Wanted: A proper sadistic fiend to torment my warlock

[hominyjibjib]

I'm just starting my first game playing a warlock and I've been working with a rather fun character:

Young man, grew up on the streets but pulled himself out and found a fitting career as a courier. Strives to do what is right and saves up money to open a school for homeless children.

His story really begins when a bored devil/demon chooses him for reasons unknown to serve as their sadistic entertainment, forcing him into a pact and imbuing him with warlock powers. His life going forward is now under observation of the fiend who occasionally intervenes for their own pleasure. Additionally, the fiend appeared at first in the form of some common, harmless animal, and now my character is absolutely terrified if he ever sees one.

I have played a few games before, but the entire pantheon of D&D is beyond my experience. Any suggestions for a powerful being from another plane who would yank around a mortal for their own joy, and the feral animal form it would take? We are playing a lighthearted game so a rather harmless animal is preferred.
For reference, I had picked out Anthraxus based on a two sentence description. I find out while fleshing out my character's background that he's pretty damn intense, but the DM would roll with it at my expense. Maybe I should just stick with that?

Alternatively, I have free reign to make one up. That seems the simplest option.

[stollfy]

Id suggest Pazuzu he loves watching mortals

[Falcon X]

Sounds like it is more on the chaos side of the spectrum.

The two already mentioned are indeed strong choices:
- Pazuzu would indeed be a good choice. If I'm correct, he fits the description of how your character would have encountered him.
Pazuzu would, of course, be a bird.
- Abraxus is also an interesting choice. He would be messing with you with a very firm goal in mind. Reminds me a little of Vecna, only a little less evil and more fantastical. If I used Abraxus, I would make it one of his underlings that you are actually meeting.
He seems to favor serpents, which is very thematic.

You might also consider an archfae. Puck himself is a fun choice. If you have read/watched Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, the Man with the Thistle Down Hair provides a good character type too.

[Joe the Rat]

Pazuzu the Pigeon! Heh.

Other ideas:
Grazz't has always struck me as a bit of a s**ts and giggles sort of Demon Lord. Your life isn't just on for amusement, it's playing on the big screen in the background whenever he's got one of his elegant dinner party / raves going on. Very highbrow. A black cat with six toes would be a good manifestation choice. Nowadays, you aren't sticking around long enough to count the toes on those paws.

My Out of the Abyss patron was known as Chun the Unavoidable. Also called The Harvester of Eyes. He sees all that he can see. He looks from inside your head, right through to the back of your skull. Or something like that. In the Vance/Dharma mash-up version here, he's collecting experiences, which are stored in creature's eyes. You're his roving drone/street cam, and he wants you to go find and experience all sorts of horrible things. He also occasionally requests that you retrieve the eyes of those you kill. The Robe of eyes is a very appropriate item for you to acquire, and one that should freak you out completely.
Appearing as a crow or other eye-pecking creature would work here. Also, take at least one "sight" invocation.

Which of the ArchDevils is frozen in a block of ice? Mephistopheles? Levistus? That one. This is sort of an extension of the above, except that here you are making up for your Patron's total lack of sensation by being, er, his skin. He feels what you feel. And there are things he's been kind of missing, and would really enjoy. Like ghost pepper salsa, or the feel of vermin crawling over your body, or what it's like to get stabbed. Man, I miss that stabbing feeling. And occasionally something good, though his tastes may not match your own. On the downside, you never seem to be warm enough any more. Armor of Agathys Caina is an essential spell.
You could go anywhere with this, from beetles or locusts (ice devil theme) to snakes (a classic) to goats or pigs (horns and hooves).

Care for a wager? Find a fiend with a penchant for games and gambles. Yugoloth or Demon. The Golden Lady. Minnesota Fats. Garak the Bookie. Whatever. You may have gotten into this on the burnt end of a bad wager, but you're no player now, dog. Seriously, you're the dog. Your patron is putting you in harms way, and taking bets on you completing quests, or surviving. Like any good wagering fiend, he's stacking the deck by giving you that little oomph.
Anything animal you can bet on would be a possibility. The rat or the terrier; dogs (racing, of course); horses; roosters (not racing, of course); Caleveras hopping frogs. Animals associated with luck or prosperity.

[gfishfunk]

The Tormentor of Lists:
- Bookish devil in the shape of a squirrel.
- Constantly managing lists.
- Requires detailed reports of EVERYTHING, including people met including descriptions, names, drawings that are never detailed enough; party members, goals, objectives, and detailed accounts of meals compositions, amounts eaten, water drank, and bathroom breaks.
- Occasionally he is handed powders, drinks, and foods and is told to consume them to figure out what --if any-- effects it has on human metabolism. Then, given ominous warnings like 'Once you drink this, be sure to create a report of the viscosity and color of your urine for the next 24 hours. Also report if there is any bleeding and the severity of any pain.'
Basically, the warlock --not the warlock's friends or associates-- are the subject of random devil testing and experimentation.

[Addaran]

Care for a wager? Find a fiend with a penchant for games and gambles. Yugoloth or Demon. The Golden Lady. Minnesota Fats. Garak the Bookie. Whatever. You may have gotten into this on the burnt end of a bad wager, but you're no player now, dog. Seriously, you're the dog. Your patron is putting you in harms way, and taking bets on you completing quests, or surviving. Like any good wagering fiend, he's stacking the deck by giving you that little oomph.


That's a great idea! Patron tells all his friends how the new mission will be dangerous and shows graphs of probability of TPKs. Then they bet at what point of the mission the warlock will die. (Patron secretly gives more powers to the warlock so he can survive). Patron could even accept bribes to let betters go on the material plane and join the warlock enemy's team.

[hominyjibjib]

TFantastic stuff to work with! I'll be cobbling a couple of these motives together.




Grazz't has always struck me as a bit of a s**ts and giggles sort of Demon Lord. Your life isn't just on for amusement, it's playing on the big screen in the background whenever he's got one of his elegant dinner party / raves going on.


I like this, especially combined with the gambling demon notion. Several high fiends gather for a twisted season of "Fantasy Adventure": Mortals are chosen and given powers, rosters are drafted, and play by play scores are kept as the pawns attempt to survive the challenges placed before them, even if they never even see each other. The fiend who wins gets bragging rights.

[Joe the Rat]

I like this, especially combined with the gambling demon notion. Several high fiends gather for a twisted season of "Fantasy Adventure": Mortals are chosen and given powers, rosters are drafted, and play by play scores are kept as the pawns attempt to survive the challenges placed before them, even if they never even see each other. The fiend who wins gets bragging rights.
Sweet Jas, I've got a half-court of Fae that this would be perfect for. I may have to replace one of my dinner party NPCs now.