By Keith Kaczmarek (pheonix@cats.ucsc.edu)
Power, rich and intoxicating like wine. Passion, blindingly hot or achingly cold, exquisitely bitter or sensuously sweet, smooth as silk or as rough as the turbulent sky of a storm: layered flavors of emotions like heady drugs to savor and experience. Freedom from all the old boundaries of death, authority, and moral restraint.
And the price?
A job that you were born to do. A profession tailored to your need, desire, and hunger. Follow the rules, and you can ride the train forever.
Interested?
Just sign right here.
Welcome to the club.
For a man, there can come a time when he has found that the world has run out of challenges. This rare soul has reached the pinnacle of his profession, created his own religion, or gained the highest political powers. And yet, he finds that without the challenges that once quickened him, the top is very lonely. The only remaining avenues are those that moral men cannot travel. And so, rather than die in stagnation like fly caught in amber, he rejects his world, his place in it, and the morality that brought him there. Freedom from his old constraints becomes something more important than anything else that life offers. This man becomes the essence of evil: a predator without moral restraint with a will honed by conflict and an imagination born of limitless desire. Such men and women often go mad, or become legends.
At this point, a Demon Lord contacts this man who is already a Demon in spirit. The dark gods watch for these men, knowing that the battle for the souls of humanity can only be fought by minds of great creativity, intellect, and passion. The Demon Lords offer the one thing that these souls need: the power to survive their own excesses. Freedom. In exchange, the Demon Lord asks for nothing, except the initial Pact. They know that the power they offer will corrupt the new Demon, as beings defined by desire cannot help themselves from using all that they possess to satisfy that desire. A natural born killer can never pretend to be anything else.
Becoming a Demon is the greatest act of individualism, and thus evil, that a soul can commit. Once on this road, there is no turning away. No redemption. No transcendence. Anything else would be going against their own nature. Some started their careers as mortals. Others started as vampires, or wraiths, or werewolves. Some are cut of an entirely different cloth. They all share a new common heritage. They are Demons. True Demons. They have something beyond that which they were born. They feed on humanity's nightmares, their souls, and their blackest emotions and deeds. They twist the world into a place to serve their great wills and the power to let loose their darkest dreams.
Here's the deal. Take your standard character from any Storyteller system. Being a Demon is all about the added bits, not the initial package. These are the Prices. By performing these Deeds or agreeing to these Pacts the Demon-to-be gains Demonic Creation Points. Your total Demonic Creation Points must equal at least 30 to receive the Blessing. Any extra Demonic Creation Points may be exchanged for Demonic Investments or the Lordly Investments only available to True Demons. No more than 165 Demonic Creation points will ever be granted when meeting the Price.
Price | Act |
10 | Giving up the ghost: This is a mystical lobotomy that completely exorcises all "good" traits. Nature and Demeanor becomes a Shadow Archetype from Wraith: The Oblivion. |
8 | A soul offered freely. Certain aspiring Demons can trick others into offering their souls to the Infernal in their place. |
1+ | Freebie points: 1 for 1 basis. These represent the deeds or personality quirks that are a kind of "credit reference" for aspiring Demons on future performance. |
1+ | Experience (i.e. memories): Every ten points of Experience is worth one Creation Point. |
1-10 | Sacrifice: Use the Pact rules. These individual acts of evil represent the evil that demons feed on, prove his or her dedication to darkness, and cut the last ties to one's old life. They often revolve around things like killing your beloved family and desecrating your cherished home. Breaking any Pact will cause Forfeiture of the Blessing. |
5+ | Infernal Debt: This is a high interest loan that is offered to the aspiring Demon. For every soul in this Debt, the Demon Lord will gain five Creation points. This debt will have to be paid to the Demon Lord before the Demon can begin to accumulate souls for his own purposes. Failure to pay at least one soul a year toward the Debt will result in the Forfeiture of the Blessing. Creation points gained by Infernal Debt will never be allowed to exceed those gained by other means. |
1+ | Donation of Power. Creating a new earthbound Demon is an act of extreme power for even a Demon lord, as the new Demon must be made able to manifest on Earth permanently, a place which fervently attempts to reject all Demons. This is somewhat easier because they are not as powerful as the Demon Lord. For each 10 points of Quintessence offered to the Demon, then the character gets 1 Creation Point. Under this rule, committing suicide to release the Quintessence in your Life Pattern is worth a Creation Point. |
