Warlock Devil Pact

[adonis53]

Hey there! So I'm going to be playing a Paladin/Warlock. Hes from an order of knights who sell their soul for power to better defend the greater good. My DM wants me to come up with the contract that would have been agreed upon and I was interested to see if anyone out here actually can whip up a realistic short contract. Shouldn't need to be more than a page, i just wanted it to be accurate. Essentially I sell my soul after death to Fierna, the Archdevil of Phlegethos, in exchange for power. In addition to that, to continue gaining power past the first warlock levels I have to perform tasks for her. But the terms would be along the lines of "X will perform tasks in Y's name, as long as they dont violate X's tenets"

If anyone can help with this that would be awesome! Thanks in advance :)

For reference, the tenets he follows are essentially:
-Be kind to others.
-Never let injustice go unpunished.
-Always defend those who can't defend themselves.
-Always offer redemption, and forgive those who truly seek atonement.
-Never fall to fear in the face of evil or injustice.

[ATHATH]

Red Fel, Red Fel, Red Fel.

[Vogie]

For reference, the tenets he follows are essentially:
-Be kind to others.
-Never let injustice go unpunished.
-Always defend those who can't defend themselves.
-Always offer redemption, and forgive those who truly seek atonement.
-Never fall to fear in the face of evil or injustice.

I'd lose these two, or reword them in some way that makes sense for a devil to care about or even understand.

With the Fiend lock/ Paladin combo, You're basically playing Ghost Rider. You're using hellish abilities to be a spirit of vengeance against the evil.
If you want to be kind or offer redemption, You could write in a fact that you won't be a killer murderhobo, having your blows and various styles of damage be non-lethal, subduing and otherwise incapacitating your targets. That means, of course, that your other party members may kill them, or the "redemption/atonement" offered may be delivering the targets to the local authorities, a council of the PC's faction, or even a tribunal of Archdevils (I wonder how that'll go...).

[Clone]

Honestly the Oath of Conquest tenets work quite well for a Devil Pact. For reference:
Douse the Flame of Hope.
It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies' will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.
Rule with an Iron Fist
Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.
Strength Above All
You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin

Seems rather demonic, so I'd mix in some of the Vengeance tenets and you'd be good to go.
Most of what you were saying doesn't seem too tempting for a devil to take due to them being evil

[adonis53]

Red Fel, Red Fel, Red Fel. Apologies, I'm not picking up on your reference.


I'd lose these two, or reword them in some way that makes sense for a devil to care about or even understand.

With the Fiend lock/ Paladin combo, You're basically playing Ghost Rider. You're using hellish abilities to be a spirit of vengeance against the evil.
If you want to be kind or offer redemption, You could write in a fact that you won't be a killer murderhobo, having your blows and various styles of damage be non-lethal, subduing and otherwise incapacitating your targets. That means, of course, that your other party members may kill them, or the "redemption/atonement" offered may be delivering the targets to the local authorities, a council of the PC's faction, or even a tribunal of Archdevils (I wonder how that'll go...).
True that he is very Ghost Rider-esque in his vengeance Archdevil Paladinlock ways, but he additionally is a yuan ti whose people were horrible monsters and he was raised by the paladins instead after they killed the village of yuan ti slavers/cannibals. So he thinks like this: *Sees Evil* > try to persuade the perpetrator to stop > if they dont stop he smites them. (Basically since he was able to turn from evil he thinks everyone deserves a chance to.)

[adonis53]

Honestly the Oath of Conquest tenets work quite well for a Devil Pact. For reference:
Douse the Flame of Hope.
It is not enough to merely defeat an enemy in battle. Your victory must be so overwhelming that your enemies' will to fight is shattered forever. A blade can end a life. Fear can end an empire.
Rule with an Iron Fist
Once you have conquered, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey it shall be favored. Those who defy it shall be punished as an example to all who might follow.
Strength Above All
You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin

Seems rather demonic, so I'd mix in some of the Vengeance tenets and you'd be good to go.
Most of what you were saying doesn't seem too tempting for a devil to take due to them being evil

Hmmm thank you, I might be able to take some of those. The real help I need is writing a realistic sounding contract however. 😅

[Vogie]

Apologies, I'm not picking up on your reference.
That's a forum member who loves warlock pacts as a mechanic.


