Written by: Kevin Siembieda
Release Date: September 2003
GENERAL
The continued troubles that face Humanity are explored in the first Sourcebook for Chaos Earth. As a 'Second Wave' of nastiness, there is an interesting variety of demons and monstrous creatures to have the Player Characters interact with. An interesting dynamic with are a number of demons that are more prevalent and dangerous in the daytime with weakened capabilities at night, while another group come from the flip side and are more dangerous at night and less so during the day. The demons presented on the cover also provide interesting adventure ideas.
SECTIONS
A visiting Storm. The story of Lt-Gen Lindsey Sawyer’s defence of the heartland, we catch a glimpse of the problems the St. Louis Arch and the ever-increasing problems NEMA is facing.
The Demon Plagues. Before the survivors of the initial catastrophe had a chance to recover, the Second Wave of destruction is unleashed by the Rifts. Throngs of nightmares are sewing forth across the vastness of Earth; brutish, sadistic, power hungry, looking to enslave or consume everything before them. Driven more by instinct than conscious thought, they hunt for pleasure, are evil incarnate. NEMA has been studying what they could and gained several key insights and vulnerabilities to exploit that have helped continue the fight.
Blue Zones. From the outset, magic and ley lines have crossed the face of the Earth, leaving their mark. Based on the brilliant hue the ley lines emit, these “Blue Zones” are regions wracked with demons, monsters, and flooded with enslaved humans and magic users. Contains a series of entries for Chaos Storms that provides the GM a way to represent the Earth shuddering under the onslaught of magical energy, and effects they have on spell casting.
Lesser Day Demons. These beasts are prominent during the day but lay dormant or less active at night as their power wains.
Firethorn. Hulking, stark-white monstrosities bound to fire, massive horns protrude from its skull head and its back, they are cruel and malicious, typically fighting to the death. Those that retreat will undoubtedly hold a grudge and look for round 2.
Hang-Jaw Demon Rats. Foul, gluttonous carrion feeders the size of house cats or small dogs. They don’t attack anything that demonstrates an ability to fight back.
Razoredged Prowler. A demonic hand that resembles Thing from The Addams Family. Malicious voyeurs that indulge in skullduggery, intelligence, sabotage and planting evidence, or acting as spies, thieves or assassins.
Savage Fury. Cackling, shaggy wildman humanoids with a lust for combat, they are also very territorial. Those within their territory are fair game for instigating attacks; they have a huge disdain for ranged combat.
Spiked Strangler. Gluttonous beasts that thrives on combat, brutality and death, making them great shock troopers. When not engaged in combat, they are almost lazy, docile in nature. Appear like massive humanoid reptiles with pale green skin covered in bumps and spines.
Greater Day Demons. Like their Lesser Day Demon cousins, prodigious power during the day is negatively affected during nightfall.
Slithering Screamer. Arguably the most hideous, it’s a screeching, writhing, coiled clump of flesh and tentacles. Wicked and cunning, they possess prodigious psychic and other natural abilities, including creation of psychic witches (function like the Witch O.C.C.).
Skull Stealer. A monster that flays and decapitates its victim before eating the skin and brain; the skull they keep as a trophy. Humanoid with two massive horns protruding from their head, a snake protruding from each arm, symbols of darkness are etched into its copper skin. Arrogant and aggressive, they look to establish a kingdom where lesser beings serve their whims. A bit of a glass cannon, but hits like a truck.
Ravenous (Demon Lords). Borders on being a true Demon Lord, all Day Demons automatically respect and obey them. Outrageously demanding and fickle, they feed off pain, fear and sorrow. A vaguely bipedal form, the ‘stomach’ is dominated by a giant maw, with four tentacle arms and four eyes on serpentine stalks. On par or more powerful than most Greater Demons offered by Hades or Dyvaal.
World Slayer Demons. These highly intelligent and disciplined demons are on a mission to destroy NEMA and push Humanity into savagery. Possessing less raw power, they have a clear aim and abilities to support their intent. They don’t care if they win or lose, so long as Humanity falls. There are over 100 bands of these foul creatures on Chaos Earth. Apparently have a link to the fabled Four Horsemen. Note that these four demons are illustrated on the cover.
