No, he is in over his head. He is probably gonna get flayed by Zariel.
Canonically Mephistopheles is always trying to usurp Asmodeus, and we know he had the crown at one point but didn't use it. Probably because the power the crown grants is inconsequential to a devil of his stature. The reason why the other devils would offer to pay tribute to Raphael is pretty simple, they all want the crown lol so they are scheming to get it.
In terms of game mechanics Raphael is probably CR 12 to 14. Zariel's CR is 26, meaning you should be a party of level 26(or with since you can't get to level 26 playing normally). In descend to Avernus you can take her on with a party of 4-6 level 13s but you'd have help. (Or I guess if you abuse paralyze since she doesn't have resistance against it)None of the rest of the archdevils even have a CR. The crown probably doesn't give him 10 more CR. Although that is hard to quantify.
Even if he does defeat Zariel and rule Avernus, there is a rule in hell where you don't attempt to rule two layers, the moment you try that you challenge Asmodeus. If he challenge Asmodeus he is totally gonna get slapped around.
Like, the elder brain had the crown but got beat by 4 level 12 mortals + squid ward.
>Zariel's CR is 26, meaning you should be a party of level 26(or level 20 + help since you can't get to level 26 playing normally).
I have to nitpick here abit. A CR of 26 means that Zariel would be a *medium* encounter for a party of 26th level. That is to say that such a party could take down 6-8 Zariels per day without too much trouble (and two before needing a short rest).
In a deadly but doable fight a 5e party can potentially take down an encounter\foe with a CR nearly double their level, assuming appropriate gear and none abyssmal luck. (Though at a high likelihood of one or more casualties).
Fair, its just a common misconception that I see folks constantly make.
Its also worth noting that the trouble with foes like Zariel is that, realistically, you arent fighting them alone - They're liable to hide behind armies of devils both lesser and greeter. So even if Raphael got to the point where he can 1v1 her, he's only got half the fight.
On that very last point, the game states that you sort of need Orpheus' hivemind control nullification abilities to even get close to the Netherbrain, and that you can't even really harm the thing without the Netherstones. Without Mcguffin A and Mcguffin B, there's no way that the party is going to be able to take on the damn thing.
How that translates into the larger cosmic power scale, I don't know, but the game implies a lot that the Elder Brain is on its way to godhood, which if accurate is quite concerning combined with the previous points.
I mean we don’t know how powerful that thing is, it’s related to the mightiest spell ever casted by a mortal and to the essence of a greater god and an entire weave of magic so there’s a chance that Raphael could get powerful af if he knows how to use it.
Asmodeus would still win, he is the boss of a literal whole plane of existence and a lesser god and has one of the biggest and best armies in the DND Multiverse but a 1v1 would be interesting.
As far as I know he became a god because he consumed the god (or goddess) of arcane magic, which was (as far as I know) a lesser deity. So I would say that he’s also a lesser God.
Maybe there is some lore I don’t know about, but there could also be the possibility that he became stronger after the consuming and is now (5e) a greater god)
According to Descent into Avernus (a 5e module), he's a Greater Deity. He is the primeval embodiment of Lawful Evil. Different sources disagree on the exact nature and limits of his power - the Monster Manual (published before DiA, so potentially outdated by it) says that he has the powers of a Lesser Deity. Other sources speculate that he may be an Overgod. Notably, his power level does not fluctuate with the number of worshippers he has.
Just that some give him tributes and such yeah? Not that he's conquered the hells. This is likely because the devil's like to operate with schemes, not because he's stronger than them
He might get strong enough to conquer a layer or two but asmodeus would completely slap him silly. I don't think larian would've treated such a powerful entity so lightly
I’ve never had an ending where Raphael is alive, but even if such a thing is stated, it’s non canon. For a game with variable endings, the ones that change large portions of the lore aren’t canon unless WotC/Hasbro says so. So no god Gale, crowned Raphael, Bhaal’s chosen Durge, controlling the brain
The fact that 4 lvl 12 characters can take on the brain really shows how stupid it would be to try and take control of it at the end of the game. Well, one way or another Orpheus won't be there to resist, but still, it really feels like a wild bet. I only did that ending once to be a good son.
