Naming the Pit Fiend

[demiurge1138]

So... in 1e, back in the Monster Manual, most devils didn't have names in the true sense - they had descriptors. Ice devil, bearded devil, horned devil, etc. In 2e, when TSR wanted to distance themselves from "devils", they all got cool new names in their own tongue- gelugon, barbazu, cornugon. Except the pit fiend. And I'm sure that's not what other devils call them (I'm pretty sure other devils call them "sir", but that's beside the point).

The Fiendish Codex II might address this discrepancy, but I wouldn't bet on it. Has anyone created an Infernal name for the pit fiend?

Demiurge out.

 

[TarionzCousin]

In 1st edition, they were called "Balors," which was close to, but not quite, Tolkien's "Balrog."

 

[Corsair]

In 1st edition, they were called "Balors," which was close to, but not quite, Tolkien's "Balrog."

Balors are demons. Pit Fiends are devils. Lord of the Pit is 7/7 trample.

 

[BOZ]

pit... devil?

 

[kenobi65]

Kano Whup'ahs.

 

[Piratecat]

If I recall correctly, the XP tables in the back of the 1E DMG had names for the individual pit fiends.

 

[Aaron L]

I think he means a species name for Pit Fiends in their own language. What they call themselves.


Well, looking at Latin words for Pit, I find: vorago, puteus, cavus, cavum, cavea, barathrum.

Looking more closely at barathrum, I see it means: pit, abyss/the underworld.


Sounds good to me.


Barathrugon?

We could go even further, what with Pit Fiends being Baatezu, and go ahead and call them Baathrugon.

I kind of like that. Baathrugon.




(ironically, the Pit Fiend could be called the Abyss Devil )

 

[Set]

Looking more closely at barathrum, I see it means: pit, abyss/the underworld.

The barathrum sounds like where little devils go potty.

 

[Infiniti2000]

If I recall correctly, the XP tables in the back of the 1E DMG had names for the individual pit fiends.

No, it has them for the type VI demons: Alzoll, Balor, Errtu, Ndulu, Ter-soth, and Wendonai.

 

[Delta]

Where you will find names for individual Pit Fiends is in the 1E Monster Manual II. They've got a list of named devils, with * indicating pit fiends. (Although that was actually defined only in the original Dragon article and got snipped from the MMII notes.)