The Desecrator. She demon resembling a nightmarish Amazonian craving triumph and destruction. Being bested by humans, particularly involving self-sacrifice drives them bonkers. Oddly enough, will ally with good characters (aided by metamorphosis) to achieve their aims. Roams Earth in bands.
Desolator. A weapon of mass destruction and a one-man wrecking crew. Huge, armored humanoids, they are happy to play a supporting role.
Strife. Hideous crimson monsters, they rely on infiltration and magic to strike key enemy forces or strategic supplies over brute force.
The Subjugator. Conquers, dominates, belittles and enslaves; they destroy or force submission. Clever and resourceful, they keep the world Slayers on point and subtly directs them.
Lesser Night Demons. These beasts are prominent during the night but lay relatively dormant or less active during the day as their power wains.
Bumble Ball. Weird looking and somewhat pathetic, it presents like a hairy basketball with two bird-like legs and a beak. More slaves to other demons than equals, they are mean and vindictive, which means helping humans if it means retribution against a larger more oppressive demon.
Grave Treader. A portrait of horror, it is said they feed on the dead, tread on the living. Has a penchant for drinking blood.
Grim Hunter. Resembles the mythological Satyr. Once thought to be a Spirit of the Light, this independent predator is looking to redeem itself against its evil instincts. Bloodthirsty and ruthless combatants, they do as they see fit, often assisting NEMA and humans in need. A surprising series of Alignments associated with them.
Heckler. Malicious demonic six-legged spider that seeks out the sick and suffering. Rarey attack to kill, they have a flair for taunting that irritates other demons.
Hell’s Wrath. A shadowy apparition with an upper torso like a human, it straddles the Chaos Earth reality with another and is tethered to ley lines. A seething cauldron of hate, it has significant psionics and invulnerabilities.
Nightwind. Attractive and alluring she-demons with batlike wings, they too find humans interesting and desirable; just the unfortunate drive to feed on their blood and treat most like cattle. Their own fickle needs come first, if not working as spies or assassins.
Raging Doom. Muscular humanoid with four massive arms, dragon-like tail and a massive maw of dagger-like teeth. Animalistic and predatory, they thrive on combat love to hunt, fight and kill. Most dangerous when directed by bigger, meaner, more intelligent demons.
Shimmering Slayer. Appears as a wild, muscle-bound humanoid with glistening blue/black skin, and large, glowing eyes. Lives in swamps, rivers, lakes and bodies of water. Usually a loner, this marauding hunter has a nasty streak and enjoy causing havoc (e.g. capsizing boats), slaughtering livestock, or attacking humans.
Greater Demons
The Corruptor. A hideous disembodied head among a mass of tentacles. A true master manipulator, they delight in twisting mortals into mass killers or tyrants. Has a massive spellcasting and psionics capability.
The Grotesk. Malevolent creatures of darkness striving to create a kingdom of suffering and enslavement. Empowers mortals to become Chaos Witches. Marshalls their forces to crush their adversaries.
IMPRESSIONS
Current Assessment (7/10). One of the greatest issues that hampered the Chaos Earth release was the lack of demons and monsters for the GM to leverage for their adventure design. This book certainly launches the game system in the right path, with a series different and monstrous enemy forces. The variety presented gives something for everyone, and the structure of Daytime and Nighttime Demons was a welcome and novel change to the norm. This is a great addition to the Chaos Earth series. The artistic renditions of these options are nicely done, particularly the Dubisch ones; his style seems to really fit the theme.
Given the advent of the Minion Wars, this book provides the GM with a great set of encounters and enemy forces for the Player Characters to deal with. Most Players may not have all the books, and these are visibly and actively different enough to most demons presented in Conversion Books, Dimension Book 10: Hades – Pits of Hell, and Dimension Book 11: Dyval – Hell Unleashed. For any GM looking for a resource to assist their adventure planning, this allows PCs the opportunity to discover those weaknesses, and report to their chain of command. I really like the idea that these demons were a ‘Second Wave’ in terms of the Apocalypse. That dynamic provides the GM the opportunity to almost theme a campaign around these “gribblies” and then move on to an entirely different set of monsters from a different vector, or continue the siege against the PCs. A solid entry for both Chaos Earth or Rifts.
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