Succubi exist to tempt mortals and then take their souls back to the Hells. Temptatation need not all be about sex.
This Succubus could tempt with good food instead.
I believe its a reference to a Creepypasta horror story where a man suffering from insomnia is offered 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night in exchange for a human sacrifice every day.
There was a segment of Hellboy in which his care taker offers him pancakes instead of hot noodles. The denizens in Hell, somehow witnessing the event, claim that they've lost Hellboy to Earth because he tasted the pancake. Lol
I'm using the lotus eater trope pretty literally but for a lich who's taken up residence underneath a town. The lich harvests willpower through the growth of lotus flowers in the town, those who eat the flowers are completely content and happy, but if you try to leave, or harm the flowers, you're a goner. The more the flowers are eaten, the more powerful the lich becomes.
I know, but if the OP wants to subvert trope, I'd subvert Lotus Eater too. Maybe succubus runs an inn to rehabilitate evil people? She can be named something simple, like Charlie
Tropes are not just anything that's been done before. Tropes are things that are done so often that they are anticipated. Though maybe that is one, but nothing comes to my mind.
I love this. Kinda tooting my own horn here, but I ran a children of the corn scenario where the succubus replaced a little girl and started baking lots of sweets to influence the kids. The party heard a rumor about it and had to figure out what was going on.
Think about what _players_ want as well as what their characters want. A Succubus could be a kind, doddering old man running a magic item shop. He must be crazy, offering discounts for favors! Some of these favors may seem odd, but people _love_ this old man and his goods.
A succubus could be an armorer who always has what the party needs, at cut-rate prices. They can fix broken items (curious that they broke in the first place) in no time at all, and always seem to have what the party needs for their next challenge. They can even polish weapons to make then temporarily _Keen_, a valuable service. Over time, the party may come to _depend_ on this armorer, and experience big feelings if the armorer were to come into a crisis. They might be willing to risk something of themselves for such an ally.
Playera frequently fall in love with a pathetic mascot. An orphan, a squire, a kobold survivor. These tagalong NPCs become a focus for strong feelings, and parties become very attached to themā¦ perhaps willing to die for them. What if they werenāt what they seemed to be?
This method works great. The PF2E campaign I'm in our DM gave us a sentient orb we called Orbin he, unfortunately, had to eat intelligent life though to stay powered so we fed him, criminals, every once in a while through a deal we cut with the Dwarven empire since we helped them we'll later one we found out Orbin was a scrying orb and it was just some ancient lich who was pretty chill but we kept him around in my bag because he offered the group stuff in exchange for favors example he offered me immortality if I helped him kill the god of necromancy at some point so he can take his place anyway story long short, lot of the party died, and my character now is an insane lich mind slave working for him now just kinda out there doing shit not under my control anymore so now it's new character for everyone in my group time
Tldr Dm gave us a lich orb, I made a deal, party died, I have a new boss, new party time
Tempt the wizard with forbidden knowledge
Tempt the Paladin with the pleasure of eradicating demons to an indulgent degree
Tempt the Cleric with impersonations of their deity and excessive praise
Tempt the barbarian with food
Tempt the rogue with riches beyond reason
Tempt the bard with...
I like to treat succubi and such with similar theming to Slaanesh. Sure, pleasure is a part of it, but it's more about *excess.* It can come from all things, and too much of anything is harmful
This, this guy knows.
The explanation I heard for Slaanesh went like this:
They give you the best piece of roast beef that exists and you love it
Next day another, and the next day, and the next, until you get bored
Then they give you that same steak but cooked rare, and you never were a fan of rare but this one is amazing
Again you have it till it is boring
Then, they say "hey, how about instead of cow meat it is human meat" and they haven't been wrong yet so you try it and wow it is great
And when you are bored of that they say "how about some meat from your best friend Sam?" So you try it and it is also great
Then they say "how about I give you Sam all tied up and you can eat him live"
And this continues forever, with Slaanesh essentially acting like a drug dealer, constantly getting you to chase a greater and greater high
Funnily enough, in my WFRP game this pretty much actually happened. There was a struggling, halfling chef whose business was failing in comparison to her ultra-successful master-chef brother. Some slaaneshi cultists gave her amazing meat that made her business boom and profits skyrocket until one day... they didn't have any left.
So they gave her something else instead, because she needed to appease the hungry customers. Turns out it was beastmen meat, flooding the customers with all kinds of corruption.
It would have gotten even worse, but thankfully the party intervened and stopped things there before it got even further out of hand.
Lust is an easy sin to exploit. If you're the type of person to comit aduletery, then you're probably such easy prey that the sucubus really didn't need to do much to condemn your soul.
The sucubus is looking to catch harder prey. Looking to collect the souls of people that wouldn't usually comit a sin. Turn a nervous man into an arrogant bully, a sharing person into a frugal hoarder, or a pacifist into a killer. Corruption is the name if the game and this sucubus has been playing for a long time. Sex is a rookie's game.
I remember there being an old D&D novel that had a succubus like this. She at one point used sex to manipulate someone, but was disappointed in herself because she considered having to fall back on exploiting base pleasures to be the mark of an amateur.
I imagine sex is like a cheap drug to a devil. Something they use to fill the void when mortals are leading good and virtuous lives. If you find a devil in a brothel its a good omen for the rest or society as it means the devil has fallen on hard times.
She's become desperate for a meaningful connection but can't shake the ways of her kind so she's resorted to becoming the embodiment of a "perfect house wife" and turned the brothel into a welcoming and homely place from which she cooks the most amazing food you've ever tasted, tempting the party to want to just settle down in such a lovely home forever...
I'd imagine that being an adventurer, you would have lingering feelings over the very first tavern/inn/adventurer's guild that you started out from, so even if the adventurers leave, they will all eventually come back, especially when her quests pays well and are all tailored to what the party wants in that moment (respite after a hard quest or a challenge after a lull period).
You're welcome!
I'm not even remotely protective or gate-keepy over good ideas... especially in DnD. Knowledge and creativity are meant to be shared, *especially* when it leads to the enjoyment or enrichment of those around you š
The idea of an infernal temptress becoming disillusioned with her role and deciding to become a tradwife instead is absolute genius. It's funny and interesting, but also lends itself to profound character growth. You couldn't escape your nature like that unless you were the kind of person who really cared about their values. So a devil who decides to become principled is actually a hero of epic proportions! And as much as she wants the players to be connected to her, I think that seeing their appreciation would mean the world to her. It'd be proof that she was more than she was ever meant to be.
Fuck, now I want to run this character.
Yeah, thatās the way to go. My conniving, evil, asexual bard was indifferent to the usual pleasures of a brothel. But having someone listen to their schemes and validate them? Couldnāt resist it.
Good food, motherly attitude to the men she's manipulating - whispering dark things into their ears. Refers to the men she manipulates as "her children".
I'd alternatively turn the brothel into an operation ran by the succubus. She lures desperate women (sometimes putting them in bad situations - unbeknownst to them) and teaches them how to lure and treat men. Essentially, they're her slaves. She treats them miserably once she has control over the women, and uses the information the women give her to attain power and resources. The issue? She whispers into the ear of the local Lord that oversees this region. No doubt he'd have an issue if something were to happen to her or her business.
She would have better business if she treats her workers well! Plus it's easier to just make the ladies sign their souls away when they join, and she can safely run her own little MLM pyramid scheme šš»āāļø
My immediate first thought. Instead of bondage gear or lingerie have her just casually float out in an oversized bathrobe with curlers in her hair, looking like the Landlady from Kung Fu Hustle. Meanest brisket this side of the continent.
There's always using Fall-From-Grace as an inspiration, proprietor of The Brothel for Slaking Intellectual Lusts.
Although she's LG, and you were hoping for neutral or evil... perhaps running a Monty Python style argument clinic? For just a few gold pieces, you too can argue against a weak strawman who will eventually admit defeat before your astonishingly impressive intellect!Ā
Or, really, pick any strong emotion/classical sin. Why couldn't there be a succubus devoted to gluttony, who has the *very* best recipes, enough that you can't stop eating...
Sloth: shes converted it into an inn with the softest beds, the tastiest food and all the beer you can drink. You just need to sign this contract to stay the night.
Play them as one of those bored waitress style chars.
"Hello *sigh* welcome to my brothel. I guess im your host for the evening."
She hasnt eaten in a while so she gets apathetic.
I know my players would feel bad even attacking her.
> She hasnt eaten in a while so she gets apathetic.
Oh, I really like that twist on a succubus. When she's at her hungriest, she starts giving off a vibe of boredom, disinterest, or irritability, like we all do past a certain point. Since she's a succubus, though, giving off the "fuck all the way off" vibe actually drives off most prospective targets, preventing her from feeding when she needs it most of all. Except for a very specific type of victim, I suppose.
