My brother wants to play a shadow sorcerer, so we made a background story for him that involves an incident with a shadow demon trying to kill his character as a child. The shadow demon was killed, but it's power/essence ended up infecting him, turning him into a sorcerer. Nice to learn more about these critters and their motivations!
Shadow demons are every player's aneurism/nightmare. They're like rogues, but they can phase through walls. Stealth check to avoid detection as they pop through the ceiling/floor, attack, then retreat. Players hate that so much because they want to be the only creatures with access to stealth! It's pretty cheesy, ngl.
@@jmhaugen4757 lmao true! ua-cam.com/video/gmAub3iRWaU/v-deo.html It's why I run that all objects are also considered creatures, and unless specified otherwise (i.e., Fireball doesn't touch buildings and "goes around corners"), AoE damage destroys non-equipped objects!
A re-occurring Shadow Demon assassin sounds like a plan, especially when their form is, well, shadow. Having it appear IN someone's shadow seems like a DM move....
In 2e Shadow Demons were more "unique" and not demons, but something different. They were an integral part of the memory market, interested in acquiring or stealing others' memories. They were very present in one of the evil cities of the Concordant Plane. The sale of memories and experiences was quite common in Sigil
The content of this channel is always superb - great lore for me to use and study up on for encounters AND unique ideas! You do a great job you have some insane dedication to knowing all of these tid bits of lore and information all the way back to original editions. I am now contractually obligated to buy some merchandise and support you because this is quickly becoming my favorite channel. THANKS AGAIN MIGHTY GLUESTICK!!!
advancement ladder.... you mean can they devour other demons and absorb their power? Demons are fundamentally chaotic, thus there is only 'categories' of demon types, individuals ALWAYS differ from the generic stats in the monster manual... always. So yeah, some can still consume and transform, others can not.
Have you ever heard of the SCP called "Shadow Lamps"? These guys remind me of that. Also, on the note of these guys being some straight up extra-dimentional nightmare fuel, since they're supposed to be like "Demons, but weirder" i typically play them as thinking/acting in non-euclidean ways. Like sinking into the floor right in front of the fighter only to drop out of a shadow on the ceiling and onto the party's Warlock 20 ft away. The Straight Line does not need to be the shortest path for them.
There are many shadow creatures that do resemble Shadow Demons, including SCP-6666. But all of this, including this entry would not be possible without its first incarnation in an 80's cartoon serires.
@@JoseMolina-ij3xx Implying they came up with the idea. Lol This is one of many examples of shadow people in mythology that likely inspired the 80s cartoon. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariaksuq#:~:text=In%20Inuit%20mythology%20the%20Tariaksuq,with%20shadows%2C%20invisibility%20and%20obscurity.
The way you described their 2D shadow look, I can't help but think of the 1990 movie Ghost and the end for the antagonist Carl. Yes folks, a Patrick Swayze romantic film has a great rendition of a DND monster lol
Shadow Demons are by far my favorite, right next to Sorrowsworn Demons. I'm still working on a campaign setting where a Greater Shadow Demon is part of a "Shadow Council" involved in a scheme to plunge a kingdom into eternal darkness. Although he's one of the weaker members of the council, he commands a cadre of shadows and corrupted Darklings which act as spies and assassins. The one thing I've always loved about Shadow Demons is the terrifying nature of their quasi-solid state. The fear that is induced when the "lights go out" and something grabs you and begins to rake at your flesh, only for your fists and weapons to pass right through your assailant.
It's been noted that asmodeus could end the blood war whenever he wanted. And that the dragons if they wanted could destroy the abyss & cripple the war. So, what does asmodeus gain from allowing the blood war to drag on. Is as simple as more territory, influence & power, or is likely his motives are unknowable? Or is he gaining souls to convert into devils, gain a vast disciplined army & when he's ready wipe out both the abyssal & celestial forces at once.
I think the latter. But hes also in a power slumbering form, hence he is deep deep in the wastes of his realm. The gods charged him with guarding the river Styx against the abyssal hordes. Which takes legions by the thousand every day. But he can't corrupt souls to a devilish eternity by trickery or force. There are LAWS binding his ability to govern what they do in the Nine Hells and so far hes never condoned a breach of devilish contracts. So maintaining this army is as tedious as it is eternal.
