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[[Category:Definitions]] | [[Category:Definitions]] | ||
[[Category:D and D]] | [[Category:D and D]] | ||
{{Infobox DnD creature | |||
|image=[[File:DnD1.jpg|200px]] | |||
|caption=David C. Sutherland III's depiction of the succubus from the 1st edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Monster Manual'' | |||
|name=Succubus | |||
|alignment=Chaotic evil/Evil (4ed) | |||
|type=Demon/Devil (4ed) | |||
|source= Eldritch Wizardry<br>Monster Manual<br>Immortal Rules<br>Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix<br>Monstrous Manual<br>Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix<br>Savage Species | |||
|first= Eldritch Wizardry | |||
|mythical=[[Succubus (Traditional)|Succubus]] | |||
|based= | |||
|wizards_image_URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/alumni_Succubus_3rd.jpg | |||
|OGL_stats_URL=http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm#succubus | |||
}} | |||
''For other uses of the word [[Succubus]], see [[Succubus (disambiguation)]].'' | |||
In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, a '''Succubus''' is a female demon, or, under 4th edition rules, a devil. The objective of succubi is to tempt men to have sex with them. They do this for their own purposes, and it typically yields a dead mortal or a pleased demon lord (in some cases, when succubi are used as assassins, both ends result). The male equivalent is an incubus. | |||
==Publication History== | |||
The succubus is based on the [[Succubus (Traditional)|succubi]] from Western medieval legend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html |title=Literary Sources of D&D |accessdate=2007-02-23 |last=DeVarque |first=Aardy|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html&date=2007-07-20+21:51:07|archivedate=2007-07-21}}</ref> | |||
===Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)=== | |||
The succubus appeared under the '''demon''' entry in the ''Eldritch Wizardry'' supplement (1976).<ref>{{Cite journal | last =Gygax | first =Gary | author-link =Gary Gygax | last2 =Blume | first2 =Brian | author2-link = | title =Eldritch Wizardry | place= | publisher =TSR | year =1976 | location =Lake Geneva, WI | edition =1 | postscript =<!--None-->}}</ref> | |||
===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition (1977-1988)=== | |||
The succubus appears in the first edition ''Monster Manual'' (1977).<ref>Gygax, Gary. ''Monster Manual'' (TSR, 1977)</ref> | |||
'' | ===Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)=== | ||
This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the succubus, which is known as the '''whispering demon''', first appearing in the ''Immortal Rules'' set, in the DM's Guide to Immortals (1986).<ref>Mentzer, Frank. ''Dungeons & Dragons Set 5: Immortal Rules'' (TSR, 1986)</ref> The whispering lesser fiend appeared in the ''Wrath of the Immortals'' set, in "Book One: Codex of the Immortals" (1992).<ref>Allston, Aaron. ''Wrath of the Immortals'' (TSR, 1992)</ref> | |||
===Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition (1989-1999)=== | |||
In this edition, demons became known as '''tanar'ri''', with the succubus lesser tanar'ri appearing first in the ''Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix'' (1991),<ref>LaFountain, J. Paul. ''Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix''. (TSR, 1991)</ref> and then reprinted in the ''Monstrous Manual'' (1993).<ref>Stewart, Doug, ed. ''Monstrous Manual'' (TSR, 1993)</ref> | |||
The succubus lesser tanar'ri also appeared for the Planescape campaign setting in the first ''Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix'' (1994).<ref>Varney, Allen, ed. ''Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix'' (TSR, 1994)</ref> | |||
===Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 Edition (2000-2002)=== | |||
The succubus (tanar'ri) appears in the ''Monster Manual'' for this edition (2000);<ref>Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. ''Monster Manual'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)</ref> in this edition, the name '''demon''' is resumed, and tanar'ri are now considered a sub-type of demon. | |||
''Savage Species'' (2003) presented the succubus/incubus as both a race and a playable class.<ref>Eckelberry, David, Rich Redman, and Jennifer Clarke Wilkes. ''Savage Species'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)</ref> | |||
===Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition (2003-2007)=== | |||
The succubus appears in the revised ''Monster Manual'' for this edition (2003). | |||
===Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition (2008-)=== | |||