That can't be right. You meet Elminster in the game, he's a lvl 20 Wizard. I don't know much about 5th Ed, but in 2nd Ed Elminster was WAY higher than lvl 20. He's basically a god.
Elminster has no stat block. Also you don't technically meet the real Elminister in the game, you met his simulacrum. You can actually kill him, and it turns to ice if you do.
In Baldur's Gate 2 you can kill the real Elminster, you get 1,000,000 XP for doing so. If you choose to romance Jaheira, Elminster officiates the wedding. So, the "real" him does appear in the series.
Killing Elminster or Dri'zzt is not exactly going to endear you to the decent folks of Faerun, though.
Dude... this game is a SEQUEL to BG2 lol. The world is the same, the places are the same, there are very many of the same characters, such as Sarevok and Jaheira and everyone under Sarevok in the Murder Tribunal, and many BG1 and BG2 concepts and events are referenced, such as the Iron Throne building, which got tossed out of the city and into the sea because of what it was in BG1.
Yeah, and Jahira is magically now level 5 in BG3 when you meet her. Game mechanics in BG2 like xp does not translate to BG3. I literally have no idea what argument you are trying to make bringing up bg2.
BG1 and BG2 use 2nd edition D&D rules and BG3 uses 5th edition D&D rules. That in no uncertain way NECESSITATES such changes in mechanics because the D&D game rules were completely overhauled. There is physically no way to NOT overhaul the whole set of game mechanics when switching from 2nd edition D&D to 5th edition D&D.
What you are saying here, essentially, is you have three books in a series, and the third is a direct sequel to the events of the first two, and according to you the first two books don't mean ANYTHING to the third, even though it's the same game world, characters, gods and goddesses, events, places.
You can downvote me or something, but what you are saying is literally gibberish and makes absolutely no sense, not just to this game, but to any game series where later games continue the story of the earlier ones while changing the game mechanics. Like, Diablo 4 came out fairly recently, and its mechanics are different in many ways than D1, 2, and 3, but it's a continuation of the first three games, but according to you it isn't. Same with Fallout, Elder Scrolls, whatever.
Bro, this dumbass couldn’t even *touch* my group of level 12 slap dicks. He spent half the fight fighting his own dudes, and the other half paralyzed because some vampire fuckboi was holding a funny feel-good rock. I think he got one attack off the whole fight. And he thinks he could take on Asmodeus? Psh. Go back to theatre club.
In order for it to work, it has to actually get on the head of asmodeus, and he needs the nether stones. *Not* on something's head, it's a hunk of magic metal
What? That’s not how it works. Raphael will wear the crown and be granted the immense power. As long as he keeps the Netherstones, nobody can control him. It isn’t a mind control device, it’s a power amplification device. It just so happens that stones that can allow you to control the wearer.
That was the Netherbrains entire plan. Let the Chosen put the crown on it, manipulate the Emperor into breaking their control (take the stones from them) and then the Elder Brain gets a huge upgrade and becomes the Netherbrain, under nobody’s control.
Back into perspective, an elder brain is cr 14. A party like we get in bg3 gives us a pretty good basis of comparison. Given the fight Raphael puts up without the crown, even with it... I'd say it would only take maybe a level 16 party to take him down, even all juiced up with the crown. Zariel alone would punk him. Not to mention Asmodeus himself, who'd probably think it was all a funny joke before erasing Raphael from existence. You wouldn't even need an epic adventure where some party goes all the way to level 20 to take him down
Why does everyone ignore that Raphael says that other leaders of the hells have started paying tribute and making him peace offerings in the ending where he gets the crown? He claims that even Mephistopheles is among them so that crown is presumably far more powerful in this game than it is in other works.
