Help me counter my DM (and background)

[Sergio]

Hey,
I'm pretty new to this forum, but I saw that there are a lot of knowledgeable people inside.

So, my characters's story:

a son of a librarian looking to do good things (and totally ignorant of magic) finding a book with a chaotic evil demon inside which gives him the chance to cast spells (but my character early didn't know the reason of why he was so 'benevolent'); now he knows that the entity wants my character to free him and that the book makes 'demonical' powers flow within the body of my character and may change some of the features of his body (from eyes to hairs, and also the features of his body -> tiefling transformation).

Yesterday, it was my first day with the new party. Some things to note:

> Two of the party members are chaotic neutral, one is lawful good, and there is me, true neutral.

> My character is good in nature, and troubled. Gave some platinum coins to a kid because he felt was the right thing to do.

> I had to give the control of my character to the demon more than once, to
1) make him save the life of one of the party's member (we had a reaper - don't remember the name of the prestige class but it is from nephandum - that has killed a lot of people). A group of knights came hunting him and were arresting us all, but my party member was going to die (he didn't want to get imprisoned). I tried to reason with the demon inside the book to give me the power to save the life - that my dm was roleplaying, of course - and he asked me to give him the control of my body. I answered bad to him and I lost my magical powers. Then I prayed him to do something when things was getting hot and he saved our life.

2) Other two times I gave him control because
> He wishes to be free and had to talk with a certain person; I reached that person, but I lost conscience after having failed a saving throw and he talked with him. He didn't give me awareness of what he talked about, telling that it's not my purpose to know it.

> Gave him control once again to help my teammates that are all searching for different stuff to enter a certain place that was locked to 'common mortals'. But this time he gave me the chance to watch; the shame was that I couldn't understand what he talked about, given the fact that I don't know abysall.

Anyway, my character is pretty sad for being used by him, because in the beginning he thought it was a benevolent entity. Under a shrine, he started praying and crying to Fharlanghn (he never prayed to anyone) only to notice that the entity inside the book was definitely unsettled (and realising definitely that the entity is evil).

So, I was wondering how can I counter the influence of the demon. Have you got any tips?

My spell book is inhabitated by him. There is a chance that my DM will abuse my character by rolling a dice when the demon wants my character to do something. I don't know how to counter that.

> By the way, I also had a vision : the demon had the same ending Irenicus had. Going into hell when dead.

Suggestions?

[OldTrees1]

So, I was wondering how can I counter the influence of the demon. Have you got any tips?

So sometimes the demon uses your desires by asking for control and other times the demon seizes control via a saving throw?

Countering the demon's attempt to influence you voluntarily giving control is both easy and hard. Your character(hereafter called you) needs to change their relationship with the demon. Perhaps reframe it as you granting the demon a favor by allowing it to help. You don't need to allow it and allowing it is no favor to you. Make it clear that you expect the demon to show gratitude and favors in exchange for the gift of being allow to help in this singular case. Very importantly, this singular case does not set a precedent for future gifts of permission to help. This will also strengthen your character's self image so that they can see themselves as not needing the demon (which is the 1st step in refusing the demon).

Countering the involuntary control is easier in that you are not fighting yourself. All you would need to do is investigate means of blocking possession(Protection from Evil in 3.5 works IIRC). Finding faith and devoting oneself to serving a deity might provide you with the means to protect yourself.

[frost890]

The way I see it you can try and redeem it(Unlikely), Free it, Free yourself from it or find a way to control it. One of the faith books had information on redeeming items it might work on the demon. Freeing it could be dangerous but you could get a demon npc on your side if done right. Getting break curse and sealing it away could get Browne points with a local church. The last one would involve a church or mage of some kind.

[Sergio]

So sometimes the demon uses your desires by asking for control and other times the demon seizes control via a saving throw?

