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 favor. 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 acquisition 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. 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 labors. 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.

Blood Sacrifices

The archetypal demonologist, for many common folk, is one who performs the most hideous ritual sacrifices in the pursuit of his black art. The truth is a little different and many demonologists actually shun such practices. Others limit themselves to using only common creatures, those the civilized races slay every day in the names of sustenance and sport. It is an undeniable fact though that demons of all types delight in both the misery and death of other creatures. A blood sacrifice may be incorporated into any summoning ritual by a demonologist and, in doing so, be granted a little extra power in compelling the demon to service.

Any warm-blooded creature, from a chicken to an elf, may be used as a blood sacrifice in a summoning ritual. The creature must be alive, though not necessarily aware, throughout the ritual and must be slain by the demonologist immediately before the demon is drawn into the material world at its completion. A blood sacrifice adds a +1 bonus to the Control check for any type of demon.

Soul Sacrifices

The single greatest advantage a demonologist can gain over any being of the infernal planes in the normal course of summoning is to have a soul to bargain with. It is this practice alone that has earnt every demonologist the enmity of the forces of good, whether or not they perform the soul sacrifice. In offering the soul of another sentient being to a demon in return for service, the practitioner is doing far more than merely slaying his victim. He is condemning the immortal soul to an eternity of pain, torture and anguish as the plaything and pawn of demons. This repugnant practice is believed necessary by many of the more skilled demonologists, for a suitable sacrifice may convince even demonic lords to comply to instruction, such is the boon they receive upon returning to the infernal planes.

The actual process of performing a soul sacrifice is relatively simple and any demonologist can readily adapt summoning rituals he is familiar with to incorporate the extra power to be gained by this practice. The main requirement is a living sentient being - no beast or animal will be sufficient, for these only fulfil the requirements of a blood sacrifice. The victim must be alive and aware throughout the long summoning ritual.

Additionally, they must be in the possession of a soul, be they goblin, ogre, human or dragon. At the completion of the summoning ritual, just as the demon is about to appear and be made manifest, the demonologist slays his victim, usually by the application of a knife through the heart. At this point, the victim's soul departs, to be immediately snatched by the arriving demon and is lost for eternity, whether or not the demonologist succeeds in controlling the demon.

The practitioner is likely to gain an immense advantage over the demon as he seeks to control it but the soul of the victim must suffer in return, for a price must always be paid somewhere in the black art of demonology. Forever will the soul wander the infernal planes, wreathed in flame and tormented by fell creatures as it is used as a bargaining tool between demons in trades it may never comprehend, or be mutated into lesser demonic entities and used as cannon fodder in the eternal wars of hell.

Using Soul Sacrifices

Any sentient being the Games Master rules has a soul may be used as a victim of a soul sacrifice by a demonologist in a summoning ritual. The being must be kept alive, aware and immobile throughout the ritual. So long as this is accomplished, the slaying of the victim may be considered automatic, regardless of hit point considerations. The slaying of the victim takes place after the Summoning check, but before the Control check.

If the victim escapes or is rescued during the ritual, then the Summoning check automatically fails and all components are wasted, as normal. If the Summoning check is successful but the victim is able to gain freedom just as the demonologist prepares to make the sacrifice, the demon appears and the Control check automatically fails with the usual consequences.

A successful soul sacrifice, however, is likely to grant the demonologist a tremendous bonus to his Control check. This bonus is equal to the character level or hit dice of the victim, whichever is higher. Demons especially favour the corruption of the good and pure and the soul of one who is particularly noble of heart can compel even the mighty balors and pit fiends to service. The bonus is doubled if the soul of a paladin or good-aligned cleric is offered as a sacrifice. A victim of a soul sacrifice may never be resurrected by any means, even through the use of a Wish spell. Their souls are far beyond the reach of such magic and imprisoned by the great demonic powers of the infernal planes.

A soul sacrifice may never be combined with a blood sacrifice. Only one victim may be used in any one 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.

Multiple Summonings

Though it is essential a demonologist does not push himself too far too fast in the black art, there are many who succumb to temptation. As the practitioner walks the Dark Road, he becomes greatly skilled in demonic lore and may soon have the ability to summon more than one infernal creature in a single ritual. This has the advantage of him being able to control two or more demons at the same time but is, naturally, far more difficult to accomplish. The demonologist runs the very real risk of having to face the wrath of several demons if he fails to control them.

