My players rolled the entanglement of a Demon offering a Deal. I don’t think what I provided was very good: the crew was tasked with bringing him the eponymous flame from their rivals the Circle of Flame. I don’t really know what that means yet, but they definitely don’t mind stealing something cool from their rival faction.
What are some good ideas of interesting and problematic deals a powerful demon may ask from/offer the lowly PC crew?
Players are creeped out by very, very specific instructions that do not make clear sense. Like, get a lock of a certain baby’s hair at the stroke of midnight on this date, wrap it in this cloth, and bring it immediately to this location. They get a brusque thank you, and they don’t know what they’ve done or why it matters.
Or, instructions to go into a sacred space and swap two holy symbols that face each other in a dead end hallway. That’s all.
Steal a book. Deliver a short cryptic message to a beggar. Go to a certain gate, and tell the gatekeeper the payment is due.
If you want to escalate it on the spot, then have terrified people try to kill them. Or something force its way out right then (ideally to smooth its robes, smile at them with an appreciative nod, and promise a favor in the future. Or, rampaging killing spree. Either or.)
Later, you have that as a hook. If you have something random happen and need to explain it, connect it to this event. If the players research to find out more, make up another piece of the puzzle. Let it emerge, like a splinter pushed from the body of the players’ fevered paranoid imaginations. Or, leave it forever mysterious.
I feel the trick is to mix the understated menace of organized crime presiding over deep corruption, with the whimsey and fairy tale rules of the fey. Add in a dash of greasy sweat for those who know they are living on borrowed time on deals they regret. Then set a collision course between people getting what’s coming to them, and the understanding that no one is capable of doing ANYTHING to deserve what’s on the way.
Over all, sometimes it is best to deny players the relief of an explanation.
Just great!
More fun ideas!
A demon wants to borrow your body for one day, and promises to conceal your identity during that time. You will not remember what happened. If the character TRIES to remember, put in a clock, and let the memories trickle in. (Don’t decide what happened, just make up random stuff for the first few details, and let the group paranoia flavor what happened.)
Knife someone insignificant, and through peculiar luck, gain +1 coin every down time until you refuse a gift. Also gain 1 point of enemy every down time. (The money gets steadily dirtier and bloodier. And more surreal.)
Accept a Mark, like a brand or tattoo. Even if it is covered, weird and unwholesome people offer great respect, and begin to slowly build a cult around the one bearing the Mark. Who also begins to have unpleasant dreams.
Keep a man busy and away from his wife for six hours.
Plead guilty to a minor crime, understanding that other allies will prevent any consequences as far as torture, jail, or execution. But details and involved parties from the crime keep popping up, and there are unanswered questions about who you were really protecting and why.
Sub
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