Hello everyone, here is an Infernal Contract I wrote up. If any of you have players playing through the Nine Hells, especially in the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign, feel free to use this and modify it to suit your needs. At the end of the contract I will provide relevant information about caveats in the contract that the devil intends to use to claim the character's souls.
Okay, here is the contract.
Safety and Guide Agreement
[Insert Name of Devil Here]
Preface:
Henceforth, the person seeking the granted powers of this legal documentation is referred to as the Signer. Similarly, the producer and granter of said benefits will thence forth be known as the Signee. The Supreme Power and third party by which this binding document can be nullified and voided is known as Asmodeus, The Archfiend, Dark Prince, The First, God-Fiend, King of Hell, Lord of Darkness, Lord of Hell, Lord of the Pit, Master of Witches, Prince of Darkness, Prince of Devils, Prince of Hell, Prince of Law, Ruler of Hell; any representing party of the Supreme Power, examples include but are not limited to: Basileus, Son of Suns, Prince of Paradises, Jadros Voax, Baphon, Baphon Reborn, the Bleeding Oliphant, the Seventh Spawn, Vexsoul; Mephistopheles, Crimson Son, Devil King, Lord of the Eighth, Merchant of Souls, Seneschal of Hell; Baalzebul, Lord of the Flies, Hell’s Angel, the White Son, the Black Son, Lord of the Seventh, the Lord of That Which Flies; Glasya Princess of Hell, Lord of the Sixth, the Dark Prodigy, the Author of Bloodshed; Levistus, Prince of Stygia, Lord of the Fifth, the Iced One; Fierna, Lady of the Fourth, Archduchess; Mammom, Ardent Prince, Argent Prince, the Countless, Grasping One, Open Palm, Spirit in Gold, Lord of the Third, the Twice-Fallen, Mamon; Dispater, Iron Lord, Father of Dis, First King, King of Iron, Asmodeus’s Eye, Master of the Tower, Lord of the Second; Zariel, Archduchess of Avernus, Lady of the First; can also speak in Asmodeus’s name and nullify the contract; or any appointed representative of Asmodeus with written proof and consent of the Supreme Power himself. Baatezu Law dictates that any attempt of the Signee to force your compliance in fulfilling this contract will nullify said contract immediately. Finally, no attempt at destroying this contract through any means: arcane, physical, divine, natural, placing it in a place where one knows it will be destroyed, convincing someone else to destroy it for you, or using any other means within your power to destroy it are permitted. Attempting such will forfeit the Signer’s soul.
Foreword:
Any powers explicitly granted to you by this contract are not sold to the Signer. It is a borrowing of power and something that is subject to the terms listed (see bargain details.) Any benefits listed will last for a period of one year, unless otherwise designated. A device to hold the Signer’s version of the contract will be supplied, with a mechanical means of opening it that is only known to the Signer, the Signee, and the previously listed representatives of Asmodeus. The Signer may not willingly give out information regarding how to open this box, nor will the Signer be permitted to discuss this confidential information unless previously agreed upon with the Signee via a written contract. This contract is non-transferable and cannot be lifted off of the original Signer unless there is intervention from an archdevil, or intervention from a representative of Asmodeus. The Signer’s soul is forfeit if they break any of the following rules: attempt to seal their soul away as a lich, attempt to petition a divine being for aid in breaking contract or as a method of saving their soul from Baator, make a contract with a demon of any kind, make a contract with a yugoloth involving the Signer’s soul, other offences which the Signee will find viable, attack the Signee, hire others to attack the Signee, cause the death of the Signee intentionally, cause the death of the Signee unintentionally, appeal to a greater devil than the Signee aside from Asmodeus or the Archdevils with a contract for one’s soul, hinder the listed agendas of the Signee intentionally (see Apendix A), cast a wish spell to break the contract, steal the Signee’s version of the contract, hire others to steal the Signee’s version of the contract, and/or cause the destruction or theft of the Signee’s contract intentionally. Or if the Signer fulfills any of the requirements of the fifth paragraph of the bargain section.