1-33 | Assistance: Under the above premise, any ritual (Dark/Thaumaturgy or Garou rite or Hedge Magic) or power (Discipline, Gift, Arcanos, etc.) specifically designed with the Demon Lord can be used to help the process. The value in Demonic Creation points will be the level squared, divided by 3. (Thus a level 10 Thaumaturgy ritual will offer 33 Creation points, a level 5 Garou rite will offer 8 creation points, and a level 7 Daimoinon power is worth 16 Creation Points.) Charms may not be used. To use True Magick, a ritual of a number of combined Spheres equal to the level. For example, a level 3 Magick ritual (worth 3 Creation Points), is three Sphere's at rating 3, while a level 5 ritual(worth 8 Demonic Creation points) will require 5 Spheres at rating 5. |
1+ | Demonic Taint: By accepting Fomori Taints or Supernatural Flaws from any other the Storyteller Games that can apply, the aspiring Demon gains Creation Points of equal point value for the Blessing. Demonic Taints gained during the Blessing may never be "bought off" later with Pacts. |
Every Demon is a unique creation, and so there can be a very broad difference between two Demons, depending on the themes and desires on which they have based their supernatural powers. In the Template section, several different packages for Demonhood can be gained, depending on the needs of the aspiring Demon. On a game level, each group of Investments will be granted at a package cost in Creation Points. The Blessing will never exceed 165 Demonic Creation points. Unlike Investments granted to Diabolists, Investments granted to Demons will not malfunction on Holy Days or in the presence of True Faith, as these Investments are part and parcel of the Demon's essence, and no more foreign than thought or emotion, and so they are more difficult to disrupt. A Witch's Nipple will not develop on the new Demon as it will on lesser Infernalists. The Investments below will be granted to all Demons. Any other Demonic Investments gained during the Blessing will only cost half of their total normal Price in Demonic Creation points. This is a one time bonus that occurs with the Blessing. Lordly Investments are detailed below and can only be purchased with Demonic Creation Points or a number of souls.
Standard to all packages:
Mortals: Few changes are made beside the powers granted by the Blessing. Many become Sorcerers. They cannot Awaken their own potential to work True Magick, unless they acquire the Investment: True Diabolist at the time of the Blessing. They acquire the Traits of Humanity and Virtues described in the Vampire's Players guide. Ex-Mortal Demons tend to switch from Humanity to a Path of Enlightenment, as a Demon's work erodes Humanity. Their Quintessence Pool of their Pattern will be converted to the Damnation Pool due to the Investment of The Fix that is gained during the Blessing, and will be equal to twenty. They may only spend one Damnation per turn.
Garou: The Blessing will impart 7 Permanent Corruption that may never be removed, as per the system in The Handbook of the Pariah. They will be handled by the Abomination rules in Under A Blood Red Moon. Their Damnation Pool is as a Mortals. The Gnosis Pool will remain a separate Trait. Demonic Garou may use Wyrm Gifts without gaining additional Corruption. A Demonic Garou cannot Dance the Black Spiral, as he is no longer true Garou. He will be hated and hunted by both True Garou and minions of the Wyrm, as he has turned from both to forge his own twisted destiny. Black Spiral Dancers and may not become Demons, as they are slaves to the Wyrm.
Mages: They are handled as Mortals, with these exceptions. These Demons are not Nephandi per se, but they may learn Qlippothic Spheres. As their Quintessence pool becomes Damnation when they gain the Blessing, Damnation is used in all ways like Quintessence. They may spend up to their Avatar Trait in Damnation per turn. Unless they have the Heart of The Angel Investment, they may be detected with the same Rotes as Nephandi. Nephandi may not become Demons, nor may Marauders, as they are slaves to greater powers. Any Paradox gained by a ex-Mage Demon will subtract from the total Damnation the Demon may possess until it is removed, due to the Soul Lock. Paradox Flaws will not form on the Demon. Instead they will physically Backlash. Mages also will not undergo Quiets or Seekings, and will instead merely spend Experience to gain Arete.
Vampires: At the time of the Blessing, vampires may gain the Demonic Virtues of Courage, Treachery, and Cruelty. They may not increase in Generation by any means due to the Soul Lock, but nor will they be vulnerable to Diablerie. They will still lose one Vitae a Day, but this will be paid with Damnation. Should they lose all Humanity or Path, they will succumb to their Demon nature, becoming a bestial, mindless abomination of evil. Blood Pool will become Damnation, and will follow those rules for usage per turn. The Mega-Attribute Investment will allow Attributes to exceed up to 3 beyond the characters Generation limit. Vampire Demons may not attain Golconda.
After the Blessing, some vampires choose to acquire the Investment called Rejuvenation. It returns the vampire's body to life. They will lose the ability to Feed on, or use, or retain Vitae as a vampire, unless they have the Lordly Investment: The Shackled Beast. Disciplines will remain, and use Willpower or Damnation to power them, but will not increase in power except through Demonic Investment. The Damnation pool will be the former Blood Pool.