I don't think Asmodeus really could end the Blood War. The Abyss has infinite layers, and infinite demons. The demons might lose almost all their fights, but they literally never end, and you can't reach the bottom or conquer the entire thing. The best that Baator's forces can do is contain the Abyss, winning every fight instead of trying to win an impossible war.
@@AJPickett One theory is that he’s an avatar of a fragment of the World Serpent known as Ahriman, brother of the Couatl god Jazirian, and due to falling into Baator, has injuries that can only be healed by the consumption of truly god-spurning souls. If this is the case, then drawing out the blood war to give himself time to heal is his most likely reason. More disturbingly, given the Mind Flayers’ predilection towards disregarding the divine, and the fact that they came from a future where they had dominated a multiverse that was rapidly drawing towards its end, this apocalypse scenario the illithids faced/will face could be the result of the exploding mind flayer population sending a torrent of souls down to Ahriman and allowing him to fully emerge from Baator to unspeakably disastrous effect.
Thanks for your video! Your coverage of dnd lore is has given me many many hours of engagement and escapism. Your are a lorekeeper of a world sadly less stressful than our our own. I appreciate that.
Regarding 9:24 Venger! 👍 It's good to see some love for the ole show in the comments section. Regarding 12:12 I guess Shadow Demons don't like their secrets told. 😃
Much respect, AJ, but 6:55 is the Soul of Cinder and we're talking about Shadow Demons and stuff. The only dark things SoC does are spit poison gases or darken the sky before he rains a lightning storm down from on high. Pet peeve aside, I like these things a little now, and it gives me an idea for a special species of stripped bear in my book. Especially fitting to use shadow magic and puppetry spells when the bears live inside thick forests and on a snowy mountain.
Hey man, love the vids. I love your commentary and how 'deeply nerdy' (see what i did there hah im dumb) we get. Was wondering if youve ever done a video on ephemerals. Ive heard them in passing from other dms about a flojiston? (idk what that is either) and how weird they were. Idk just a little bit curious about them and would love to see if you have a video.
@@daniell1483 My old DM back in the day would use shadow dragons like cuckoo birds. They stealth their eggs into black dragon nests where the shadow dragon hatchling eats the black dragon hatchlings. Nasty stuff.
You know.. Shadow Demons would never really have become as popular as they are, if it weren't for an 80's cartoon known as Dungeons and Dragons. Good ole Venger.
I'm not sure but (in the 80s) I heard that's the whole reason they were created and made canon for the game... because a very popular cartoon made one and players wanted them in the game. You know, kind of a cartoon based on the DC universe made Harley Quinn and her popularity made the DC canon universe put her in as canon.
I like to think that shadow dragons (or any sentient shadows in general) should be 2 dimensional, only seen when cast a light apon them and no mele or magic-infused weapons could harm them only the weapons Shadow could give damage to them
Hey AJ, always enjoy the pictures and description of the monster in your videos. I'm assuming this is where the Shadow creature comes from. Will have to go look up your Shadow video now. Thanks AJ, you have a wonderful day!
I noticed that your description of a demon respawning was very similar to that of how the oberyth were when they first came into the multiverse from their old one. Is the process of demon respawning like this intentional because of how they were created by the queen of chaos? Are is it an unintental result of their connection to the oberyth?
Hey, I discovered your content a few weeks ago and have binged my way through a lot. So cheers for that. I would like to suggest that you actually insert the subtitles for these videos. Often I watch from bed (can't have the volume up) and the automatically generated subs are comically off. I'm sure you have hearing impaired viewers that would appreciate the clarity as well. Idk if that's as easy as copy/paste, but I just thought you might be interested in a possible improvement. Anyways, keep up the good work man. You really do bring D&D to life in a great way.
I envy you, for having so much to binge through! I did the same thing, when I discovered AJ's channel, by randomly searching for D&D Red Dragon, one night, just over 3-4 years ago! There was quite a bit then! But so much more now! I still have AJ binge nights! And still often lull myself to sleep, listening to his videos! :)
Yes. edit: seriously tho, Tenebreous was more than the sum of his parts. Or maybe less than the subtraction of his parts? Unlife is a weird energy to think about.
