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Message: <blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 365740" data-attributes="member: 96">Subtlety is the key.  Don't have a devil appear in front of your characters and say "Hey, wanna sell your soul?"  Nobody's going to fall for that.Introduce them as an NPC.  Put the players in debt to them somehow - whether it's for timely aid or what have you.  Make them like the NPC.  Then the NPC asks for a favor.It's just a little one, mind you - and don't play it up as a big deal. Make it a bit shady but - and this is important - make it justifiable.  "I need you to go steal this item - it was stolen from me, and the city guard refuse to get it back."  Something that the players would accept as justification for a little shady activity.  Make sure the details are verifiable, so if the PCs check up on it, they find out it's really true.Bascially, the trick in doing temptation right is in making the PCs want to do whatever the temptation is for.  Make them tempted to do something they already want to do...just tinge it ever more with wrongness.This works especially well when they have a Cause.  Introduce the tempter as someone willing to aid them in their cause.  If you do it right, they will trust the NPC and follow his advice.  After they're used to trusting him, then you can start bringing in the supernatural powers.  But don't present it as a "sell your soul" situation.  Have him trick the tempted into thinking there's an epic quest, power with a price - just don't mention what the price is.  Have them believing that these supernatural powers are the only way to accomplish their quest, and convince them that the heroic thing to do is to "pay any price" for their cause.In your example, the temptation might have been far more effective if the bullet had been aimed at someone else.  Especially if the demon described in detail what effect the death would have on the future.  "That little girl is the next Jonas Salk, you know.  When she grows up, she'll discover a cure for Alzheimer's.  Of course, I'm sure someone else discover the cure eventually...but you could prevent it by doing one simple thing.  It's not even an evil thing, I just need someone to..." and then present something that the Euthanatos would consider doing anyway.  Like, say, returning a particular low-life to the Great Wheel of Transmigrations instead of turning him loose*.  I think that would make it a lot more effective.J* - the person was going to go through a conversion experience and repent all their sins, saving their soul and turning them into a force for good.  But the Euthanatos doesn't need to know that.</blockquote>

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