Imo, the accurate, and very unsatisfying, answer is: It’s up to the DM.
If the DM want them to snap their fingers and materialize an army, they can. If the DM wants them instead to rely on a web of minions and contracts, and use those to force people to join an army, they can do it that way. If the DM doesn’t want gem to be able to at all, they can’t.
So, you know, unsatisfying, but basically the way it would work.
Asmodeus is a God. Gods are mostly controlled by politics, not power limits. It's kind of like saying that President Putin could invade Ukraine a Nato country. Yes it could happen, but it would be a remarkably stupid thing to do, and he certainly would not do it because some shmuck sold his soul to do it.
As a personal aside, I'm not a DM who actively monkey-paws wishes, but Devil contracts really are intended to screw with the counterparty in the fine print.
Someone would have to be very careful about a contract like "I sell my soul in return for an army."
Asmodeus is a God. Gods are mostly controlled by politics, not power limits. It's kind of like saying that President Putin could invade Ukraine a Nato country. Yes it could happen, but it would be a remarkably stupid thing to do, and he certainly would not do it because some shmuck sold his soul to do it.
Yes, I gave an exaggerated example. Perhaps this is a very high price for one single soul. Which leads us to another question: what's a reasonable price for a soul?
Imo, the accurate, and very unsatisfying, answer is: It’s up to the DM.
If the DM want them to snap their fingers and materialize an army, they can. If the DM wants them instead to rely on a web of minions and contracts, and use those to force people to join an army, they can do it that way. If the DM doesn’t want gem to be able to at all, they can’t.
So, you know, unsatisfying, but basically the way it would work.
Yeah, that I know. I'm just uncertain how to manage this up and I wanted to know if there's a "common sense"
Depends on the soul. Doctor Faustus was the most knowledgeable and moral man of his age and he sold his soul for 24 years of servitude from Mephistopheles.
Someone sell their soul to a devil, let's say in exchange for an army. Can the devil provide it on the material plan?
The default assumption for 5e D&D is "Gods exert influence over the world by granting divine magic to their followers and sending signs and portents to guide them." It's easiest to understand selling your soul as becoming a cleric or warlock, at which point you just need to reach level 17 and cast gate. Using Divine Intervention at level 10 also works. Other than that, nothing officially supported in game mechanics, though plot device can ignore such petty constraints (on the other hand, having the leader of a demonic army be a high level warlock or cleric is probably what you want anyway).
You could theoretically have him provide an army of demon legions
devil legion actually, devils and demons hate each other in D&D. Asmodeus could send someone a legion of lesser devils, maybe a pit fiend depending on how much Asmodeus likes the guy he's giving an army too
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You are a 20th level Cleric to another God. You sell you soul to Asmodeus, changing your God and domains.
In exchange you ask for.... an artifact. And are given it.
That seems to me to be about perfect. You betray your promise of salvation for a bauble that you can't take with you when you die. The only thing I'd add is some extra twistaroo, like he changes gods but not religions and Asmodeus gets all the souls that this new cleric now uses his spiritual authority to lead astray.
Asmodeus could give you control of an army and the means to summon some of them but I don't think he could summon a legion of devils himself directly onto the plane or he would likely have done so already. There is some reason whether it's power, laws or politics that he doesn't. Story wise I think it's better he doesn't as having a summoning is a good place to innovate story.
I think soul for an army is too simple a transaction for an infernal contract of that magnitude. Devils of Asmodeus's stature work looooong cons. Asmodeus's minions including possibly other archdevils, cultivate mortal souls not just for the value of their soul, but for their mortal utility in drawing more souls into Hells' pits. Anyone Asmodeus would be granting conquest level resources too would have proved their worth via many many corrupted tasks in relation to other Devils, in other words vetted to prove worth Asmodeus level diabolical intervention. If given an army, it'll be an army of quid pro quo whatever's it's tactical nature. Whatever ends the character wants to use the army for, that end will be in concert or otherwise coordiated with whatever broader plan Asmodeus has. I dont the aspiring warlord will have much soul left to take when the campaign's over.
On the "plot twist" side of contracts, monkey's paw stuff. Perhaps the character desires an army. Asmodeus asks for what reason. Character lays out its intent for the army, let's say to seize power over a kingdom or what have you. Typical regime change stuff. Asmodeus is amenable to striking a bargain for those terms in exchange for a soul. When the deal is struck, the character is not suddenly in command of a legion. Rather there is a coup within the military the character wished to vanquish, the head of the regime is deposed, and his replacement is even worse.
I would just like to add that Asmodeus isn't a God in every D&D setting. In some, like my homebrewed world, Asmodeus is just an extremely powerful devil that also can act as a patron for warlocks. If you're the DM, Asmodeus can pretty much do anything or be whatever you need him to be.