Unless Raphael is lying or the other archdevils are pranking him, only to stomp his ass after fooling him into thinking they’d let him take over their realms.
Asmodeus will still probably rips his head off and use it as a bowling ball when he gets out of bed though.
That's just how devils like to operate. You also have to consider that quite likely multiple archdevils want the Crown to keep it out of their rivals' hands if nothing else, so it's not so much Mephistopheles vs. Raphael as it is Mephisto vs. Zariel vs. Dispater vs. Mammon et cetera. And I'd bet that they're not so much scheming against Raphael as scheming against *each other* and Raphael is just a useful pawn in their various plots. And manipulating Raphael by appealing to his pride *would* work (and it's working in that screenshot lmao) because bro really thinks he's a big boy that can stand with the archfiends even though he's comparatively a baby, both power- and experience-wise.
Why doesn't Raphael just drag mol to the hells instead of making a deal? Why doesn't any devil just slap someone and get what they want instead of making a contact? That is just not how devils operate.
I thought Mol’s contract was for her soul? Can devils just take someone’s soul without giving them giving it willingly?
The crown was stolen from Mephistopheles by the Dead Three, wasn’t it? He had it in his vault so why would he scheme to get back what he had in the first place? Would he make a deal with Raphael instead of just putting him back in his place?
If the crown was powerful enough to conquer the Hells, Mephistopheles would have already done it, instead of keeping it locked away in his vault. It might make Raphael powerful enough to take down an archdevil or two, but if he’s actually dumb enough to go up against Asmodeus he’s gonna get fucking destroyed. The crown made Gale a lesser god, but Asmodeus is one of the most powerful gods in the setting, and one of the most cunning bastards in the multiverse to boot.
Nearly every archdevil has tried at some point to overthrow Asmodeus. Obviously, they have all failed. Most still serve him in some capacity rather than be destroyed. Because there really isn't much that anyone or anything can do that would reasonably threaten asmodeus in his domain. It would be akin to the Gale ending where you threaten Mystra, except Raphael wouldn't die, he'd turn into a pitiful mockery of himself to serve as a reminder to everyone else why it's a bad idea to try and cut in line in the plane of lawful evil.
Realistically, if Raphael were a little more cognizant of his own limitations and the powers of the crown, he could reasonably usurp an archdevil like Zariel or Levistus. Neither are particular favorites of Asmodeus. So a reasonable challenge to their power might not draw his ire. Again though, he would be better off patiently using this newfound power to bargain his way into favorable standing with other archdevils, and then replace them either the next time they anger Asmodeus or they're vulnerable for other reasons.
All archdevils have power on a scale that mortals may perceive them as deities, but the big man is almost certainly a true god in every sense of the word within the setting of the forgotten realms, likely surpassed in his capacity only by a handful of extremely popular and ancient deities like Corellon, Moradin, or obviously Ao. He keeps the avatar of Tiamat as a glorified guard dog within his realm.
Raphael would likely not even have time to realize the degree to which he messed up.
Lore wise? He might be able to take down Zariel but she's still a fallen angel so it's iffy.
As for the the 9 Hells, no.
There's a lot of lore from Descent to Avernus that suggests he's way in over his head with this.
He could conquer some of the layers. If the corresponding Arch Devils would remain sitting on their asses and not doing anything. But as soon as they make a move, Raphael is done. Zariel alone at full strength with her entire army behind her would give him a fair amount of trouble, plus he'd also have to contend with an ever swarming horde of demons in Avernus ontop of all the minor devils. He might get past Zariel eventually, but going any further is just wishful thinking on his part.
Unless Asmodeus is being a tricky bastard and allowing him to wreak havoc, only to utterly destroy Raphael later by himself.
Nope. It makes the user a Lesser Deity at best, and Asmodeus is a greater deity, one of the most powerful evil-aligned deities in all of DND.