Wraiths: Their Shadows change to a new Archetype, namely the Demon, and it will attempt to satisfy the Fix at any cost. If the Shadow should gain ten Permanent Angst, or the Demon loses all permanent Willpower or Passions, the Demon will be truly destroyed by the inner turmoil, and will not return as a Spectre or Drone. Servants of Oblivion will recognize the Demon as a fellow and tend to leave him to his own affairs. Ex-Wraith Demons may learn Dark Arcanos, and use Damnation to power them. Due to the Blessing, a Demon can exist in the Skinlands for an indefinite period of time if he uses the Embody Arcanos, or Puppetry to destroy the soul of a body. If an ex-wraith Demon gains the Blackest of Hearts Lordly Investment, he will remain in existence even if he loses all Passions. Spectres may not become Demons, as they are slaves to Oblivion.
The Fae: The Faeries will lose their connection to the Dreaming with the Blessing. Arts, Seeming, Birthrights and Frailties will be lost. However, they will act in all ways like enchanted Mortals. They may still see and interact with he Dreaming like an enchanted Mortal. Five Permanent Banality will be gained with the Blessing.
Fomori: They may not become Demons, as they are slaves of the Wyrm.
Mark of Property: This Investment serves a dual purpose. It allows the Demon with whom a Pact was sold to find his "client" at any time. It also taints all of his powers with diabolical energy, making the Diabolist an excellent meal for Demons using The Fix. Most Demons trick their victims and grant this Investment for "free". This power also marks the soul for one particular Demon, and no other Demon will traffic with this soul.
Infernal Backgrounds: This is not usually an Investment per se, but is instead a trade of services for services. The Diabolist can gain a Background up to 5 at the cost of the level of the Background plus one. Thus to advance a Background from a 2 to a 3 would cost a Pact of 4. To advance beyond 5, Pacts of three plus the new level are needed. So a Background of 7 needs a Soul Pact to gain. This form of Demonic Advancement is often used to recruit cultists as they are willing to do favors to get a Resource of 2 or 3 to support their habits (such as drugs, patronage of the sex industry, or even the practicing of an art form) without needing to hold down a job. Once they find the ease of Demonic Advancement they often get deeply into Infernal Debt to buy their dreams in a more direct fashion. Supernatural Backgrounds that belong to a specific supernatural race can be bought as an Investment such as Arcane, Talisman, Avatar (which can be used by Demons to increase Damnation usage per turn), Memoriam (which Demons can feed on), Pack Totem (which is only for an individual and is a demonically corrupted form), Past life or Dream, etc.
Tainted Love: This Investment costs two Willpower per victim. For one night the victims will love and lust after the Diabolist, agreeing to almost any sexual desire of the Diabolist's. They will be drunk with intense feelings of love and lust. This in no way affects their personalities, but will make them amenable to almost any situation that apparently leads to a sexual encounter with the Diabolist. This is not a means of mind control because victims retains free will, but they will be consumed with extremely promiscuous thoughts and emotions focused on the Diabolist. And after the night is over remember everything. This Investment is often granted to those Diabolists who are romantically unpopular. It is an easy way for Demons to increase the burden of sin and feelings of overconfidence in a Diabolist. As this Investment can only be used to obtain sexual favors from partners unable to give consent, it is the act of rape on the part of the Diabolist.
Take Me Home: This Investment will locate the nearest Infernal Region, and its power, for the cost of one Willpower. Additional points spent will reveal a number of other nearby locations equal to the amount of Willpower spent.
Smoke and Shadows: When this Investment is activated, an illusion of dense smoke explodes from the Diabolist and covers a 200 foot diameter area. Anyone in the area of the smoke, except the Diabolist, is blinded. The smoke will vanish in a few minutes. It is often used as a cover for an escape.
Goin' Demonic: This Investment changes the Clan of the recipient Vampire into Baali. He will lose his old Clan Weakness and will gain the Baali's Clan Weakness, as well as gain in addition to his previous Clan Disciplines, the disciplines of Presence, Obfuscate, and Daimoinon.
Sorcerous Talent: The Diabolist may now learn vampiric Blood and/or Dark Thaumaturgy. Willpower Points must be used in the place of Blood Points. The first level costs 10 Experience, and each new level is 5 times the current. Path costs are the same. If the recipient of this Investment is a Demon, he may use Damnation instead of Willpower to fuel his Paths.
To Sup With The Devil: This Investment allows the draining of Quintessence from the Life Patterns of sacrifices. This is usually only used by Mages as a source of cheap and easy Tass. The Infernalist performs a sacrifice according to a ritual, and then gains as many points of Tass equal to the successes on a Wits + Demon Lore roll(6) in the form of a Heart Jewel, a deep red spherical crystal. If a Demon gains this Investment, he may gain Damnation by crushing the Jewel in the hand or taking the power directly into his Damnation pool during the ritual. The Quintessence in the Heart Jewel will be of a dark and evil Resonance.
