Hopefully a simple question
If a named demon or devil is killed on the material plane in Pathfinder do they die outright or do they just return to their plane (like in many interpretations)
I am not sure where I would need to look for this information
On top of that if it is the latter how are demons fully destroyed in Pathfinder?
I am looking at bringing in a demon villain from a characters backstory. But would like to know how reoccurring this could potentially be.
In my understanding of outsiders in pathfinder is that they don't have the "Dual Nature" of humanoids (i.e. a body and a soul). I take this to mean that their body is their soul. This is why they need a wish or miracle or some other similarly powerful method to be resurrected. There are some caveats to this though, outsider natives do not follow this rule.
It really depends on how they got to the material plane, were they "called" or were they "summoned". If they were "called" then they'll outright die if killed but if they were summoned then like all things summoned they'll reform after 24 hours in their native plane.
EDIT: the spells that can resurrect an outsider are: Limited Wish, Wish, Miracle and True Resurrection.
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If the outsider is actually present on the Material Plane, as opposed to summoned using a summoning spell, then it actually dies.
Rules citation that Katapesh Fried Chicken alluded to:
Calling: a calling spell transports a creature from another plane to the plane you are on. The spell grants the creature the one-time ability to return to its plane of origin, although the spell may limit the circumstances under which this is possible. Creatures who are called actually die when they are killed; they do not disappear and reform, as do those brought by a summoning spell (see below). The duration of a calling spell is instantaneous, which means that the called creature can’t be dispelled.
Summoning: a summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower, but it is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can’t be summoned again.
note- even if the game isn't high level enough to use proper miracles/wishes, you can still bring the demon back.
Paizo basically gave GMs a legal method for pulling things out of their rear ends- occult rituals.
Basically, this is a rule that allows you to copy a spell via the use of various checks such as knowldged checks. So you can accomplish the spell without any actual spellcasting ability. There might not be a specific ritual for this purpose, but it is a rule structure you can playwith to accomplish your goal.
So basically- have a mad man collect the 7 crystal babies and arrange them in a lopsided pentagram during the first half eclipse that happens after a laborday. There- done. Your demon is back. (note- if the ritual does a lot of damage to the caster, then it gets WAAAAY easier. Of course, the caster doesn't need to know that that happens. MWHAHAHAHA)
EDIT- oh, there is actually an example ritual that works- Ouroboros Blood Ritual. It is a 1 time only thing, needs healing, knowledge (arcana, planes) checks at 34. The only really troublesome part is that it needs relatively fresh ouroboros blood (note- that is a cr 21 creature- maybe have a timeless demiplane that has this blood to get around this rule? Could work in giving the players a chance to catch onto the plot and try a futile attempt to stop it)
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Outsiders die when they are killed and then their essence is absorbed by their plane. So thats why you can still resurrect them with miracle/wish type of spells even though their soul is their body.
Demigod level outsiders don't die first time they are killed because their connection to their realm revives them, they only die permanently if they are killed second time inside a year from first death.
Book of the damned released on wednesday might have this information, not sure. Otherwise you could buy that Mummy's Mask book that has article on cycle of souls I guess if you don't mind setting's cosmology related info :P
Demigod level outsiders don't die first time they are killed because their connection to their realm revives them, they only die permanently if they are killed second time inside a year from first death.
That's only true of the evil ones. The empyreal lords don't have a similar auto-resurrection power.