In Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lords of Chaos, James Jacobs describes the Abyss, its demon lords, and special powers mortal characters can gain if they worship these evil beings. These latter are called boons, the weakest of which are spell-like abilities, though those powerful mortals who delve deep into this evil gain even stranger powers. Access to the boons requires taking the Demonic Obedience feat.
Demonic Obedience
You physically defile yourself, others, or holy objects in order to prove your blasphemous devotion to a demon lord and gain special boons. Prerequisites: 3 ranks in Knowledge (planes), must worship a demon lord. Benefit: Each demon lord requires a different obedience, but all obediences take only an hour to perform. Once the obedience has been performed, you gain the benefit of a resistance to some element or attack associated with your demon lord, as indicated in the "Obedience" entry for the demon lord.
If you have at least 12 Hit Dice, you also gain the first boon granted by your demon lord upon undertaking your obedience. If you have at least 16 Hit Dice, you also gain the demon lord's second boon. If you have 20 Hit Dice or more, you also gain the demon lord's third and final boon. Unless a specific duration is listed, a boon's effects are constant.
If you ever fail to perform a daily obedience, you lose all access to resistances and boons granted by this feat until you next perform the obedience.
Here are just a couple of boons from the more than 30 demon lords presented in the book.
Abraxus: 1st boon: Secret Lore (Sp)identify 3/day, augury 2/day, or illusory script 1/day 2nd boon: Heretical Revelation (Su) Up to three times per day, you can whisper terrible secrets to an adjacent target as a standard action. The target can resist with a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Charisma modifier). If the target fails its save, it is stunned for 1 round, then confused for 1d4 rounds, and then nauseated for 2d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect. 3rd boon: Penultimate Incantation (Sp) Up to three times per day, you can affect a single creature within 60 feet with a targeted greater dispel magic. Each spell or effect dispelled inflicts fire damage to the target equal to the result of your caster level check made to dispel that effect.
Pazuzu: 1st boon: Whispers on the Wind (Sp)charm person 3/day, enthrall 2/day, or fly 1/day 2nd boon: Possession (Sp) You can cast magic jar once per day as a spell-like ability. You can use a holy symbol of Pazuzu or a statue of Pazuzu as your receptacle—if you do so, you can determine the exact creature type and position of all potential life forces you're capable of possessing. 3rd boon: True Temptation (Sp) If any creature speaks Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath, and that creature is within 60 feet of you, you can cast quickened charm monster on that creature as an immediate action. You can use this power up to three times per day. Creatures with fly speeds take a –4 penalty on saves against this effect. If a creature that fails its save against this effect has protection from evil or a similar effect activated, that effect is immediately and automatically dispelled.
As for what the actual obediences are, you'll have to just wait and see....
Totally. Most exciting for me is that, after numerous attempts of varied success from as far back as the Dragon and Dungeon days, we finally have a truly awesome picture of Pazuzu!
I would just like to say that this is awesome. As a GM I love including demons and devils in my games and you guys offer some great support for that. As a player, I love running morally questionable characters. This is awesome!
I would just like to say that this is awesome. As a GM I love including demons and devils in my games and you guys offer some great support for that. As a player, I love running morally questionable characters. This is awesome!
3rd boon: Penultimate Incantation (Sp) Up to three times per day, you can affect a single creature within 60 feet with a targeted greater dispel magic. Each spell or effect dispelled inflicts fire damage to the target equal to the result of your caster level check made to dispel that effect.
Yikes that is awesome, (thinks about adding a few more levels to Ap18's boss)
At CL 20, assuming they have 5 things to dispel, and you dispel them all on "avg" rolls that is a five buffs gone and ~150 damage
The demon lord Pazuzu (pronounced pah-ZOO-zoo)[1] has claimed for himself the title of King of the Wind Demons. With the body of a man, legs and talons of a giant eagle, two sets of eagle wings, a twisted avian head, and a snake in place of his genitals
Since the text mentions a "daily obedience", I guess that failing to perform it forbids you from trying again for 24 hours.
However, the description does not explicitely say so.
When can you next perform your obedience if you failed it ? As soon as you can or do you have to wait till the next day ?
You perform your obedience at the start of a day. For spellcasters, you can roll your obedience ritual into the act of preparing spells. If you skip an obedience, you lose your boons until you DO your obedience. An obedience takes an hour to perform, so whenever you do it doesn't matter. But for ease of game play, assuming you do it at the same time each day is the least annoying. (Note also that the description here is an excerpt—there's more info about obediences and boons and all that in the actual book.)
3rd boon: Penultimate Incantation (Sp) Up to three times per day, you can affect a single creature within 60 feet with a targeted greater dispel magic. Each spell or effect dispelled inflicts fire damage to the target equal to the result of your caster level check made to dispel that effect.
Yikes that is awesome, (thinks about adding a few more levels to Ap18's boss)
At CL 20, assuming they have 5 things to dispel, and you dispel them all on "avg" rolls that is a five buffs gone and ~150 damage
Booo YA!
AP 18's boss actually has a prestige class that gets updated in "Lords of Chaos," and if you take that prestige class, you get access to your demon lord's boons earlier...
Upping her level won't be necessary, although said prestige class is now a 10 level class so you'll probably want to swap some levels around...
Zaister(Paizo Charter Superscriber, Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber)
James Jacobs wrote:
Tom Qadim wrote:
I love that Pazuzu has Possession as his 2nd boon. Is that a little nod to The Exorcist?
