Descent into Avernus: The Problems with Soul Coins

Mike discusses the thematic problems of soul coins and how it relates to the larger themes in Descent into Avernus along with a potential solution – demon coins! Fall of Elturel: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/2946... Pascal's Wager: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%... Support Sly Flourish on Patreon!   / slyflourish   Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/aea22a827290/slyfl... Buy Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master http://slyflourish.com/returnofthelaz... Buy the Lazy DM's Workbook http://slyflourish.com/lazydmsworkbook/ Buy Fantastic Adventures: Ruins of the Grendleroot https://slyflourish.com/grendleroot/ Join the Sly Flourish Discord Channel   / discord   Show Notes: Soul Coins represent the thematic challenges of Descent into Avernus. The issue of soul coins is a representation of the challenge of theme with Descent into Avernus. If it's working for you, go with the gods. As-is, the characters are coming from troubled backgrounds and dark pasts. They're conscripted by the Flaming Fists to execute cultists of the Dead Three. Suddenly they're asked to go to hell to save a city they've never been to. These backgrounds, however, don't fit the self sacrifice of traveling to Avernus — especially at 5th level. Choosing the more heroic path from Fall of Elturel, one of **sacrifice and redemption**, means using soul coins is a much bigger deal. It's a much easier motivation to go to hell and save Elturel when you're tied to Reya Mantlemourn and the Hellriders. In this second theme, using soul coins is a big big deal. Using soul coins is probably a much bigger deal than it appears anyway. Destroy a soul to power a car?? Consider Pascal's wager... We all want Mad Max Fury Road, we just don't want to permanently destroy a soul to do it like we're riding a little car in front of a Walmart. One solution is to offer another option — demon coins / essence / ichor! No one gives a fig about demons!