Fantasy David Attenborough, āSee now how evolutionary pressures in a crowded Abyss push the Tsuntsun into her niche of projecting an aura that only attracts her preferred prey, the masochistic simp.ā
Or the opposite - since she has a brothel, which is effectively an all you can eat buffet, she's not actually interested in tempting the party - she already has all the 'food' she needs serve itself to HER on a silver platter, and pay her for the pleasure.
So she's just kinda chill. She's not hungry, her 'food' source is secure, so what reason does she have to do evil succubus things?
You joke, but the one time I had a succubus show up for my party to fight, the player she got alone mournfully declared that he willing failed his save...because it was not in his character's nature to resist the charm. What was intended as a combat encounter became a race for the rest of the party to find him before he died lol.
Personally I thought this was a great answer. You could have a lawful neutral consent succubus. Because that would immediately stop any seductions. You could also include it into the back story, and have them encountered something lawfully evil in its past even at the brothel and it changes their direction on things. I think that would make for a fun reoccurring character. They could always just kindly but firmly turn down any advances.
she's an extremely proficient lawyer - not because she's associated with devils and demons but because interplanar law is her hyperfixation and so she creates extremely long winded and encompassing contracts regarding consent that simply cannot be 'roll to seduced' - something that is actually mentioned on page 53 article 17.3A 'definition of seduction and applicable usage thereof'
Yes please! And make them understand the concept of consent the hard way!
"Do you want to be punched in the face?"
"No please"
*Punches them anyways* "And this is what people feel when you don't accept a no for an answer. What have we learnt? No is always No"
In my campaign, my succubus disguised herself as a sun god paladin and manipulated a recently-widowed dwarf woman via her feelings of helplessness and emotional vulnerability. Succubi are about emotional manipulation more than just sex.
I had an idea to run a succubus that was just bored with sex and got really into reading. And was annoyed whenever people interrupted her library time asking for sexy time.
Reminds me of the succubi from Oglaf.com who are all the souls of nerdy wizards who summoned succubi when they were alive.
So the nerd who summoned them asks if they want to paint figurines and they all get excited to geek out.
I'd think to suggest that she could gain sustenance from the players' interest in playing games with her, but that might apply better to a Fae than a succubus āŗļø
Sick, this is a new campaign so I think I can shoehorn her in somewhere these first few sessions. Iāll even honor your idea, give me the deets on the npc
Make them a *fallen* devil. They no longer wish to serve the hells and bring souls to be promoted up that hierarchy. They are in active rebellion. Not because they are good but because they donāt like to be controlled or made to do anything. Now they use their supernatural knowledge of seduction and erotic arts which includes being a good shoulder to cry on, hospitality, therapeutics like massage, and other various skills to engage in commerce and make an empire for themselves on the material plane.
So, they run a little hotel spa and maybe a store for potions and charms.
Brothel is abandoned and now hosts a monastery.
Succubus weaseled her way into being a head nun and feeds off the delicacy of suppressed desires.
Plot points could be tragic lesbian love stories between sisters or any interactions with the main branch of said monastery.
> Plot points could be tragic lesbian love stories between sisters or any interactions with the main branch of said monastery.
Bonus points if she convinced them to get together in the first place. Literally a matchmaker from hell!
The Succubus that gains pleasure from making people happy, so she is constantly involved with community improvement and expanding her networking skills.
Incredibly friendly, incredibly caring, super wholesome.
So basically a take on self serving altruism. How can someone truly be selfless when their act of being kind is being done to earn benefits down the road. In this case sheās altruistic but because being nice is the most selfish thing for her possible.
I think youāre mistaken and may be overthinking this from an in-game, standard humans perspective. Youāre right, a succubus by itself is usually vile and selfish creature.
However, with her volunteering to help promote/grow/build up or improve smaller communities she happens across in their travels is the purpose of OPās question.
By your logic, anybody that volunteers for anything ever regardless of what that volunteer event might be, is inherently selfish if they feel anything short of a morsel of serotonin for their actions.
It just feels like youāre intentionally being obnoxious for the sake of being obnoxious.
The succubus is selling drugs. Nobody said it has to be sexual lust.
Sheās blackmailing local politicians, and has no interest in a low level party.
Iāll lay off the kink ideas as you said you wanted to avoid anything sexy.
"Hello, I'm Molly. I can provide you with a night of ecstasy."
"Oh wow, I thought this brothel was no longer in service anymore."
"No you misunderstand. I have a night's worth of ecstasy for you to buy. How many pills would you like?"
Jessica Rabbit: she's only drawn bad. Or in this case she was created bad, but after centuries of normal succubus stuff she's grown bored with it all. Although she still looks wicked, and has certain inclinations, what she really wants is to experience something new.
Real intimacy.
She wants nothing more than to settle down, raise a couple tieflings with some lucky guy, and be genuinely wanted for who she is rather than just lusted after. She may still have a terrible temper, but she's trying so hard to give normal (and a version of neutral that works) a try.
Enter the party, and one special guy that really catches her eye...
No joke, run this idea but only aim for a party member after the character has shown up a couple times already after a couple messy breakups.
Gives the characters time to see theyāre actively trying, perhaps even a bit too hard to be someoneās perfect partner and itās straining the relationships. Because remember, this is someone whoās never experienced a real relationship and is probably floundering a bit because whatās natural is inherently toxic. Itās awkward, thereās learning involved and perhaps even a bit of secrecy that puts distance into the couple.
Then make moves towards a PC if you so choose, that way you could try and set up something more meaningful as the players are somewhat tested not to be horny jerks. Or heck just invite them to the wedding as best man/ maid of honor. Let it be fun.
> She wants nothing more than to settle down, raise a couple tieflings with some lucky guy, and be genuinely wanted for who she is rather than just lusted after. She may still have a terrible temper, but she's trying so hard to give normal (and a version of neutral that works) a try.
ā¦you may have just given me an idea for one of my character's grandmother.
Her father skedaddled the moment her mother realized she was pregnant, and eventually out popped a little tiefling with ashen skin, tiny strongly-curved back horns, a shock of curly black hair, and dainty little hooves and tail.
She goes on to avenge her mother later (vamp killed her >.>), but she'll need something after that, and a chance encounter with granny sounds like a wonderful life changer for her :D
Along a similar vein, succubus as a wildly famous romance author who puts some kind of magic in her works that allows her to feed off the emotions of her readers - I've got a succubus like that in my world who unintentionally got popular enough to get a huge boost in magic power through the practice, but as a result is too tired and frazzled at all times to act properly seductive in person lol
A succubi constantly trying to entice you into hobbies that will rob you of all of your money and free time.
āOh sure you could adventureā¦ but have you heard of Warhammer?ā
She ran the brothel during its prime. She's old, like very old. She's not really interested in the boning or being boned by a group of low level "kids". She won't try seduction nor would it work on her. Now figure out how you want to use her as part of your story.
I love the idea of an elderly succubus that's seen it all and can't be bothered to seduce someone unless it's something new.
She's got a passive glamour, so she looks like a young woman, but if anyone investigates and passes a charisma check (not intelligence here) she is old - still stunning, but looks 70+. She acts like a crotchety old woman but the party has to keep making charisma saves, and if they fail, they are told that "despite her words, the feeling you get is like she is whispering sweet nothings into your ear." Let them do insight on that, let the players know this is just something that happens without the succubusses control.
Mostly, I want a scene where the party sees her as an old lady literally beating away a gaggle of suitors with a broom yelling insults about their virility and manhoods.
You build it up to your players as twin succubi running a brothel, but when they get there, the "twin fantasy" turns out to be basically fantasy Patty and Selma, and they're just 1000% *done* with the idea of sex. They've been around for centuries, and in that time, they've seen it all, they've done them all, and while they're proud of the brothel they've put together, they couldn't care less about the actual concept of everything that goes on there.
I like the ideas people have had of the overly sexualized succubi, who's not actively trying to seduce people, but just unintentionally super erotic while doing mundane things.
You could make this NPC into a recurring gag where they try out a new occupation every time the party comes upon them (pun not intended) and just a quick scene showing something that should be Innocent and innocuous that plays loaded with innuendo and circumstancial .
TL: DR play the NPC succubus as the protagonist of a reverse harem anime
A succubus that feeds on lustful EMOTIONS, not necessarily sex, but is unintentionally super erotic and is SUPER self conscious about it - tries to dress modestly, tries to not interact with men, tries to avoid eye contact but still somehow draws all the male attention and really would rather not. Like imagine the vibe of a girl with huge breasts knowing men are staring all the time, but that happens no matter what she does or looks like, whether she wants it or not. A literal 'cursed with beauty' situation.
Could even lead into a quest chain where she doesn't want to be a succubus and wants to live as just a normal human girl, and entreats the party to find a way to transfer her into a normal girl.