Always look flat somehow? Nope that also happens irl with any object thats not reflecting ANY light, for example stuff painted in one of those absolute black paints
@@AJPickett Yes, but thank god, today cheaper and more durable alternatives exist. (and the difference in quality is not relevant unless you are using it for something like covering the inside of an astronomical telescope with it)
Ah, I understand. Need the reflected light to get a read on the depth of an object. Little to no reflected light means no method to measure such differences.
When the game is more about character development rather then ''make a new character every new session'' you have to make sure that the players live. Altho the second option isn't bad either.
@@Melantrist I think the better argument is that high-level play is rare, so bringing base monsters down to a lower level means they'll get used more. Admittedly, though, they probably should have just lowered the numbers for damage and HP rather than make monsters bland. Very little of the Monster Manual really earns the money you pay for it. I frequently end up just adding spells and abilities to monsters and treat the Monster Manual as a base, not a limit.
My head canon is shadow demons and the undead known as shadows are basically the same kind of being. The difference being the soul stuff that got used to make them. Shadows use native souls who still have some sanity left. Shadow demons are made of the mad and alien souls of the abyss, tainted by its foul essence. That mark is hard to rub off so even the energies and processes that make shadows can only add another template on top of what is already there: abyssal corruption.
An interesting note about Shadow Demons in 2E: due to management at TSR's order banning the term "demon", when time came for the Shadow Demon to appear in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium supplement, they were renamed Shadow Fiends. They were not listed as Tan'nari in this supplement, nor were they in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium supplement. I don't think they were returned to being Tan'nari until 3E came out.
The Shadow Fiend illustration, in the original Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium, was always one of my favorite! Admittedly, all of the artwork, in all three volumes, is pretty cool!!!
They are also listed in the 2Ed Planescape Monstrous Compendium, but their statistics are more or the same as those given in 2Ed Ravenloft ( although not exactly the same ). In Ravenloft they have some mysterious connection to the Dark Powers, but in Planescape they are more or less free agents.
Due to their semi-insubstantial nature, does this allow shadow demons advantage on possessing a being. Also on that note, how do devils, demons, and other fiends possess someone? Is it physical possession wherein they physically enter a person's body? Or is it more of mental domination projecting their mind into someone? A combo of both or neither? Or does it depend on the type and/or mindset of the fiend?
I've never actually run that situation in a game. Aside from Ghosts, yes, but never demons.... hmmm, there is probably some old dragon magazine article about it.
Can one copy or make a fake copy of a soul I wonder? Maybe to do something within the signature, where you may slip in the soul within your own soul that you slip off like a snake sheds its skin, letting that soul make the signature and have control over that body. Limitless pacts
IF that were possible, I would hope that is what the symbols of the heads of the Warforged are doing, otherwise they are stealing souls to bring machines to life and that is very not ok.
You said "if they're evil souls, all the better." But I thought good souls were more desirable by fiends? It being a greater act of evil to snatch that soul away from it's deserved heaven?
Ah, but there are multiple destinations for an evil soul. Claiming the soul for themselves gains them power and status. So stealing it away from whomever was gonna get it previously shows how useful they are. And as noted the celestials would be interested if good souls were taken. So evil souls are much safer to steal. Of course I imagine they wouldn't say no if a good one fell into their lap. Just a more sure method to advance themselves by snatching evil ones.
@@jacobfreeman5444 That's a good point, one less soul for the devils, one more for the demons. But I think I also heard somewhere (Mr Rhexx I think?) that neutral evil souls were the ones they wanted most. Chaotic souls are harder to control and lawful souls are harder to promote. Just thought I'd throw that in there...
@@llewelynshingler2173 I hadn't thought of that. I think it never came to mind for me because I figured the celestials don't bother with demons unless something really serious is going down. Isn't that what those wretched devils are for?
Actually liked Venger's Shadow Demon in the cartoon
That was the main reason I clicked so fast!
First thing I thought of..great lackey
Ya i was thinking about that
SD was a awesome character
Grazzt: You know what, going to need 2 more infinite planes of existence.
