Binding an outsider to you for power

[j_spencer93]

I see this mentioned alot in d&d stories but is there any actual way to do it in 3.x? I know of binder, but i mean actually summoning a powerful outsider and sealing it inside your form to gain power.

[Flickerdart]

Yes! Extract Gift (Fiendish Codex 1) allows you to lop off a bunch of an outsider's essence and attach it to yourself for stat or skill boosts. The more influence you allow the demon over the subject, the easier the process is.

There's also Fiends of Possession that can possess a creature for bonuses, but they do so willingly (and can coerce the subject into doing stuff for them).

[Forrestfire]

There is also the good-aligned version of possession, Channeling, detailed in the Book of Exalted Deeds. And a (crappy) PrC in Dragon Magazine #321 based around that concept.

[j_spencer93]

I never knew that was in the Fiendish Codex sweet. I will check out channeling for an idea a player once had (wanted to be an infused class, idk the Dragon number, but channeling would add alot of flavor). Also i will look up that class, crappy or not maybe it has what i am seeking.
In my campaign the man BBEG wants to bind the greater dread Yrsillar? to him. i think i messed up the name.

EDIT: I now see you were talking about the infused. Ya they suck.

[j_spencer93]

Extract Gift is permanent? So could you use it multiple times to gain different bonuses?

[Troacctid]

The Demonbinder prestige class from Drow of the Underdark allows Warlocks to bind fiends to themselves for short periods of time to gain extra abilities and temporary HP.

[j_spencer93]

That might be work looking into too. I like extract gift, but i wish to gain the demons special abilities, even limited versions of them too. Warlock/Wizard might be the way to go to use both ways.

[Andry]

You could be a Kalshatar or a Chosen from Eberron.

[j_spencer93]

I knew about those but was specifically looking for a way a normal human/elf/dwarf/any other mundane race could steal the powers of outsiders for themselves.

[Zaq]

The soulmeld Incarnate Avatar isn't technically binding an outsider to yourself, but it's pretty darn similar.

Fiendbinder, from Tome of Magic, is more about "binding fiends to your service" and less "binding fiends to your body," but they do have the Bind Tormented Soul ability, which is neat, and the Gift of the Archfiend ability, which seems to be kind of exactly what you're looking for, if kind of limited.

Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells has a whole line of spells called "Investiture of the X," where X is a specific kind of devil. They're pretty close to what you're after, I think, and they're just basic Cleric and Wizard spells, so anyone who casts from those lists (and who is okay with spells with the [Evil] tag) can use them.

Of course, we can't forget Acolyte of the Skin, from Complete Arcane. It's not a very powerful PrC, but it's flavorful as hell, and it's exactly about binding a fiend to your body.

[j_spencer93]

Well i the evil spells would work. in our game, forgotten realms setting, only the spells from the player's handbook and the main FR book can readily be learned. others must be taught, researched, etc. limits it a little but not much and allows some great RP. Those investures would be a good way to show someone has really become vile to the core, maybe the knowledge is granted to him by a powerful outsider.
I will look into the classes mentioned to see if i like any of them.

[Psyren]

The Binder adaptation (ToM 15) lets you use actual fiends (and/or angels) instead of the amoral vestiges. You can even keep the powers of most vestiges unchanged; just change their names, add an alignment component and alter the Influence sections slightly and you have a whole new class.

[j_spencer93]

Not bad actually. I like the idea of the vestiges alot though.

[Flickerdart]

vile to the core
Don't you mean...bad to the bone? :smallcool:

[j_spencer93]

was avoiding that lol