How Do You Like Your Devil Contracts: Convoluted, or Dark Side Up?

[Vrock_Summoner]

Title is actually pretty descriptive, despite the pun. How do you like literal "deals with the devil" dealt with in your games? This is most prevalent in D&D, but is present in some form across many roleplaying games. Do you prefer constant Monkey's Pawing? Heavy costs but getting what's on the tin with no trickery? Should they not exist (assuming they do in your related game)? What kinds of things should you be able to get out of them? And in what sorts of scenarios is it appropriate to implement them? Also feel free to give any comments related to the topic that don't pertain to the above questions.

[Lord Raziere]

After reading Vaarsuvius's deal?

a fair but damning one.

you get what you wish for, and you what you sell seems innocuous and unimportant at the time.

But somehow what you wish for corrupts you to do evil without any real push from the contractor themselves. all they do is hand you the power to screw yourself over with- not add in anything they use to screw you over.

then when it seems you get everything you wanted out of the deal, but feel shame and sadness out of getting it, the devil starts calling in your side of the deal and suddenly what seem unimportant then becomes very important now and you kick yourself for agreeing to it and not seeing it coming.

[Mastikator]

I agree with Raz. They should trick you into thinking something precious to you has a low value and that you're getting a reasonable trade. Or exploit your desperation.
If however you can trick the devil then the devil begrudgingly holds his end of the bargain not just to the letter but also to the spirit. He's not a genie that will interpret your wish literally.
I think it's important that it's possible to trick the devil.

[Grinner]

These are the sort of things that sound great during planning sessions but utterly fail in-game. The cleanest sort are the kind of fairy tales: simple and artfully presented. The problem arises when the players enter the scene. Because they, quite naturally, want to get something for nothing, they'll start to look for loopholes, leading to an arms race of litigation.

All I want is a plot hook, not a law degree!

Plus, it's really hard to be so clever as a professional pact-maker.

[Beelzebub1111]

First, I determine what the entity granting the wish wants, and its ability to fulfill it.
Second, I decide how best to phrase what they offer so that it sounds the most appealing.
Third, I warn the PC through IC means to the exact danger of the deal.

For example, The Dreaming Dark wanted a PC to join their ranks, they offered him "Power and Freedom" in exchange for "Service" not specifying how they would do this. I dropped many hints that this was a bad deal for him. When he asked what freedom was from he said "Obligation, Responsibility, All internal struggle." He still said yes, I made the process of "Accepting" them as clear as possible so that he would know that I was talking about allowing himself to be posessed, and he didn't interrupt. SO we had a combat and an exorcism.

He knew not to trust these guys after that.

First and foremost, think about what you, the GM, want out of this interraction. I wanted that player to learn not to take everything at face value and to be wary of smiling tigers. and no matter what choice he made he learned that lesson.

[NichG]

These are the sort of things that sound great during planning sessions but utterly fail in-game. The cleanest sort are the kind of fairy tales: simple and artfully presented. The problem arises when the players enter the scene. Because they, quite naturally, want to get something for nothing, they'll start to look for loopholes, leading to an arms race of litigation.

All I want is a plot hook, not a law degree!

Plus, it's really hard to be so clever as a professional pact-maker.

This is a good point. I think the way to deal with this is to make the consequences immediate and not 'debatable', and at the same time to not have creatures that care all that much about legalese doing the deals - possibly having the creature restate the deal in simpler language before going through with it, so it controls the degree of convolution that is present.

For example, in my current campaign, there's a wand that one PC has that 'Does anything, once, for a given user. but regardless of what's asked for, the wand itself immediately gets to make its own wish whenever its used.'

The user's wish won't be genied, because the wand doesn't need to genie the user's wish to make this a dark deal. Both the user and the wand get to edit the universe, and the wand's nature makes it sort of adversarial - its looking for a chance to show that its wish will bring about more chaos than the user's wish will bring about happiness. If the user wishes for a ham sandwich, the wand can still wish for the sun to dim and famine to spread across the land - there's no proportionality, so if you use it, use it big.