True that he is very Ghost Rider-esque in his vengeance Archdevil Paladinlock ways, but he additionally is a yuan ti whose people were horrible monsters and he was raised by the paladins instead after they killed the village of yuan ti slavers/cannibals. So he thinks like this: *Sees Evil* > try to persuade the perpetrator to stop > if they dont stop he smites them. (Basically since he was able to turn from evil he thinks everyone deserves a chance to.)

Okay, it sounds very Danny Ketch-esque version - In control until innocent blood is spilled.

[Red Fel]

Red Fel, Red Fel, Red Fel.

Really? Again with this?


That's a forum member who loves warlock pacts as a mechanic.

No, it's a forum member who's Lawful Evil and loving it. And more than willing to share. Let's get started, shall we?


Hey there! So I'm going to be playing a Paladin/Warlock. Hes from an order of knights who sell their soul for power to better defend the greater good. My DM wants me to come up with the contract that would have been agreed upon and I was interested to see if anyone out here actually can whip up a realistic short contract. Shouldn't need to be more than a page, i just wanted it to be accurate. Essentially I sell my soul after death to Fierna, the Archdevil of Phlegethos, in exchange for power. In addition to that, to continue gaining power past the first warlock levels I have to perform tasks for her. But the terms would be along the lines of "X will perform tasks in Y's name, as long as they dont violate X's tenets"

If anyone can help with this that would be awesome! Thanks in advance :)

For reference, the tenets he follows are essentially:
-Be kind to others.
-Never let injustice go unpunished.
-Always defend those who can't defend themselves.
-Always offer redemption, and forgive those who truly seek atonement.
-Never fall to fear in the face of evil or injustice.

Hmm. The first question I have is "Why?" Not "Why sell your soul," that's obvious, but "Why Fierna?"

I have a suggestion. I think you'll like it. And also hate it.

Your Paladin, right? He wants to fight Evil, right? Slay the wicked, protect the babies, smite and smoke and all that good stuff, yeah? But he wants to use Evil's power to do that. S'a bit of a tricky wicket, innit? How do we justify this, hm? Why, by turning Evil against itself! See, Fierna wants out from under Belial's thumb, doesn't she? So everything you do to benefit her, hurts him, doesn't it? It creates strife in that particular Hell, creates friction and impedes their goals, doesn't it?

That, by the way, is the logic of the slippery slope. But it will be central to your compact.

So, that compact. First paragraph will be typical Hellish legalese - identifying the parties (your PC, Fierna) and the governing rules (the Hells, obviously). Second section will identify the goods exchanged: your PC will receive Powers, as defined therein, in exchange for one (1) immortal soul, designated as that of your PC, to be collected after death of same.

Third section will define powers and their growth. This is the part with meat. Here, you lay out (1) what Fierna can ask your character to do in exchange for a power boost, and (2) the grounds pursuant to which your character may refuse. Bulleted lists are fine for each. Fierna will also likely insist on some language to the effect of "These restrictions can be waived with the knowing consent of both parties." Basically, a loophole that lets her try to get you to violate one of your tenets.

And that's basically the whole thing. You do things to benefit her and her goals, she empowers you, and you can still claim you're fighting the very forces you're strengthening.

All that out of the way... A few things. Like others, I feel that your tenets regarding mercy and redemption don't fit the concept. This is a character who was willing to seek power at any cost - even turning to Hell for it. That's not the kind of character who takes pity on his victims.

Are you familiar with the Japanese Spider-Man show from the 70s? The protagonist's catchphrase translated to, "I am the emissary of Hell... Spider-Man!" That's the mentality befitting a character like this. Hell wants to work with him because he delivers Hellbound souls; he wants to work with Hell because they provide power, and because his targets deserve nothing less than Hell as punishment.

The tenets you describe make him... Nice. Too nice, frankly. I don't understand why Fierna would enter into this bargain except to tempt him, and if he puts up too many barriers, it's just not worth it.

[adonis53]

That's a forum member who loves warlock pacts as a mechanic.



Okay, it sounds very Danny Ketch-esque version - In control until innocent blood is spilled.
Yeah if he fails to protect people one day he may start to question his power and seek more which can cause him to fall. xP

Really? Again with this?



No, it's a forum member who's Lawful Evil and loving it. And more than willing to share. Let's get started, shall we?



Hmm. The first question I have is "Why?" Not "Why sell your soul," that's obvious, but "Why Fierna?"

I have a suggestion. I think you'll like it. And also hate it.