Attempting a Multiple Summon

Demonologists gain the ability to summon more than one demon at a time when they reach 5th level. There is no limit to the total number of demons they may summon at any one time and they need not be of the same type. The Challenge Ratings of all demons to be summoned are totalled for both the Summoning and Control checks. Any instructions given will be applied equally to all the demons - separate instructions cannot be given for each. There is an additional -1 penalty to the Control check for every demon, including the first, summoned when using this ability. This special ability potentially provides a very easy route for a demonologist to overreach himself in the art and that is all we will say on the matter!

Group Summonings

It is a very rare occurrence, given the basic nature of demonology, but demonologists have been known to combine their powers in order to perform a particularly difficult summoning ritual. Such gatherings are often fraught with mistrust, even treachery, but it is often the only way a demonologist can summon the more powerful creatures of the infernal planes with any degree of safety.

Performing Group Summonings

Any summoning ritual may be developed into a group summoning by a demonologist. Only arcane wizards, demonologists and binders are permitted to take part. One demonologist must lead the summoning and it is upon his skill and ability the attempt is based. The others, however, will add a bonus to both the Summoning and Control checks according to their class level. Total the class levels of each wizard, demonologist and binder present and divide this by three, rounding down. The result is the bonus used for the Summoning and Control checks. A maximum of six people may take part in a group summoning and none will count towards the distraction penalty as they are all, of course, an intrinsic part of the summoning.

Named Demons

Above the numberless hordes of quasits, imps, hell hounds and their ilk, lies the intensely hierarchical structure of the named demons. Ranging from the relatively weak barbazu to the insanely powerful balor, these are the greatest of all creatures within the infernal planes, harnessing tremendous demonic energies in their sometimes massive frames. Upon the infernal planes, they are lords and masters of the lesser demons, often having vast numbers in their service to do battle and bring about the defeat of their enemies, other demons with whom they constantly war and politick against.

Every one of these demons has many names and each must be treated as an individual by the prospective demonologist. The rituals learnt thus far may summon any creature from an entire demonic species but the named demons have the strength of power to resist the lure and pull of the more mundane summoning rituals. Instead such rituals, by necessity, must be crafted and revised for each individual demonic entity. A demonologist may learn the appropriate ritual to summon one succubus, but it will simply not work for another. At the heart of the practice of summoning demons of this magnitude are their names.

Any text depicting the summoning of such a demon; will always include at least one of their common names, the basic identifier used during the ritual to make contact with the creature and bring it forth into the material world. A demon may have many common names and these are the ones mortals are likely to use when speaking of legends and myths concerning the demon's excursions into the realms of men. Common names are nothing more than identifiers or labels and as such grant no power over I the demon though they are a necessary part of the summoning ritual.

All demons of this stature will also have a small number, no more than half a dozen, of greater names. These names have actual power over the demon and are thus carefully guarded by their owner. They are typically the names used by demons to bind each other into service - a demon who knows the greater name of another has the ability to summon it to grant aid, a useful survival trait within the infernal planes. Demons use this calling only in very rare circumstances for to do so leaves them in debt and they can always expect to make repayment sometime in the future. A demonologist, however, can use a greater name of a demon he summons as raw leverage when attempting to control it. Any demon detests the mere concept of a mortal knowing one of their greater names primarily because of the added edge it grants in subjugating them to service.

Above the greater names are the true names of which a demon will only ever have one. A demon will never willingly reveal its true name to any creature as it has the potential to grant absolute power to any who know it. When one demon learns the true name of another, it will be able to guarantee service without heed of falling into a debt that must be repaid - the other demon is effectively enslaved. A demonologist will actively pursue the true name of any demon as it can grant him a greater edge in controlling it than any other factor. A less powerful demon, such as a vrock, can be instantly cowed by an accomplished demonologist in possession of its true name. The greatest of demons, the balors and pit fiends for example, may well be able to resist even this power but it can grant enough leverage to bring them into service for a short time. When summoning such mighty and baleful creatures, a demonologist will quickly find he needs every possible advantage he can muster. True names are seen as essential components of any summoning ritual designed to control these creatures by most demonologists. Actually using the true name of any demon, however, will earn the summoner its permanent enmity. It will simply not suffer any such mortal to live. The application of the true name during the summoning ritual may guarantee control but if the demon can find its own way into the material world, such temerity will be rewarded in the most painful and grisly fashion the demon can devise.

