Since the first spark of mortal life took form, the daemons have sought to extinguish it. Evil in its purest form, these terrors seek nothing less than the end of all existence. Led by the Four Horsemen—War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death—the armies of Abaddon work to corrupt, consume, and destroy everything around them. Perfect nihilists, the daemons seek only to be the last entities looking down on the dying cinders of the cosmos before they themselves are consumed, and only darkness remains.
Within this book, you’ll find:
Complete descriptions of the Four Horsemen and their armies of soul-devouring daemon servitors.
An overview of the wasteland realm of Abaddon, the private domains of its masters, and several other forsaken locations.
Rules for the daemon-worshiping souldrinker prestige class.
An introduction to the soul economy, and how captured souls are traded and used by fiends and mortals alike.
Secret histories of previous Horsemen.
New daemonic spells and magic items.
Overviews of the different castes of daemons, plus tips and tricks to aid in their summoning.
Statistics for eight new daemons ready to bring the horrors of the cosmos to players’ doorsteps.
Horsemen of the Apocalypse is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be used in any fantasy game setting. While Horsemen of the Apocalypse is a standalone product, it also serves as a companion to Princes of Darkness: Book of the Damned, Vol. 1, which details the legions of Hell, and Lords of Chaos: Book of the Damned, Vol. 2, covering the hordes of the Abyss.
Written by Todd Stewart.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-373-6
Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:
Todd Stewart has a well-deserved reputation as a gaming guru when it comes to material on other planes, and his work on Book of the Damned, Vol 3: Horsemen of the Apocalypse can only burnish that reputation. The writing in this 64-page softcover book is stellar and it makes a fitting capstone to the trilogy of books that previously covered devils (Hell) and demons (the Abyss). In this volume, daemons (residents of Abaddon) are the focus. Pathfinder’s concept of daemons was new to me when I started playing Pathfinder a decade ago, but I’ve slowly gotten to appreciate them. Whereas devils are lawful and enjoy tempting mortals through linguistic tricks and chicanery, and demons are classic chaotic evil “rip everything apart!”, daemons form the souls of sinful mortals and desire to consume souls in return--their purpose is literally to extinguish all life in the universe. Led by the Four Horsemen--War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death--they fill an interesting niche in the Pathfinder cosmos. I still don’t have my head around them completely, but this book certainly helps.
The cover, depicting Charon (the Horseman of Death) is excellent and sets up the flavour of the book perfectly. The inside front cover gives a stylish summary of the four Horsemen, while the inside back cover lists the deities, demigods, and other powerful entities that reside in Abaddon (for each, it includes their areas of concern, clerical domains, and favored weapon). If you need a cult devoted to maggots, accidental deaths, or sewers, this is the place to come! The art design of the book fits the theme really well, though some of the art of particular daemons could be better.
The book starts with two pages on the “The First Daemons” and concisely explains what sets daemons apart from devils and demons. Daemons seek the utter oblivion of all mortal souls, and they consume those souls entirely! They’re not after order and hierarchy (like devils) or chaos and pain (like demons), they just want to feed and extinguish life. In this way, they could be the most fearsome of all!
Chapter One (14 pages) provides a well-written overview of Abaddon. It includes a sort of gazetteer, with locations that beg for dark campaigns to visit like The Menagerie, the ghastly Mere of Broken Angels, and the Oblivion Compass. The chapter has two pages on each of the Four Horsemen. The writing here is evocative puts the reader in the daemonic mood instantly. There’s a dozen great ideas on every page—but this book is definitely not for kids!
Chapter Two (10 pages) has a good discussion of daemons in general, frequently contrasting them with devils and demons. There’s a paragraph or so on each of the particular types, with clear distinctions in their roles and methods. There’s also coverage of “daemonic harbingers” (elite, named daemons that have their own following).
Chapter Three (16 pages) has information of more direct relevance for GMs and players. It talks about daemon cults form but how daemon worshippers are fundamentally deluded, because daemons never offer anything in return! The discussion of the soul trade is very valuable (night hags have been part of more than one adventure I’ve seen) and it even lists going rates depending on the type of soul! A new prestige class (Souldrinker) is introduced; it’s pretty cool, building off a spellcaster chassis with energy drain powers to spend “soul points” to activate special abilities. There’s then some flavourful information on summoning daemons (easy to call but hard to contain!). Several new spells are introduced, some of them filling needed mechanical niches when it comes to transferring souls into soul gems, etc. Finally, there are some new magic items--cool, useful, and *very* evil!
Chapter Four (20 pages) is a great bestiary. After a couple of pages on miscellaneous denizens of Abaddon (like divs and night hags), it goes on to feature two-page spreads on new daemons: erodaemons (pose as family or lovers to cause heartbreak), lacridaemons (their sobs lure travellers into getting lost), obisidaemons (gargantuan genocide monsters), phasmadaemons (fear killers), sangudaemons (blood-drainers), suspiridaemons (suck oxygen out of the area), temerdaemons (personify accidental death), and venedaemons (death by magic). There’s some great story hooks just from the concept of these daemons alone.
Overall, Horsemen of the Apocalypse is an excellent book, and I really can’t think of a single bad thing to say about it. If you have any inclination to use daemons in a game, it is worth seeking out.
