Anchoring the d20 line

[Dave L]

Havard, check your PM.

Balrogs - I know that Gygax recast these as type something or other demons, but that just seems a bit off to me.

Balrogs in Tolkien are a kind of dragon or proto dragon, somewhat supernatural in power perhaps but very much a creature of the material world of middle earth. Demons, being judeo/christian in origin are otherwordly beings tied to serving dark otherwordly (extraplanar) powers.

Huh?

Sauron and the Istari are Maiar - 2nd stage angels. The Valar are the 1st stage, of whom Melkor was one before his fall.

Balrogs were also angelic-type beings who followed Melkor, of the same order as the Maiar.

The Balrogs were Maiar, of the same order as Sauron, Saruman and Gandalf. They were seduced by Melkor, who corrupted them to his service in the days of his splendour before the making of Arda.

That's why Gandalf made such a big deal about fighhting one - he was facing a being of the same order of power as himself.

The dragons were created by Melkor iirc.

All of this stuff is in the Silmarilion, but I'm stretching back over 25 years trying to remember it.