Countering the demon's attempt to influence you voluntarily giving control is both easy and hard. Your character(hereafter called you) needs to change their relationship with the demon. Perhaps reframe it as you granting the demon a favor by allowing it to help. You don't need to allow it and allowing it is no favor to you. Make it clear that you expect the demon to show gratitude and favors in exchange for the gift of being allow to help in this singular case. Very importantly, this singular case does not set a precedent for future gifts of permission to help. This will also strengthen your character's self image so that they can see themselves as not needing the demon (which is the 1st step in refusing the demon).

Countering the involuntary control is easier in that you are not fighting yourself. All you would need to do is investigate means of blocking possession(Protection from Evil in 3.5 works IIRC). Finding faith and devoting oneself to serving a deity might provide you with the means to protect yourself.

I won't tell my party member that a protection from evil can shield me, but I will tip him about it. I don't want to do any metagame, honestly, and telling him to cast that spell on me each time something weird happens, is going to be troublesome.

The demon just tells me when I make him understand that I'm doing him a favor that he will just find another owner (I'm just a mere human); I knew how to work with magic only through the demon and his knowledge. IF I had found just a spellbook , I would not be able to comprehend it.


The way I see it you can try and redeem it(Unlikely), Free it, Free yourself from it or find a way to control it. One of the faith books had information on redeeming items it might work on the demon. Freeing it could be dangerous but you could get a demon npc on your side if done right. Getting break curse and sealing it away could get Browne points with a local church. The last one would involve a church or mage of some kind.
Can you tell me about these faith books and the redeeming items?

[The Grue]

I won't tell my party member that a protection from evil can shield me, but I will tip him about it. I don't want to do any metagame, honestly, and telling him to cast that spell on me each time something weird happens, is going to be troublesome.

Emphasis mine. It's a bit late to avoid metagaming if that's your aim - by posting this thread and asking people outside your game how your character should act, that ship has already sailed.

[OldTrees1]

I won't tell my party member that a protection from evil can shield me, but I will tip him about it. I don't want to do any metagame, honestly, and telling him to cast that spell on me each time something weird happens, is going to be troublesome.

The demon just tells me when I make him understand that I'm doing him a favor that he will just find another owner (I'm just a mere human); I knew how to work with magic only through the demon and his knowledge. IF I had found just a spellbook , I would not be able to comprehend it.

The "(Protection from Evil)" was meant as an OOC example of the IC "Something that blocks possession". I suggest you character go looking/asking about ways to block possession and use that IC knowledge.


The demon is playing hard. Trying to reframe the relationship might risk losing those arcane powers. The demon is trapped inside the spellbook. As long as you have the book, the demon has not other potential patrons. You have arranged it so that, if you die by the demon, your allies will bury you with the book in a manner that it won't be found for 1000 years. Since respecting you grants it release sooner, it is better off out waiting your lifespan than waste 1000 years. Since serving you makes you inclined to grant it access to the outside, it is even better off serving you than merely out waiting your lifespan.

[frost890]

Can you tell me about these faith books and the redeeming items?

I want to say it was the book of exalted deeds. Most of my books are in storage but if I remember right the process involved a series of will/deplomacy checks followed by a gold cost depending on the lvl/ego of the item. This can be tricky as the item can fight back but it sounds like the demon may be trying to sway you to its side anyway. Absent someone in your group having that book (3.0 I think) you will have to get with your GM to hash out the details.

[Anonymouswizard]

First off, more information on these 'arcane powers' would be nice, are you literally a wizard? If so, losing your power and working to regain it might be interesting as an adventure.

As it is, you have a few options:
1) work to free the demon and then find a way to regain your powers. I'd actually suggest doing it if this was a demon, as long as you worked out a deal.
2) somehow get it bound to the book and under your control. This is the ideal, as you can no longer be controlled but keep your powers.
3) sever the link between you and the demon and get a different set of powers. If done yourself and the DM allows the Archivist class then I suggest asking for a rebuild to that, otherwise work out something that fits with the method you severed the demon with.

Any method for mitigating the demon without giving up the powers could easily backfire because, no matter if demon or devil, it could easily twist that into voiding your bargin, and regaining your power would require less favourable terms.

Of course, a good god might always help you exorcise it and then give clerical powers, as long as you can prove yourself truly faithful.