The Nature of Daemons
The daemons are sentient manifestations of the Warp — beings of will, emotion, and metaphysical distortion. They are not summoned from somewhere — they are drawn into the Materium by violently reshaping reality around them.
Summoning and binding daemons is not a single power, but a sequence of operations, usually performed as a Ritual due to the complexity and danger involved.
Structure of a Daemon Summoning Ritual
Summoning a daemon typically requires three stages using your Techniques and Forms:
1. Detection & Contact – “Know Warp”
Before a daemon can be summoned, the projector must:
- Sense the presence of a daemon in the Warp
- Identify its nature, strength, and inclinations
- Establish a psychic connection (Arcane Connection, true name, symbol, sigil, sacrifice)
Example Power:
- Unveiling the Howling Sigil (Know Warp 15+): Detect a daemon’s presence in the local Warp and attune to it.
2. Summoning – “Create Warp”
This is the actual act of manifestation, tearing a hole in reality and allowing a Warp entity to enter. It is always a Ritual power, with:
- Long projecting time (hours or more)
- Risk of Perils of the Warp
- Required Warp Essence, sacrifices, or corrupted ground
Target is typically Individual (lesser daemon) or Group/Structure (multiple lesser daemons or a greater daemon).
Example Power:
- Rift of Howling Hunger (Create Warp 30+): Summons a single lesser daemon, physically manifesting it within a warded circle.
💀 The more powerful the daemon, the higher the base level. Lesser daemons may be 20–30; greater daemons or warp entities can reach level 40+.
3. Binding
Once a daemon has been summoned into realspace, it must be bound — or it will act according to its own alien will. Binding is not merely containment; it is an act of dominance, manipulation, or negotiation. The summoner chooses how to deal with the manifested entity based on intent, power, and risk tolerance.
There are now five primary methods of daemon control:
Imprisonment– Control Warp or Control Mind
The daemon is held in a containment circle, warded sanctum, or psychic prison. It cannot interact with the material world unless released.
→ Use Control Warp to maintain the barrier or suppress the daemon’s influence.
- Common in ritual summoning chambers or psychic cells.
- Typically temporary unless reinforced by Ritual.
Daemonic Tool – Control Warp or Control Matter
The daemon is fused into an object — weapon, armor, tome, or device — transforming it into a sentient artifact with potent and often unpredictable abilities.
→ Use Control Warp to trap the entity and bind it to the object’s essence.
- Weapon may gain powers (e.g., flaming sword, whispering relic).
- Risk of rebellion or corruption increases with time.
Daemon-Host – Control Mind, Control Warp or Control Life
The daemon is bound into a living vessel, either willingly or forcibly. The host gains immense power, but risks insanity, loss of free will, and loss of identity.
→ Use Control Mind to dominate the daemon within the host and control its actions.
- Hosts may be cultists, psykers, condemned prisoners — or the summoner themself.
- Often short-lived or unstable without reinforcement.
Banishment – Destroy Warp or Destroy Mind
Rather than binding, the summoner may choose to forcibly return the daemon to the Warp. This is often a fallback when control fails — or an act of defiance.
→ Use Destroy Warp or a high-powered Control Warp power to sever the daemon’s connection to realspace.
- Can be a ritual or a sudden counterstrike.
- Forces a daemon to Instability Check.
- May provoke retaliation if botched or resisted.
Bargain – Forbidden Lore (Daemonology)
Instead of domination, the summoner negotiates with the daemon — forming a pact or contract. The daemon offers knowledge, services, or favors in exchange for sacrifice, tribute, or influence. Afterward, it willingly returns to the Warp, awaiting the next summons.
→ Use Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), Know Mind and Control Mind/Warp to understand the entity and structure the pact.
Risk: Loopholes, long-term corruption, or future betrayal.
Deals may be short-term (“One question for one memory”) or ongoing (“Serve me in battle once per lunar cycle”).
Success depends on leverage: sacrifices, knowledge, threats, or shared goals.
Example Power:
- Warding of the Broken Seal (Control Warp 25): Compels a summoned daemon to remain within a containment circle.
- Chains of Waking Flesh (Control Mind 30): Forces a daemon to obey commands for a time.
Failed control = the daemon is free. Roll Perils of the Warp. Consider including bargaining mechanics or Willpower contests.
Failure & Consequences
A failed summoning or binding can result in:
- Daemon escapes: Free to act according to its nature.
- Possession: The projector or an assistant becomes the daemon’s vessel.
- Warp Backlash: Localized reality corruption, hallucinations, mutations.
- Taint: Long-term corruption or insanity from contact with the Warp.
Optional Mechanics
| Ritual Element | Mechanical Effect |
|---|---|
| True Name | -5 to power level |
| Sacrifice (blood, soul) | -3 to power level or +3 to Binding roll |
| Desecrated Site | +5 to projection total |
| Multiple Projectors | Use combined totals, as per cooperative rituals |
| Protective Wards | Add bonuses vs Perils if control fails |
Example Summoning Flow (Lesser Daemon)
- Know Warp 15: Detect and attune to daemon’s signature
- Create Warp 30 (Ritual): Manifest daemon
- Control Warp 25: Bind within protective circle
- Contingency: Destroy Warp 20 (in case of failure)
Ignis Aeternus WH 40K campaign notes 