Tyrants of the Nine Hells is book number two of the Fiendish Codex series covering the Lawful Evil Outsiders; Devils getting their due (pun not intended). Unlike the previous book on Demons, this one opens up with two pages of fiction no one asked for. If I want poorly written fantasy fiction, I’ll buy one of their many uninteresting novels or find it on the Internet. Thankfully Tyrants quickly redeems itself with the first chapter explaining the “economics” of the Nine Hells which is pretty elaborate as well as logical. Then it proceeds to make Devils more than just Lawful Evil pests with at-will powers and different immunities and vulnerabilities; The authors explain how these Outsiders are motivated and use discipline, cunning and contracts to acquire souls, followers and victims. There’s a whole section of on faustian pacts: the devil who seals the deal receives some kind of points toward its status depending upon the powers granted to the recipient. How Devils perceive their enemies of Good alignment is refreshing; they’re not hated, there’s just contempt for Good because it’s weaker. One key sentence in the book sums up the differences pretty well, “Demons want to destroy the world; devils want to conquer it.”
As always, it’s a 3.5 WOTC book which means it has chapters on matters related to Devils the game doesn’t need: spells, feats and prestige classes. There is a section including additional types of Devils not in the Monster Manual series. I didn’t recognize any that have been missing since the First Edition days unlike Hordes.
The ongoing Blood War is given more of an explanation here: the tactics used by Devils to defeat the more numerous Demons; a little history; and how the Hells’ rulers perceive the non-Evil planes as a bunch ungrateful residents who don’t appreciate the sacrifice Devils have made in the eternal conflict.
The infamous nine Archdevils get their 3.5 makeover in Tyrants: Asmodeus, Mephistopheles, Belial, etc. that overrule whatever was published in The Book of Vile Darkness. There’s only nine layers with ten rulers (one layer has a duo) so it’s easier to capture the entire essence of the plane unlike the Abyss. A new wrinkle is added to the game for DMs to use or not; the Archdevils can have cults, temples and followers operating in the open; similar to the evil god Hextor in the PHB. Works for me because it means these villains will appear to obey the local laws but they’ll still be scheming to find loopholes or employ acts of sabotage that can’t be traced to them, like the Romulans on Star Trek or Lex Luthor. Bad guys like these force players and DMs alike to be more creative instead of resorting to the easier kick-in-the-door/slay-all-the-monsters style of play.
Bottom Line: Tyrants is a worthy companion to Hordes of the Abyss since it explains or creates the contrast between Demons and Devils. DMs now have data to help them choose one over the other as the situation arises and characters should be more prepared when either fiend is summoned. Is it worth of its hefty price tag of $35 for what is mainly an advice book peppered with monster stats, feats, spells, “geography” and prestige classes? Is it a must buy? For the players, an emphatic ‘no.’ For most DMs there’s a ‘yes’ with conditions:
- Devils have become boring and routine
- The DM wants to introduce the subplot of a PC or NPC making a faustian pact
- The DM wants to run an adventure with the PCs rescuing someone from the consequences of a faustian pact or damnation
This book certainly makes Devils more than two-dimensional opponents for the players to kill then gain the XP. More importantly, it creates a different series of possible adventures for the DM to run that will be distinct from the ones involving Demons. Now if WOTC would publish a series of adventures involving a campaign to defeat the machinations of an Archdevil since the Demons Lloth, Graz’zt and Demogorgon have been stealing the spotlight for 30 years.