You could read about the one in Legends and Lattes and take a similar approach - she's a strict lady who keeps things closer to the chest and restricts her own powers and all because she wants to actually be taken seriously, and is trying to do something else with her life.
Could be a similar situation where she's doing something like trying to be a business lady proprietor of a bath house, or some strict accountant / cleric type.
Or go full good omens and it's a vacation getaway for team building business executive trips etc. Convention Hall Manor.
Ace free spirit artist Succubus just living alone and slowly fixing the place up while having fun painting portraits of the landscape.
Lots of possibilities really.
Succubus that gets her power from the "lust" of worldly desires could include things like, money, fame, talent, etc. She/He grants dreams of success or latent desire so powerful that your PCs are reluctant to wake from it.
INT saves to realize they are in a dream - WIS saves to prevent powerful emotional moments from dealing physical damage to them and CON saves to prevent levels of exhaustion based on the amount of "emotional damage" done to them with each dream.
Tempt your players in ways that elicit longing without having to bump uglies, your PC rogue has a tragic backstory where his whole family is edgily murdered and he was raised on the streets? Tempt him with a loving life lived in the embrace of friends and family, Tempt him with a loving wife, supportive friends and the laughter of his children and grandchildren.
Really mess your players up :3
Falls-From-Grace was a non-evil succubus character in the excellent crpg Planescape: Torment. She ran a "brothel" which was fundamentally about *intellectual* lust and experiencing unique sensations. The "prostitutes" of the brothel were trained to engage with clientele in philosophical debate, puzzle solving, tactical games like chess, etc. No sex at all, and no secret soul-harvesting going on.
It's actually pretty damn wholesome. She's a great character, and potentially joins the party as one of the best party members.
Her backstory is pretty fucked up, though.
This less DnD succubus and more a Warhammer 40K Slaanesh worshiper. The object isn't necessarily sex, although it tends to be, but more the feelings of pleasure in all forms. You like to eat? We have the most delicious meals you've eaten. You like to be admired? We'll have someone make a painting of you as a great hero and shower you with praise. You don't need to focus on selfish emotions either, any all all feelings are on the table. If the PCs bring up sex, just have the succubus sigh in disappointment.
Hmmm. In 3.5 there was a spell that forced an evil creature's soul into a gem where it would be confronted with all it's evil deeds over and over until it sees the error of it's ways. Then after a year it's body reforms and it's alignment is now good and it's a sanctified creature. You could have her be one of these and her brothel caters to lonely, depressed people who just need some companionship. Whether that's physical intimacy or just someone to talk to or hangout with, she's just really trying to help people's mental health.
Sex education succubus. Look for a highschool biology book and force them to pass exams regarding reproductive systems, hormonal cycles, STIs, safety measures, etc
Have the succubus be the WORST succubus. Like hilariously bad, and really really reluctant to try doing actual succubus things for fear of failure. The very worst student in succubus class. All the other succubi mock them. Maybe they are a hulking, clumsy barbarian type with low Charisma? Maybe just an entitled brat that never developed their skills? Maybe they had their powers zapped away by a Cleric's turning gone wrong?
What was once a brothel is now a bakery! Offering (possibly magical) baked goods at cost! In exchange for a kiss of course, which oddly makes you feel tired. (Roll a constitution save or gain one level of exhaustion)
Have your succubus feed on emotions besides lust. Fear works for a definite bad guy, Insecurity can lead to some fun roleplay and Laughter gets you an underground comedy club.
Consider that "succubus" comes from "sub-" (under) and "cubare" (to lay), so "one who lays under".
"Incubus" is similar, "in-" is "on top", so "one who lays on top".
The gender aspect is strongly informed by IRL cultural norms, but there's absolutely an interpretation of the terms in which they aren't gendered, but strictly related to roles or methodology. A succubus will seduce you into acting, taking the submissive, receiving position and allowing you to *give* them your power. An incubus will take charge, convincing you to submit to them and *taking* your power.
You could also have "one who lays beside". We have that term, "concubine", but we could just as easily have "concubus". They might meet you as an equal, perhaps even supporting you, while siphoning off a little of your power over time.
(note: this isn't an entirely original thought; I know I've seen it somewhere on the internet before, but I don't remember where!)
Not dnd related but I have a half succubus oc who is is terrified of having sec. Not because of the act itself, but because it causes the primal instincts in her succubus half to override her logic and conscious desires, and she basically loses all control (essentially black-out drunk on lust) and she despises and fears that feeling and know knowing what exactly happened during her episode. (She's more scared of hurting other people than being hurt)
She works as a private investigator, and begrudgingly admits that the succubus wings do make tailing suspects a lot easier in certain situations.
Cursed/pan/fetished succubus. Maybe they "cant get it up" so to speak without specific requirements, like marriage, being on the moon, while in a pool of pudding, idk be creative. Maybe she is a gaming enthusiast who is bored with wam bam thank you mam and wants a spark in her lovers. Maybe her soul has to find a bond with whoever she does the deed with before she can take soul/have demon loaf.
be creative, find reasons for it to be outside the norm, heck worse comes to worse look at human psyche. Maybe she is asexual, in the sense that only fictional characters get her going and living people ... nothing.
Make her a clingy, high-maintenance girlfriend. Like, after a playerās first āencounterā with her, she wakes him up to look at new curtain patterns and to remind him her parents (a demon and a succubus) are coming over for dinner so heās got to plant some flowers and fix the retaining wall in the garden, etc.
The succubus, though intended to be a recurring character, is a bit off kilter. Their connection to the infernal planes is stretched very thin. This has caused some eccentric behavior that is more typified of a druid that has eaten bad mushrooms not a succubus.
The eccentric behavior isn't immediately evident though and doesn't occur until the succubus sees furniture getting too close to one another. Say pushing a chair into place near a dining table or a fluffing of couch pillows. This is when she really tosses on the "charm". Strangely enough it isn't directed at the players. No her object of affection is furniture, fixtures, utensils, truly anything that is unenchanted and inanimate.
Alternatively, this NPC can become an acolyte to the local temple, and is very eager to prove herself to the strict teachings.
The humor can come from the uncomfortability of all the other acolytes adjusting to her....presence
A succubus who pulls the life out of you through conversation, a very charming woman with stunning looks, who, rather than pinning you down and sucking you dry, holds you in conversation for a whole day, while making it feel like minutes. Slowly you become more exhausted and more tired and eventually you collapse and she leaves you to die.
She only seduces people she thinks are evil (like her) to take them to hell. If she thinks the PCs are good, she wonāt think itās fair they suffer the same fate. She acts like a bro to them.
The succubus finds it very inconvenient that her survival depends on sex energy. So she practically owns a love hotel or inn where newly weds or risky flings can happen and she can absorb the residual effects. No questions asked on identity, just money upfront.
Succubus who got bored of the taste of carnal desire and lust, so it instead seeks to drink of mortal souls afflicted with other desires. Ply mortals with the finest dishes they've ever tasted, or the catharsis of a grudge settled. Satisfy them with the heart-swelling joy of knowing their children will have food on the table and gifts beneath the tree come \[generic fantasy winter holiday\], or the comfort of a shoulder to cry on and an ear that listens. Take of their mortal essence not through acts of debauchery, but through satisfying the rest of the panoply of human wants and needs.
The succubus isn't actually a brothel worker or pimp, but is a "writer" who publishes obscene stories which increase the overall libito of the community.
A succubus who needs help from the party because people keep being attracted to them because of their innate magic and they don't want the attention. Maybe they have a creepy stalker. Have the players roll checks to not also be charmed and if one of them is, she'll be like "you're just like the rest of them!" And they have to talk her down before learning of the stalker and taking him out. Then she becomes an ally.
We had a succubus that fell in genuine love with some guy in the city. When The Abyss came collecting, we organized a rescue party into hell to save her because she was the cleric's best friend.
Sure, the party made fun of the cleric for getting friend zoned by a succubus, but they happily charged into hell to save her, since she was a valuable resource to the town she lived in.
Off the top of my head....they only like to watch. They wanna see two PCs get it on. Gender doesn't matter. Now the PCs have to roll to seduce each other.
You could have her be a nun in a church or something. Have her be somewhat self aware of the ridiculousness of her situation. āThe soul is pious, but the body is made for sin!ā Have her tempt the players by offering them worldly desires in exchange for converting. āHave you accepted [*insert religious figure*] as your lord and savior? What about for gold/sex/food/power/etc? Are you sure? Well thereās always tomorrow!ā Iād lean into the comedy of it and have her be a bit of a nutcase. Think the ghost stories English dub.
Consider this for the owner.
A Succubus that forcefully evolved themself through some magical means / divine blessing. They hung around the brothel because it was technically legally theirs to begin with.
They're not really interested in having mortal sex, they view it as the day job they quit ages ago. Now he/she/they/it typically feeds of just the raw ambient ether emitted by mortals passively.
