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I'm planning a plane-hopping treasure-hunt sort of campaign, where the players go to each of the 9 outer planes in whatever order they choose to collect fragments of an artifact. Depending on which planes they leave for the end, a demigod from that plane will get the artifact fragment the PCs are looking for, which will put them in opposition to the party.
I'm looking for demigods specifically, so demon lords, archdevils, empyreal lords, etc.
Assuming that this completed artifact would give even a demigod the power boost they need to further their divine goals, which demigods of each alignment would make for the most interesting antagonists, given the opportunity?
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So how do you feel about one party member betraying the others and handing over the artifact in exchange for power. Or already being associated in some capacity with the demigod and just handing it over as a servitor of that demigod? I feel like that's what would happen.
Like, I'm a NG character, and we save what we think is the easy part of the plan by doing that section last. So I stride in with 8/9ths of the artifact and hand it over to the demi-god.
So how do you feel about one party member betraying the others and handing over the artifact in exchange for power. Or already being associated in some capacity with the demigod and just handing it over as a servitor of that demigod? I feel like that's what would happen.
Like, I'm a NG character, and we save what we think is the easy part of the plan by doing that section last. So I stride in with 8/9ths of the artifact and hand it over to the demi-god.
Well, in-game there would be a lot of discussion about the importance of planar balance and the apocalyptic effects of a multiplanar war, and if there was a PC who was particularly religious I would make sure to spotlight their thoughts on giving an artifact of such tremendous power to their deity/an aligned deity.
Out of character, I would talk to my players about the possibility of such a thing happening, and what things would be acceptable and what would not be acceptable.
Yeah...if I were your player I would probably respond with "My character doesn't believe in balance, that's why they're NG. And if there was a multiplanar war, this new artifact would tip the balance in our favor. Evil is already always trying to win over the material plane and attack everything anyways...this doesn't really change anything except giving good more power to fight back against evil."
I just don't think your premise works because you're trying to force a conclusion that's going to be incompatible with a lot of characters.
Unless you go into the campaign explaining to your players that they need to all have a backstory of why they are servitors of balance to play into your story line. To me this isn't the kind of story where you can just have random kinds of characters join in.
Yeah...if I were your player I would probably respond with "My character doesn't believe in balance, that's why they're NG. And if there was a multiplanar war, this new artifact would tip the balance in our favor. Evil is already always trying to win over the material plane and attack everything anyways...this doesn't really change anything except giving good more power to fight back against evil."
I just don't think your premise works because you're trying to force a conclusion that's going to be incompatible with a lot of characters.
Unless you go into the campaign explaining to your players that they need to all have a backstory of why they are servitors of balance to play into your story line. To me this isn't the kind of story where you can just have random kinds of characters join in.
If the players agree that they're ok with a PC going against the party, then yeah, it's something that could happen. That's fine. If the players all agree to pick a side, then they pick a side. That's also fine. If the players don't want a PC to betray the party, then I'll provide hooks to keep the party together. I just want some demigods I can use here.
I would look back at some 1st edition books, such as Book of the Damned, and if I recall there were version for good and neutral too.
Each book detailed deities, by also more minor beings such as demigods that you could use for inspiration.
Sorry I can't remember the exact titles at the moment.
It's really hard to say who is the most interesting because you'll need to flesh out your story to figure out why these beings would be involved or have pieces of artifact.
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On Heaven, Vildeis would be interesting. The Cardinal Martyr might see that the artifact's power in wrong hands makes more evil and would require enormous efforts to convince otherwise. And powerful artifact would make her available to fight against all evils.
With Nirvana... I'd perhaps take Soralyon as guardian of monuments and ruins. If the artifact is evil or requires destruction of ancient ruins, he'd be against the players. Send players through horrible ruins full of traps and statues.
In Elysium, Black Butterfly because imagine players meeting Black silouette with white hair above infinite black sea, on which characters can walk.
From Hell, Beelzebub. Imagine a titan consisting of swarming flies standing against hellish sky, wishing to gain former power.
In Abaddon, any of the Horsemen is fine. Szuriel might be most interesting for me.
In Abyss, Baphometh. Players are in an enormous labyrinth, where demons lay behind every corner and at the end the Demi-god awaits.
Otolmens from Axis. Enormous machine-like being sees players as an anomaly with their artifact pieces that would disturb the equations, models etc. And with the artifact's power the models of future would be more accurate. Fight in observatory could contain meteors and comets form sky.
