Playing The (Good-Aligned) Child of The Devil

[Leliel]

Well, for those of you that don't know, the Fetus Terrible is basically what happens when a woman is impregnated by The Forces Of Darkness (TM). Well, I plan to have an NPC who is basically one of these (He's a Nephilim, the child of a Grigori, an angel who chose a mortal woman over his duties, and was cursed to fiend-hood because of it), and thus possesses unparalleled beauty, extreme intelligence and strength, genetic knowledge, a legion of hellspawn under his command, and latent loathing for all of what the gods created.

Of course, I take inspiration from Neon Genesis Evangelion, so we can't have a straight-up "born bad" villain can we?

The "loathing for all of what the gods created"? The part he doesn't hate, he loves, and that includes mortals (They evolved their original form and soul, and their belief is what made deities, not the other way around), and frankly, most of the universe ("Have you ever heard of the 'Big Bang' concept?"). The "legion of hellspawn"? They hate him, mainly because he really doesn't have that much in common with them (Definitely a good thing). Sure, he thinks of most clerics as naive jerks, but he really is just a decent, kind person all around. So...

How should I introduce this character? Obviously, he's going to be an ally to the PCs eventually, but before then, how should he interact with them? Is this character a good idea?

And no, although this character does have emotional problems, he isn't Emo. In fact, he's actually rather happy about being "the bad guy", he just doesn't like being the scapegoat of the universe.

[kamikasei]

Read Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, for a look at the life of, literally, the good-aligned son of the Devil.

Read Lucifer, the Vertigo comic series by Mike Carey, for someone who might be said to "possess[] unparalleled beauty, extreme intelligence and strength, genetic knowledge, a legion of hellspawn under his command, and latent loathing for all of what the gods created". Of course, it's a bit more involved than that, and Lucifer isn't what you'd call a "decent, kind person", but he does seem to think less of most of the Host than of the mortal world in general, and to take more pleasure/interest in the things of this world than do most of his immortal brethren.

Honestly, what you've described sounds way over-the-top for what in D&D terms is just a half-fiend. I assume there's some amount of homebrewed cosmology or pantheon-building going on to make this particular guy so impressive. In that case, I would wonder what his role is meant to be, both in the world (what does he spend his time doing? What do others expect of him?) and relative to the players (is he an antagonist? BBEG? Dragon? Ally? Neutral third party?). It sounds like it could be a cool idea, but runs a high risk of being overblown.

[Leliel]

He's supposed to be overblown. The entire point of putting him in there was to make the players realize that, no matter what "the prophecy" may say, humans are resposible for their own problems, and no one is bound by their destiny (although admittedly, his father really didn't deserve his fate). Well, that, and it sets up a nice "God Is Evil" plot.

[nargbop]

If he has legions available to him and great powers and HAS NOT hidden them, then the PCs have probably heard of him before.
Introduce the name in passing if you can ; I would have a bard regale the group with a tale of something else plot-important and say this guy's name.

If you're going to go with "People make gods" make sure that the concept is conveyed to the PCs at least once, but rarely.

[CASTLEMIKE]

Sounds a little like a Half Celestial - Unholy Scion (HoH) human mechanically.

Half Celestial Titan could work.

The opposite of a Devil or Demon & Divine Power tryst is an Epic DR0 Infernal sort of a supercharged Epic Pitfiend or Balor so doing the same for a Planetar or Solar could work.

[Xuincherguixe]

I'd use this character as someone who both helps and hinders the party at various times. And when he's hindering them, he doesn't really like it.

Seems like an obvious place to take such a character.

[kamikasei]

He's supposed to be overblown. The entire point of putting him in there was to make the players realize that, no matter what "the prophecy" may say, humans are resposible for their own problems, and no one is bound by their destiny (although admittedly, his father really didn't deserve his fate). Well, that, and it sets up a nice "God Is Evil" plot.

Well, it sounds like there's a lot of background there that's not covered in the original post. Questions I have:

- Who was his father? How important/powerful is/was he? How significant is the NPC in the hierarchy of the setting (as opposed to, how personally powerful are his abilities)?
- Was he conceived before or after his father's fall, and if before, why the "latent hatred"? (Why if after, for that matter?)
- What does this NPC do all day? What is his actual life? What's his relationship to the "legion of hellspawn"? Does he spend his time in the material world living a normal life, knowing that all this stuff might catch up to him, or does he sit around in Hell going "man, this is a terrible job"?
- Is this anything like a standard D&D cosmology, or something much different?
- What "prophecy"?

Context, man, context! If nothing else the idea that a good-aligned being would have a position in the hierarchy of Hell and not either renounce it or be expelled is implausible.

[Craig1f]

Read Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, for a look at the life of, literally, the good-aligned son of the Devil.

Dude, I was just about to say that. The demon in this is funny. While the other demons are out, trying to convince lawyers to commit adultery, and lobbyists to steal, our hero-demon just brings down the internet for all of London during lunchtime. This causes millions of people to become angry and take it out on the people around them.

The other demons could not understand how brilliant this was. Rather than directly tempting the temptable, he just brings human nature out of a bunch of people who can't get to their email.

When he finds out Armageddon is coming, he's upset, because he enjoys Earth. It's fun there, and it's where he keeps all of his stuff.

[kamikasei]

Dude, I was just about to say that. The demon in this is funny.

Ah, Crowley. You've got to love a guy who, when the entire world is literally coming to an end, will take the time to conjure up a replacement pair of sunglasses because, if you're going to go out, you might as well go out in style.

[Leliel]

Well, it sounds like there's a lot of background there that's not covered in the original post. Questions I have:

- Who was his father? How important/powerful is/was he? How significant is the NPC in the hierarchy of the setting (as opposed to, how personally powerful are his abilities)?

Originally an angel in charge of observing mortals. In fact, the name "Grigori" means "Watcher in Roman Catholicism.

- Was he conceived before or after his father's fall, and if before, why the "latent hatred"? (Why if after, for that matter?)

After, and he hates gods beacuse his parents were treated very unfairly.

- What does this NPC do all day? What is his actual life? What's his relationship to the "legion of hellspawn"? Does he spend his time in the material world living a normal life, knowing that all this stuff might catch up to him, or does he sit around in Hell going "man, this is a terrible job"?

He tries to lead a normal life, but the fact that he is a Nephilim pretty much means he's also a weirdness magnet. That, and he is, as I pointed out, the scapegoat of the universe.

- Is this anything like a standard D&D cosmology, or something much different?

I am trying to use one more similar to Planescape, with a few...interpretaions thrown in.

- What "prophecy"?

Well, there actually isn't one that relates to him, that was just a metaphor. That and since the creation of a Nephilim is a rare event, people automatically assumed their was one.

Context, man, context! If nothing else the idea that a good-aligned being would have a position in the hierarchy of Hell and not either renounce it or be expelled is implausible.

Sorry. The idea was only half-formed when I posted it.