Summoning Rituals

Though summoning rituals can vary wildly in their specifics, the fundamental practices of all have much in common and any demonologist will readily identify any ritual he witnesses as such, even if he is not familiar with the demonic entity being called. All summoning rituals call for a pentagram to be inscribed upon the ground, though the design is different for each demon and an incorrectly drawn form will have no power during a ritual. The ritual itself will require perhaps many hours of chants and calls, along with the consumption of various components, expended in much the same way as with the casting of arcane magic. Such rituals are the most lengthy part of the summoning process, particularly if the demonologist is unfamiliar with the demon he is attempting to call.

If the summonation proves successful, the demonic entity will appear, drawn from the infernal planes, into the pentagram before the demonologist. Now begins the shortest part of the ritual but also the most hazardous. The practitioner must apply his force of personality to break the spirit of the demon and bend it to his own demands. The successful application of this last process is the ultimate goal of all demonologists. Failure does not often grant one a second chance to correct mistakes.

It must be noted here that, contrary to popular beliefs, the sacrifice of animals or sentient beings is never required for the successful controlling of demonic entities. On the other hand, such offerings can greatly aid an evil demonologist with no remaining scruples and even the most accomplished of practitioners will be hard pressed to control the greatest of the demonic powers without a valuable soul to offer in exchange for services.

The Risks

The first stage of demonology, the uncovering of knowledge and the maintenance of secrecy whilst engaging in the practice is little different from that which other adventurers face on a day-to-day basis and need not be covered here. The summoning ritual itself holds little danger for the demonologist, other than the fear of discovery for it tends to be a fairly lengthy process. Failure in summoning a creature from the infernal planes is likely to result only in the loss of potentially expensive materials for no gain. The danger lies in the attempted control of a demonic entity. Such beings do not enjoy being ripped from their homes within the infernal planes and will be greatly enraged by the intrusion into their often-incomprehensible plans and designs.

Upon the completion of a successful summoning ritual, the demonologist will be confronted by the entity he sought to call, standing within the pentagram he laboriously toiled over, its power now spent in pulling the demon into the material world. Such an entity will be murderous in nature, its desire for cruelty and destruction magnified by the temerity of a mortal seeking to dominate it by his sheer will. The demonologist has but one chance to bring the creature under control. A single slip, just one break in concentration will leave the demon free to roam the material world. Its first act will be to exact vengeance upon the summoner, either rending him limb from limb in an orgy of blood-letting, or carrying him off to the infernal planes where he will suffer for an eternity as the plaything of demons. Even if the demonologist manages to somehow survive and escape such a baleful existence, he is unlikely to ever be. . . quite right again. Every demonologist is all too aware of the risks they run every time they practice the art. Most fervently pray for a quick end should they ever make a costly and fatal mistake at this most critical of times.

In some cases, the demon may seek to stay in the material world to wreck havoc for a little longer than the summoning ritual ordinarily permits. In such circumstances, the demonologist will be viciously assaulted physically, mentally and spiritually as the demon attempts to possess him, gaining absolute control of his functions and twisting his body beyond all recognition. Bones bend and snap, skin warps and muscle expands as the mortal body strains to contain the demonic energies it is subjected to. The chances of surviving such a fate unscathed are non-existent.

The Ritual

Summoning rituals vary between the differing demons they are designed to call forth, with certain pentagram designs, components and binding chants ; having power over one being but not another. The core rules used for summoning demons, however, are very simple though there are many modifying factors a player must be aware of so he may swing the odds of success further into his favour. This practice of minimizing the chances of failure in summoning and controlling demons is the heart of demonology.

Summoning rituals take as many hours to perform as the Challenge Rating of the subject demon. The summoning of a Tanar'ri vrock, for example, takes thirteen hours. During this time, the demonologist prepares the pentagram, expends components and masters the chants of summonation, all of which were learnt through his study of the demon. Whilst performing the summoning ritual, the demonologist may take no other action and so cannot cast any spells.

Summoning Check

The basic Summoning check is DC 10 + the Challenge Rating of the demon.

The summoning ritual requires the aquisition of various components for both a pentagram and a summoning focus. These vary for each type of demon.

Failure in the Summoning check results in nothing more than the expenditure of any components used and the absence of said demon. Of all the checks used in demonology, this is the one that is safest and least costly to fail in.

