Please, don’t think I don’t love Codex Superno just because it doesn’t have an explicit demonology section, I think it’s great, actually, it’s SUPER, NO? 🙂
Seriously, I think it’s one the most interesting game supplements on magic I have seen these last few years, and since it’s meant for D&D, quite helpful for me. And it’s not like there aren’t other games that do the demonology thing and can easily be used and mined for info and inspiration (like Aquelarre, which even has “demonic” in it’s name). It’s always interesting for me to see how different players and game designers approach a given subject, in this case, how to create a nice low-magic system that reflects and is inspired by medieval practices of magic. Like I had mentioned, Lion & Dragon went a completely different direction, towards a system that doesn’t even have spells, just specific skills the mage uses, and it’s interesting that the fundamental, not subject to choices like the others, skill, is summoning used to summon demons and force them to do things for the mage (give information, perform divination, cast some spell on a third party, provide a familiar or a lesser demon to serve the mage for a while, provide the mage with a temporary talisman that could be used to do some magic operation, etc…). Clearly, the author felt that this was the most common of skills for a medieval mage (or the one that best suited his style of play of course). In later supplements, there is plenty on summoning other spirits, of the hours, decans, etc… But I think it’s maybe too simple (he is in the OSR movement, though, so…) and I do like the idea of there being spells. Maybe a mix of the two concepts would be great.
I have that book “Unlocked Books” (in PDF), but haven’t read it yet. I am no specialist, just well-read and most of what I know and interests me in magic is because of RPGs. I have been trying to find as many of those books in the “Magic in History” series, and have a bunch of them. I never even dabbled in magic!! 🙂 I have dabbled in Daoist systems of meditation/inner alchemy, and some of them include plenty of (quite cool and interesting) star magic rituals, invocations of various divinities, etc… (this because of my martial arts practice), but outside of meditation and some breathing training etc… don’t do it anymore. My father was a big specialist on the Hermetic Tradition and Alchemy, and I know quite a few practicing alchemists (both Portuguese and French).
I just like the idea of a high risk/high reward practice like demon summoning!
I have some ideas about stuff that might be interesting for Codex Superno, will post them later (not about demonology).