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View Full Version : Stats for a Succubus possesed Paladin



Lord
2007-10-04, 07:57 PM
Hi all

I have a great idea for a character.
Basicly he was an extremely powerful Aasimar Paladin named William Gabriel, around level ten, the fiends, after several major failures to kill him {ironicly making him even more of a threat.} they decided a more subtle approach was in order. Seeing as his marital staus was single. They sent their best Succubus, named Saphra. To infiltrate as a Lawful good fighter using regular disguise alighnments, get him to marry her, and at a key point, do what she does best :smallwink:. The ploy worked, but they decided to hold off on it until they were sure he trusted her enough that he would never suspect that she was in fact one of the very things he dedicated his life to destroying. Now the oppertunity didn't present itself until he was about 34 and a very high level and was going after one of the more powerful demon lords. The demon lord didn't get to his position for nothing, and tricked him into thinking that his wife {the succubus} was in danger. He rushed back to his house to find Saphra fighting off a large amount of demons. They defeat them {all the intelligent ones teleport out.} and share a passionate kiss. Let the level draining begin.
She is a particularly powerful succubus so she drains his levels faster than normal.
Anyway so he gets level drained a lot before finaly making his save. However since he is now a much lower level then her {it would be a little hard to fake being a fighter without knowing how to use weapons.}. So he fails his grapple check. However he managed to pull out his backup weapon, a shortsword, and gets a critical. She dies at the same moment he does from level drain {yes I know its michanically impossible}. Now in this world when a demon is killed they effectively go from a torterer in hell to an inmate in hell. This is what would have happened if they hadn't been killed at the same moment while the succubus was taking away his mortal energies. As a result they are both put into a sort of stasis in the astral plane for a couple hundred years.
When William awakes he feels very weak and the clerics cannot reverse the effects. {he was level drained and it's been a couple hundred years}. The succubus however is nowhere to be seen. But he soon finds that he occasionaly blacks out and has apperantly done things during this time. He eventually goes into a coma and finds out the truth. The succubus not wanting to become an inmate in hell transferred her consciousness into Williams body. As a result she had some influence over his actions. He then suddenly awakes and the backstory ends.

So my question is how would YOU stat it. Any opinions on the backstory would also be appreciated.

Dr. Weasel
2007-10-04, 08:34 PM
First, you don't really have a background; you're starting by saying "He's a powerful warrior."
That'll work if you have a setting that is compatable with that sort of thing, but most groups expect a bit more of a backstory than that.

Second, the story bit you do have is full of mechanical terms. Ditch that jive. Class levels, ability drain and critical hits don't exist for either you or your character.

To stat this? Just roll up a Paladin and talk to your DM about him being possessed.

Lord
2007-10-04, 08:42 PM
Actaully he's no longer a powerful warrior in any sense of the word. He's level one thanks to the succubus level drain ability and since he's been in stasis for a couple hundred years he can't get restored to his former level. I haven't actaully thought up a pre powerful backstory yet as I'll probobly won't get to use it. My DMs have a history of kick-in-the-door-to-fight-way-to-easy-monsters with very little roleplaying.

I'm just wondering how people would go about using the whole indirect possesion thing.

Dr. Weasel
2007-10-04, 08:48 PM
I would say ask your DM before the game if he would possess your character every once in a while and leave it at that.

Lord
2007-10-04, 08:53 PM
Ah thanks.

Tokiko Mima
2007-10-05, 02:43 AM
How does a paladin marry someone without detecting their alignment? Or without kissing their fiancee even once beforehand?

With two personalities in the same body I would follow WotC's example of the same and design my character after Aleam Valassar, Paladin Assassin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fc/20060609a). This requires creating two entirely different character sheets depending on who is in control at any one moment. I would want to play both sides, actually. You just have to treat them like two different characters that happen to inhabit the same body.

King Kyller
2007-10-05, 02:46 AM
yeah This character sounds quite fascinating >:)

SoD
2007-10-05, 03:37 AM
How does a paladin marry someone without detecting their alignment? Or without kissing their fiancee even once beforehand?

Rings/amulets of undetectable alignment? And maybe a succubus can choose to not drain levels with the succubus kiss?

Kurald Galain
2007-10-05, 03:39 AM
How does a paladin marry someone without detecting their alignment?

The common answer to that is giving the BBEG an amulet of undetectable alignment.

Lord
2007-10-05, 06:22 AM
Yeah... I need to work on this concept a bit.