Furthermore, Baator law is backed by the power of Asmodeus himself, intervention from a greater “god” will only go so far. The goodwill and grace I, the Signee, have just shown in forewarning the Signer will be noted verbally by the Signer upon signing, most fiends will not go so far to protect the Signer from falsely believing in the ultimate power of the beings termed as “gods.” Furthermore, a Demon Prince will also fail to be able to break the contract. A being from the Far Realm will also be unable to break the contract. A being from Hades will also be unable to break the contract. A being from the Prime Material plane will also be unable to break the contract. A being from the Astral plane will also be unable to break the contract. Any being from the Primordial planes will also be unable to break the contract. Finally, any being without Asmodeus’s consent will be unable (within all logical assumption) to break the contract. The Signer having been forewarned and having been transparent with the Signer, the terms of the bargain remain.
Bargain Details:
The Signee guarantees speedy passage through Avernus to wheresoever the Signer designates within the Signee’s power and within Avernus. This area may not be any location that greater devils would prevent the Signee from entering. This area may not be any location on Avernus that the Signer knows will bring great peril to the Signee.
The Signee guarantees food and water for the party of the Signer. The Signer will understand if this food doesn’t hold up to the quality they preferred from the Prime Material plane, this is Avernus and there are few places that will provide one with quality food. Furthermore, the Signer extends the sincerest apologies if any of their companions complains about the food or if they themselves do, the Signee is not a chef.
The Signee guarantees safety from any lesser devils than the Signee seeking to impose themselves upon the party of the Signer. Should any greater devils or demons do the same, the Signer consents to their own defense. Having agreed to this, the Signee will only provide aid against lesser devils than itself should the party of the Signer do the same.
The Signee will warn the Signer and the Signer’s party of the dangers particular to whatever area they are in.
The Signee guarantees access to greater infernal powers should one commit any one of these five acts.
Perform a mischievous act: Greater physical prowess
Cause harm to an innocent creature: Greater mental prowess
Cast an evil spell: Knowledge of great power
Grievously injure another: A powerful magical artifact
Cause the death of another: All of the above
The Signee guarantees that all information given to the Signer from the Signee will be truthful.
All benefits of this bargain will end once the Signer has left Avernus.
Appendix A
List of Agenda’s the Signer is not to interfere with
The Signee’s promotions and status as a devil. This includes, but is not limited to, slandering the Signee in front of its superiors, bringing up this bargain in conversation as a thing rid oneself of, or, again, complaining about the Signee’s choice of food.
The Signee’s contribution to the Blood War. The Blood War is an important thing, as it is a major aid to the previously listed agenda, as such, there will be no interference from the Signer on the side of the demons or on the side of rival devils or other fiends.
The Signee’s fulfillment of any of the above terms listed in the contract.
The Signee’s abilities to work infernal magic. This is how the Signee will be able to grant the Signer power, as such, the Signer should not attempt to hinder this ability or weaken the Signee in any way.
The Signer will not interfere with the bargains that the Signee has with others. This is related to the promotions and status section, as such this will be counted as a double offence.
Closing
All terms and ideas listed above are absolute. All benefits and punishments listed above are backed by the power of Baator and the will of Asmodeus and his constituents. Signing this agreement means that the Signer agrees with the terms, punishments, and benefits provided by this contract.
Signer’s Signature ______________________
Signee’s Signature ______________________
Now here are my tips about this contract.
The Signer can’t try to destroy the contract. The Signer may not willingly speak with others about the contract after signing it. Nor can the Signer give away how to open the box. The Signee will take the Signer’s soul if any of the previous is done. Any offense one makes, or anything that the Signee says is an offense legally gives the Signee the right to take the Signer’s soul. If the Signer fulfills the requirements of the fifth paragraph of the bargain section, their soul is forfeit. Interfering in the Blood War in any way but to the direct benefit of the devil will forfeit their soul. Furthermore, the bargains that specify “The party of the Signer” means that those benefits do not apply to the Signer, just to the Signer’s party. Naturally the Signer can’t make bargains with any other devil (aside from the greater devils), any yugoloth with a deal involving the Signer’s soul, and any demon at all.