Infinite garage full of sports cars.
Imagine if your players ever found that garage? Lesser demons pleading, "Please anything! But the Ferrari!"
I guarantee he'd have a whole row of cars that you could only describe as batmobiles.
My favorite demon since og ”dungeons and dragons" the animated series
My brother wants to play a shadow sorcerer, so we made a background story for him that involves an incident with a shadow demon trying to kill his character as a child. The shadow demon was killed, but it's power/essence ended up infecting him, turning him into a sorcerer. Nice to learn more about these critters and their motivations!
Shadow demons are every player's aneurism/nightmare.
They're like rogues, but they can phase through walls. Stealth check to avoid detection as they pop through the ceiling/floor, attack, then retreat. Players hate that so much because they want to be the only creatures with access to stealth! It's pretty cheesy, ngl.
Can't attack through the walls/ceilings if the wizard blows them up.
@@jmhaugen4757 lmao true!
ua-cam.com/video/gmAub3iRWaU/v-deo.html
It's why I run that all objects are also considered creatures, and unless specified otherwise (i.e., Fireball doesn't touch buildings and "goes around corners"), AoE damage destroys non-equipped objects!
This is one of my favorite creatures. It was one of the main villains in my 3.5 campaign.
A re-occurring Shadow Demon assassin sounds like a plan, especially when their form is, well, shadow. Having it appear IN someone's shadow seems like a DM move....
I love the pictures of Venger from the D&D cartoon.
In 2e Shadow Demons were more "unique" and not demons, but something different. They were an integral part of the memory market, interested in acquiring or stealing others' memories. They were very present in one of the evil cities of the Concordant Plane. The sale of memories and experiences was quite common in Sigil
See a shadow demon and a black dragon would be besties bonding over torturing fae and fuzzy woodland critters in a dark swamp.
Comradery through Cruelty.
I like that.
Yussss
when I hear shadow demon always hear peter cullen's voice. For those who dont know that would be Venger
Lol. Random thought. I'd love to hear David Attenborough describe things from the monster manual.
The content of this channel is always superb - great lore for me to use and study up on for encounters AND unique ideas!
You do a great job you have some insane dedication to knowing all of these tid bits of lore and information all the way back to original editions. I am now contractually obligated to buy some merchandise and support you because this is quickly becoming my favorite channel.
THANKS AGAIN MIGHTY GLUESTICK!!!
Thank you.
Make one on Saurials
I hear you.
So, can Shadow Demons no longer go up the demon advancement ladder?
advancement ladder.... you mean can they devour other demons and absorb their power? Demons are fundamentally chaotic, thus there is only 'categories' of demon types, individuals ALWAYS differ from the generic stats in the monster manual... always. So yeah, some can still consume and transform, others can not.
Have you ever heard of the SCP called "Shadow Lamps"?
These guys remind me of that.
Also, on the note of these guys being some straight up extra-dimentional nightmare fuel, since they're supposed to be like "Demons, but weirder" i typically play them as thinking/acting in non-euclidean ways. Like sinking into the floor right in front of the fighter only to drop out of a shadow on the ceiling and onto the party's Warlock 20 ft away.
The Straight Line does not need to be the shortest path for them.
There are many shadow creatures that do resemble Shadow Demons, including SCP-6666. But all of this, including this entry would not be possible without its first incarnation in an 80's cartoon serires.
@@JoseMolina-ij3xx Implying they came up with the idea. Lol
This is one of many examples of shadow people in mythology that likely inspired the 80s cartoon.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariaksuq#:~:text=In%20Inuit%20mythology%20the%20Tariaksuq,with%20shadows%2C%20invisibility%20and%20obscurity.
Venger made a cameo !!
The way you described their 2D shadow look, I can't help but think of the 1990 movie Ghost and the end for the antagonist Carl. Yes folks, a Patrick Swayze romantic film has a great rendition of a DND monster lol
Very true!
