OK, so you’ve prepared the materials, spoken the words, and summoned an extraplanar entity to do your bidding. If you were a noble it was easier, but if not, you also had to make some sacrifice.
Now comes the hard part…
In previous posts, I walked through being a sorcerer, how to memorize summonings, how grimoires work, the procedure for calling entities, and the sacrifices they might require. I incorporated pre-existing rules, cleared up their inconsistencies, and clarified (to me) the whole affair.
So you’ve summoned an entity, be it a lowly elemental or an infernal demon. That’s the easy part. Now you have to bargain with them, with your life possibly at risk. And finally, you might have the hubris to try and bind them to your will.
ELEMENTALS
Bargaining with & Commanding Elementals - According to the rules, there is no need to bargain with elementals, nor would they have the intelligence to follow complicated commands. If you just summon one without binding, an elemental is a ‘one and done’ power, similar to a spell.
Don’t forget their motivation, which I outlined in a previous post and reprint here:
Elemental motivations
1) Follow the command of their Elemental Ruler
2) Preserve their element and themselves
3) Destroy opposed elementals they encounter
4) Return home as quick as they can
One ambiguity in the rules is how much an elemental can do during its brief tenure in the Young Kingdoms. The rules state,
Once summoned the elemental is required to perform the first command the summoner utters, if it is within the elemental’s power to do so. Once the command has been performed, the elemental is free again. [5.4]
However, a ‘command’ can cover a lot of different utterances, from simple to complex. In my experience, modern players especially try to phrase character actions with as many conjunctions as they can, “I jump on the deck AND throw three daggers THEN ready my crossbow…”
How can we define a command in a way that enhances gameplay?
The answer lies with the laundry list of powers elementals come with. For example, an air elemental (sylph) can fly, make a slight breeze, move light objects, blow arrows off course, carry messages, record spoken words, allow underwater breathing, destroy a salamander and itself, or other logical uses. If we limit one command to one power, we allow sorcerers to access just enough power to make summoning worth the trouble. You can have the sylph protect you from arrows or get you the keys, but you can’t have it do both.
But what if a sorcerer needs more power for longer? Then he or she needs to bind the elemental.
Binding Elementals - Whereas summoning an elemental can be done on the fly, binding requires the sorcerer to prepare a binding object in advance. (NB: In a later post I will give suggestions for binding objects.)
Once again, the binding procedure of the original rules is somewhat muddled. Stormbringer 1E offers a POW x 3% roll, while 4E repeats this but adds a confusing reference to the newly minted Sorcery skill. Both parrot the same wonky 1D4-2 roll and various confusing percentages to determine how much POW is gained or lost.
Instead, I’d just used the Sorcery skill and the POW gain rule I proposed to go along with it (https://tomboftedankhamen.blogspot.com/2022/09/stormbringer-redux-15-part-one.html)
Sorcery Roll Effect
Critical success (ie 1/10 of chance) Gain 1 POW
Normal success or failure No change in POW
Fumble (ie roll of 99-00) Lose 1 POW
Just as summoned Elementals can only reliably be commanded to do one thing at a time, bound Elementals also easily get confused with multiple commands. Sorcerers should only give one command (ie invoke one power) per round. If they do more, there is a cumulative of sorcerer POW x 5% minus x1% per extra command made. For instance, if you direct your fire elemental to act as a light source, no problem. If you then command it to heat your foe’s sword and immobilize an opponent’s earth elemental, there is a POW x5-2 = 3% of it getting confused and doing nothing that round.
THE 2 TYPES OF BINDING (OPTIONAL)
I know that Stormbringer binding, both in the game and appearing in Moorcock’s fiction, usually depicts entities trapped inside objects. However, the fiction also has demons staying freely for some time, such as the one guarding Urish’s horde. The rules also reflect this ambiguity by allowing Guardians to stick around for some time.
Just as I split Summoning into two types (Short / and Long / New), we can categorize binding into two types - active vs passive. Any sorcerer must declare which type of binding they will do in advance.
Active - the elemental or demon resides in the object, waiting to be called on. If you need the entity to move around freely, this is what you want. This also gives the entity more chance to harm the sorcerer, so is generally avoided.
Passive - the elemental or demon merges with the object, and takes its shape. If you want the entity close to you and to gain benefits from the object it is in (ie protection from magic armor, increased psychic power range from a magic mirror), this is what you need.
