Summoning Daemons[]
This is concerned only with summoning daemonic aid on a short term basis. Summoning a Daemon is fraught with great difficulties, as most Daemons have no wish to serve a mere mortal.
All summoning spells have to be prepared carefully or else the Daemonologist runs the risk of being attacked or even killed by the creature that answers the summons.
First, the Daemonologist must attempt to discover the name of the daemon to be summoned. This may be done by a number of means - researching into ancient stores of daemonic lore, being given a name by another Daemonologist, learning a name from another Daemon. Failure to discover the name of a Daemon does not prevent the character from attempting to summon one - it just makes it more risky.
Next, the Daemonologist must prepare a pentagram, taking great care while inscribing it on the floor - any mistake could have severe repercussions. Casting and maintaining other spells is impossible while drawing a pentagram. The pentagram will be destroyed when any of the following conditions are met: the Daemonologist casts any spell other than a daemonic Summon or Dispel; the Daemonologist is wounded before the summoning takes place; any other creature moves into the pentagram; any spell is successfully cast against the Daemonologist; the Daemonologist leaves the pentagram.
To determine whether or not the pentagram has been successfully inscribed, the gamesmaster should make a secret test against the character's Int - failure means the Daemonologist has a smaller chance of controlling the summoned Daemon. The magic point cost of preparing the pentagram is the same as that of the spell.
Once the Daemon appears, the caster must attempt to control it by making a test against WP. Success results in the Daemon being willing to serve the caster for a short period (usually equal to 1 hour per level of the caster). If the test was failed by 30 or more points, the daemon will either attack or enslave the summoner (in the latter case, the gamesmaster should take over control of a player character Daemonologist).
| Modifications to Control Test (WP) | |
|---|---|
| Incomplete Pentagram | -50% |
| Daemon's true name is not known | -25% |
| Creature summoned is a: | |
| Greater Daemon | -50% |
| Lesser Daemon | -25% |
| Daemonic Servant | 0% |
Daemonic Bargains[]
All Daemons - even those successfully controlled by the caster - will refuse to offer aid without gaining something in return. This is never wealth; Daemons are more concerned with gaining souls. This usually means that characters who summon a Daemon become bound to the Daemon's ruling deity in some way. The bonds vary from deity to deity, but all involve a steady transmutation of characters' minds and bodies to a point where they belong body and soul to the deity (at this point Daemonologist PCs are taken out of play and become NPCs under the gamesmaster's control). This degeneration is reflected in the acquisition of both Disabilities and Insanity Points.
Each initial summoning of a Daemon by a character causes the permanent loss of 1 point of T. Daemonologists can parially offset their declining T by resorting to certain exotic drugs. A Daemonologist whose T falls to zero becomes an NPC from that point on; the character is so dependent on its daemonic mentors that it is totally enslaved to their will.
Successive Summonings[]
Once a bargain has been struck with a Daemon, it can easily be resummoned. Successive summonings do not require a pentagram or cause a loss in T, but the caster must still attempt to control the Daemon. Failure results in the Daemon acting as it wishes - the GM may either choose or roll on the following table as desired.
| Dice Roll | Daemon's Actions |
|---|---|
| 01-05 | Does nothing |
| 16-23 | Attacks nearest enemy of the summoner |
| 24-41 | Attacks nearest character/creature |
| 42-59 | Attacks nearest friend of the summoner |
| 60-77 | Attacks summoner |
| 78-95 | Runs amok for 1-6 hours |
| 96-00 | Returns instantly to its own plane |
Summoning Power[]
Certain daemonic spells enable the caster to conjure up forces which can be used to augment the Daemonologist's magic points. These forces differ from actual Daemons, in that they are not intelligent entities, but their use still entails a degree of risk, as there is a high chance that the Daemonologist will later be greatly weakened. Moreover, merely learning one of these spells results in the acquisition of a new Disability and each casting gives the Daemonologist 1 Insanity Point.
Whenever one of these spells is cast, the Daemonologist must make a WP test or be unable to absorb the magical energies.
Binding And Dispelling Daemons[]
These spells have similar effects: a Binding spell prevents a Daemon from moving or using any of its abilities, and Dispelling magic sends a Daemon back to its home plane. Both spells allow the Daemonologist a measure of defence against uncontrolled and/or antagonistic daemons.
A Wizard can still cast Dispel Lesser Daemon, Dispel Daemon Horde, Dispel Greater Daemon, or Dispel Daemonic Presence to banish daemonic creatures from the battlefield without using a pentagram, but these spells are more effective when cast from within a pentagram.
Even if a pentagram is destroyed, there is no risk to a wizard from destruction when he is attempting to dispel daemonic creatures.
When any type of daemonic Dispel is cast from within the confines of a pentagram, the Daemons or Daemonic Servants that are the target of the spell are automatically dispelled. They are not allowed any Magic test, even though the spell description may indicate otherwise.