Shadow Demons are by far my favorite, right next to Sorrowsworn Demons. I'm still working on a campaign setting where a Greater Shadow Demon is part of a "Shadow Council" involved in a scheme to plunge a kingdom into eternal darkness. Although he's one of the weaker members of the council, he commands a cadre of shadows and corrupted Darklings which act as spies and assassins. The one thing I've always loved about Shadow Demons is the terrifying nature of their quasi-solid state. The fear that is induced when the "lights go out" and something grabs you and begins to rake at your flesh, only for your fists and weapons to pass right through your assailant.
It's been noted that asmodeus could end the blood war whenever he wanted. And that the dragons if they wanted could destroy the abyss & cripple the war. So, what does asmodeus gain from allowing the blood war to drag on. Is as simple as more territory, influence & power, or is likely his motives are unknowable? Or is he gaining souls to convert into devils, gain a vast disciplined army & when he's ready wipe out both the abyssal & celestial forces at once.
Don't overlook how ultimately Lawful Asmodeus is, he is way, way smarter than me, but whatever he does, he has a reason and a purpose.
I think the latter.
But hes also in a power slumbering form, hence he is deep deep in the wastes of his realm.
The gods charged him with guarding the river Styx against the abyssal hordes. Which takes legions by the thousand every day. But he can't corrupt souls to a devilish eternity by trickery or force. There are LAWS binding his ability to govern what they do in the Nine Hells and so far hes never condoned a breach of devilish contracts. So maintaining this army is as tedious as it is eternal.
Except he is corrupted in the process and must therefore destroy himself, by definition of his existence
I don't think Asmodeus really could end the Blood War. The Abyss has infinite layers, and infinite demons. The demons might lose almost all their fights, but they literally never end, and you can't reach the bottom or conquer the entire thing. The best that Baator's forces can do is contain the Abyss, winning every fight instead of trying to win an impossible war.
@@AJPickett One theory is that he’s an avatar of a fragment of the World Serpent known as Ahriman, brother of the Couatl god Jazirian, and due to falling into Baator, has injuries that can only be healed by the consumption of truly god-spurning souls. If this is the case, then drawing out the blood war to give himself time to heal is his most likely reason.
More disturbingly, given the Mind Flayers’ predilection towards disregarding the divine, and the fact that they came from a future where they had dominated a multiverse that was rapidly drawing towards its end, this apocalypse scenario the illithids faced/will face could be the result of the exploding mind flayer population sending a torrent of souls down to Ahriman and allowing him to fully emerge from Baator to unspeakably disastrous effect.
Rule of 3?
_Darth Bane Has Entered The Chat_
I’d love to hear about the Dead Three!
I would love a video on Mask, after reading the Erevis Cale novels I have wanted to learn more about the lord of shadows.
I hear you.
Demonic energy is so hard to control, even demons can fail to handle it... Let this be a warning, heretic! 🧐
Thank you Aj
You're welcome.
FINALLY another lore video.
I may pause, I may slow, I may be swamped.... but I never stop.
Right on. I was just talking about these.
Thanks for your video! Your coverage of dnd lore is has given me many many hours of engagement and escapism. Your are a lorekeeper of a world sadly less stressful than our our own. I appreciate that.
Regarding 9:24
Venger!
👍
It's good to see some love for the ole show in the comments section.
Regarding 12:12
I guess Shadow Demons don't like their secrets told. 😃
it was a split second jump, no audio was lost, just poorly spliced after I deleted one word.
@@AJPickett
That's what they want you to think
;)
lol
Much respect, AJ, but 6:55 is the Soul of Cinder and we're talking about Shadow Demons and stuff. The only dark things SoC does are spit poison gases or darken the sky before he rains a lightning storm down from on high.
Pet peeve aside, I like these things a little now, and it gives me an idea for a special species of stripped bear in my book. Especially fitting to use shadow magic and puppetry spells when the bears live inside thick forests and on a snowy mountain.
I grab images that fit the general theme, sometimes I borrow. :)
Hey man, love the vids. I love your commentary and how 'deeply nerdy' (see what i did there hah im dumb) we get. Was wondering if youve ever done a video on ephemerals. Ive heard them in passing from other dms about a flojiston? (idk what that is either) and how weird they were. Idk just a little bit curious about them and would love to see if you have a video.
Not yet.
@@AJPickett oh, ok then. I'll be waiting. Cheers.