A successful Summoning check will draw the demon from the infernal planes into the pentagram, where it will appear before the demonologist. Now comes the most difficult part of the ritual - controlling the demon and making it subject to the summoner's will.

The Control Check

The basic Control check is DC 10 + twice the Challenge Rating of the demon.

If passed, the Control check will allow the summoner to give the demon instructions to be carried out, as detailed on pi8. A failed roll will likely mean the demonologist is in very serious trouble as the summoned demon frees itself of the bonds that have been placed upon it. It will immediately attack the demonologist.

For both Summoning and Control checks, a roll of a 1 is an automatic failure and a roll of 20 an automatic success.

Shifting The Odds

Pentagrams and their uses

As with the study of demonology itself, there are many misconceptions based around pentagrams and their use within magical labours. It is a common belief, for example, that a pentagram exists to protect the wizard from malevolent spirits that he calls upon for boon and aid. There are some fields of magic, witchcraft being the most prevalent, where this holds true but for demonology the pentagram serves a much different purpose.

To pull a being of any power from the distant infernal planes and make it manifest in the material world takes a tremendous amount of magical energy, the type of which few mortals are able to withstand let alone manipulate to their own ends. The pentagram used in demonology is, quite simply, a carefully constructed magical focus designed to channel and magnify a practitioner's own forces in order to build enough power during the summoning ritual to call a demon into the material world. By focusing this much energy over a relatively short period of time, the power inherent within a correctly drawn pentagram is completely expended when the summoning ritual is complete, leaving the practitioner with no protection against the creature he has just summoned other than his own knowledge and force of personality.

The correct drawing of a pentagram during the summoning ritual is of utmost importance if the attempt is to be successful and the margin for error is incredibly small. Even a single human hair lying across a critical juncture of the pentagram can be enough to dissolve its power and decrease its potency, thus placing a far greater burden on the summoner who may instead benefit from saving his strength for controlling the demon rather than just summoning it. In this way, a badly drawn pentagram can have a marked effect upon the controlling process even though its power has been expended during the summoning.

A demonologist cannot, of course, cast any spell or activate any magical item whilst performing either the summoning or the controlling process. He must rely purely on his demonological capabilities during these critical times.

Expertise

The experienced demonologist will naturally be far more capable than one just starting his journey down the Dark Road. Even when confronted by an unfamiliar demon for the first time, he will have the strength of will and purpose to cover minor mistakes and errors, becoming consistently successful in the art. A character's combined demonologist, binder and possessed class levels are added as a bonus to every Summoning and Control check.

Study and Preparation

Demonology is not an art that can be easily mastered by those short of memory or failing in their mental faculties. It requires precise observation and recollection, for a mistake made in the preparation of the pentagram or in the summoning chants can cripple a ritual. A demonologist's Intelligence Bonus is added as a modifier to every Summoning check.

Force of Will

Whilst specific rituals and rites are absolutely essential if any demonologist is to control a demon he has summoned, it is often his sheer force of will and personality that can make the difference between success and failure when he comes to actually controlling the creature. A battle of titanic wills can erupt in a fraction of a second as the demon strains to break free of the bonds being imposed upon it, even as the demonologist exerts his mind to bring the entity under control. A demonologist's Charisma Bonus is added as a modifier to every Control check.

High Quality Components

By acquiring the finest examples of the components necessary in any given summoning ritual, a demonologist can greatly minimize the risk of failure in calling the demon into the material world. If the components used are at least double the base monetary value required, a modifier of+1 may be applied to the Summoning check. If the value is at least four times greater, a +2 bonus is granted. For components of eight times or greater value, the maximum bonus of +3 is awarded. For items without a strict monetary value (an ancient war banner, for instance), the Games Master will be required to exercise his judgement in applying these bonuses.

It should be noted that if undervalued or misidentified components are used, there is no penalty to the Summoning check - the ritual will simply not work, and every component will be consumed and wasted.

Slow Ritual

Demonologists, by necessity, take great care in their preparations for the summoning ritual. Given enough time, greater safeguards can be employed, with every stage of the ritual being checked and rechecked for any possible mistakes. By doubling the time required to perform a summoning ritual, a demonologist will be granted a +2 bonus to both his Summoning and Control checks.