Let's take the following situation as an example
Someone sell their soul to a devil, let's say in exchange for an army. Can the devil provide it on the material plan?
Or the devils/asmodeus only have that kind of power on the nine hells?
As long as a Devil can walk on the material plan, can he offer people contracts and actually make it happen?
Imo, the accurate, and very unsatisfying, answer is: It’s up to the DM.
If the DM want them to snap their fingers and materialize an army, they can. If the DM wants them instead to rely on a web of minions and contracts, and use those to force people to join an army, they can do it that way. If the DM doesn’t want gem to be able to at all, they can’t.
So, you know, unsatisfying, but basically the way it would work.
Asmodeus is a God. Gods are mostly controlled by politics, not power limits. It's kind of like saying that President Putin could invade
Ukrainea Nato country. Yes it could happen, but it would be a remarkably stupid thing to do, and he certainly would not do it because some shmuck sold his soul to do it.As a personal aside, I'm not a DM who actively monkey-paws wishes, but Devil contracts really are intended to screw with the counterparty in the fine print.
Someone would have to be very careful about a contract like "I sell my soul in return for an army."
Yes, I gave an exaggerated example. Perhaps this is a very high price for one single soul. Which leads us to another question: what's a reasonable price for a soul?
Yeah, that I know. I'm just uncertain how to manage this up and I wanted to know if there's a "common sense"
Depends on the soul. Doctor Faustus was the most knowledgeable and moral man of his age and he sold his soul for 24 years of servitude from Mephistopheles.
The default assumption for 5e D&D is "Gods exert influence over the world by granting divine magic to their followers and sending signs and portents to guide them." It's easiest to understand selling your soul as becoming a cleric or warlock, at which point you just need to reach level 17 and cast gate. Using Divine Intervention at level 10 also works. Other than that, nothing officially supported in game mechanics, though plot device can ignore such petty constraints (on the other hand, having the leader of a demonic army be a high level warlock or cleric is probably what you want anyway).
Lets see the best cast scenario.
You are a 20th level Cleric to another God. You sell you soul to Asmodeus, changing your God and domains.
In exchange you ask for.... an artifact. And are given it.
You could theoretically have him provide an army of demon legions
devil legion actually, devils and demons hate each other in D&D. Asmodeus could send someone a legion of lesser devils, maybe a pit fiend depending on how much Asmodeus likes the guy he's giving an army too
my name is not Bryce
Actor
Certified Dark Sun enjoyer
usually on forum games and not contributing to conversations ¯\_ (ツ)_/
For every user who writes 5 paragraph essays as each of their posts: Remember to touch grass occasionally
That seems to me to be about perfect. You betray your promise of salvation for a bauble that you can't take with you when you die. The only thing I'd add is some extra twistaroo, like he changes gods but not religions and Asmodeus gets all the souls that this new cleric now uses his spiritual authority to lead astray.
Asmodeus could give you control of an army and the means to summon some of them but I don't think he could summon a legion of devils himself directly onto the plane or he would likely have done so already. There is some reason whether it's power, laws or politics that he doesn't. Story wise I think it's better he doesn't as having a summoning is a good place to innovate story.
I think soul for an army is too simple a transaction for an infernal contract of that magnitude. Devils of Asmodeus's stature work looooong cons. Asmodeus's minions including possibly other archdevils, cultivate mortal souls not just for the value of their soul, but for their mortal utility in drawing more souls into Hells' pits. Anyone Asmodeus would be granting conquest level resources too would have proved their worth via many many corrupted tasks in relation to other Devils, in other words vetted to prove worth Asmodeus level diabolical intervention. If given an army, it'll be an army of quid pro quo whatever's it's tactical nature. Whatever ends the character wants to use the army for, that end will be in concert or otherwise coordiated with whatever broader plan Asmodeus has. I dont the aspiring warlord will have much soul left to take when the campaign's over.
On the "plot twist" side of contracts, monkey's paw stuff. Perhaps the character desires an army. Asmodeus asks for what reason. Character lays out its intent for the army, let's say to seize power over a kingdom or what have you. Typical regime change stuff. Asmodeus is amenable to striking a bargain for those terms in exchange for a soul. When the deal is struck, the character is not suddenly in command of a legion. Rather there is a coup within the military the character wished to vanquish, the head of the regime is deposed, and his replacement is even worse.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I would just like to add that Asmodeus isn't a God in every D&D setting. In some, like my homebrewed world, Asmodeus is just an extremely powerful devil that also can act as a patron for warlocks. If you're the DM, Asmodeus can pretty much do anything or be whatever you need him to be.
Dungeonmastering since 1992!