I've seen people here with games where a PC was a LE-type or follower of Asmodeus, but what about a PC that is CE or a follower of a demon lord? Aside from the issues of having a demon-worshipping character in the party. There is evidence that fiendish types have infiltrated Crusades both past and present.
A specific case, a Cleric of Nocticula. Considering the surprises in the later half of the books, how much trouble could that cause, or be used to cause trouble by the GM?
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Honestly, the first time you cast a spell around the crusaders and brandish your unholy symbol, I expect witch burnings to happen. Or summary executions.
Honestly, when my party brought Arueshalae home, Irabeth and an entire army of paladins listened to the party claim innocent and the entire army did a mass detect evil.
And this is after rescuing Kenabres and Drezen.
The ap design means you have to wholly oppose the demons. This means followers of demons wont really work. You'd need to be a low templar but wouldn't be able ro do it unil lvl 10.
I've actually posited that an agent of Nocticula may work in the campaign.
**CAUTION - HEAVY SPOILERS - PLAYERS AVOID THIS**
It is mentioned in the back matter of the final book that Nocticula may have redemption into a Chaotic Neutral Deity of Outcasts as an ultimate goal. She's also none too keen on what Baphomet and Deskari are doing to her realm. If you explore that further and have her actively looking to ingratiate herself with the crusade, and the PC's, as possible patrons for her ascension and redemption, it would be relatively easy to then have one of the PC's operate as her agent.
This agent would, initially at least, need to be under cover to avoid suspicion. It would almost certainly be someone born in the Midnight Isles and would probably be of chaotic evil or chaotic neutral alignment to start. That said, certain abilities such as Beyond Morality (or failing that a magic item gifted to them by Nocticula in order to hide their true nature) would allow this PC to operate with the crusade undetected until Nocticula was ready to make her power play and expose that she has been helping all along via the actions of one of her closest and most powerful agents.
Developing a backstory for this agent, and a reason for them to have ascended to Mythic Power is really the only remaining hurdle if the GM is on board to include it in the game.
The PC would need to be a melee or ranged combat type, or a non-divine spellcaster. Basically nothing with an aura. They would need a cover identity and a reason to join the adventurers. Bluff, diplomacy and sense motive would all be very useful skills, along with disguise. Race is somewhat unimportant but the PC would most likely be female, and possibly a Teifling or even a Half Fiend, but with a means of disguising their true nature. Racial abilities like Pass For Human would be important.
It would take an advanced player, and one willing to play the long game and assist the party goals in service of someone genuinely looking to be at least partially redeemed. The character may be looking for redemption as well, or may be of neutral alignment hoping to see his/her master throw off some of her more evil tendencies. The player would also need to be OK with receiving (and concealing) certain spoilers that an agent of a powerful Demon Lord would know.
It's just a thought I had, but with a bit of work it could fly, as long as the player avoids obviously bad class choices like Anti-Paladin or Cleric.
Infiltrator Inquisitor archetype. They get Misdirection at 1st level.
I've actually posited that an agent of Nocticula may work in the campaign.
**CAUTION - HEAVY SPOILERS - PLAYERS AVOID THIS**
** spoiler omitted **...My only question is:
** spoiler omitted **
Baphomet brought The Ivory Labyrinth with him from Hell, i imagine Nocticula in all her deific glory could do the same with The Midnight Isles
however what the AP suggests
either way there is lots to work with:)
There also is one more CE option: Worship a Qlippoth Lord. While the Qlippoth hate all mortals they hate the demons even more, especially the Qlippoth lord Chavazvug. I think it's perfectly in line for one of his followers to use one enemy to help destroy an even greater enemy.
Some Stuff on the Spoilered stuff
However, Somone in that thread mentioned that there was some not fully fleshed out background stuff on both Nocticula and Zon-Kuthon. My search fu sucks so i'll try to paraphrase from memory.
Apparently, all those succubi statues that you see in books are all produced by a CN Follower of Nocticula that believes she was in fact a fallen Empyreal Lord. She apparently pushes more the romance end of Nocticulas interests and Thinks Nocticula secretly desires to be redeamed. She apparently Is wanted dead or alive by the main Nocticula cult. I think the information is in the magnamar book but Im not sure.
I had a chance to play in a Wrath of the Rightious game and based on the above premise had looked at playing a follower of Nocticula based on the above themes. Unforunately i scrapped it as a poor idea for when you are comming into an already established game. But i think the idea is sound.
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I've actually posited that an agent of Nocticula may work in the campaign.
**CAUTION - HEAVY SPOILERS - PLAYERS AVOID THIS**
** spoiler omitted **...
While possible, your idea requires the bending of certain guidelines, and the fact that a player would have to be willing to play a character of that specific demon lord.
Sorry, but considering the AP, I just think this is a still a rather bad idea.
Didn't James say that
These are all fun juicy ideas that have a lot of promise. They're all good ones and I'm wondering how many times you can run through an AP...
As for the whole thing about the Wardstone shockwave, it also specifically says that all PCs are restored to full from it, and as a GM, just about anything can be handwaved.(The idea would take alot of Player/GM cooperation to pull off nicely) Obviously the Gods are present, and see that the PC has the potential to redeem a demon-lord, granting that moment of protection and mythic spark to do so. Perhaps the fact that the PC isn't following Nocticula the Demon Lord but Nocticula the Midnight Patron that protects her. Depending on the level of the PC's awareness of things, it could even be the sacrifice of incinerating herself to do the right thing that protects her. The Wardstone isn't just the thing that saves the day, it's also the event that gives the PCs their mythic power.
I have a question for the GMs as well. What should Nocticula's reaction be if a PC refers to her in character as "Nocty"?
I've seen people here with games where a PC was a LE-type or follower of Asmodeus, but what about a PC that is CE or a follower of a demon lord? Aside from the issues of having a demon-worshipping character in the party. There is evidence that fiendish types have infiltrated Crusades both past and present.
A specific case, a Cleric of Nocticula. Considering the surprises in the later half of the books, how much trouble could that cause, or be used to cause trouble by the GM?
Another consideration is how difficult having that character in the group will make life on the rest of the party. It sets up a scenario where every RP opportunity, every new NPC introduction ends up being all about that one player. An evil character in this AP seems a somewhat selfish or at least poorly thought out option to me. I don't recommend characters opposed to piracy in Skull n Shackles and I don't recommend demon worshippers in Wrath of the Righteous. There are plenty of other great adventure and character options out there.