I... have an apology to make.
I was seriously, deeply, and disturbingly wrong.
I am sorry.
Anybody who wants to play an android or robot, make them a probe. When their soul gem starts to run dry, have them suddenly start to remember their mission.:)
Worse yet(depending on your point of view), whoever was supposed to harvest the world, has long since ascended to a higher plane. They left,"Carry on my wayward son.",on their answering machine. This song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS_Rg7wh2Ew
An even better song for the same purpose.
And so here it is: I was wrong.
I mean, the song I linked was better, don't get me wrong, but...
... this one is more relevant to the topic.
But, of course, then there is the remix one, two, three, and four; three hours; fight the power! (same thing, different name); and, of course, instrumental (depending on your needs).
But all that said, that, naturally, means, that this one is the best one.
:D
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The problem isn't that the souls of CE are currently going to the abyss, adding to its numbers.
The problem is that there is already a plane filled with wiggling, writhing CE souls turned into demons.
I am the first to admit that the abyss is the classic example of a 'bad idea', where the gods just dumped CE souls like toxic waste, allowing it to gather up... but that waste has already caught aflame. The continued dumping of waste isn't helping... but it is not the main problem here.
And don't forget- it isn't Golarion alone, there is an entire material plane, filled with all sorts of worlds and madness. You wouldn't even want to try getting all the CE off of those worlds- you are more likely than not to run into old ones.
Also, the balance of the outer planes is... tenuous, at best. Everyone plays (relatively) nice with pharasma because there is the idea that the vast majority of souls involved with go to their respective sides, and no one tries to double cross the other too hard and mostly play by the rules. Sure, daemons have their market... but it is at a vastly reduced scale of what they would really want- they have to smuggle those souls. It isn't quite industrial, and mostly works off of single serial killers slowly collecting souls through secret murders to then sell. That, and just use the NE souls rightfully sent to abadon.
Stock piling CE souls will have two effects- Demons will play even less by the rules, and just try to rob souls from everyone else even harder, and everyone else will be eyeing up your nice stock pile of souls. This, not only will the demons start up their mess, everone else will get into the fray because they want the souls themselves. Angels want to reform/destroy them, devils try to use them as slaves, daemons want to eat them, etc.
And all this while, Pharasma will not be happy with you. There are other reasons why everyone plays nice with her- she has the forces to make it a very bad idea.
The problem isn't that the souls of CE are currently going to the abyss, adding to its numbers.
The problem is that there is already a plane filled with wiggling, writhing CE souls turned into demons.
I would say it's a combination of both.
I am the first to admit that the abyss is the classic example of a 'bad idea', where the gods just dumped CE souls like toxic waste, allowing it to gather up... but that waste has already caught aflame. The continued dumping of waste isn't helping... but it is not the main problem here.
It's actually kind of a "thing" now that's mostly a problem caused by the daemons. That said, it really did solve a problem that may be arguably worse - the qlippoths. It's hard to say whether qlippoths or demons are worse. Both are definitively awful in every way, and the demons definitely won the fight between the two of tehm, but before the demons came on the scene, the qlippoths were causing so many problems that they produced a Rovagug - and reality still hasn't "fixed" that issue.
And don't forget- it isn't Golarion alone, there is an entire material plane, filled with all sorts of worlds and madness. You wouldn't even want to try getting all the CE off of those worlds- you are more likely than not to run into old ones.
... mmmmmmmeh? The "old ones" are less "Abyss"-related and more "material plane" (and dreams/nightmares) related, from my understanding. I could be wrong about that, though.
Also, the balance of the outer planes is... tenuous, at best. Everyone plays (relatively) nice with pharasma because there is the idea that the vast majority of souls involved with go to their respective sides, and no one tries to double cross the other too hard and mostly play by the rules. Sure, daemons have their market... but it is at a vastly reduced scale of what they would really want- they have to smuggle those souls. It isn't quite industrial, and mostly works off of single serial killers slowly collecting souls through secret murders to then sell. That, and just use the NE souls rightfully sent to abadon.
This is an important thing.
Desna was nearly censured by her fellow gods due to stirring up the demon lords for too much meddling - it could have been a disaster that even the gods feared... and not just for themselves, but also for reality. Calistria successfully trolled the demon lords enough to cause them to fall into infighting until they give up.
The daemons' plans are long term - they do what they can no, but are slowly building their power until they're so big that they can't be defeated: until they're too big a deal to challenge. Fun-fun-fun.
