Pit Fiend Army - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Pit Fiend Army

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Dec 19, 2003 19:07:19 Someone asked somewhere else, and I feel obligated to provide an adequate response. (I wish I had my books with me.) What kind of army would a Pit Fiend control? All I can remember off of the top of my head is that each one controls dozens of armies, and sight of them causes anything of less than 10 levels/hit dice to flee in fear for yDx days.
#2
zombiegleemax
Dec 20, 2003 5:20:22 They would be baatezu armies. So, mercenaries, and lemures, mostly.
#3
zombiegleemax
Dec 20, 2003 5:37:16 Each army would have a couple thousand Lemures and probably Nupperibos on the front lines. Slaves and mercaneries from across the planes would also make up large portions of the army. A contingent of Osyluths on the back lines would keep the troops in line. Probably a wing of Erinyes would be there as air support.
#4
factol_rhys_dup
Dec 20, 2003 7:16:18 In addition to what the previous posters have said, units of barbazu make legion-like formations with their glaives, and these would serve as the elite fighting troops or shock troops to break up tough enemies. Hamatula take on more powerful opponents. Cornugons fill in as support fighters to hold the lines together and to act as commanders. For magical support, they will often use contingents of amnizu. Air support is something of an issue, though. Erinyes make rather poor fighters, but they do have advspara (sp?) from the Fiend Folio (I believe). Either baatezu commanders would recruit Yugoloth mercenaries (like Nycaloths) or use flight spells to send powerful baatezu into the air.
#5
xanxost_the_slaadi_dup
Dec 20, 2003 9:46:19 Or just use Abishai.
#6
sildatorak
Dec 20, 2003 11:58:28 Yup, abishai are plentiful and expendable. That's what being the lowest lesser 'zu is all about…dying.
#7
primemover003
Dec 20, 2003 14:41:22 Don't forget Spinagon messengers and scouts. Barbazu companies are dynamite on a battlefield! Fire Giant (fiendish perhaps) siege engineers would be instrumental in attacking fortresses.
#8
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Dec 21, 2003 23:28:51 During a game I got to describe the composition of a Baatezu army along with an equal number of Yugoloth mercenaries that would in coming days lay seige to, and sack the gatetown of Plague-Mort.

Imagine flocks of Slasraths overhead of the mass of the army looking like giant flying manta rays. Now imagine a Nycaloth or an Arcanaloth riding atop one of them. Imagine then each of these flying troops being used as scouts or cavalry in the case of the Nycaloths, or used as flying fireball factories and close air support in the case of the Arcanaloths. Now imagine a few hundred of each over an army numbering at least 80k.

Suffice to say, Plague-Mort was gutted. Then the portal to the Abyss was sealed, or at least regulated for passage, and the 'loths turned on the 'zu, killed them all, and left abruptly with the town in the hands of a new and decidedly non CE Arch-Lector. Describing the aftermath of a fiendish seige was amusing.
#9
primemover003
Dec 22, 2003 15:12:58 Awww... I always loved how incompetant ole Byrri Ymoril was. He was my favorite "sheriff of Nottingham" style villain in PS. My PC's, the Knights and Knaves in Silver had a running campaign against the Arch-Lector from a hidden base somewhere in the mountains of the 8th Ring... Oh the memories. I don't know how many of the Hounds officers were strung up on the walls of the Steel Palace because my PC's rescued a political prisoner or thwarted the Arch-Lectors plots!!! I love Plague-Mort.
#10
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Dec 23, 2003 0:30:53 *grins* That campaign sounds like fun. Man I could kill to play in a PS campaign again... *DTs from not playing for months* Running = good, but I need to play again.

And yeah, Byrri Ymoril was fun, though in my own game he himself got strung up on the middle gate of his own palace along with the heads of most of The Hounds. The new rulers of the burg wanted to make the town realize the old berk wasn't going to be in charge again.

Only problem with scragging fun NPCs is that you honestly can't use them in the future. I already brought back Alisohn Nilesia from 'the dead', had her flayed in Sigil, and then a year later reappear in the Waste. It wasn't 'her' that was flayed, and there were long complicated circumstances involving copies of her created by Nimicri in Gehenna and the 'loths experimenting on them to make them capable of existing off the moon, etc. But bringing back 'dead' NPCs more than once gets old. Thus the Arch Lector is sadly kaput in my game. A pity for reasons such as you mention
#11
primemover003
Dec 23, 2003 15:09:22 Not to mention he was brought back like that once in PS canon. It was in the Well of Worlds adventure set in Plague-Mort.
#12
Shemeska_the_Marauder
Dec 23, 2003 23:59:09 Yep, nothing like trying to drag your own gatetown over into the Abyss to curry favor from that end of the portal... of course, things didn't quite go as he planned for them to. That whole assassination plot against him. *chuckle*

Plague-Mort has to be one of the most fun of the gate towns to play around with. Among the various groups in Plague-Mort, plus the Arch-Lector and his cronies, etc.

My own personal favorite is Hopeless (for Thingol the Mocking, High Cardinal of Hopeless, along with her pack of Beholders), Torch (thieves guilds, an old haunt of a Baernaloth, and Baatezu and 'lothy goodness), and Tradegate (for the brewing conflict between the Free League and the Planar Trade Consortium).

