Characters over an infernal barrel

[Lackofname]

I am not quite sure how to exactly handle a situation in an upcoming game. It could be very cut and dry, but it has the potential to be more interesting, and I want to inject a possible social challenge.

The campaign involves the PCs stuck inside a big underground dungeon that's been sucked into a hostile plane. They start the game with 0 equipment, wake up in a room in their skivvies. So at first they are going to scavenge any weapons they can--table leg clubs, broken glass shards, etc. Soon they will stumble across the abandoned living quarters of some well stocked arcane researchers. The arcanists have a summoning circle that connects them to some devils, that they basically use like a shop. A little blood, a little incantation, and boom a merchant in your kitchen.

The PCs are in desperate need of equipment and have no money. The sales-devil is not going to look this gift in the mouth.

What should the salesfiend charge for any purchases?

The obvious answer is "a deal/favor", but given they're stuck in the dungeon that's stuck in another plane, and all (or nearly all) the arcanists are dead/transformed/insane, it limits what the fiend can ask for.

Edit: The campaign is limited to a single dungeon crawl, so anything that involves doing something Outside the dungeon will not work.

A loaner (with a steep interest rate)? Or they disappear if not paid for in x hours? Simply on credit? I'm thinking of limiting it to a certain amount--well below the amount to outfit everyone, making them decide who would get armor, etc.

Also, the characters have a decent amount of diplomacy/bluff/intimidate among them, so if they try to haggle for a better deal, I want to give them the chance. But what is the improved offer the salesdevil might grant?

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Have the devil propose either some costly option like "we give you items now as you stand stark naked in feont of us, but in exchange we'll take all your belonging at a later date so you're stark naked again and humble in feont of Zariel". And have them worry when the devil don't collect their debt... Giving a little equipment now won't imbalance the game but at a later point it will be useful to you as the GM as a way to make them start a new adventure "you were holding a powerul artefact? Time to go to Hell to retrieve it..." or to repair a mistake you could do in the future by giving them an imbalancing magic item.

The other choice should be innocuous and vastly preferable. So the players should be tempted to jump on the occasion. But it should have dire consequences to an NPC later as a reminder that dealing with demons is often dangerous and yet they had a choice to make some personal sacrifice to avoid this choice...

 

[Lackofname]

I don'The campaign is basically just a dungeon crawl in hostile environment, so I don't plan for it to go beyond that. Nor have too many friendly NPCs.

That said, hmm. It does give me the idea of

The hard sell: Future purchases are at a 25% markup and selling is at a 25% discount

The lighter option: The PCs must find, secure, and escort a warlock to the salesfiend. The warlock after all is stuck in the compound, still alive (according to their ledgers) and he has debts. If the PCs fail to acquire him, there will be Consequences (Of which I don't know yet.)

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I do like the idea of 'We give you what you need now, and sometime down the road, we'll just come take back what you have'. And then the PCs never knowing when that day is going to come

 

[aco175]

What is the angle of the devil? He could be working on behalf of his lord and wants to collect souls. This means that he will angle that way and want them to sign the contract, so to speak. He could want to move up in the devil food chain and wants his lord eliminated and sees the PCs as a means without himself getting involved and providing an alibi.

I know my party hats adventures where their free-will is taken away, like the "Start a campaign in prison", or "Wash up on a deserted island". If the PCs surrender and are taken prisoner, then ok, but to force it is a whole different problem. The answer is to give the PCs back their equipment as soon as possible. A cool idea is to have the PCs fight another group of NPCs that has equipment with the PCs having sticks and such. Maybe a few levels lower NPCs so the lower AC and such of the PCs is offset. Then, the devil can choose which group is worthy of furthering his plans.

 

[MarkB]

One soul, payable within 24 hours, no preference as to whose. The fiend will supply them with a primed soul jar, which will suck in the nearest humanoid soul within a 60 foot radius under any of the following circumstances:

1. A character speaks the command word.
2. 24 hours passes.
3. There is no longer at least one party member within 10 feet of the jar.

Once activated and filled, the jar will teleport back to the salesfiend.

 

[Lackofname]

I know my party hats adventures where their free-will is taken away, like the "Start a campaign in prison", or "Wash up on a deserted island". If the PCs surrender and are taken prisoner, then ok, but to force it is a whole different problem.

The players know they're signing up to it. I made it clear at character creation.

Also the devil isn't using the PCs to kill his lord because again, the PCs aren't leaving the dungeon. It is a very contained, specific campaign with the goal of "return the dungeon to the material plane" and "solve the mystery of your identity". From an out of game POV, the devil is there to give them the opportunity sell loot and buy magical items. I'm only trying to add spice to that arrangement.

 

[GMMichael]

The campaign involves the PCs stuck inside a big underground dungeon that's been sucked into a hostile plane.

So all bets are off. Got it.

Also, the characters have a decent amount of diplomacy/bluff/intimidate among them, so if they try to haggle for a better deal, I want to give them the chance. But what is the improved offer the salesdevil might grant?

That smells like D&D to me. Which means the PCs do have a currency to spend: hit points.

The Merchant-Devil (isn't that redundant?) extracts a "vial" of blood for each hit point. Want better stuff? Give up more HP.

Negotiation: if the PCs want better prices, they have to give the MD stories from their lives outside the infernal planes - an experience the devil can't easily get and therefore values. Let the character development ensue!

 

[Lackofname]

So all bets are off. Got it.


That smells like D&D to me. Which means the PCs do have a currency to spend: hit points.

The Merchant-Devil (isn't that redundant?) extracts a "vial" of blood for each hit point. Want better stuff? Give up more HP.

What's the downside for the PCs here? The salesfiend is in a relatively safe area, so they'll just rest and heal up. Is it the blood to be used in rituals against them for whatever reason? Because, while that's not a bad idea, the "for what purpose" is again limited; congrats, you have power over a monkey in a cage, basically.

Negotiation: if the PCs want better prices, they have to give the MD stories from their lives outside the infernal planes - an experience the devil can't easily get and therefore values. Let the character development ensue!

Great idea, but part of the mystery is that the characters have amnesia (actually, they're clones that accidentally woke up), so they have no memories to give.

 

[GMMichael]

What's the downside for the PCs here? The salesfiend is in a relatively safe area, so they'll just rest and heal up. Is it the blood to be used in rituals against them for whatever reason? Because, while that's not a bad idea, the "for what purpose" is again limited; congrats, you have power over a monkey in a cage, basically.

What's the downside? Of losing HPs? I guess I didn't consider a dungeon in a hostile plane to be a safe area, particularly when dealing with some devils.

Great idea, but part of the mystery is that the characters have amnesia (actually, they're clones that accidentally woke up), so they have no memories to give.

Oh. Whoops. Missed that part. Maybe it's more significant if they think they're real, but later realize they're just clones? Ala Blade Runner.