Demon's Blood: This Investment grants mortal blood a supernatural vitality. The Diabolist's wounds will close quickly, and he will not bleed to death if he looses more than four Health levels. The Blood will also negate two dice of wound penalties. The Diabolist will also be able to use his blood as a source of Quintessence if a Mage, Damnation if he is a Demon, or Vitae if he is a Ghoul. Using the blood in this manner will inflict Health levels of non-soakable normal damage equal to the amount of Blood used.
"Got a New Drug": A Diabolist with The Fix Investment may declare another emotion that satisfies the Fix in addition to the original Fix.
Soul Lock: This is the unchanging nature of the Damned. This Investment will make it impossible for the recipient to ever spiritually evolve or devolve. This can be used to prevent the degeneration of Ghouls and Fomori. It will also prevent the user from ever becoming a Mummy, Garou, Changeling, Vampire, or Mage, regardless of the circumstances. Vampires will also become immune to the act of -- and of benefiting from -- Diablerie.
Metabolism of the Damned: This Investment allows supernaturals to heal aggravated damage as if it were normal damage.
The Heat of the Quick: This Investment is granted to vampires, spirits, and wraiths who wish to experience a living body, without experiencing the frailty of a living body. This is purely a cosmetic power that infuses the Diabolist with the sensations and emotions of life. The Diabolist will also have all the appearances of life, such as warm skin and heartbeat. This power is quite addictive, and is often used to insure that unliving Diabolists will never dare break with the Inferno.
Heart of the Angel: This Investment will conceal the spiritual corruption and Wyrm taint of the recipient from such powers as the Garou Gift of Sense the Wyrm. It will also hide the signs of Diablerie and protect from Mummies' Hekau (True Name) spells.
Skinshifter: The Diabolist will be able to change forms as one the shapeshifting Breeds. In all ways, the shapeshifting of the Diabolist is handled as if the Diabolist was born as a shapeshifter, although he does not invoke the Veil in Crinos form.. Otherwise, he will be the same as his previous race. He will not gain a score in Rage, Gnosis, or be able to gain Gifts, unless such things are bought with further Demonic Investments. Changing shape costs one Willpower to activate. This is an Investment often granted to jealous Kinfolk.
Demonic Tutor: A Demon Lord will teach the Diabolist powerful secrets that will open him to the full scope of his supernatural might. All Experience costs to increase Knowledges and supernatural powers will be at one half cost.
Devil's Road: This Investment is extremely subtle. In effect, the Diabolist has a Humanity of 10 for all purposes, regardless of his real Path or Humanity rating. The Demon appears to have an extremely humane and almost saint-like moral purity, even while he might be depraved beyond belief. This affects all rolls involving Humanity, which is a definite plus for a vampire. The down side is that the Diabolist's Humanity or Path remains and is reduced by the same Hierarchy of Sins, and as he is unaware of the actual score, he often no idea how far he has degenerated until he succumbs to madness. Vampires will not fall to the Beast when the real Humanity or Path Score falls to zero, but they will instead act as Mortals and gain a Derangement.
True Diabolist: The Diabolist will be grant the ability to use True Magick as a True Diabolist (see the Book of Madness). This Investment cannot be granted if the Diabolist had more than 5 points of Investments, or is not a Mortal. Others must use The Hollow Power (see below). If the Diabolist was a Sorcerer, his old magic will be converted to Freebies for additional powers. No Paradox will be gained in the Inferno. Demons who gain this Investment are handled under the Mage rules.
Corner Office: The Demon gains real estate in the Inferno. It is a small fortress the size of a small office building. Guards are not included. The Inferno is a location that is all but impossible to find by non-Demons, and so is a safe place to "lay low". The Demon can travel to this estate from any place on Earth. The travel is a bit tricky. The Demon may only travel to or return from the Inferno by using an Infernal Region on Earth. The Demon's place of Blessing is often a convenient location.
The Fix: This is the Demon's chosen sin, pleasure, and source of power. It will be centered on one emotion that is viewed as negative, such as lust, fear, hate, or despair. In many ways, it is like a wraithly Passion, except The Fix is used to regain power in the Demon's Damnation Pool. The Damnation Pool is equal to twenty if the character was mortal, such as Garou, Sorcerers, and Mages, which was previously the character's Quintessence Pool. The unliving use one of the previous character's pools, such as Power, Blood Pool, Pathos, or Gnosis, in that order. The Damnation pool will have all of the characteristics of the character's old pool in all ways.(For example, an ex-vampire can still drink blood, use blood to increase physical Attributes, etc.).