Your Paladin, right? He wants to fight Evil, right? Slay the wicked, protect the babies, smite and smoke and all that good stuff, yeah? But he wants to use Evil's power to do that. S'a bit of a tricky wicket, innit? How do we justify this, hm? Why, by turning Evil against itself! See, Fierna wants out from under Belial's thumb, doesn't she? So everything you do to benefit her, hurts him, doesn't it? It creates strife in that particular Hell, creates friction and impedes their goals, doesn't it?

That, by the way, is the logic of the slippery slope. But it will be central to your compact.

So, that compact. First paragraph will be typical Hellish legalese - identifying the parties (your PC, Fierna) and the governing rules (the Hells, obviously). Second section will identify the goods exchanged: your PC will receive Powers, as defined therein, in exchange for one (1) immortal soul, designated as that of your PC, to be collected after death of same.

Third section will define powers and their growth. This is the part with meat. Here, you lay out (1) what Fierna can ask your character to do in exchange for a power boost, and (2) the grounds pursuant to which your character may refuse. Bulleted lists are fine for each. Fierna will also likely insist on some language to the effect of "These restrictions can be waived with the knowing consent of both parties." Basically, a loophole that lets her try to get you to violate one of your tenets.

And that's basically the whole thing. You do things to benefit her and her goals, she empowers you, and you can still claim you're fighting the very forces you're strengthening.

All that out of the way... A few things. Like others, I feel that your tenets regarding mercy and redemption don't fit the concept. This is a character who was willing to seek power at any cost - even turning to Hell for it. That's not the kind of character who takes pity on his victims.

Are you familiar with the Japanese Spider-Man show from the 70s? The protagonist's catchphrase translated to, "I am the emissary of Hell... Spider-Man!" That's the mentality befitting a character like this. Hell wants to work with him because he delivers Hellbound souls; he wants to work with Hell because they provide power, and because his targets deserve nothing less than Hell as punishment.

The tenets you describe make him... Nice. Too nice, frankly. I don't understand why Fierna would enter into this bargain except to tempt him, and if he puts up too many barriers, it's just not worth it.
I love the concept and will definitely bring it up with my DM. As far as him being too merciful and nice, it's more like he believes everyone deserves to be offered a second chance. He will offer them a chance to surrender. If they turn it down, he doesn't hesitate to smite them. And yes, you're right he doesn't pity evil victims. His whole paladin order seems to root out evil and destroy it, sacrificing their own souls in exchange for the power to do it better. I can change the tenets if needed to make him more likely to have the pact with Fierna, but I figured his soul as part of the trade would be worth it in the end since from what I read she is all about her soul quota haha. Also thank you for the legalese advice. I wrote a small contract a while back but it felt loose.

Edit: Additionally I fully expect for Fierna to give out missions that on the surface dont violate any of his tenets. I.e. Protect this shipment of goods and escort it to this person in this city and do not look in the box. Meanwhile hes shipping a crate full of demon summoning relics that the man will use to wreak havoc on a city. So while Kovar isn't actually violating his tenets and therefore Fierna isn't violating his contract, it is still fine and dandy.

Edit 2: Also, what do you think about these mashup of pacts from vengeance, conquest, and one that I made up:
Fight the Greater Evil: Faced with a choice of fighting my sworn foes or combating a lesser evil, I choose the greater evil.
No Mercy for the Wicked: Ordinary foes might win my mercy, but my sworn enemies do not.
Restitution: If my foes wreak ruin on the world, it is because I failed to stop them. I must help those harmed by their misdeeds.
Strength Above All: You shall rule until a stronger one arises. Then you must grow mightier and meet the challenge, or fall to your own ruin
Courage Against All Odds: Never fall to fear in the face of evil or injustice.

[Red Fel]

Yeah if he fails to protect people one day he may start to question his power and seek more which can cause him to fall. xP

I love the concept and will definitely bring it up with my DM. As far as him being too merciful and nice, it's more like he believes everyone deserves to be offered a second chance. He will offer them a chance to surrender. If they turn it down, he doesn't hesitate to smite them. And yes, you're right he doesn't pity evil victims. His whole paladin order seems to root out evil and destroy it, sacrificing their own souls in exchange for the power to do it better. I can change the tenets if needed to make him more likely to have the pact with Fierna, but I figured his soul as part of the trade would be worth it in the end since from what I read she is all about her soul quota haha. Also thank you for the legalese advice. I wrote a small contract a while back but it felt loose.

