I have a villain I'm designing who did the whole Diabloist thing of selling his soul for arcane power. The catch is: sometime after that, he goes and becomes a lich. Technically, there's no conflict, as the lich's soul is still in his possession, just removed from his body and stored elsewhere. But it seems like the kind of thing that could cause complications.
Now, I'm running the game in my own heavily tweaked setting, so I already know how this particular case will play out, but it got me thinking. What would happen in a similar situation in Golarion?
I have a villain I'm designing who did the whole Diabloist thing of selling his soul for arcane power. The catch is: sometime after that, he goes and becomes a lich. Technically, there's no conflict, as the lich's soul is still in his possession, just removed from his body and stored elsewhere. But it seems like the kind of thing that could cause complications.
Now, I'm running the game in my own heavily tweaked setting, so I already know how this particular case will play out, but it got me thinking. What would happen in a similar situation in Golarion?
Devils are patient since they are immortal. There is always a chance the lich would be destroyed. The devil may even play a hand in speeding the process along.
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Reminds me of a character idea I've been mulling over for a while. A neutral or neutral good rogue who is forced into accepting a Faustian contract (perhaps he's on the brink of death, and accepts to save his own ass). Then he starts getting levels of demonic/diabolic bloodline sorcerer. He knows that his powers by their own nature are evil, and that he will become a tool for the fiend who granted him the powers. So, he starts working to use his powers for good as much as possible, in an attempt to undo all the evil that he's sure he will unwillingly commit. His ultimate goals will be to prolong his death as much as possible, so that he can do as much good as possible; also, he needs time to research a way to kill himself that would obliterate his own soul, ensuring that the fiends never get their claws on it.
I think it would make for an interesting RP character.
Devils are patient since they are immortal. There is always a chance the lich would be destroyed. The devil may even play a hand in speeding the process along.
According to the Fiendish Codex II (I believe that was it) Devils are rather interested in people dieing immediately after they sold their soul because of the chance of atonement. There was a nice picture of a jewel collector who sold his soul for a rare gem. His hand with the gem still in it looked out of a heap stones that fell onto him. :D
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According to the Fiendish Codex II (I believe that was it) Devils are rather interested in people dieing immediately after they sold their soul because of the chance of atonement. There was a nice picture of a jewel collector who sold his soul for a rare gem. His hand with the gem still in it looked out of a heap stones that fell onto him. :D
Devils are patient since they are immortal. There is always a chance the lich would be destroyed. The devil may even play a hand in speeding the process along.
On the other hand, having the soul of a powerful mortal is worth more than the average soul.
According to the Fiendish Codex II (I believe that was it) Devils are rather interested in people dieing immediately after they sold their soul because of the chance of atonement. There was a nice picture of a jewel collector who sold his soul for a rare gem. His hand with the gem still in it looked out of a heap stones that fell onto him. :D
Devils are patient since they are immortal. There is always a chance the lich would be destroyed. The devil may even play a hand in speeding the process along.
That was basically my thinking - that the devils would be angry because a lich could theoretically hold out on the deal forever. On the other hand, wraithstrike is right about them being patient, and a lich isn't exactly on the road to atonement.
On the other hand, having the soul of a powerful mortal is worth more than the average soul.
That's what you try to corrupt already powerful individuals for. Or you kidnap people the powerful guys care about and make them sell their souls for the freedom of the victims. (I really, really hate devils.)
That was basically my thinking - that the devils would be angry because a lich could theoretically hold out on the deal forever. On the other hand, wraithstrike is right about them being patient, and a lich isn't exactly on the road to atonement.
Well, in your place I would do the following:
1) Figure out with what kind of devil he made that pact. Imps are not allowed to make Faustian bargains, so it will probably be something more powerful. The devil who made the deal has the biggest interest in the soul being brought in because he gets a big part of the share, and souls equal promotions in hell. If it was to weak you can maybe use one a little bit more powerful to show that he was promoted for bringing in other souls.
2) Play that devil in the background. Make him use his resources to try and find the phylactery, manipulate heroes to attack the lich, sell information on him etc. Don't do anything stupid like attacking him outright with a bunch of devils. He should have a hard time figuring out where his problems come from.
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On the other hand, having the soul of a powerful mortal is worth more than the average soul.That's what you try to corrupt already powerful individuals for. Or you kidnap people the powerful guys care about and make them sell their souls for the freedom of the victims. (I really, really hate devils.)
That was basically my thinking - that the devils would be angry because a lich could theoretically hold out on the deal forever. On the other hand, wraithstrike is right about them being patient, and a lich isn't exactly on the road to atonement.Well, in your place I would do the following:
1) Figure out with what kind of devil he made that pact. Imps are not allowed to make Faustian bargains, so it will probably be something more powerful. The devil who made the deal has the biggest interest in the soul being brought in because he gets a big part of the share, and souls equal promotions in hell. If it was to weak you can maybe use one a little bit more powerful to show that he was promoted for bringing in other souls.
2) Play that devil in the background. Make him use his resources to try and find the phylactery, manipulate heroes to attack the lich, sell information on him etc. Don't do anything stupid like attacking him outright with a bunch of devils. He should have a hard time figuring out where his problems come from.
Not to mention that said devil could then try to make deals with adventurers to give them what they need to defeat the lich.
Well, in your place I would do the following:
1) Figure out with what kind of devil he made that pact. Imps are not allowed to make Faustian bargains, so it will probably be something more powerful. The devil who made the deal has the biggest interest in the soul being brought in because he gets a big part of the share, and souls equal promotions in hell. If it was to weak you can maybe use one a little bit more powerful to show that he was promoted for bringing in other souls.
2) Play that devil in the background. Make him use his resources to try and find the phylactery, manipulate heroes to attack the lich, sell information on him etc. Don't do anything stupid like attacking him outright with a bunch of devils. He should have a hard time figuring out where his problems come from.
That's about what I have planned. However, as mentioned, I'm using a homebrew setting, so what I have planned has little bearing on the broader hypothetical of what would happen in the "official" Golarion.
For reference:
Not to mention that said devil could then try to make deals with adventurers to give them what they need to defeat the lich.
Man I totally agree with you. I really see the devil recruiting good-aligned adventurers as "debt-collectors". The devil could act disguised and manipulate the PCs, but I think a really more interesting idea is that the devil explains frankly what he wants and even send some minions whth the PCs, in a classical "We have to team up with our enemies to defeat a greater evil, when will they betray us ?"