Summary
Dungeons and Dragonsleaves no stone unturned when it comes to genres of fiction, with everything from swords and sorcery to Lovecraftian horror influencing the kitchen-sink fantasy of its most popular setting. Naturally, biblical evil gets its own place inDungeons and Dragons, harboring an infernal fiction based on works like Dante’sInfernoandDoctor Faustus.
This type of fantasy – that of devils, Hell, and evil law – is embodiedbyD&D’s Nine Hells. This location has been explored in manyD&D 5eworks, such asMordenkainen’s Tome of Foes,Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus, and the DMsguild adventureChains of Asmodeus. This realm is home to devils, tortured souls, and powerful devil lords—including its ringleader Asmodeus, who is powerful enough to be considered a dark god.
A Guide To D&D 5e’s Nine Hells
How The Nine Hells Works
Inthe cosmology ofD&D, the Nine Hells (also known as Baator) is one of the lower planes, which sit below the Material Plane most players will call home. Based on the version of Hell envisioned by Dante Alighieri’sInferno, this plane of evil law is home to devils; devils are formed from lemures, the mindless remains of souls who lived villainous lives. These lemures remember nothing of their prior lives, serving now as evil masses shambling from the River Styx. Higher devils may turn lemures into lesser devils to serve them, and might promote them to higher station based on their service. All alliances in the Hells are weak, however, as it is a realm of endless backstabbing, double-crossing, and malign legalese.
The Layers of the Nine Hells
Avernus is the first and most well-known of the Nine Hells' layers,featuring extensively inD&D 5eandBaldur’s Gate 3. It’s the main stage of the Blood War, the endless war between devils and demons, the latter of which hail from the chaotic evil plane of the Abyss. Many of the weapons used in that war are forged in the dark foundries of Dis, the next layer down. The forges and iron mines of Dis give way to the vile swamps of Minauros, a realm wrecked by greed with a capital sinking into ruin. Phelgethos is another realm below, a land of volcanoes, sentient fire, and the depraved city of Abriymoch—a carnival of infernal indulgences.
Stygia is an icy layer struck between the contests of Geryon and Levistus. The wasteland is home to mammoths, krakens, and even frost giants—with many suspecting it to have once been the ancient world of a people who, when facing extinction, pledged their souls to Asmodeus. Malbolge is more straight-forward, serving as a realm of imprisonment and torture for lawbreaking devils. Maladomini is a wasteland of ruins and archives, brought low by infighting nobles, while Cania is another stretch of bitter ice. Nessus, detailed inmany olderD&Dworks, is the grim, barren home of Asmodeus.
Dukes And Duchesses, Lords And Ladies
Each layer of hell has an archdevil ruler, which are (from Avernus to Nessus) Zariel, Dispater, Mammon, Belial and Fierna, Levistus, Glasya, Baalzebul, Mephistopheles, and Asmodeus. Zariel in particular has become incredibly popular in recent years thanks totheD&D 5eadventure module centered on her, though Asmodeus will always have his spot at the top of recognition.
Of the above, only Zariel has a statblock in mainlineD&D 5ematerial, save for those found inChains of Asmodeus—though that work is only on the DMsguild. While they could always get theirchance inD&D 2024,Mordenkainen Presents:Monsters of the Multiverseoffers statblocks for lower archdevils, dukes and duchesses, for players to fight in their place. This list of lesser archdevils includes Bael, Geryon, Hutijin, Moloch, and Titivilus.
Dungeons and Dragons
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.