Hurried Rituals

By the same token, there may be times when a demonologist will be put under the severest pressure to summon a demon as quickly as possible. Under such circumstances, it is almost inevitable that errors and mistakes will creep into the ritual, making the whole process harder and a lot more dangerous for the demonologist. Flurrying a ritual will reduce the time required to perform it by half but will impose a -4 penalty to both Summoning and Control checks.

Previously Summoned Demon

In performing the same ritual again and again, a demonologist will inevitably become more familiar with its subtleties and nuances until they almost become second nature. If a summoning ritual has been successfully performed before by the demonologist, a +1 bonus is granted to the Summoning check.

Previously Controlled Demon

Once a demon has been summoned and the practitioner has established his control over it, he will find future attempts at imposing his force of will to be much easier. Apply a +1 bonus to the Control check if the demon has been successfully controlled by the demonologist in the past.

Distraction

Fledgling demonologists, those just starting the practice of the art, often make sure others are present during the summoning ritual in order to provide a physical defense against the demon if control is not established. There is a -1 penalty to both the Summoning and Control checks for every creature, sentient or otherwise, present at the ritual other than the demonologist himself. They need not be present for the entire ritual for this penalty to be applied - even poking their head around the door of the demonologist's laboratory can shake the concentration required for a summoning ritual.

The Controlled Demon

Upon the successful summoning and control of a demon, the demonologist will have the ability to command the creature to do his bidding. As with every other part of this practice, there are rules that must be obeyed.

A controlled demon is compelled to carry out and complete a single nine word instruction issued by the summoner for a duration of no more than one hour. Once the instruction has been carried out or an hour has elapsed, whichever comes first, the demon instantly winks out of existence in the material world and is immediately returned to the infernal planes.

This instruction must be given at the moment of control, straight after the demon has been summoned or it will merely return to the infernal planes. Instructions cannot normally be issued after this time, no matter how powerful the demonologist is.

Anything may be demanded, and the demon is compelled to carry out such instructions to the best of its ability. A demonologist may ask the demon, for example, to act as a bodyguard, or to assassinate an enemy. Many demons have existed since before the dawn of time and are thus incredible sources of long forgotten knowledge. Others, such as the nightmare steeds, excel as fast mounts or even beasts of burden. These are just a few of the most basic examples of what a practitioner may compel a demon to do. In practice, he is limited only by the demon's powers and his own imagination. Due to the convolutions of demonic politics upon the infernal planes, however, a summoned demon can never be compelled to summon additional demons itself.

Multiple Instructions

Passing the Control check when the demon is summoned allows the demonologist to issue a single nine word instruction that will be obeyed for up to one hour. However, the number of instructions and the time the demon is compelled to stay in the material world may both be extended by a demonologist of sufficient power.

For each additional instruction issued or each additional hour the demon is required to remain in the material world, another Control check must be made with a cumulative -2 penalty. If any of these additional Control checks are failed, the demon will become uncontrolled with the consequences described below. No more instructions or additional hours may be added to the demon's service as it is now free to exact its vengeance.

Note that any of these additional instructions or extended hours must be attempted straight after the first Control check. They may not be added to the demon's service at a later time, so a demonologist must plan in advance to decide exactly what he will ask the demon to do if the summoning proves successful.

Failure

It happens to every demonologist sooner or later. Despite painstaking attention to detail during the summoning ritual, the demonologist will, at some point, lose control of the demon he is calling forth. Even those careful not to overreach themselves may make a mistake - the fact that it is far easier to summon than control makes this almost inevitable.

There are many terrible fates to which a practitioner may be subjected to by an uncontrolled demon. However, those taking the first steps on the Dark Road will start by summoning the lesser demonic entities, those of a Challenge Rating of 6 or below. The reactions of these more minor creatures are always predictable and deadly. Their first priority is the destruction of the mortal who called them into the material world. The failure of the Control check negates the bonds placed on the demon by the ritual and the summoner's will, allowing it to act with complete freedom of purpose. It will move with all speed to the summoner and attack with every resource and ability it has. Once the summoner is slain, it will either seek out and destroy all intelligent life for a period of one hour or simply return to the infernal planes, this being determined by the GM. It will also immediately return to its home plane if it is in danger of being slain.