One of my players is a LG Abjurer that has been possessed by a Succubus.
I'd like to use her suggestion ability on him to make him stray from the his virtuous ways. The problem is that he is so LG that everything is against his code. Can you give me some ideas as to what kind of things the Succubus can influence him to do?
Chaos is an easier sway than evil, so I'd say start that way. Also, set things up in an "end justifies the means" sort of way, so that he can convince himself that it's worth bending the rules a bit to ensure the greater good.
Example: Stealing. Let's say there's an orphanage that's overdue on its taxes to the lawful but not very nice government. If they don't pay, the property will be foreclosed upon and all the orphans will be on the street (or indentured as servants). Suggest that a poetic way to solve this problem would be to steal from a government payroll chest being delivered to <insert logical area here.> The great thing is that although he's stealing, he's doing it from someone who is being bad, and rather than keeping the money for himself, he's using it to do good. Add to that the fact that he's giving the money right back to the person he stole it from in the first place, it's almost like it's not really stealing at all...
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One of my players is a LG Abjurer that has been possessed by a Succubus.
I'd like to use her suggestion ability on him to make him stray from the his virtuous ways. The problem is that he is so LG that everything is against his code. Can you give me some ideas as to what kind of things the Succubus can influence him to do?
A clever succubus might use his zeal against him. Have him seeing heretics where there is none, and that they need to be purged. To him this is the correct action, but in reality there is no heretics, they are falsly accused. Once he starts slaughtering the innocence, perhaps give him another chance at breaking the possession.
Suggestion won't allow anyone to change someone else's alignment. It's a compulsion, and the game won't punish you for things you were magically compelled to do.
Suggestion won't allow anyone to change someone else's alignment. It's a compulsion, and the game won't punish you for things you were magically compelled to do.
However, using suggestion to make him do stuff that ain't THAT evil or chaotic, and causing him to gain from it (or even cause good to come from it) he might be more tempted to break his rules later on... Showing him that chaos can bring good might mean he's more prone to that kind of thinking even when not under those effects.
In an adult themed game she'd do it with perversion and lust as is traditional for a succubi, but in a more normal game I'd probably just slowly have her seduce him to chaos and evil through generic acts.
I think there's a saying that vice is a virtue turned to extreme. In fact, something a bit like that was iirc touched in the Rise of the Runelords' fluff, the seven virtues turning into vices. Perhaps it (the succubus) could play on that. For example, a LG character will likely feel that everyone should get their fair share for their work, including themselves. Let the succubus play on his pride of his accomplishments.
You save the town, go back to it, and the grateful townsfolk get together a nice thank-you celebration with a few odd gifts, not bad - but you kinda feel a little let down after all the quick promises made before. Yeah, you realize some people are just stingy, but... and then you think to yourself (what else can something in your head be?) "You went and risked your life for those people - and is this all you should get? You should get more. You DESERVE more. Is this what their lives/livelihoods/children/etc are worth to them?"
You go back to your Alma Mater Magicae to show your peers the fruits of your research and experimentation. Everyone seems suitably impressed, you trade a few spells around, the Dean of TRB (Thaumaturgical Reality-******ing) invites you for a meeting and tells you she's quite impressed - despite your age, you are one of the better mages she's seen in a decade or two. Now, maybe you want to keep active, but if you are looking for some future opportunities, there's a project quite a few wizard guild members have been working on, if you follow it you might be considered a good candidate for a well-paid tenure. Another project, you think for yourself - good grief, didn't I do enough as a student? "You showed them arcane prowess that these lands rarely see in a decade, and those old doggerels don't want to let you in on the guild council? When was the last time they did anything? Oh, wait, that's it, isn't it? They have been sitting on their asses for the last 20 years, handing down projects and missions, using the best as pawns while dangling a carrot over their eyes... No doubt there'd be another assignment afterwards, more dangerous of course, then maybe another... Are you going to be a gofer all your life, after learning and doing so much?"
And so it goes. Rewards are never quite good enough, appreciation is either too little or obviously insincere, the whole world seems to be made so that good guys - and you in particular - never finish first, being second is never good enough, while the guys you speak with are all selfish, dishonest, materialistic pricks. Is it worthwhile keeping up with moral standards that everyone ridicules behind your back? Everyone gets to play by their rules, but yours are harder - and you don't get anything for playing by them? Are there really good people in this world? Apparently not - so if everyone's out to con and use you, why not repay them in kind? You will still be good to those who deserve it, rare as they are...
Succubi are master charmers and flatterers; it is when whispering to one's ear, not in open combat or even outright mental domination, that they are most effective. They know that a man whose armor can't be breached by any blade can be killed easily by poison dripped into his ear. Oh, and by the way, start small, working up. What is time to what is immortal?
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Agreeing with LazarX.
You're the DM, you've got full control over what happens. You could just show up, say, "You're CE now," and tell him what his PC does.