Edit: Additionally I fully expect for Fierna to give out missions that on the surface dont violate any of his tenets. I.e. Protect this shipment of goods and escort it to this person in this city and do not look in the box. Meanwhile hes shipping a crate full of demon summoning relics that the man will use to wreak havoc on a city. So while Kovar isn't actually violating his tenets and therefore Fierna isn't violating his contract, it is still fine and dandy.

My position on Pacts has always been, and will always be, thus: You don't need to trick your victim into damning themselves. You just have to give them the means to do so, and watch them do the legwork for you. Fact is, he's already halfway there - he decided that, rather than doing the hard work of acquiring power for himself, he wanted to trade away his soul for a quick advantage. So Fierna doesn't need to maneuver him into making bad choices - he's already proven that he will, when given the chance.

Instead, Fierna should be using him for her own advantage. It's rare that Evil gets a willing LG pawn to play with - that opens up a lot of possibilities. It would be frankly stupid of her to rush into making him Evil, or having him do dirty work. He's more beneficial to her as an LG pawn willing to do LG things. So she should be willing to let him adhere to his silly LG tenets if it guarantees his loyalty and subservience.

At the end of the day, though, let's be clear. Soul quotas are just numbers. Real power comes from influence, favors, reputation, things of that nature. Him ticking away at her ledger is all well and good, but Fierna wants more than that. And if your guy becomes a powerful force for LG, and is still obedient to her will? That's a powerful asset.

[adonis53]

My position on Pacts has always been, and will always be, thus: You don't need to trick your victim into damning themselves. You just have to give them the means to do so, and watch them do the legwork for you. Fact is, he's already halfway there - he decided that, rather than doing the hard work of acquiring power for himself, he wanted to trade away his soul for a quick advantage. So Fierna doesn't need to maneuver him into making bad choices - he's already proven that he will, when given the chance.

Instead, Fierna should be using him for her own advantage. It's rare that Evil gets a willing LG pawn to play with - that opens up a lot of possibilities. It would be frankly stupid of her to rush into making him Evil, or having him do dirty work. He's more beneficial to her as an LG pawn willing to do LG things. So she should be willing to let him adhere to his silly LG tenets if it guarantees his loyalty and subservience.

At the end of the day, though, let's be clear. Soul quotas are just numbers. Real power comes from influence, favors, reputation, things of that nature. Him ticking away at her ledger is all well and good, but Fierna wants more than that. And if your guy becomes a powerful force for LG, and is still obedient to her will? That's a powerful asset.

Actually yeah that is very true. So I think it works out perfectly then! Because as much as he hates that he made the deal for power, he feels that he is never strong enough. There is always a tougher foe. So he will always want to keep making deals with her as long as she doesn't try to "twist him to evil" in the way he thinks. Obviously he's already half-way there being that he sold his soul, but we shall see if that is as far as he falls... for now! :smallbiggrin:

[Red Fel]

Actually yeah that is very true. So I think it works out perfectly then! Because as much as he hates that he made the deal for power, he feels that he is never strong enough. There is always a tougher foe. So he will always want to keep making deals with her as long as she doesn't try to "twist him to evil" in the way he thinks. Obviously he's already half-way there being that he sold his soul, but we shall see if that is as far as he falls... for now! :smallbiggrin:

Precisely. That's how a good Pact works - it always leads to another. The Pact-giver just needs to be completely honest and upfront, and the patient (thank you Screwtape Letters) will do the rest. First taste is basically free, but later ones start costing. Not a lot, and never enough to make you flinch, but just enough to ensure that you will never turn away. She doesn't have to make him Evil, she just has to make him addicted.

[adonis53]

Precisely. That's how a good Pact works - it always leads to another. The Pact-giver just needs to be completely honest and upfront, and the patient (thank you Screwtape Letters) will do the rest. First taste is basically free, but later ones start costing. Not a lot, and never enough to make you flinch, but just enough to ensure that you will never turn away. She doesn't have to make him Evil, she just has to make him addicted.

As now I wish you were my DM haha. My DM basically said if I wanted to play this character I'd have to write up the contract and everything myself because they didn't see how it made sense. In my head it did and I explained it, but you explain it much better. :smallcool:

[Red Fel]

As now I wish you were my DM haha. My DM basically said if I wanted to play this character I'd have to write up the contract and everything myself because they didn't see how it made sense. In my head it did and I explained it, but you explain it much better. :smallcool:

Depending on how your DM operates, explaining it this way might make the character more appealing. This basically presents Fierna as a questgiver - someone who comes up with character-appropriate plot hooks for your character and party - but not necessarily one who is remotely invested in your success or safety. She doesn't care if you live or die, since she wins either way - she gets your soul, at the very least - but if you do survive, she gets a more powerful pawn.

