alurlMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited March 2013
I haven't had a chance to do that particular foundry quest "Search for Raaven", but the citizens of Neverwinter do or have collaborated unknowingly with a Succubus. It makes me wonder if this is another attempt like the other foundry quest I did that tried to depict Regis. These types of quest really have to do the character justice to receive a positive review from myself and in most cases, don't.
That thing with demon wings is a succubus. She used to be an angel whose one touch would fulfil your desires but now her one touch will have all your desires be unfulfilled and make you her thrall.
I was just told, Succubus are the earthly present of the devil himself?
I was just told, Succubus are the earthly present of the devil himself?
Asmodeus was the archangel and these were very gentle and faithful angels very devoted to gods. As Asmodeus was archangel, they were told that word from Asmodeus was the word from deities themselves (Asmodeus was made archangel to fight the war).
Asmodeus brainwashed them and told them of paradise and asked them to help him achieve it. When Asmodeus thus fell - the angels of love also fell.
Earlier they used to do matchmaking, spread love and stuff(good cherubs) but later they became such that the effect reversed. Whoever they touched instead of being happy started to feel very empty inside. Anyone who was touched would feel an overwhelming desire to do anything they asked for just for a touch of their hand. And irrespective of how much they try to get anything, that hole would always remain.
Such is the story of succubus. If you see one, better not let one touch you or you will become a willing slave without mind-control.
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surixurientMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited March 2013
Aw man, I knew I was forgetting something. I always forget to take pictures whether in games or real life. Now all those moments from the betas are lost in time.
BTW I think I remember Nixy Wickpin, she was drinking in the Moonstone Mask before beta 3 ended!
Great write-up by gill there! He has it exactly right.
But let me add more OOC background, because succubi are cool, subtle villains and I think that can get lost a little sometimes.
The succubus is really just an extension of the deep misogyny found in most fantasy writing and ancient myth. You know the old tale of:
"Beware women, they have secret powers that will destroy your free will."
They go way back in myth, so the succubus is an actual human legend and myth, right up there with the Centaur, the Cockatrice and the Faun. Real Emperors of Rome would have referred to the succubus, let's put it that way!
The other thing to note about the succubus, is that in the very first monster manual, they appeared in a rather provocative and naked pose. So uh, yeah, they got popular pretty fast in D&D. That's important to note, because D&D became rather fond of succubus after that and they have really evolved and changed since then, but the basic spirit of them remains pretty true to what they were in actual Earth myth.
So they are basically very generic fantasy, a powerful, seductive woman with bat wings that can literally kiss you goodbye.
D&D was RIDDLED with beautiful women monsters that could charm you and make you lose your mind. The succubus just happened to be the "Chaotic Evil" extension of that old fable in D&D.
Forgotten Realms really twisted Asmodeus around a little, making him a "legitimate" god (rather than just an arch-devil) and making succubus his servants (succubus were just generic demons before that, they had no allegiance to Hell at all, let alone to Asmodeus). Initially it was their KISS and not just their touch that had great power and in the old days it drained you of strength (actually your character lost a level), it didn't turn you into a mind slave.
But FR cosmology is quite messed up, and quite frankly, really muddled and that's too bad, because getting too pedantic with that cosmology can actually ruin good writing and ideas, (at least in my opinion).
So, I don't think the back story as written in FR is as important as keeping the succubus' general intent intact.
They should be seductive, eerily so and they should always be working to take over others as their slaves. They should be subtle about it though. A well-played, well-written succubus would never really openly attack (unless she had to), and wouldn't even come across as evil. She'd actually be rather charming, appear to be a real friend, give legitimate reasons why she wanted to HELP the party, not harm them.
All in the hopes of eventually enslaving the characters, eventually.
That's how she's used in stucool66's module "The Hunt for Ravus", she claims she's grateful for being rescued from her enslavement and offers to help the party with new information. That information does wind up helping the party, (I think stucool66 is being awesomely coy on this), but we all know she might turn on us. The balancing act now is how much of her help do you accept, before you are trapped into her scheme?
If you keep your players guessing with a succubus, you are doing your job well, if they resort to "she's a demon KILL HER", then it's not nearly as much fun. They should be villains your characters seem to need, and must begrudgingly accept her help, which of course, lures them deeper into her trap.
My humble ten cents on how to use the succubus effectively.
To tie this back closer to the intent of the thread, although not my "character" the succubus at the end of the Hunt for Ravus has fast become a recurring NPC for SHADOW, I can post more screens of her if you are interested.
SHADOW - A secret cabal for those who thirst for wealth and power. Check out SHADOW on YouTube!
Sooo... Succubus are worse than Tieflings. I am going to have a sleep over that, too much for my ale-suffering dwarven brain.
ps. now he is onfused with all the ale in hin brain an the birds already singing for the next straw of sunlight. Are they totally evil or are there a few you can them?