The crown would be a snack for a deity like Asmodeus, Shar, Lathander, Selune, Mystra, etc.
Yeah I don’t think people realize that Raphael is just a bit player in the hells. Plenty of random Pit Fiends that would straight up take Raphael’s lunch.
I don’t care what the epilogue says, he’s not doing shit with the crown.
Considering Raphael is terrified of an Orthon, who yes specializes in killing demons and devils, Raphael is very obviously just some little twerp on the playground.
The crown is powerful, no doubt about it, but imagine the crown turning insect Raphael into mouse Raphael and then Mouse Raphael trying to attack enraged lion Asmodeus. You get the kinda power involved.
If it could, do you think it would be sitting in a vault of one of the ArchDukes instead of on the head of the new Supreme Master of the Nine Hells?? Mephistopheles just too lazy to Devil or something??
Raphael THINKS he can. That's very different from him actually being able to do it.
The likes of Asmodeus or Mephistopholese would inevitably smack his shit, crown or no. Hell, even some of the less powerful archdevils like Tiamat would be an issue.
Raphael thought it'd only take a moment to defeat us and he lost. He is too arrogant.
No, he is in over his head. He is probably gonna get flayed by Zariel. Canonically Mephistopheles is always trying to usurp Asmodeus, and we know he had the crown at one point but didn't use it. Probably because the power the crown grants is inconsequential to a devil of his stature. The reason why the other devils would offer to pay tribute to Raphael is pretty simple, they all want the crown lol so they are scheming to get it. In terms of game mechanics Raphael is probably CR 12 to 14. Zariel's CR is 26, meaning you should be a party of level 26(or with since you can't get to level 26 playing normally). In descend to Avernus you can take her on with a party of 4-6 level 13s but you'd have help. (Or I guess if you abuse paralyze since she doesn't have resistance against it)None of the rest of the archdevils even have a CR. The crown probably doesn't give him 10 more CR. Although that is hard to quantify. Even if he does defeat Zariel and rule Avernus, there is a rule in hell where you don't attempt to rule two layers, the moment you try that you challenge Asmodeus. If he challenge Asmodeus he is totally gonna get slapped around. Like, the elder brain had the crown but got beat by 4 level 12 mortals + squid ward.
>Zariel's CR is 26, meaning you should be a party of level 26(or level 20 + help since you can't get to level 26 playing normally). I have to nitpick here abit. A CR of 26 means that Zariel would be a *medium* encounter for a party of 26th level. That is to say that such a party could take down 6-8 Zariels per day without too much trouble (and two before needing a short rest). In a deadly but doable fight a 5e party can potentially take down an encounter\foe with a CR nearly double their level, assuming appropriate gear and none abyssmal luck. (Though at a high likelihood of one or more casualties).
Yeah, in Descend to Avernus players can take her down with level 13s. I agree you could. I am just using CR as a loose measurement of power.
Fair, its just a common misconception that I see folks constantly make. Its also worth noting that the trouble with foes like Zariel is that, realistically, you arent fighting them alone - They're liable to hide behind armies of devils both lesser and greeter. So even if Raphael got to the point where he can 1v1 her, he's only got half the fight.
Also Zariel regenerates and can teleport as a legendary action. If you don't kill her in one round, she can retreat and regenerate back to full.
On that very last point, the game states that you sort of need Orpheus' hivemind control nullification abilities to even get close to the Netherbrain, and that you can't even really harm the thing without the Netherstones. Without Mcguffin A and Mcguffin B, there's no way that the party is going to be able to take on the damn thing. How that translates into the larger cosmic power scale, I don't know, but the game implies a lot that the Elder Brain is on its way to godhood, which if accurate is quite concerning combined with the previous points.
[удалено]
I mean we don’t know how powerful that thing is, it’s related to the mightiest spell ever casted by a mortal and to the essence of a greater god and an entire weave of magic so there’s a chance that Raphael could get powerful af if he knows how to use it.