For the Demon to get his Fix, he must choose a mortal victim. The Demon then forms a connection to that person's Shadow, and minor illusions will occur in the victim's perception, drawn from his own unconscious, which color the Demon in the victim's eyes into exactly the thing necessary to evoke the Demon's Fix. The victim becomes trapped in the throes of the passion, and will react accordingly as the Demon then performs the act of the Fix. (i.e. a Demon of Fear will take on the role of a victim's greatest fear, and then act out his greatest terror, inspiring his fear to panic levels strong enough to be fed upon). During the act of The Fix, a mystical transfer of Damnation energy occurs.
The Damnation energy is demonically tainted Angst drawn from the dormant Shadow of the mortal victim. For the Demon to engage in the fix and replenish his Damnation Pool, he must make a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (diff. victim's Willpower). Success means that the victim is uncontrollably trapped in a frenzy of emotion, and is unable to do anything other than acting out the demands of the emotion (a lust Demon will sweep the victim up in act of sex, and the victim will be unable and unwilling to resist, regardless of the surroundings and circumstances). The Demon may then harvest up to ten Damnation to add to the Damnation Pool. Damnation that is drawn slowly at the rate of one Damnation per hour will cause "phantom" Health levels of damage that will heal at the rate of one per hour of rest, but will still debilitate the victim. Drawing Damnation more quickly will cause actual damage from emotional trauma equal to one Health Level per Damnation point drawn. If more than seven "phantom" Health levels of damage are done to the victims, he will be become unconscious when the Demon releases him from the power of the Fix, and will not regain consciousness until he has lost enough "phantom" damage to return to Incapacitated. The Fix may not be used on a particular victim more than once a week, or a Health level of non-soakable damage will be inflicted on the victim each time.
Beings with active Shadows, such as Fomori, Black Spiral Dancers, Nephandi, and Diabolists are handled differently. Drawing Angst from these beings does not inflict "phantom damage" or real damage when they are drained of Damnation energy. This is one of the reasons that Demons corrupt mortals with Investments, so that they may better satisfy their Fix before those souls are drawn into the Inferno. They may have up to their Willpower multiplied by 10 in Points of Damnation drawn from them. They still take damage when they are victims of the Fix more than once a week.
Platinum Account: This is the same as a mystical bank account where the currency is souls. Souls are held within the Inferno for later use. A single soul can also be sold with this Investment for 10 Damnation.
Stolen Memories: With this power the Demon may transfer free Experience to or from willing victims. Even if the Demon cannot use the Experience (because he is a spirit, for example), he can retain it.
Fetters of the Damned: With this Investment the Demon can enslave any person who has a Soul Pact or Fealty Pact with the Demon. As they willingly agreed to the Pact, there is no resistance. The Fettered soul will obey both the letter and intent of any command the Demon issues. If the Fettered soul has a Soul Pact, then upon the Pacted soul's earthly death, he will reform as a Servitor Demon in the Inferno of equal Traits to those in life, and will be completely obedient to the Demon, and if the Demon wishes, he can use the soul of the Pact holder in any other manner he wishes, such as in a Blue Chip Investment or sold to a Demon Lord.
The Shackled Beast: This Investment grants a connection to the Beast of the Vampires. This Lordly Investment is often used by Demons who spend prolonged periods of time on Earth. The Demon will be able to gain Disciplines at the cost of 10 Experience for the first level, and 6 multiplied by the current for each other level up to level ten. Despite the Demon's connection to The Shackled Beast, he is not vulnerable to the dreaded Frenzy of the Vampire, or the permanent madness of the Wassail. He will gain vampire fangs. His blood will not be Vitae, and so he may not have Diablerie committed on him. Though he may commit Diablerie, he may not gain Generation. He will also be able to drink Vitae as a vampire and convert it into Damnation, as well as use Damnation as a vampire uses Vitae to heal and increase Attributes. If a vampire shares blood with this kind of Demon, and the Demons spends a Damnation Point to infuse his blood, the vampire will find the blood extremely pleasurable, but find that it is hollow and provides no sustenance. If the Demon feeds from the Demon who spends Damnation a number of times equal to his Willpower, then he will be Blood Bonded to the Demon from sharing the Demon's Damnation infused blood. These Infernal Blood Bonds do not grant Ghoul powers, and are impossible to break unless the victim has access to powerful magics. The Infernal Blood Bond grants eight Pact Points to be converted to Demonic Investments. The victim gains a Witch's Nipple after one drink of the Demon's Damnation infused blood. The blood of a Demon that is not infused with Damnation will be sickening to vampires.
If an ex-vampire Demon gains this Lordly Investment, he is handled differently. He will gain the benefits of Golconda without having to worry about Humanity or Conscience, but he may not choose to return to humanity. He may also form Infernal Blood Bonds with his Vitae.
