Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Arch-Devil Encounters: Beliah

Unlike the more direct destruction of other fell lords, the attentions of Beliah are highly insidious, promising hope, but perhaps bringing even greater ruin.

1. The party spots a sign outside a red building promising to ‘increase one’s wealth by 1,000 gold pieces, and with great ease!’ Unsurprisingly, the cost for such training just happens to be 1,000 gold pieces. Surprisingly, the line outside the place is 6d6 people long.

2. Be healthy or else! A random party member suddenly becomes obsessed with seeing the balance of one’s vital humors as entirely a measure of morality. From now on, they must save vs. death or be compelled to help along any ill people they encounter to more quickly meet their well-deserved dooms.

3. A beautiful woman strides by, attracting the attention of any red-blooded men in the area. The one with the ‘most positive thoughts’ (the one who makes the best Charisma check) will seem to take her fancy, but she will soon teach him that ‘you must be something to be loved, otherwise you’re nothing, and thereby cannot be loved in the first place’.

4. Strange dreams haunt 2d3 of the party members, promising that all power is theirs, but they must submit to Beliah. Those who do will gain a +1 to all rolls for the next day, but also an unfortunate -6 to all rolls for the following six. In addition, if more than one party member accepts, then they must try to remove each other for ‘having negative thoughts that might hold them back’, or else suffer double the penalty.

5. We think you’re just not thinking right. A random person in the area begins to believe that every single thought they make vastly reshapes reality. As a result, they must save vs. death to not spend the next 1d6 turns thinking about trying not to think.

6. Behold: an envisioning board! The party finds such a collage of pictures and other items to view. It has a disturbing and egotistical air about it, even for such an unholy symbol of Beliah. See the Cult Plots table (in Volume II) to determine more about what its builder aims to do.

7. A group of 2d6 people wander by, chanting strange mantras about things they claim to have and yet obviously don’t (roll 1d6): [1] riches, [2] love, [3] health, [4] confidence, [5] coordination, [6] all five. Any challenge of their delusion will be met with outrage, along with the very loud re-chanting of their mantras 6d6 additional times.

8. A destitute man stumbles up ahead. Beliah will bless any who harm him further (per #4 above), for with him living under such negative circumstances, he’ll certainly deserve it!  Of course, the destitute man was once a disciple of Beliah too.

9. Tales of jewels flying upon a particular person and serfs being served for dinner circulate about a nearby town. The wise will suspect that a diabolist of Beliah is at work there.

10. Will you wish upon an inverted star? One is spotted on the horizon. Those who do so- and there is no difference who they happen to be- have a 6% chance of their wish actually coming true, a 66% chance of believing it is true whether it comes true or not, and a 100% chance of it leading to something awful.

11. Irate people, all showing signs of financial, health, romantic, and/or general distress are beating upon a door. With their firebrands and pitchforks, it would seem it’s now time for a follower of Beliah to pay!

12. Behind the latest scheme (including any of the encounter results above) is a disciple of Beliah. He or she is actually (roll 1d10): [1-3) just a huckster of Beliah, [4-5] a talented thief who follows Beliah, [6-8] a diabolist of Beliah, [9] a diabolist of Beliah with much devil blood, [10] an avatar of Beliah.


DCC RPG Conversion notes
Save vs. death= make a Will save DC 10
Charisma= Personality



Halane, Sample 4th Level Diabolist of Beliah
Align: LE
MV: 40’
AC: 7
HD: 4
Atk: 1 (dagger)
Dmg: 1d4+2
SP: Belian mysteries, turn ability, devil-blood (+2 all ability scores and saves; looks obviously devilish)
Spells prepared: [1st] Command, Protection from Evil (reverse), Burning Hands*, Charm Person*
[2nd] Augury, Hold Person, ESP*
SV: C4
Mor: 6

Possessions: Unholy symbol, dagger, fine garments, 66 gold pieces, 8 documents containing information that she can use for blackmail.


Halane, DCC Stats
Init +4
Atk dagger +4 melee (1d4+2)
AC 12
HD 4d8
MV 30’
Act 1d20
SP: Belian mysteries, turn ability, devil-blood (+2 all ability scores and saves; looks obviously devilish)
Spells known: [1st] Paralysis, Protection from Evil, Second Sight, Word of Command, Charm Person*, Flaming Hands*
[2nd] Detect Invisible*, ESP*, Levitate*, Phantasm*
Fort +4
Ref +2
Will +3
AL LE


Next week: Divinity Encounters, Enak!