Kaelaroth
2007-10-05, 10:20 AM
She might be so damn good looking, alignment's not the thing he's looking at.

Meanwhile, she could be enchanted for him not to see her alignment, could be disguising herself, wearing a mask of lies or amulet of undetectable alignment as said before.

crabpuff
2007-10-05, 10:42 AM
Whats the deal with people using the name Gabriel. It should be on the list of over used names. Wouldn't he have been able to detect the evil she is giving off at some point in the years they were together (taking off the masking items). Also what about his other allies wouldn't they have sensed something. The problem I see when people create a bio is that tend to go overboard, and not in a good way. Keep it simple if she was able to trick him then she should have been able to level drain him at the begining using deception, good timing, and suprise.

Really all you have done is created a Fighter with a backstory. Like Tokiko Mima said just create two characters that are similiar but have varying mindsets.

ArmorArmadillo
2007-10-05, 01:01 PM
Whats the deal with people using the name Gabriel. It should be on the list of over used names. Wouldn't he have been able to detect the evil she is giving off at some point in the years they were together (taking off the masking items). Also what about his other allies wouldn't they have sensed something. The problem I see when people create a bio is that tend to go overboard, and not in a good way. Keep it simple if she was able to trick him then she should have been able to level drain him at the begining using deception, good timing, and suprise.

Really all you have done is created a Fighter with a backstory. Like Tokiko Mima said just create two characters that are similiar but have varying mindsets.
I agree, statting out something like this seems unnecessary.
Just build a paladin, and your DM can, when he needs to, say "You black out" and your character becomes evil.

If you really want to have some kind of mechanical change, build a second character sheet, with perhaps rogue/fighter levels instead of paladin levels.

Share a common pool of items and experience, and when the DM blacks you out, switch to your other character.

Tokiko Mima
2007-10-05, 04:34 PM
I like a detailed backstory, and this Paladin has potential. I'd like to see more on his history before he met the succubus, establishing the kind of person he is. Also, there should be more detail on the succubus herself. No two creatures are exactly alike, and demons especially so. Why does she want to waste so long corrupting this particular paladin, when there's a ton of guys around who are easier to charm?

As for how she escaped detection, this is something succubi are fantastic at. They have all the characteristic powers of dopplegangers with demon powers besides. Maybe she possessed an especially pure maiden's body that shrouded her evil aura?

Another thing to be kept in mind in this sort is the fickle nature of demons. They are creatures of passion and emotion and rarely have a great deal of self discipline. Of the two varities, this scheme is much more what devil would do, instead.


Rings/amulets of undetectable alignment? And maybe a succubus can choose to not drain levels with the succubus kiss?

Hmm.. the ring/amulet has possibilities, but wouldn't it arouse suspicion when nothing was detected of her alignment? I suppose it depends a lot on how the DM phrases Undetectable alignment's effects.

As far as not draining him via a kiss... why would she? The whole point of getting close to him is to drain him during an unguarded moment.

Lord
2007-10-06, 06:55 PM
I like a detailed backstory, and this Paladin has potential. I'd like to see more on his history before he met the succubus, establishing the kind of person he is. Also, there should be more detail on the succubus herself. No two creatures are exactly alike, and demons especially so. Why does she want to waste so long corrupting this particular paladin, when there's a ton of guys around who are easier to charm?

As for how she escaped detection, this is something succubi are fantastic at. They have all the characteristic powers of dopplegangers with demon powers besides. Maybe she possessed an especially pure maiden's body that shrouded her evil aura?

Another thing to be kept in mind in this sort is the fickle nature of demons. They are creatures of passion and emotion and rarely have a great deal of self discipline. Of the two varities, this scheme is much more what devil would do, instead.



Hmm.. the ring/amulet has possibilities, but wouldn't it arouse suspicion when nothing was detected of her alignment? I suppose it depends a lot on how the DM phrases Undetectable alignment's effects.

As far as not draining him via a kiss... why would she? The whole point of getting close to him is to drain him during an unguarded moment.


Well actually Demons and Devils in this are one and the same in this world. The demonic world is sort of like a Vile utterly evil office building {then again thats a bit redundant}. This particular demoness was perfectionist and since demons don't actaully age I would think they tend not to care about time as much. I'm not really sure what to do for the early life thing to be perfectly honest. I racked my brain and couldn't think of a thing.

