| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Rhewtani
Senior Scribe
USA
508 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jul 2009 : 22:21:43
|
I was reading about how the dead wait to be "picked up" by their god on the fugue plane. Since my campaign is before the ToT, I'm imagining the gods aren't hurrying to grab their followers.
So, I know 2 things can happen. 1, you can get abducted by demons; 2, you can make a deal with a devil. So, I put together this semi-generic blurb, for a PC to read and respond to after their character dies ...
quote:
You remember the searing pain of your death, the ragged tearing of your soul from your body. Your life before that moment has faded to a colorless existence. Your memories feel like the pages of a book that you set down unfinished several years ago.
And so you find yourself lost on this plane of gray sand. On the ever distant horizon is the only landmark. A great walled city of white, set starkly against the black skies.
There is no smell, no taste, no sound but that of yourself.
And so it is in this state that you find yourself starved for company, for interaction, for anything at all to break the monotony of this endless time.
She came up behind you in an instant, but perhaps she was always there, just always behind you. She is beautiful, without fault. She is demure, with long dark hair, and pale blue skin.
"You are dead …" she begins. "But this is not your end. You may return to life, you may see a good end, still - not cut short, as you stand now."
"If you remain here, you may not see your god, he may not accept you. Do you believe deeply with full conviction that you have lived to the standards that your god has placed on you? Could you have done so in such a short life?
"There are only a few paths left before you. You are special you have more choices than some."
"You could wait for your god to take notice of you, like the others that walk this plane alone. But, I warn you, there are tana'ri who when they find you … and they will … will drag you into the abyss. No matter how hard you kick, no matter how loud you scream - they will take you."
"You could take my hand and I will lead you back to where your life ended. You may one day meet the approval of your god. Accept my help and you could do the great things that earn a god's notice."
"Or you could forsake this mortal path and I could show you the beginnings of power that exist for the few who are strong enough to forge themselves into the great and mighty."
"Decide quickly, though, for my time here with you is but a brief moment."
So, one of the PCs perhaps deceived by my text, went for option 2 accepting the help of what will turn out to be a devil. So, when the PCs bring him back to life (more on that later, I'm kinda proud of this little turn), he'll start experiencing the devil's own luck.
So - how should I start with that? What would make sense as a devil's aid to a low level character?
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36963 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2009 : 23:55:47
|
quote:
Originally posted by Rhewtani
So - how should I start with that? What would make sense as a devil's aid to a low level character?
I'd do like a monkey's paw type thing... Anything he has to draw on the fiendish aid, he accomplishes his goal -- but it's accompanied by something negative he never would have willingly done.
And/or you can have him tainted by evil. Maybe he has no problems doing anything or negative consequences, but he registers as evil to paladins and clerics and such. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
 |
|
|
Marquant Volker
Learned Scribe
Greece
273 Posts |
|
|
Nerfed2Hell
Senior Scribe
USA
387 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2009 : 23:55:41
|
How about this... now that he's made a deal with the devil, whenever he prays to his god, his prayers are now intercepted by the devil. If a cleric (or other divinely empowered character), his powers now come from the devil he made the deal with or even a more powerful devil who uses the weaker devil to reach out and make deals for him.
So, any aid the character recieves initially can be from a fiend of a level appropriate to your campaign (something a few levels beyond the character's level). And as the character advances in level, the devil he knows gets phased out (presumably to continue tempting other lower level mortals) and a more powerful devil steps in as the new liason.
What kind of aid should they offer? Well, anything that will further a fiendish agenda (and/or shift the characters alignment toward lawful evil) is would be in the devils' best interests... so perhaps occasionally grant the character a "second chance" at something (stepping in and offering physical assistance once in awhile with something minor that he should have succeeded at but didn't due to a poor roll).
Another form of aid might be to offer the character a magic item to help him along, but nothing comes for free --it should be a trade off. For example, if its a weapon, then as a replacement for the character's current favored weapon. And the "gift" should come with hidden strings attached. Again, if its a weapon, perhaps it does something nasty that the character might not initially be aware of (perhaps foes struck dead by the weapon have a chance of being reanimated as zombies in service of the fiend the character owes his allegience to, or maybe the weapon does reduced damage to lawful evil creatures since they are of a mindset favorable to devils).
You could allow the character to beseech his devilish benefactor for some form of assistance every so often... at low levels, limit what the fiend will grant just because the expected return from a weak mortal isn't worth too much in the long run. Once the character becomes used to the assistance and gains a few levels, have the fiends start wanting something in return --sacrifices. Start off small, asking for the blood of an easy to acquire beast. If the character continues seeking boons from his benefactor, the need for sacrifices should grow beyond just blood. Perhaps the blood of something sentient, or maybe the death of something bigger. Ultimately, the fiend should be leading the character down a dark path toward sacrificing humans (or whatever race the character is) to his evil master.
Of course, the character need not make the sacrifices... he just won't get the help he wants if he doesn't. And technically, his soul should already be promised to his fiendish master for the bargain he made on the fugue, so this second time around in life is just an opportunity for the devil to further another agenda using the character as a pawn and to tarnish the character's soul, further damning him in case he should try to seek redemption from the gods while alive again. |
Some people are like a slinky... not good for much, but when you push them down the stairs, it makes you smile. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
On the Fugue
