Corruption

Within the depths of the Cathedral dwells an uncontrollable Evil. This Evil has been sitting, uncontrolled and unprotected for an age unknown, and it's essence has festered and grown over the many years, as it waited for the moment it would be free.

Protecting yourself from this is impossible. Resistance is futile. No-one comes out unscathed.

Using Influence

The main story is about finding a worthy vessel to contain the Spirit of Diablo, and this system can add both an extra level to the game, for both you and the players, as well as determining who is the one that can be the sacrifice for Diablo.

This system is optional, and will lead to the potential end of all characters involved in this campaign. Be sure to let the players know this before continuing.

Resisting and Embracing

This system uses a resource called Influence. Influence is a resource used when the players come into contact with something so overwhelming that their defenses are weakened, and the evil can seep in. These interactions can be a player choice, the environment, or even some items they may find within the Cathedral depths. Players react to it in one of two ways; they can Resist, or they can Embrace it; but be carfeul that you don't lose control.

As the game progresses, these interactions will become more unreal, or gruesome, testing the player's sanity, devotion, or strength of will.

• Resisting is when a player chooeses to force themselves to deny, defy, or detest the Influence that is trying to corrupt them. This is difficult at first, but becomes easier as time goes on. Be warned though; when a player reaches the maximum amount of Influence in their Resistance tree, they are lost to their cause.
• Embracing is when a player willingly chooses to accept the Influence. This is dangerous however, as uncontested, players can quickly lose themselves to the Influence within the Cathedral.

Inflicting Infuence

Influence can be imposed at any time. If a player chooses to do something corruptive, or if the party interacts with something that might shake them to their core. Some items may inflict Influence as well, that players can choose to Embrace or Resist when they first come in contact.

Each interaction will cause 1 point of Influence by defualt. Some more powerful interactions can cause more, depending on the situation. Additionally, some situations can force players to either Resist, or Embrace the Influence.

The campaign notes will have suggested interactions, and items that can cause Influence. Additionally, you the DM, can control any other situations you feel may be worthy.

It is important to note, that it is not the goal to Corrupt the characters as quickly as possible - simply to provide corruptive situations to push them through the Influence tree. Managing Influence is up to the Players, and is their decisions that may lead to full Influence, or not.

Resisting

Resistance is the act of refusing to accept the will of the evils that lurk within the Cathedral. But even the strongest of wills cannot completely reject the overbearing force of it all.

When a player chooses to Resist, should they succeed, they will not recieve any additional Influence points. Should they fail however, they must choose where to allocate the points. There are three types of Resistance:

• Delusion is when a character simply cannot accept the situation. They will mentally reject the situation, whatever stimulus it might be, passing it off as illusion or hallucination.
• Defiance is when a character chooses to see the stimulus as an imposition on their values.*
• Radicalism is when a character is openly provoked by the situation. The stimulus causes them to become angered, to the point of physical aggression.

Each interaction with Influence has a base DC. Resisting is done by rolling 1d20, and adding your current total Resistance score. If you succeed, you do not gain any Influence points. If you fail however, you must allocate the points into the Resistance tree.

As a character's Influence points build in their Resistance types, they may eventually reach a point where they will gain new abilities, deficits and boons to their existing abilities. Should a character ever reach the point where one type of Resistance reaches the maximum amount of points allowed (20^[1]), they will need to check if they are able to keep their sanity (see "Losing to the Influence").

Embracing

Embracing the Influence is the act of allowing the evils within the Cathedral to grant you strength. The evils will grant you power, but selling your soul does come at a cost.

When they gain Influence by Embracing, the player can allocate them among three types:

• Temptation is when the character sees the situation as enticing. The dark thoughts in the back of their minds grow louder.
• Darkness is when the character simply accepts the situation as the intended outcome. This is what we all deserve.
• Hatred is when the character sees the situation as a power or force greater than their own. Envy grows to jealousy; to Hatred.