And then when your character comes back seeking more power - which is quite likely, since Fierna will probably be sending you on missions just above your pay grade, and you'll see the deficits - your DM gets more plot hooks into you, since he can make more demands, make your character more isolated or more dependent, and basically employ your character as a living plot device for the rest of the party.

And the best part? As long as Fierna never actually betrays your character, the party has no reason to confront her directly. She can make things hard for you, but hide behind the "I knew you would overcome it and grow stronger, if you deserved it," excuse. She's an NPC that, in essence, the PCs can't afford to kill, which is priceless for a DM.

[denthor]

Red Fel if it is not to much trouble.

As long as you are in the mood to divulge secrets.

If both parties waive a specific clause in a contract.

How does that work against the signer?

What tenets would be violated? The good the paladin is attempting to do?

[adonis53]

Depending on how your DM operates, explaining it this way might make the character more appealing. This basically presents Fierna as a questgiver - someone who comes up with character-appropriate plot hooks for your character and party - but not necessarily one who is remotely invested in your success or safety. She doesn't care if you live or die, since she wins either way - she gets your soul, at the very least - but if you do survive, she gets a more powerful pawn.

And then when your character comes back seeking more power - which is quite likely, since Fierna will probably be sending you on missions just above your pay grade, and you'll see the deficits - your DM gets more plot hooks into you, since he can make more demands, make your character more isolated or more dependent, and basically employ your character as a living plot device for the rest of the party.

And the best part? As long as Fierna never actually betrays your character, the party has no reason to confront her directly. She can make things hard for you, but hide behind the "I knew you would overcome it and grow stronger, if you deserved it," excuse. She's an NPC that, in essence, the PCs can't afford to kill, which is priceless for a DM.

Yeah I've tried pitching it that way which got my foot in the door. The only thing is that she is a new DM and while she is fantastic compared to a lot I've played with before especially being new, she is very hesitant to do something so different.

[Red Fel]

Red Fel if it is not to much trouble.

As long as you are in the mood to divulge secrets.

If both parties waive a specific clause in a contract.

How does that work against the signer?

What tenets would be violated? The good the paladin is attempting to do?

Short version? It depends on the clause.

The effect of both parties waiving it is that it (temporarily or permanently, depending) does not apply. If it's a clause that favors Fierna (for example, "Do X mission to receive my power"), the effect is to give the PC a free gift - which works to Fierna's benefit in the long run, anyway. If it's a clause that favors the PC (for example, "no mission will require me to kill an innocent"), the effect is that the PC was willing to compromise his own principles in pursuit of power - which, again, works to Fierna's benefit.

[Malifice]

Apologies, I'm not picking up on your reference.


True that he is very Ghost Rider-esque in his vengeance Archdevil Paladinlock ways, but he additionally is a yuan ti whose people were horrible monsters and he was raised by the paladins instead after they killed the village of yuan ti slavers/cannibals. So he thinks like this: *Sees Evil* > try to persuade the perpetrator to stop > if they dont stop he smites them. (Basically since he was able to turn from evil he thinks everyone deserves a chance to.)

Wait what?

You're not turning from evil; you're embracing it. You're literally selling your soul to the Devil, where you will serve the forces of Evil in Hell for eternity.

[adonis53]

Wait what?

You're not turning from evil; you're embracing it. You're literally selling your soul to the Devil, where you will serve the forces of Evil in Hell for eternity.

Okay think about it from a not intelligent paladin point of view who used to be from a yuan ti slaver/cannibal tribe. HE views it as sacrificing his soul for the greater good and that he turned from the evil ways of his people. Of course that's kinda bull**** lol, selling your soul to a devil is evil regardless, but he doesn't entirely grasp that as he's only a young yuan ti paladin.

But regardless, thank you everyone and very much so to Red Fel. I think I have what I need now! :)

[Unoriginal]

So your PC is evil but delusional about it? Fair, but at this point Fierna doesn't have to make any complicated contract.

Really, selling your soul in exchange of only the Warlock package is already a ridiculously massive net benefit for Fierna. Some Patrons would give you that Warlock package in exchange for couple-hundreds-gold-coins worth of magic items.