[DF] Devil power help

[b-dog]

In my Mythic DF world I have both demons and devils. Demons are the more generic evils of the infernal region while devils are Abrahamic in origin. So while the more generic demons desire to kill and plunder the devils often enjoy tempting and subverting God's Creation in addition to general mayhem. The devils were once angels that chose evil instead of good and so for this reason they are able to influence others to choose evil as well. The powers that devils have are to be able to find out the weaknesses that a PC has such as as Greed, Bloodlust, Pride, etc. and then deceive the PC with lies to make the PC act out in a way that their Disadvantage comes into play.

Here is an example: A Wizard and a Knight encounter a devil in a dungeon. The devil sizes up that the Wizard has the Greed Disadvantage and from this information the devil comes up with a lie where he says to the Wizard during combat that the Knight has stolen some gems and jewels from the Wizard. The Wizard must make Will roll from his Will with overcoming Greed which might be say 12. I feel that Resistance to Evil powers would apply to the roll if the Wizard had it. If the Wizard fails his Will roll then he will become obsessed with the fact that the the Knight has stolen his treasure and will try to retrieve his treasure during the fight with the devil.

If the Wizard had Berserk or Bloodlust then the Wizard might very well begin attacking the Knight out of rage that his property was stolen.

I am guessing that this power of devils would be a form of mind control but it would also target the Disadvantages that a PC has. A devil could tell a PC with Alcoholism that there is ale in a barrel in another room and then the PC would have to make a Will roll based on his Disadvantage Will of Alcoholism to resist stopping combat to go and drink ale. The devil could also create ale for the PC to drink and then the PC would have to resist or stop combat and drink the ale.

So I am curious about how to set up a power like this for devils. Thanks for your help.

[vierasmarius]

First off he'll need some form of Detect with Analyze, or maybe an enhanced form of Mind Probe, to "peek" at the PCs' mental disadvantages. Manipulating them may simply be a matter of Fast Talk used to trigger those flaws (getting a SC roll to control it), though it sounds like he can force the PCs to do things they wouldn't do even on a failed roll. If that's the case he will need a type of Mind Control, limited so it can only force actions that correspond to the target's disadvantages. However, they may have a penalty to resist this Mind Control based on the severity of the disadvantage (much as Cowardice gives an increasing Fright Check penalty for each SC number.)

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

First off he'll need some form of Detect with Analyze, or maybe an enhanced form of Mind Probe, to "peek" at the PCs' mental disadvantages. Manipulating them may simply be a matter of Fast Talk used to trigger those flaws (getting a SC roll to control it), though it sounds like he can force the PCs to do things they wouldn't do even on a failed roll. If that's the case he will need a type of Mind Control, limited so it can only force actions that correspond to the target's disadvantages. However, they may have a penalty to resist this Mind Control based on the severity of the disadvantage (much as Cowardice gives an increasing Fright Check penalty for each SC number.)

That is what I want. I would like the devil to be able to scare a person with Cowardice and that person would have to make a Will roll based on his Will with Cowardice factored in. If he fails then he is a coward and retreats leaving his fellow dungeon delvers to fend for themselves.

[Walrus]

Are they PCs? If not, don't bother with actual builds of their abilities because you don't need price. Just say that they can learn character disadvantages (maybe on IQ roll or Per roll and/or when they are actually triggered) and just hit them with Fast-Talk or plain Will roll or QC.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by Walrus

Are they PCs? If not, don't bother with actual builds of their abilities because you don't need price. Just say that they can learn character disadvantages (maybe on IQ roll or Per roll and/or when they are actually triggered) and just hit them with Fast-Talk or plain Will roll or QC.

You are right, they are not PCs. So I will just have the devils be able to find out what sorts of "sins" (Disadvantages) a PC has and then use them against them.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

"Gaze Into The Abyss" / "Perceive the Mortal Weakness"

Detect ("Sin") (Common)
Modifiers: Analyzing, +100%; Reflexive, +40%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch, Vision), -0%

"And The Abyss Gazes Into You" / "Wicked Graceful Whispers"

Affliction 1
Modifiers: Based on Will, +20%; Malediction (Speed/Range Table), +150%; Variable Disadvantage (up to -30), +300%; Accessibility (Only to afflict disadvantages the target already has), -20%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing), -20%

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

"Gaze Into The Abyss" / "Perceive the Mortal Weakness"

Detect ("Sin") (Common)
Modifiers: Analyzing, +100%; Reflexive, +40%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch, Vision), -0%

"And The Abyss Gazes Into You" / "Wicked Graceful Whispers"

Affliction 1
Modifiers: Based on Will, +20%; Malediction (Speed/Range Table), +150%; Variable Disadvantage (up to -30), +300%; Accessibility (Only to afflict disadvantages the target already has), -20%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing), -20%

Yup, pretty much what I was thinking. I am curious where you get the "Variable Disadvantage" thing from - is it in Powers, or maybe PU4? I was thinking it would require something clunky with Modular Abilities (Only for Afflicting Mental Disadvantages target already has) or something, but it's nice to see a more elegant approach*.
*...for a more civilized time

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Yup, pretty much what I was thinking. I am curious where you get the "Variable Disadvantage" thing from - is it in Powers, or maybe PU4? I was thinking it would require something clunky with Modular Abilities (Only for Afflicting Mental Disadvantages target already has) or something, but it's nice to see a more elegant approach*.
*...for a more civilized time

Variable Enhancement (sidebar, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, pg 5), yep. Its' technically able to do any enhancement up to +30% (as we've paid +300% for it), but as we'd only use it for Disadvantages it is cleaner to say it that way.

[b-dog]

Here is another idea for a devil power: Blasphemy- a devil with utters forth a vile statement that causes a holy cleric or holy warrior to take physical damage and also have the same amount of penalty for using holy spells or holy powers.

For example: A devil fighting against a cleric utters forth a wicked and vile defamation of the cleric's faith. The devil's Blasphemy power is at 21 while the cleric's faith (Will + Power Investiture) is 17. There is a contest of skills with the devil succeeding by 11 and the cleric by 4, this means that the cleric takes 7 points of physical damage from the utterance and the cleric is at -7 skill to use both clerical spells and holy powers until a Bless spell is cast to remove the Blasphemy. It can also be removed by time in prayer as well.

This Blasphemy works against non holy PCs but it only causes physical damage to them and does not affect magical spells or other non holy powers.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Sunrunners_Fire

"Gaze Into The Abyss" / "Perceive the Mortal Weakness"

Detect ("Sin") (Common)
Modifiers: Analyzing, +100%; Reflexive, +40%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch, Vision), -0%

"And The Abyss Gazes Into You" / "Wicked Graceful Whispers"

Affliction 1
Modifiers: Based on Will, +20%; Malediction (Speed/Range Table), +150%; Variable Disadvantage (up to -30), +300%; Accessibility (Only to afflict disadvantages the target already has), -20%; Power Modifier, -10%; Sense-Based (Hearing), -20%

I like this. Good work.