What happens next in the abyss?

[Farland]

I am still operating on something that is a hold-over from old editions: that when an outsider is slain on the material plane, they go back to their homeplane and can regain power there and eventually come back.

So here is the scenario: The PCs have just slain a powerful demon lord on the material, and through ample use of divination and other spells, they have tracked him to his lair on the 53rd layer of the abyss. They landed on a rock stranded in a sea of lava, and without fly or teleport, they managed to cross a 1/4 mile sea of lava using levitate and airwalk. They lashed themselves togetehr and levitated and the cleric airwalked and pushed them in front. But a chaos ship travelling over the lava spotted them and followed them to the isle where they think the demon lord ended up. They started going up a lava-surrounded causeway leading to an alien-looking black castle, but fought some demons. Beating those demons, the saw that they had been delayed long enough for the ship to cathc up to them and moor at the isle, and I ended the session informing them that they saw some beings getting off the ship. I gave no clues as to what type of beings they were. Cliffhanger, eh? Now here are my questions:

1. What would happen to a demon lord slain on the material?

2. Who or what should be getting off the ship? I am especially interested in some creative ideas for a roleplaying (non-fighting) encounter, although a fighting encounter would be cool too. The group is average 13 level.

Thanks!

 

[Pants]

1. What would happen to a demon lord slain on the material?

Your call here, but I'm particularly fond of the idea that demon lords and princes and possibly and some of the more powerful demons (Balors for example) can only be killed on their home plane or their home layer. However, killing a Demon Lord on the Prime would probably result in it being banished to its home layer for a couple hundred years or until some other drastic circumstance is met. That's how I intend to do it.

2. Who or what should be getting off the ship? I am especially interested in some creative ideas for a roleplaying (non-fighting) encounter, although a fighting encounter would be cool too. The group is average 13 level.

Thanks!

Yugoloths. Mercenaries for the Lord's wars with his enemies (other Princes/Lords, the devils, etc). The Yugoloths might also be spies sent by another Lord and might be willing to help the PC's out... if the price is right.
Night Hags. Delivering choice larval specimens for the Lord to turn into new Dretches or Manes.
A powerful Mortal who has come to the Lord demanding or requesting aid for some other matter. Perhaps the Demon Lord imprisons him and if the PC's rescue him, he could help out in their escape.
Ambassadors from other Demon Lords requesting aid in a war of some sort. Even Demons may fight together... for a short amount of time. If the PC's plan well, they might find the Demon Lord's abode less defended if he sends troops off to war.

 

[Caliber]

Make the being Yugoloths sure ... Yugoloths sent to kill the Lord since word of his banishment back home has spread about. The only problem?

They see the PCs as a potential threat to their bounty.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Yugoloths. Mercenaries for the Lord's wars with his enemies (other Princes/Lords, the devils, etc). The Yugoloths might also be spies sent by another Lord and might be willing to help the PC's out... if the price is right.

I have to second that one.

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

...
1. What would happen to a demon lord slain on the material?

2. Who or what should be getting off the ship? I am especially interested in some creative ideas for a roleplaying (non-fighting) encounter, although a fighting encounter would be cool too. The group is average 13 level.

Thanks!

This is the FUN stuff! You don't need any help! I aways appreciate campaign stories though...

I'm not surprised you haven't gotten any resonses yet, mostly beacuse the answers usually depend on a lot of campaign variables we don't know anything about -- For instance, a standard CR 20 3.5 Balor would be more than enough challenge for your typical Level 13 Party, let alone a Demon Lord!

But I'll play anyway! :

1) Based on your premise, I would say that the BBEG Demon is weakened in other ways besides not being able to return to your prime world. He probably can't utilize any form of planar travel for a while, including gating any reinforcements. If you feel the PC's will need help in defeating this guy in his lair ( he probably has minions and servants there if he is a typical high level ego-maniacal fiend ), perhaps you can plan a rival demon plotting to take advantage of his rivals current weakness...

2) They could be your BBEG's rival ( or Demons working for him ), so perhaps this does NOT have to be a combat? A hunting squad of several Hezrou/Babau - Perhaps the rival could be a Nalfeshnee ? - With a pet Jarilith ( MMII ) for good measure {CR13}. If you have the ToH Monster book from Necromancer, perhaps you can check out the Daraka or Nabasu demons - they might be fun to use - {CR11}

edit - I had to go eat dinner before I finished my post - seems I'm not the only one with the rival idea!

 

[Olive]

1. What would happen to a demon lord slain on the material?

A demon lord eh? Well, I play it that called outsiders die on the prime, not reform. But that a demon lord might be different? Are they divine? Do they grant spells? If so, then I'd say they reform when killed, perhaps trapped for a century, maybe with their followers trapped as well. I'm not sure how a 13th level party managed to kill any real demon lord, but there you go.

2. Who or what should be getting off the ship? I am especially interested in some creative ideas for a roleplaying (non-fighting) encounter, although a fighting encounter would be cool too. The group is average 13 level.

I'll add another vote for yugoloths. Theres a very good loth conversion thread in the creature catalog at the moment, basingly uping their HD in the way other fiends have had theirs done for 3.5

 

[Farland]

I thought the Demon Lord thing might throw you off, but it only occurred to me later. I don't mean a Demon Lord like Orcus or Demogorgon. HJe's really just a souped-up incubus. You would be a lord too if someone gave you the title.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

You could justify the BBEG being alive by saying that he had astrally projected to the prime, and is now getting ready to smack down those verminous mortals who dared "disrupt" him...

 

[Demogorgon]

I thought the Demon Lord thing might throw you off, but it only occurred to me later. I don't mean a Demon Lord like Orcus or Demogorgon. HJe's really just a souped-up incubus. You would be a lord too if someone gave you the title.

That's a fact, Jack!

I can show you how to get one of those titles yourself if anyone would like...

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I'd say they're emissaries of a rival demon "lord." They had been planning on discussing an alliance [until betrayal doth us part--and it usually does so quickly] against a different demon lord. However, seeing the PCs and recognizing the demon-lord's weakened state, they offer to help the PCs out (possibly disguise them as extra demons in the retinue and fight when the weapons come out into the open)...in return for possession of the fortress and the first choice of the demon "lord"'s items (or one particular item--"a small thing, the least of all rings...")

What effect the shifts in abyssal politics set in motion by the PCs will have will be entirely up to you.