NB: I will explain more in a later post on Binding Objects.
But what if mere Elementals won’t cut the mustard? Then the aspiring sorcerer needs to bump it up a notch and try their hand at summoning demons.
DEMONS
Bargaining with & Commanding Demons - Although elementals can be extremely useful, sometimes you need something more powerful and specialized. Summoning Demons is inherently risky, but any sorcerer worth the name will eventually attempt it.
Note this refers to Lesser Demons, not brute demons (humans devolved by Chaos), which can neither be summoned nor bound. For these, you must travel to a hellplane or open a gate to one, then bargain with them as with any NPC.
First, you must prepare for the summoning - get the herbs, sacrifices if they are required, and draw the Octagon of Chaos to prevent the fiend from instantly attacking you. Next, the GM secretly determines their attitude, which I reprint here (with corrections):
Demon Attitude Towards Summoning
(roll 2d6, keep the result secret from the players, but allow it to come out in play)
2-3 Hostile: The fiend swears to destroy the PC and his lineage, and will never stop trying to enact vengeance. Expect its supernatural allies to hound the summoner hereafter.
4-6 Displeased: The fiend is angered, and will require negotiating at a loss to become reluctantly cooperative. Not to be trusted, refuses to promise not to harm the summoner.
7-9 Negotiating: The fiend offers to cooperate for a limited time or set of circumstances, but will become enraged if this promise is not kept.
10-11 Cooperative: The fiend is happy to sow chaos for a time, on the condition it gets to do what it wants, which is usually destroying any mortal it desires, including the PC’s friends.
12 Pleased: The fiend has wanted to come play among mortals for some time. It thanks the PC for the chance.
Also, to help the GM roleplay the demon, never forget demon motivation, which I outlined previously and reprint here:
In general, demons want the following:
1) Freedom first and foremost
2) Revenge on their summoner
3) To sow chaos in a way suited to their nature
4) Obey their Chaos Lord if they must
If the sorcerer is doing a one off summoning, he will need to negotiate with the demon for his safety, and also for the request to be fulfilled. Remember that, according to the rules, demons with INT of 5 or lower cannot be bargained with. If you are unlucky enough to meet one of these, best to bind it or send it back whence it came. Even if you do send it home, roll a Luck roll (POW x 3%) or the demon will start hunting you for vengeance.
As I proposed in a previous post, forget the rulebook’s clunky mechanic for negotiating with demons, just use a Persuade roll with the following modifiers.
Modifiers to Demon Persuasion Roll
Stupid, insulting, or grossly unfair proposal = 1/10 Persuade skill
Unsatisfactory or minimally fair plan = ½ Persuade skill
Reasonable in meeting demon’s demands = normal Persuade roll
Plan favours the demon = +10% to Persuade skill
Great roleplaying = + 10% persuade skill
The results of the sorcerer’s Persuade roll affect the Demon as follows:
Persuade Roll Effect
Critical The Demon’s attitude improves by one level, and it agrees to the offer
Success The demon agrees to the offer
Failure The demon demands a greater sacrifice of some sort
Fumble The Demon’s attitude lowers by one level, and it demands
a greater sacrifice of some sort
Even if a bargain can be made, the sorcerer must be wary of malicious compliance. This is exacerbated by the INT of the Demon as follows.
Demon INT Description
3-8 Not smart, follows simple commands, easily tricked
9-12 Same as average human
13-15 Intelligent by human standards, can make rational judgments
16-18 Human genius, equal to the sorcerer in most cases
19-24 More than human, can outwit the sorcerer easily
Begging for Demon Mercy
And what if the plans go awry, or the demon manages to put the PC at its mercy? In this case it is time to beg for your life or soul. Once again, the Persuade skill already exists, so use that instead, but modify it based on the Demon Motivation previously rolled:
2-3 Hostile = 1/10 Persuade skill
4-6 Displeased = ½ Persuade skill
7-9 Negotiating = normal Persuade roll
9-10 Cooperative = +10% to Persuade skill
11-12 Pleased = +20% to Persuade skill
Note the PC can increase their chances of success by one level by offering a sacrifice to the demon, as below:
Agree to take a roll on the Wounds table
Offer the demon to take its allies instead
Promise their soul to the demon
WHY BOTHER BINDING?
