So, I'm not sure which forum topic this should be under, but I'm looking for some character advice 😊
My DM is intending to run a full campaign in the Hells when we finish our current campaign, and while it's probably still a couple of months away yet, I'm so excited about the idea that I just had to start thinking up a player character! As far as I know, the party are all in service to a devil to some degree, and are helping that devil rise through the hierarchy through, scheming, plotting, making deals and even fighting in the Blood War at some point probably!
So, I was thinking of making an Order of the Scribe Wizard with a dip in artificer, and use the Winged Tiefling race which I would like to flavour as an imp. My DM would allow me to change the character to a small size and as a fiend rather than a humanoid, so playing an imp will be okay with him!
Basically my concept with him is that he is an aspiring spell scroll salesman, jotting down scrolls and spellbooks, selling them to fellow devil's, or to mortals for an extortionate amount of gold, soul coins, or for suitably evil deeds. He might even dabble in scams, selling his own spellbook before using his class features to summon it back to himself for example. And at higher levels, he could delve into creating and selling magic items as an artificer.
Naturally he hopes that all the coin he makes will also help him expand his wares, expand his own magical power, and pave the way to becoming an archdevil himself.
Firstly, I'd like to know if this sounds like a stupid idea? Would you support it if I came to you with all this?
Secondly, if you do, how do you think his backstory should go? Maybe he worked in a soul coins smithy, developing his love of coin, but then where would he learn his spells? Or should he be a scribe or secretary to an archduke or devil mage? Or something else all together? I'm really struggling to write any sort of coherent plot for this 😔
Also, how much freedom do devil's have? Would an imp realistically be able to set up his own merchant business in a place like Mahadi's Wandering Emporium for example? Or would he be demoted or slain for desertion? Is it possible he could have paid for his own freedom somehow?
Sorry if this was a bit of a messy post, I'd really love to hear your thoughts on it! Thanks so much for reading! 😊
This depends strongly on how closely the DM is hewing to Faerunian devil lore, and whether the PCs are all devils of some sort or whether they're slaves of a given devil trying to break free.
Devils, according to classic Faerunian lore, are the result of a mortal soul dying while of Lawful Evil alignment. The soul falls to the Nine Hells and undergoes a strictly one-way transmogrification into a devil, which strips away the mortal's previous capacity for choice. Devils cannot choose their behavior - they act as their nature dictates and are fundamentally incapable of altering themselves. This could make for a rough go of PC-dom, but if the DM is laxer about devil lore or has decided that his particular PC devils are different, anything is possible.
One option you might look into, insofar as background goes, is that this particular imp with the uncommonly fine pen hand is/was a purveyor of fine soul contracts. Any devil knows that appearances are not everything but they're sure something, and a soul contract on fine vellum and glittering golden ink, written in a masterful hand, is much more impressive and enticing for mortals than a contract scrawled in undisguised bloodink on flesh flayed from the back of a lesser slave of the Hells. A splendid, aesthetically pleasing soul contract is provably more likely to ensnanre a soul, and having a talent for writing up such contracts could be a reason this imp earned enough favor to run his own side business. Could also be that he hides clauses in his contracts that allow him to take partial credit for any soul ensnared by one of his contracts, which lets him keep up his quota indirectly through the actions of other devils. Would be a very devilish way of doing it, twisting law and agreements to serve his own ends.
Every devil aspires to rise in the ranks, but I doubt an Imp could imagine reaching Arch Duke.
There's a lot of shenanigans with how hell works, but it's strictly going to go how your DM interprets it, so any advice here is likely to lead you astray, we aren't your DM.
This depends strongly on how closely the DM is hewing to Faerunian devil lore, and whether the PCs are all devils of some sort or whether they're slaves of a given devil trying to break free.
Devils, according to classic Faerunian lore, are the result of a mortal soul dying while of Lawful Evil alignment. The soul falls to the Nine Hells and undergoes a strictly one-way transmogrification into a devil, which strips away the mortal's previous capacity for choice. Devils cannot choose their behavior - they act as their nature dictates and are fundamentally incapable of altering themselves. This could make for a rough go of PC-dom, but if the DM is laxer about devil lore or has decided that his particular PC devils are different, anything is possible.
Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it! :D
Respectfully I disagree with the first bit. Were devils uniform and completely rigid, they would amount to nothing. They'd be little more than the Modrons of Mechanus blindly following protocols without concern for their own wellbeing or personal gain. Without the capacity of choice, why would they backstab their supuriors, plot their ascension or crave to rise up through the ranks? I think devil of at least imp level in the hierarchy (except probably merregons) would have at least a semblance of personality, and would act on their own whims as much as the law allows, and try to find as much legal wiggle room as possible within the constraints of their hierarchy as possible. And after all, if they didn't have capacity for free will or choice, archdevils wouldn't even be able to dare consider their many plots against one another, and warlords Bitterbreath and Princeps Kovik from Descent into Avernus for example, wouldn't be able to strike out and start their own little insurrections. You're definitely right about devils being unable to alter themselves, but I suppose at the end of the day, I would probably have to keep my character as an imp throughout the whole campaign anyway, as each evolution of devil is drastically different from the last.
I suppose, as you say, it is also up to the DM's interpretation too, but I think he can humour a character such as mine, having run a whacky little imp familiar himself back at the very beginning of our current campaign. Wow, it was so long ago, I miss that imp. This one's dedicated for you. :(
One option you might look into, insofar as background goes, is that this particular imp with the uncommonly fine pen hand is/was a purveyor of fine soul contracts. Any devil knows that appearances are not everything but they're sure something, and a soul contract on fine vellum and glittering golden ink, written in a masterful hand, is much more impressive and enticing for mortals than a contract scrawled in undisguised bloodink on flesh flayed from the back of a lesser slave of the Hells. A splendid, aesthetically pleasing soul contract is provably more likely to ensnare a soul, and having a talent for writing up such contracts could be a reason this imp earned enough favor to run his own side business. Could also be that he hides clauses in his contracts that allow him to take partial credit for any soul ensnared by one of his contracts, which lets him keep up his quota indirectly through the actions of other devils. Would be a very devilish way of doing it, twisting law and agreements to serve his own ends.
One notion, anyways.
I like this! I like this a lot! Implementing gold leaf and picturesque calligraphy to appeal to the upper classes of mortals. I could see an archdevil allowing some free reign to a follower of such creative talent and success. Maybe he gets a travel visa for traversing the Hells, simply so he can soak up artistic inspiration and search for only the finest quality art supplies for his craft? A humorously human concept. I'd was worried for a moment about the cost in-game for acquiring golden inks and such before I realised that would probably be covered by the Order of the Scribes quill probably! Then it's just the vellum, but he might be able to acquire some with the gold he could also earn from selling scolls...or adventuring around the Hells in the company with mortal misfits. Hehehe, taking partial credits for the claimed soul is a devilishly delightful idea too...if I could get away with it...
Thankyou so much for your reply, it's really spurred a lot of thought! I really appreciate it! :D
Every devil aspires to rise in the ranks, but I doubt an Imp could imagine reaching Arch Duke.
There's a lot of shenanigans with how hell works, but it's strictly going to go how your DM interprets it, so any advice here is likely to lead you astray, we aren't your DM.
Very true, and my character wouldn't really be able to become a greater devil without it being taken out of my hands to become an NPC really. All I can really hope is that he accomplishes so much in his time as an imp that he makes a drastic jump up the ladder when the campaign finishes. He's got to fly under the radar of more powerful devils to a degree, seeming like a petty little imp, even as he accumulates his magical powers, and by the time they realize, it'll be too late and he'll be a pit fiend. Mwahahaha!
On a serious note though, I understand. It is my DM's choice how far he wants to allow me to ahead with this when the time comes and I'll willingly accept whatever conclusions he comes to. Honestly, I'm happy to just play this weak and feeble little character without the thought of promotion ever crossing his mind, or not at all if he finds it too complicated.
Imps can be found in the service to mortal spellcasters, acting as advisors, spies, and familiars. An imp urges its master to acts of evil, knowing the mortal’s soul is a prize the imp might ultimately claim. Imps display an unusual loyalty to their masters, and an imp can be quite dangerous if its master is threatened.
