D&D 5E How To Invoke The True Enmity Of A Devil

[Syntallah]

I have been playing D&D for along time (1E Blue Box, B1: In Search of the Unknown), and one of the really cool aspects of 5E is the incredible sense of nostalgia that I have felt playing it. In light of that nostalgia, I have taken steps to bring back some of those truly memorable elements from those old campaigns, and incorporate them into our first 5E campaign.

One of those elements is the mighty Deck of Many Things... [I/we had a blast with it. I found images of the cards online, and used some of my wife's scrapbooking tools to put cool backing on them, round the edges, etc. made it look like a real deck. I put them in an old wooden box, and placed it on the table. Mayhem promptly ensued..!]

Now to the crux of my post. Two of my players [gnome wild sorcerer and dwarven evocation wizard] each drew the Flames card: "A powerful devil becomes your enemy. The devil seeks your ruin and plagues your life, savoring your suffering before attempting to slay you." The problem is, my normally devious mind has drawn a near complete blank as to how to invoke this enmity. I don't want to just repeat something from the past, I want it to be truly memorable...

...and since I have two players that need some powerful sufferin', I come to the awesome ENWorld community for some much needed dastardly advice...

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

One interesting thing might to have two rival devils, competing to see who can ruin a mortal's life more. One is tormenting the gnome sorcerer and the other tormenting the dwarf wizard. Once they figure out what is going on, the party might be able to play the devils against one another, getting one to thwart the other's schemes, before a final showdown with both of them.

What do your PC's hold dear? Do they have any NPC allies, holdings, businesses, etc? Start with that, though not a straight up murder of an ally. Send threats while they are involved in time sensitive issues, forcing them to choose between saving something personal and the group's interests in the current quest.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Have them befriend a warlock. He becomes a trusted member of the party. The odd mistake here. The odd miss there. Nothing too obvious. Or a trusted npc quest-giver who doesn't give all the picture before sending them on a quest.
But then... When the time is right... Guess who the warlock's patron is?

 

[jrowland]

The Devils are Mortimer and Randolph Duke (Trading Places) who shower the two PCs with Power (magic items), Wealth (gold), Fame. The two devils then threaten to take it all away at the height of their glory, preferably when it is crucial to continue a quest or personal goal, unless they pledge their souls to the devils.

You'll have to go over the top with the PCs gaining stuff. It will have to be obvious these two PCs are getting showered with stuff, even to the exclusion of the other PCs. Obviously it can't just appear, so it has to look organic and "behind the scenes" be prompted by the devil's agents. The favoritism and the lack of Devilish intervention will spawn all sorts of paranoia. The time to take away the punch bowl is when they PCs expect/rely on it.

Devils don't try to destroy a PC like Demons do. They try to corrupt them. So find a way to corrupt them away from their ideal/bond with these gifts. It's a long game, this enmity...so take your time.


Another tack (I've used for the Deck myself, actually, back in 2e days):

An imp appears with a scroll, reading the terms of the card:

"1) Devil will be granted an immediate upgrade to higher diabolic rank if the drawer of the card is corrupted to evil, pledges soul to devil, or is destroyed by the devil or its agents frustrating the aims of good.
2) Tearing the card will transport drawer of the card to the Devil's location in hell at any time.
3) While tips are not required, the imp delivering this message, (me), makes minimum wage and tips go a long way to making ends meet. Thank you."

 

[Syntallah]

Game is tonight...

The gnome sorcerer is going to receive a small chest with Boots of Levitation and a Wand of the Warmage +1 in it. Along with a note that says "kill the dwarf wizard and these gifts are yours to keep".

Knowing the player involved, I don't think it will come to pass, but it will make both players very nervous... which is the point... hahahahahaha