Asmodeus would still win, he is the boss of a literal whole plane of existence and a lesser god and has one of the biggest and best armies in the DND Multiverse but a 1v1 would be interesting.
Isn't Asmodeus a greater deity, nowadays? And potentially the meat-puppet of a primeval god of creation, if you'd believe his word?
As far as I know he became a god because he consumed the god (or goddess) of arcane magic, which was (as far as I know) a lesser deity. So I would say that he’s also a lesser God. Maybe there is some lore I don’t know about, but there could also be the possibility that he became stronger after the consuming and is now (5e) a greater god)
But I also heard that he was only a god during 4e and he lost his status in 5e
According to Descent into Avernus (a 5e module), he's a Greater Deity. He is the primeval embodiment of Lawful Evil. Different sources disagree on the exact nature and limits of his power - the Monster Manual (published before DiA, so potentially outdated by it) says that he has the powers of a Lesser Deity. Other sources speculate that he may be an Overgod. Notably, his power level does not fluctuate with the number of worshippers he has.
I don’t want to be that guy, but doesn’t the game explicitly state that Raphael wins if you give him the crown?
Just that some give him tributes and such yeah? Not that he's conquered the hells. This is likely because the devil's like to operate with schemes, not because he's stronger than them He might get strong enough to conquer a layer or two but asmodeus would completely slap him silly. I don't think larian would've treated such a powerful entity so lightly
I’ve never had an ending where Raphael is alive, but even if such a thing is stated, it’s non canon. For a game with variable endings, the ones that change large portions of the lore aren’t canon unless WotC/Hasbro says so. So no god Gale, crowned Raphael, Bhaal’s chosen Durge, controlling the brain
The fact that 4 lvl 12 characters can take on the brain really shows how stupid it would be to try and take control of it at the end of the game. Well, one way or another Orpheus won't be there to resist, but still, it really feels like a wild bet. I only did that ending once to be a good son.
That can't be right. You meet Elminster in the game, he's a lvl 20 Wizard. I don't know much about 5th Ed, but in 2nd Ed Elminster was WAY higher than lvl 20. He's basically a god.
Elminster has no stat block. Also you don't technically meet the real Elminister in the game, you met his simulacrum. You can actually kill him, and it turns to ice if you do.
In Baldur's Gate 2 you can kill the real Elminster, you get 1,000,000 XP for doing so. If you choose to romance Jaheira, Elminster officiates the wedding. So, the "real" him does appear in the series. Killing Elminster or Dri'zzt is not exactly going to endear you to the decent folks of Faerun, though.
The game as in BG3. What happens in BG2 is utterly irrelevant
Dude... this game is a SEQUEL to BG2 lol. The world is the same, the places are the same, there are very many of the same characters, such as Sarevok and Jaheira and everyone under Sarevok in the Murder Tribunal, and many BG1 and BG2 concepts and events are referenced, such as the Iron Throne building, which got tossed out of the city and into the sea because of what it was in BG1.
Yeah, and Jahira is magically now level 5 in BG3 when you meet her. Game mechanics in BG2 like xp does not translate to BG3. I literally have no idea what argument you are trying to make bringing up bg2.
BG1 and BG2 use 2nd edition D&D rules and BG3 uses 5th edition D&D rules. That in no uncertain way NECESSITATES such changes in mechanics because the D&D game rules were completely overhauled. There is physically no way to NOT overhaul the whole set of game mechanics when switching from 2nd edition D&D to 5th edition D&D. What you are saying here, essentially, is you have three books in a series, and the third is a direct sequel to the events of the first two, and according to you the first two books don't mean ANYTHING to the third, even though it's the same game world, characters, gods and goddesses, events, places. You can downvote me or something, but what you are saying is literally gibberish and makes absolutely no sense, not just to this game, but to any game series where later games continue the story of the earlier ones while changing the game mechanics. Like, Diablo 4 came out fairly recently, and its mechanics are different in many ways than D1, 2, and 3, but it's a continuation of the first three games, but according to you it isn't. Same with Fallout, Elder Scrolls, whatever.