The process of locating greater and true names of the demons they summon is a trying and exacting one for any demonologist. Greater names are hard to find to say the least and it is unusual for texts describing summonations to include them unless the author was particularly knowledgeable. Those that also include true names are virtually unheard of, not least because a demon will do all in its power to destroy such works. More often, a mortal must travel far and wide to locate such valuable information and may find it turns up from the most unrelated of sources.

Enterprising demonologists have been known in the past to summon one demon simply to learn the greater or true name of another. This is a practice fraught with danger and uncertainty for even if a demon knows such a name, being forced to relate it will earn the demonologist the enmity of both demons for he will be meddling directly in the convoluted politics of the infernal planes.

Using Named Demons

Any demon with a Challenge Rating of 7 or more is considered to be a named demon. Any demon below this rating can be summoned using 'standard' rituals common to their species as a whole. Named demons are unique individuals and a learnt summoning ritual will summon that demon and that demon alone. Needless to say, if the demon is ever permanently slain by any means, the demonologist will no longer be able to summon it again - the time spent locating and learning the ritual is wasted.

The research of greater and true names is a process handled entirely by the Games Master. He will let the player know whether the sources of knowledge uncovered include such information. If they do not, the player will have to search harder to locate them, if they exist at all. Common names, however, will be present in any text describing the summoning of any particular demon and this is all that is required to actually perform the summoning ritual.

A greater name grants a +5 bonus to the Control check when performing the summoning ritual for the demon. A true name grants a+10 bonus. Only one such bonus may be used for any one Control check and you will quickly find this knowledge is essential for controlling the more powerful demons.

Possession

The more powerful of demonic entities have the ability to possess mortal beings, subjugating the host to their complete domination. This is usually done either to cause the maximum amount of harm to the mortal who dared to summon them or to stay within the material world for protracted periods of time in order to fulfil their own malevolent plans outside of the infernal planes. Accomplished demonologists can also force the possession of other mortals as a means to trap the demon in the material world for longer than the summoning ritual might ordinarily allow.

The subject of possession will lose all control of his body, though he remains conscious and aware. The demon takes control of his body utterly and the victim can do nothing more than watch mutely as the demon performs the most vile and hideous of acts in his name. Physical changes also take place, with the body straining to take the shape of both mortal and demon simultaneously. With some demons, the physical effects may be lessened - a succubus possessing a human female, for example, may result in nothing more than the softening of features and the growing of vestigial wings. A halfling body straining to contain a balor though is likely to cause a twisting beyond all recognition. Bones will grow and reshape, muscles will swell and skin change and reform into the likeness of the demonic entity.

For the victim, this is a process almost beyond all endurance, for being aware and a witness to these terrible transformations, they must suffer the absolute agony of the reformation of their bodies. Many go mad during these short seconds alone, others as they are forced to occupy the same mental space as the ultimate evil that is a demon. The physical and mental effects possession causes are permanent with no mundane cure. Even if the demon can be driven out of a host, the victim is likely to be left crippled and unable to function within normal society. Such is the price for succumbing to the demon.

Accidental Possession

Only named demons can attempt to possess a mortal being by their own power. If the Control check is failed during a summoning ritual, a Games Master may rule instead of attacking the demonologist, the demon will attempt possession.

This is a full-round action for the demon. The summoner must make a successful Will Save at DC 10 + the demon's Challenge Rating to resist the possession attempt. If the summoner passes the Will Save, the demon may never attempt to possess him again. If the Will Save is failed, the demon's attempt at possession is successful and the summoner is in very serious trouble.

The summoner will immediately come under the complete domination of the demon and effectively becomes a non-player character in the control of the Games Master (though those interested in role-playing may relish the idea of trying their hand at a diabolic character, for however short a period of time).

Physically, a number of things now happen. First, all ability scores and Hit Points are averaged between host and demon into new scores, rounding down. The host will gain all special abilities and qualities, skills and saving throw bonuses of the possessing demon. Finally, a melding of the physical forms of host and demon will occur - the Games Master will inform the player concerned of the specific details. As an incidental consequence, the host also gains the immortality of the demon, their body now driven and sustained by raw demonic energy.