Perhaps your imp was summoned in such a way and learned about writing as a spy or familiar? Then the summoner died, and the imp returned to Hell, maybe managing to get a spellbook with him?
Imps can be found in the service to mortal spellcasters, acting as advisors, spies, and familiars. An imp urges its master to acts of evil, knowing the mortal’s soul is a prize the imp might ultimately claim. Imps display an unusual loyalty to their masters, and an imp can be quite dangerous if its master is threatened.
Perhaps your imp was summoned in such a way and learned about writing as a spy or familiar? Then the summoner died, and the imp returned to Hell, maybe managing to get a spellbook with him?
Thanks for the reply, that could also work. He could have been summoned and bound as a familiar by a novice, but he tempted his master into more evil deeds regardless of his lack of freedom. He could have been forced to scribe spells for him, and the imp's understanding of wizardry grew in the process. Maybe later, once he picks up the Manifest Mind feature of Order of the Scribes wizard, it is revealed that the wizards mind and/or soul has become bound to the pages of his spellbook? Which the imp so gleefully uses to this day.
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Hi all!
So, I'm not sure which forum topic this should be under, but I'm looking for some character advice 😊
My DM is intending to run a full campaign in the Hells when we finish our current campaign, and while it's probably still a couple of months away yet, I'm so excited about the idea that I just had to start thinking up a player character! As far as I know, the party are all in service to a devil to some degree, and are helping that devil rise through the hierarchy through, scheming, plotting, making deals and even fighting in the Blood War at some point probably!
So, I was thinking of making an Order of the Scribe Wizard with a dip in artificer, and use the Winged Tiefling race which I would like to flavour as an imp. My DM would allow me to change the character to a small size and as a fiend rather than a humanoid, so playing an imp will be okay with him!
Basically my concept with him is that he is an aspiring spell scroll salesman, jotting down scrolls and spellbooks, selling them to fellow devil's, or to mortals for an extortionate amount of gold, soul coins, or for suitably evil deeds. He might even dabble in scams, selling his own spellbook before using his class features to summon it back to himself for example. And at higher levels, he could delve into creating and selling magic items as an artificer.
Naturally he hopes that all the coin he makes will also help him expand his wares, expand his own magical power, and pave the way to becoming an archdevil himself.
Firstly, I'd like to know if this sounds like a stupid idea? Would you support it if I came to you with all this?
Secondly, if you do, how do you think his backstory should go? Maybe he worked in a soul coins smithy, developing his love of coin, but then where would he learn his spells? Or should he be a scribe or secretary to an archduke or devil mage? Or something else all together? I'm really struggling to write any sort of coherent plot for this 😔
Also, how much freedom do devil's have? Would an imp realistically be able to set up his own merchant business in a place like Mahadi's Wandering Emporium for example? Or would he be demoted or slain for desertion? Is it possible he could have paid for his own freedom somehow?
Sorry if this was a bit of a messy post, I'd really love to hear your thoughts on it! Thanks so much for reading! 😊
This depends strongly on how closely the DM is hewing to Faerunian devil lore, and whether the PCs are all devils of some sort or whether they're slaves of a given devil trying to break free.
Devils, according to classic Faerunian lore, are the result of a mortal soul dying while of Lawful Evil alignment. The soul falls to the Nine Hells and undergoes a strictly one-way transmogrification into a devil, which strips away the mortal's previous capacity for choice. Devils cannot choose their behavior - they act as their nature dictates and are fundamentally incapable of altering themselves. This could make for a rough go of PC-dom, but if the DM is laxer about devil lore or has decided that his particular PC devils are different, anything is possible.
One option you might look into, insofar as background goes, is that this particular imp with the uncommonly fine pen hand is/was a purveyor of fine soul contracts. Any devil knows that appearances are not everything but they're sure something, and a soul contract on fine vellum and glittering golden ink, written in a masterful hand, is much more impressive and enticing for mortals than a contract scrawled in undisguised bloodink on flesh flayed from the back of a lesser slave of the Hells. A splendid, aesthetically pleasing soul contract is provably more likely to ensnanre a soul, and having a talent for writing up such contracts could be a reason this imp earned enough favor to run his own side business. Could also be that he hides clauses in his contracts that allow him to take partial credit for any soul ensnared by one of his contracts, which lets him keep up his quota indirectly through the actions of other devils. Would be a very devilish way of doing it, twisting law and agreements to serve his own ends.
