We mentioned last time that it’s been almost a year since we started our Magus/Demon Queen storyline. Knowing that the anniversary of their cat fight is just around the corner on Devil’s Night, it seemed like the perfect time to focus on fiendish plots. That’s why we were so pleased with the results of this month’s Patreon poll. Asked which hero deserves a proper origin story, our Quest Givers gave a decisive victory to Succubus. Of course “hero” is stretching things a bit. Our resident bad girl has been serving the powers of darkness ever since her days in the blackest depths of the secretarial pool. One can only surmise what she might do if she ever discovered that her treacherous former coconspirator was now trapped in the body of a vulnerable catfolk.

While our characters barrel towards their inexorable date with destiny (which I should probably write at some point), what do you say we talk about the hierarchy of fiends? There’s a lot to draw on.

If you want to base your adventures in the default setting of the world’s most popular roleplaying game, the Blood War offers a lovely backdrop. That storied conflict features hordes of ravening monsters on the demons’ side, endless armies of infernal soldiers on the devils’ side, and an uneasy set of upper planes spectators hoping that neither side gains the advantage. This military conflict has the added bonus of showcasing the differences between chaotic and lawful evil outsiders, helping to distinguish them from the “generic evil” alignment.

Speaking of “generic evil,” Succubus herself offers an excellent example. When I first met the monster back in my 3.5 days, succubi were always chaotic evil demons. The 5e version has rearranged that taxonomy, designating the succubus/incubus as a neutral evil fiend. That means you’re officially free to treat them however you like. A succubus in your game can be a creature of a wild malevolence who dwells in the Abyss, a figure of patient manipulation who hails from the Hells, or a free-wheeling red girl just trying to find love in a big, uncaring multiverse. It’s all fair game.

Of course, the real trick is that you’re allowed to give this kind of treatment to any fiend, regardless of edition. The denizens of the lower planes are fun because of their diversity. Sure you risk losing a bit of flavor when you homogenize, but you gain a lot of freedom in return. That means “chaotic” demons in an office setting, “lawful” devils who moonlight as barbarians, or even iconoclast characters whose personalities explicitly break the mold. If you’ve ever met an evil angel or a succubus in paladin armor, you know what I’m talking about.

That of course leads us to our question of the day! How do you like to characterize your fiends? Do your demons skew towards a monoculture of psychopathic rage? Are all your devils mean-spirited accountants? Or do you prefer infernal critters with just as much individuality as their human counterparts? Tell us how you divide your personal Hell down in the comments!

 

ARE YOU A ROLL20 ADDICT? Are you tired of googling endlessly for the perfect tokens? Then have we got a Patreon tier for you! As a card-carrying Familiar, you’ll receive a weekly downloadable Roll20 Token to use in your own online games, as well as access to all of our previously posted Tokens. It’s like your own personal NPC codex!