But I'm getting vasty off topic from the original thread here aren't I. Shame on me.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Dec 19, 2003 19:07:19	Someone asked somewhere else, and I feel obligated to provide an adequate response. (I wish I had my books with me.) What kind of army would a Pit Fiend control? All I can remember off of the top of my head is that each one controls dozens of armies, and sight of them causes anything of less than 10 levels/hit dice to flee in fear for yDx days.
#2 zombiegleemax Dec 20, 2003 5:20:22	They would be baatezu armies. So, mercenaries, and lemures, mostly.
#3 zombiegleemax Dec 20, 2003 5:37:16	Each army would have a couple thousand Lemures and probably Nupperibos on the front lines. Slaves and mercaneries from across the planes would also make up large portions of the army. A contingent of Osyluths on the back lines would keep the troops in line. Probably a wing of Erinyes would be there as air support.
#4 factol_rhys_dup Dec 20, 2003 7:16:18	In addition to what the previous posters have said, units of barbazu make legion-like formations with their glaives, and these would serve as the elite fighting troops or shock troops to break up tough enemies. Hamatula take on more powerful opponents. Cornugons fill in as support fighters to hold the lines together and to act as commanders. For magical support, they will often use contingents of amnizu. Air support is something of an issue, though. Erinyes make rather poor fighters, but they do have advspara (sp?) from the Fiend Folio (I believe). Either baatezu commanders would recruit Yugoloth mercenaries (like Nycaloths) or use flight spells to send powerful baatezu into the air.
#5 xanxost_the_slaadi_dup Dec 20, 2003 9:46:19	Or just use Abishai.
#6 sildatorak Dec 20, 2003 11:58:28	Yup, abishai are plentiful and expendable. That's what being the lowest lesser 'zu is all about…dying.
#7 primemover003 Dec 20, 2003 14:41:22	Don't forget Spinagon messengers and scouts. Barbazu companies are dynamite on a battlefield! Fire Giant (fiendish perhaps) siege engineers would be instrumental in attacking fortresses.
#8 Shemeska_the_Marauder Dec 21, 2003 23:28:51	During a game I got to describe the composition of a Baatezu army along with an equal number of Yugoloth mercenaries that would in coming days lay seige to, and sack the gatetown of Plague-Mort. Imagine flocks of Slasraths overhead of the mass of the army looking like giant flying manta rays. Now imagine a Nycaloth or an Arcanaloth riding atop one of them. Imagine then each of these flying troops being used as scouts or cavalry in the case of the Nycaloths, or used as flying fireball factories and close air support in the case of the Arcanaloths. Now imagine a few hundred of each over an army numbering at least 80k. Suffice to say, Plague-Mort was gutted. Then the portal to the Abyss was sealed, or at least regulated for passage, and the 'loths turned on the 'zu, killed them all, and left abruptly with the town in the hands of a new and decidedly non CE Arch-Lector. Describing the aftermath of a fiendish seige was amusing.
#9 primemover003 Dec 22, 2003 15:12:58	Awww... I always loved how incompetant ole Byrri Ymoril was. He was my favorite "sheriff of Nottingham" style villain in PS. My PC's, the Knights and Knaves in Silver had a running campaign against the Arch-Lector from a hidden base somewhere in the mountains of the 8th Ring... Oh the memories. I don't know how many of the Hounds officers were strung up on the walls of the Steel Palace because my PC's rescued a political prisoner or thwarted the Arch-Lectors plots!!! I love Plague-Mort.
#10 Shemeska_the_Marauder Dec 23, 2003 0:30:53	grins That campaign sounds like fun. Man I could kill to play in a PS campaign again... DTs from not playing for months Running = good, but I need to play again. And yeah, Byrri Ymoril was fun, though in my own game he himself got strung up on the middle gate of his own palace along with the heads of most of The Hounds. The new rulers of the burg wanted to make the town realize the old berk wasn't going to be in charge again. Only problem with scragging fun NPCs is that you honestly can't use them in the future. I already brought back Alisohn Nilesia from 'the dead', had her flayed in Sigil, and then a year later reappear in the Waste. It wasn't 'her' that was flayed, and there were long complicated circumstances involving copies of her created by Nimicri in Gehenna and the 'loths experimenting on them to make them capable of existing off the moon, etc. But bringing back 'dead' NPCs more than once gets old. Thus the Arch Lector is sadly kaput in my game. A pity for reasons such as you mention
#11 primemover003 Dec 23, 2003 15:09:22	Not to mention he was brought back like that once in PS canon. It was in the Well of Worlds adventure set in Plague-Mort.
#12 Shemeska_the_Marauder Dec 23, 2003 23:59:09	Yep, nothing like trying to drag your own gatetown over into the Abyss to curry favor from that end of the portal... of course, things didn't quite go as he planned for them to. That whole assassination plot against him. chuckle Plague-Mort has to be one of the most fun of the gate towns to play around with. Among the various groups in Plague-Mort, plus the Arch-Lector and his cronies, etc. My own personal favorite is Hopeless (for Thingol the Mocking, High Cardinal of Hopeless, along with her pack of Beholders), Torch (thieves guilds, an old haunt of a Baernaloth, and Baatezu and 'lothy goodness), and Tradegate (for the brewing conflict between the Free League and the Planar Trade Consortium). But I'm getting vasty off topic from the original thread here aren't I. Shame on me.