Asmodeus priests after death.

[KindOfGoodGuy]

It's kind of obvious that when a person dies they will be sent to hell if they either A) Worshiped or interacted with demons and/or devils, or B) Were just really really evil and terrible. But what happens to the priests of Azmodeus after death? I mean sure, those people technically fill out at least one of the two previously mentioned requirements and usually people will be sent to the place where their god lives after death, but do they receive the eternal damnation that others receive as well? I would like to believe that if the priest wasn't just really really terrible at his job and actually did reasonably well it would make sense for him to receive some kind of boon or some position in the infernal hierarchy.

[Spore]

I feel the obvious solution is that they get formed into a devil most appropriate to their CR in life. If they had a precise characteristic like sadism, they would be used to form a barbed devil.

[tadkins]

They would likely think they're getting something in exchange for their loyal devotion and service, but just about everyone that goes to Hell ends up getting rendered down and turned into a lemure. I read somewhere that only the truly exceptional individuals that have advanced the cause of Hell in a meaningful way get something more than that.

[pwykersotz]

As a deity he should have the standard Divine Realm/petitioner setup. Worshipers have no memory of their lives and live according to their alignment in the afterlife.

[hamishspence]

I read somewhere that only the truly exceptional individuals that have advanced the cause of Hell in a meaningful way get something more than that.

That would be Fiendish Codex 2. "Early promotion from lemure" is the usual for the devoted but not super-exceptional.

[KindOfGoodGuy]

I feel the obvious solution is that they get formed into a devil most appropriate to their CR in life. If they had a precise characteristic like sadism, they would be used to form a barbed devil.

That........actually makes a lot of sense. Never really thought about it like that.

[Coidzor]

What he does with them after he gets a bunch of petitioners in his divine realm is up to him, but it's a bit of a stretch for even Asmodeus to be able to pull the wool over the eyes of all of his high level clerics and those are the ones he's most interested in keeping on the job, so it'd be silly of him to screw over all of his faithful, at least obviously.

Not to mention, horribly lacking in his vaunted subtlety.

Especially if deities have a metaphysical reason for keeping divine realms and petitioners around in the first place.

[Spore]

What he does with them after he gets a bunch of petitioners in his divine realm is up to him, but it's a bit of a stretch for even Asmodeus to be able to pull the wool over the eyes of all of his high level clerics and those are the ones he's most interested in keeping on the job, so it'd be silly of him to screw over all of his faithful, at least obviously.

If he hasn't 99% of his divine servants bound by some contract he is clearly doing it wrong. An Asmodean cleric needs the support of a devil at LEAST once in his career if he hasn't given up his soul by the time he signed up for Asmodeus (i.e. the first ritual any cleric does).

[atemu1234]

I feel the obvious solution is that they get formed into a devil most appropriate to their CR in life. If they had a precise characteristic like sadism, they would be used to form a barbed devil.

If they were useful. If not, hello lemure.

[Coidzor]

If he hasn't 99% of his divine servants bound by some contract he is clearly doing it wrong. An Asmodean cleric needs the support of a devil at LEAST once in his career if he hasn't given up his soul by the time he signed up for Asmodeus (i.e. the first ritual any cleric does).

And the actually useful ones get right back out of them or renegotiate them into something other than getting a worthless watch fob for their immortal soul. What's your point?

[Psyren]

I I would like to believe that if the priest wasn't just really really terrible at his job and actually did reasonably well it would make sense for him to receive some kind of boon or some position in the infernal hierarchy.

But that's the paradox, isn't it? If he wasn't terrible at his job, he'd still be doing it, i.e. alive. The fact that he died at all means he's a failure. Asmodeus has a buttload of dead souls already; if those could make a difference, he wouldn't even need living clerics in the first place. So why throw more good (evil) energy after bad by promoting the poor grub when he can either (a) have it start from the bottom to really prove its worth or (b) simply use the soul as a commodity or reagent to craft/obtain a magic item for one of the actually useful living diabolic priests/cultists?

That is the most likely line of reasoning for the vast majority of souls that arrive in hell. Only the slimmest few prove so thoroughly in life that they do have the potential needed to be something more that they get to skip the torture or consumption process and retain their sense of self. I would expect the ones that do to be so diabolical and powerful that they were practically devils already.

[Arbane]

Only the slimmest few prove so thoroughly in life that they do have the potential needed to be something more that they get to skip the torture or consumption process and retain their sense of self.

Why would they do that?

Individuality is a defect that must be rectified. (LAWFUL Evil, remember?)

[Psyren]

Why would they do that?

Individuality is a defect that must be rectified. (LAWFUL Evil, remember?)

Exactly - it's extremely rare. But tyrants are individuals too, yet they exemplify Lawful Evil. Just look at Tarquin - would you not consider him to be an individual?

In short, the ones that are so exceptional that they set an example for the others to follow get to be themselves despite being LE.

[goto124]

You can think of it as a promotion maybe? Why let the supremely exceptional talent go to waste? There will still be a lot of mindless minions compared to the smart LE people in charge.

[Fouredged Sword]

You guys are missing the easy answer. What happens to them after death is exactly what the contract STATES will happen, no more, no less. Asmodeus doesn't have servants so much as subcontractors. They got into the arrangement for a reason, and they have expectations for what they are going to get out of it. That Asmodeus ends up getting the better side of the deal goes without saying.

The least useful get to "enter his service" after death, IE become lemures. Those that have particularly useful minds get turned into more intelligent devils.

I suspect that SOME of his minions have a true resurrection + greater planeshift + please don't mindrape me clause. Yeah, it's the Cadillac of afterlife arrangements, but the cost is well worth it. It makes you REALLY hard to keep dead. A pit fiend just pops you back to life and sends you straight back to the prime material at a location of your choice.

Then you just have to worry about old age. The eternal youth support program receives excellent reviews by those who enroll. For the low cost of 1000 souls a year Asmodeus will see to it you stay at the normal adult age for your race, for as long as you continue to make payments.

After all, a living servant is FAR more useful than another devil. Especially one that has a debt to make good on.

[Mystral]

It's kind of obvious that when a person dies they will be sent to hell if they either A) Worshiped or interacted with demons and/or devils, or B) Were just really really evil and terrible. But what happens to the priests of Azmodeus after death? I mean sure, those people technically fill out at least one of the two previously mentioned requirements and usually people will be sent to the place where their god lives after death, but do they receive the eternal damnation that others receive as well? I would like to believe that if the priest wasn't just really really terrible at his job and actually did reasonably well it would make sense for him to receive some kind of boon or some position in the infernal hierarchy.

"Welcome, Mr. Evil MacLawfullson. I see that you are a cleric of some standing with our eternal father, and by the contract sealed by you during your innitiation in the faith, you shall be granted transformation into a devil. Please fill out this stack of forms to see which kinds of devil you may apply to (subject to executive meddling, of course)."

In short, turned into a devil. The higher in the faith (CR isn't as important), the higher the devil. Maybe an ice devil for an arch priest, a bearded devil for rank and file clergy.

[Spore]

The eternal youth support program receives excellent reviews by those who enroll. For the low cost of 1000 souls a year Asmodeus will see to it you stay at the normal adult age [...]

Why am I imagining a TV informercial?

Tired of dying? Serving those with little vision? Do you HATE babies? If you can answer one or all of these questions with yes (or maybe) then have I got a deal for you...