Embracing does not require the player to make any checks. Instead, when players reach certain levels of Influence through Embrace, the Influence will affect them more strongly. This will double, then triple at each stage of the Embrace tree^[3]. Should a character ever reach the point where one type of Embrace reaches the maximum amount of points allowed (20^[2]), they will need to check if they are able to keep their sanity (see "Losing to the Influence").

Removing Influence

Removing the Influence is nigh impossible. But it can be done. Only those of strong enough will can do so, and only in dedicated rejection of the stimulus.

• When a player is faced with Influence, they can make a resistance roll, at disadvantage. If a player succeeds at this roll, they are able to remove double^[1] the total amount of Influence that the interaction is inflicting. For example, if an interaction is forcing 2 points of Influence, the character will recover 4 points in total, from anywhere they have gained it. If they fail however, they must allocate the points into the Resistance tree, as per normal^[3].
• If a player chooses, they can go an extended period of time without using any abilities that the Influence has granted them. These might be not using the abilities, or the boons granted to them at different levels of Resistance or Embrace. This might be a Boss Encounter, or travelling through a floor of the dungeon without using these abilities. Any feat or period of time that the DM sees as worthy.
• ^[4]

Any other tasks, or feats that you as the DM deem worthy of absolving the character of Influence, you may also grant them absolution, as you see fit.

At any point that a player tries to remove Influence, they cannot drop below the bracket of the first degree in any tree. That is, if a Resistance type or Embrace type is at 5 points or below^[1], they cannot remove Influence from that type.

Losing to the Influence

The mind can only handle so much before it is swayed one way or the other. When a character reaches the maximum amount of points in one of the 6 types of Resistance or Embrace, they are on the brink of madness; either they cannot accept the reality of their surroundings anymore, or the dark powers are able to sway them to join the forces of evil.

When a character reaches this point, they must make an extra effort to Resist the Influence, or be lost forever. If a player reaches the maximum in a Resistance type, they must roll a Wisdom save, and if they reach the maximum in an Embrace type, they must roll a Constitution save. The DC is 10, however, the player must make this save at any time they are attempting any other roll that requires a d20. This could be a skill check, an ability save, an attack roll, etc., then they can allocate the rolls to either check.

For example, the player might be faced with a Constituiton save vs. poison. They roll 2d20, and they get a 4, and a 12. They can choose to either take a failure vs the Influence, or fail to resist the poison.^[5]

To Be Reviewed

• Any items marked with a "*" need to be reviewed in regards to wording.
• [1] Test values

• [2] May need to be reviewed in terms of numbering. If some situatuions cause more than 1 base point, triple values (maximum of 6) may push characters one whole Tier ahead, and potentially into The loss of character.

  A potential solution might be to allow players to allocate pounts into multiple Embrace types per interaction. Eg. 2 points into Temptation, 2 points into Darkness, 2 points into Hatred.

• [3] Failing a Resistance roll in this situation carries no punishment. Maybe instead of double, the success and failure only remove/add one extra point. Eg. if the Influence is 2, the player can only remove, or must add 3 points total.
• [4] Potentially add another (or more) suggestions/rulings to remove Influence.
• [5] DC may be affected by other types above tier 3 (15 points). If a player has reached max in one resistace type, and is also above 15 in both other resistance types, the save is DC10+2.
• Characters lost to max reistance might be replaced by some form of "ascended" Player Character. Use their flaw as an advantage, perhaps?

At this point in time, the Degrees of Resistance/Embrace have not yet been written.

Ideally, the first Degree should be small. A +2 to one skill, -2 to another. The second degree is bigger. Advantage to one ability checks/saves (Str Saves, or Dex saves), disadvantage to another. Third Degree is a unique ability; at the cost of gaining an additional Influence point with each use.

Playtest Information

• This system is intended for a party of level 1 to 5.
• Characters should approxiamtely reach one Degree on Influence per floor of the dungeon.
• If a character reaches maximum Influence in one branch of either tree (Resist/Embrace), replace them with an appropriate creature from the MM.

Intention of playesting is to test the values listed in the text - level progression, stat changes, etc.