Urban Fantasy: On Demons, Part 3

There is more to demon-kind than tricksters and corrupter, unfortunately. Yes, the main strength of demons is their ability to lie, to cheat, to corrupt and to abuse but unfortunately this is not their only trick. Corrupter Demons are certainly the more common type but not the only type.

Lesser Demons

The category of 'Lesser Demons' is sometimes called 'Imps': while this conjure up the image of a small, winged gremlin-creature that whisper horrible things in your ear this could not be further from the truth. Yes, such little gremlins do exist but they aren't the only type of Lesser Demons. The category is one of Demons which lack a key component of their metaphysical nature, reducing them to a lesser ranking. This can include:

Chaos Imp by Tyler Jacobsob

• Spiritual Body: The Demon is so incorporeal that it can't even use Materialize properly (limited to a Rank of E or D) meaning it can only take physical form inside a realm that is spiritual, where all spirits are material in relation to each others. That mean in the mortal, material world it is limited to being a mostly powerless shade especially if it lacks the ability to possess something.
• Mind: The demon lacks full sentience. While very much insane, twisted and almost alien in their depravities Demons have full human-level intelligence if not higher. Some demons, however, are nothing but brutish spirit-monsters. They are dumb creatures whose spiritual form is that of some big, ugly clawed monsters or hulking brute. These dumb monsters tend to be Demons of raw, unfiltered aggression and destruction and are kept on a tight leash. Their only use in the material world is for 'summoned muscle'.
• Will: Some demons lack personal will, personality and ambition. Born as a 'sub-unit' of a larger, more potent demon they exist more akin to an extension of their master and creator. While they can be intelligent they lack a distinct personality or specific agenda or personal quirks in their way of inflicting torment. They are mentally unable to have any thoughts which diverge from their master.
• Might: Some demons are just really weak when it come to raw game stats. Their HD are low, their attack and damage are low and they have pretty meager effort. Even those demons who have difficulty materializing might have more raw power. These creatures are relegated to the rank of servants because just about anything else can destroy them easily. Their stat block is that of a Least Spirit. Some do have better materialization but are otherwise weak: these are your classic gremlins and devils we associate with Imps, able to take physical form but utterly weak and sniveling.

Lesser Demons may appear pathetic in some aspects but should never be underestimated. Each of them posses the same level of ingrained capacity for destruction, corruption and vile unmaking that all demons do: they simply lack the tools to accomplish it as easily.

Statting Demons and their Powers

As previously established, Demons are a type of Spirit and they share similar stats. However, in general, what is considered 'average' for a Demon is a bit higher than what is average for other Spirits. Where spirits are many and come in all size, shapes and purpose and generally do not interact with humans quite as much Demons are far less numerous and more willing and eager to interact with humans...even if it is to ruin their lives. Demons are, generally, about at the level of Common or Potent Spirit as found here.

Demons have their own, unique powers to bring havoc and corruption into the world. One key difference between Demons and other ranks of Spirits is that, usually, Spirit abilities are an extension of their function in the world. That much is true for Demons but there's a key difference: Demons posses enough self-will and a twisted sense of the 'self' which, when combine with their nature as creatures of corruption and perfection, make them disgustingly creative with how they choose to wield and develop their powers.

It is worth remembering Demons potentially have access to most, if not all the basic Spirits abilities as outlined here. In particular, Demons have their own version of 'Overwhelm Mind' and Spirit Strike, the latter of which include variations such as hellfire and using their kinds to cut open the flesh of people as if wielding razors.

Limitations of the Mantle

As previously established, Demons assume different mantles and identities to cloud their true purpose and origin. This does bring in some limitations to the demon, which would very well weaken some of its powers just as much as it could enhance some:

• There are specific Demon powers which either cannot affect someone who is opposite to the Demon's Mantle (or at least give the person a saving throw and/or a bonus to Saving Throws). For example, if a Demon walks around openly as a Demon or a Pagan deity it might find itself unable to influence someone from a Monotheistic faith if that person's faith is strong enough.
• On the other hand if the Demon is pretending to be an Angel then its powers might only work on someone who believe Angels do actually exist and that such an Angel has some form of actual divine authority. Meaning trying to influence a supernatural investigator who knows Angels exist but is not, say, a Christian will not work because he will simply treat the faux-Angel as 'just another Spirit' and not a messenger from God.
• There is also the case of powers which deliberately hurt someone of the group the Demon oppose.