Narakaas could be the opponent in Boneyard. Wishing to gain power to gain new chances to incomplete souls, show possibilities for them. And players themselves would be at the crossroads, with possibility to tip balance to good, evil, law or chaos. They would put players through trials of change to be worthy of the artifact.
Maelstrom, I have no idea. Perhaps Besmara the Pirate Queen, fighting on Maelstrom waters on a ship against her pirate ship and crew.
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I'm looking for demigods specifically, so demon lords, archdevils, empyreal lords, etc.Assuming that this completed artifact would give even a demigod the power boost they need to further their divine goals, which demigods of each alignment would make for the most interesting antagonists, given the opportunity?
Here are my suggestions:
Boneyard: I recommend Imot, the Symbol of Doom. According Concordance of Rivals, Imot arranges for the downfall of mortal civilizations the he feels have overstayed their welcome through calamity, providing a potentially unsympathetic motive for acquiring the artifact.
Axis: Valmallos, the Answering Right is a good choice because it is his job to ensure that the secrets of magic are kept away from the unworthy. This might provide a good reason to keep the artifact away from others, or perhaps he wants to use it for the purpose of depriving "the unworthy" of magic forever.
Heaven: For this it has got to be Ragathiel, who wages an unending war against fiends (especially Devils). He may see the artifact as something he can use to prosecute this war, upsetting cosmic balance and possibly overestimating Heaven's chances with the artifact, leading to an unwinnable assault on the lower planes.
Nirvana: This one is a little difficult. Bharnarol, The Tempered Inventor might be an OK choice as he keeps a workshop realm called the "Untempered Vault" where the artifact piece might be warehoused. Most of the Agathion Empyreal Lords don't really lend themselves to the antagonist role. Agathions do have a subtheme or faction where they try to force liberal democratic republics on mortals as an "ideal" government. There aren't any Empyreal Lords involved in that, as far as I can tell, but there is Talmandor, a powerful Avoral, who is involved in that faction. He might see acquiring the artifact as a way to advance his political goals.
Elysium: Azatas are another hard bunch. Picoperi enjoys taunting evil creatures and may want the artifact to play a grand trick on an evil demigod or god. Valani teaches a cycle of destruction to lead to a greater creation, and may want to use the artifact to destroy something that is better left alone, or to create something that he has misjudged to be good. It also says he has a short temper so he may make for a better antagonist.
The Maelstrom: All of the Protean Lords are pretty crazy and could fit, as they share a goal of deconstructing reality and returning it to the primordial chaos that existed before the Gods ordered it. Il'surrish is the Protean Lord of loss of control and formlessness. He may have a use for the artifact in deliberately unmaking something important.
The Abyss: You are obviously spoiled for choice here. I recommend Sithhud, who once controlled the Abyssal realm of Jhuvumirak but lost it to the ascended mortal Kostchtchie. A powerful artifact is just what he needs to reclaim his former position.
Abbadon: Really any Daemon Harbinger could use a powerful artifact to try to usurp one of the Four Horsemen. Perhaps a forgotten Harbinger or powerful Daemon who remembers the time before the reign of Charon wants to use the artifact to restore the Oinodaemon? A possible agent for this is return is Llamolaek, a former Horseman who escaped death and has a grudge against the current Daemonic power structure.
Hell: Eiseth, one of the Queens of the Night/Whore Queens, is probably a good choice as she not-so-secretly resents the Archdukes of Hell and wants to supplant one of them. The artifact could be a catalyst for that. Another choice could be Mammon, the Archduke of Greed, just to possess it.
When it comes to the Boneyard at least one creation myth has the Pathfinder Multiverse made by Pharasma herself. And if it's true using an artifact that disrupts it's balance would be betraying her for an Usher. So their motive could be that nobody gets the artifact for any reason, period.
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I would look back at some 1st edition books, such as Book of the Damned, and if I recall there were version for good and neutral too.
Each book detailed deities, by also more minor beings such as demigods that you could use for inspiration.
Sorry I can't remember the exact titles at the moment.
It's really hard to say who is the most interesting because you'll need to flesh out your story to figure out why these beings would be involved or have pieces of artifact.