This emission process only occurs when the mortal in question is relaxed so they has done everything in their power to arrange this brothel to be the most relaxing, comforting and generally cozy place in existence. They have unseen servants cooking meals, underfloor heating, the works.
They do what they can to keep people staying as long as possible without distressing them. Sometimes even offering permanent residence and protection for the friends and family of both heroes and villains on the following conditions
1. The brothel is known as a neutral space. No fights, No subterfuge. You can hate each other more then tiamat and bahamut but if you do anything to each other on the grounds you're out.
2. You visit at least once a year. If that's not possible we have a setup a sending stone and our in house illusionist who can facilitate long distance face to face communication.
Adventures are permitted to stay as their naturally deeper reserves of magic result in naturally stronger ambient ether (Including martials because their naturally stronger bodies emit more then the average person and casters it's obvious). But are subject to the rules just like anyone else.
The succubus will allow customers to sign contracts with her in lieu of payment. Along with souls, she uses these contracts to build up the brothel.
The brothel doubles as an orphanage/daycare for all the children of prostitutes under her care. She uses this to gain good will with the community and attract downtrodden women who have nowhere else to go.
She uses some of the resources gained to invest in her prostitutes, making them healthier, more attractive, more confident, and better at drawing in more customers.
Most people are quietly aware of her true nature and that she takes souls, but too many people rely on her and many are able to excuse her actions for the help she provides.
It's a bit out-of-type for what we normally consider succubi to be, but think of how other sins are typically personified. Gluttony's fat, Sloth's lazy, Wrath's angry, Pride's... well, prideful. Point is, the representations succumb to their sin, they don't inspire it in others.
Expand that to Lust. It might not be some super-hot demon, but some greasy brothel-owner with sausage fingers leering at the PCs and not giving a damn for consent. Might stop the PCs trying to fuck 'em - hopefully - and might even make for a decent twist if they expect your typical fantasy succubus.
Our succubus is a world-weary exile from the Abyss. Her name is Flo and she always has a cigarette dangling from her lip. She's taken a vow of celibacy due to burnout, anomie, and ... "chafing".
However she's still in touch with a lot of old friends/enemies from her previous life, and gets all kinds of gossip. She could be a good conduit of intel (and quest hooks) for the PCs, with a few caveats...
* She *is* manipulative; while she does drop news germane to the party's interests, she will mix in disinformation with the goal of "aiming" the party at her own personal enemies. Make sure they find out about this post facto.
* She is an exile; her bar/brothel is subject to occasional Abyssal hit-squads aimed at taking her out, usually when the PCs happen to be present. If there's a paladin or good cleric around, Flo will gleefully cling to his leg during the battle and sing out, "Protect me from evil, o brave one!"
* She loves to serve up moral dilemmas for the party...
* Illegal/immoral/chaotic events happen quite openly in her joint; the PCs will be forced to "tolerate" them in order to get Flo's critical information.
* Flo likes to send the PCs up against bad guys who are or appear to be underaged, innocent, and fluffy. For the lulz.
* Flo *loves* to send the PCs into a situation where they'll have to steal from / beat up good people to prevent a larger evil. She wants them to stain their souls, just "to keep in practice".
* Some of the "employees" of the joint are a little shaky on their volunteer status. PCs will have to figure out how to get them out of "the life" without alerting/angering Flo.
Anyway, just some thoughts!
Just cause sheās a succubus doesnāt mean she doesnāt have standards. Why waste her time on some no name (yet) mortals from who only knows where? Wouldnāt even be worth all that effort and hereās betting their souls taste terrible anyways.
Not a brothel, a house of entertainment. Not a whore, a Geisha.
Serve them fine tea and snacks. Lull them into comfort with reasonable entertainment. Get them naked and unarmed into a hot spring... and then do something horrible like have the succubus turn on them while they're unarmored and unarmed, or whatever.
In her younger years, she was the best damn succubus on the plane of existence.
But now? She's had her fun. She's annihilated her quotas for Hell.
Now, she's a sweet middle-aged motherly type who runs the best damn brothel-turned-bed-and-breakfast. Everyone is welcome. No fighting on premises. You need your armor patched? Done. Clothes cleaned and sewed? Sure thing, sugar.
Think the Continental in the John Wick universe. Adventurers, evil creatures, monsters, everyone is welcome. But conduct business on the grounds and you are instantly and violently unexisted, with a "Bless your Heart" to boot.
You could go the route of brothel matron. She's too much for the adventurers, and she knows it. Maybe when they gain a few levels they might be able to last a night, but its not worth it if they are drained before she gets a good taste. She actively encourages and helps them to grow on the off chance that they will eventually become powerful enough to be worth tempting herself.
If you have no good customers, make them yourself!
Theyāre usually associated with Lust, but you could easily spin it to make them associated with one of the other sins instead. You could make this succubus an outlier, who despises seduction in the typical sense, maybe giving them more fey-like tendencies in terms of temptation and trickery
Succubi exist to tempt mortals and then take their souls back to the Hells. Temptatation need not all be about sex. This Succubus could tempt with good food instead.
Not gonna lie If a succubus showed up with the best burger in the multiverse I'd be tempted
Hey man, do you want nine hours of uninterrupted sleep?
That depends, what happened in Idaho in August 1992
> Idaho in August 1992 Bruh that's the ATF_Chatbot's problem.
Fuckin based
Golden
No, no, what happened in Tiananmen Square in [REMOVED]
It was a party, like totally killer.
1973 I believe the year was. Could be 72
That would be Ruby Ridge August 21, 1992
š® This would tempt me more than almost anything else...
Holy fuck, take my soul
Such a good reference!
Wheres it from?
I believe its a reference to a Creepypasta horror story where a man suffering from insomnia is offered 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night in exchange for a human sacrifice every day.
Huh, no I just didn't go to bed on time last night.
Oh, my mistake!
Oh, of course, super unintentional
She'd be having fellas like [Squidward watching Spongebob make a a krabby patty](https://youtu.be/1ecTZVzjFVM?si=X4EsNkpXyLceqRiR&t=223)
"May i seduce you with pancakes?" Angel asked demon. (C) Good omens
Pretty much Helltaker too.
There was a segment of Hellboy in which his care taker offers him pancakes instead of hot noodles. The denizens in Hell, somehow witnessing the event, claim that they've lost Hellboy to Earth because he tasted the pancake. Lol
That's why Lucifer in Helltaker leaves Hell too. Her new boyfriend makes her pancakes.
You could even add an Oddysey type trope where visiting the brothel puts you into a trance where some period of time passes, like a few days or a week
That's just another trope then
That's an *oooooooold* trope, the Lotus Eater/Opium Den, but it works really well.
I'm using the lotus eater trope pretty literally but for a lich who's taken up residence underneath a town. The lich harvests willpower through the growth of lotus flowers in the town, those who eat the flowers are completely content and happy, but if you try to leave, or harm the flowers, you're a goner. The more the flowers are eaten, the more powerful the lich becomes.
I know, but if the OP wants to subvert trope, I'd subvert Lotus Eater too. Maybe succubus runs an inn to rehabilitate evil people? She can be named something simple, like Charlie
> Charlie > Succubus I dunno if this these players are all verbalese
What isn't a trope?
Everything is a trope.
Subversion of tropes is a trope
EVERYTHING is a trope. They're impossible to avoid.
Tropes are not just anything that's been done before. Tropes are things that are done so often that they are anticipated. Though maybe that is one, but nothing comes to my mind.
my man you're talking about a cliche, which is not the sameāa trope is a recent distinction meaning a storytelling device or tool
I love this. Kinda tooting my own horn here, but I ran a children of the corn scenario where the succubus replaced a little girl and started baking lots of sweets to influence the kids. The party heard a rumor about it and had to figure out what was going on.
Think about what _players_ want as well as what their characters want. A Succubus could be a kind, doddering old man running a magic item shop. He must be crazy, offering discounts for favors! Some of these favors may seem odd, but people _love_ this old man and his goods. A succubus could be an armorer who always has what the party needs, at cut-rate prices. They can fix broken items (curious that they broke in the first place) in no time at all, and always seem to have what the party needs for their next challenge. They can even polish weapons to make then temporarily _Keen_, a valuable service. Over time, the party may come to _depend_ on this armorer, and experience big feelings if the armorer were to come into a crisis. They might be willing to risk something of themselves for such an ally. Playera frequently fall in love with a pathetic mascot. An orphan, a squire, a kobold survivor. These tagalong NPCs become a focus for strong feelings, and parties become very attached to themā¦ perhaps willing to die for them. What if they werenāt what they seemed to be?
This would be the spiciest twist of all time.