I would call it a HUGE nod to "The Exorcist." :-)
Why does the term "possession" automatically indicate The Exorcist? I'm sure there are lots of other stories, too?
I love that Pazuzu has Possession as his 2nd boon. Is that a little nod to The Exorcist?
I would call it a HUGE nod to "The Exorcist." :-)
Why does the term "possession" automatically indicate The Exorcist? I'm sure there are lots of other stories, too?
Yeah; the demon that possesses Regan in "The Exorcist" is indeed Pazuzu. Its his statue that faces down Max Von Sydow in the opener. He doesn't actually get name-checked until "The Exorcist II," but I believe he's mentioned by name in Blatty's original novel.
It would be nifty if this system included the rules for what Nualia was attempting to do waaaaaay back in Burnt Offerings.
Sure would, wouldn't it? And if there WERE rules for what she was up to, it'd be even cooler to have a new illustration of Nualia, eh?
If only the guy who wrote that adventure also wrote "Lords of Chaos!" OH WAIT! ;-)
I should actually stop posting to this thread, though, because it makes Sean yell at me.
Haha, cool (the almost reveal, not the yelling).
Zaister(Paizo Charter Superscriber, Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber)
James Jacobs wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Why does the term "possession" automatically indicate The Exorcist? I'm sure there are lots of other stories, too?
Yeah; the demon that possesses Regan in "The Exorcist" is indeed Pazuzu. Its his statue that faces down Max Von Sydow in the opener. He doesn't actually get name-checked until "The Exorcist II," but I believe he's mentioned by name in Blatty's original novel.
Oh, thanks, I didn't know that. But then I'm not a horror movie fan, and have only seen the original movie once a long time ago, and none of the sequels.
Tom Qadim(RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32, 2012 Top 16)
James Jacobs wrote:
Its his statue that faces down Max Von Sydow in the opener.
THAT was an awesome scene!
Tom Qadim(RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, 2011 Top 32, 2012 Top 16)
Zaister wrote:
Oh, thanks, I didn't know that. But then I'm not a horror movie fan, and have only seen the original movie once a long time ago, and none of the sequels.
Oh, you'll have to watch it again. I've seen it about a hundred and sixty-seven times and it keeps getting funnier every single time I see it. ;-)
3rd boon: True Temptation (Sp) If any creature speaks Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath, and that creature is within 60 feet of you, you can cast quickened charm monster on that creature as an immediate action. You can use this power up to three times per day. Creatures with fly speeds take a –4 penalty on saves against this effect. If a creature that fails its save against this effect has protection from evil or a similar effect activated, that effect is immediately and automatically dispelled.
Am I the only one who doesn't see ANY practical use to this ability?
Hmm, that's a very strange ability. It would make more sense if you could cast immediate charm monster on a creature if you spoke Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath :)
Hmm, that's a very strange ability. It would make more sense if you could cast immediate charm monster on a creature if you spoke Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath :)
You can! You're casting charm monster on yourself is all.
It's a very folklore-y ability, where the demon's attention is drawn to the inadvertent act of worship in repeating its name. I like it.
Hmm, that's a very strange ability. It would make more sense if you could cast immediate charm monster on a creature if you spoke Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath :)
You can! You're casting charm monster on yourself is all.
It's a very folklore-y ability, where the demon's attention is drawn to the inadvertent act of worship in repeating its name. I like it.
I agree that it is kind of cool, but if you spend a feat for it, you should get something in return. I don't think the capstone ability of this feat will be used more than once per campaign and even that if you have a generous DM...
3rd boon: True Temptation (Sp) If any creature speaks Pazuzu's name aloud three times with a single breath, and that creature is within 60 feet of you, you can cast quickened charm monster on that creature as an immediate action. You can use this power up to three times per day. Creatures with fly speeds take a –4 penalty on saves against this effect. If a creature that fails its save against this effect has protection from evil or a similar effect activated, that effect is immediately and automatically dispelled.
Am I the only one who doesn't see ANY practical use to this ability?
Note that the creature doesn't need to speak Pazuzu's name under his free will. You can trick him into saying it, or other creatures can use things like suggestion to make him do it. And you can force creatures to say it via torture or by threatening something they hold dear. It's an ability that you need to be a true sneak and tempter to pull off, which is what a high level cultist of Pazuzu would be.
Also: These abilities, while they CAN be used by PCs, are more intended to be used by NPCs. And getting a PC to say Pazuzu three times is weirdly easy.
Wait, are we actually going to get stats for the Demon Lords this time (or if not how about just their Aspects)? I don't remember if we got stats for the Archfiends or Whore Queens in Princes of Darkness. I would sure just love to just have stats for the "aspects" of the Demon Lords/Archdevils/Whore Queens etc etc.
Wait, are we actually going to get stats for the Demon Lords this time (or if not how about just their Aspects)? I don't remember if we got stats for the Archfiends or Whore Queens in Princes of Darkness. I would sure just love to just have stats for the "aspects" of the Demon Lords/Archdevils/Whore Queens etc etc.
Nope; no stats for demon lords. They'd be something like CR 35 or higher, and we don't know how our epic rules work yet, so we aren't going to stat them up.
Nor are we going to have stats for their "aspects," since that's not something we're going to go into with our demigods.
The nascent demon lords, though, range from CR 21 to 25. Treerazer is one of them, and he'll be converted to the new rules in the upcoming World Guide—there's several nascent demon lords listed in this book, but we don't provide stats for them here. That's a project for another day.