Fiends and half fiends in Ravenloft

[divinedragonslayer]

Just out of curiosity do you use fiends and half fiends in your campaign? If you do how do you use them? To be honest I'm timid about adding something so high fantasy into the setting without understanding their role. Even as simple as something as transposition intimidates me.

I'm leaning towards a paladin who gets transposed into a fiend for her hubris or a demon worshiper who bonded with a demon in search of power.

[alhoon]

I am not using transposition but I'm using fiends and half-fiends all the time as evil bosses. I use them as incarnations of pure evil. Van Richten's guide to the fiend could be of help to see them from a Ravenloft prism.

PS. I don't mind adding high fantasy stuff in Ravenloft. I also use dragons. A lot. That said, I don't use fiends just as reskinned enemies with cool powers.

[divinedragonslayer]

Save for the summoned ones I think each one should be born of a great evil. One that at least creates a level 3 sinkhole of evil. Then again I almost feel these fiends need to really reflect the evil that created the sinkhole.

[alhoon]

Personally, while I find the idea intriguing, I would stay away from "great evil brings fiends in Ravenloft". I would do it -once- since it's nice idea and fitting and all.
But then we have the rules of the demiplane; fiends dropping in at sites of great evil (that unfortunately abound) means that the demiplane has easy access to the lower planes. Of course, if that's what you want all the power to you.

Personally, I would say that sites of great evil and all create weird undead. Ghosts for starters and then other things. Not fiends per se, but things (which include darklords BTW )

[divinedragonslayer]

And I understand there. It was just an idea to be honest.

[alhoon]

It was a good idea.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I use them pretty much as described in the Ravenloft books: Sparingly, mostly disguised as humans, alien in motivation, and as physical manifestations of pure evil.**

I've run the Evil Eye, so you've got Malocchio and (tangentially) the Gentleman Caller there.
I've run From the Shadows, with Skeever, if he counts. He fits more of the "wizard's weird familiar" role than what I described above.
I've used Theokos, mostly in human guise until a climactic battle.
I've used Ebonbane by extension by using the Ahltrian. (here, he's more of a lurking menace with creepy worshippers)
I've had a sighting of an Inevitable (not a fiend, but an extraplanar creature of pure law)
I've had Van Richten relate his encounter with Drigor, straight from the books.
I've used Isolde (not a fiend, but a celestial.)
I've used a summoned fidele (not a fiend, but a celestial. In this case, a corrupted one, so sort of a fiend.)
I've used a summoned ice weird (not a fiend, but an extraplanar elemental)
I've seeded Francois de Penible, and will run his adventure next, most likely.

OK, writing it all out, that looks like I've used them a lot, but keep in mind, this was over the course of a 10-year campaign.


** I always try to think of all extraplanars as embodiments of concepts, rather than weird looking bags of hp with resistances and SLAs. Whether it be evil, law, good, chaos, or more abstract stuff like love, justice, or knowledge. The important part is how they reflect that concept in everything they do. That's not to say that they are unchanging (as I know alhoon likes his to be). An Angel can fall to evil because they are pure good, and good can fall to evil, therefore that's part of being pure good: having the capability of turning away from good. If they were infallible and unchanging as well as good, they would be something else, different than good, not merely good. Just the way I see it. Of course, YMMV, whatever works for you.

[alhoon]

From the shadows has also that fiend in Azalin's phylactery room.

Who is Francois de Penible? The name rings some bells but I can't place him.

[divinedragonslayer]

And I understand that fiends are not just a source of evil. They are evil given form. It's not just a succubus it's the embodiment of lust, seduction, and betrayal given feminine form. They shouldn't be within Ravenloft nearly that often and often not by choice.

Okay that being said my idea is a general of sorts for Ebonbane. A half fiend blackguard who is the antithesis of what a paladin is. And especially if one were to make the backstory one where the transformation into a demon was allegory for losing one's humanity I think it could be interesting. But that's why I'm thinking transmogrification.

[brilliantlight]

I have used Malocchio who made a cameo appearance. I have used an erinyes who I made up who also made a cameo appearance. The PCs are now being hunted by a vrock. So we are talking 3 fiends in around five years with 2 being cameos.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

From the shadows has also that fiend in Azalin's phylactery room.

yeah, I took that one out. Fear the horned teddy bear! I replaced him with Andrew Duvall.

Who is Francois de Penible? The name rings some bells but I can't place him.

Ravenloft's answer to the Marquis de Sade. A transpossessed human. See CotN: Demons.

[alhoon]

Is he the Kyton guy?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Is he the Kyton guy?

That's the one.

[divinedragonslayer]

So in the end I've decided to go with a caliban. I think having a half fiend would be trying to put hammer in a concept into place. Not to mention I can really make the caliban what I want it.