D&D 5E Death in the Abyss

[Grymar]

So... let's say that the players do not realize that they have stumbled into the Abyss. What they think of the wastelands of their world is actually a Dark Sun-like level of the Abyss that is slowly growing into/over/consuming the world they know and love. I'm starting to drop hints about this fact and one of the things I want to demonstrate is how death is handled - -but I need some ideas!

When an NPC dies what should happen? Do devils quickly arrive to harvest the soul? Does the soul visibly rip free of the body to try and fly upwards only to be dragged back down? Does the body crumble to ash?

 

[neogod22]

So... let's say that the players do not realize that they have stumbled into the Abyss. What they think of the wastelands of their world is actually a Dark Sun-like level of the Abyss that is slowly growing into/over/consuming the world they know and love. I'm starting to drop hints about this fact and one of the things I want to demonstrate is how death is handled - -but I need some ideas!

When an NPC dies what should happen? Do devils quickly arrive to harvest the soul? Does the soul visibly rip free of the body to try and fly upwards only to be dragged back down? Does the body crumble to ash?

Is this Hell, or the Abyss? Demons live in the Abyss, Devils live in Hell. Can a powerful demon or devil capture the player's soul if they die? Possibly, but if you allow that, then that presents a problem. That would mean that spells that bring people to life will not work.

So normally the answer is no. They can't forcefully take someone's soul unless of course the person who dies is already evil and of the appropriate alignment (LE for Hell, CE for the Abyss), which is why they try and corrupt people, or make deals. But of the PCs have managed to stumble into the Abyss, you should read the DMG on that and implement the WIS save every time they start the day to see of the plane effects them.

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[UnknownDyson]

If this is the actual abyss, If the player's die there then either their souls are consumed and used as fuel by some demonic creature or the abyss would reconstitute them as demons (this is obviously the better option for the players).

Most likely they would come back as dretches. So you would have to bring them way down in terms of power and intellect, have them fight other weak creatures in that hellscape and then maybe they could change into something equivalent to a quasit and then a shadow demon and so on until you get them to a form that you think is satisfactory for continuing your story.

Normally this process would probably take centuries but because they are the pcs you can get funky and change the campaign into a demonic version of pokemon, with them running around and fighting other demons to regain their lost strength and intellect. It is important to remember that the Abyss unlike other planes is actually alive and has malevolent intent (think of the abyss as a sentient cosmic cancer), it corrupts almost all it comes into contact with, so if you went that route you should probably give the players an indefinite form of madness.

Also, this is addressing the post above mine. Devils are the ones that require contracts to take the souls of mortals. They have a strict hierarchy and play by the rules because they are the embodiment of lawful evil. Demons don't care about any of that, and often simply eating someone is enough to devour a soul which is a very real danger in the abyss. But luckily as the DM you have control over all of that.

 

[neogod22]

If this is the actual abyss, If the player's die there then either their souls are consumed and used as fuel by some demonic creature or the abyss would reconstitute them as demons (this is obviously the better option for the players).

Most likely they would come back as dretches. So you would have to bring them way down in terms of power and intellect, have them fight other weak creatures in that hellscape and then maybe they could change into something equivalent to a quasit and then a shadow demon and so on until you get them to a form that you think is satisfactory for continuing your story.

Normally this process would probably take centuries but because they are the pcs you can get funky and change the campaign into a demonic version of pokemon, with them running around and fighting other demons to regain their lost strength and intellect. It is important to remember that the Abyss unlike other planes is actually alive and has malevolent intent (think of the abyss as a sentient cosmic cancer), it corrupts almost all it comes into contact with, so if you went that route you should probably give the players an indefinite form of madness.

Also, this is addressing the post above mine. Devils are the ones that require contracts to take the souls of mortals. They have a strict hierarchy and play by the rules because they are the embodiment of lawful evil. Demons don't care about any of that, and often simply eating someone is enough to devour a soul which is a very real danger in the abyss. But luckily as the DM you have control over all of that.

The first part is right, the second part is wrong unless they were already CE. Then they will come back as a mane in a legion of manes with no recollection of their previous life. While trying to turn the PCs into demons sounds like a cool story, it will doom them to forever be apart of the Abyss. It actually would be pretty cool if they did somehow manage to gain power and fight their wait to capturing a plane of their own, but of course then they become NPCs. That would be an interesting game.

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[MechaTarrasque]

I could see the demons (or devils) showing up to grab a soul that died in the Abyss, but I don't think they can turn the soul into a demon (or devil) unless the soul is CE (or LE). If the soul is NE, they can probably make a quick trip to a night hag to change it to a larva (and then change it into a demon or devil).

Otherwise, rescuing a soul unjustly trapped in a Lower Realm seems a very fantasy sort of thing to do. You can make it a time dependent mission if the PC's learn that a devourer (that can consume the soul) is coming by soon. It is also a good excuse for a nonevil outsider to show up and help the party (maybe even let the player whose PC died play the outsider*). Good types make a lot of sense, and I bet slaadi would be willing to help just for the chance at a good fight (the PC's should be careful in case the slaadi gets a case of the "hornies" and tries to implant a tadpole in one of the PC's).

