Guide to Hell (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Accessory/11431) [Mass Market Paperback]

Chris Pramas (Author), Brom (Illustrator), Hannibal King (Illustrator), Rob Lazzaretti (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002

Diabolical threats lurk everywhere in the world of the AD&D game. Heroes who fight evil on the Prime Material Plane may contend with forces whose power rises from the depths of Hell. Adventurers who travel to Hell meet devildom on its own terms and risk not only their lives but their everlasting souls.

Guide to Hell is a comprehensive look at the nature of devils, ways for heroes to battle them, and the twisted geography and politics of the Nine Layers in the AD&D game. The decision to "go to Hell" should never be made lightly--but once it is made, this book will give the DM everything he or she needs to make the experience memorable for all the heroes...at least, those who survive.

Guide to Hell includes:
--Four new PC kits--The Devil Slayer, the Thaumaturgist, the Inquisitor, and the Hellblade.
--A devil-fighting organization adaptable for any campaign.
--New spells and magical items with a diabolic twist.
--Advice for DMs on integrating the infernal into their campaigns.
--Full statistics on the Lords of the Nine, the rulers of Nine Hells.
--The secret history of Hell and the Dark Lord of Nessus, Asmodeus.
--Statistics for all major devil types, plus a new devil created especially for this book.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 63 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786914319
• ISBN-13: 978-0786914319
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,202,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Pramas is an award-winning game designer, writer, and publisher. He is best known as the designer of the Dragon Age RPG, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (second edition), and Freeport: The City of Adventure. He is also the founder and president of Green Ronin Publishing, a leading light in the world of pen and paper RPGs. Pramas got his start as a freelancer, writing books for such games as Over the Edge, Feng Shui, and Underground. He later spent four years as a staff designer at Wizards of the Coast, ending his tenure there as a creative director. More recently he's lent his talents to computer games, serving as creative director on the Pirates of the Burning Sea MMO RPG at Flying Lab Software and as lead writer on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online at Vigil Games. Pramas continues to lead Green Ronin, and the company's successes include such games as DC Adventures, A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, and Mutants & Masterminds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AD&D the way it was supposed to be., November 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guide to Hell (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Accessory/11431) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is an excellent book for those adventuring groups that want to take on the ultimate test: Hell. I can also see that the fear of accidentally printing something "evil" within the AD&D game is slowly disappearing. New tables detail devil/human crossbreeds and the character kits are excellent. The Hell blade turns your average thief into a deadly devil-battling warrior. A new devil made just for the book is designed for a text book horror movie possession story. The book is excellent for its price, and it's nice to see that at least some of the new AD&D books are taking a more dark and religious path. I can see this book fitting very nicely into a Ravenloft campaign in addtion to a Planescape one.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where Angels Fear to Tread..., June 16, 2000

By 

Kent David Kelly "Author & Anthologist" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guide to Hell (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Accessory/11431) (Mass Market Paperback)

Ah, the Nine Hells! After 20+ years of ignorant attacks on the game system by Christian extremists, it's nice to be able to say that again. Don't get me wrong, I love Planescape, but somehow, it just didn't seem to provide a gothic, forsaken, ultra-dramatic Hell. Now we have it! Granted, it's a bit unorthodox and anti-classical, but I believe that's the point. This isn't a mere retread of the classic AD&D representation of Hell - if you want a tamer, more Dantean environment, check out Dragon 75, 76, the Manual of the Planes, and the 1st printing of the Monster Manuals I and II. This book has a more creative vision - it tries to remold our interpretation of the Infernal into something more cosmic, alien, and underwordly. You get the impression that Hell isn't necessarily a place where the damned go for punishment; rather, its raison d'etre is as the ultimate stronghold of diabolic (lawful) evil. And it's good! The Blood War and history are briefly touched upon, but then we plunge in up to our necks with fantastic details on devils and their beliefs and society, notes on infernal cults, the priests-turning-fiends table, and great new kits that your players will love if they want to dive into "the 9." The Devil Slayer is your basic Hell-bent (ahem) crusader, the Thaumaturgist is a diabolical summoner who specializes in comprehending contracts and magical circles, the Inquisitor is an horrific cleric subclass, the Hellblade is a type of ninja-infiltrator who destroys devils, etc. Then, we have L'Ordre de la Croix-Rose Veritas, a great devil slaying "Templar" order in Greyhawk. But there's more! Diabolic magic, the descriptions of the Hells, infernal powers, the arch-devils, and minions are all described. All in all, it's an amazingly useful compendium. I give it four stars only because its unorthodox nature keeps it from appealing to everyone. In Pace Requiscat!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mayfair Games rewritten..., December 2, 1999

By 

Jason Kemp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Hell (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition, Accessory/11431) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was a wonderful rewrite of some of the Mayfair Games Role-Aids Demons supplements that TSR won in their lawsuit against the third-party developer several years back. Although much of the background information had to remain consistent with the previously developed AD&D cosmology, much of the gaming material was obviously inspired by these now-gone supplements. For those who enjoyed Mayfair Games' work (Demons and Demons II,) this is a wonderful companion for your collection.