At the discretion of the Games Master, the host body may also gain one or more of the physical attacks of the possessing demon, with claw and bite attacks being the most common. These effects will remain until the demon leaves the host body though the physical changes to appearance are permanent. A demon may choose to leave the host body at any time to return to the infernal planes, though as demons are immortal creatures who have existed for eons, this may well not occur for a great many years, decades or centuries. The host may, however, be able to exert the innate willpower to drive the demon out. This is entirely dependent on the foothold the demon managed to gain during the act of possession which is determined by the amount the victim failed the Will Save, as detailed on the Possession Table below. Even after regaining control, the victim is likely to be seriously damaged in both mind and body. The side effects on the Possession Table below are applied immediately after the demon leaves the host body and the effects are, again, permanent. Where ability scores must be modified, the player concerned may choose which are effected. The reductions may be spread across several ability scores if desired. In addition, the victim will also be reduced to one Hit Point as his body is wracked with the strain of having contained the demon for however short a period of time.

These effects cannot be reversed with spells such as Restoration, as he is now effectively part demon, though Wish spells will function to remove both physical changes and the side effects on the table above. If a period of possession falls in between any of the limits listed below, as can happen with self-possession for instance, then the next highest side effect is used. A character possessed for 3 hours, for example, will suffer the effects of having been possessed for a day.

Table 1-1: Possession Effects

Will Save Failed By	Time Possessed	Side Effects
1-3	1 hour	-1 WIS & CHA, -1000 XP
4-8	1 day	-1d6 ability scores, -1000 XP
9-12	1 year	-1d6 ability scores, -1d6 X 1000 XP
13+	Permanent	-2d6 ability scores, -2d6 X 1000 XP

Possessing Others

In order to gain the service of a demon for a greater length of time, a demonologist with few morals may attempt the difficult process of forcing the demon into a mortal host. Whilst few demons find the act of possessing distasteful, doing so at the behest of a summoner can leave them under his control for longer periods, something they will strenuously try to avoid. It is not only named demons, however, that can be forced to possess a host. The strength of will of the demonologist in itself can permit any species to possess another, so even a lowly dretch or imp may be utilized in this way.

To possess another, the demonologist must have another sentient being immobile and present within the pentagram throughout the summoning ritual. Further more, such a victim must be conscious and aware throughout the ritual and so a demonologist must devise his own methods for holding subjects ready for possession during the lengthy summoning process. The demon can then be summoned as normal.

There is an additional —4 penalty to the Control check when attempting to force a demon to possess another as it is virtual imprisonment for the demon concerned and it will battle that much harder to circumvent the demonologist's will. The penalty for distraction does not apply to the intended victim of possession as they are an intrinsic part of the ritual.

The demonologist must specify his instruction to the demon during the Control check as normal and this is what the demon will be compelled to do for as long as it possesses the victim. If the Control check fails, the demonologist loses all control of the demon and it will attack him immediately (and may attempt to possess him in return!). If the Control check is successful, then the victim must make a Will Save to avoid possession by the demon, as described in the previous Accidental Possession section. The demonologist may apply his Charisma bonus as a modifier to the demon's roll as he exerts his own will alongside that of the demon's to break down the mental defences of the victim and force the possession through. If the victim is willing at the point of possession (immediately after the Control check), then no Will Save takes place - the demon possesses the victim permanently, as if the Will Save had been failed by 13 or more.

If the possession fails, the demon will immediately return to the infernal planes and the whole attempt is a wasted exercise. If it succeeds, possession occurs as described in the Accidental Possession section, with the full effects being applied to the victim. The only exceptions are that the demon may not return to the infernal planes until the duration of the possession is over and that neither it nor the host have free will - both are subject to the instruction given by the demonologist before the possession took place.

Self-Possession

There are more than a few demonologists who, upon witnessing the effects of possession on others, are driven to uncover the forbidden lore of taking the demon into themselves in an effort to harness its power through more direct means. Only a tiny fraction of these individuals will go through the black rites required for the dangers are all too apparent. By allowing a demon to enter him both mind and body, the demonologist is confronting the greatest of evils within the most personal of battlefields. The creature is by no means a passive observer and constantly twists and turns inside his darkest mental recesses, trying to assert its own control as it continually plagues him with the most horrific of nightmare visions and dreams.

