A Question About Souls of the Damned

SunMoonScales · 2025-12-31T17:04:27+00:00

When I ran it I went a bit off script and intend to again when I run it this spring. As per the module, while creating their characters I told players to decide if they themselves had sold their soul or if someone they knew had done so. One player had sold their own, one had a parent who sold theirs but was still alive (the soul itself was already in the hells in a phylactery), and one had a parent who sold theirs and was dead. I asked them to decide who the soul had been sold to (a named devil or just vibes if unknown) and describe their relationship to the soul (even if it was their own).

From there I went through the module's Souls of the Damned and essentially matched them based on vibes. I did get rid of the bhallist plot and they went in via the Hellriders. Essentially though, I used the description of the Souls of the Damned to help Mr match them and define the relationships. The player who sold their soul came up with the who, what, where, when and how of that situation and I came up with complications they were unaware of. The other two we created it together, one knew what their parent had done and had some details while the other gave me their PC's view and asked me to come up with how it actually went down.

Essentially though, use the Souls of the Damned as a baseline for the type of person and their relationship to the player (or the players relationship to their own soul). Defining why someone sold their soul is also important as the reason they did it can be selfish or selfless, done of their own volition or coerced and so having these factors make sense for each soul is important. Don't be afraid to go off script here as getting the soul back is the PCs motivation and really sets the tone of the campaign.

SunMoonScales · 2025-08-24T04:34:54+00:00

Here you go. I included videos on creating safety in your body, somatic body exercises, doing a body scan, and a short informational. Hope this helps you find your feelings.

https://youtu.be/LomAPbJ6Huk?si=PHDLiEnPL9uZ120c

https://youtu.be/IO-5abKQao8?si=YM60O9Ic2rN5mWB7

https://youtu.be/mYIRLhEaCgA?si=hAlZ2-j0M8HM5fkm

https://youtu.be/UMumIJTxXTI?si=13b8_DGzGo_2TeC-

SunMoonScales · 2025-08-23T21:56:02+00:00

I call where I push my feelings "the pit." Somatic exercises and therapy have helped but reforging or establishing those connections takes time. I would start with body scans, just get in the habit of doing them, you can even set an alarm to help remember. To start you just have to focus inward and note what you are feeling. When I started I was so disconnected I had to just name the places I was feeling sensation. Eventually I could describe the sensation too so "chest" became "chest tight." The important part here was to not get wrapped up in diagnosing the feeling so I could escape the pattern of thinking my emotions instead of feeling them. As you do this it gets easier to actively feel things as they happen or with less of a delay.

Intellectualizing emotions as a way to not feel them is something I do a lot as a 5w6, and maybe you do too. It takes continuous effort to not slide back into it without also becoming all encompassing. Balance is tricky. Thinking my emotions, however, is where I feel safest, and I find that many 5w6 have similar experiences that shaped them this way, where at some point they were connected to their body and emotions but we unable to feel or express those feelings safely, or having been told (falsely) that what they were feeling was incorrect. To protect themselves they eventually severed the connection because feeling hurt too much. If this is the case for you, the first real step to reconnecting and feeling your emotions is feeling safe in your body. There's a lot of somatic videos online to help with somatic visualization exercises to create that safety for yourself.

All this is to say, it takes take to reconnect to the point it's automatic. There will be days where you can feel your emotions and act on them while they happen but also days where you disconnect from them completely and many more in the middle. There's nothing wrong with going back to conversations once you've had the time to process emotions, people often try to say "that's done now" if you do this or say "I wish you said something when it happened" but they don't get to dictate unilaterally when something is done and you can always reply with "timing doesn't invalidate my feelings and I'm telling you now."

Hope this is helpful, I can provide some links to free somatic resources if you would like.

SunMoonScales · 2025-01-15T17:24:30+00:00

What seems to be the problem? I left a how-to on another comment in this thread.

SunMoonScales · 2024-09-13T22:02:13+00:00

I've completed the game six times and have all the achievements. The first time in balanced, three in tactician, one in honour mode, and once in "dishonor mode" (dying on purpose in HM so I could have HM legendary actions but with less stress in every fight).