You love to see it
I want to know how Shadow Demons and Shadow Dragons interact.
Shadow dragons vary widely.
I'm getting some silence of the lambs vibes from this question. I'm thinking a skin suit that gives the dragon limited plane shift abilities.
@@Zasek2112 Sounds appropriately horrifying.
@@daniell1483 My old DM back in the day would use shadow dragons like cuckoo birds. They stealth their eggs into black dragon nests where the shadow dragon hatchling eats the black dragon hatchlings. Nasty stuff.
Always finding inspiration from these. Thank you
These would go well in a paranormal ghost hunting campaign.
You know.. Shadow Demons would never really have become as popular as they are, if it weren't for an 80's cartoon known as Dungeons and Dragons. Good ole Venger.
I'm not sure but (in the 80s) I heard that's the whole reason they were created and made canon for the game... because a very popular cartoon made one and players wanted them in the game. You know, kind of a cartoon based on the DC universe made Harley Quinn and her popularity made the DC canon universe put her in as canon.
The were in the first fiend folio, predating the cartoon by more than a few years
@@AJPickett Thanks for the correction. ;)
Over the decades, I never fact-checked what I was told.
This is perfect! Thanks again AJ, I am introducing Kiaranselee in our OotA game soon. Shadow demons and undead sound perfect together. 🤩😈
Great video, can't wait for another
Why do I think one of these things leading a group of wraiths or spectres would be horrifying
6:55 what would be a good question to ask him in your opinion?
How do I destroy the Abyss?
I always imagined the souls of Monks and Paladins would be more valuable to demons and stuff. More developed, stronger in spiritual energy
Devils are the ones who need quality. Demons advance by pleasing the abyss will or murdering each other mostly
Funny how we are conditioned to think of evil beings as lesser, weak or broken.
Use shadow monsters a lot. So I'm excited 👍
This video was most informative, especially to the stories i write which are about demons. Thank you, Pickett. Once again, you are amazing.
Shadow demons could probably use dunamancy. Heck, any friend could use dunamancy to their advantage.
I like to think that shadow dragons (or any sentient shadows in general) should be 2 dimensional, only seen when cast a light apon them and no mele or magic-infused weapons could harm them only the weapons Shadow could give damage to them
If magical weapon can’t harm shadowy being then I call scam
@@justnoob8141 just use the weapons shadow to kill shadowy beings
@@thetophatnerd2664 and how am I gonna do that? Shadow Blade can't be use by anyone else
@@justnoob8141 no not shadow blades just the weapons shadow itself
Excellent video as always aj! Also what would happen if you pushed a Shadow Demon to the positive energy plane?
shiny holy death
Weeeeee *splode* same as most other things.
Love your work AJ. You are the pipeweed after my daily grind 😂 keep up the good work man 👍
Thanks!
12:12 - some kind of voice bug
just a bad splice in the edit.
im using a variation of these as servants of my BBEG in my current campaign :)
thanks for this!
Hey AJ, always enjoy the pictures and description of the monster in your videos. I'm assuming this is where the Shadow creature comes from. Will have to go look up your Shadow video now.
Thanks AJ, you have a wonderful day!
Flesh, fang and eyeball geyser AJ? That wont be in my next nightmare.. I hope.
Oh boy! New AJ video. Hold on i’ll get a soda and popcorns
ah yes i've been using these things quite a lot recently
I noticed that your description of a demon respawning was very similar to that of how the oberyth were when they first came into the multiverse from their old one. Is the process of demon respawning like this intentional because of how they were created by the queen of chaos? Are is it an unintental result of their connection to the oberyth?
Because they are modified oberyth, yes.
Heck yeah, you just cannot beat a Monday morning with a new TMG video!
Great video
A fresh, tasty gluestick for the snacking! Hail AJ! :9
Hey, I discovered your content a few weeks ago and have binged my way through a lot. So cheers for that. I would like to suggest that you actually insert the subtitles for these videos. Often I watch from bed (can't have the volume up) and the automatically generated subs are comically off. I'm sure you have hearing impaired viewers that would appreciate the clarity as well. Idk if that's as easy as copy/paste, but I just thought you might be interested in a possible improvement. Anyways, keep up the good work man. You really do bring D&D to life in a great way.