Okay that’s a lot, but there’s a little more to keep in mind. The Signer has to verbally praise and recognize the efforts of the Devil to keep them informed immediately upon signing. Also, the Signer will apologize in the sincerest manner whenever they or their party complains about the food provided. Also, there are pools of ichor on Avernus that can permanently harm the characters. DO NOT WARN THEM ABOUT THIS BEFOREHAND. The fourth bargain says that the devil will warn the party about the dangers of a particular area once they are IN said area. Be sure not to lie to the party, you can mislead them, but do not outright lie. If the character leaves Avernus, even briefly, all the BENEFITS are forfeited, all the punishments are not specified by a timeframe.
Finally, the characters can’t injure another creature nor can they kill another creature (this includes demons and devils and other evil creatures that might attack them) without forfeiting their souls. Also, if you have people in the group that cast necromancy spells, those are also considered evil in many circles and will therefore result in them forfeiting their souls. A mischievous act is up to the DM’s discretion, and therefore can be as small as pranking another party member.
I’d suggest giving the characters some leeway in the bargaining. If they want to read the contract through and discuss it, that is technically legal before they sign it. Also, if they find these hidden claims to their soul let the devil change one or two of these things to normal and attempt to convince the characters that they’ve found him out and that they are smarter than him. This might mean that their souls will still be yours.
As a truly final aside, this particular contract is meant for a devil encountered in Avernus in the Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign. If you intend for a devil to help guide them through Avernus, this contract will suit your needs, however, if you want a contract for anything else, you’ll need to modify the contract to your individual desires. The main Preface can remain unaltered for any deal, and most of the Foreward can as well, but if there is something you’d like to add or some devious new device you can think of to make a legal claim for the character’s soul, by all means modify. And post here if you have any ideas on how to make the contract better.
This is amazingly ironclad... I'd say a bit too much so, at least in the section talking about casting a wish spell or appealing to the gods. I feel like the wish spell is rare enough that devils wouldn't have to worry about some upstart adventurers getting a wish to get out of the contract. Chances are, they may not even know that powerful of magic exists for mortals to cast.
And where's the clause that says they can't kill or injure another creature? Or are you just saying that doing so makes them evil and therefore their souls are forfeit anyway? That seems pretty harsh and clear that the players shouldn't sign the contract at all, since that means they can't even fight anything in Avernus.
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This is amazingly ironclad... I'd say a bit too much so, at least in the section talking about casting a wish spell or appealing to the gods. I feel like the wish spell is rare enough that devils wouldn't have to worry about some upstart adventurers getting a wish to get out of the contract. Chances are, they may not even know that powerful of magic exists for mortals to cast.
And where's the clause that says they can't kill or injure another creature? Or are you just saying that doing so makes them evil and therefore their souls are forfeit anyway? That seems pretty harsh and clear that the players shouldn't sign the contract at all, since that means they can't even fight anything in Avernus.
Devils are masters at this sort of thing. And if the players are smart, they'll probably rewrite a lot of this anyway. And archdevils can grant wishes, so they probably know about it.
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I haven't checked back here in a while, but I just took a look to see if there was anything new, my players had to restart the campaign due to party cohesion issues so they still haven't gotten to the contract yet. This is lucky for me though as it gives me more time to write it out. I'll see if I can potentially add in a clause giving them the legitimate grounds for breaking out of the contract. That should settle some of these issues and give them a chance to test their wisdom against the devil's in a more even manner.
Deviating a bit from the original topic of having a contract for Descent into Avernus.. I made a visualization of a slightly more general contract for a Fiend Warlock of - in my case - Fierna. (Text is still pretty much copied from above)
That text is almost unreadable, makes sense in world, but if the warlock player ever wants to actually read it (most people don't read terms of service agreements, but that changes when their dealing with a literal devil) , they can't.
That text is almost unreadable, makes sense in world, but if the warlock player ever wants to actually read it (most people don't read terms of service agreements, but that changes when their dealing with a literal devil) , they can't.