Specifically, I would say that I'm looking for demigods who have some great need or burning desire that they are either being held back from or are unable to achieve in their current state. Demigods that would become very proactive if they were given the chance. Ragathiel and Baalzebul have both been suggested here and they both seem to be what I'm looking for. Ragathiel probably really wants to launch an all-out crusade against the lower planes. Baalzebul probably would try to gain the power to put himself above the other archdevils and to prove himself to Asmodeus, and that would mean a lot of bad things happening to anyone and everyone else.
The basic idea for this artifact is that it used to be one object or mechanism or device that had constituent parts from each of the nine outer planes and if you could figure out how to use it correctly it could grant you an enormous amount of power, possibly even ascension to godhood. Some wizard comes along, starts experimenting with it, the experiment goes wrong, and the artifact explodes. The pieces get sent back to the planes they were originally made on by the explosion. The players have to get the pieces from each of the planes and decide what to do with them.
The players can choose to retrieve them in whatever order they want, but the longer each fragment is left uncollected, the more attention it draws from the inhabitants of that plane. The very first piece may or may not have even been found when the players get there, and the last piece may or may not be in the direct possession of a demigod.
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Pazuzu certainly would never say no to any kind of power if it allow him to mess with lamashtu, and he's also one of the most powerfull demon lords, so if they player go to the abyss late enought, he's the perfect player to hold onto it. If they go there rather soon, I'd advice for the fragment to be in the realm of either jubilex (demon lord of oozes and poison), Andirifkhu (demon lord of illusion and traps) or Mazmezz (demon lord of arthropods and bindings). The reason for those is rather simple, their domain of interest make it so that their realm themselves can be made thematic, interesting and a bit "gimmicky" without ever having to meet their lord, which would easily make them "special" compared to the other planes the player will visit.
If they go into it "midway" throught their journey, a Qlippoth lord would be best, as strong and powerfull outsider but a step bellow demon lord. I'd advise Chavazvug, for finding it in the clutches of an inhabitant of the abyss that is actively trying to eradicate demons would be an interesting surprise to the players. Or you could go with ease of use and Pick Yamasoth, who have been given stats (and whom you won't have to build yourself).
For demigods that would want an artifact that gives them a bunch of power, I'd be inclined to look towards those who have some burning goal or have something to prove but are constrained by their current circumstances. Those that come to mind for me are:
Abaddon (NE) - Vorasha the Ophidian, Trelmarixian's consort with aspirations to usurp one of the horsemen or possibly elevate herself as a fifth horseman. One of the most notable Harbingers
Abyss (CE) - Socothbenoth, who has taken a severe blow to his power and following after his humiliation by Nocticula, with rumors even existing of him attempting to defect to Hell. He could use this to tip the scales back into his favour.
Hell (LE) - Eiseth, the most militant of the queens of the night, who is gathering an army to usurp Moloch as ruler of Malebolge. The artifact could propel her to dominance.
Axis (LN) - Valmallos, who is tasked with acting as gatekeeper for dangerous magic and rituals. An artifact strong enough to propel someone to godhood would certainly fall under his domain.
Boneyard (N) - Ceyannan the Shepherd, who wanders the cosmos in search of pieces of themselves residing in every wayward and lost soul. Might be interested to see how their operations would expand with the artifact in tow.
Maelstrom (CN) - Narriseminek, the Protean Lord responsible for exalting others into Keketars or Izsiitars. Truthfully, you could put any other Protean Lord in his place, because none of them have any particular reason to care, having duties that don't particularly align with this. Or they could do it randomly. Proteans will Protean.
Heaven (LG) - Vildeis, who was once so overcome by the mere existence of evil that she carved her eyes out and set out on an endless crusade against the forces of evil. She expects complete dedication and zealotry of her followers and cares for nothing else but the war against evil. Her more extremist methods may help to compel an otherwise good aligned party to continue in their quest for the artifact against an Empyreal Lord. Ragathiel may also work.
Nirvana (NG) - Bharnarol, the Tempered Inventor, cannot bring himself to destroy any artifact no matter how evil or questionable, instead locking them up in the Unflawed Vault underneath his workshop. Agathion are usually chill, so his might be a more "dungeon" encounter.
Elysium (CG) - Black Butterfly, possibly Desna's shadow. She actively combats evil entities that lurk in the dark corners of creation, and holds special enmity for the forces of the Dark Tapestry. The artifact could give her the power to better withstand the evil of the Mythos.