The succubus appears in the ''Monster Manual'' for this edition (2008), although in this edition, succubi are classified as '''devils''' and appear under the "devil" entry.<ref>Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. ''Monster Manual'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)</ref> A great many succubi were stranded in the Abyss at various points of the Blood War - these were corrupted and became ferroliths and incubi.<ref>Mearls, Mike, Brian R. James, Steve Townshend. ''Demonomicon'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2010)</ref> | |||
The succubus | |||
==Ecology== | |||
The objective of succubi is to tempt men to have sex with them. They do this for their own purposes, and it typically yields a dead mortal or a pleased demon lord (in some cases, when succubi are used as assassins, both ends result). | |||
== Environment == | ===Environment=== | ||
Succubi are native to the Abyss. | Succubi are native to the Abyss. | ||
== Typical | ===Typical Physical Characteristics=== | ||
A succubus in its natural state is in the shape and form of a beautiful human woman with demonic features, such as bat-like wings, tiny horns, and/ or a tail. However, the succubus may shape-shift into many forms. They often appear in the guise of a human woman | A succubus in its natural state is in the shape and form of a beautiful human woman with demonic features, such as bat-like wings, tiny horns, and/ or a tail. However, the succubus may shape-shift into many forms. They often appear in the guise of a human woman without demonic features. | ||
In the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, a succubus | |||
In the first edition of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', it was established that a succubus shape changed into male form was known as an '''incubus'''. However, in the third edition of ''D&D'', the succubus is the female form of the incubus (''i.e.'' the succubus and the incubus are the female and male manifestations of the same type of demon). The creation of incubi as a separate demon type was featured during the Fourth Edition events of the Blood War.<ref>{{cite web|title=Incubus Demonomicon Excerpts|url=https://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/4ex/20100709|publisher=Wizards of the Coast}}</ref> | |||
===Alignment=== | |||
In first and second edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', and third edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'', succubi are chaotic evil. | |||
== Society == | == Society == | ||
[[Image: DnD2.jpg| | [[Image: DnD2.jpg|right|thumb|200px]] | ||
Succubi are tanar'ri demons, and they are quite numerous. Many are under the command of the Abyssal Lord Graz'zt, but most are ruled by their "Queen," [[Malcanthet]]. In Dungeons & Dragons the female child of a succubus and a human is traditionally called an "[[Alu-Demon]]" and the male child a "[[cambion]]" (though the latter term can be applied to any demon-mortal offspring). However, the offspring of an alu-demon or cambion, as a result of a union with a human, has no specific name but falls into the larger category of [[tiefling]]. | Succubi are tanar'ri demons, and they are quite numerous. Many are under the command of the Abyssal Lord Graz'zt, but most are ruled by their "Queen," [[Malcanthet]]. In Dungeons & Dragons the female child of a succubus and a human is traditionally called an "[[Alu-Demon]]" and the male child a "[[cambion]]" (though the latter term can be applied to any demon-mortal offspring). However, the offspring of an alu-demon or cambion, as a result of a union with a human, has no specific name but falls into the larger category of [[tiefling]]. | ||
Succubi are featured prominently in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape Planescape] games. | Succubi are featured prominently in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape Planescape] games. | ||
== Other | |||
==4th Edition== | |||
Under 4th edition D&D rules, the succubus is a devil, and its alignment is evil. Succubi serve more powerful fiends as spies or assassins. | |||
== Other Media == | |||
[[Fall-From-Grace]] is a succubus, a notable character from the Planescape: Torment computer role-playing game. | [[Fall-From-Grace]] is a succubus, a notable character from the Planescape: Torment computer role-playing game. | ||
== Footnotes == | == Footnotes == | ||
DeVarque, Aardy. Literary Sources of D&D. | *DeVarque, Aardy. Literary Sources of D&D | ||
*Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977) | |||
==References== | |||
<references/> | |||
== External | == External Links == | ||
*[http://d20npcs.wikia.com/wiki/D%26D_Named_Demon_Project#Succubus.2FIncubus Known | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succubus_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29 The original source of this article at Wikipedia] | ||
*[http://d20npcs.wikia.com/wiki/D%26D_Named_Demon_Project#Succubus.2FIncubus Known Succubi at the d20 NPC Wiki] | |||