Do you mean the sample language at the top of this thread or the Arcangel pdf? They both read fine to me, they are a slog for uncommon format and torturous syntax, but it's "readable" in terms of both the language used and the legibility of the PDF. It would be "immersive" reading and take some time to read in actual play. As a DM I'd provide the prop and then sort of guide them through the document, maybe identifying problematic language based on whatever check I want to call for "bureaucracy." It depends, if I'm playing with a group of adults who have "legalistic" thinking down, I'd let them play with it. A younger group I'd probably provide the prop and give them a dice roll to identify how the contract jeopardises them.
It's not an easy word game, but it's a 'playable' document depending on players reading/slogging ability.
Another possibility would be to dig up the various forms of paperwork that exist in the Paranoia game system for inspiration.
Hello everyone, here is an Infernal Contract I wrote up. If any of you have players playing through the Nine Hells, especially in the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign, feel free to use this and modify it to suit your needs. At the end of the contract I will provide relevant information about caveats in the contract that the devil intends to use to claim the character's souls.
Okay, here is the contract.
Safety and Guide Agreement
[Insert Name of Devil Here]
Preface:
Henceforth, the person seeking the granted powers of this legal documentation is referred to as the Signer. Similarly, the producer and granter of said benefits will thence forth be known as the Signee. The Supreme Power and third party by which this binding document can be nullified and voided is known as Asmodeus, The Archfiend, Dark Prince, The First, God-Fiend, King of Hell, Lord of Darkness, Lord of Hell, Lord of the Pit, Master of Witches, Prince of Darkness, Prince of Devils, Prince of Hell, Prince of Law, Ruler of Hell; any representing party of the Supreme Power, examples include but are not limited to: Basileus, Son of Suns, Prince of Paradises, Jadros Voax, Baphon, Baphon Reborn, the Bleeding Oliphant, the Seventh Spawn, Vexsoul; Mephistopheles, Crimson Son, Devil King, Lord of the Eighth, Merchant of Souls, Seneschal of Hell; Baalzebul, Lord of the Flies, Hell’s Angel, the White Son, the Black Son, Lord of the Seventh, the Lord of That Which Flies; Glasya Princess of Hell, Lord of the Sixth, the Dark Prodigy, the Author of Bloodshed; Levistus, Prince of Stygia, Lord of the Fifth, the Iced One; Fierna, Lady of the Fourth, Archduchess; Mammom, Ardent Prince, Argent Prince, the Countless, Grasping One, Open Palm, Spirit in Gold, Lord of the Third, the Twice-Fallen, Mamon; Dispater, Iron Lord, Father of Dis, First King, King of Iron, Asmodeus’s Eye, Master of the Tower, Lord of the Second; Zariel, Archduchess of Avernus, Lady of the First; can also speak in Asmodeus’s name and nullify the contract; or any appointed representative of Asmodeus with written proof and consent of the Supreme Power himself. Baatezu Law dictates that any attempt of the Signee to force your compliance in fulfilling this contract will nullify said contract immediately. Finally, no attempt at destroying this contract through any means: arcane, physical, divine, natural, placing it in a place where one knows it will be destroyed, convincing someone else to destroy it for you, or using any other means within your power to destroy it are permitted. Attempting such will forfeit the Signer’s soul.
Foreword:
Any powers explicitly granted to you by this contract are not sold to the Signer. It is a borrowing of power and something that is subject to the terms listed (see bargain details.) Any benefits listed will last for a period of one year, unless otherwise designated. A device to hold the Signer’s version of the contract will be supplied, with a mechanical means of opening it that is only known to the Signer, the Signee, and the previously listed representatives of Asmodeus. The Signer may not willingly give out information regarding how to open this box, nor will the Signer be permitted to discuss this confidential information unless previously agreed upon with the Signee via a written contract. This contract is non-transferable and cannot be lifted off of the original Signer unless there is intervention from an archdevil, or intervention from a representative of Asmodeus. The Signer’s soul is forfeit if they break any of the following rules: attempt to seal their soul away as a lich, attempt to petition a divine being for aid in breaking contract or as a method of saving their soul from Baator, make a contract with a demon of any kind, make a contract with a yugoloth involving the Signer’s soul, other offences which the Signee will find viable, attack the Signee, hire others to attack the Signee, cause the death of the Signee intentionally, cause the death of the Signee unintentionally, appeal to a greater devil than the Signee aside from Asmodeus or the Archdevils with a contract for one’s soul, hinder the listed agendas of the Signee intentionally (see Apendix A), cast a wish spell to break the contract, steal the Signee’s version of the contract, hire others to steal the Signee’s version of the contract, and/or cause the destruction or theft of the Signee’s contract intentionally. Or if the Signer fulfills any of the requirements of the fifth paragraph of the bargain section.
