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View Full Version : DM Help Warlock with a Faustian Bargain



saeval
2015-02-06, 03:13 AM
I will be running a campaign shortly set in Dragonlance, during a time when the gods are absent from the world. If you are familiar with the setting it would generally be around "the war of souls" Basically part of the scenario is that since the gods are gone, there is no magic, and since the gods were all a big part of "where souls go" the souls are all getting stuck on the material plane, not able to travel onward and further sucking the magic out of artifacts/the world so that they don't blink out of existence entirely. The vast majority of people do not know that the souls are lingering, and won't until its pretty much solved by gods coming back. (that will probably not happen unless it is the final resolution of my campaign)

A player wants to play a white robed (good) Wizard who lost his magic when the gods left, and went off the deep end of the justification pool, basically. The man was very talented/book smart and thoroughly enjoyed helping people with his magic and how it made him feel to be Useful. Without magic, he's spindly, he can make an herbal remedy or three, but that is not his passion. He wants the adulation. So, he made a Deal.

Basically, the Devil in which he is interacting, does have the innate magic to sustain him, but the idea is the devil is trapped on the material plane as well... He Really can't get back home, if he dies, he's dead, he can feel that link to home is severed, and I believe the pact will generally have something along the lines of "you need to help me get back home" in it. The idea is that the devil see's the opportunity in the smorgasbord of souls, and is getting more and more powerful as the campaign goes on, but is ostensibly just an Imp (when in fact he is literally obliterating souls and Ranking Up as it were) but he can't do so efficiently and knows that a portal to any underworld, would basically make a funnel for his feasting pleasure.

I know this probably sounds more demon-y, but the idea is sort of "while moms not home" basically, for once, there is no overlord above him, he's making the rules, its his jurisdiction. He does feel certain that his Boss will be back, at some point, maybe even soon. Maybe even when his unknowing partner-in-crime opens up a rift to his plane. He plans on replacing his Boss when that happens.

The player only knows the first two paragraphs. I believe the party would be able to handle the subterfuge here, and the reveal would be rather hilariously epic. I don't believe the party would implode, and it sort of works either way. If the Warlock plays it as "I was tricked, I didn't know, let me help destroy the monster I created, I know I was wrong! I just wanted to help!"

I am almost positive the players "would take him back" and if he goes Nuts and wants to serve his new Grand Master because there is nothing left in this world for him... well, free sidekick! (If he chose to help, I would have something set up as a new source of energy, even if it meant an impromptu change of class)

I feel it may be a little much to be putting on one persons shoulders, but I believe they would be psyched with it as well. I am mainly writing this all out to see if anyone has helpful feedback, suggestions, or clever ways to use devilkind. If you think this idea is terrible, by all means let me have it! That is why I'm posting it! I would appreciate any fake Faustian Pacts (or real, eep!) samples or anyone fluent in lawyer speak who would enjoy writing a short one up, as I find referencing an actual document would be hilarious at times, even if it wasn't Exactly on point.

kaoskonfety
2015-02-06, 09:21 AM
Lawful Evil would be perfectly willing to take advantage of the absence of authorities to fulfil or advance their personal agenda - within their personal code. In the case of an Imp they would probably have a contingency 'bribe' set aside to help grease the wheels when (if) the big boss men find out they've been skimming off the top and things go bad. "Hey boss!... ya, it against the rules... ya, really sorry boss, tell ya what, hows 1000 mortals souls and we don't need to bring this up at review time? No dice? how about 20,000 souls and you are 'pleased with my initiative?'" To take it a bit more NE assign a Yugoloth or similar NE "lawyer horror" - I find they may better infernal patrons for warlocks anyway - "I don't dare WHAT you DO with the power I'm selling you, PAY me."

To add a touch more horror when the final reveal happens, the bribe (or commission to his superiors) is what one would call large - tens of thousands of souls - about 20% of his take... and let it sink in that upwards of 200,000 souls (adjust numbers as you see fit) have been *destroyed* by the "good" characters desire to "help people". This gives the added omph of giving you the option to have the party be able to SAVE some of said souls as part of a sub-tactic in the brawl (see any number of video games where the final bad eats helpless victims and/or allies on the field for power buffs).

As far as weight on the players shoulders... I'm not seeing it. "I DIDN'T KNOW" is the correct reaction for their side once the reveal occurs, and prior to the reveal he playing a warlock... whose devil patrons voice get deeper as he levels, nothing out of the ordinary here!

Most groups will see this as an awesome bad/twist to go confront OOC. IC? I'd expect some *constrained* flip out at a good roleplay oriented table - See Roy and V having a chat about Familiside... comic 944/945. Maybe find a way to direct you players to this comic a few sessions before hand for some light foreshadowing OOC?

saeval
2015-02-06, 09:59 PM
Oh man, That soul bribe idea is golden. Will definitely being adding that, cause it really does add some flavor. Thank you for the show of support, was worried that the idea was a bit too far out there, but you are right, it doesn't put any weight on the player, I was just nervously imagining so. He's being Duped, it really isn't his fault.