Hello, folks.
I've asked before about some rules on possession to try and build what I want for my game, but the more I think about it, the more I'm sure there is already something similar to it in the system and I'm just missing it.
I want to include a demonic conspiracy in my game. There is an international alliance spearheaded by the church of Asmodeus and these demon worshippers are infiltrated in it, trying to bring their masters to the material world. For these cultists, I wanted them to be hosts to demon possession - once you defeat the host, you have to fight the actual demon.
Greater Possession solves some of my problems, but Occult Adventures is silent on voluntary possession (or at the very least I couldn't find anything about it).
What I want is for the demon to grant the host some kind of special ability during possession. I don't want to bring the old 3.5 rules into it if at all possivle (Fiendish Codex has some guidelines for demon possession which I could borrow, otherwise).
Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make this work?
There's the Demon-Possessed Creature template from the Advanced Bestiary. Could be a starting point.
Uhhhh, Asmodeus probably doesn't work with demons at all; devils are FAR more to his liking. Although I probably wouldn't put it past him to devise a convoluted plot that includes secretly enlisting some demons, probably through a demonologist/summoner who probably has no idea that Asmodeus is behind the whole thing - and then letting that demonologist take the blame and face the consequences for what goes wrong.
Otherwise, Asmodeus probably sticks to devils. His worshipers who decide to voluntarily allow something to possess them would NEVER choose a demon (it would be as distasteful and terrifying as the notion of bargaining with an archon). They would only allow devils to possess them, if at all.
As far as non-voluntary possession, well, if you possess someone and force their body to do stuff, their soul remains intact. When the guy dies, his soul goes to HIS chosen afterlife. What's the point in that?
Devils plot and scheme and bargain with mortals, all for the purpose of getting that mortal's soul. Simply possessing them and losing the soul is not the end goal of the devil's grand plan.
So possessing someone against his will is a bad way to claim his soul, but maybe a good way to get him to corrupt his family and friends so that THEY become LE of their own free will (persuaded, but not forced by the possessed guy). Good fun.
Back to the idea of voluntarily letting a devil possess them, I think your best bet is to invent a ritual. During this ritual a person contacts a devil and strikes a bargain, then opens himself to the devil's possession, in return for whatever benefits come from it. I suggest that a person can only open themselves to a devil with lower hit dice, or equal, or maybe a tiny bit more - whatever ratio suits your needs, but make sure to restrict it because this builds in an explanation as to why there are no 6-armed Marilith-possessed farmers running around Cheliax harvesting their fields 3x faster than two-armed farmers.
The benefits of this ritual are, of course, entirely up to you. Long life, even immortality, is an oldie but a goodie. People have been (allegedly) selling their souls for THAT since just about forever. Eternal youth and beauty (which means Erenyes are going to be a heavy favorite with the lady worshipers). Wealth and power, of course, are also old-time favorites. As far as game mechanics, gaining the resistances and immunities of the devil, and its mental powers (teleport and other SLAs) would be a great start. Special vision and other senses. Maybe event the ability to transform into a half-man, half-devil (like a middle stage werewolf but with a devil instead) to get claws and natural armor.
Hopefully that gets you started.
Uhhhh, Asmodeus probably doesn't work with demons at all; devils are FAR more to his liking.
Yeah, that's the whole point. The cultits are not working with him. They are just using the church structure for their purposes. No one knows they are possessed.
There's the Demon-Possessed Creature template from the Advanced Bestiary. Could be a starting point.
That's exactly what I needed! thanks.