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View Full Version : DM Help Need ideas for what a Qlippoth turned Demon Lord should look like



MonkeySage
2018-10-07, 01:02 AM
She has a few defining characteristics:

A suicidally devoted cult made up of intelligent undead, mortals, and outsiders of various sorts.

The presence of her cult is enough by itself to corrupt the landscape. They've created a unique disease similar to mummy rot (in that it is both a curse and a disease, and must be both cured and removed) and aim to spread it as far as possible. Those who die from this disease have an unhallowing effect over time, corrupting holy ground for the cult's own purposes.

Her "body" was torn to pieces a long time ago by an angel. The quintessence of her form was locked away inside various containers which, when opened, contribute to her reassembly. None of the containers is easy to reach, and all of them are protected. She herself knows where the containers are.

She has the ability to create incorporeal demonic entities, which can be summoned by the cult whenever they corrupt a temple. The entitites have no will of their own, and pretty much serve as her mouthpieces. They aren't very strong, but they can raise undead to fight for them (Animate Dead spell like ability). The demonic entity assumes the image of someone who has died, especially someone known to the observer. This allows Her to expand her cult and hasten her "reassembly".

Her endgame is to create a demonic empire on the material plane, where she and her children can feast. Her most loyal cultists might be transformed into demons, if they weren't already, and everyone else becomes food.

Her true form is huge and since she started out as a qlippoth, she doesn't have a humanoid shape. And what mortals see when they look at her isn't what she truly looks like. So my question is "What do they see?"

Andor13
2018-10-07, 09:43 PM
I'm not sure I understand the scenario.

Is the disconnect between her appearance and reality due to her powers making her seem more attractive to mortal followers/meals? If so then she probably looks either attractive (possibly in a disturbing way) or what they expect her to look like. Is it some side effect of her ascension and thus not under her control? Does it reflect her role, or past, or potential? What is the goal, and what is the effect of an unexpected reveal? (Because some PC will use true seeing on her at some point.)

Ideas

A Doorway to a perfect world
A welcoming mother figure
a swirling cloud of hypnotic colors
A vortex of darkness
A maw like a wound in the world
Sarlacc pit

MonkeySage
2018-10-08, 12:27 PM
They see the bootprint, not the boot.

Nifft
2018-10-08, 03:37 PM
They see the bootprint, not the boot.

Ranger: "Can I use my Track feat to find the boot?"

Andor13
2018-10-09, 09:21 AM
Qlippoth turned Demon-God is free reign to make the most horrific thing you can imagine. Throw lovecraft and geiger into a blender and hit 'chunky salsa.' The only rule is "No humanoid".

For horror, suggesting is always better than showing. I'd concentrate on the themeing of the corruptive influence she has on reality. Run with the disease theme, with the land twisting into a festering hellscape full of pustules that burst into swarms of tentacle-spiders or whatever is likeliest to freak out your players. Take a look at things like Bobbit worms and other polychaetes.

She probably shouldn't be a worse encounter than the existing Qlippoth turned Demon Lords like Jubbliex, but aside from that, go nuts.