| Fire Demon | |
|---|---|
| |
| skill | 7-10 |
| stamina | 4-10 |
| Habitat | Caves, Demonic Plane, Dungeons, Ruins |
| Number Encountered | 1 |
| Type | Demon |
| Reaction | Hostile |
| Intelligence | High |
Fire Demons are choleric Pit Demons with the elemental property of fire.
They are often depicted wielding a flaming sword and a whip.[1] Fire Demons are described as horned, red-skinned humanoids wreathed in flame with cloven hooves at the ends of their legs and leathery wings upon their backs.[2] However, it is worth noting that Demons can, if they desire, vary the physical forms they assume.
The Nature of Fire Demons[]
Despite being irascible and impulsive, and generally possessing a violent temperament, Fire Demons are actually highly intelligent. Their role is well suited to their nature, as the creatures are often despatched to act as shock troops and commanders to lead Chaotic forces on the earthly plane. Nevertheless, the Demon's underlings would be well-advised not to test its patience, since Fire Demons have been known to massacre their own minions on occasion.[2]
Mercifully, Fire Demons can potentially take days to fully manifest in the physical plane.[3] Moreover, they can, despite their splenetic nature, be summoned and controlled by sorcerers and demonologists.[4][5]
Significance of Fire Demons[]
While each demon type is unique, Fire Demons have an added distinction of being the only type of Demon listed in Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World to come in both greater (Secundus) and lesser (Tertius) forms.[6] They are also listed in the Out of the Pit bestiary, although the entry there is only that of a lesser Fire Demon.[7] While unique, Fire Demons are certainly not rare, relative to other Demons - Out of the Pit describes them as the most common,[2] and indeed they are the most frequently encountered type of Demon in the original Puffin range of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. They are also the very first type of Demon to be encountered within a gamebook, making their début in the third title of the Puffin range, The Forest of Doom.[8]
Special Rules[]
A fire demon armed with a fiery sword and a whip.
There are two special rules used throughout the gamebooks in connection with fighting Fire Demons. Both rules have been inconsistently applied throughout the Fighting Fantasy series. One concerns additional damage that the Demon metes out, while the other concerns actually harming the creature itself.
Often a Fire Demon can only be harmed by a magical weapon - the Fire Demons encountered in Master of Chaos and Tower of Destruction are examples of this.[9] However, this vulnerability is often omitted - the Out of the Pit bestiary makes no mention of it and it is absent from the encounter with the creature in The Forest of Doom.
The second special rule is the additional damage the Demon inflicts. The first encounter with a Fire Demon contains the rule that every attack round 1d6 must be rolled - on a roll of 1 or 2 the Demon's whip inflicts 1 stamina point of damage on the player (the text also specifically mentions that luck could be used against this). This rule is listed in Out of the Pit, but appears to be absent completely from the Fire Demon encounters in Fangs of Fury and is altered in the Fire Demon combats in Tower of Destruction and Master of Chaos. In the former, it is a d6 roll of 1 to 4 that inflicts a stamina point of damage, resulting from the fiery exhalation of the Demon's nostrils, while in the latter a d6 roll of 1 to 4 will actually inflict 2 stamina points of damage on the player.[10]
Further Notes[]
- The Fire Demon in The Forest of Doom wore a controlling crown on its head, used to command subservient clones nearby. If the player donned the crown after defeating the Demon he would bizarrely find himself transforming into a Fire Demon.[11]
- Out of the Pit lists the number of Fire Demons encountered in any one combat as "1", but there are encounters with multiple Fire Demons in Fangs of Fury.[12] However, the Fire Demons found in Fangs of Fury seem to be notably less powerful than those typically found in other gamebooks.
- Fire Demons are often used as leaders and champions for armies serving the forces of Evil.[5]
Further Information in Canon[]
More information can be found at:Source[13]
Out of the Pit
(Large) (paraCover*, pg28#, pg50#*)
The Warrior's Way
(para352#)
Fighting Fantasy - The Introductory Role-playing Game
(pg172#)
The Citadel of Chaos
(para332)
The Forest of Doom
(para107*#, para152, para333)
Trial of Champions
(para127#, para303)
Vault of the Vampire
(para382)
Fangs of Fury
(para110, para169*, para225, para242, para340#, para290#)
Master of Chaos
(para88, para 145, para180, para230, para302#*)
Tower of Destruction
(para286, para375#*)
Spellbreaker
(para18)
The Trolltooth Wars
(pg275)
The Riddling Reaver
(pg197#)
Warlock Issue 2
(pg4#)
Notes[]
# - denotes a reference with statistics
* - denotes a picture
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
- Fangs of Fury (book)
- Master of Chaos
- The Forest of Doom (book)
- Tower of Destruction (book)
- Vault of the Vampire (mentioned)
Sourcebooks
References[]
- ↑ Out of the Pit - 116*; Fangs of Fury - 169*; The Forest of Doom - 107*; Master of Chaos - 302*
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Out of the Pit - 117
- ↑ Tower of Destruction - 357
- ↑ Fangs of Fury - 242
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Demons of Doom , p. 44
- ↑ Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World - p.163
- ↑ Out of the Pit - p.116-117
- ↑ The Forest of Doom - 107
- ↑ Master of Chaos - 145; Tower of Destruction - 375
- ↑ Tower of Destruction - 375; Master of Chaos - 302
- ↑ The Forest of Doom - 333
- ↑ Fangs of Fury - 290
- ↑ Complete list of references catalogued by FF Titan Bestiary