Legions of Hell

Rating:
Summary: Not a review, but aquestion...
Review: How doe's this book compare to the earlier edition "Guide to Hell"?

Rating:
Summary: Not a review, but aquestion...
Review: How doe's this book compare to the earlier edition "Guide to Hell"?

Rating:
Summary: Devilishly unrepentant
Review: In all of role playing history, demons and devils have always been one of the most popular foes that player characters have ever fought...as illustrated in classic Dungeons and Dragons modules in the past in which players are pitted against fiendish adversaries such as Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders; Zuggtmoy, Demoness Lady of Fungi; and even Orcus, the dead again and alive again Prince of the Undead. It has surprised me that it wasn't until now that a book dedicated entirely to these fiends came out.

Perhaps because TSR, the former company that publishes the Dungeons and Dragons game felt the heat from over zealous Bible thumpers who think the game promotes devil worship because of its description of devils and demons. So in the second edition, in an effort to appease a population who doesn't even buy the game, they eliminate them altogether. It was only through the outcry of TSR's customers that they crawled...under psuedonyms of baatezus and tanar'ri.

Well, third edition, under the d20 system and licence came out and they are back with a vengeance. They are now devils and demons with a capital D and and they comes completed with pentagrams and 666s.

"Legions of Hell", published by Green Ronin, describe the various devils that inhabit the Nine Hells. The cosmology of the Hells is closely related to the one presented by WOTC's Dungeons and Dragons game. In this book you will meet many never before seen devils such as the Ashmede, the Enforecers of Dis, the distender, the oubliette, as well as various dukes and counts that populate the devil's noble hierarchy such as Balan, Antaia, Furcas, Lel, Hadriel and Vuall (who bears a striking resemblance to Joe Camel), also fallen celestials like Iblis and Naamah. All of them illustrated, some of which resembles creations by H.R. Geiger.

As good as the book is, that is not to say there are stinkers, like Nergal (some fat slob squeezed into a suit of armor surronded by flies), the Faceless (a race of devil-assassins), the four handed vierhaander, and an unhealthy amount of attention being paid to the duchess Hadriel's many minions.

In all, "Legions of Hell" is something which is long awaited and is finally here. Hopefully, Green Ronin's follow up "Armies of the Abyss", which will feature demons, will not disappoint.

Rating:
Summary: New Hellish Creatures
Review: very excellent artwork, and very intersting creatures, i am looking forward to the release of armies of the abyss. Well worth the dollar.