[Boci]

After reading Vaarsuvius's deal?

a fair but damning one.

you get what you wish for, and you what you sell seems innocuous and unimportant at the time.

But somehow what you wish for corrupts you to do evil without any real push from the contractor themselves. all they do is hand you the power to screw yourself over with- not add in anything they use to screw you over.

then when it seems you get everything you wanted out of the deal, but feel shame and sadness out of getting it, the devil starts calling in your side of the deal and suddenly what seem unimportant then becomes very important now and you kick yourself for agreeing to it and not seeing it coming.

That does sound good, but how do you get that to work when you do not control the characters?

[BWR]

It's never actually come up in a game that I've run and only once to a player in one game (and the rest of the players never found out the details of that bargain). I guess it would depend greatly on circumstances, the parties in question and the desired rewards.
If you have a demonic entity that just wants to promote the maximum amount of chaos and pain and a guy who is more than happy to do this I can imagine the deal being something like "I want power to destroy the kingdom" - "Sure, here're a couple of demon-dudes to help you. Have fun"

If you have a really corruptor sort who wants to slowly ensnare and corrupt someone I can imagine a lot more work going into it. Introduction to said person, small favors for free, get them hooked on aid and dependant on your help, asking for small things in return, gradually getting worse until the victim is hopelessly buried under evil deeds and deals.

Or someone who knows what they're getting into and tries to wiggle around to minimize the amount paid, there could be a long, difficult densely worded contract with tons of fine print, carefully worded phrases, unusual definitions laid out in some obscure book the victim has never heard of, and anything to trip them up.

[Lord Raziere]

That does sound good, but how do you get that to work when you do not control the characters?

Well players and characters often want things already. you don't offer them something they don't want.

that and you can control the situation to be really desperate. desperate enough to make them consider it.

and of course make the devil immune to fire and explosions. thats a given.

also make it clear that in hell's law, its literally possible to get something for "Nothing" but that when the devil calls up their payment, they are the sole interpreters of what "Nothing" means. which can include "Doing Nothing At An Important Event" or "Getting Nothing As A Reward For Killing The Dragon" or "The Damage you Deal to that Monster no one else can stop is Nothing" etc. and would basically be an open ticket for the Devil to screw you over in some way.

also make it clear OOC that the deal itself won't kill them or do anything permanent like mind control.

thats all I can think of right now.

[NichG]

Not taking the deal has to be a valid option for the character. If you want to play this game, your job as DM is to make the deal so enticing that the player forgets what they know to be true just for a moment - that this will screw them over eventually - and takes it anyhow.

If you can't actually make it enticing to the player, then either it won't work or will feel too railroaded to really give them an interesting experience from it.

[Vrock_Summoner]

Not taking the deal has to be a valid option for the character. If you want to play this game, your job as DM is to make the deal so enticing that the player forgets what they know to be true just for a moment - that this will screw them over eventually - and takes it anyhow.

If you can't actually make it enticing to the player, then either it won't work or will feel too railroaded to really give them an interesting experience from it.

"Hey, Paladin! Devil Mays Here! Are you sick of being utterly outperformed in every way by your full-casting buddies? Would you like this Holy Avenger? It can be yours, and for a limited time, I'll even add in giving you the Half-Celestial Template! All for one easy payment of your mortal soul! (Plus shipping and handling)"

[UndertakerSheep]

One of the players in my current 4e campaign plays a tiefling hexblade, who's main goal is to restore the ancient tiefling empire of Bael Turath to its former ultimate glory.

At one point on this quest, he made a pact with a recurring succubus: she would give him power (and she has a lot, as daughter of an Archduke of Hell), and in return he will marry only her when he becomes emperor. She also knows everything he knows.