The Hollow Power: This Investment grants a dark and evil theft of True Magick from souls tortured Awake. The Demon gains True Magick like a True Diabolist. Instead of Arete, he uses a score called Thrawn, which acts in all ways like Arete, except it is not limited by Willpower or limited to a rating of 10. To increase Thrawn by one point, the Demon must consume an Awakened soul and either spend a total of 8 multiplied by the current score in experience or use a Pact of equal level. Spheres cost 8 multiplied by the current in experience, and do not use foci. If the Demon is of one of the unliving races, then all Paradox gained inflicts Aggravated damage instead of collecting within his Pattern. No Paradox is gained when in the Inferno. Thrawn magick is activated by will alone, rather than by beliefs. This Investment can be gained in addition to the True Diabolist Investment, or if the Diabolist was a Mage. Thrawn is added to Arete for all purposes.
Should the physical body of one of the Blackest of Hearts be damaged beyond Incapacitated, he will enter the Shadowlands as a Wraith, and then may learn Arcanos as Wraiths, and Thorns as Shadows. He may not return to his physical body, unless has the Lordly Investment Immunity: Death, or he does so as a Risen. Any body that has its soul destroyed with Puppetry can serve as a healthy new physical body for the Demon. He may also form a healthy new body with Embody, and may exist indefinitely within it due to his Demon nature. Thorns that affect the Psyche will instead affect others, and Thorns that offer benefits in exchange for Angst will instead cost Damnation. Any Thorn that calls for Permanent Angst cannot be taken (such as Soul Pact).
Home Sweet Home: This Investment only works in conjunction with the Investment: Corner Office, or Home Away from Home. When in the Inferno, the Demon may draw on ten Damnation a day per soul being used by this Investment at a maximum rate of one per turn.
The Spirit Eternal: This is the mark of a True Astral Demon. The Demon has been transmuted to spirit form. The advantages are that the Demon will gain the ability to purchase Charms with souls at the cost equal to the power cost. The Charm of Materialize will be gained for free, and will have an unlimited duration while on Earth (due to the Blessing). He gains a Power pool of 20. He gains Gnosis and Rage scores. He may travel in the spirit realms without fear of Disconnection. He may Slumber in the Inferno to gain Damnation. As a Spirit it will be more difficult to kill him. Only aggravated damage to his spirit form will actually kill him. He needs never fear having to regenerate from painful wounds in uncomfortable places, as any damage that reduces his Damnation to zero dumps the Demon out of his Materialized form and into the Inferno, where he can Slumber and thus heal in leisure (at least as much can be found in the Inferno). The drawback is that the Demon will be unable to grow in power (cannot use Experience) unless such advancement comes from Demonic advancement purchased with souls. For those that work True Magick, Paradox will inflict aggravated damage instead of collecting within the Pattern. The Quintessence pool will vanish, but Power may be used in all of the ways as Quintessence.
Demon Prince: The Demon is considered a superior to minor and major Demons, and may command them. However, he cannot command them to actually do anything unless he has Pacts with them, can bribe, trick, or force them into obeying. He may force any lower Demon to obey him and perform on service for a cost in Damnation equal to its Willpower. Any service cannot take more than one day to perform. For a cost of 5 Damnation, the Prince may also summon five Warrior Servitors (from Vampire: the Dark Ages), or one Tempter to his location. He may also contact and communicate with a Demon Lord with this power.
Immunity: Death: (Ascension's Right Hand) This is the biggie, the primo Investment, the one that has the Diabolists drooling. With this Investment, the demon cannot be die. He may be damaged up to negative five Health Levels. The Demon will not be conscious until he has at least one Health Level. These will heal at the normal rate, at one day for aggravated and one per turn for normal damage as per the standard Regeneration Investment. An example: a demon is consumed and digested by a Technocrat Construct, but does not die. It will heal and regrow, in great pain, out of the creature's offal.
Other Demons residing in the Inferno are little relief to this loneliness. The Infernal Hierarchy is an appellation created by the Order of Hermes, and has no real effect on the True Demons. Despite the vaunted name, the Infernal Hierarchy operates more like a collection of Mafia bosses than an organization or family. Every Demon is jealous of the other Demon's power and hungry for more. Every Demon honestly believes that they would serve evil best by ruling over all others. Demons tend to fall into the standard categories of Servitor, Tempter, and Lord, and yet these categories are merely rough descriptions of power level. Actual titles are given to the Demon's by themselves. It all boils down to the essential question: "What do you call a 900 lb. gorilla?" Answer: "Anything he wants."