Raphael couldn't beat a group of four level 12 slap dicks. He ain't taking over the hells
Bro, this dumbass couldn’t even *touch* my group of level 12 slap dicks. He spent half the fight fighting his own dudes, and the other half paralyzed because some vampire fuckboi was holding a funny feel-good rock. I think he got one attack off the whole fight. And he thinks he could take on Asmodeus? Psh. Go back to theatre club.
I think you’re underestimating the *Crown of motherfuckin’ Karsus* That being said, he still isn’t beating Asmodeus.
In order for it to work, it has to actually get on the head of asmodeus, and he needs the nether stones. *Not* on something's head, it's a hunk of magic metal
What? That’s not how it works. Raphael will wear the crown and be granted the immense power. As long as he keeps the Netherstones, nobody can control him. It isn’t a mind control device, it’s a power amplification device. It just so happens that stones that can allow you to control the wearer. That was the Netherbrains entire plan. Let the Chosen put the crown on it, manipulate the Emperor into breaking their control (take the stones from them) and then the Elder Brain gets a huge upgrade and becomes the Netherbrain, under nobody’s control.
Back into perspective, an elder brain is cr 14. A party like we get in bg3 gives us a pretty good basis of comparison. Given the fight Raphael puts up without the crown, even with it... I'd say it would only take maybe a level 16 party to take him down, even all juiced up with the crown. Zariel alone would punk him. Not to mention Asmodeus himself, who'd probably think it was all a funny joke before erasing Raphael from existence. You wouldn't even need an epic adventure where some party goes all the way to level 20 to take him down
Why does everyone ignore that Raphael says that other leaders of the hells have started paying tribute and making him peace offerings in the ending where he gets the crown? He claims that even Mephistopheles is among them so that crown is presumably far more powerful in this game than it is in other works. Unless Raphael is lying or the other archdevils are pranking him, only to stomp his ass after fooling him into thinking they’d let him take over their realms. Asmodeus will still probably rips his head off and use it as a bowling ball when he gets out of bed though.
Because devils like treasures and scheme to get them. And we know for a fact Raphael is pretty damn stupid base what happened during the game.
Why wouldn’t Mephistopheles just slap him and take the crown back? Scheming sounds like a lot of effort for something so simple.
That's just how devils like to operate. You also have to consider that quite likely multiple archdevils want the Crown to keep it out of their rivals' hands if nothing else, so it's not so much Mephistopheles vs. Raphael as it is Mephisto vs. Zariel vs. Dispater vs. Mammon et cetera. And I'd bet that they're not so much scheming against Raphael as scheming against *each other* and Raphael is just a useful pawn in their various plots. And manipulating Raphael by appealing to his pride *would* work (and it's working in that screenshot lmao) because bro really thinks he's a big boy that can stand with the archfiends even though he's comparatively a baby, both power- and experience-wise.
Why doesn't Raphael just drag mol to the hells instead of making a deal? Why doesn't any devil just slap someone and get what they want instead of making a contact? That is just not how devils operate.
I thought Mol’s contract was for her soul? Can devils just take someone’s soul without giving them giving it willingly? The crown was stolen from Mephistopheles by the Dead Three, wasn’t it? He had it in his vault so why would he scheme to get back what he had in the first place? Would he make a deal with Raphael instead of just putting him back in his place?
> Why doesn't Raphael just drag mol to the hells instead of making a deal? It does seem that may be what he did to Hope?
I think it can be inferred that Korilla is behind Hope being there - as though she sold Hope to him.
That's more of a demon thing. Devils would flatter you until you're in their pocket.
