What sort of quest reward should you expect from an archangel?

>just in case
Why the hell would an archangel be rewarding adventurers if he didn't send them out on the quest in the first place? He should expect them to come back and would have ample time to get something prepared. As for what the reward will be, it could come in a myriad of forms from a bag of silver to holy artifacts to a personal favor from a divine being to putting a good word in with The Big Guy.

>>54396101
A younger, less experienced Angel to mentor and is eager to serve.

>>54396101
Sincere thanks, congratulations, and a blessing of some sort.

>>54396255
Open bounty, I guess?

"It has been passed down through the holy texts that he who defeats the BBEG will be given a level-appropriate reward."

>>54396101

Depends on the angel's portfolio, right? If they're all about stepping on necks like Michael, a level-appropriate reward would be holy weaponry or armor. Or belts.

A generic Archangel with no particular martial aptitude might had them a magical cup with wondrous properties.

Or a blessing of conditional favour.

>>54396974
Do you figure Mike would give you equipment usually issued to the host, or something made by human hands offered to heaven as tribute that was stockpiled for just such an occasion?

Would having a fighter running around with a literal flaming sword from heaven be an issue from a balance perspective?

>>54396101
A favor.

>>54396101
I did something like this. The angel in question gave each member of the part a "Free Pass".
Basically, with this you can commit any crime and with this you can void the charges. This works for past crimes too.

>>54396652
Still, that implies something is prepared and on-hand. If the players capture Black Bart for the local constable, the guards don't go digging between the seat cushions hoping for a bit of spare change and a +1 stale saltine; they've already established a reward and have it on hand (or as on hand as bureaucratically appropriate).

>>54397117
Well, what does a heavenly flaming sword do? If the answer is just "fire damage" I'm sure it's fine.

>>54397273
Heavenly Flaming Sword
Minor artifact
Functions as a +1 Flaming Longsword, except as follows:
The weapon bypasses DR/Good.
The weapon inflicts an additional 164 points of sonic damage when used to strike an evil creature. This additional damage is doubled against creatures with the Evil subtype.
The bearer has a -30 penalty on all Move Silently checks. This penalty applies even if the sword is not drawn or is in an extradimensional space.

This heavy golden sword burns with silver flames and emits a constant, painfully loud, "OOOOOOOOOOOO" as though it were perpetually half-way through screaming the word "holy".

>>54397513
>additional 164 points of sonic damage
>164
holy shit

>>54398745
That, uh, was supposed to be 1d6.

A magic item that appears mundane and that the players are initially ungreatful for, but that saves thier lives later in thr campaign.

>>54397117

Define flaming sword, because a sword that's just on fire is fine. The sword of the cherubim at the garden of eden probably isn't. It points in every direction simultaneously.

I don't know what that would mean other than "should not go to a 6th level party"

>>54396101
an artifact for each party member, crafted to suit them. for example, a barbarian would get a bearskin that makes itself, and the wearers skin, as tough as solid steel when worn.

>>54398874
So, the 'sword' that guarded Eden was a drone.

>>54396101
Nothing. Any Angel is a messenger of the Lord Almighty. The PCs should be trembling in fear and on their faces prostate in the presence of an Angel. They should be thankful to have received such direct attention. An Angel would not give rewards, an Angel does not have free will. If it gives a reward it would be from God himself. So think of the sort of biblical rewards. Something along the lines of Abraham being the Father of Nations even though his wife at the time was old and barren.

>>54398874
Higher dimensional being do stuff like that. Angels aren't really wheels of eyes or many headed beasts or even winged people, those are just what we can perceive of them. Same for omni-directional swords made of eternal flame, or whatever else they bring along.

>>54398874
>>54399059
>You swing the Sword, everyone roll for SAN loss.

>>54398967

Nah, it's Mike. He's cool. He's not one of those shitty old testament wheels within wheels lame angels. He's one of the neat apocryphal/NT ones. Stepping on necks, answering prayers, casting into hell Stan and all those who prowl the world seeking the ruin of man.