One notion, anyways.
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Every devil aspires to rise in the ranks, but I doubt an Imp could imagine reaching Arch Duke.
There's a lot of shenanigans with how hell works, but it's strictly going to go how your DM interprets it, so any advice here is likely to lead you astray, we aren't your DM.
Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it! :D
Respectfully I disagree with the first bit. Were devils uniform and completely rigid, they would amount to nothing. They'd be little more than the Modrons of Mechanus blindly following protocols without concern for their own wellbeing or personal gain. Without the capacity of choice, why would they backstab their supuriors, plot their ascension or crave to rise up through the ranks? I think devil of at least imp level in the hierarchy (except probably merregons) would have at least a semblance of personality, and would act on their own whims as much as the law allows, and try to find as much legal wiggle room as possible within the constraints of their hierarchy as possible. And after all, if they didn't have capacity for free will or choice, archdevils wouldn't even be able to dare consider their many plots against one another, and warlords Bitterbreath and Princeps Kovik from Descent into Avernus for example, wouldn't be able to strike out and start their own little insurrections.
You're definitely right about devils being unable to alter themselves, but I suppose at the end of the day, I would probably have to keep my character as an imp throughout the whole campaign anyway, as each evolution of devil is drastically different from the last.
I suppose, as you say, it is also up to the DM's interpretation too, but I think he can humour a character such as mine, having run a whacky little imp familiar himself back at the very beginning of our current campaign. Wow, it was so long ago, I miss that imp. This one's dedicated for you. :(
I like this! I like this a lot! Implementing gold leaf and picturesque calligraphy to appeal to the upper classes of mortals. I could see an archdevil allowing some free reign to a follower of such creative talent and success. Maybe he gets a travel visa for traversing the Hells, simply so he can soak up artistic inspiration and search for only the finest quality art supplies for his craft? A humorously human concept. I'd was worried for a moment about the cost in-game for acquiring golden inks and such before I realised that would probably be covered by the Order of the Scribes quill probably! Then it's just the vellum, but he might be able to acquire some with the gold he could also earn from selling scolls...or adventuring around the Hells in the company with mortal misfits. Hehehe, taking partial credits for the claimed soul is a devilishly delightful idea too...if I could get away with it...
Thankyou so much for your reply, it's really spurred a lot of thought! I really appreciate it! :D
Very true, and my character wouldn't really be able to become a greater devil without it being taken out of my hands to become an NPC really. All I can really hope is that he accomplishes so much in his time as an imp that he makes a drastic jump up the ladder when the campaign finishes. He's got to fly under the radar of more powerful devils to a degree, seeming like a petty little imp, even as he accumulates his magical powers, and by the time they realize, it'll be too late and he'll be a pit fiend. Mwahahaha!
On a serious note though, I understand. It is my DM's choice how far he wants to allow me to ahead with this when the time comes and I'll willingly accept whatever conclusions he comes to. Honestly, I'm happy to just play this weak and feeble little character without the thought of promotion ever crossing his mind, or not at all if he finds it too complicated.
Thanks for your input :D
Imps can be found in the service to mortal spellcasters, acting as advisors, spies, and familiars. An imp urges its master to acts of evil, knowing the mortal’s soul is a prize the imp might ultimately claim. Imps display an unusual loyalty to their masters, and an imp can be quite dangerous if its master is threatened.
Perhaps your imp was summoned in such a way and learned about writing as a spy or familiar? Then the summoner died, and the imp returned to Hell, maybe managing to get a spellbook with him?
Thanks for the reply, that could also work. He could have been summoned and bound as a familiar by a novice, but he tempted his master into more evil deeds regardless of his lack of freedom. He could have been forced to scribe spells for him, and the imp's understanding of wizardry grew in the process. Maybe later, once he picks up the Manifest Mind feature of Order of the Scribes wizard, it is revealed that the wizards mind and/or soul has become bound to the pages of his spellbook? Which the imp so gleefully uses to this day.