''Guide to Hell'' is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the ''

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

, published in 1999.

''Guide to Hell'' offers players new

spells Spell(s) or The Spell(s) may refer to: Processes * Spell (paranormal), an incantation * Spell (ritual), a magical ritual * Spelling, the writing of words Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Spell'' (1977 film), an American ...

magic items Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

, character class kits, and a new race, a devilkin – half devil, half human. Chapter One introduces a new turning table for

clerics Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and

paladins The Paladins, also called the Twelve Peers, are twelve legendary knights, the foremost members of Charlemagne's royal court, court in the 8th century. They first appear in the medieval (12th century) ''chanson de geste'' cycle of the Matter of F ...

that is specific to turning

devils A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in many and various cultures and religious traditions. Devil or Devils may also refer to: * Satan * Devil in Christianity * Demon * Folk devil Art, entertainment, and media Film and t ...

. A brief section titled "The Cults" demonstrates how devils can use humans as tools in their schemes. Also included is "Invasion", a scenario where devils invade the

Prime Material Plane The planes of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game constitute the multiverse in which the game takes place. Each plane is a universe with its own rules with regard to gravity, geography, magic and morality. There have been various offic ...

Publication history

''Guide to Hell'' was published by TSR and written by

Chris Pramas Chris Pramas is an American game designer and writer, as well as a founder of Green Ronin Publishing. He is best known as the designer of the ''Dragon Age'' RPG, ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' (second edition), and ''Freeport: The City of Adventu ...

Reception

''Guide to Hell'' was reviewed by the online version of ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

'' on November 19, 1999.Pyramid Review
/ref> The reviewer considered this book "a giant rehash that still fails to capture what was in the old articles of Dragon magazine", specifically naming

Ed Greenwood Ed Greenwood (born July 21, 1959) is a Canadian fantasy writer and the original creator of the ''Forgotten Realms'' game world. He began writing articles about the Forgotten Realms for ''Dragon'' magazine beginning in 1979, and subsequently sold ...

's "The Nine Hells Part I and II" from ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' #75 and #76 and "The Nine Hells Revisited" from ''Dragon'' #91, calling them "classics that provided vast amounts of information. The page total on these three articles alone is close to 30 pages. Throw in other articles like "Eight Devilish Questions," (#91) by Ed Greenwood, and "The Lords of the Nine" (#223) by Colin McComb, and you've almost got more pages than the new ''Guide to Hell'' has." The reviewer did say that for anyone who does not own those back issues or the ''

Dragon Magazine Archive ''Dragon'' is one of the two official magazines for source material for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game and associated products, along with ''Dungeon''. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succee ...

'', "the ''Guide to Hell'' offers very modular chapters that should be easy to put in most campaigns", and that the information in Chapter One should "give inexperienced DMs some ideas for devils in their games".

Reviews

Game Reviews magazine

References

{{D&D topics Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1999

Contents

Publication history

Reception

Reviews

References