* If you do this try to pick an outsider that is below a PC's current power level and let the player customize it by adding a class level or a feat.

 

[toucanbuzz]

When using an NPC as a plot device to illustrate the nature of the land, be consistent and have an explanation handy (if the players pry) as to why it happened to that NPC and not us.

If Chaotic Evil: soul visibly ripped from the body by abyssal shadows and dragged off (to become a mane)

Dark Deals: maybe NPC sold his/her soul to a Night Hag or other being who comes to collect

Natives: you can destroy the body but for natives the soul doesn't get to leave. The ground or air may collect the body as the soul is subjected to torturous anguish

Visitors (aka the players): Wouldn't subject them to death rules outside the norm, unless, perhaps, you wish to implement a variant like Curse of Strahd. [sblock] The campaign provides a variant to death for characters below 5th level wherein the Land offers to resurrect them with a Dark Gift, and they gain a level of indefinite madness upon being raised in any manner as this reveals to them that their soul is forever trapped in this dark realm (unless they can escape it which they don't know).[/sblock]

 

[Quickleaf]

So... let's say that the players do not realize that they have stumbled into the Abyss. What they think of the wastelands of their world is actually a Dark Sun-like level of the Abyss that is slowly growing into/over/consuming the world they know and love. I'm starting to drop hints about this fact and one of the things I want to demonstrate is how death is handled - -but I need some ideas!

When an NPC dies what should happen? Do devils demons quickly arrive to harvest the soul? Does the soul visibly rip free of the body to try and fly upwards only to be dragged back down? Does the body crumble to ash?

You could go for something subtle if you want to preserve the mystery a bit longer: Maybe the dead creature's blood hisses and black snakes emerge from it? Maybe an evil-eyed giant vulture is perched nearby or flies overhead whenever a creature dies? Maybe there is a barely perceptible moaning on the wind?

Back in AD&D, before bodaks became associated with Orcus exclusively (see Volo's Guide to Monsters), a bodak was created on certain forbidden layers of the Abyss if a good-creature died there. They had a feel somewhat like a revenant, albeit more evil.

 

[UnknownDyson]

The first part is right, the second part is wrong unless they were already CE. Then they will come back as a mane in a legion of manes with no recollection of their previous life. While trying to turn the PCs into demons sounds like a cool story, it will doom them to forever be apart of the Abyss. It actually would be pretty cool if they did somehow manage to gain power and fight their wait to capturing a plane of their own, but of course then they become NPCs. That would be an interesting game.

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I can see how you would be reluctant to do that for the purpose of story. A DM forcing his/her players into evil can turn into something nobody wants, and if that is the case, by all means it doesn't have to be done. But me personally? While the PCs are obviously the "main" characters of the story that is being told and have all the plot armor that entails, worlds that I create generally do not job to the PCs. When I say that I mean, that across multiple editions the Abyss has been shown capable of driving the large majority of creatures insane and towards chaotic evil simply by being there. We are talking everything from, mortals, to archangels, and even gods. It can make you chaotic evil regardless of player intent, it would be foolish to make the player characters exempt from this when even gods are not (imo).

However higher level characters would and should be better able to cope with the dark influences of the plane. Not saying it should be automatic, but Op didn't have specifications on party level or the period of time that they would be in the Abyssal manifest zone. ..........You could also just say that the place crosses over to the abyss but the full effects of the plane don't manifest on the material.

 

[neogod22]

I can see how you would be reluctant to do that for the purpose of story. A DM forcing his/her players into evil can turn into something nobody wants, and if that is the case, by all means it doesn't have to be done. But me personally? While the PCs are obviously the "main" characters of the story that is being told and have all the plot armor that entails, worlds that I create generally do not job to the PCs. When I say that I mean, that across multiple editions the Abyss has been shown capable of driving the large majority of creatures insane and towards chaotic evil simply by being there. We are talking everything from, mortals, to archangels, and even gods. It can make you chaotic evil regardless of player intent, it would be foolish to make the player characters exempt from this when even gods are not (imo).

However higher level characters would and should be better able to cope with the dark influences of the plane. Not saying it should be automatic, but Op didn't have specifications on party level or the period of time that they would be in the Abyssal manifest zone. ..........You could also just say that the place crosses over to the abyss but the full effects of the plane don't manifest on the material.

In the DM's guide in the section of the outer planes, there is a brief description there, and every day or every time you take a long rest, you have to make a saving throw to see of the plane changes you.
So I just looked it up, every time they finish a long rest, it's a CHA save (DC 10), anyone who fails it rolls on the Abyssal Corruption table. Then while they have the corruption, every long rest it's DC 15 to remove it, if they don't remove it in 1d4+2 days, their alignment changes to CE.

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