It didn't seem like much to him at first. His character isn't interested in women or offspring (he intends to live forever). But it soon became clear that the succubus knowing everything he knows, is going to make it next to impossible to get rid of her. Formulating a plan to kill her? She knows all about it.

So yeah, I'd go for the ''make them feel like what they're giving up isn't important, while it actually is''.

[NichG]

C'mon, tempt them with what they want as a player and a character at the same time:

Dear Paladin,

I know you must be tired of protecting people around you who do more evil than good. Watching your friends stain their souls with casual evils, slowly becoming the very monsters they hunt.

I can give you an enchantment that would ensure that you and your friends can never harm an innocent, intentionally or not. A sort of souped-up Phylactery of Faithfulness. No, it won't kill you or turn you into statues or anything, but your weapons and spells simply will wash off of innocents like so much rain.

Better yet, think about how easy it will be to tell who deserves your divine wrath and who does not! Now you don't have to hold back for fear of nasty divine gotchas - no issues with catching an orc civilian with your attack - oh, that orc actually never killed anyone and was secretly neutral, now you'd better fall!

Cost? Hm.. what would be fair. How about this - 40 years from now, your alignment will slip one step towards chaotic and you'll stop being a Paladin. By then you'll be an old man, so its hardly going to make a difference, right? And its not as if your god will abandon you for being a little chaotic, you just won't be a paladin anymore.

Trap: There are almost no true innocents. The phylactery does nothing. It does however maintain the Paladin class features for the holder, meaning that the PC can go as evil as he wants without ever finding out via loss of power.

[Mrc.]

I always plan these far in advance of what is likely to happen (not railroading, I do a timeline for all major NPCs and this will be where the PCs interact with or anger the wrong/right person). However, I think it's important to know your players. There is something to be said for having a devil screw the party over but I've had people storm out over that and ultimately it is detrimental to the gaming environment. I find that giving the players a way of one-upping the devil makes them feel great, so long as it is done rarely.

For example, I ran a campaign once where the party happened across a relatively weak demon who was in possession of something far more powerful than it knew or by all rights should have. The paladin of the group(!) approached the demon and demanded the artifact on the spot. Knowing the player to be a great lover of Norse mythology, I had the demon sneer back; "Fine, but in return I want your head!" Of course, knowing what was coming the paladin agreed, and the demon eagerly handed over the artifact and was just about to attempt to sever the paladins head when, in a clear voice, the paladin stated; "Just what are you attempting to do? The deal was for my head and my head alone! How dare you lay a finger on my neck!" Unable to remove the paladins head without damaging his neck the demon howled in frustration before fleeing. It was at this point that I gently reminded the player that he had done a deal with a demon. However, I believe that his deity would applaud outwitting a fiend so instead he was gently reprimanded.

I can honestly say I don't think that player ever enjoyed D&D more.

[The Oni]

C'mon, tempt them with what they want as a player and a character at the same time:

Trap: There are almost no true innocents. The phylactery does nothing. It does however maintain the Paladin class features for the holder, meaning that the PC can go as evil as he wants without ever finding out via loss of power.

And, when he finally finds that one innocent, and his blade turns to figurative clay in his hands, comprehension dawns...

[Kane0]

I like my contracts as devious and cunning as my DM can conceive. So cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel.

Failing that, something that will obviously screw you over but manages to be worth considering anyway.

That said, the contract should at least give you what you wanted. Thats the difference between a genie wish and a deal with the devil.

[veti]

Straightforward but vague. "I'll do you this favour, and one day I'll come back to you and ask for a favour in return."

The player knows they're going to get screwed, but not when or how. And I've got an easy plot hook whenever I want one.

[Red Fel]

In the classic words of Asmodeus, "Read the fine print."

Before I begin, let me just say that, if I wrote this entire post in evil text, I'd run out of purple. So let's just pretend, hmm?

A good Faustian deal is specially tailored to the situation - to the facts, people, and events involved.