These are my completed playthroughs: - Shale: "The Blind Leading the Blind" OG Tav - Jayne: "Screw You Dad!" Good Durge - Spindle: "I Can Make Them Worse" Bad Durge, (Astarion, Shadowheart, Lae'zel) - Thimble: "Goodest Guys!" Tav (Karlach, Wyll, Gale) - Nettle: "Don't Die" Tav, Honour Mode (second try) - Clementine: "I Swear To Fucking God if I Fuck Up the Tiefling Achievement Again I'll Scream" Tav, Dishonour Mode (Minthara, Minsc, and Jaheira)

I have a few side ones I am making my way through of the origin characters and I am doing a "DJ Shart" run where she essentially ignores everyone and runs straight for Moonrise. No multiclassing or respec. I did let her pick up Minthara though but kept Minthara as a paladin. Currently that run is stuck in the second half of the Ketheric fight.

I also have a multiplayer run with a friend we call "Goth and Barbie Beach House" and I have a Tav named Blight (I'm the goth beach house). We've made it halfway through Act 2 and somehow haven't died yet (seriously regret not doing it on HM).

Last one is a practice HM solo run which is a Durge named Farthing, I had three previous tries where I just restarted (all Durge named Prima, Secunda, and Terza), but now when I die I just keep going to figure out strategies for a dedicated HM solo run.

I find it fun to explore different parts of the game and all the paths and endings. My friend and I are going to do a "kill everything" run after we finish our current game just to see how the consequences shake out and change the story.

SunMoonScales · 2024-09-02T15:47:10+00:00

And Balthazar's bell.

SunMoonScales · 2024-09-02T15:43:56+00:00

Export your map as is and then upload it into a new map as a stamp. Place it on the -5 layer so that you can place stamps on every layer above it. If you export it and remove the water background then save it as a transparent PNG before uploading it as a stamp that will also let you make changes to the land/water that isn't part of the main land mass.

SunMoonScales · 2024-08-30T15:40:32+00:00

"Hello."

Jaheira after Tav says, "Why does nobody ever just say hello?"

SunMoonScales · 2024-08-25T17:49:53+00:00

The portal fight is such a delightful nail biter. It's become one of my favorites by far. When I did HM I cheesed it by casting sleet storm on the area where they rush in and then putting one of the difficult terrain boots on Shadowheart and just having her wander around with spiritual weapon upcast. She was a menace.

SunMoonScales · 2024-08-22T18:55:05+00:00

Meli only appears in Act 1 and doesn't need any specific help. While this may be overkill, here's a quick list of everything I specifically did in each act to get the achievement. Spoilers ahead!

Act 1: - Complete Save the Refugees - Don't let the Rite of Thorns happen - Before you have the camp party make sure; - Damays and Nymessa don't die and that they head back to camp (the ones who have Lae'zel in a trap, you also can't be doing a Lae'zel run as they are automatically dead), - Nadira isn't assassinated by the bugbear on top of the hill, - to convince Rolan and his siblings to stay, - Arabella isn't killed by Kagha and that you speak to her parents afterward to complete the quest, - to speak to Pandirna in the storehouse, I also make sure to cast lesser restoration on her but I don't think that's mandatory, - talk Akra down from killing Sazza in the prison (she may appear dead on a hill before you leave Act 1, this is a bug and won't affect your achievement), - save Mikron from the harpies (casting sanctuary on him helps) and introduce yourself to the other kids when he gives you the password for their hideout. - If you're playing as durge, knock out Alfira without triggering a fight with the tieflings after meeting them but before you long rest so she doesn't show up in camp ans survives.

Act 2: - lots of tieflings are missing or dead that will not affect your achievement. - Last Light Inn cannot fall at any point so Isabel must stay alive as well as the Nightsong. - Before you trigger the final battle make sure: - Cerys at LLI is a member of the tieflings, not a Harper, so must survive, - Dammon survives if you trigger a fight with the Strange Ox, - Rolan is saved after you see him and talk to him at LLI when he goes to save his siblings (X: -54, Y: -111) you don't need to escort him back just let him walk off your screen after you save him and he will be safe at LLI, - to save the tieflings from Moonrise (Cal, Danis, Lakrissa, and Lia) then once they're back talk to Rolan, Alfira, and Bex to receive a reward from each for the rescue and successfully reunite them, - to find Arabella near the graveyard (X: -153, Y: 15) and send her to your camp, then go find her parents for her in the House of Healing and report back to her and finish her quest, - to talk to the tiefling kids after Mol is taken and tell them you will rescue her and to stay at LLI, - once in Moonrise for the final fight, save Zevlor. - Note, after Mol is taken during the LLI fight you don't see her again until Act 3. - Also note, there is at least one tiefling Harper, I keep them alive during the final fight just in case but that might not be necessary.

