Spheres of Power and Outsiders
by Andrew TheisenI've been revisiting demons from BECMI (Gold Box and Wrath Immortals sets), with an eye towards trying to do something different with them. Both are treated differently mechanically in the two versions available, with the demons in the Gold Box being actual Immortals of the Sphere of Entropy, and only being powerful ("Exalted") beings in WotI, with some corresponding reduction in powers/abilities.
I'm still kind of torn as to which approach- if either- I want to take with them, but it did get me to thinking about trying to expand the range of Entropic creatures beyond just demons, and to encompass more of the "classic" AD&D mold- ie, devils and daemons. Which also got me to thinking about their polar opposites in AD&D on the good end of the moral spectrum.
My current thinking is that the good and evil outsiders might be able to be fit into the hierarchy of the Spheres of existence- with the "good" Spheres (Matter, Time, Thought, Energy) having corresponding "evil" counterparts in Entropy, by adding an additional creature type introduced in Pathfinder to balance them out. Currently, I'm looking at it thusly:
Sphere | Outsider Group | Entropic Counterpart
Matter | Archon/Archon* | Demon
Energy | Eladrin/Azati* | Yugoloth(Daemon)/Daemon*
Thought | Aasimon(Deva)/Angel* | Devil
Time | Guardinal/Agathion*| Div*
*Pathfinder name/equivalent
I'm still not entirely sure if I have the counterparts quite right, but my rationale is thus:
Matter: This sphere is concerned with creation and order, and would naturally be most closely opposed by the demons, who are chaotic and exist only to destroy. The Gold Box notes that Archons (introduced in the Master set) are actually servitors of the Hierarch of Energy, but this feels oddly out of place. The Archons are noted as being obnoxiously lawful and good, and that seems pretty at odds with the ethos of Energy, which embodies chaos.
Energy: Consequently, the Eladrin/Azati seem like they would be good representatives of the freedom of chaos. I put the Daemons as their chief counterparts.
Thought: This sphere seems the best fit for the Angels, who espouse no particular tendency towards either chaos or law, but just good. I have the devils, those corrupters of thought, as their counterpart.
Time: I put the Guardinals/Agathions here; they are neutral which fits with the ethos of time, but I'm not sure they necessarily otherwise are a good fit. I also have the Div as their counterparts.