First rule: Play to personality. When trying to corrupt a Paladin, he's going to assume you're lying and concealing. So be straight with him - he's going to doubt you anyway. Make him an offer that's literally too good to refuse. But with someone who thinks he can outsmart you - a Wizard, for example - don't be afraid to feign an oopsie. Layer your contract, and be sure that he can reveal one of the more obvious hidden meanings. He'll be so proud of himself for figuring out the trick that he'll miss all of the other hidden meanings.

Second rule: No surprises. Even if you sneak tricks into your contracts, make them obvious in retrospect. The sort of thing heroes kick themselves over missing. The irony is delicious, but more importantly, the players won't feel completely robbed. So be specific - the more specific, the better. Specific doesn't preclude vague, mind you. A classic example is "When I return, I'll take your hand." This may mean a limb, or it may mean marriage. Vague language begets suspicion; precise language prevents them from weaseling out.

Third rule: No legalese. As others have suggested, players shouldn't need a law degree to play this game. Tricky and precise wording is good; convoluted clauses involving elaborate language, punctuation, and numerous pseudonyms and redefinitions is just a jerky move.

Fourth rule: Always deliver. When someone signs a contract, they get exactly what they paid for. Sometimes, giving them what they want is so good that the fun isn't even in the fee you extract. A classic example is a Midas Wish - you can demand a very negligible fee for that sort of trick, since the real payoff is the misery they suffer from their own poor thinking.

Fifth rule: Be open to renegotiate. In fact, designing contracts as a slippery slope arrangement is part of the art-form. A good Faustian contract has a decent payoff; a great Faustian's payoff is another Faustian. And never assume you have only one client, either. Consider this. You want the Paladin's soul. But he's untouchable. Instead you sell the Fighter a sword. It's bloodthirsty, now he's bloodthirsty; he's damned. The Cleric is able to figure out where the sword came from - you were careful to make it apparent. The Cleric comes to you demanding a cure. You make him the offer; an orphan's tears. He does something unthinkable, loses favor with his deity and his faith; now he's a goner. Finally, the Paladin realizes what has happened, and confronts you. You make him the Final Offer - him for the other two. Which leads us to...

Sixth rule: Keep your eyes on the prize. Don't just make contracts for fun, fun though they may be. Always have a goal. Every deal you make, every signature and soul you take, should be in pursuit of that goal. Each contract is little more than a piece on the board, to be acquired and lost and exchanged as you move towards the King. A single King is worth an army of Pawns; always go for the King.

Now, in terms of the more mechanical aspects, the best time to make a deal is when the PCs are desperate. That's how Evil thrives; when people are willing to do what's Easy instead of what's Right. A friendly merchant you can trust to be untrustworthy is easy to implement at a moment of desperation.

But even before that, if you like, you can have a merchant on hand with a cursed item, a snake oil salesman in town making offers for needful things, an itinerant clergyman with an unusual penchant for knowing exactly what people want. If your players aren't suspicious of people like this, teach them to be.

As a gameplay aspect, however, be ready to provide them with three outs. Every problem should have at least three solutions. Some possible outs include

• Embrace damnation. Become evil and revel in it.
• Seize the contract. If your Faustian friend is dumb enough to keep the contracts as the equivalent of bearer bonds (admittedly a convenient way to deal in souls), take the document. Alternatively, buy it for market price or find a way to take it by force or authority.
• Make an exchange. Maybe the PC isn't the King your merchant of souls is after. Give the PC a chance to buy himself out of the hole - knowing that doing so is likely an Evil act.
• Take over Hell. If you own the place, you own all the contracts. It's not an easy solution - Asmodeus might take issue - but it works.

Or any other idea you can think of. Be creative.

And remember the seventh rule: Some contracts are designed to be loss leaders. Sometimes, you want the PCs to "win" their way out of a contract - not only for fun at the table, but also to make them overconfident.

We love overconfidence.

EDIT: Allow me a few examples.