Outwardly, the demonologist suffers all the torture and damage any other victim of possession does, as his body reshapes itself agonizingly to adopt the form of both man and demon. However, he also gains the demon's strength, power and knowledge, and it is these boons the demonologist seeks to the detriment of all else. A demonologist skilled in self-possession truly knows the ecstasy of being far more than a mere mortal. So long as he can keep the demon at bay through the sheer force of his personality, he will be the equal of almost anything he sets his imagination to. In doing so, though, the practitioner suffers permanent disfigurement and runs the risk of the demon overpowering his mental strength.

Those who pay little heed to the dangers of self-possession are often drawn inexorably to a far more perilous part of the Dark Road. Exchanging the practice of demonology to become one of the possessed, they slowly bargain away their souls by fractions through intimate and insidious pacts with infernal creatures. Down this route lies possibly the greatest power known but journey's end can only ever be damnation.

Performing Self-Possession

A practitioner must have a rank of 8 or greater in Fiendish Lore before he may attempt any self-possession. Any demon successfully summoned and controlled may be compelled to possess the summoner himself in lieu of any other instructions. The demonologist must specify the length of time the self-possession is to last, up to a period of one year and a day. He immediately suffers all the bonuses and penalties for possession as described above, with one exception - he retains free will and is not subject to the wishes of the demon. His physical appearance will permanently change, his ability and hit point scores averaged and he will receive all skills, saving throw bonuses and special qualities of the demon. However, he may still act as he pleases and does not become a non-player character.

The demon will constantly strive to gain dominance of the demonologist's body though and this battle will rage until the self-possession ends. Every 24 hours after the self-possession begins, the demonologist must make a successful Will check at a DC equal to the demon's Challenge Rating as it nutures and marshals its strength to assert its power over his body. Success will mean the demonologist has brought his mental forces to bear and defeats the demon's attempt. Failure will result in the demon flooding, unchecked, through his mind as it gains the upper hand. From this point, the demonologist is treated as having been accidentally possessed and so becomes a non-player character. Furthermore, this will be considered a permanent possession as the demonologist allowed the demon to enter his body willingly. . .

The self-possession ends automatically when the length of time specified by the demonologist is complete. The demon may also be forced out by the normal methods of magic and good aligned clerics and paladins, as described in Driving out the Demon. The demonologist may also willingly drive the demon out earlier, at any point, simply by making a Will check at a DC 10 + the demon's Challenge Rating. This may be attempted only once a day. Failure will result in the demon immediately striking back, trying to take over the demonologist's body once more. Make a Will check at a DC equal to the demon's Challenge Rating to avoid the possession attempt, as described in the previous paragraph. A demonologist interested in pursuing the practice of self-possession may be naturally drawn towards the making of permanent pacts with the demons he summons.

Soul Servitude

Very few practitioners of demonology ever uncover the lore necessary to bind themselves to soul servitude and it is perhaps well they do not. In such a practice, they make a dangerous pact with a single demon, trading temporary but total control over the creature for their own soul. This is the path of utter damnation and for those who reach this far, marks the end of the Dark Road as a mortal.

A demon's interest in the soul of a demonologist is two-fold. Firstly, and most pragmatically, all are keen to halt the spread of demonology. Each demon, high or low, has its own machinations and plans of ambition to fulfil upon the infernal planes but by some quirk of the universe, mortals may open gates between these hellish places and the material worlds. It may be amusing to consider a great demonic lord leading his hordes over the parapets of a hated rival's castle of skulls, only to disappear as he is drawn to mortal realms. The demon, however, is unlikely to see the humour itself. And yet such instances are occasionally heard.

Secondly, demons have a passion for corrupting and twisting mortals to their own designs. By offering their own soul, demonologists descend far below the point of decency any mortal may reach through their own simple and petty vices.

There are few demons able to resist the lure of the soul of even a relatively inexperienced demonologist and many will be prepared to endure the degradation of service to a mortal in order to obtain it. The demonologist who successfully performs soul servitude will gain the service of the demon for a year and a day. During this period, the demon will comply to any instruction at any time, potentially granting the practitioner tremendous power to fulfil his worldly concerns. After a year and a day has passed, the practitioner's soul becomes the property of the demon, to do with as it pleases.

