Exorcism Mechanics

[Morrus]

I've been toying with the idea of a little "exorcism" mini-game. Taking away the specific game system language, it kinda works like this:

There are two stages: Research and Ritual.

During the Research stage, which could last from hours to days, you can do a whole bunch of things to accumulate a pool of points which the demon is going to try to deplete when you confront it during the Ritual stage of the exorcism. If you exorcise the demon before it depletes those points, you win; if it depletes them first, the possessed soul is forever lost.

(Those points and how you win are system stuff that doesn't matter for the purpose of this thread; they aren't actually points, but its an easy analogy that works here).

So, my question is this -- how do we accumulate those points during the Research stage? Here are some ideas that could earn a point:

1) Learn the demon's true name.
2) Find an object of sentimental value to the possessed victim (so they might see it and fight the demon harder).
3) Research at a library and learn that the demon has a weakness (maybe it hates salt; maybe a symbol).
4) Interrogate the possessed victim in the hope that the demon will reveal something useful (maybe its name, above).

What other ideas do you have? For the purposes of the system in mind, a total of around a dozen standard options, of which the PCs might succeed at half a dozen, gaining a pool of 6 points to fight the demon with, feels about right.

 

[Arilyn]

Good topic.
1. Maybe demon' s true name is found in pieces
2. Ancient spell of warding/binding/banishing
3. Holy artefact (better be authentic...)
4. Enemy of demon to bargain with (dangerous route..)
5. Potent magical oils/herbs/candles

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Find out the demon's enemies among the celestials/deities and enlist their aid through the correct rituals and/or offerings. This should be a major boost.

 

[GMMichael]

Automatic success if you use the Holy Grail.

I'm not sure "forever lost" should be the failure outcome. A failed exorcism means the possessed dies or the exorcist takes grievous harm, no? It's the demon's exorcism mini-game that determines if it kills its victim, or gets a puppet to use in the real world.

 

[Celebrim]

Purify yourself and your motives though fasting, flagellation, meditation, ritual cleanliness, sacrifices and offerings or other ritual appropriate to the belief system of the caster and the spiritual powers on whose behalf he is acting or upon whose help he intends to call for aid. (Failure leaves one with vainglorious or other impure motive.)

Research the history of or become acquainted with the possessed in order to increase your sympathy toward the sufferer and thus the passion and will you can muster during the ritual. (Failure you learn only things that weaken your sympathy for the sufferer, reducing your will to change their condition.)

As a note on other ideas, the object of sentimental value intended to strengthen the will of the one that is possessed need not be an object. It could be also be a person that is truly beloved by the person who is possessed who reciprocates those feelings.

Enlisting the aid of sacred relic or potent enemy of the spirit is particularly effective if that relic or enemy was involved in defeating the spirit in the past.

Spending points could have benefits toward doing more than winning the ritual, but also could be used to thwart actions that the spirit might do to try to stop the ritual, such as attempting to harm the possessed victim or otherwise trying to ensure that even if it loses its tormentor does not win.

It's not merely persons that can be possessed, but also items and locations. Also a similar ritual could be used against curses generally.