What's the best way to get someone's soul?

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm planning an encounter for my players against what basically comes down to a transplanar bounty hunter/magic user. The bounty pays better if the guy brings back the target's soul, but I'm not sure how to go about it exactly. I'm aware of some high level core spells (trap the soul (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trapTheSoul.htm) and soul bind (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/soulBind.htm)), but are there any other options outside of core? Which one is best? I have access to most 3.5 books.

My guy can only cast 7th level spells, but I could get scrolls if need be.

[BenInHB]

I think there is a special material that weapons can be made from that captures the soul of the target. There is also a weapon enhancement, I bet it's in the MIC, that will do that as well.

Edit:
The Material is called Thinaun and it is on page 136 of Complete Warrior

The Enhancement is called Keepers Fang and it is on page 266 of the Ebberon Campaign Setting

[KillianHawkeye]

A set of thinaun daggers could work, but it'd be pretty expensive.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

[Moriato]

You could always summon a demon or devil and have them do it for you. I doubt they'd take much convincing. They're really into that sort of thing.

[blackjack217]

Be Asmodeus.

[Epsilon Rose]

Thinaun is one of the easiest way I know about, but it comes with three important caveats: If he dies while holding them his soul get's trapped just like any one else's I think there's a time limit on the trap, and it's one (at a time) per weapon.

The other way is to bring whatever it is that's currently holding the soul. By that I mean if he simply captures them (or steals a lich's phylactery) then he doesn't have to worry about it.

[Aharon]

Concerning Thinaun:

There is a Truenamer Utterance with which you can change the material a weapon is made of. I don't remember the duration, though. Probably 5 rounds only, but IIRC, there are methods in the BoVD to transfer souls from one "container" to another.

[KillianHawkeye]

Be Asmodeus.

Does the NPC I described resemble Asmodeus at all?? :smallconfused::smallsigh:


You could always summon a demon or devil and have them do it for you. I doubt they'd take much convincing. They're really into that sort of thing.

Okay. Exactly what would the demon or devil do to get the target's soul, though? Are there some high level fiends with soul bind as an SLA somewhere?

[Thurbane]

The Harvester of Souls feat (EE) is fluffed that you absorb a victim's soul on a successful Coup de Grace (victim can't be Raised until you are dead). You could see if that counts as "capturing the soul" or not...

[bbugg]

The perfect recepticale for the soul is..... their own body! Bring them back alive.

[Thefurmonger]

Its Pathfinder but This (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/daemons/cacodaemon) is the best way I have found.

[Cog]

What's the best way to get someone's soul?
Grapple rules.

Nobody has them memorized, and nobody wants to take the time to look them up. Just say it's in between 'draw a light weapon' and 'deal unarmed damage', and roll well on your bluff check.

[KillianHawkeye]

Serious answers only, please.... :smallannoyed:

[Thefurmonger]

Grapple rules.

Nobody has them memorized, and nobody wants to take the time to look them up. Just say it's in between 'draw a light weapon' and 'deal unarmed damage', and roll well on your bluff check.

Sorry, but this is funny as hell.

And sadly SOOOoooooo true.

[bbugg]

Seriously, what's wrong with bringing them back alive and extracting the souls at your leisure?

[KillianHawkeye]

Seriously, what's wrong with bringing them back alive and extracting the souls at your leisure?

The only thing wrong with it that I can see is transporting a large, unwilling party when you're just one guy. Any tips?

[MageofMystra]

What you could consider, if you had room for it on your build, is Versatile Spellcaster. It depends on how you and your group interprets it, but you could just pop two 7th level slots together for one cast of Trap the Soul.

Of course, if you want to trap more souls...

[faceroll]

Serious answers only, please.... :smallannoyed:

Sorry you don't have a sense of humor. :smallfrown:

[KillianHawkeye]

It's not a case of not having a sense of humor, just a polite request for posters to stay on topic.

In general, if someone is asking for advice on doing a certain something, it makes no sense to post suggestions that are blatantly unhelpful. But this is the Internet, so I guess all bets are off. :smallsigh::smallamused:



Anyway, thanks to everyone who has tried helping me come up with alternative methods. Unless anyone has another suggestion, it looks like I'll go with a combination of thinaun weapons and scrolls of soul binding or a similar spell.

[Sarco_Phage]

The only thing wrong with it that I can see is transporting a large, unwilling party when you're just one guy. Any tips?

Does he work alone (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWorkAlone)?

Because if not, you might want to give him a party. A muscular party.

[Thefurmonger]

It's not a case of not having a sense of humor, just a polite request for posters to stay on topic.

In general, if someone is asking for advice on doing a certain something, it makes no sense to post suggestions that are blatantly unhelpful. But this is the Internet, so I guess all bets are off. :smallsigh::smallamused:



Anyway, thanks to everyone who has tried helping me come up with alternative methods. Unless anyone has another suggestion, it looks like I'll go with a combination of thinaun weapons and scrolls of soul binding or a similar spell.

I'm just curious. Is it that all Pathfinder is off-limits? otherwise the little deamon is custom made for this.

[begooler]

Perhaps they can give this person a magic item that allows them to cast magic jar, and trick them into using it. Then, you have an easy to carry item with a soul.

[HalfDragonCube]

One of my more recent characters sold their soul to two other party members for all of their gold.:smallbiggrin:

I had huge amounts of useful equipment but one of them killed my character (along with himself) and the other one fed the soul to the necronomicon:smalleek: (don't ask, we were playing d&d though).

Then yet another party member took all of the equipment and spent it on a large greatsword they can't actually wield....:smallfrown:

[blackjack217]

I'm just curious. Is it that all Pathfinder is off-limits? otherwise the little deamon is custom made for this.

"Any attempt to resurrect a body whose soul is trapped in a soul gem requires a DC 12 caster level check." So not so useful as it never explicitly says you have to be in possession of the gem.

[KillianHawkeye]

Does he work alone (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IWorkAlone)?

Because if not, you might want to give him a party. A muscular party.

More or less. He does have a dragon cohort, but he won't be relying on it during his first appearance since he is basically challenging the PCs because it sounded fun rather than because of a true interest in the bounty on them. (He's Chaotic Evil.) Even so, it's unfeasable to carry away 6-10 living prisoners if there's no good reason to do so, especially when a couple of them aren't terribly hindered by being tied up.


I'm just curious. Is it that all Pathfinder is off-limits? otherwise the little deamon is custom made for this.

Yeah, I am running D&D 3.5, not Pathfinder. Also, as Blackjack points out, the soul can be easily retrieved with a simple caster level check. As the PCs are level 12, they will automatically pass a DC 12 caster level check.