Taking a moment to note down what the Demon is pretending to be and what 'cover story' it has created for itself should help narrow down who might be immune to its powers and who might be more influenced by them. However, Mantles have a very potent use and usually grant a Demon additional Effort as it passively grow more powerful from the beliefs of humans.

Sensory Abilities

Demons are preternaturally aware: after all not only they are Spirits but what they embodiment is something dark and perverse found in all of human nature. Being around humans will give a Demon (at least, those smart enough to understand such cues) a massive amount of information on the world and society around it and how to manipulate it.

• Sense Sin (Constant): The term 'sin' here is used to denote 'bad thing you do' and doesn't just limit itself to the classic Seven Deadly Sins. Demons with this ability (and most have it!) are instantly aware, when looking at someone, if they heavily resonate with that demon's specific sin. They become instantly aware if that person has a personal failing which the Demon connects to. Nothing short of special magical protection (from a spell, special ability or magic relic of some kind) can make someone immune to this kind of scanning.
• Read Thoughts: Yes, Demons can read minds and to a Spirit, thoughts and mind are but another form of sensory input. The Demon Commit Effort for the scene to use the Telepathic Contact of the Psychic class at Level 3 or higher (it depend on the Demon.

You knew this reference was coming, didn't you?

Possession and Physical Manipulation

This one is a classic: Demonic Possession. Technically its just Spirit Possession, as many other forms of Spirits can temporarily shunt their form and will inside a physical body. Demons, however, take that to a whole other level.

• Influence Mortal: Not every Demon can possess someone so this is a weaker option. The Demon Commit Effort for the Day and implant a simple suggestion (usually no longer than a single, simple sentence) which the person will feel compelled to carry out thinking it is their own. There are some limitations: If used against player characters this should obviously require a Saving Throw. Second, the Demon must put in that person's head something related to the Demon's function. Third this power is affected by Demonic Mantles and the Demon cannot influence someone who is opposed to it. So a Demon pretending to be a Biblical Demon cannot influence a Christian and one pretending to be a Jinn cannot influence a Muslim.
• Create Shell: The Demon commit Effort and animate itself a shell of filth, reshaping it into a facsimile of a human body. This fake body does not require air or food or anything like that and is quite hard to damage properly (AC of 17) but once damaged it will crumble easily (2 HD). Furthermore this body does not bleed, sweat or do anything a normal human body does and when cut only disgusting ooze (or something like that) will come out. This power is affected by Demonic Mantle and this body cannot enter any location officially sanctified by its opposing faith (so it can't enter, for example, a Church, a Mosque, a Synagogue as a demon from those beliefs...but it would also find itself unable to enter a Satanic Church as an Angel!).
• Animate Corpse: This is similar to Create Shell but it requires a corpse dead for less than 24 hours. The Demon reanimate and (temporarily) reinvigorate the body making it function as it did when alive (so it doesn't run into the problem of being made of filth if examined). The Demon will also acquire the basic knowledge of who this person was (their name, maybe their address and general demeanor in life) to at least allow some crude impersonation. The downside of this power is that the body will eventually rot after a number of days equal to 13-the number of Demon HD. As with Create Shell this power is affected by Demonic Mantle.
• Possession: The real deal and not a power that is that common in truth. Weak demons have a hard time keeping the host from fighting back while powerful demon might struggle to even fit inside a mortal without destroying it quickly. Possession is more of a plot device than a power, as player characters are generally too strong-willed to be randomly possessed by a demon and the constant battle inside the mind and flurry of saving throws make this just plain annoying. An individual possessed by a Demon have their own HD and HP but otherwise mechanically have all abilities of the Demon inside them, including limitation. When they are reduced to 0 HP by magical means not only does the host die but the demon must make a Saving Throw or be destroyed. If it pass the Saving Throw it appears next to its now-dead host. Most of them will attempt to dematerialize right after this but if supernatural measures have been taken to trap the demon it will be forced to remain there where it can be destroyed either by physical means or through rituals which will unmake it. In particular, this is one weakness of the Demonic Mantle: as much as a Demon can invoke fear and have powers over others by pretending to be a Biblical Demon, those with truly potent Faith can vaporize the sucker to oblivion with just a Bible and maybe some Holy Water.