I was thinking about Mr. Greenwood's articles and decided to repost this, with a few revisions. The Nine Hells, remains one of my favorite Dragon articles of all time and probably my absolutely favorite thing by Mr. Greenwood.
Go To Hell! – Revisiting Ed Greenwood’s “The Nine Hells.”
(Since this is some kind of review, I'd better mention that no, no-one has paid or enticed me in any way to write about this series of articles, written over 25 years ago.)
The article was split into two parts, the second was published in issue # 76. Two follow-up pieces, “The Nine Hells Revisited” and “Eight Devilish Questions” appeared in issue # 91. Taken all together, the series runs to a little over fifty pages and gives the DM a wealth of information, for running a game in the Infernal Realms.
Part 1 deals with a few introductory matters, like what to do with all those pesky, LE deities. Then, plunges into a plane by plane description of the Hells, from Avernus, to Stygia. Part 2 covers Malbolge to Nessus, then lists the changed ways in which spells, magical items, and character abilities will operate in the Hells.
The entries for the individual planes start with short descriptions of the levels and their common inhabitants. These run about two-thirds of a page, or so, in length on the average, with Avernus being the longest, at a little over a full page (aside from any artwork.) But they give the DM enough information to take things from there. Someone once said that true evil was banal. The landscapes of the Hells are uninspiring, for the most part. Drearily predictable. But, Hell itself is anything but boring.
After setting the scene for each level, Mr. Greenwood begins describing the various important NPC’s inhabiting these places and this forms the main part of his Hellish Gazetteer. Considering who the author is, it comes as no surprise that this is both the focus of the work and where it truly shines.
“The Nine Hells Revisited,” provides more “Outcast Devils,”those natives who are Unique in the Monster Manual sense, but have been cast out of the hierarchy and are forced to eke out an existence hiding in Avernus, all the while scheming to force their way back into their society. Information on how devils become Greater Devils is provided. The unique Arch-Devil Gargoth, is introduced, a being who is perhaps, as powerful as Asmodeus, but who lives on the Prime Material and may, or may not, be in league with the Lord of Nessus. Several pages are devoted to the various kinds of treasure which may be found on the various levels of the hells (woo-hoo!), providing some more flavor to the various planes, as well as their inhabitants. A few more odds and ends, such as travelling the Styx, round out the article.
Lastly, in “Eight Devilish Questions,” Mr. Greenwood provides some answers to a few questions submitted by readers of the original two-part article.
In his work on The Hells, Mr. Greenwood wrote a very entertaining D&D supplement. We get a description of a setting which fascinates many DM’s and players, along with details of the major NPC’s which make the place tick. Also, the rules necessary for running such an alien environment, new lore and answers to various questions concerning the Devils and their home. A few maps of interesting locations, would have been appreciated, though.
Even if the DM never plans on actually sending his players to Hell, the various personalities presented can have a major impact on PC’s who are on the Prime Material. All those shadowy schemers and homicidal plotters are the real heart of “The Nine Hells,” and poor fools on the Prime can become involved with those dangerous beings in a host of ways.
(Since this is some kind of review, I'd better mention that no, no-one has paid or enticed me in any way to write about this series of articles, written over 25 years ago.)
“Yes,” agreed the Paladin who had fought at his side. “You have joined an endless battle, my lord. But if you weary of fighting it here, amid that which you hold dear, then come with me – I ride on the hells tomorrow.” Ed Greenwood – The Nine Hells, Part 1.That Paladin lives eternally in the front-piece to the first part of one of the most famous articles ever to grace the pages of Dragon Magazine. The art, by Larry Elmore, depicts a Paladin standing by the side of, presumably, a Name Level Fighter. At their feet lay the smoking corpse of a devil. Judging by the depiction and speech, our Paladin has the kind of poise worthy of Dr. Who. But, he has another thing coming! He’s about to storm Ed Greenwood’s Hell, and in the July 1983 issue of Dragon Magazine, # 75, we followed him.
The article was split into two parts, the second was published in issue # 76. Two follow-up pieces, “The Nine Hells Revisited” and “Eight Devilish Questions” appeared in issue # 91. Taken all together, the series runs to a little over fifty pages and gives the DM a wealth of information, for running a game in the Infernal Realms.
Part 1 deals with a few introductory matters, like what to do with all those pesky, LE deities. Then, plunges into a plane by plane description of the Hells, from Avernus, to Stygia. Part 2 covers Malbolge to Nessus, then lists the changed ways in which spells, magical items, and character abilities will operate in the Hells.
The entries for the individual planes start with short descriptions of the levels and their common inhabitants. These run about two-thirds of a page, or so, in length on the average, with Avernus being the longest, at a little over a full page (aside from any artwork.) But they give the DM enough information to take things from there. Someone once said that true evil was banal. The landscapes of the Hells are uninspiring, for the most part. Drearily predictable. But, Hell itself is anything but boring.
