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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cheiromancer" data-source="post: 2529827" data-attributes="member: 141">I had Mongoose's demonology book, but I didn't like it.  It was not one of the few that I took with me when I moved.If you wish to make demonology a temptation, try using incantations; I don't recall the details, but a rough idea is that they have to have the text of the ritual, and then they have to make a number of skill checks of a particular DC; they keep making the rolls until either they succeed the required number of times, or until they fail too many times in a row.  People don't have to invest a precious feat slot, they just have to have an appropriate grimoire.There are two sets of DCs.  The ones the PCs know about, and the ones that the DM knows about (or makes up later!).  If the PCs make the one set, they think they are successful; but if they failed the other set, then there will be hell to pay at some later time....  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />In other words, if the demons are satisfied with a low initial payment, that's because it is only the first installment.  Later on, the PCs get stuck with a hefty bill, with interest, and with grave consequences for failing to pay.It allows the difficult question of balance to be finessed.  If the rituals are imbalancing, trot out the "payment due."  If not, then don't. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  The payment due is a great adventure seed.  Either the motive for why someone is perpetrating villainy, or something for a PC dabbler to address.If you do make it a feat, make it give a hefty bonus (maybe +4 to skill checks with incantations, +1 to save DCs in one school, and a +1 caster level bonus- i.e a triple feat) along with a penalty to normal spellcasting.  It should be addictive, and just a little too good to be true.  I think a good penalty would mean that your ability score is "capped" for the purposes of determining bonus spells and the highest level spells you can cast.  That makes it tempting to low level spellcasters and those with relatively low spellcasting stats.  They won't worry about never being able to cast high level spells; they want power now!  There might be hidden penalties too.  Dunno.Short term gain, long term pain.  I think the most common type of incantation would be the "influence people" one.  Basically a charm monster against a specified target (who need not be present, but who perhaps has to accept a trigger item, or drink something that the caster has added a drop of his own blood to, or something).  It would be the generic love spell/get a promotion spell.  Win friends and influence people.  A tie for most common would be a wealth seeking incantation.  Find treasure, get an inheritance, win the lottery.... something like that.  Inheritance is good; it means someone dies.   <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" />   Arranging for a person to be offered a bribe or hush money would also be a good (by "good" I mean "evil") way for demons to give that person money.</blockquote>

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