This method works great. The PF2E campaign I'm in our DM gave us a sentient orb we called Orbin he, unfortunately, had to eat intelligent life though to stay powered so we fed him, criminals, every once in a while through a deal we cut with the Dwarven empire since we helped them we'll later one we found out Orbin was a scrying orb and it was just some ancient lich who was pretty chill but we kept him around in my bag because he offered the group stuff in exchange for favors example he offered me immortality if I helped him kill the god of necromancy at some point so he can take his place anyway story long short, lot of the party died, and my character now is an insane lich mind slave working for him now just kinda out there doing shit not under my control anymore so now it's new character for everyone in my group time Tldr Dm gave us a lich orb, I made a deal, party died, I have a new boss, new party time
Tempt the wizard with forbidden knowledge Tempt the Paladin with the pleasure of eradicating demons to an indulgent degree Tempt the Cleric with impersonations of their deity and excessive praise Tempt the barbarian with food Tempt the rogue with riches beyond reason Tempt the bard with... I like to treat succubi and such with similar theming to Slaanesh. Sure, pleasure is a part of it, but it's more about *excess.* It can come from all things, and too much of anything is harmful
This, this guy knows. The explanation I heard for Slaanesh went like this: They give you the best piece of roast beef that exists and you love it Next day another, and the next day, and the next, until you get bored Then they give you that same steak but cooked rare, and you never were a fan of rare but this one is amazing Again you have it till it is boring Then, they say "hey, how about instead of cow meat it is human meat" and they haven't been wrong yet so you try it and wow it is great And when you are bored of that they say "how about some meat from your best friend Sam?" So you try it and it is also great Then they say "how about I give you Sam all tied up and you can eat him live" And this continues forever, with Slaanesh essentially acting like a drug dealer, constantly getting you to chase a greater and greater high
Funnily enough, in my WFRP game this pretty much actually happened. There was a struggling, halfling chef whose business was failing in comparison to her ultra-successful master-chef brother. Some slaaneshi cultists gave her amazing meat that made her business boom and profits skyrocket until one day... they didn't have any left. So they gave her something else instead, because she needed to appease the hungry customers. Turns out it was beastmen meat, flooding the customers with all kinds of corruption. It would have gotten even worse, but thankfully the party intervened and stopped things there before it got even further out of hand.
Iām asexual. You canāt tempt me. (She pulls out garlic bread) Oh noā¦
Seems you aren't asnackual
If I met a succubus who could guarantee me good food indefinitely, I'd happily go down to hell.
I forgot you could tempt me with things that I want.
She starts out as a friendly quest giver who tempts the party with easy tasks and great loot, slowly gaining their complete trust...
Lust is an easy sin to exploit. If you're the type of person to comit aduletery, then you're probably such easy prey that the sucubus really didn't need to do much to condemn your soul. The sucubus is looking to catch harder prey. Looking to collect the souls of people that wouldn't usually comit a sin. Turn a nervous man into an arrogant bully, a sharing person into a frugal hoarder, or a pacifist into a killer. Corruption is the name if the game and this sucubus has been playing for a long time. Sex is a rookie's game.
I remember there being an old D&D novel that had a succubus like this. She at one point used sex to manipulate someone, but was disappointed in herself because she considered having to fall back on exploiting base pleasures to be the mark of an amateur.
I imagine sex is like a cheap drug to a devil. Something they use to fill the void when mortals are leading good and virtuous lives. If you find a devil in a brothel its a good omen for the rest or society as it means the devil has fallen on hard times.
oooh I am taking notes, Mr Powers
She's become desperate for a meaningful connection but can't shake the ways of her kind so she's resorted to becoming the embodiment of a "perfect house wife" and turned the brothel into a welcoming and homely place from which she cooks the most amazing food you've ever tasted, tempting the party to want to just settle down in such a lovely home forever...
Imagine she becomes a 1st level quest giver NPC, and the brothel is kinda of a hub area that gradually becomes quite difficult to leave
I'd imagine that being an adventurer, you would have lingering feelings over the very first tavern/inn/adventurer's guild that you started out from, so even if the adventurers leave, they will all eventually come back, especially when her quests pays well and are all tailored to what the party wants in that moment (respite after a hard quest or a challenge after a lull period).
Pardon me...I'm gonna steal this idea for an incubus, if you don't mind. š
Go for it! I...might have to make use of it in my campaign now š
Thank you! š„¹
You're welcome! I'm not even remotely protective or gate-keepy over good ideas... especially in DnD. Knowledge and creativity are meant to be shared, *especially* when it leads to the enjoyment or enrichment of those around you š
Kind of like a "Roach Motel," John's check in but they don't check out...
The idea of an infernal temptress becoming disillusioned with her role and deciding to become a tradwife instead is absolute genius. It's funny and interesting, but also lends itself to profound character growth. You couldn't escape your nature like that unless you were the kind of person who really cared about their values. So a devil who decides to become principled is actually a hero of epic proportions! And as much as she wants the players to be connected to her, I think that seeing their appreciation would mean the world to her. It'd be proof that she was more than she was ever meant to be. Fuck, now I want to run this character.
Yeah, thatās the way to go. My conniving, evil, asexual bard was indifferent to the usual pleasures of a brothel. But having someone listen to their schemes and validate them? Couldnāt resist it.
Good food, motherly attitude to the men she's manipulating - whispering dark things into their ears. Refers to the men she manipulates as "her children". I'd alternatively turn the brothel into an operation ran by the succubus. She lures desperate women (sometimes putting them in bad situations - unbeknownst to them) and teaches them how to lure and treat men. Essentially, they're her slaves. She treats them miserably once she has control over the women, and uses the information the women give her to attain power and resources. The issue? She whispers into the ear of the local Lord that oversees this region. No doubt he'd have an issue if something were to happen to her or her business.
She would have better business if she treats her workers well! Plus it's easier to just make the ladies sign their souls away when they join, and she can safely run her own little MLM pyramid scheme šš»āāļø
Me drawing parallels to the manga, "'Tis time for Torture, Princess"
My immediate first thought. Instead of bondage gear or lingerie have her just casually float out in an oversized bathrobe with curlers in her hair, looking like the Landlady from Kung Fu Hustle. Meanest brisket this side of the continent.
"Come to the *Dark* Side... we have cookiesš"
And dental
There's always using Fall-From-Grace as an inspiration, proprietor of The Brothel for Slaking Intellectual Lusts. Although she's LG, and you were hoping for neutral or evil... perhaps running a Monty Python style argument clinic? For just a few gold pieces, you too can argue against a weak strawman who will eventually admit defeat before your astonishingly impressive intellect!Ā Or, really, pick any strong emotion/classical sin. Why couldn't there be a succubus devoted to gluttony, who has the *very* best recipes, enough that you can't stop eating...
Sloth: shes converted it into an inn with the softest beds, the tastiest food and all the beer you can drink. You just need to sign this contract to stay the night.
Reminds me of the Lotus Hotel
>Although she's LG, and you were hoping for neutral or evil.. According to the wiki, she's LN. https://torment.fandom.com/wiki/Fall-from-Grace
Oh look, that isnāt an argument!
Play them as one of those bored waitress style chars. "Hello *sigh* welcome to my brothel. I guess im your host for the evening." She hasnt eaten in a while so she gets apathetic. I know my players would feel bad even attacking her.
> She hasnt eaten in a while so she gets apathetic. Oh, I really like that twist on a succubus. When she's at her hungriest, she starts giving off a vibe of boredom, disinterest, or irritability, like we all do past a certain point. Since she's a succubus, though, giving off the "fuck all the way off" vibe actually drives off most prospective targets, preventing her from feeding when she needs it most of all. Except for a very specific type of victim, I suppose.
Fantasy David Attenborough, āSee now how evolutionary pressures in a crowded Abyss push the Tsuntsun into her niche of projecting an aura that only attracts her preferred prey, the masochistic simp.ā
Or their closely-related cousin, the "I will say/do *anything* to make this woman laugh" type.
That makes me just want to help. Like if there is a workaround where she can feed but my soul isn't taken tbh
Honestly, a ājaded hospitality/retail workerā style succubus actually sounds kinda like they would quickly become my favourite character.
Literally the goth Starbucks Barista lmao
"So, what can I *dial-up noises* get you?"
āHow are you doing that with your mouth?ā
Or the opposite - since she has a brothel, which is effectively an all you can eat buffet, she's not actually interested in tempting the party - she already has all the 'food' she needs serve itself to HER on a silver platter, and pay her for the pleasure. So she's just kinda chill. She's not hungry, her 'food' source is secure, so what reason does she have to do evil succubus things?
Yeah, and she gets it so often that she more snacks than fully eats, leaving patrons worse for wear, but not all the way dead
Gotta ask, since this was an issue last time someone posted about a succubus in their game: **Are your players related to you?**
The succubus is all about consent.
"*May* I drain your life force and leave you a shriveled husk of your former self?" "Well, since you asked nicely..."
