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Review of Demonomicon
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The Abyss and its demons have been a theme Wizards of the Coast have based many books on, from Fiendish Codex I , to this book, to the Out of the Abyss mega-adventure. And even when it's not the focus on the book, The Plane Below and the 4th edition version of Manual of the Planes and the Monster Manuals have had substantial space devoted to demons and the Abyss. So what makes this book different from those books, or from the many sourcebooks made by other companies?
DEMONOMICON FOCUSES ON THE DEMONS
An odd statement to have to make, but an important distinction. A book about undead or dragons usually assumes that these creatures live on the mortal world or are embedded in another world. If a homeland is assumed, it is rarely given as much attention and reverence as demons and demon lords have given to their layers of the Abyss. Orcus has his own plane that matches his themes, as do Demogorgon, Baphomet, and Yeenoghu. Yet while the Demon Lords were first written into the game in Eldritch Wizardry (where they were assumed to be on the Astral Plane), their layers were a later addition that they soon became entwined with. Without intending to, a lot of sourcebooks are unable to tell the forest from the trees; to talk about demons without becoming a travel guide for the Abyss.
Demonomicon has a lot of information about the Abyss and the demons in it, but the geographical flavour is meant to facilitate the use of demons, as opposed to having demons facilitate the use of the Abyss. I own both this book and Fiendish Codex I, and while there is a lot of overlap, Hordes focused on the NPCs and meta-plot of the Abyss, whereas this book focuses more on locations of importance for outsiders, as well as the navigational hazards therein. Demononicon places more focus on adventurers trudging through the Abyss, over its inhabitants and their history. And to assist that adventurer-facing focus, there is more talk about incorporating demons into the mortal world, and getting PCs to the Abyss from the mortal world.
WHAT IF I DON'T USE 4TH EDITION OR ITS ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE ABYSS?
Half of the book is a compilation of monster stats for 4th edition D&D, and the rest of the book has mechanical features that assume the same system. Flavour-wise, this book incorporates a few nods to Planescape and planar lore from past editions. Yugoloths are displayed very prominently, mentioned operating on several layers, and represented in the monster section. There are many famous name-drops, such as Miska the Wolf-Spider, Shemeska the Marauder, and reference to the "Savage Tide" adventure path.
What's more, there are new Demon Lords and Abyssal sites. Morglan-Daar is a layer with no ruling Demon Lord, and is open to trade and travellers in a way not seen elsewhere in the Abyss. It's full of evil demons who worship the Elder Elemental Eye, but it's a 'Point of Light' in the Abyss. The Barrens are ruled by Oublivae, Demon Queen of Cannibals. It is a world of isolation and desolation, where the ruins of every city that ever has (or ever will) exist crumbles in the middle of nowhere. Oublivae is a good example of a strong female antagonist who is known for her intelligence, cunning, and combat skills, and not for her sex appeal.
WHAT DOES THIS BOOK OFFER TO A DUNGEON MASTER?
There is great variety in the Demons offered. Heroic Tier has a dozen demons, and the higher level Demons offer a lot of variety for demonic encounters. There are fire demons, ice demons, stone demons, aquatic demons, swarms of demons, construct demons, ooze demons, undead demons, dragon demons, ex-Fey demons, and plant demons. There are demons who fulfill certain roles: abyssal scavengers, demons bound to watch treasure, and incubi. And several monster themes exist to make non-Demons fit into demon encounters, either as cultists to the demons, or as their summoner. Best of all, this book uses the Monster Manual 3 Monster Math.
For encounter making, there is plenty of advice for how to run encounters in the Abyss or a demonic base. There are dozens of traps to represent a layer's perils, as well as suggestions for skill challenges to resolve travel or travail in a Demon Lord's home. Advice is given on making a campaign that culminates on an invasion of the Abyss, or just disrupting the Main Villain's summoning of demons, as well as sample encounters showcasing these plots.
HOW IS THE ART?
This book borrows art heavily from Fiendish Codex I and the "Demonomicon" articles from Dragon Magazine. Given that those two sources have very different artistic styles from each other, as well as the general 4ed aesthetic, this book has a very inconsistent feel to it. The picture of adventurers climbing down the Blood Rift feels like it shouldn't be in the same book as Andrew Hou's art for the Mavawhan. It's not jarring, but it feels like an AD&D product, when the style and tone of the art weren't as unified as modern products are.
FINAL THOUGHTS
For me, this book isn't essential to anyone's collection. If you're not running 4th edition D&D, there are other books that can be as inspirational to you. If you're running 4ed and want a monster book, it's as good as the other ones. But I'm not a big fan of Demons. If you are, I think you'll be very pleased with this book. It's got information on the famous Demon Lords and their underlings, and a well-rounded variety of demonkind. Demonomicon is a great aide for DMs who want to make their demons more interesting, and to give them a compelling presence in their campaign.