1. Contract for whatever. The price is as follows: "At some point in the next year, I will come to you. When I do, you will simply sit. That's all. For five minutes, I just want you to sit there. If I don't do this within the next year, you have no further obligations." Sitting seems innocent. Fast-forward nine months. The party is in the House of Nobles, which is now voting on a proposal to raise an army to fight against the invading devil-worshipping hordes from the North. The Speaker announces, "All in favor, please rise." The PC(s) in question feel a tap on the shoulder. "Please remain seated," whispers the deal-maker, "I'm calling in my favor." The vote fails, and the Northerners invade.

2. "See this coin?" The devil takes out a rather distinctive gold coin. "I'm very fond of it. My price is this. If I ever drop it someplace, you must pick it up for me. That's all. If you see it, pick it up." Fast-forward. The party is in an ancient temple of sealed evil. The final seal can only be broken by the touch of a noble warrior. The PCs read the inscriptions, and realize that they're safe; as long as they don't touch the seal, the evil within can never be released. They turn to leave - but one sees a gold coin resting on the seal. A very distinctive gold coin. And he knows what he has to do.

3. "You know," says the deal-maker, "I'm a reasonable fellow. I like to know with whom I'm dealing. So here's my price. Someday, I'm going to ask you for your name. Calm down, I'm not going to steal it or anything. I just want you to remind me, in a loud, clear voice. When I ask you, say your name, loud and clear." Fast-forward. The party has infiltrated some sort of ceremony, where either (a) a sacrifice will be given, or (b) a vessel will be chosen to receive some terrible, corrupting power. The master of ceremonies then intones, "And who is the one who has been chosen for this task?" Suddenly, the PC hears a voice. "I like to know with whom I'm dealing. Why don't you remind me; what's your name?"

[AuraTwilight]

+1 what Red Fel said. He took the words out of my mouth.

[sktarq]

Red Fel that post officially put you on a short list of people whose games I feel am I am missing out on by not being there.

[oudeis]

I am at a loss to understand how deals with Evil Extraplanars work in-game, especially with all the meta-game knowledge players have about these things. In a world where the ability to Detect Evil is about as common as the ability to detect spoiled meat, where the Outer Planes are not only known but actually charted- practically censused- who would be stupid enough to consider this in the first place, let alone actually take the deal? Who would forfeit an afterlife in Heaven for mundane temporal power? This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while.

Demon "In exchange for your immortal soul, of whose existence there is empirical proof and of whose ultimate fate is the subject of first-hand tales of those who have actually visited the paradise everlasting that awaits those who don't sell said soul, you will receive a decent amount of power, say 6.5- maybe 7- on a 10-point scale for as long as ye shall live; upon the ending of your mortal existence, whether by old age, violence, natural catastrophes, other violence, unavoidable accidents, more violence, avoidable accidents, random violence, suspicious accidents, drunken violence, incredibly-unlikely-but-not-provably-faked-or-staged-accidents, or blocked arteries resulting from excessive consumption of beef, cheese, butter, and other high-cholesterol foods, you shall be ours to torment for eternity!
*bursts into fiendish laughter*

[the richly-garbed mage appears to consider the deal]

[beat]

*bursts into hysterical laughter*
Mage: "Do I sound like the village idiot to you? What kind of *******s are you used to dealing with, anyway? BEAT IT, DUMBASS!"

I'm not trying to make fun of anyone here- the examples in this thread are obviously well-thought out and I think well done. I just can't grasp the mechanics of it. The only way I can see it working is if the Divine Forces of the universe are so distant, so indifferent, or so rarely in evidence that there is serious doubt as to their existence. If that's the case, though, where are all these Clerics walking around here *waves hand* getting their power? And even if that is the case, doesn't the existence of the various anti-evil spells- or, more properly, anti-EVIL spells- pretty much point to any contact with EEs as A Bad Thing? The first time someone actually summoned an Outsider word would spread pretty fast.

