# Naming the Pit Fiend



## demiurge1138 (Nov 22, 2006)

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.


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## TarionzCousin (Nov 22, 2006)

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


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## Corsair (Nov 22, 2006)

TarionzCousin said:
			
		

> 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.


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## BOZ (Nov 22, 2006)

pit... devil?


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## kenobi65 (Nov 22, 2006)

Kano Whup'ahs.


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## Piratecat (Nov 22, 2006)

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


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## Aaron L (Nov 22, 2006)

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 )


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## Set (Nov 22, 2006)

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




The barathrum sounds like where little devils go potty.


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## Infiniti2000 (Nov 22, 2006)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> 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.


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## Delta (Nov 22, 2006)

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.)


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## demiurge1138 (Nov 22, 2006)

Aaron L said:
			
		

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



You are correct, sir.

Demiurge out.


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## Shade (Nov 22, 2006)

Using the terms above, I kinda like cavuszu.


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## Aaron L (Nov 22, 2006)

Set said:
			
		

> The barathrum sounds like where little devils go potty.





Oh my... I don't know weather to applaud or throw tomatoes.


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## Aaron L (Nov 22, 2006)

Shade said:
			
		

> Using the terms above, I kinda like cavuszu.






I like that too.  There are two so far.


Baathrugon
Cavaszu.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 22, 2006)

> Cavaszu.




Wasn't he the guy who played Jesus in _The Passion of the Christ_?


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## Cheiromancer (Nov 22, 2006)

Set said:
			
		

> The barathrum sounds like where little devils go potty.



Which explains why they are referred to as Pit Fiends instead!   

I like cavaszu, though.


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## glass (Nov 22, 2006)

TarionzCousin said:
			
		

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



I'm moderately certain the Balors were called Balors.


glass.


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## Piratecat (Nov 22, 2006)

Aaron L said:
			
		

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



I know. I was mostly just musing on how excited we were when we noticed that - and half-wondering if any of those names could possibly apply to the race as a whole.


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## Umbran (Nov 22, 2006)

demiurge1138 said:
			
		

> Has anyone created an Infernal name for the pit fiend?




Grover.  They're all named Grover.

Because there's nothing that'll make a creature of the netherworld more angry, nasty, spiteful, and generally mean than having an uninspiring name.  

"Fear me!  I am the great and powerful Grover!"  The party laughs, of course.  And then the fell beast rains wrath upon their heads


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## TarionzCousin (Nov 22, 2006)

Corsair said:
			
		

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



See what happens when you don't get enough sleep, kids? Let my mistake be a lesson to all of you: get 8 hours of sleep every night, and eat all of your ice cream.


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## KenSeg (Nov 22, 2006)

Don't give me this Balzu, goggledarn, politically correct nonsense! In our group they will be called devils and demons until they pry the dice from my cold dead fingers!   

-KenSeg
gaming since 1978


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## Rhun (Nov 22, 2006)

KenSeg said:
			
		

> Don't give me this Balzu, goggledarn, politically correct nonsense! In our group they will be called devils and demons until they pry the dice from my cold dead fingers!




I concur. And Daemons, too!


With that said, I like Cavaszu as a species name for the Pit Fiend.


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## Vanye (Nov 22, 2006)

I like baruthgon...


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## diaglo (Nov 22, 2006)

servant or master.

as a devil they are lawful. so they follow a hierarchy. they are either servants to a ruler of one of the Hells or they are master of various minions/armies.


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## DJCupboard (Nov 22, 2006)

Following allong with the latin, I like Voragtzu, or with a little modification Vorgatzu.

Yeah, Vorgatzu.


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## Thurbane (Nov 22, 2006)

Ultragon?


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## Aaron L (Nov 22, 2006)

Umbran said:
			
		

> Grover.  They're all named Grover.
> 
> Because there's nothing that'll make a creature of the netherworld more angry, nasty, spiteful, and generally mean than having an uninspiring name.
> 
> "Fear me!  I am the great and powerful Grover!"  The party laughs, of course.  And then the fell beast rains wrath upon their heads






Actually, in a 12 year long game I played in, spanning from 1E through 3.5E, there was a pretty important Pit Fiend character.  He made himself known to Tarragin the Red, a powerful wizard (my younger brother) and gave the wizard a name to summon him by.  Not long after, Tarragin showed up with a new bodyguard.  His eyes glowed red occasionally and he was very powerful.   


His name was... Bob.



He became a recurring adversary after he broke free from Tarragin's influence.  He never gave us his true name, just one he used, and we never had full power over him.   (Although personally I took to calling him Baalzebob.)


Tarragin also had a pet monkey he kept in a cage and named Asmodeus.  "Asmodeus, stop throwing your poo."  He wanted to taunt Azzy into attacking.  He was... eccentric.


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## BOZ (Nov 28, 2006)

i am Bob.  i am your DOOM.


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## glass (Nov 28, 2006)

KenSeg said:
			
		

> Don't give me this Balzu, goggledarn, politically correct nonsense! In our group they will be called devils and demons until they pry the dice from my cold dead fingers!



What's politically correct about pit fiends using a different name amongst their own kind, especially given that all the other devils do?


glass.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Nov 28, 2006)

Did Bob ever succeed at doing anything amazingly risky?  You know, something prompting the inevitable remark:

"That was ballsy, Bob!"


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## Aaron L (Nov 28, 2006)

Dannyalcatraz said:
			
		

> Did Bob ever succeed at doing anything amazingly risky?  You know, something prompting the inevitable remark:
> 
> "That was ballsy, Bob!"





Took me a little bit, but I finally got that 


Yeah... I'm dumb sometimes.


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## Cheiromancer (Nov 28, 2006)

Do we know the names of any individual pit fiends?  I understand the 1e DMG only names the type VI demons: Alzoll, Balor, Errtu, Ndulu, Ter-soth, and Wendonai. I'm thinking there must have been a later supplement that provided a similar list for their infernal counterparts.


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## Voadam (Nov 28, 2006)

Delta said:
			
		

> 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.)




Do you know what issue?


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## Infiniti2000 (Nov 28, 2006)

I name all my pitt fiends Brad.  And all of his damon friends get named Matt.

*ducks tomatoes*


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## Kaodi (Nov 28, 2006)

Jzashugath

Achgarud

Pfaragir

Yangou

Zaguroga

Harat Zag

Nessirogon

Nesstor Baat

Eragoyes


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## ruleslawyer (Nov 28, 2006)

Voadam said:
			
		

> Do you know what issue?



#75. I thought this info was in the 1e MMII as well, but I could be wrong. (I do remember that MMII transcribed the list of devils with some errors, omitting several.)


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## Ruined (Nov 28, 2006)

Never name anything you might have to eat down the road.


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## Aaron L (Nov 28, 2006)

Ruined said:
			
		

> Never name anything you might have to eat down the road.




I am disturbed by that image.


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## Shemeska (Nov 28, 2006)

Cheiromancer said:
			
		

> Do we know the names of any individual pit fiends?




Planescape gave us quite a number of them.

The members of the Dark 8: Corin, Dagos, Baalzephon, Furcas, Pearza, Zapan, Zaebos, and Zimmimar. Cantrum was their 9th member before his assassination.

Lydzin - female pit fiend commandant of 'The Relentless' a mobile Baatezu fortress (_Hellbound: The Blood War_)

There are others, but off the top of my head I can't recall individual names. I'll check after work.


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## BOZ (Dec 2, 2006)

don't forget Alastor the Executioner.


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## Mark CMG (Dec 2, 2006)

Vanye said:
			
		

> I like baruthgon...





That's a good one.


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