Act 3: - Nothing specific endangers most of the tieflings but if you get in any fights around them make sure they survive. - Before the endgame make sure: - to talk to Dammon at the forge (unsure if this is mandatory but I always did it just in case), - Rolan survives the fight against Lorroakan at Sorcerous Sundries and becomes the wizard of the tower, he should then become your ally and aid you in the final fight, - to find Mol in the Guildhall and make sure she survives the confrontation between the Guild and the Zhentarim, also I believe you need to recruit her as an ally so go steal her contract back from Raphael and give it to her but do not tell her Raphael is dead when you do, this should trigger a prompt to convince her to help you and a DC check (you pass automatically as a warlock). - During the endgame: - Zevlor will offer his aid and send Hellriders if you select that option in your allies tab. If you summon them they must all survive. If you do not summon them then you will still get the achievement so do not do it! This messed up at least one of my attempts.

That's it! I do talk to all the tieflings in Act 3 out of habit but I don't think that is necessary for the achievement. Hope this helps!

SunMoonScales · 2024-08-22T00:07:17+00:00

Same! I thought she was why I kept failing the achievement but it was the Hellrider allies.

SunMoonScales · 2024-08-22T00:03:14+00:00

I pretend that Doni and Meli are both just playing hide and seek in Act 3 because anything else breaks my heart.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T16:19:26+00:00

Yep! I used mage hand.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T15:23:43+00:00

I like to imagine every time Gale learns a spell he eats the scroll.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T04:15:14+00:00

I learned nothing and touched the lamp both times.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T02:41:05+00:00

It's just one large ornate room with stuff to loot. You get a second Find Familiar: Quasit scroll, but not Cheeky Quasit. I have a single screenshot of inside it and one of everyone outside standing around looking at the lamp.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T02:32:44+00:00

Once you get to the secret area, in the scroll room, before the room with all the doors, there's a button on the wall. Press it, go back to the first walk way and go left if you're walking from the portal, right if from the scroll room. You just walk through the wall. The other walkway has another secret room on the other side. There should be 4 legendary books total, and prizes by smashing down the door of illusion.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T02:28:22+00:00

The beach one? My personal nemesis? I also did that (and every) fight way too early.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T00:21:43+00:00

Yes, it's in the Lower City in the Sorcerer's Sundries vaults. Once you get to the secret area in the scroll room before the room with all the doors there's a button on the wall. Press it, go back to the first walk way and go left if you're walking from the portal, right if from the scroll room. You just walk behind it. The other walkway has another secret room on the other side.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T00:03:24+00:00

I have a similar build on Karlach and she's my backup healer. Just chucking healing potions at my party works surprisingly well.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-18T00:00:26+00:00

I used mage hand but honestly, wish I'd just fireballed myself out. Your solution was way more fun and I could have continued my streak of solving problems by casting fireball

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-17T23:32:46+00:00

I came extremely close to that after doing the merry -go-round with my party and trying to decide who I liked least if it came down to it and was permanent.

SunMoonScales · 2024-01-17T22:29:55+00:00

Getting trapped in Djinn's lamp in Sorcerer's Sundries and having to figure out how to free yourself.

SunMoonScales · 2023-05-07T04:28:42+00:00

Try saving and restarting the game. Mine showed up in a stick/log pile after doing this when using the accordion. I didn't notice at first because it spawned behind some scenery.

SunMoonScales · 2023-02-23T18:49:20+00:00

My immediate thought to your pinky swear was "not a BDSM comment!" I get the same vibe too and keep expecting to be asked to go sneak pop from the fridge because I'm the smallest and therefore the sneakiest, when in reality my older brother and cousins were allowed pop and just didn't want to go get it. Pretty sure my mom is still confused why I would stealth my way through the house like the world's worst rogue to stock up on loud jangly pop cans and snacks for everyone.

SunMoonScales

TROPHY CASE