Few Demons actually serve other Demons. Each is an individual entity that lives in the Inferno for mutual protection, soul gathering and torture. Without Pacts, they would never be able to cooperate. The nature of the Inferno is to draw Pacted souls after death into a personal Hell for the Damned soul. The torture of such souls feeds the Angst that Demons feed upon to replenish their Damnation pool. Demons who live in the Inferno are trapped in a prison of their own creation. While they have great power, they cannot leave the Inferno as the Earth rejects them and their power base cannot be abandoned. Demon Lords create weaker Demons to further the cause of destruction of the Earth's Barriers. What these Demons lack in power, they make up for in imagination and will.
The Inferno is no relief. A locale that includes the screams of the tortured damned, the sick games of Demons encompassing the worst in humanities imagination, and the constant jockeying for position, is not a place conducive to real relaxation. In effect, the Demon is a man without a nation. Many find a place on Earth and corrupt it to suit their pleasures, only making outside jaunts for amusement and victims, or both.
While Demons may have been granted demonic powers, they are not invincible or all powerful. Most can be killed just as easily as any other supernatural. The tremendous boost of confidence that accompanies the Blessing often gets the new Demon in trouble, as they attempt to handle threats beyond their ability. After a few good licks, they tend to adopt the standard demonic attitude toward confrontation, which is "it's better to let the slaves do all the work than risk my precious hide." Demons use their brains, not their brawn.
Another option is that a Demon to be might work an entire Chronicle to meet the Price, with the end result being the Blessing. He could then move into an Elder campaign.
Description: This is the standard package that vampires take when they become Demons. Several active members of the Baali Bloodline are actually Demons in disguise who use the Bloodline as a means of furthering their own goals.
Demonic Investments: Shackled Beast (13, See above), Demonic Tutor (10, See above), Devil's Road (10, See above), Goin' Demonic (5, See above), Body Armor (1, Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat)
Description: This Demon is a false vampire, a demonic recreation of the vampire myth and legend. This package is gained by living Diabolists who often have never even seen a vampire, and merely have stories to incite their dreams. They desire to have an unholy sexual communion with their victims by drinking their blood. Their Fix is usually centered on the fear, pain or degradation of their victims
Demonic Investments: Immunity to Age (7: Freak Legion), Demon's Blood (6, See above), Regeneration (5, Freak Legion), Fangs (3, Freak Legion), Wings (5, Freak Legion. Not actual wings, but a wingless flight), Water Breathing (5, Freak Legion), Darksight (2, Freak Legion), Shackled Beast(12, See above), Body Armor (1, Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat)
Taints: Severe Allergies: sunlight and fire (-5, Freak Legion), Addiction: human blood -- weekly cycle (-3, Freak Legion), Special Diet: blood (-1, Freak Legion)
Description: This is the package that is granted to mortals who are dissatisfied with existence and merely want something new to excite their imaginations. Some seek "enlightenment", and so turn to the Infernal out of desperation when they cannot find it in their lives. The lures of True Magick are often enough to entice them to become Demons, and greater power in True Magick is often enough to get them into the soul trade.
Demonic Investments: True Diabolist (10, See above), Demonic Tutor (10, See above)
Description: This package is for those Demons who were like hungry animals in life, and wish to become in form what they were in heart. Their Fix is based on the fear of the prey evoked during the hunt. Demons who chose this package were people who wanted to be the werewolves of legend, needed a great deal of physical power, or those who wanted to tame the power of the beasts.
Demonic Investments: Skinshifter (9, See above), Berserker (3, Freak Legion), Tainted Love (2, See above), Regeneration (5, Freak Legion), Body Armor (1, Storytellers Handbook To The Sabbat)
Description: This is the classic infiltrator. They return to their old lives and pretend that they have not changed. Slowly they corrupt and avenge themselves on every person that has ever offended them. When they are done, they then move onto those people who in some way remind them of their old enemies. They are often social misfits who have a spark of greatness in them that has yet to be realized. The Demon Lord who grants the Blessing has seen this and decided to catch the young soul before it has time to gain the wisdom to refuse, and make it drunk on the possibility of limitless power.
Demonic Investments: Heart of the Angel (8, See above), True Diabolist (10, See above), Bliss (9, See above), Majesty (5, Vampire Discipline power: Presence 5), Tainted Love (2, See above)
Description: This is the package most often granted to vengeful Ronin Garou who have turned from their people, and yet have had the will to resist the call of the Wyrm. Their Fix feeds on the rent flesh and death of their victims.
Demonic Investments: Hellskinned (5, Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat), Body Armor (5, Storytellers Handbook to The Sabbat), Metabolism of the Damned (7, See above), Body Barbs (10, Freak Legion), Hazardous Breath: Fire: 4 Health Levels of caustic Aggravated damage (12 total, Freak Legion), Kiss of Hades (1, Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat. Used with a bite)
Description: These Demons are entrancingly beautiful manipulators of people. They are dark artists, such as demonic rock music idols, tainted movie stars, and black poets that incite revolution and suicide. Their Fix often feeds on the blind adoration of a member of their audience.