Furthermore, Baator law is backed by the power of Asmodeus himself, intervention from a greater “god” will only go so far. The goodwill and grace I, the Signee, have just shown in forewarning the Signer will be noted verbally by the Signer upon signing, most fiends will not go so far to protect the Signer from falsely believing in the ultimate power of the beings termed as “gods.” Furthermore, a Demon Prince will also fail to be able to break the contract. A being from the Far Realm will also be unable to break the contract. A being from Hades will also be unable to break the contract. A being from the Prime Material plane will also be unable to break the contract. A being from the Astral plane will also be unable to break the contract. Any being from the Primordial planes will also be unable to break the contract. Finally, any being without Asmodeus’s consent will be unable (within all logical assumption) to break the contract. The Signer having been forewarned and having been transparent with the Signer, the terms of the bargain remain.
Bargain Details:
The Signee guarantees speedy passage through Avernus to wheresoever the Signer designates within the Signee’s power and within Avernus. This area may not be any location that greater devils would prevent the Signee from entering. This area may not be any location on Avernus that the Signer knows will bring great peril to the Signee.
The Signee guarantees food and water for the party of the Signer. The Signer will understand if this food doesn’t hold up to the quality they preferred from the Prime Material plane, this is Avernus and there are few places that will provide one with quality food. Furthermore, the Signer extends the sincerest apologies if any of their companions complains about the food or if they themselves do, the Signee is not a chef.
The Signee guarantees safety from any lesser devils than the Signee seeking to impose themselves upon the party of the Signer. Should any greater devils or demons do the same, the Signer consents to their own defense. Having agreed to this, the Signee will only provide aid against lesser devils than itself should the party of the Signer do the same.
The Signee will warn the Signer and the Signer’s party of the dangers particular to whatever area they are in.
The Signee guarantees access to greater infernal powers should one commit any one of these five acts.
The Signee guarantees that all information given to the Signer from the Signee will be truthful.
All benefits of this bargain will end once the Signer has left Avernus.
Appendix A
List of Agenda’s the Signer is not to interfere with
Closing
All terms and ideas listed above are absolute. All benefits and punishments listed above are backed by the power of Baator and the will of Asmodeus and his constituents. Signing this agreement means that the Signer agrees with the terms, punishments, and benefits provided by this contract.
Signer’s Signature ______________________
Signee’s Signature ______________________
Now here are my tips about this contract.
The Signer can’t try to destroy the contract. The Signer may not willingly speak with others about the contract after signing it. Nor can the Signer give away how to open the box. The Signee will take the Signer’s soul if any of the previous is done. Any offense one makes, or anything that the Signee says is an offense legally gives the Signee the right to take the Signer’s soul. If the Signer fulfills the requirements of the fifth paragraph of the bargain section, their soul is forfeit. Interfering in the Blood War in any way but to the direct benefit of the devil will forfeit their soul. Furthermore, the bargains that specify “The party of the Signer” means that those benefits do not apply to the Signer, just to the Signer’s party. Naturally the Signer can’t make bargains with any other devil (aside from the greater devils), any yugoloth with a deal involving the Signer’s soul, and any demon at all.