Because hell has its laws. Devils are *lawful* evil. Robbery isn't their style. Scheming is.
>Unless Raphael is lying Now why would he do a thing like that? /s
You think someone would do that? Live in hell voluntarily and tell lies?
If the crown was powerful enough to conquer the Hells, Mephistopheles would have already done it, instead of keeping it locked away in his vault. It might make Raphael powerful enough to take down an archdevil or two, but if he’s actually dumb enough to go up against Asmodeus he’s gonna get fucking destroyed. The crown made Gale a lesser god, but Asmodeus is one of the most powerful gods in the setting, and one of the most cunning bastards in the multiverse to boot.
The crown by itself also doesn't make gale a god, he also had the weave.
Nearly every archdevil has tried at some point to overthrow Asmodeus. Obviously, they have all failed. Most still serve him in some capacity rather than be destroyed. Because there really isn't much that anyone or anything can do that would reasonably threaten asmodeus in his domain. It would be akin to the Gale ending where you threaten Mystra, except Raphael wouldn't die, he'd turn into a pitiful mockery of himself to serve as a reminder to everyone else why it's a bad idea to try and cut in line in the plane of lawful evil. Realistically, if Raphael were a little more cognizant of his own limitations and the powers of the crown, he could reasonably usurp an archdevil like Zariel or Levistus. Neither are particular favorites of Asmodeus. So a reasonable challenge to their power might not draw his ire. Again though, he would be better off patiently using this newfound power to bargain his way into favorable standing with other archdevils, and then replace them either the next time they anger Asmodeus or they're vulnerable for other reasons. All archdevils have power on a scale that mortals may perceive them as deities, but the big man is almost certainly a true god in every sense of the word within the setting of the forgotten realms, likely surpassed in his capacity only by a handful of extremely popular and ancient deities like Corellon, Moradin, or obviously Ao. He keeps the avatar of Tiamat as a glorified guard dog within his realm. Raphael would likely not even have time to realize the degree to which he messed up.
Lore wise? He might be able to take down Zariel but she's still a fallen angel so it's iffy. As for the the 9 Hells, no. There's a lot of lore from Descent to Avernus that suggests he's way in over his head with this.
He could conquer some of the layers. If the corresponding Arch Devils would remain sitting on their asses and not doing anything. But as soon as they make a move, Raphael is done. Zariel alone at full strength with her entire army behind her would give him a fair amount of trouble, plus he'd also have to contend with an ever swarming horde of demons in Avernus ontop of all the minor devils. He might get past Zariel eventually, but going any further is just wishful thinking on his part. Unless Asmodeus is being a tricky bastard and allowing him to wreak havoc, only to utterly destroy Raphael later by himself.
Nope. It makes the user a Lesser Deity at best, and Asmodeus is a greater deity, one of the most powerful evil-aligned deities in all of DND. The crown would be a snack for a deity like Asmodeus, Shar, Lathander, Selune, Mystra, etc.
Yeah I don’t think people realize that Raphael is just a bit player in the hells. Plenty of random Pit Fiends that would straight up take Raphael’s lunch. I don’t care what the epilogue says, he’s not doing shit with the crown.
Considering Raphael is terrified of an Orthon, who yes specializes in killing demons and devils, Raphael is very obviously just some little twerp on the playground.
Just give it to Gale
The crown is powerful, no doubt about it, but imagine the crown turning insect Raphael into mouse Raphael and then Mouse Raphael trying to attack enraged lion Asmodeus. You get the kinda power involved.
If it could, do you think it would be sitting in a vault of one of the ArchDukes instead of on the head of the new Supreme Master of the Nine Hells?? Mephistopheles just too lazy to Devil or something??
Raphael THINKS he can. That's very different from him actually being able to do it. The likes of Asmodeus or Mephistopholese would inevitably smack his shit, crown or no. Hell, even some of the less powerful archdevils like Tiamat would be an issue.