Stupid Mage: "By the name of the One Who Walked through The Fire, by the most vile and blasphemous conjunctions of the stars on this night, I, Etruch the Cunning, do summon the servitors of The Pit to me!!!"

*small mushroom cloud of flame and a puff of smoke*

15' tall Flaming Pit Fiend: "In accordance with the ancient compact, I, Yazzatag, do appear before thee, O Wise One. Speak thy bidding to me!"

Now-considerably-paler-and-probably-damper Stupid Mage: "Holy ****!!!!!! You mean this **** actually works?!?!?!? Devons and Demils- I mean Demons and Devils- actually exist?!?! Oh am I so utterly boned!!"

*hauls ass for the nearest Temple of Light™*

How do you work Infernal Deals into the meta-mechanics or whatever of your games?

[Slipperychicken]

For example, I ran a campaign once where the party happened across a relatively weak demon who was in possession of something far more powerful than it knew or by all rights should have. The paladin of the group(!) approached the demon and demanded the artifact on the spot. Knowing the player to be a great lover of Norse mythology, I had the demon sneer back; "Fine, but in return I want your head!" Of course, knowing what was coming the paladin agreed, and the demon eagerly handed over the artifact and was just about to attempt to sever the paladins head when, in a clear voice, the paladin stated; "Just what are you attempting to do? The deal was for my head and my head alone! How dare you lay a finger on my neck!" Unable to remove the paladins head without damaging his neck the demon howled in frustration before fleeing. It was at this point that I gently reminded the player that he had done a deal with a demon. However, I believe that his deity would applaud outwitting a fiend so instead he was gently reprimanded.

I can honestly say I don't think that player ever enjoyed D&D more.

That demon shuld totally have just cut off ~9/10 of the Pallies skull, left the lower jawbone, then said he was being generous by not taking the full share. And then the Pally falls because making deals with fiends is an evil act.

[Tragak]

I am at a loss to understand how deals with Evil Extraplanars work in-game, especially with all the meta-game knowledge players have about these things. In a world where the ability to Detect Evil is about as common as the ability to detect spoiled meat, where the Outer Planes are not only known but actually charted- practically censused- who would be stupid enough to consider this in the first place, let alone actually take the deal? Who would forfeit an afterlife in Heaven for mundane temporal power? This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while.

I'm not trying to make fun of anyone here- the examples in this thread are obviously well-thought out and I think well done. I just can't grasp the mechanics of it. The only way I can see it working is if the Divine Forces of the universe are so distant, so indifferent, or so rarely in evidence that there is serious doubt as to their existence. If that's the case, though, where are all these Clerics walking around here *waves hand* getting their power? And even if that is the case, doesn't the existence of the various anti-evil spells- or, more properly, anti-EVIL spells- pretty much point to any contact with EEs as A Bad Thing? The first time someone actually summoned an Outsider word would spread pretty fast.

How do you work Infernal Deals into the meta-mechanics or whatever of your games?

Think of it this way: why do people make deals with organized crime syndicates in the real world?

[Grinner]

@Red Fel: Well put. While I like what you've got (to the point that I intend to save it for future reference), there are ways out of the given scenarios that the players will, barring some mechanic like FATE's Compels, take advantage of.

I say this not to undermine your point but to prove my own, that players are all without appreciation for such drama. They just want their free lunch.

I am at a loss to understand how deals with Evil Extraplanars work in-game, especially with all the meta-game knowledge players have about these things. In a world where the ability to Detect Evil is about as common as the ability to detect spoiled meat, where the Outer Planes are not only known but actually charted- practically censused- who would be stupid enough to consider this in the first place, let alone actually take the deal? Who would forfeit an afterlife in Heaven for mundane temporal power? This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while.

First, player characters are not supposed to know these things. They just do because the players study the relevant sourcebooks religiously and because D&D is such an overdeveloped, broken heap.