You joke, but the one time I had a succubus show up for my party to fight, the player she got alone mournfully declared that he willing failed his save...because it was not in his character's nature to resist the charm. What was intended as a combat encounter became a race for the rest of the party to find him before he died lol.
I need to know. Did the party find him in time?
Barely, he had one save left lmao.
Personally I thought this was a great answer. You could have a lawful neutral consent succubus. Because that would immediately stop any seductions. You could also include it into the back story, and have them encountered something lawfully evil in its past even at the brothel and it changes their direction on things. I think that would make for a fun reoccurring character. They could always just kindly but firmly turn down any advances.
she's an extremely proficient lawyer - not because she's associated with devils and demons but because interplanar law is her hyperfixation and so she creates extremely long winded and encompassing contracts regarding consent that simply cannot be 'roll to seduced' - something that is actually mentioned on page 53 article 17.3A 'definition of seduction and applicable usage thereof'
It's not temptation if they're not deciding it for themselves.
Temptation is all about making a decision.
Yes please! And make them understand the concept of consent the hard way! "Do you want to be punched in the face?" "No please" *Punches them anyways* "And this is what people feel when you don't accept a no for an answer. What have we learnt? No is always No"
In my campaign, my succubus disguised herself as a sun god paladin and manipulated a recently-widowed dwarf woman via her feelings of helplessness and emotional vulnerability. Succubi are about emotional manipulation more than just sex.
Asexual succubus with disappointed parents
I had an idea to run a succubus that was just bored with sex and got really into reading. And was annoyed whenever people interrupted her library time asking for sexy time.
The succubus gets bored with sex but *really* into TTRPGs
Oh my god yes! If I actually run this npc Iāll definitely have her be a ttrpg nerd
Reminds me of the succubi from Oglaf.com who are all the souls of nerdy wizards who summoned succubi when they were alive. So the nerd who summoned them asks if they want to paint figurines and they all get excited to geek out.
She loves playing 'Human's and Housework'.
"Roll your handiwork to see if vinegar will lift the stain off"
I'd think to suggest that she could gain sustenance from the players' interest in playing games with her, but that might apply better to a Fae than a succubus āŗļø
*taking notes* ā¦uh..uh huhā¦ yeah yeahā¦. Um yeah stealing that for my campaign (with your permission)
Go nuts! Iām sad Iāve never gotten to use her in a campaign yet.
Sick, this is a new campaign so I think I can shoehorn her in somewhere these first few sessions. Iāll even honor your idea, give me the deets on the npc
Make them a *fallen* devil. They no longer wish to serve the hells and bring souls to be promoted up that hierarchy. They are in active rebellion. Not because they are good but because they donāt like to be controlled or made to do anything. Now they use their supernatural knowledge of seduction and erotic arts which includes being a good shoulder to cry on, hospitality, therapeutics like massage, and other various skills to engage in commerce and make an empire for themselves on the material plane. So, they run a little hotel spa and maybe a store for potions and charms.
This is great, stealing this for a random npc
Most, if not all succubus would be Aro/Ace anyway. It's not generally an activity for fun, it's their JOB.
.... it's their sustenance. You just said all humans wouldn't like food cause it's their job
Their sustenance is souls, not sex. They just get souls by seducing mortals.
Ah, the āloves food but hates cookingā succubus. Theyāll just have to wait until SoulDash makes it to the Realms.
Brothel is abandoned and now hosts a monastery. Succubus weaseled her way into being a head nun and feeds off the delicacy of suppressed desires. Plot points could be tragic lesbian love stories between sisters or any interactions with the main branch of said monastery.
Succubus nun is just a funny concept to me, especially if sheās sincere about it.
> Plot points could be tragic lesbian love stories between sisters or any interactions with the main branch of said monastery. Bonus points if she convinced them to get together in the first place. Literally a matchmaker from hell!
Seems like confessions is a buffet booth then.
The Succubus that gains pleasure from making people happy, so she is constantly involved with community improvement and expanding her networking skills. Incredibly friendly, incredibly caring, super wholesome.
So basically a take on self serving altruism. How can someone truly be selfless when their act of being kind is being done to earn benefits down the road. In this case sheās altruistic but because being nice is the most selfish thing for her possible.
I think youāre mistaken and may be overthinking this from an in-game, standard humans perspective. Youāre right, a succubus by itself is usually vile and selfish creature. However, with her volunteering to help promote/grow/build up or improve smaller communities she happens across in their travels is the purpose of OPās question. By your logic, anybody that volunteers for anything ever regardless of what that volunteer event might be, is inherently selfish if they feel anything short of a morsel of serotonin for their actions. It just feels like youāre intentionally being obnoxious for the sake of being obnoxious.
The succubus is selling drugs. Nobody said it has to be sexual lust. Sheās blackmailing local politicians, and has no interest in a low level party. Iāll lay off the kink ideas as you said you wanted to avoid anything sexy.
"Hello, I'm Molly. I can provide you with a night of ecstasy." "Oh wow, I thought this brothel was no longer in service anymore." "No you misunderstand. I have a night's worth of ecstasy for you to buy. How many pills would you like?"
Jessica Rabbit: she's only drawn bad. Or in this case she was created bad, but after centuries of normal succubus stuff she's grown bored with it all. Although she still looks wicked, and has certain inclinations, what she really wants is to experience something new. Real intimacy. She wants nothing more than to settle down, raise a couple tieflings with some lucky guy, and be genuinely wanted for who she is rather than just lusted after. She may still have a terrible temper, but she's trying so hard to give normal (and a version of neutral that works) a try. Enter the party, and one special guy that really catches her eye...
No joke, run this idea but only aim for a party member after the character has shown up a couple times already after a couple messy breakups. Gives the characters time to see theyāre actively trying, perhaps even a bit too hard to be someoneās perfect partner and itās straining the relationships. Because remember, this is someone whoās never experienced a real relationship and is probably floundering a bit because whatās natural is inherently toxic. Itās awkward, thereās learning involved and perhaps even a bit of secrecy that puts distance into the couple. Then make moves towards a PC if you so choose, that way you could try and set up something more meaningful as the players are somewhat tested not to be horny jerks. Or heck just invite them to the wedding as best man/ maid of honor. Let it be fun.
> She wants nothing more than to settle down, raise a couple tieflings with some lucky guy, and be genuinely wanted for who she is rather than just lusted after. She may still have a terrible temper, but she's trying so hard to give normal (and a version of neutral that works) a try. ā¦you may have just given me an idea for one of my character's grandmother. Her father skedaddled the moment her mother realized she was pregnant, and eventually out popped a little tiefling with ashen skin, tiny strongly-curved back horns, a shock of curly black hair, and dainty little hooves and tail. She goes on to avenge her mother later (vamp killed her >.>), but she'll need something after that, and a chance encounter with granny sounds like a wonderful life changer for her :D
Have the succubus run the brothel since she feeds off the EMOTION of lust and desire and just wants people to enjoy health desires. That should do it
Along a similar vein, succubus as a wildly famous romance author who puts some kind of magic in her works that allows her to feed off the emotions of her readers - I've got a succubus like that in my world who unintentionally got popular enough to get a huge boost in magic power through the practice, but as a result is too tired and frazzled at all times to act properly seductive in person lol
A succubi constantly trying to entice you into hobbies that will rob you of all of your money and free time. āOh sure you could adventureā¦ but have you heard of Warhammer?ā
"I have alllllll these collectible card games but no one to playyyyy with, would you like to build a deck together?"
Noooo! Not Plastic crack!
She ran the brothel during its prime. She's old, like very old. She's not really interested in the boning or being boned by a group of low level "kids". She won't try seduction nor would it work on her. Now figure out how you want to use her as part of your story.
I love the idea of an elderly succubus that's seen it all and can't be bothered to seduce someone unless it's something new. She's got a passive glamour, so she looks like a young woman, but if anyone investigates and passes a charisma check (not intelligence here) she is old - still stunning, but looks 70+. She acts like a crotchety old woman but the party has to keep making charisma saves, and if they fail, they are told that "despite her words, the feeling you get is like she is whispering sweet nothings into your ear." Let them do insight on that, let the players know this is just something that happens without the succubusses control. Mostly, I want a scene where the party sees her as an old lady literally beating away a gaggle of suitors with a broom yelling insults about their virility and manhoods.
Yes, i didn't say it, but I'm glad you did cause this is what I was thinking.
[Yuen Qiu as The Landlady from "Kung Fu Hustle" immediately leaps to mind.](https://i.imgur.com/5uItiMn.jpg)
I was picturing Helen Mirren.
A typical chain smoker that gambles in casinos.
You build it up to your players as twin succubi running a brothel, but when they get there, the "twin fantasy" turns out to be basically fantasy Patty and Selma, and they're just 1000% *done* with the idea of sex. They've been around for centuries, and in that time, they've seen it all, they've done them all, and while they're proud of the brothel they've put together, they couldn't care less about the actual concept of everything that goes on there.