I remember back in Newewinter, yes that was before I trust my weapon into the ships wall because I thought it was a demon. This is what I do, use my weapon, there is no such magic in my realm to meld peoples mind.
However, I am here and now. Keep them coming and I will part their skulls...
p.s. I am not a dwarf of many words and not a bard either, though some people like my singing. If you see a dwarven woman in distress, what do you do? I hit first and ask questions later...
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jezathforumMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited March 2013
Thanks for the explanation ryger Good read
this is the succubus image that caused the uproar back in the late 70's
"There are two things that drive technology forward in a huge leap in this world, one is war and one is business..."-- Timothy Wade 2012
"If you wish to join a guild, that will be running a guild foundry RP campaign then come take a look at [BLOOD]"
Sooo... Succubus are worse than Tieflings. I am going to have a sleep over that, too much for my ale-suffering dwarven brain.
ps. now he is onfused with all the ale in hin brain an the birds already singing for the next straw of sunlight. Are they totally evil or are there a few you can them?
I remember back in Newewinter, yes that was before I trust my weapon into the ships wall because I thought it was a demon. This is what I do, use my weapon, there is no such magic in my realm to meld peoples mind.
However, I am here and now. Keep them coming and I will part their skulls...
p.s. I am not a dwarf of many words and not a bard either, though some people like my singing. If you see a dwarven woman in distress, what do you do? I hit first and ask questions later...
Tieflings are "touched by the planes", while Succubus is a citzen of said plane.
Got it?
0
surixurientMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited March 2013
My understanding is that a succubus is a demon and is fully evil, a tiefling is from demon(or other outsider) and human, not 1 generation but 2 generations up (so its mostly non-demon). Its alignment can be anything and has no tendency towards evil.
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jezathforumMember, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited March 2013
hmmm, I know that succubus were indeed Chaotic evil when they first came into DnD in the 70's heres an except for you..
I dont however know what they are nowadays, but originally theyu were evil creatures who will pretend to be good in order to gain a partys trust before luring them into one one of their complicated traps or plans.. Nothing good ever came from one of these being in your group
"There are two things that drive technology forward in a huge leap in this world, one is war and one is business..."-- Timothy Wade 2012
"If you wish to join a guild, that will be running a guild foundry RP campaign then come take a look at [BLOOD]"
Since the succubus got some attention, here's two more snaps of her:
Since this thread is actually about our characters, I better add two more of Balar, these are two really cool pieces added by my guildmates. SHADOW has a number of artists now, working to make our site better with cool portraits and art. More commissions are coming too!
If you like what you see with our art, check us out by clicking my sig below...
SHADOW - A secret cabal for those who thirst for wealth and power. Check out SHADOW on YouTube!
Since the succubus got some attention, here's two more snaps of her:
Since this thread is actually about our characters, I better add two more of Balar, these are two really cool pieces added by my guildmates. SHADOW has a number of artists now, working to make our site better with cool portraits and art. More commissions are coming too!
If you like what you see with our art, check us out by clicking my sig below...
Last pic is very cute!
My new quest Selunite Way also has a hidden succubus. She meets a bad end though. However you can take revenge if you like her seductive dance . . .
I should have taken more screenshots of a game that I will not be able to play again for for a while... yep...
IGN: Spiritdash
The wicked mind is sharp with self interest,
The honourable mind is much easier to manipulate,
A swift mind solves problems before they occur,
Accept your fate, or lie, pretend,
Death collects you in the end,
The light that reveals is the glare that blinds,
Knowledge brings power, and with power you can
grab truth by the throat and shape it as you wish,
A large enough debt turns even a friend into an enemy,
Danger is the price of wealth.
Comments
And my happiest loot of all.. the Maelstrom Cloak!
Silverblade (60 TR), Silver (60 DC), SilverShield (60 GF), SilverStorm (60 CW), Ultimate (60 GWF)
I was just told, Succubus are the earthly present of the devil himself?
Asmodeus brainwashed them and told them of paradise and asked them to help him achieve it. When Asmodeus thus fell - the angels of love also fell.
Earlier they used to do matchmaking, spread love and stuff(good cherubs) but later they became such that the effect reversed. Whoever they touched instead of being happy started to feel very empty inside. Anyone who was touched would feel an overwhelming desire to do anything they asked for just for a touch of their hand. And irrespective of how much they try to get anything, that hole would always remain.
Such is the story of succubus. If you see one, better not let one touch you or you will become a willing slave without mind-control.
BTW I think I remember Nixy Wickpin, she was drinking in the Moonstone Mask before beta 3 ended!
But let me add more OOC background, because succubi are cool, subtle villains and I think that can get lost a little sometimes.
The succubus is really just an extension of the deep misogyny found in most fantasy writing and ancient myth. You know the old tale of:
"Beware women, they have secret powers that will destroy your free will."