Second, the best pacts are those made out of need rather than greed. (i.e. Vaarsuvius)

[Vrock_Summoner]

I am at a loss to understand how deals with Evil Extraplanars work in-game, especially with all the meta-game knowledge players have about these things. In a world where the ability to Detect Evil is about as common as the ability to detect spoiled meat, where the Outer Planes are not only known but actually charted- practically censused- who would be stupid enough to consider this in the first place, let alone actually take the deal? Who would forfeit an afterlife in Heaven for mundane temporal power? This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while.




I'm not trying to make fun of anyone here- the examples in this thread are obviously well-thought out and I think well done. I just can't grasp the mechanics of it. The only way I can see it working is if the Divine Forces of the universe are so distant, so indifferent, or so rarely in evidence that there is serious doubt as to their existence. If that's the case, though, where are all these Clerics walking around here *waves hand* getting their power? And even if that is the case, doesn't the existence of the various anti-evil spells- or, more properly, anti-EVIL spells- pretty much point to any contact with EEs as A Bad Thing? The first time someone actually summoned an Outsider word would spread pretty fast.




How do you work Infernal Deals into the meta-mechanics or whatever of your games?

It's easier than you think because an in-game world is made up almost entirely of NPCs level 1-6 who really don't have proof that any of that truly exists. Except Cleric spells, but those work on devotion to ideal too, so for all you know churches are just groups of Clerics with the same ideal who think there is a God Among Us. (Yay references)

Also, it's not at all hard if you offer the right reward. The power to save millions of people who would be killed and soul-ganked in exchange for personal damnation seems like a good deal to a sufficiently altruistic character. Also, characters who figure "eh, I'm going to hell anyway" could still be useful to the devils as deal-pawns, so both sides have something to gain and thus those deals will probably happen pretty often (though it is neither as glorious nor as heart-wrenching).

[Qwertystop]

Red Fel, those are great.

To actually contribute to the discussion:

Spoiler: Minor spoilers for anachronauts: forsaken shores chapter 2 - it's resolved by the end of the chapter but it'll mess up some of the suspense in the interim

Show

There's a character who goes by "Mister" something, different every deal, or just "the Mister". He makes deals as follows: He offers you something, plain-english, and not granted in any subtle is-it-magic-or-isn't-it way either. The cost is always the same: You have to be complicit in the death of a friend/ally/non-estranged family member. You don't have to kill them, but you have to agree to their death, which is similarly obvious. You make the deal, you get what he offered, the person dies abruptly. Of course, what he offers typically has some flaw - no grammatical twisting, but you don't get anything extra to help you deal with the results.

[Zelphas]

Oudeis, I think you're working off of the assumption that given proof that bad deeds=bad consequences, the majority of people would shun them. Sometimes, however, being told that doing a specific thing will cause a bad result just means that the person would look for a way out of that bad result. For a real world example: the crime of murder in most countries is punished by a hefty jail sentence. Taken logically, the act of murder (in most cases) is not worth the price of losing your freedom, if not your life. However, murders still occur; the people who do them just make varying attempts to keep from getting caught. In D&D, this is the exact reason why liches exist: a way of "getting away with" their evil deeds without paying the consequences.

To relate this back to deals with devils: if you have a character that is savvy enough to know that their soul is not worth bargaining over, don't put it on the table in the first place. Have them do something that, at worst, could be considered Neutral. You can twist Neutral to do as bad or worse than straight Evil.
As to why anyone would accept the deal: Like Red Fel said, hit the PCs when their desperate. The kingdom is under siege, and the capital city is about to fall; or the PCs are about to face a TPK; or the morally ambiguous character that the PCs have been trying desperately to turn to good is on the brink of death. From a rational standpoint, accepting a deal with Devils is never a good idea. The key, then, is to offer the deal when the PCs aren't able to be rational.

EDIT: Swordsaged, twice, and both were much better explained.