The Daemons are a tricky group to work into a campaign. Devils and Demons occupy more understandable types of Evil, but the Daemons are an entirely more sinister force.
This book does a great job exploring the Daemons, providing depth to their existence and plenty of opportunity for them to enter a campaign of 5th level and above.
Final Score & Thoughts Crunch: 5/5 Stars
Flavor: 5/5 Stars
Texture: 4.5/5 Stars
Final Score: 14.5/5 Stars, or 4.75 Stars/5, rounded up for its flavor.
Individually, the three volumes of the Book of the Damned are amazing, excellent reads. The fact that the series managed to hold the same level of quality throughout several years of printing and a slew of authors is a testament to Paizo’s mastery over the evil realms. These planes are ripe for use in adventures of all sorts, and I am pleased to have such a thorough, encompassing guide on the topic. I would highly recommend all three volumes to any GM’s toolbox: they will meet your needs and exceed them a hundred times over.
(Note: This review is for all three volumes of the Book of the Damned combined. Not that it matters much; this score applies to all three books equally.)
I found this book to be the favorite out of the Books of the Damned series. The Horseman, Abaddon and the Daemons are truly evil. No deals, no wants nothing but destruction. The book is well written, holds together nicely and provides enough information to base an entire campaign around the content. Well Done!!!!
Paizo, thanks for listening to our continued pleas/inquiries/demands for a Daemon book by Todd Stewart.
No really, thank you. The NE fiends have for long been the ugly ducklings of the multivere, always behind the hip and trendy demons and devils. Here comes the payback.
Awesome. Was kinda hoping for the original version of the four horsemen, being Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, rather than the newer more common four. Still awesome to see more about them. And that Souldrinker reminds me of Neverwinter Nights 2.
I love you! I've been waiting for this book for a long time; ever since WotC's Fiendish Codex series stopped at two. And by Todd Stewart, too! You're spoiling me today ;)
I thought (as I think many people did) that this book might be in the works. :)
I'm pretty stoked for it honestly. I just hope a 4th book is being planned for next year dealing with Rakshasas, Divs and Kytons (I'm sure there are probably others, but I can't think of them at the moment).
I think we all knew that this book had to be in the pipeline somewhere and that we all knew that Todd Stewart was surely destined to write it; but to see the proof of both is truly fantastic. Congratulations Paizo! Congratulations Todd! Now blow us away with it.
I've been wanting to say something for a while now. And now I can, at least in-so-much-as yes indeed I'm working on a BotD III, actually been working on it for a bit now and closing in on the finish.
I truly hope to make it something that folks really enjoy, and up to the level that Wes and James set as the standard with BotD I and II. :)
I've been wanting to say something for a while now. And now I can, at least in-so-much-as yes indeed I'm working on a BotD III, actually been working on it for a bit now and closing in on the finish.
I truly hope to make it something that folks really enjoy, and up to the level that Wes and James set as the standard with BotD I and II. :)
let me down, and the clarion call of my Army of the Apocalypse shall sound and we shall lead the charge to drag you to Abbadon.
The title of this product really make me want to take up my "Let Anne Stokes do some Pathfinder covers" campaign again. She'd be perfect for something this metal.
This is really awesome. Who do I have to kiss for this?
Todd, it is great to hear that you is writing this. Even if the quality is just half as good as your previous Yugoloth material I will be happy.
I guess my players will have to wait a bit longer for the Daemon-part of the campaign.
By the way, is there a counterpart to the Ultroloth (as in being a schemer, etc.) in Golarion?
This is perfectly timed for me. I've been foreshadowing qlippoth in my campaign, and 'pre-foreshadowing' the daemons - they're in there fiddling about for sure and now I can finalize the details. Oh, those poor agathions.
THIS will be awesome. And I'm sure my players will hate it :)
Not to forget information on the supposed 5th horseman?
Pass a few souls my way and I might tell you what I told Tabris when he wrote the notes which would later be compiled as the Book of the Damned. Or not. Or I might just lie at the most opportune moment. Wait and see. >:D
Just announced! The cover is a mockup, and will change prior to publication.
I'd say that cover looks plenty cool as it is. And the souldrinker PrC alone sold me on this book, let alone a whole book devoted to those fun-loving daemons.
Not to forget information on the supposed 5th horseman?
He/She/It will be mentioned a little, but not much. We're focusing on the four Horsemen for the most part, since they're the ones who are currently active and since the mythology is about four of them, not five.
TODD, REMEMBER WHAT THE WORD COUNT IS AND MEANS. DO NOT MAKE ME PUNISH YOU FOR OVERWRITING. I'LL DRAW ON YOU AT GEN CON. AGAIN. THIS TIME I'LL GO FOR THE FACE.
Neil Spicer
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut
I can't shake this mental image of Todd chained up like a mad dog snarling and straining at his shackles ready to leap upon and savage this project to the bone. And then...? Then someone releases the chain...
TODD, REMEMBER WHAT THE WORD COUNT IS AND MEANS. DO NOT MAKE ME PUNISH YOU FOR OVERWRITING. I'LL DRAW ON YOU AT GEN CON. AGAIN. THIS TIME I'LL GO FOR THE FACE.
Wait, what?
Isn't that what the web is for? All that beautiful stuff that couldn't fit in 64 pages?
