Weird Campaign Idea: Playing as Devils

[Ravens_cry]

OK, political campaigns can be fun, and so can (if done right) evil campaigns, but what about upping the stakes a little to playing the ultimate Byzantine system of political manoeuvring and backstabbing?
No, not <insert real world nation's political structure here/>, I am talking the Nine Hells.
My quandary for the Playground is what kind of low-ranking devils would be suitable for such a campaign. Probably a little higher than Lemures, but not much.
Furthermore, do you think this could be done well, or would it just degenerate into silliness?

[Red Fel]

OK, political campaigns can be fun, and so can (if done right) evil campaigns, but what about upping the stakes a little to playing the ultimate Byzantine system of political manoeuvring and backstabbing?
No, not <insert real world nation's political structure here/>, I am talking the Nine Hells.
My quandary for the Playground is what kind of low-ranking devils would be suitable for such a campaign. Probably a little higher than Lemures, but not much.
Furthermore, do you think this could be done well, or would it just degenerate into silliness?

It can be as serious or as silly as you want, I think, but first and foremost it requires mature players. Far too many players see an opportunity to play Evil Outsiders as a chance to be an absolute jerk to the other players at every opportunity. This is no fun and ruins friendships. But a capable and mature group of players can bring an incredible amount of potential.

Remember, first, that the Hells are rigidly hierarchical. Think of The Screwtape Letters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters). Everyone has a place, a role, a task to fulfill. Of course they're ambitious, and of course they're willing to screw over other Devils to get there. But every time they look up, not only do they see their next goal, but they also see numerous, craftier, more capable Devils who have done what they did and are watching them like hawks. Sometimes, ambition isn't rewarded - or, if it is, it's rewarded with more work. Smart Devils may realize that it's better to serve invisibly then reign in Hell.

Towards that end, diversify your party. Not only in terms of the style and combat powers of your Devils, but in their specific areas of infernal specialization. Use that. Say that the party has been dispatched on a particular task for a particular mission. Play up the bureaucracy aspect. Remind them that they're not in this for a reward - rather, they're in this for the opposite, a cessation of punishment. Success brings a reprieve to suffering, not any tangible kind of gain. Impress upon them that their choices are "come home successful" or "don't come home."

As for types, think archetypes. For instance, a Bearded Devil is great for a brutish shocktrooper-type character. They're arguably the closest thing an LE Outsider can get to a Berserker. A Bone Devil can be more like a party face-slash-rogue, gathering information and spying. (Do something about that face, though. Because, da-yumn.) An Erinyes can also serve as a party face, to charm and seduce people. Hellcats are scouts, obviously. Horned Devils make great Evil Knight archetypes, but are naturally very powerful, which might unbalance a party. (Narzugons also fill this slot.) For a caster, go with an Amnizu. If you want somebody to be sort of the "outsider" in the group, consider an Ice Devil (they don't play well with others) or an Abishai (they're made by Tiamat, so their Devil status is iffy).

If you need more types and ideas, there's a list here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5573.0) that's fairly thorough.

You'll notice that most of the Devils I named above are reasonably potent. There's a reason for that. It can take a long time for a Devil to earn the infernal equivalent of his wings, but once he has, he tends to surge in power substantially, going from Lemure or Imp to Erinyes or Steel Devil fairly quickly. It's not a linear scale. So there isn't all that much variety at the low end of the Diabolical totem pole.

[CombatOwl]

OK, political campaigns can be fun, and so can (if done right) evil campaigns, but what about upping the stakes a little to playing the ultimate Byzantine system of political manoeuvring and backstabbing?
No, not <insert real world nation's political structure here/>, I am talking the Nine Hells.
My quandary for the Playground is what kind of low-ranking devils would be suitable for such a campaign. Probably a little higher than Lemures, but not much.
Furthermore, do you think this could be done well, or would it just degenerate into silliness?

I've always wanted to do a Vrock band. Granted, they're demons rather than devils, but the idea sounds fun...

[Talya]

Impress upon them that their choices are "come home successful" or "don't come home."


Ah, if only "don't come home" was an option. Devils tend to love staying in the prime material as long as possible.