Demonology

Sorcerers are human beings who summon and command demons. Demons are beings from Outside our reality. When they enter ours, they are capable of bending its rules in ways both subtle and overt.

For the most part, demons don't get entirely inside our universe. They're really just sticking their toes in, seeing how the water is, and causing big ripples. When a team of Specialists "destroys" one, there's always a chance someone will summon it right back up. That's why it's important to confiscate or destroy a sorcerer's spellbooks, talismans, and other paraphenalia.

Summoning demons isn't easy- it might be the easiest way to a given goal, but it involves a fair amount of work. Most critically, summoing involves a personal investment in the outcome. You can't bring forth a creature from the outer hells if you don't give a crap. Your average sorcerer has a very strong Motive, even if it seems stupid.

Once a sorcerer has called forth a demon, it takes a physical Form, or attaches itself to the physical form of something else.

Of course, the big draw of summoning demons is the array of Powers they can bestow upon or use in the service of their masters.

In order to maintain a demon's tractability, powers, and existence in our plane, a sorcerer must make regular Sacrifices.

All of these guidelines, by the way, are really just there to make your job as GM easier. If you need to break them, go ahead; they're not really rules, and changing them around probably won't break anything.

GM Option: What are Demons, Anyway?

The default assumption in these guidelines is that demons are weird creatures from Outside our reality. Rather like Cthulhu and company, but with more personality and servility. And, really, "personality" just means "meanstreak." Their nature doesn't matter too much, since the game's real antagonists are the sorcerers themselves.

On the other hand, something else might work better for your game. Maybe demons are the rebellious parts of the collective unconcious- the parts that think Good and Evil are full of it. Or perhaps they're fallen angels right out of [i]Paradise Lost[/i].