I am now inserting subtitles into my videos. Including this one, just click the 'CC' symbol and they will display for you.
@@AJPickett Thank you very much!
I envy you, for having so much to binge through! I did the same thing, when I discovered AJ's channel, by randomly searching for D&D Red Dragon, one night, just over 3-4 years ago! There was quite a bit then! But so much more now! I still have AJ binge nights! And still often lull myself to sleep, listening to his videos! :)
Aaaahhhh! Cartoons as a kid memories! Can you do more from the OG cartoon?
Actually, yes!
What happened at 12:12?
Was there something you had to remove because UA-cam didn't like it?
Probably just bad editing
It's always great to see a fiend related upload.
Please talk about more demons & devils
Demons, demons everywhere!
Is the wendigo in 5e? If so that would be a cool lore video
I often get requests to homebrew a Wendigo video.
Would the essence of a fallen demon lord create a shadow demon lord, or is there no such thing?
this happened to Orcus actually, and it did create a shadow demon lord until he was able to reform himself and reclaim his shadow half
SO if Shadow demons fell less of the pull to obey a demon lord if one could get enough of them could one then use them to fight Demogorgon ?
When you fight Demogorgon, you have already lost. Violence, destruction and aggression only make him more powerful.
Was Tenebreous a Shadow Demon or a Demon who looked like a shadow?
Good question
More than a demon, more like a... Hmmm. I'll get back to you on that.
@@AJPickett I found a Rabbit hole and it was a twisted one and it was being rented to Meenlocks making for the most twisted of rabbit holes?
Yes.
edit: seriously tho, Tenebreous was more than the sum of his parts. Or maybe less than the subtraction of his parts? Unlife is a weird energy to think about.
Good video AJ
Can Devils be 'corrupted' by the shadowfell?
Yes, but it takes a looong time
Angel vulture demon lord? Wtf how does that even work?
Always look flat somehow?
Nope that also happens irl with any object thats not reflecting ANY light, for example stuff painted in one of those absolute black paints
Ah, Vanta black, right, makes sense.
@@AJPickett
Yes, but thank god, today cheaper and more durable alternatives exist.
(and the difference in quality is not relevant unless you are using it for something like covering the inside of an astronomical telescope with it)
Ah, I understand. Need the reflected light to get a read on the depth of an object. Little to no reflected light means no method to measure such differences.
Tieflings of shadow demon stock.....
A nice flavor change!
That would be a Cambion?
Please do Venger too! 👍🏼
Nice
There's a glitch in the video between 12 and 12 1/2 minutes
Yep, there is no missing content, just a micro gap
Hey Aj! How do you think you would best utilize shadow demons and a black dragon in one encounter?
I better update my black dragon video.
The master of shadows, the mighty Nythirios, my warlock patron steals this essense and makes them into spies!
Yay!
i love a demon lore video
I've been using Shadow demons/fiends quite often in my games. I was really disappointed to see how they got nerfed in 5E when MM got released.
When the game is more about character development rather then ''make a new character every new session'' you have to make sure that the players live.
Altho the second option isn't bad either.
@@nicolaezenoaga9756 that is not a good argument for "vanilifying" awesome monsters with sinister powers.
@@Melantrist I think the better argument is that high-level play is rare, so bringing base monsters down to a lower level means they'll get used more.
Admittedly, though, they probably should have just lowered the numbers for damage and HP rather than make monsters bland. Very little of the Monster Manual really earns the money you pay for it. I frequently end up just adding spells and abilities to monsters and treat the Monster Manual as a base, not a limit.
My head canon is shadow demons and the undead known as shadows are basically the same kind of being. The difference being the soul stuff that got used to make them. Shadows use native souls who still have some sanity left. Shadow demons are made of the mad and alien souls of the abyss, tainted by its foul essence. That mark is hard to rub off so even the energies and processes that make shadows can only add another template on top of what is already there: abyssal corruption.