Oh and I had no idea that a lot of people used the name Gabriel I just thought it sounded appropriate and cool.

Oh and thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll use the whole you black out and your character becomes evil thing. But what should I do for the stats. I mean naturally a succubus who has been in the game for thousands of years should be more capable at persuasion than a guy who's only been alive {or at least concious} for thirty or so years.

Mike_Lemmer
2007-10-06, 07:50 PM
Well, she basically went from torturer to inmate, right? (Or would've, if she hadn't grabbed onto his soul for dear life.) What if her current situation meant she didn't have to be on the other end of the infernal whip, but her powers were also disabled in some way? Play it like a fighter that lost his hand; sure, he's an expert without peer, but that physical disability is gonna drop his effectiveness. Imagine her griping about how much easier this would be if she could still do X or Y or could still utilize her damning charm to the utmost.

A few questions to consider:

First, what is her reputation in Hell at the moment? That's a tossup: she succeeded at her mission, but demons aren't known for being grateful. She also has enemies & rivals down there. Plus her position's probably been filled by someone else; how will they react to her clawing her way back up the ranks? Is it possible the demons will send minions to kill Saphra as well as Gabriel? Could she be considering a career change at the moment?

Second, what's stopping the party from removing Gabriel? If Saphra is truly a nasty problem, they'll either kill him to get rid of her or refuse to adventure with him anymore. I'd suggest a potential "reform" by Saphra to mitigate that. If her former employers really are trying to kill her, she'd probably play nice(r) to keep whatever protection she can get. The party would probably put up with her if she agrees to use her skills to benefit them and not do anything outright evil.

Third, what is her goal? Is she still trying to sow evil & discord, thus Gabriel's only choice is to exorcise her? Or has a couple hundred years in stasis and the loss of her position caused her to rethink her life? Perhaps Gabriel could try to convert her?

Fourth, what is Gabriel's opinion of her? She's a demonspawn that completely ruined his life, but until then, she acted like a compassionate, loving wife. Does he think she's utterly unredeemable, or does he hope that with a bit of persuasion he could begin turning her to good (or, at least, neutrality) and regain the "good" Saphra?

Finally, how can they communiate with each other? After the first blackout, being able to talk to each other in his head would make for some good role-playing. And if they could occasionally communicate during their stasis, it'd help explain her alignment shift and make it so they aren't knives-and-daggers towards each other anymore.

I think you should definitely go for a doubtful succubi attitude for Saphra. "I am in your bod, making you do nasty things" is an attitude for a one-shot antagonist, not a character you want to keep in the game for a while. I say have her drifting to Chaotic Neutral, weakened by her lack of a connection to the Abyss, and conflicted between going back to her former masters & eeking out a decent life as a mercenary demon with Gabriel.

Dervag
2007-10-06, 08:18 PM
First, you don't really have a background; you're starting by saying "He's a powerful warrior."
That'll work if you have a setting that is compatable with that sort of thing, but most groups expect a bit more of a backstory than that.

Second, the story bit you do have is full of mechanical terms. Ditch that jive. Class levels, ability drain and critical hits don't exist for either you or your character.

To stat this? Just roll up a Paladin and talk to your DM about him being possessed.Well, the backstory of the character in his past life isn't really very important. He's been raised from the dead centuries after the fact, remember?

And no need to be so touchy about the mechanical terms. He's trying to describe what happened on what is, frankly, a mechanics-oriented board. He can presumably pretty it up and remove the mechanics terms whenever he likes. That's a fairly trivial exercise in creative writing, after all.


Whats the deal with people using the name Gabriel. It should be on the list of over used names.Since it's the name of one of the most powerful beings in the mythology of the Christian west, and also one of the most common names in the Christian west, that's not surprising.


Wouldn't he have been able to detect the evil she is giving off at some point in the years they were together (taking off the masking items).How about a "Permanent Undetectable Alignment" spell?

Sure, she detects for magic all the time, but a high-level character will have been hit by so many spells that they probably do, too.

Khanderas
2007-10-08, 06:36 AM
Wouldn't he have been able to detect the evil she is giving off at some point in the years they were together (taking off the masking items).
A wedding ring rarely comes off... :smallwink:
In any case, IF the pally for some reason detects alignment on her it would just show "not evil" as is the case with basically ALL sentients the paladin interacts with.

Periodically casting detect evil is something like going though her drawers and pockets looking for evidence of adultery. Something you just dont do unless you REALLY suspect something.