Okay that’s a lot, but there’s a little more to keep in mind. The Signer has to verbally praise and recognize the efforts of the Devil to keep them informed immediately upon signing. Also, the Signer will apologize in the sincerest manner whenever they or their party complains about the food provided. Also, there are pools of ichor on Avernus that can permanently harm the characters. DO NOT WARN THEM ABOUT THIS BEFOREHAND. The fourth bargain says that the devil will warn the party about the dangers of a particular area once they are IN said area. Be sure not to lie to the party, you can mislead them, but do not outright lie. If the character leaves Avernus, even briefly, all the BENEFITS are forfeited, all the punishments are not specified by a timeframe.
Finally, the characters can’t injure another creature nor can they kill another creature (this includes demons and devils and other evil creatures that might attack them) without forfeiting their souls. Also, if you have people in the group that cast necromancy spells, those are also considered evil in many circles and will therefore result in them forfeiting their souls. A mischievous act is up to the DM’s discretion, and therefore can be as small as pranking another party member.
I’d suggest giving the characters some leeway in the bargaining. If they want to read the contract through and discuss it, that is technically legal before they sign it. Also, if they find these hidden claims to their soul let the devil change one or two of these things to normal and attempt to convince the characters that they’ve found him out and that they are smarter than him. This might mean that their souls will still be yours.
As a truly final aside, this particular contract is meant for a devil encountered in Avernus in the Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus campaign. If you intend for a devil to help guide them through Avernus, this contract will suit your needs, however, if you want a contract for anything else, you’ll need to modify the contract to your individual desires. The main Preface can remain unaltered for any deal, and most of the Foreward can as well, but if there is something you’d like to add or some devious new device you can think of to make a legal claim for the character’s soul, by all means modify. And post here if you have any ideas on how to make the contract better.
This is amazingly ironclad... I'd say a bit too much so, at least in the section talking about casting a wish spell or appealing to the gods. I feel like the wish spell is rare enough that devils wouldn't have to worry about some upstart adventurers getting a wish to get out of the contract. Chances are, they may not even know that powerful of magic exists for mortals to cast.
And where's the clause that says they can't kill or injure another creature? Or are you just saying that doing so makes them evil and therefore their souls are forfeit anyway? That seems pretty harsh and clear that the players shouldn't sign the contract at all, since that means they can't even fight anything in Avernus.
Check out my blog for homebrew D&D stuff and other projects!
Devils are masters at this sort of thing. And if the players are smart, they'll probably rewrite a lot of this anyway. And archdevils can grant wishes, so they probably know about it.
-Anders
Reminds me of those adjusted wedding vows all my exes insisted on...
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I haven't checked back here in a while, but I just took a look to see if there was anything new, my players had to restart the campaign due to party cohesion issues so they still haven't gotten to the contract yet. This is lucky for me though as it gives me more time to write it out. I'll see if I can potentially add in a clause giving them the legitimate grounds for breaking out of the contract. That should settle some of these issues and give them a chance to test their wisdom against the devil's in a more even manner.
Deviating a bit from the original topic of having a contract for Descent into Avernus.. I made a visualization of a slightly more general contract for a Fiend Warlock of - in my case - Fierna. (Text is still pretty much copied from above)
https://pdfhost.io/v/PAExdXiER_Warlock_FiendContract_Template
That text is almost unreadable, makes sense in world, but if the warlock player ever wants to actually read it (most people don't read terms of service agreements, but that changes when their dealing with a literal devil) , they can't.
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Do you mean the sample language at the top of this thread or the Arcangel pdf? They both read fine to me, they are a slog for uncommon format and torturous syntax, but it's "readable" in terms of both the language used and the legibility of the PDF. It would be "immersive" reading and take some time to read in actual play. As a DM I'd provide the prop and then sort of guide them through the document, maybe identifying problematic language based on whatever check I want to call for "bureaucracy." It depends, if I'm playing with a group of adults who have "legalistic" thinking down, I'd let them play with it. A younger group I'd probably provide the prop and give them a dice roll to identify how the contract jeopardises them.
It's not an easy word game, but it's a 'playable' document depending on players reading/slogging ability.
Another possibility would be to dig up the various forms of paperwork that exist in the Paranoia game system for inspiration.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.