Stock piling CE souls will have two effects- Demons will play even less by the rules, and just try to rob souls from everyone else even harder, and everyone else will be eyeing up your nice stock pile of souls. This, not only will the demons start up their mess, everone else will get into the fray because they want the souls themselves. Angels want to reform/destroy them, devils try to use them as slaves, daemons want to eat them, etc.
He's not trying to stockpile them. He's using them as material components. They're going to be used up.
And all this while, Pharasma will not be happy with you. There are other reasons why everyone plays nice with her- she has the forces to make it a very bad idea.
This is an important thing.
Since I made this post, I thought of a possible improvement. Capture and torture the evil people into repeatedly casting Protection From Evil.
As a Good spell, this will convert their alignment to Good. At which point they will be fuel for heaven.
... mmmmmmmmmmmaybe.
It's a side-bar with a sort of optional rule. There's a lot of debate about it.
Rather than torture, a mmmmmmmuch better idea is the spell geas (lesser or not) or quest (depending on how you cast), and get them to utilize good deeds (including the casting of various good spells) such as planar ally and other sacred spells, but with a focus on doing good works and intention offer an atonement at the end.
An alternate and relatively easy method is simply grabbing as many helms of opposite alignment as you possibly can and using it until it works.
Thereafter, you can do the same thing as above, and eventually it can go into an atonement and become a good guy "for realsies" as it were (just in case the helm doesn't work only on its own).
I am the first to admit that the abyss is the classic example of a 'bad idea', where the gods just dumped CE souls like toxic waste, allowing it to gather up... but that waste has already caught aflame. The continued dumping of waste isn't helping... but it is not the main problem here.It's actually kind of a "thing" now that's mostly a problem caused by the daemons. That said, it really did solve a problem that may be arguably worse - the qlippoths. It's hard to say whether qlippoths or demons are worse. Both are definitively awful in every way, and the demons definitely won the fight between the two of tehm, but before the demons came on the scene, the qlippoths were causing so many problems that they produced a Rovagug - and reality still hasn't "fixed" that issue.
Oh, yes, daemons were the jerks playing with matches... but I view the fact taht there were trillions of CE souls waiting around to catch on fire as a failure of the gods. They dumped them in a plane they weren't using, and then just left them to pile up. It was obviously a bad idea, since you can't have that many souls laying about without SOMETHING happening to them.
I am unsure how much of an issue the qlippoths would be. I am iffy on the time line- did demons show up first, or rovagug? Because most of what I know about the qlippoths is that their primary motivate... is pretty much the same as this thread- they want to cut off the flow of CE souls to make sure that demons eventually dry up. It is just that they are more than willing to destroy the entire mateiral plane to make sure there would be no mortals that could become CE.
I mentioned old ones as more of an impediment for any attempt to do a material plane wide attempt at... anything really. To starve the abyss, you need to aim for ALL worlds... and even getting to those worlds means you are going to have to pass through some 'rough neighborhoods'. Be sure to roll up your windows.
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How do you play the Helm of Opposite alignment? A one time deal that crumbles to dust, or a continuing deal that clamps on their skull till successfully removed. The victim then gets back to making their own choices.
What if it's got some cool cheese such as helm of teleportation or telepathy? What if they changed all their levels in demonist for Paladin? The party may need a paladin more.
Now here's a tough philosophical dilemma. What if Joe Strawman piles up lots of bad karma destroying evil souls, then retires, and puts on the helm of opposite alignment?
Or, as noted earlier, piles up lots of bad karma, but, using the variant rules, then uses three protection from evil spells (or even an equivalent number of P.f.E. spells to the evil he did, negating said bad karma). With such a method, he doesn't even have to wait - "just keep spamming; spamming spamming spamming" goes the Dory-caster song!
(But holy aura and/or atonement is likely to be far more effective. Bedside relentence and all.)
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Incidentally i've just recently started rereading the awesome epic fantastic D&D 3e fanfic/campaign log Tales of Wyre on ENWorld where they do this on page 2, to a Balor. Lets just say things get worse from there... Though not necessarily due to that ploy. I do not remember anymore if the Balor escapes or is freed. But his master sure is pissed about that.
(Todd do you know that one?)
I'm aware of it, and the opinion I've heard about it has been universally positive, though I've never managed to actually find the time to read it. It and my storyhour have usually been among the most read on Enworld.