Asmodeus (Dungeons & Dragons)

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In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Asmodeus is an Arch-Devil of Hell (Baator in later editions of the game), and the Overlord of the Dukes of Hell.

Asmodeus retained his position all through the Reckoning of Hell, unlike many of the other arch-devils. Asmodeus is lord of Nessus, the Ninth Layer of Hell, though he is generally recognized as lord of all Baator.

1 Creative origins
2 Description
3 Background
4 Vassals
5 The cult of Asmodeus
6 Footnotes
7 References

[edit] Creative origins

Asmodeus is named for the Judeo-Christian demon, Asmodai from the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit and for a fallen angel of the same name who appears in John Milton's "Paradise Lost."^[1]

[edit] Description

Through all four editions of Dungeons and Dragons Asmodeus is depicted as the most handsome of all devils, and the strongest and most cunning. He is typically described as appearing as a giant human, about twice as tall as an average man, with handsome features and small horns on his forehead. He carries the Ruby Rod of Asmodeus, a glowing rod of pure ruby that serves as a badge of office as well as having several powerful offensive powers.

[edit] Background

In the Book of Vile Darkness, it is stated that while Asmodeus is the oldest devil in the nine hells, he may not be the original ruler. However with the Fiendish Codex II out and its newly revised CR's and information, this is not the case. Asmodeus is described in some versions of the myth as an "angel" (though this is self-contradictory given the time period this would have occured during). He was 'the bravest, toughest, fiercest and most beautiful of angels' that the beings of law and good had to offer. After eons of fighting the creatures from the abyss, Asmodeus began to change. He started taking on the abilities and the demeanor of his enemies in order to fight them better. This is what began his descent into evil and the beginning of the 'Pact Primeval'. Eventually Asmodeus was entirely too good at his job and his fellow gods and angels began to fear his power. He was put on trial but the gods could not find fault with his doings, as he still obeyed and fulfilled their laws. Over time, Asmodeus and his fellow angels who fought the demons began to change even more horrifically into the demons they fought. Fangs jutted from their mouths and they wreathed themselves in mantles of fire. After the gods began their great project in creating mortals; Asmodeus gave an idea to the gods in helping to protect and punish those who digressed from law and goodness. This would help other mortals see that choosing the path of morality and goodness would lead to a paradise of rightful action instead of the torment of wicknedness and pain. Unfortunately the gods did not forsee that many mortals would walk down the wrong path and so their paradises were filled with pain and torment ringing throughout their domains. This caused them anguish so again they turned to Asmodeus for an answer. It was here the Pact Primeval was formed, and Asmodeus, Dispater and Mephistopheles created the hells from Baator. The wicked would be punished there, where the gods could not enter, and the power that Asmodeus had originally derived from the gods would instead come from the mortals he punished. This way he was no longer tied with the gods and angels that dreaded and loathed him. The gods initially enjoyed this plan as it removed all degredation from their domains, however over time they came to realize that fewer souls were going to their domains. More were being divereted to Baator where Asmodeus was both punishing the wicked, and encouraging mortals to become wicked and thus end up on Baator and increase his powers. On the gods arrival, they witnessed the once barren wasteland to be a veritable utopia of pain and suffering. Demanding Asmodeus to account for himself he uttered his famous words in reference to the pact primeval, Read the fine print. The gods could find no fault with what he was doing, as it was all entirely lawful.

However it should be noted that the information contained in the Fiendish Codex II is presented as mythology, and the names of the "gods" involved seem to change depending on what world and source the myth is told on. Given the period in planar history the events of the myth would have occured at a point prior to the existance of deities, which would preclude Asmodeus having been an 'Angel' as the aasimon are the creations of good aligned deities. This same period of planar prehistory also would have occured at a point before the mixing of the pure/cardinal alignments, at a period where the original planes of raw Good, Evil, Law, Chaos, and Neutrality would not have mixed to the extent that they exist in the modern era of the planes. Given these things, the core truth of the mythology presented in FC:II likely involves a rebellion by Asmodeus, a primordial LN being, against his superiors following his own corruption by the expanding force of evil from the proto-Gray Waste. Ultimately his followers would become the first baatezu and their expulsion from the plane of Law would cause them to fall into conflict with and supplant the Ancient Baatorians, the original inhabitants of Baator.

[edit] Vassals

The following beings are among the most notable subjects of Asmodeus on Nessus. The forces at their disposal are listed, where appropriate:

Adramalech — Chancellor of Hell, Keeper of Records (DR76).
Alastor the Grim, pit fiend — Executioner.
Baalberith, pit fiend — Major domo..
Bensozia — Consort of Asmodeus, Queen of Hell (Deceased) (DR76).
Buer — 15 companies of pit fiends (DR76).
Bune — 30 companies of cornugons (DR76).
Glasya - Daughter of Asmodeus and Bensozia, former Mistress of the Erinyes, now Lord of the Sixth (DR76).
Martinet, pit fiend — Constable.
Morax — 9 companies of pit fiends (DR76).
Phongor — Inquisitor of Hell (DR76).
Rimmon— 5 companies of gelugons (DR76).
The Spark Hunters - Lord Asmodeus's personal guard of 13 hamatula rangers/mortal hunters who capture and/or slay mortals who draw their master's ire.
Zagum — 30 companies of hamatula (DR76).

[edit] The cult of Asmodeus

Few of Asmodeus' followers are known by name. A notable exception is Christophe Jean Markosian "the Devil Behind Thrones," a hierarch of the Horned Society in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.