, first of which was reinforcing the Blood War. The gods exist in multiplicity, but Asmodeus is unique. [32][43], Although one of the ultimate powers of law, Asmodeus did not uphold the rules out of respect. So, I'm unsure what his clerics would actually do. You can think of this more like the Cold War than an actual battle. [126][127] After the Reckoning he formally stepped down from office in an attempt to escape Asmodeus's wrath. [66][206][66], By forming an ouroboros, biting each others' tails and sending their coils out into the endless chaos, the Cosmic Serpents bounded the Outlands, the combined interaction of law, good, chaos, and evil creating a plane of true neutrality. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. The names of the gods involved (deities of Oerth in the Greyhawk setting) seem unlikely, as they contradict their own histories. A large, white-hot flame appeared in front of her, the heat so intense she wiped sweat from her brow. A campaign centered on one of these cults could see the partys favorite NPCs being secretly part of the cult the whole time. Asmodeus is the greater deity of indulgence in the Faerunian pantheon, the ruler of all devils, and the lord of the Nine Hells of Baator. Asmodeuss deeds further corrupted him, and he began to hear the shards of evil. In this way, you can treat him as The Bigger Bad hidden behind the threat of the first big bad. A Web Enhancement for the Book of Vile Darkness, The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Graz'zt, the Dark Prince, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. If anything would hold you off from a fight with a god, it should be that they are a god, capable of reducing you to a pillar of ash in seconds. This incredible difference in power is why Asmodeus rules with unquestionable authority. Often confused for his master, he did not exert much influence on the Material Plane (though his relatively recent discovery of hellfire helped him escape this somewhat). Asmodeus targets a devil within 200 feet and changes their form to a different devil of equal or higher CR. According to him, mortals always had the choice whether to accept an infernal bargain, devils always held up their end of a bargain, and a mortal who nullified a contract by finding a loophole was respected. Lacking time as a tool and possibly even as an abstract concept, the demons fought each other in an environment of endless disorder for an innumerable period. [67], His personal palace was Malsheem, a giant fortress so large that it was considered unmappable. The non-canonical article "The Politics of Hell" in The Dragon #28 by Alexander von Thorn details the history and politics of Hell, giving a different history to that detailed above and connecting closely to real-world myth and history. Think about it, if you wanted to worship an evil deity, a devil, or just some powerful being, why wouldnt you choose the ruler of all devils? [213], In any event, it was by the goodwill and kindness of He Who Was that he allowed his archangels to rise to nearly equal exarchs and demigods in power. He and his followers grew into their broken forms and the suffering angel plotted his revenge on all the gods who had idly forgotten the sacrifices he made in the war, including his master. [8][162] It was unclear where Geryon went or why Asmodeus forsook him. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of their turn to end the effect. [126], On Toril, Asmodeus's worshipers comprised two groups: those who wanted to have some form of independence from gods, and those who had no intention of dealing with devils, only wanting fun and/or clemency from Asmodeus. By some legends it was from his blood that the first baatezu were birthed,[97] while in others he led those who would become the first devils down the dark path into Hell. Realm Another option is to interact with He Who Was. Another revelation made that day by the gods was the recognition of the principles of good and evil, forces in the cosmos by which the gods could and did further seperate themselves on the basis of.Those who favored evil offered Asmodeus's host further patronage while those who preferred good drew further away from them. Diabolic, Evil, Law If you are a cleric of his, you won't be treated like shit when you go to hell. [181] Furthermore, the exile Gargauth rivaled Asmodeus in posturing and wiliness, and through his stronger sense of humor surpassed him in self-control and strategy, such was his ability that he would prove dangerous competition if he ever desired Asmodeus's throne. 4th Edition Statistics[9][16] Knowledge, Torment, Tyranny, Civilization He has formed a great many contracts in his time that have allowed him to claim trillions of souls for the nine hells. Zariel has proven to be a prized possession. On the other hand he was reported as self-righteous,[205] not unwilling to imbue and encourage cruelty and violence in his avenging angels,[212] and an obsessive control freak surveying every aspect of life in his realm from his high throne. They gradually came to suspect however that demonkind was infinite and became weary of the conflict, seeking to move on to other projects like the creation of worlds and intelligent beings. Sure, the stories say that he died, but he and his followers might still be around, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike out against the baatezu. [123] He also gave her Geryon's powers as an archdevil to make her strong enough to fill the position, and made it clear that Malagarde had just been a placeholder for his daughter. Eventually she found her moment to strike and steal a great portion of Bane's divine power, passing any she didn't need to heal her enslaved form and link it with her other body to Asmodeus. No matter what your rank in the cult, you are looked out for, provided for, and shown to power in one way or another. Fireball. Served By [50][51], Asmodeus's strength neither waxed nor waned with the number of his worshipers and he had no ability to grant spells to his followers. Baator [64], Asmodeus had a huge store of souls in his personal citadel, and these could be bought from him at an extremely high cost, rumored to be entire kingdoms for one soul. [226] Stygia meanwhile was suspected, if never verified, to have originally been a Material Plane world before the inhabitants pledged their soul and home to Asmodeus for refuge from some world-ending catastrophe, a bargain kept that ended with it becoming another Hell. Should this not work, he would simply leave and allow his minions to deal with his enemies,[35] as he could summon a pit fiend or two specimens of any kind of devil every hour. 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