OTfags leave

File: hypernaut.jpg (126KB, 450x234px) Image search: [Google]

126KB, 450x234px

>>54399059
>Higher dimensional being do stuff like that. Angels aren't really wheels of eyes or many headed beasts or even winged people, those are just what we can perceive of them.

>>54399083
Wow, Stan must have been a real asshole.

>>54399230

What part of "prowls the world seeking the ruin of man" do you not get, Stan is a cunt

>>54399083
OT and NT angels are the same. Equal parts messenger, warrior, and robot.

Blessings/boons. That shit is biblical.

>>54396101
A hearty high five and maybe a pat on the bottom if you did extra well.

Give the opportunity for a special contract with God, like Samson did.
>hey bro, if you follow these three simple rules, I'll give you super strength and fighting ability
>what do I gotta do
>don't get drunk, don't touch corpses, don't cut your hair
>sure, lets go
And just like Samson, the PC can be tempted into breaking covenant with God, both by ill-intended people, and by simple circumstance.

>>54398967
You were so close to not being heretical and then
>angels don't have free will
How the fuck do they rebel then? If a fallen angel doesn't choose it, then it's a coding error, not a moral one.

>>54399230
Well he did kill his pregnant girlfriend

>>54397213
Forgiveness sounds great, but some characters may be strongly defined by past faults. May be weird to abruptly tell the repentant character "shit is fine now!". A Free pass for a future sin seems fun too, but is a high incentive to be an asshole "that one time".
You must be cautious with those I guess.
Funnily enough, the best character for that kind of reward are genuinely good character that will not use the favour.

>>54396101
A blessing of fertility.

Turns out the Angel is a servant of the goddess of Fertility and also sex. And handholding.

>>54396101
The real reward was inside your heart all along.

>>54396601
>>54396530
Either of these.

Or a holy symbol, worthless to all but the faithful.

>>54396101
Enlightenment I would think. He can't give you a free pass into heaven, but he can show you how to do it yourself.

File: rance3.jpg (20KB, 182x217px) Image search: [Google]

20KB, 182x217px

>>54396101
Her virginity.

>>54396101
If I wanted to tick off loot mongers I'd make the Angels offer the peace of the Lord and not much else. The real treasure, you see, is becoming closer to your Creator and gaining spiritual edification.
Angels are actually messengers, so expecting a reward from an arch angel is like expected anything more than having the post master general hand deliver your mail from the president himself and maybe present you a commemorative medal (a metaphorical medal in this instance) [spoilers]I'd take that over some dopey +2 fire sword or whatever desu[/spoiler]

Second chance. When in hopeless situation or killed, angel helps/resurrects them..

>>54404305
What you think might be weird is the bedrock of Christianity itself. God offers forgiveness first, waits for you to say "yes"

>>54396101
A stern lecture that expecting a reward from doing a good deed is not doing a good deed.

File: IMG_0551.jpg (59KB, 470x706px) Image search: [Google]

59KB, 470x706px

>>54396255
>The Big Guy
I do so want to be in The Big Guy's good graces

>>54396101
the angel can just take off whatever he is wielding or wearing and present it

>behold the gauntlets of the angel, use it well mortal

File: Ashbringer.jpg (630KB, 2500x1448px) Image search: [Google]

630KB, 2500x1448px

>>54397117
>>54397273
>>54397513
Just have him give them a knock-off of pic related. Sufficiently holy, basically smites unholy things but is otherwise just a really good piece.

>>54396101
Three dozen of their own feathers, suitable for fetching arrows of unerring aim.

>>54404191
It is simple. Before the fall; the 1st Eden, they had free will. After the Fall; the second Eden, they did not.

The friends they gained along the way

>>54407272
There's only one Eden.
But I find the rest of your post religiously significant - the idea that being sinful requires actually giving up your free will over to your desires, and doing the right thing is about taking back your ability to choose. Sort of like an addiction.

>>54398745
Gotta kill fast.