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Question for the GMs out there: how feasible would playing this game with some Asmodeans in the party be? My group is about to start, and a couple of us are leaning towards playing an Asmodean tyrant antipaladin, and an Asmodean advocate cleric. The GM and other players are on board with it, but we wanted to see how much of a challenge it would be to the narrative - no one in our group is interested in extensive re-writes! The Players' Guide's section on Alignment mentions that Evil characters are an option provided they can "keep their darker impulses concealed from their comrades and can be persuaded to work well with others," and the religion section mentions that Diabolism, imported from Cheliax, is not unheard of - which is where this idea even came from :) Seems like fertile ground for a couple of enterprising concerned Chelish citizens!
From what we've read in the Player's Guide, our angle is that we'd be from Cheliax, worried for the well being of the "parent" state, so to speak. We'd hook up with Martella Lotheed at the beginning of the adventure path wanting to help Princess Eutropia, playing in to that classic trope of being trusted advisors/helpers who, oh look, just happen to have literal imps on their shoulders, offering help when it's needed most. We'd be playing more to the Lawful angle than the Evil angle - so more Hellknight, less murder-hobo. We'd be helping to install a ruler whose ear, and trust, we'd have (to some degree, anyways.) They'd be playing the Asmodean long game: genuinely helpful, genuinely hoping to get Eutropia on the throne, and then just...you know, hang around in court, offering advice and help, totally for no price at all, yep, practically free, just sign here, here, and here, and alright look don't worry about that fine print, you can trust us!
Any thoughts? I've seen a few threads on here saying that paladins & antipaladins are possible, but the former has challenges and the latter are not recommended. I'm hoping for the perspective of a GM who's read through the AP and can help up gauge how disruptive to the narrative-as-written a couple of Asmodeans would be. Thanks!
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eh... wouldn't recommend it, but that being said it's not strictly unworkable. LE is right out, but LN can work.
Paladins are great for this AP - antipaladins are completely against the tenor and tone of it without an extensive re-write, particularly of books 2 and 4, and probably 6.
Looking at it from a "Rule of Law" standpoint, Eutropia is following the ancient laws of Taldor in her actions. She's a legalist, albeit with some twisting and stretching here and there. The current Grand Prince is a would-be tyrant with little regard for the spirit of the laws. Pyratheus is also a would-be tyrant, albeit one who is trying to rule justly, if harshly.
So yes, a LN Asmodean might work. He may well point to Cheliax as a successor state to the old Taldan continent spanning Empire which has retained its might and majesty and - correctly - point to the failure of the rule of law as to why Taldor has sunk so far. They'd be fighting to restore old privileges, rightful claims, and the rule of the Senate and Grand Prince.
A LE Asmodean wouldn't be in line with the heroic tenor of the AP, where PCs fight to right ancient wrongs.
I would just say no to Asmodean PC's, unless they are just starting as Asmodeans and will switch alignments to Good. At best you'd have to bend over backwards to make an Asmodean work for this adventure.
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Thanks for the feedback everyone. We're not going to go for the crazy Asmodeus plan; sounds like it would run too far against what this AP is about.
Maybe we'll put together a Hell's Vengeance campaign after War for the Crown, to scratch that itch...
hell's vengeance is awesome.
pack up them asmodean characters for now - and then give them a place where they can really shine.
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Sounds like you decided against this idea, which probably is for the best. But to give a story on maybe why others shouldn't....
I have an Asmodean cleric (Asmodean Advocate) in the game we are working on (book 2 about 1/2 way through Act II)....We had to have a LOT of talks about his character, mainly that he couldn't have his character evil aligned (so went LN) and that he had to have a reason why he would support Eutropia--which we figured that he was fine with her inheriting as she was legally in the right as the Senate voted to remove the law about women not ruling (which he also mentioned that it has already been broken many a times...just not for the official ruler of Taldor).
In hindsight, I probably should have nixed this, mainly because this character has basically broken all Bluff/Diplomacy rolls (something about at level 1 having like a Profession (barrister) at like +16...and that being able to be used as Bluff or Diplomacy...sigh). The player knows that he is a numbers player/power gamer, so we did dull his starting skills a little...but I have basically made every Diplomacy/Bluff roll at least a DC 5 or so higher because of this...