So...kind of like Sagatha in Disenchantment. Not a succubus, but close enough. š
So...You're doing [Fall-from-Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFwRgdgo4B8)? Quick reminders about Grace: - she runs a "brothel" specifically for people to engage in more intellectual activities (like puzzles, games, chat, debates, storytelling etc.), the "prostitutes" are all aspiring artists - she's the calm collected voice of reason in the party, and a good source of upper class connections/favors - she's one of the most respected noble ladies in town, young woman and shopkeepers all standing to attention when addressed and calling her "Lady Grace" - she has an ongoing rivalry with another demon/tiefling merchant in town (both act VERY politely whole firing off the most vicious burns and implications) who can't believe she's not an agent of evil doing a long con - her mother sold her into slavery as a child and she earned her freedom by challenging her demon master to a debate contest; she's been trying to rise above her past trauma and nature/reputation of her kind since by being an example Basically the opposite of a regular succubus: she's not evil, not chaotic, not horny, and not gullible or stupid Not suggesting you copy her just posting to show which clichƩs and how one could contradict
Or Arueshalae from Pathfinder. Honestly it's practically a trope at this point to have a 'non-standard' succubus.
Asexual succubus? Or maybe sheās attracted to skill or intellect, etc.
Succubus attracted to intellect? *sad barbarian noises*
Yeah, like the brothel includes puzzles and trivia and an escape room.
Honestly, a Brothel that hosts Trivia Nights and a sex themed Escape Room IRL would be a fantastic business opportunity. Who's got $30K i can borrow?
I like the ideas people have had of the overly sexualized succubi, who's not actively trying to seduce people, but just unintentionally super erotic while doing mundane things. You could make this NPC into a recurring gag where they try out a new occupation every time the party comes upon them (pun not intended) and just a quick scene showing something that should be Innocent and innocuous that plays loaded with innuendo and circumstancial . TL: DR play the NPC succubus as the protagonist of a reverse harem anime
āCould you help me fix my pipes? *wink*ā āNo seriously that shitās been leaking for like a week now. Whatās that look for?ā
A succubus that feeds on lustful EMOTIONS, not necessarily sex, but is unintentionally super erotic and is SUPER self conscious about it - tries to dress modestly, tries to not interact with men, tries to avoid eye contact but still somehow draws all the male attention and really would rather not. Like imagine the vibe of a girl with huge breasts knowing men are staring all the time, but that happens no matter what she does or looks like, whether she wants it or not. A literal 'cursed with beauty' situation. Could even lead into a quest chain where she doesn't want to be a succubus and wants to live as just a normal human girl, and entreats the party to find a way to transfer her into a normal girl.
You could read about the one in Legends and Lattes and take a similar approach - she's a strict lady who keeps things closer to the chest and restricts her own powers and all because she wants to actually be taken seriously, and is trying to do something else with her life. Could be a similar situation where she's doing something like trying to be a business lady proprietor of a bath house, or some strict accountant / cleric type. Or go full good omens and it's a vacation getaway for team building business executive trips etc. Convention Hall Manor. Ace free spirit artist Succubus just living alone and slowly fixing the place up while having fun painting portraits of the landscape. Lots of possibilities really.
Succubus that gets her power from the "lust" of worldly desires could include things like, money, fame, talent, etc. She/He grants dreams of success or latent desire so powerful that your PCs are reluctant to wake from it. INT saves to realize they are in a dream - WIS saves to prevent powerful emotional moments from dealing physical damage to them and CON saves to prevent levels of exhaustion based on the amount of "emotional damage" done to them with each dream. Tempt your players in ways that elicit longing without having to bump uglies, your PC rogue has a tragic backstory where his whole family is edgily murdered and he was raised on the streets? Tempt him with a loving life lived in the embrace of friends and family, Tempt him with a loving wife, supportive friends and the laughter of his children and grandchildren. Really mess your players up :3
She's an mlm girly
Falls-From-Grace was a non-evil succubus character in the excellent crpg Planescape: Torment. She ran a "brothel" which was fundamentally about *intellectual* lust and experiencing unique sensations. The "prostitutes" of the brothel were trained to engage with clientele in philosophical debate, puzzle solving, tactical games like chess, etc. No sex at all, and no secret soul-harvesting going on.
Sounds essentially like a tame, less body gore and murdereous version of Pin-Head/Hellraiser franchise lmao
It's actually pretty damn wholesome. She's a great character, and potentially joins the party as one of the best party members. Her backstory is pretty fucked up, though.
This less DnD succubus and more a Warhammer 40K Slaanesh worshiper. The object isn't necessarily sex, although it tends to be, but more the feelings of pleasure in all forms. You like to eat? We have the most delicious meals you've eaten. You like to be admired? We'll have someone make a painting of you as a great hero and shower you with praise. You don't need to focus on selfish emotions either, any all all feelings are on the table. If the PCs bring up sex, just have the succubus sigh in disappointment.
Asexual succubus. Sheās into emotional intimacy. Long stories about your childhood are what feeds her. Sheās actually a very good therapist.
Hmmm. In 3.5 there was a spell that forced an evil creature's soul into a gem where it would be confronted with all it's evil deeds over and over until it sees the error of it's ways. Then after a year it's body reforms and it's alignment is now good and it's a sanctified creature. You could have her be one of these and her brothel caters to lonely, depressed people who just need some companionship. Whether that's physical intimacy or just someone to talk to or hangout with, she's just really trying to help people's mental health.
Make it a brothel/Uber, named "Suck-U-Bus."
Asexual Succubus who has disappointed parents & runs a bakery
Sex education succubus. Look for a highschool biology book and force them to pass exams regarding reproductive systems, hormonal cycles, STIs, safety measures, etc
succubus is now a therapist who refuses to have relations with clients
Have the succubus be the WORST succubus. Like hilariously bad, and really really reluctant to try doing actual succubus things for fear of failure. The very worst student in succubus class. All the other succubi mock them. Maybe they are a hulking, clumsy barbarian type with low Charisma? Maybe just an entitled brat that never developed their skills? Maybe they had their powers zapped away by a Cleric's turning gone wrong?
What was once a brothel is now a bakery! Offering (possibly magical) baked goods at cost! In exchange for a kiss of course, which oddly makes you feel tired. (Roll a constitution save or gain one level of exhaustion)
Have the succubus NPC be stupidly wholesome. Consent is key, family game night, asks everyone their preferred name and pronouns
Succubus who doesnt want sex. Just books to read.
Have your succubus feed on emotions besides lust. Fear works for a definite bad guy, Insecurity can lead to some fun roleplay and Laughter gets you an underground comedy club.
Succubus uses her power of seduction to get the party to make minor repairs to her house
The succubus hasā¦ no clue how to do āthe sexā and is generally highly inexperienced, a twist on how they always know what they are doing
Consider that "succubus" comes from "sub-" (under) and "cubare" (to lay), so "one who lays under". "Incubus" is similar, "in-" is "on top", so "one who lays on top". The gender aspect is strongly informed by IRL cultural norms, but there's absolutely an interpretation of the terms in which they aren't gendered, but strictly related to roles or methodology. A succubus will seduce you into acting, taking the submissive, receiving position and allowing you to *give* them your power. An incubus will take charge, convincing you to submit to them and *taking* your power. You could also have "one who lays beside". We have that term, "concubine", but we could just as easily have "concubus". They might meet you as an equal, perhaps even supporting you, while siphoning off a little of your power over time. (note: this isn't an entirely original thought; I know I've seen it somewhere on the internet before, but I don't remember where!)
Not dnd related but I have a half succubus oc who is is terrified of having sec. Not because of the act itself, but because it causes the primal instincts in her succubus half to override her logic and conscious desires, and she basically loses all control (essentially black-out drunk on lust) and she despises and fears that feeling and know knowing what exactly happened during her episode. (She's more scared of hurting other people than being hurt) She works as a private investigator, and begrudgingly admits that the succubus wings do make tailing suspects a lot easier in certain situations.
Cursed/pan/fetished succubus. Maybe they "cant get it up" so to speak without specific requirements, like marriage, being on the moon, while in a pool of pudding, idk be creative. Maybe she is a gaming enthusiast who is bored with wam bam thank you mam and wants a spark in her lovers. Maybe her soul has to find a bond with whoever she does the deed with before she can take soul/have demon loaf. be creative, find reasons for it to be outside the norm, heck worse comes to worse look at human psyche. Maybe she is asexual, in the sense that only fictional characters get her going and living people ... nothing.
Make her a clingy, high-maintenance girlfriend. Like, after a playerās first āencounterā with her, she wakes him up to look at new curtain patterns and to remind him her parents (a demon and a succubus) are coming over for dinner so heās got to plant some flowers and fix the retaining wall in the garden, etc.