Demonic Investments: Tainted Love (2, See above), Majesty (6, Vampire Discipline power: Presence 5), Mega-Attribute:[+3 Appearance, +3 Charisma, +3 Manipulation] (total of 27, Freak Legion), Devil's Own (8, See above. A chosen art form.), Succubi's Veil (7, Freak Legion)
Description: This package is granted to those who consider themselves royalty on Earth and wish to be royalty among the Inferno as well. They tend to prefer to command troops rather than due any work themselves. They can have any Fix, but they tend to prefer one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Demonic Investments: Spirit Eternal (14: See above), Infernal Passage (9, Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat), Majesty (6, Vampire Discipline: Presence 5), Demon Prince (15, See above), Country Home (13, See above), Immunity: Death (15, See above), Hellskinned (5, Storyteller's Handbook to the Sabbat)
Description: This package is granted to Ghouls who wish vengeance on the vampires they once depended on. Due to the power of the Investment: Soul Lock and Demon's Blood, these Ghouls are no longer dependent on vampire blood to keep supernatural potency or remain young, and yet they are still addicted to it and need potent Vitae to gain new vampire Disciplines naturally. Demon Blood can be used to power Disciplines, and since it will regenerate due to the Regeneration Investment, the Ghul Lords are provided with a renewable source of power. Ghul Lord's Fix will revolve around the revulsion, such as the eating of the flesh and blood of the vampires they hunt.
Demonic Investments: Demon's Blood (6, See above), Regeneration (5, Freak Legion), Demonic Tutor (10, See above), Fangs (3, Freak Legion)
Description: These demons are the ultimate sexual predators and infiltrators. They will appear as their victim's ideal, which can be anything from an innocent young boy to a wantonly sexual whore, but they will be painfully and inhumanely attractive in any form (Appearance 8 min.). As they are spirits, they will revert to spirit form, and watch their new victims for weeks or months at a time in the Umbra so that they can tailor their seduction. They will often appear in places they should not be (like an Army barracks, parent's home, etc.) to engage in sex acts that will lead to disaster, and disappear suddenly to leave their victim to take the blame. Their Fix centers around pure lust and sexual desire.
Demonic Investments: Spirit Eternal (14: See above.), Majesty (6, Vampire Discipline power: Presence 5), Mega-Attribute [+3 Appearance, + 3 Manipulation, +3 Charisma] (27, Freak Legion) , Doppleganger (10, Vampire power: Vicissitude 9), Heart of the Angel (8, See above), Tainted Love (2, See above), Devil's Own: Subterfuge (8, See above), Succubi's Veil (6, Freak Legion), Dance with the Devil (6, See above)
Description: These are those Demons who turned to the dark side so that they could protect some ideal, institution, or person. They are fanatics with a code, and in many ways they tend to be the most humane of the Demons. Their motivations and interests tend to be so varied that no real standard package exists.
Demonic Investments: Varied
Description: These Demons resemble their Angelic brothers in form, and use their great beauty to corrupt the pious and foolish. They are the tempters of the religious, creating both a jealously and profane lust for the divine. Their Fix is met when they are worshipped.
Demonic Investments: Spirit Eternal (14, See above), Majesty (6, Vampire Discipline power: Presence 5), Mega-Attribute[+3 Appearance] (9, Freak Legion), Heart of the Angel (8, See above), Halo of the Holy (2, See above), Succubi's Veil (6, Freak Legion), Wings (5, Freak Legion) These are feathery wings in the angelic style, Devil's Road (10, See above)
This package is for those beings who have even more potential than the "common" Demon. These beings were able to perform a Herculean amount of mustering of power and sacrificing of things important to the Demon Lords, and in return they have gained during the Blessing the power of a virtual demigod. These thankfully rare souls are destined to become Demon Lords, as there is nothing they will not do, and nothing that is too sacred to desecrate. They tend to have multiple Fixes.
Demonic Investments: Hell Skinned (5: Storyteller's Handbook to the Sabbat), Infernal Passage (9, Storyteller's Handbook To The Sabbat), Demon Prince (15, See above), Spirit Eternal (14: See above), The Hollow Power (13, See above), Immunity: Death (15, See above), Country Home (15, See above), Demonic Tutor (10, See above), Umbral Travel (15, Ascension's Right Hand), Mystic Shield (10, Ascension's Right Hand), Black Library (13, See above), Mega-Attribute[+2 Perception, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wits] (total of 18, Freak Legion), Blue Chip Investment (11, See above), The Blackest of Hearts(14, See above)