They go way back in myth, so the succubus is an actual human legend and myth, right up there with the Centaur, the Cockatrice and the Faun. Real Emperors of Rome would have referred to the succubus, let's put it that way!
The other thing to note about the succubus, is that in the very first monster manual, they appeared in a rather provocative and naked pose. So uh, yeah, they got popular pretty fast in D&D. That's important to note, because D&D became rather fond of succubus after that and they have really evolved and changed since then, but the basic spirit of them remains pretty true to what they were in actual Earth myth.
So they are basically very generic fantasy, a powerful, seductive woman with bat wings that can literally kiss you goodbye.
D&D was RIDDLED with beautiful women monsters that could charm you and make you lose your mind. The succubus just happened to be the "Chaotic Evil" extension of that old fable in D&D.
Forgotten Realms really twisted Asmodeus around a little, making him a "legitimate" god (rather than just an arch-devil) and making succubus his servants (succubus were just generic demons before that, they had no allegiance to Hell at all, let alone to Asmodeus). Initially it was their KISS and not just their touch that had great power and in the old days it drained you of strength (actually your character lost a level), it didn't turn you into a mind slave.
But FR cosmology is quite messed up, and quite frankly, really muddled and that's too bad, because getting too pedantic with that cosmology can actually ruin good writing and ideas, (at least in my opinion).
So, I don't think the back story as written in FR is as important as keeping the succubus' general intent intact.
They should be seductive, eerily so and they should always be working to take over others as their slaves. They should be subtle about it though. A well-played, well-written succubus would never really openly attack (unless she had to), and wouldn't even come across as evil. She'd actually be rather charming, appear to be a real friend, give legitimate reasons why she wanted to HELP the party, not harm them.
All in the hopes of eventually enslaving the characters, eventually.
That's how she's used in stucool66's module "The Hunt for Ravus", she claims she's grateful for being rescued from her enslavement and offers to help the party with new information. That information does wind up helping the party, (I think stucool66 is being awesomely coy on this), but we all know she might turn on us. The balancing act now is how much of her help do you accept, before you are trapped into her scheme?
If you keep your players guessing with a succubus, you are doing your job well, if they resort to "she's a demon KILL HER", then it's not nearly as much fun. They should be villains your characters seem to need, and must begrudgingly accept her help, which of course, lures them deeper into her trap.
My humble ten cents on how to use the succubus effectively.
To tie this back closer to the intent of the thread, although not my "character" the succubus at the end of the Hunt for Ravus has fast become a recurring NPC for SHADOW, I can post more screens of her if you are interested.
Check out SHADOW on YouTube!
ps. now he is onfused with all the ale in hin brain an the birds already singing for the next straw of sunlight. Are they totally evil or are there a few you can them?
I remember back in Newewinter, yes that was before I trust my weapon into the ships wall because I thought it was a demon. This is what I do, use my weapon, there is no such magic in my realm to meld peoples mind.
However, I am here and now. Keep them coming and I will part their skulls...
p.s. I am not a dwarf of many words and not a bard either, though some people like my singing. If you see a dwarven woman in distress, what do you do? I hit first and ask questions later...
this is the succubus image that caused the uproar back in the late 70's
"There are two things that drive technology forward in a huge leap in this world, one is war and one is business..."-- Timothy Wade 2012
"If you wish to join a guild, that will be running a guild foundry RP campaign then come take a look at [BLOOD]"
Tieflings are "touched by the planes", while Succubus is a citzen of said plane.
Got it?
I dont however know what they are nowadays, but originally theyu were evil creatures who will pretend to be good in order to gain a partys trust before luring them into one one of their complicated traps or plans.. Nothing good ever came from one of these being in your group
"There are two things that drive technology forward in a huge leap in this world, one is war and one is business..."-- Timothy Wade 2012
"If you wish to join a guild, that will be running a guild foundry RP campaign then come take a look at [BLOOD]"
Since this thread is actually about our characters, I better add two more of Balar, these are two really cool pieces added by my guildmates. SHADOW has a number of artists now, working to make our site better with cool portraits and art. More commissions are coming too!
If you like what you see with our art, check us out by clicking my sig below...
Check out SHADOW on YouTube!
Last pic is very cute!
My new quest Selunite Way also has a hidden succubus. She meets a bad end though. However you can take revenge if you like her seductive dance . . .
Great idea to hide one!
When they enhance keyword tags on Foundry missions, be sure to put the word "succubus" in, I'm sure many of us will be searching for it!
Check out SHADOW on YouTube!
I should have taken more screenshots of a game that I will not be able to play again for for a while... yep...
IGN: Spiritdash
The honourable mind is much easier to manipulate,
A swift mind solves problems before they occur,
Accept your fate, or lie, pretend,
Death collects you in the end,
The light that reveals is the glare that blinds,
Knowledge brings power, and with power you can
grab truth by the throat and shape it as you wish,
A large enough debt turns even a friend into an enemy,
Danger is the price of wealth.