After setting the scene for each level, Mr. Greenwood begins describing the various important NPC’s inhabiting these places and this forms the main part of his Hellish Gazetteer. Considering who the author is, it comes as no surprise that this is both the focus of the work and where it truly shines.
We get Dukes, Chancellors, Outlaw Devils and more than enough Hot Devil Babes (the various consorts,) to fire the imagination of this DM, especially when he was 15. We get motivations, alliances, enemies, frenemies, personality traits, hobbies and machinations, as well as troop lists for the various Dukes.Of course, we get the stats and powers of all these movers and shakers, as well. The Infernal courts are a dark imagining of the byzantine political climate of our own governmental institutions, and the juicy “court gossip” of the Hells is definitely entertaining.
“Phongor is the dreaded Inquisitor of Hell; he is responsible directly to Asmodeus for the provision of complete and accurate news of the hells and other planes. To do this, he has subverted the spies of Adramalech (so that they report first, and most fully, to him), enlisted spies of his own (and spies to watch his spies; he trusts no one), and perfected the art of torture on devils, the lesser creatures of the hells, and intruders alike.” Ed Greenwood – The Nine Hells, Part 1.
"Lilis, consort of Dispater, is one of the older and weaker female devils, but her careful diplomacies and strategies and her attention to events in the hells and elsewhere (her network of spies is said to be second only to that of Asmodeus) has kept her own position in the infernal regions as secure as that of any of the nobility of the hells. Lilis and Biffant (q.v.), Dispater’s provost, are as trusting and as close as two devils ever become – but they are (thus far) unswervingly loyal to Dispater, making his control of Dis the envy of other Archdevils.” Ed Greenwood – The Nine Hells, Part 2.
“The Nine Hells Revisited,” provides more “Outcast Devils,”those natives who are Unique in the Monster Manual sense, but have been cast out of the hierarchy and are forced to eke out an existence hiding in Avernus, all the while scheming to force their way back into their society. Information on how devils become Greater Devils is provided. The unique Arch-Devil Gargoth, is introduced, a being who is perhaps, as powerful as Asmodeus, but who lives on the Prime Material and may, or may not, be in league with the Lord of Nessus. Several pages are devoted to the various kinds of treasure which may be found on the various levels of the hells (woo-hoo!), providing some more flavor to the various planes, as well as their inhabitants. A few more odds and ends, such as travelling the Styx, round out the article.Lastly, in “Eight Devilish Questions,” Mr. Greenwood provides some answers to a few questions submitted by readers of the original two-part article.
In his work on The Hells, Mr. Greenwood wrote a very entertaining D&D supplement. We get a description of a setting which fascinates many DM’s and players, along with details of the major NPC’s which make the place tick. Also, the rules necessary for running such an alien environment, new lore and answers to various questions concerning the Devils and their home. A few maps of interesting locations, would have been appreciated, though.
Even if the DM never plans on actually sending his players to Hell, the various personalities presented can have a major impact on PC’s who are on the Prime Material. All those shadowy schemers and homicidal plotters are the real heart of “The Nine Hells,” and poor fools on the Prime can become involved with those dangerous beings in a host of ways.
But, I loved this article so much, that I gave my players a reason to go to Avernus. Their 14th level characters managed to survive the thirty or so in-game minutes it took to accomplish their snatch-and-grab mission and escaped right as an infernal army was descending upon them.
The truth is, I set it up so that they wouldn’t have too much difficulty, so long as they kept their heads down and played it smart. It became apparent, rather quickly, that they couldn’t afford to dawdle. I just wanted to give them a taste of Hell. Surviving that environment for any length of time would require a lot of stealth, guile, power and luck from PC’s. Unless they somehow got themselves invited, which would be a dangerous situation in and of itself. Mr. Greenwood’s Hell is very well organized, and its armies will swiftly mobilize, dealing with any intruders as decisively as possible. A “Ride on the Hells,”a la the crazy Paladin we met at the beginning of our journey is sheer suicide. He just doesn’t seem to be the stealthy, keep your head down, type.
In Paizo’s last issue of the magazine, they listed their “Top Ten Issues of Dragon.” Numbers 75 & 76 were the first two presented. I can only suppose that the TSR policy of appeasing the Satanic Panic crowd, kept them from including the articles in one of their Best of compilations. So, if you don’t already have these, you’ll need to get the original issues. “The Nine Hells” issues are definitely worth going to the trouble of procuring.
In Paizo’s last issue of the magazine, they listed their “Top Ten Issues of Dragon.” Numbers 75 & 76 were the first two presented. I can only suppose that the TSR policy of appeasing the Satanic Panic crowd, kept them from including the articles in one of their Best of compilations. So, if you don’t already have these, you’ll need to get the original issues. “The Nine Hells” issues are definitely worth going to the trouble of procuring.
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