An interesting note about Shadow Demons in 2E: due to management at TSR's order banning the term "demon", when time came for the Shadow Demon to appear in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium supplement, they were renamed Shadow Fiends. They were not listed as Tan'nari in this supplement, nor were they in the Planescape Monstrous Compendium supplement. I don't think they were returned to being Tan'nari until 3E came out.
Thanks Leor, good info!
The Shadow Fiend illustration, in the original Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium, was always one of my favorite! Admittedly, all of the artwork, in all three volumes, is pretty cool!!!
They are also listed in the 2Ed Planescape Monstrous Compendium, but their statistics are more or the same as those given in 2Ed Ravenloft ( although not exactly the same ). In Ravenloft they have some mysterious connection to the Dark Powers, but in Planescape they are more or less free agents.
Very informative :)
Due to their semi-insubstantial nature, does this allow shadow demons advantage on possessing a being. Also on that note, how do devils, demons, and other fiends possess someone? Is it physical possession wherein they physically enter a person's body? Or is it more of mental domination projecting their mind into someone? A combo of both or neither? Or does it depend on the type and/or mindset of the fiend?
I've never actually run that situation in a game. Aside from Ghosts, yes, but never demons.... hmmm, there is probably some old dragon magazine article about it.
It may take a while, but it's in the post. 👌
Thanks man! Hope it survives the journey.
Me and the boys at 3 a.m. looking for beans
I wonder what a interaction between a shadow demon and a night walker would be like?
nothing good that is for certain
Nightwalker would probably think the shadow demon is too bright for his taste
Shadow demons sometimes work for Nightwalkers. Nightwalkers attitudes are unfathomable.
Any chance you could do Nerull? I'm finding it hard to get a good history
So we’re ignoring that somebody put wings on the Black Panther?
Miss the two ecologies per week :/
Yeah, me to.
Your labors please me.
hey,error at about 12min.12sec.Mark,all good othrwiz. U the mann...
Just a micro skip, no content lost, my bad
Can one copy or make a fake copy of a soul I wonder?
Maybe to do something within the signature, where you may slip in the soul within your own soul that you slip off like a snake sheds its skin, letting that soul make the signature and have control over that body.
Limitless pacts
IF that were possible, I would hope that is what the symbols of the heads of the Warforged are doing, otherwise they are stealing souls to bring machines to life and that is very not ok.
The image you usde for the thumbnail reminds me of spawn.
I recently saw a knitting fairy on tv,.what is a knitting fairy?
You tell me, you saw it on TV.
Are you fucking kidding me? I just finished looking for this exact video like 2 hours ago 🤣😂🤣
I got you fam
This new intro music makes it impossible to continue using your channel playlists to sleep to.
Bad mastered intros and outros are the only thing holding his collection back. Please proof read the volume on your library, AJ?
Yeah, working on it folks, remastering is not just a matter of editing old videos, I completely remake them from scratch, that takes time.
@@AJPickett that sucks that you can't edit them easily. Good luck, and thanks for the vids. I love them
I think George Noory speaks of shadow people
You said "if they're evil souls, all the better." But I thought good souls were more desirable by fiends? It being a greater act of evil to snatch that soul away from it's deserved heaven?
Given that Shadow Demons sneak about the way they do, I think they're taking evil souls to avoid notice from the Celestials
Aha there is more to this soul business eh?
Ah, but there are multiple destinations for an evil soul. Claiming the soul for themselves gains them power and status. So stealing it away from whomever was gonna get it previously shows how useful they are. And as noted the celestials would be interested if good souls were taken. So evil souls are much safer to steal. Of course I imagine they wouldn't say no if a good one fell into their lap. Just a more sure method to advance themselves by snatching evil ones.
@@jacobfreeman5444 That's a good point, one less soul for the devils, one more for the demons. But I think I also heard somewhere (Mr Rhexx I think?) that neutral evil souls were the ones they wanted most. Chaotic souls are harder to control and lawful souls are harder to promote. Just thought I'd throw that in there...
@@llewelynshingler2173 I hadn't thought of that. I think it never came to mind for me because I figured the celestials don't bother with demons unless something really serious is going down. Isn't that what those wretched devils are for?
Poor Graz'zt looks like a cockroach in that line-up. XD
мне понравилось ! лайк и комментарий , для алгоритмов ютуба =)