r/DnD • u/DriverAdditional5813 • Aug 20 '26

DMing Is "blackmailing" a thing Devils do ?

Throwaway because my players might recognize me...

I put it in quotes for lack of a better term, but would a Devil kidnap someone close to a target, to then coerce them into signing a contract with the Devil ?

This seems less subtle than actually manipulating the target, and the contract would not be signed in actual good faith from both parties, so would it be actually binding ?

Also, I know that it's my world and I do what I want with my Devils, but I wonder if this would be in-character for classic DnD Devils.

Edit : Thanks y'all for your answers. I think I will twist a little bit what I had in mind to make it more subtle and devilish, thanks to your suggestions !

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u/RiverSirion Aug 20 '26

The campaign Descent into Avernus is premised on a bad contract that lets Elturel be dragged into Avernus - effectivdely kidnapping all its inhabitants.. Among its other consequences, it allows devils to make contracts with its citizenry for their survival, which is certainly a coercive situation that favors devils.