Merely summoning an entity is a ‘one and done’ activity. The demon or elemental appears, you make a deal, they do what you ask then POOF they are gone. They may try to enact revenge or be uncooperative or mischievous depending on their attitude or your rolls, but generally it is the safer thing to do. It also costs less in materials and preparation.
Binding an entity puts it on tap, but at the constant risk of betrayal. If you are of high status and doing the elemental or demon lord’s bidding, you should have little to worry about. But just as Elric was undone by the greater demon Stormbringer, bound lesser demons can be just as dangerous to their wielder. Binding also costs much more in materials and preparation.
DEMON BINDING
Binding Demons - If you can’t be bothered to bargain with a demon, or would rather have them more (relatively) safely imprisoned in an object, then binding is your choice. This does not mean that the demon is docile or harmless, just that it does not have free range of movement. Depending on its attitude and intelligence, it may still try to impede, sabotage, or even kill the sorcerer.
As the rules state, to bind a demon, the sorcerer must win a POW vs POW struggle. Remember, demon POW is now 3D8 (3 to 24), and considering that sorcerers must have a minimum of 16 POW, you will have to choose wisely when to attempt a binding. The GM should not tell the player the exact POW of the demon, just that they sense it is low (3 to 12) or high (13 to 24).
Caveat emptor, caveat magus.
NB: I will post about binding objects at a later date.
BARGAINING WITH & BINDING LORDS
But what if the players are crazy enough to risk their characters by calling upon higher powers? Read on and despair!
Bargaining with & Commanding Elemental, Beast, or Lords of Higher Worlds - You can’t bargain with any of these, you can’t command them. To Strassha, you are insignificant save for the water in your body, or the earth to which you will one day return for Grome. The Lord of Cats may see you only as a plaything or source of food. Arioch or Arkyn only see you as a means to an end in a game of cosmic chess.
You cannot even call on any of these without fulfilling the following:
1 The summoner has the social rank (noble or high priest) to summon a Lord
2 There are ancient pacts between the summoner’s homeland and the entity. Note that a royal member might theoretically create a new pact, which would be a great adventure seed.
3 Doing so is in the Lord’s own interest, ie protects animal life or the elements of nature or the advances of Law or Chaos.
4 The request is not impossible, insulting, or harmful to them. Making such a request would also be considered an affront and could be met with refusal to answer further summons, divine anger, and retribution ranging between anything from transformation, to exile or death.
5 They feel like doing it (especially true for Chaos)
6 They expect any debt to them to be repaid (especially for Law and Chaos)
You don’t bargain, you plead for their assistance.
You don’t command, you explain what is needed and how it serves THEIR interests to help you.
I wouldn’t even allow a Persuade roll, just good roleplaying and a good plan.
BINDING LORDS
Now, what if a player states they want to BIND Arioch??!?! What do you do then? (NB: There is ALWAYS one…) After all, if Corum can inadvertently have the gods killed off, players should be encouraged to mess with them as well.
Binding Lords - Get a hold of yourself! First, this should be impossible for any newly minted sorcerer. However, in the spirit of a game about Chaos, let’s think this through as a thought exercise.
First, getting the means and materials for binding a Lord (the hubris!) should be an epic adventure, requiring PCs to quest for one of the following’s aid or advice:
1 Grimoire
2 Alien god
3 Ancient forgotten god
4 Dead race
5 Rival lord of same type
6 Different type of lord
7 Greater demon
8 Extradimensional entity
Second, the method should involve blood, sweat, souls, tears, and a lot of luck. I leave the details to any GM crazy enough to allow this, and fun enough to run with it.
Third, the consequences of success should be severe, however, for binding any type of Ruler. It should, simply put, break the gameworld.
Here are some examples:
Grome - Earth falls away, islands float over a void
Kakatal - Fire no longer can be lit, and the sun begins to dim.
Strassha - Water drains away, the earth withers. Kakatal and Grome move into the empty bodies to turn them into endless deserts and lava fields.
Lassha - Air begins to foul, only pockets of life remain protected under the ground or ocean.
Lord of Cats - All cats immediately begin attacking humans and gain intelligence.
Arkyn - The laws of nature begin to break down, gravity become unreliable, time distorts, runs backward, or skips away. Time to get trippy.
What are the benefits of binding a massively powerful and vengeful entity that you certainly won't be able to control for long? Beats me. Go read some Sandman for reference and see how well THAT went...
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