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Encyclopaedia Arcane #MGP1001
Encyclopaedia Arcane: Demonology - The Dark Road
Welcome, mortal, to the Dark Road. Within these secret pages you will find the most forbidden knowledge of all - that of summoning, binding and ultimately controlling the demons, devils and fiends of the infernal planes. This book is not for the faint of heart for only the strongest of wills may dare to dabble in the blackest art of all. The perils are great and the dangers terrifying but for those willing to gamble their very souls, the rewards are far greater than any mortal can possibly conceive.Encyclopaedia Arcane: Demonology - The Dark Road provides Games Masters and players alike with all the information they need to introduce this dangerous form of magic into their campaigns. The Demonologist character class is presented alongside those who go far deeper into the art, the mysterious Binder and the dreaded Possessed. Each has access to the most incredible powers, drawn from the very forces of evil itself.
64 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2020
Whew! Been on a marathon reading spree to hit my reading goal before the end of the year...
Whilst not as near or dear to my heart as Necromancy, the art of Demonology is not that far off. I think I'd blame the Warlock in World of WarCraft for that - being something of a Necromancer-esque spell caster.
With that being said, this supplement actually provides quite an interesting approach to the leveling up of a Wizard turned Demonologist. Instead of providing a level by level list of spells granting increasingly powerful Demons and Devils to control; a system of summoning, possession, and sacrifice is presented in which the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the mage are measured against those of the Demon/Devil through a summoning process. It also requires work by the Dungeon Master to provide tidbits, clues, and hints to guide the aspiring Demonologist through the gaining of them.
Once that is all said and done, a few dice rolls are made and we see what happens. At the extremes, one could hypothetically see a novice Demonologist making absolutely stunning dice rolls and gaining the service of the most powerful Demon, while conversely a skilled Demonologist could botch a roll or two and find themselves opposed and attacked by the most minor minions of the Abyss.
It is definitely not a play-style for the flashy, flamboyant, fire-ball hurling mage, but more for those who prefer the quiet, brooding, intellectual type, with their nose always buried in ancient tomes attempting to uncover archaic and forbidden knowledge. If I ever found a Dungeon Master willing, I would definitely like to take this character on a few adventures.
Whilst not as near or dear to my heart as Necromancy, the art of Demonology is not that far off. I think I'd blame the Warlock in World of WarCraft for that - being something of a Necromancer-esque spell caster.
With that being said, this supplement actually provides quite an interesting approach to the leveling up of a Wizard turned Demonologist. Instead of providing a level by level list of spells granting increasingly powerful Demons and Devils to control; a system of summoning, possession, and sacrifice is presented in which the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the mage are measured against those of the Demon/Devil through a summoning process. It also requires work by the Dungeon Master to provide tidbits, clues, and hints to guide the aspiring Demonologist through the gaining of them.
Once that is all said and done, a few dice rolls are made and we see what happens. At the extremes, one could hypothetically see a novice Demonologist making absolutely stunning dice rolls and gaining the service of the most powerful Demon, while conversely a skilled Demonologist could botch a roll or two and find themselves opposed and attacked by the most minor minions of the Abyss.
It is definitely not a play-style for the flashy, flamboyant, fire-ball hurling mage, but more for those who prefer the quiet, brooding, intellectual type, with their nose always buried in ancient tomes attempting to uncover archaic and forbidden knowledge. If I ever found a Dungeon Master willing, I would definitely like to take this character on a few adventures.
August 10, 2025
Having traveled from 5e back through the annals of history, to the "perfect" version of D&D in my humble opinion, these books, this whole collection in fact, is a must-have! They breathe new life, and provide lore and rules aplenty for the avaricious, and omnivorous DM to utilize and format to his will. You will find plenty of goodies and "Rule of Cool" style play within the pages of these supplementary tomes of lore.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews