So I'm working through revising my Apocalyptic/Underworld campaign and I've finally gotten to the Abyss. I'm going to drop a couple cities in there that can serve as transit points and allow for a bit of roleplaying and information gathering. Anyone know of useful material out there? I'm specifically looking for stuff to fit the Abyss; I have enough on the Hells already. The system is Castles & Crusades but I'm open to anything interesting as I mostly want maps and setting descriptions.
Thanks!
There was an article in Dragon Magazine somewhere in time (maybe 3e era? Sorry, I can't find it now), about how demon lairs would be constructed. Maybe someone else can pin it down -- my only remaining takeaway is demons don't need doors. I think that makes for some interesting (and alien!) urban layout possibilities.
Quote from: Zalman on June 08, 2024, 07:07:08 AMThere was an article in Dragon Magazine somewhere in time (maybe 3e era? Sorry, I can't find it now), about how demon lairs would be constructed. Maybe someone else can pin it down -- my only remaining takeaway is demons don't need doors. I think that makes for some interesting (and alien!) urban layout possibilities.
Fiendish Fortresses - Issue 233 page 24
https://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html (https://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html)
Quote from: LordBP on June 08, 2024, 10:48:39 AMQuote from: Zalman on June 08, 2024, 07:07:08 AMThere was an article in Dragon Magazine somewhere in time (maybe 3e era? Sorry, I can't find it now), about how demon lairs would be constructed. Maybe someone else can pin it down -- my only remaining takeaway is demons don't need doors. I think that makes for some interesting (and alien!) urban layout possibilities.
Fiendish Fortresses - Issue 233 page 24
https://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html (https://www.aeolia.net/dragondex/articles-subject.html)
That's the one!
Greetings!
Well, the two books, "The Lost and the Damned" and "Slaves to Darkness" discuss cities occasionally--but if you can get these books, read them, and just *look* at them. The crazy, macabre artwork, the weird creatures, the hellish, blasted landscapes. You will be inspired with plenty of ideas!
(https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=2Inyp/ff&id=C92DCB5421CF7765E3AB5CB27039FDDFEAE9BCBB&thid=OIP.2Inyp_ffGwMtH7qsU6vgqAHaJs&mediaurl=https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lwjDkAlenc4/VCWb7NO31qI/AAAAAAAAG7c/-Ar9xKVk_m0/s1600/Realm%2Bof%2BChaos%2B-%2BThe%2BLost%2Band%2Bthe%2BDamned.jpg&q=WFRP%20the%20lost%20and%20the%20damned&ck=527CB0B5151AD6D95D71AEFF6EEB795B&idpp=rc&idpview=singleimage&form=rc2idp)
Slaves to Darkness
(https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=L%2BAbC5D0&id=A8AC252FD480DE555346227C4D44D9F0A2BAE5B9&thid=OIP.L-AbC5D07EucfxxSEhKkDQHaKf&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tsrarchive.com%2Fwhfrp%2Fwhfrp-1e-acc-std.jpg&q=WFRP%20the%20lost%20and%20the%20damned&ck=FDC88FC4686CBA8AD7EAED71BF502052&form=rc2idp&selectedindex=4&exph=1745&expw=1232&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.2fe01b0b90f4ec4b9c7f1c521212a40d%3Frik%3DueW6ovDZRE18Ig%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&pivotparams=insightsToken%3Dccid_2Inyp%252Fff*cp_527CB0B5151AD6D95D71AEFF6EEB795B*mid_C92DCB5421CF7765E3AB5CB27039FDDFEAE9BCBB*simid_607994493168267210*thid_OIP.2Inyp!_ffGwMtH7qsU6vgqAHaJs&vt=0&sim=11&iss=VSI)
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
First and foremost, look up some Hieronymous Bosch paintings and implement them in your dungeon. Next, look at the immunities the demons or fiends have, if they are immune, they enjoy that element, I mean a lot. A fiend immune to acid would have a refreshing acid bath, in a castle surrounded by acid. Are they devils? Rather than having torches that give light, in their realm torches give darkness instead, they do have devil sight after all.
Devils would have soul processing rooms of torture for fun, sick and depraved things would go there. Perhaps there would be a viewing room with a scrying crystal ball projector to truly enjoy the depravity. Demons would have a conversion room where the sanity is stripped out of the creature and they are rebuilt as something twisted befitting of their lord.
Demons would have passageways that morph and change in the abyss, have the dungeon set up in sections and the doors take you to a section of the dungeon, roll dice every hour to see where they go. Devils would be more orderly, perhaps a defined teleportation circle with defensive sections to protect the lord in case a vice devil tries to overthrow them. Perhaps an area designated to intelligence to ensure the Devil remains in charge of the plane.
The old Pathfinder Book of the Damned has a section on Abyssal domains. Not as long as the Nine Hells section, but it might be handy.
"Old." From 2017, not THAT old.
The 3E Manual of the planes describes a number of cities, towns, and fortresses in the Abyss, though the descriptions are a bit scant.
Quote from: Thornhammer on June 11, 2024, 07:02:59 PMThe old Pathfinder Book of the Damned has a section on Abyssal domains. Not as long as the Nine Hells section, but it might be handy.
"Old." From 2017, not THAT old.
Yeah, this, and the Book of Vile Darkness are where I'm getting descriptions. Those aren't the problem. I just want city maps. But I'll likely just repurpose maps I have from mundane settings, changing the place names, making them more depraved, and creating some random encounter tables.
There no long descriptions of Abyssal cities and I don't remember seeing any maps, but the border town into the Abyss of Plague-a-Mort has a one-page description in A Player's Primer to the Outlands. And the Abyss, as it is depicted in Planescape, is described in Planes of Chaos, with the town of Broken Reach getting another one-page description (with minor towns in other realms getting a paragraph or so).
Some quick resources to consider:
- Anthony Huso's _Dream House of the Nether Prince_ is an Abyssal palace/fortress for Orcus, but not a full city: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/anthonyhuso (and for that, you might consider adapting his or another City of Brass to the Abyss, perhaps, if you don't want to homebrew it). It does offer good insight into encounters, living environs, and how being in the Abyss changes how you adventure there if you're from the Prime (see also Q1 too, of course).
- some of the 1e/2e modules featured Abyssal cities, as I recall: see I12 (but I don't recall if one of the R1-4 modules had the Abyssal city originally, or if it was added into I12's treatment), and For Duty and Deity (it's a lame FR module, but details one of Graz'zt's planes and his capital city, I think??); maybe H2-4 are worth checking too, but I wasn't very impressed with their content either
- in the 3e era, Paizo did a series of "Demonomicon of Iggwilv" articles in Dragon that presented various demon princes/eases and their cults, servitors, etc.; there's likely some info about their planes and residences too, but I don't recall any full cities there either
- 13 Dungeon adventures mention "Abyss" in the Canonfire! index at http://www.canonfire.com/cf/dungeonindex.php but I don't recall the Savage Tide ones in the Abyss being set in a city, but there might be??; maybe there's some in PS that are useful, too, but I doubt it (you might also check my planar bibliography at https://grodog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-theory-and-use-of-gates-in-campaign-dungeons.html in case anything leaps out)
Hopefully some of that offers some useful ideas.
Allan.