However, that's no fun, and a great way to end games and friendships.
What you should really look for is what the goal of the situation is. Although these aren't the only possibilities, they are major ways to handle things, based on your goals:
1. You just want to screw over the character.
Don't. Just don't. Your game will end in fire.
2. You want to test the resolve of the PC.
Here, the goal is a slow, steady game of convincing. The succubus may occasionally compel him via suggestion, but usually will not--he will only grow to hate the succubus, and the demon will lose any pull. Instead, use compulsion sparingly, and just give the PC ideas and arguments. The compulsion can be used to set up the morally ambiguous situation, but you (and the demon) will want the PC to make the final decision.
3. You want to make a story arc.
One possibility here is to fully compel him into terrible acts. However, he fights it the entire way, and eventually expels the demon from his soul. There can be interesting adventures along those lines, as long as the player understands what the overarcing plot is. The search for a way to expel the demon, followed by a number of adventures to clean up the mess the demon left behind, perhaps involving a Quest or Atonement spell, would be interesting. It would, however, leave the PC's alignment intact, and that's okay.
A clever succubus might use his zeal against him. Have him seeing heretics where there is none, and that they need to be purged. To him this is the correct action, but in reality there is no heretics, they are falsly accused. Once he starts slaughtering the innocence, perhaps give him another chance at breaking the possession.One of my players is a LG Abjurer that has been possessed by a Succubus.
I'd like to use her suggestion ability on him to make him stray from the his virtuous ways. The problem is that he is so LG that everything is against his code. Can you give me some ideas as to what kind of things the Succubus can influence him to do?
"An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded."
Sorry, this suddenly seemed very 40k.
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It's tricky to do because players are always on guard against such transparent GM manipulation. Magical influence won't truly make the character stray since he won't really be in control of his actions; failing a saving throw by itself doesn't make someone evil. What the succubus needs is some ability to affect the caster beyond mere honeyed words or brute force magic; a faustian deal. The PC has to freely choose, for whatever reason, the evil path. The demon's job isn't to force a PC to do evil; it's to bring about a situation in which the PC feels no "good" options are acceptable/viable.
I once succeeded in having a "possessed" PC turn evil; maybe you can do something similar in your situation. In my case it was a druid; she'd transgressed against her order's doctrine by helping another druid to abort an elven maiden's unwanted pregnancy after she'd been raped by orcs. As temporary punishment, the nature gods started withholding her higher level spells. An evil god of hatred and strife seized the opportunity to grant her some truly vile necromantic spells she hadn't prayed for in their stead. That was it. No initial message, no deal, no requests; just access to some spells she shouldn't have and should be wise enough to know not to use. It was up to her to cast them or not. She eventually did, and she enjoyed the very effective results. But casting such spells is unatural for a druid, so the nature gods began withholding more and more of her spells. The evil god in turn granted her more and more replacement spells. With no other spells available, she had little recourse but to use the vile spells she had to continue on the party's quest.
Eventually the group was battling a lich and his vampire henchmen. When the three vampires turned to mist and tried to flee in coffins strapped to the belly of a zombie wyvern, the party wasn't able to keep up; except for the druid who had turned into a bat to pursue. Having finally caught up to the wyvern, she was hard-pressed to do anything. She was hurt, out of any useful spells and was being shot at by the wyvern's crossbow-wielding juju zombie rider. Then I started whispering in her ear in the evil god's voice. I told her: "You hate these undead don't you? Your hate makes you strong. If you want it, all you need do is call out my name and command the wyvern to crash into that lake far below. They'll all be destroyed..." She fought the suggestion at first, even calling out to the nature gods for their help. I, as the evil god just laughed at her. "Nature has no hold on such abominations; but I do... And so could you if you call my name..." Eventually, with no other options, and through gritted teeth, the ex-druid called out the evil god's name and sent the wyvern hurtling down into the lake. The PC was saved from drowning by the party, but it was too late; she'd already become a self-loathing evil cleric. It was awesome. >=]
You see, it's a simple matter to do the righteous thing when the means to do so are easy and convenient. Continuing to do good under duress when the evil option is easier and convenient is harder. It's almost impossible to keep it up when the righteous path seems to lead only to failure...
My personal approch to this kind of situation is: as a GM, you never try to force your player to an allineament they do not feel. My suggestion is, talk with your player and take this as a chance for a roleplayng event for the character to actually change and become something else. Maybe throught this experience the character will learn that the good and the right are not alway tied, and tha sometime rule must be blended or that right decision sometimes hurt the innocent.
TLDR: if your player does not want, don't do it. Work with him for a change.
I have a similar problem in my Council of Thieves adventure, except this did not happen to an abjurer, it was a paladin. I want to take full advantage as none of the enemies have stood a chance against him yet (smite evil = dead BBEG) so I want to see the true battle being fought in his very soul, but am stumped as to how I'm going to work it.