How Devils Get Ahead In The World

[Byrons_Ghost]

I remember the basic D&D write-up of imps stated they needed seven souls in order to become a full demon/devil (pretty much the same thing under that system).

I figure it this way: if the imp is constantly trying to get it's master's soul, no one would get them as familiars. So you use the familiar bond as an excuse to come to the Prime, and then go after other people's souls. If you get in trouble, you rely on your master and is clueless do-gooder friends to protect you. And, if you do it right, that seventh soul you take is your wizard friend's.

 

[RigaMortus]

I thought a familiar's alignment changes to the same alignment as their master's? Or do you have to be Evil to get an Imp as a familiar in the first place?

 

[Gizzard]

I figure it this way: if the imp is constantly trying to get it's master's soul, no one would get them as familiars. So you use the familiar bond as an excuse to come to the Prime, and then go after other people's souls.

Well, thats true if the familiar were constantly trying to jack you to snatch your soul. ("Hey master, over here, under this precariously balanced boulder! I think I see a treasure!") But I kinda imagined that your soul is already spoken for if you have an evil familiar (ie, there is some evil Diety waiting for you) and its just the Imps job to scoop you up when your time comes. He's in no real hurry, he has eternity to work out his plans.

Of course, if he saw an opportunity, then he'd probably take it, being Evil and all.

I'm pretty sure I have read something about devils (well, specifically baatezu) advancing in rank.

I think the BoVD mentions that the current Lord of the First Circle used to be a Pit Fiend.

 

[LuYangShih]

IIRC, Orcus was a Human Necromancer that became a larvae and eventually advanced all the way to his current form.

 

[Naar]

As far as I know, Gelugons that have proved worthy are tormented for 1001 days in a pit of flames. Those that survive become Pit Fiends. I've no idea how you get to be a Gelugon in the first place, though.

 

[Eternalknight]

As far as I know, Gelugons that have proved worthy are tormented for 1001 days in a pit of flames. Those that survive become Pit Fiends. I've no idea how you get to be a Gelugon in the first place, though.

Welcome to the boards. Another Lone Wolf fan?

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

But I kinda imagined that your soul is already spoken for if you have an evil familiar (ie, there is some evil Diety waiting for you) and its just the Imps job to scoop you up when your time comes. He's in no real hurry, he has eternity to work out his plans.

Matter of perspective, really. Sure, I figure the mage is probably going to hell no matter what- not for having an imp familiar, mind you, but just because they're probably doing other, worse things (or is this familiar profiling we're engaging in here?)

But hey, why should the imp harvest his wizard's soul for someone else after he's spent all this time cultivating the guy? If there's one thing about evil, it hates working together...

 

[Quinn]

Vague memories of pits of flames, years upon years of torment, this, that and the other thing.....

But did I hear you correctly? You're trying to convince your DM that you can advance your imp familiar into a pit fiend? Oh hell, that's funny! Well, unless you're at epic levels, I don't think your DM's going to allow it. But assuming he does everything that I recall makes me think that it isn't an overnight process. We're talking centuries here.

 

[Naar]

Ah, someone got the reference for once. Yep, I was/am a big Lone Wolf fan, but it's also a reference to Starsky & Hutch - the producer's name was Joseph Naar.

The bit about the 1001 days was mentioned in Icewind Dale II and I also saw it somewhere else recently, but I can't quite remember where.

 

[DanMcS]

The first planescape MC had progression in the description of the baatezu. It was vague, something like "if the X devil does a good job, he gets to go be tortured for Y days, and then he advances." Don't have the book handy, sorry.