[Red Fel]

I am at a loss to understand how deals with Evil Extraplanars work in-game, especially with all the meta-game knowledge players have about these things. In a world where the ability to Detect Evil is about as common as the ability to detect spoiled meat, where the Outer Planes are not only known but actually charted- practically censused- who would be stupid enough to consider this in the first place, let alone actually take the deal? Who would forfeit an afterlife in Heaven for mundane temporal power? This is something that has puzzled me for quite a while.

. . .

I'm not trying to make fun of anyone here- the examples in this thread are obviously well-thought out and I think well done. I just can't grasp the mechanics of it. The only way I can see it working is if the Divine Forces of the universe are so distant, so indifferent, or so rarely in evidence that there is serious doubt as to their existence. If that's the case, though, where are all these Clerics walking around here *waves hand* getting their power? And even if that is the case, doesn't the existence of the various anti-evil spells- or, more properly, anti-EVIL spells- pretty much point to any contact with EEs as A Bad Thing? The first time someone actually summoned an Outsider word would spread pretty fast.

The point is this: Not everyone is focused on the afterlife. Many people - very many, even in a world where divine powers are literally made manifest - are more focused on the here-and-now of their material present than some distant and symbolic future. Even ones who do lend some thought to the afterlife may not care. You make light of the fact that there are Detect Evil spells - well, there's also Atonement. If you're sincere in your repentance, a high-level Cleric can literally wipe the slate clean. There are larger-than-life heroes who save the souls of the damned and despairing on a regular basis. So why not take the gamble?

And that's the key thing. Even if your PCs are aware that they may be entitled to an eternity of bliss as Petitioners on Celestia or someplace, they may not want to die yet. They may want that moment's reprieve, that second chance. Or maybe they're willing to die - and be damned - to prevent something worse. Maybe they're willing to make that bargain to save a child, or a town, or a kingdom. The point is that every hero - every single one - has at least one moment of desperation, one defining moment, where the easy road would be so welcomed, so priceless, so incomprehensibly perfect.

And that's when the nice fellow with the perfect smile and the contract appears.

Diabolical compacts aren't made for everyone, or every day. They're made for that one perfect person, at that one perfect time. They're the offers you can't refuse. They're needful things. They give you that one thing, that one advantage or edge, that one asset you need right now, the thing for which you can't wait. The best compacts don't give you a gift with a twist - although that can be terribly entertaining - they give you exactly what you want. Something you can't do without. Something that you won't want to give up, even if it means you could rescind the contract and walk away scot-free.

That's why they succeed. Faustian deals succeed because there is always someone, even in the face of superior wisdom and experience, who would rather do what is Easy and Prompt than that which is Right but Difficult. They continue to succeed because once you have a taste of what you can have if you're willing to compromise on your principles, you'll stay for more.

There's one born every minute, friend.

[Science Officer]

As for the contract itself, I don't like wordy documents full of loopholes, and subclauses. In my opinion, every demonic contract has the same text:

"I, the undersigned
do agree
to all stipulations
as discussed.
Signed:
X______"

[Zaydos]

On the subject of why would anyone make deals knowing about the nature of the after life in D&D: Remember it's possible to get early promotion into the higher ranks of devildom.

If I'm evil (and I know it because I ping Evil on Detect Evil) I'm not going to Celestia, I might as well make a deal with Mephistopheles to scratch his back if in exchange he'll scratch mine. I mean I do well enough I might start out as a pit fiend, or even a unique archfiend. The odds of the former are low, almost like winning the lottery, and the later is a pipe dream, but if I'm going to Baator anyway might as well gamble to get a better position. Because Baator might be hell to petitioners and lemure, but once you get into the upper echelons you've got it rather nice, especially for someone who is greedy and hedonistic. Early promotion is extremely rare, but how many people believe that just given the opportunity they'd prove themselves the best of everyone if only they were born into a position of wealth and affluence? Because maybe someone would rather become a fiend of hell then just merge peacefully into another plane.

And this is ignoring people who do it because they're too focused on the here and now, or have a need that makes them willing to sacrifice themselves and make the pact.