Pentacles and the Art of Summoning
A guide to Demonology
There are
4 primary pentacles: Summoning, Protection, Binding & Travel. There
are many other minor variations on the same theme – certain demonologist
wizards have created others – but essentially the 4 pentacles above suit
all purposes. A demonologist can create a pentacle at any time using virtually
any medium (chalk, ink, blood etc…) but the more permanent the medium
used the less chance of the pentacle failing. It takes approximately 30
minutes to create a pentacle.
Summoning – This
pentacle will increase the chance of summoning a demon greatly (depending
on the level of the caster). It is more difficult to summon a demon without
one of these magic augmentations.
Protection – The
basic circle to protect the caster from the demon. If good enough it will
stop any creature from the Abyss getting anywhere near you. (Mechanics:
there are 2 rolls – 1 for the efficiency of the pentacle (a
hidden roll!) and another power vs power roll if a demon tries
it on. If you create a good pentacle of protection your power vs power
roll is greatly augmented…or not if it’s a bad one!)
Binding – This
pentacle allows you to bind a demon to yourself, another person or another
object. There are various ways to use it. To bind a demon to an object
or person your chances of success will be greatly enhanced if you place
the object/person inside the pentacle of binding and then summon a demon
into the pentacle itself. The binding is automatic (though dependent on
a power vs power roll) and the caster is able to give explicit instructions
to the demon if successful. The caster can also stand within the pentacle
and bind the demon to himself (if he’s brave enough!). The other method
is to stand within the pentacle and summon the demon outside (the binding
pentacle gives the caster more leverage against the summoned demon).
Travel – The trickiest
of all the pentacles and, arguably, the most powerful. Essentially this
pentacle allows the caster to travel to the Abyss and – once there – use
a similar pentacle to travel back to Grayhawk. Unlike a teleport there
is no chance of failing the roll – the caster will always go to
the Abyss. With research it is possible to specify a location (again your
chances of success are greater if 1) you’ve been to the location before
or 2) you’ve already set up another pentacle of travel in the relevant
plane of the Abyss). Mechanics: let’s say the caster has researched a
particular plane, possibly a particular location in the Abyss and wants
to get there…a roll of 01% will guarantee his success whereas a
roll of 95%+ will result in a random location. There are 666 planes
of the Abyss and therefore scope for some pretty devastating cock-ups!
The chances of success improve with level, a target that is well known
or a pentacle that is already drawn on the Abyss/Grayhawk.
Pentacle success is dependent on the caster’s belief that what he
is creating will succeed. When dealing with a demon that is very important…if
you don’t have faith then fear creeps in…as do the mistakes. Then it’s
curtains! That is why at the stage of creating the pentacle the roll for
its efficiency is hidden – you just never know how good they are! Obviously
the higher level the caster the better his pentacles become.
Because of the random nature of Chaos and the creatures from the Abyss
summoning demons can be a fruitless, frightening and, at times, downright
silly occupation! To summon a demon is a dangerous business and even the
most experienced demonologist arch mage gets into difficulty from time
to time. Pentacles serve to reduce the risk and protect the caster.
The Summon
Demon spell is not the start – it is usually the end of a process of survival.
The caster must decide what pentacles he needs (whether a protection,
a binding etc…). He must decide what he is going to do with the demon
(bind it, let it loose on the world or force it into a specific service).
If the caster knows the name of a demon he can invoke it with the summoning…stronger
demons have a choice (although even they can fail a power vs power roll)
whilst lesser demons are dragged before the caster.
If you know the name of a demon (its True Name) you can summon it
as described above. A powerful demon may not come but it may suit his
needs to send a minion to aid the caster. A demonologist will build up
a network of demons he can call upon (if he’s good enough) and the rapport
and deals he makes with these creatures usually shape his destiny.
The roll by the caster determines the strength of the demon. This only
applies if you are trying for a random demon – if you know its name the
roll determines whether that creature appears. A roll of 01-05%
will usually conjure something akin to a lord of a plane whereas a roll
of 95%+ will summon something with barely enough power to blow
out a candle. That is the nature of random summoning.
Binding
Demons can be bound into objects, people or simply bound to tasks. A pentacle
of binding greatly enhances the chance of success and it facilitates the
conjunction of item and demon. The effects of binding a demon to an object
are largely dependent on the object type, the demon type and the strength
of the demon itself. Binding is permanent and cannot be dispelled!
The only way to release a demon bound to an object is to destroy the object
or kill the person it is bound to. In the case of a demon bound to a quest
or service the demon disappears when the task is complete (or again when
it is destroyed).
There are exceptions to the rules above. In the case of a demon bound into
an object it is possible (though highly unlikely) that a demon is so powerful
that he will choose to break the binding from, for example, a sword and
return to the Abyss.
It is also possible to enter a verbal agreement with a demon if you can’t
bind it or coerce it to your ends. These pacts are fraught with danger
and is, in essence, a gentleman’s agreement where both parties
are in stalemate but don’t want to back down. It has some substance because
if it breaks the agreement then you can dispel it instantly, whereas if
the caster violates the agreement the demon can attack the caster before
the Universe sends it packing…all attacks are against the caster’s soul!
There are
666 planes of the Abyss and a seemingly endless variety of creatures that
dwell within. Some planes are more powerful than others (The Plane of
Desolation, the Plane of Death etc…) and, like Grayhawk, these planes
have rulers and nobles and kings all vying for power and position. It
is a political melting pot with few boundaries. Certain demons will gain
ascendancy or reputation from time to time and will try to exert that
influence on other planes and creatures. The more territory they possess
the greater they become.
All demons share a common lust. They want souls…it is their lifeblood and
they become powerful by consuming them. Grayhawk is the Prime Material
plane and contains the purest, most powerful souls in the universe…it
is the paradise all demon lords want a piece of! In most cases it serves
a demon well to be summoned to this paradise for they know the power they
can steal on Grayhawk will serve them well in the Abyss. The Universe
places strict Laws on the summoning of demons for obvious reasons – with
666 planes to roam around in these creatures can be more deadly than a
god – thus Nature has made it very hard to summon and keep demons on Grayhawk.
Demonologists are always pushing the boundaries of these laws and are,
usually, in direct conflict with Her. The most potent weapon a demonologist
has is the ability to bind a demon to an object or a being. It neatly
side-steps a Law of Nature that forbids the prolonged existence of such
creatures – demons can have a profound effect on the balance of power
(think Loramas).
Casting Time 4 segments
Range 6”
Duration 1 rnd per
level of caster
Area of Effect 1 to
4 creatures (within a 10’ diameter circle)
This spell causes an invisible constrictor
snake to entwine itself around the victim (s) and literally squeeze the
life out of them! A save vs magic is required, if successful the target
receives no damage. If unsuccessful the victim receives 1d6 damage
per level.