Only the weakest of demons will seek to take the soul immediately in order to reap immediate benefits within the infernal planes, causing the instantaneous death of the demonologist as the body cannot exist without the soul. More powerful demons will both toy with the practitioner and use him to further their own ends upon the material worlds. He will become an agent of evil, unable to resist the compulsions and whims of his demonic lord. Though retaining free will much of the time, the victim will become a mere tool of the demon, forced to perform the most heinous of acts and forever living in fear of the knowledge that, one day, the demon will come to collect.

Attempting Soul Servitude

A demonologist may only perform soul servitude with a named demon and he must have a Fiendish Lore rank of ten or greater. Possessed may never attempt soul servitude for their souls have already been sold, piece by piece. In the same way, a practitioner who has performed soul servitude may never take the possessed prestige class. Their soul is no longer theirs to bargain with.

A demonologist who offers soul servitude to a demon he summons gains a bonus to his Control check equal to three times his character level. As can be readily seen, even the most powerful of demons are likely to be compelled by this.

Success in the Control check will result in the demon lord compelled to obey every instruction the demonologist issues for one year and a day from the time of summoning. These instructions do not have to be stated when the demon is summoned, as is usual, but instead any can be given at any time and they will automatically be obeyed. If the demon's physical form is slain whilst on the material world, it will return to the infernal planes but, unfortunately for the demonologist, the soul servitude is not nullified and after the year and a day, he will be beholden to the demon as described below.

Regardless of whether the Control check is successful or not, the demonologist's soul will pass to demonic hands. From this point on he will not be able to be resurrected by any means.

Once the year and a day has elapsed, the practitioner will immediately have his soul snatched by the demon if it is relatively weak (Challenge Rating 7 or 8). Due to the pact made with the demon, his soul will be ripped from his body and taken to the infernal planes, slaying him instantly.

In other cases, the demonologist will come under the complete domination of the demon he has made soul servitude with. This may be played out in one of two ways, as determined by the Games Master. The first choice is for the demon to compel the practitioner to become its agent in the material world, performing all manner of perverse and destructive acts in the name of pure evil before his soul is finally collected by the demon. The character becomes a non-player character under the control of the Games Master and may well turn into the hated enemy of the rest of the party in future scenarios. The second choice is for the demonologist to become the very hand of evil as described above, but under the control of the player. This is recommended only for veteran role-players but it can provide some of the most tense moments any gaming group may experience.

Driving out the Demon

It is entirely possible that friends of a victim of possession will seek every means to drive out the demon and allow their companion to return to something approaching normality. There is, however, no known process to accomplish this through the practice of demonology and normal Dispel Magic spells will not remove the possession. Dismissal, Banishment and Holy Word spells will work to remove the possession, as will Dictum and Word of Chaos.

Paladins or good-aligned clerics without access to such spells may attempt to drive the demon out by sheer force of will, though this never leaves the victim unharmed and completely whole. Any paladin or good-aligned cleric may attempt to drive the demon out of a victim in the same way as they turn undead, using the demon's Challenge Rating as they would Hit Dice for undead. The demon will seek to avoid the attempt at all costs, fleeing if it is able or actively attacking the cleric. If successful, the demon will be driven from the victim, materialising in its true form and immediately attacking the cleric. It will remain in the material world for a period of one hour, during which time it will likely be hunting down the demonologist who forced its possession, or simply seeking to cause as much destruction to mortal life as it is able. The victim will suffer the side effects for possession as normal.

Possessing demons can never be destroyed, rebuked or controlled by this form of driving out and only a paladin or good-aligned cleric may attempt this process.

Dismissing the Demon

There may come a time when a demonologist is required to end the service of a demon prematurely. Such circumstances can be many and varied, coming to peace with an enemy the demon has been summoned to fight being one example. In these cases, a demonologist is required to make a Dismiss check at any time during the demon's service. This Dismiss check is at DC 10 + the demon's Challenge Rating and may only be attempted against a demon the demonologist himself summoned. He must be within 60 feet of the demon and it must not be in total cover relative to him.

One attempt may be made to dismiss the demon every round and it is counted as a full-round action. Success in this Dismiss check will result in the demon immediately returning to the infernal planes. As must be abundantly clear, a demonologist must instruct his demons carefully, particularly if they are powerful beings in their own right. A demon poorly instructed and unleashed upon the world can cause an immense amount of damage with the demonologist being almost powerless to stop it.