Demonweb Pits
Encyclopedia
Demonweb Pits, in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, is the 66th layer of the chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence
known as the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. As a result of the popularity of Drow (Dark elves), in both the game and the supporting novels, it continues to be one of the best known layers by both players and authors, and was featured as the setting of the grand conclusion of a series of adventure modules in the early years of the game (see below).
's 1980 adventure Queen of the Demonweb Pits
, which was reprinted as part of the Queen of the Spiders
supermodule. The setting was visited again in the 1988 adventure The Throne of Bloodstone and in the 1997 adventure Dead Gods
, where the player characters travel through it on the way to the Vault of the Drow (reversing the route taken in the original adventure). It was remapped and expanded in the 2001 Dungeon
Magazine adventure "The Harrowing," and the various sources compiled and expanded in Fiendish Codex I (2006), and expanded still further in Expedition of the Demonweb Pits (2007).
Lolth and Selvetarm were described in great detail in the 1998 Forgotten Realms product Demihuman Deities, though there is no significant information on the Demonweb itself there.
, the Demon Queen of Spiders and many other deities of the Drow pantheon of gods, including her consort Keptolo and her champion Selvetarm. The plane resembles a giant spiderweb across space, formed from strands of interwoven planar matter. Lolth's palace is a giant iron stronghold stylized in the shape of a spider
, that crawls across the web strands of the plane.
The 1980 1st-Edition AD&D module Queen of the Demonweb Pits
describes the Demonweb Pits as an environment quite unlike the Prime Material Plane
, stating that many magical spells and effects do not function as expected here. The web strands themselves are reported to be composed from the lost souls of the Abyss, surrounded by a grey foul-smelling fog above and to the sides of each strand, forming a tunnel-like structure.
, a frozen range of mountains, a great ocean, a black fen, a labyrinth, Guldor, the Nightworld of Vlad Tolenkov, a prison world, a cloud world, a tundra, a jungle, a savanna, an airless world, a world of red trees, the city of Istivin, and the Vault of the Drow. The Demonweb is accessible from the first layer of the Abyss, Pazunia, through a dark pit.
campaign setting
the Demonweb Pits exists as a plane separate from the Abyss, due to the events of the War of the Spider Queen
series. The Demonweb Pits is still a layer of the Abyss outside the Forgotten Realms cosmology.
This carries over into 4th edition, where the Demonweb Pits are located in the Astral Sea, along with the dominions of the other greater gods.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, is the 66th layer of the chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)
The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...
known as the Infinite Layers of the Abyss. As a result of the popularity of Drow (Dark elves), in both the game and the supporting novels, it continues to be one of the best known layers by both players and authors, and was featured as the setting of the grand conclusion of a series of adventure modules in the early years of the game (see below).
Publishing history
The Demonweb was first introduced in David C. Sutherland IIIDavid C. Sutherland III
David C. Sutherland III was an early Dungeons & Dragons artist. Sutherland was a prolific artist and his work heavily influenced the early development of Dungeons & Dragons.-Early life and inspiration:...
's 1980 adventure Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Queen of the Demonweb Pits is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game written by David Sutherland. The "Q" in the module code represents the first letter in the word "queen." This module is a sequel to the D series of modules...
, which was reprinted as part of the Queen of the Spiders
Queen of the Spiders
Queen of the Spiders is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 and is a compilation of seven previous related modules, often referred to as a "supermodule." Together, the seven adventures form an integrated campaign that...
supermodule. The setting was visited again in the 1988 adventure The Throne of Bloodstone and in the 1997 adventure Dead Gods
Dead Gods
Dead Gods is an adventure module for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The book was published in 1997, and was written by Monte Cook, with cover art by rk post and interior art by rk post, Adam Rex, and Josh Timbrook.-Plot summary:Dead Gods is...
, where the player characters travel through it on the way to the Vault of the Drow (reversing the route taken in the original adventure). It was remapped and expanded in the 2001 Dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
Magazine adventure "The Harrowing," and the various sources compiled and expanded in Fiendish Codex I (2006), and expanded still further in Expedition of the Demonweb Pits (2007).
Lolth and Selvetarm were described in great detail in the 1998 Forgotten Realms product Demihuman Deities, though there is no significant information on the Demonweb itself there.
Description
The layer is the home of evil drow deity LolthLolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
, the Demon Queen of Spiders and many other deities of the Drow pantheon of gods, including her consort Keptolo and her champion Selvetarm. The plane resembles a giant spiderweb across space, formed from strands of interwoven planar matter. Lolth's palace is a giant iron stronghold stylized in the shape of a spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, that crawls across the web strands of the plane.
The 1980 1st-Edition AD&D module Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Queen of the Demonweb Pits is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game written by David Sutherland. The "Q" in the module code represents the first letter in the word "queen." This module is a sequel to the D series of modules...
describes the Demonweb Pits as an environment quite unlike the Prime Material Plane
Prime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, stating that many magical spells and effects do not function as expected here. The web strands themselves are reported to be composed from the lost souls of the Abyss, surrounded by a grey foul-smelling fog above and to the sides of each strand, forming a tunnel-like structure.
Structure
The Demonweb Pits contain portals to a variety of other worlds and planes, including the Kingdom of Caer SidiCaer Sidi
Caer Sidi is the name of a legendary otherworld fortress mentioned in two Middle Welsh mythological poems in the Book of Taliesin.One such is Caer Sidi (or Caer Siddi or Caer Sidydd) is the name of a legendary otherworld fortress mentioned in two Middle Welsh mythological poems in the Book of...
, a frozen range of mountains, a great ocean, a black fen, a labyrinth, Guldor, the Nightworld of Vlad Tolenkov, a prison world, a cloud world, a tundra, a jungle, a savanna, an airless world, a world of red trees, the city of Istivin, and the Vault of the Drow. The Demonweb is accessible from the first layer of the Abyss, Pazunia, through a dark pit.
In Forgotten Realms
In the 3rd-Edition Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
the Demonweb Pits exists as a plane separate from the Abyss, due to the events of the War of the Spider Queen
War of the Spider Queen
War of the Spider Queen is a New York Times best-selling series of novels set in the Forgotten Realms universe published by Wizards of the Coast. The series contains six books focused on the drow and their principal deity Lolth. Each of the six novels in the series is written by a different author...
series. The Demonweb Pits is still a layer of the Abyss outside the Forgotten Realms cosmology.
This carries over into 4th edition, where the Demonweb Pits are located in the Astral Sea, along with the dominions of the other greater gods.