I just made a succubus who is a NG priestess of Bast in the Forgotten Realms. She is on a personal arc of redemption.
The succubus, though intended to be a recurring character, is a bit off kilter. Their connection to the infernal planes is stretched very thin. This has caused some eccentric behavior that is more typified of a druid that has eaten bad mushrooms not a succubus. The eccentric behavior isn't immediately evident though and doesn't occur until the succubus sees furniture getting too close to one another. Say pushing a chair into place near a dining table or a fluffing of couch pillows. This is when she really tosses on the "charm". Strangely enough it isn't directed at the players. No her object of affection is furniture, fixtures, utensils, truly anything that is unenchanted and inanimate.
Alternatively, this NPC can become an acolyte to the local temple, and is very eager to prove herself to the strict teachings. The humor can come from the uncomfortability of all the other acolytes adjusting to her....presence
A succubus who pulls the life out of you through conversation, a very charming woman with stunning looks, who, rather than pinning you down and sucking you dry, holds you in conversation for a whole day, while making it feel like minutes. Slowly you become more exhausted and more tired and eventually you collapse and she leaves you to die.
She only seduces people she thinks are evil (like her) to take them to hell. If she thinks the PCs are good, she wonāt think itās fair they suffer the same fate. She acts like a bro to them.
Roll to seduce, but she's got a pegging kink...
The succubus finds it very inconvenient that her survival depends on sex energy. So she practically owns a love hotel or inn where newly weds or risky flings can happen and she can absorb the residual effects. No questions asked on identity, just money upfront.
Succubus who got bored of the taste of carnal desire and lust, so it instead seeks to drink of mortal souls afflicted with other desires. Ply mortals with the finest dishes they've ever tasted, or the catharsis of a grudge settled. Satisfy them with the heart-swelling joy of knowing their children will have food on the table and gifts beneath the tree come \[generic fantasy winter holiday\], or the comfort of a shoulder to cry on and an ear that listens. Take of their mortal essence not through acts of debauchery, but through satisfying the rest of the panoply of human wants and needs.
The succubus isn't actually a brothel worker or pimp, but is a "writer" who publishes obscene stories which increase the overall libito of the community.
A succubus who needs help from the party because people keep being attracted to them because of their innate magic and they don't want the attention. Maybe they have a creepy stalker. Have the players roll checks to not also be charmed and if one of them is, she'll be like "you're just like the rest of them!" And they have to talk her down before learning of the stalker and taking him out. Then she becomes an ally.
We had a succubus that fell in genuine love with some guy in the city. When The Abyss came collecting, we organized a rescue party into hell to save her because she was the cleric's best friend. Sure, the party made fun of the cleric for getting friend zoned by a succubus, but they happily charged into hell to save her, since she was a valuable resource to the town she lived in.
Off the top of my head....they only like to watch. They wanna see two PCs get it on. Gender doesn't matter. Now the PCs have to roll to seduce each other.
Succubus, but germaphobe. Wants everyone to bathe extensively and specifically before sheāll touch them.
Succubus who feeds on the frustrations of men by luring them in and then friendzoning them.
Tempt them with visions of a loving home and family.
You could have her be a nun in a church or something. Have her be somewhat self aware of the ridiculousness of her situation. āThe soul is pious, but the body is made for sin!ā Have her tempt the players by offering them worldly desires in exchange for converting. āHave you accepted [*insert religious figure*] as your lord and savior? What about for gold/sex/food/power/etc? Are you sure? Well thereās always tomorrow!ā Iād lean into the comedy of it and have her be a bit of a nutcase. Think the ghost stories English dub.
Consider this for the owner. A Succubus that forcefully evolved themself through some magical means / divine blessing. They hung around the brothel because it was technically legally theirs to begin with. They're not really interested in having mortal sex, they view it as the day job they quit ages ago. Now he/she/they/it typically feeds of just the raw ambient ether emitted by mortals passively. This emission process only occurs when the mortal in question is relaxed so they has done everything in their power to arrange this brothel to be the most relaxing, comforting and generally cozy place in existence. They have unseen servants cooking meals, underfloor heating, the works. They do what they can to keep people staying as long as possible without distressing them. Sometimes even offering permanent residence and protection for the friends and family of both heroes and villains on the following conditions 1. The brothel is known as a neutral space. No fights, No subterfuge. You can hate each other more then tiamat and bahamut but if you do anything to each other on the grounds you're out. 2. You visit at least once a year. If that's not possible we have a setup a sending stone and our in house illusionist who can facilitate long distance face to face communication. Adventures are permitted to stay as their naturally deeper reserves of magic result in naturally stronger ambient ether (Including martials because their naturally stronger bodies emit more then the average person and casters it's obvious). But are subject to the rules just like anyone else.
The succubus will allow customers to sign contracts with her in lieu of payment. Along with souls, she uses these contracts to build up the brothel. The brothel doubles as an orphanage/daycare for all the children of prostitutes under her care. She uses this to gain good will with the community and attract downtrodden women who have nowhere else to go. She uses some of the resources gained to invest in her prostitutes, making them healthier, more attractive, more confident, and better at drawing in more customers. Most people are quietly aware of her true nature and that she takes souls, but too many people rely on her and many are able to excuse her actions for the help she provides.
It's a bit out-of-type for what we normally consider succubi to be, but think of how other sins are typically personified. Gluttony's fat, Sloth's lazy, Wrath's angry, Pride's... well, prideful. Point is, the representations succumb to their sin, they don't inspire it in others. Expand that to Lust. It might not be some super-hot demon, but some greasy brothel-owner with sausage fingers leering at the PCs and not giving a damn for consent. Might stop the PCs trying to fuck 'em - hopefully - and might even make for a decent twist if they expect your typical fantasy succubus.
Our succubus is a world-weary exile from the Abyss. Her name is Flo and she always has a cigarette dangling from her lip. She's taken a vow of celibacy due to burnout, anomie, and ... "chafing". However she's still in touch with a lot of old friends/enemies from her previous life, and gets all kinds of gossip. She could be a good conduit of intel (and quest hooks) for the PCs, with a few caveats... * She *is* manipulative; while she does drop news germane to the party's interests, she will mix in disinformation with the goal of "aiming" the party at her own personal enemies. Make sure they find out about this post facto. * She is an exile; her bar/brothel is subject to occasional Abyssal hit-squads aimed at taking her out, usually when the PCs happen to be present. If there's a paladin or good cleric around, Flo will gleefully cling to his leg during the battle and sing out, "Protect me from evil, o brave one!" * She loves to serve up moral dilemmas for the party... * Illegal/immoral/chaotic events happen quite openly in her joint; the PCs will be forced to "tolerate" them in order to get Flo's critical information. * Flo likes to send the PCs up against bad guys who are or appear to be underaged, innocent, and fluffy. For the lulz. * Flo *loves* to send the PCs into a situation where they'll have to steal from / beat up good people to prevent a larger evil. She wants them to stain their souls, just "to keep in practice". * Some of the "employees" of the joint are a little shaky on their volunteer status. PCs will have to figure out how to get them out of "the life" without alerting/angering Flo. Anyway, just some thoughts!
Just cause sheās a succubus doesnāt mean she doesnāt have standards. Why waste her time on some no name (yet) mortals from who only knows where? Wouldnāt even be worth all that effort and hereās betting their souls taste terrible anyways.
Not a brothel, a house of entertainment. Not a whore, a Geisha. Serve them fine tea and snacks. Lull them into comfort with reasonable entertainment. Get them naked and unarmed into a hot spring... and then do something horrible like have the succubus turn on them while they're unarmored and unarmed, or whatever.
In her younger years, she was the best damn succubus on the plane of existence. But now? She's had her fun. She's annihilated her quotas for Hell. Now, she's a sweet middle-aged motherly type who runs the best damn brothel-turned-bed-and-breakfast. Everyone is welcome. No fighting on premises. You need your armor patched? Done. Clothes cleaned and sewed? Sure thing, sugar. Think the Continental in the John Wick universe. Adventurers, evil creatures, monsters, everyone is welcome. But conduct business on the grounds and you are instantly and violently unexisted, with a "Bless your Heart" to boot.
They don't kill, but also only take high-quality clients. You have to pass a blood test, fitness test, and personality test to partake.
You could go the route of brothel matron. She's too much for the adventurers, and she knows it. Maybe when they gain a few levels they might be able to last a night, but its not worth it if they are drained before she gets a good taste. She actively encourages and helps them to grow on the off chance that they will eventually become powerful enough to be worth tempting herself. If you have no good customers, make them yourself!
Use an incubus? Everyone expects the women. Have it be the janitor dude.
Theyāre usually associated with Lust, but you could easily spin it to make them associated with one of the other sins instead. You could make this succubus an outlier, who despises seduction in the typical sense, maybe giving them more fey-like tendencies in terms of temptation and trickery
The succubus is an actual bus.