While most tales of the succubus describe her as going after one mortal at a time, draining him and taking his soul to the Abyss, this only truly describes succubi at certain times. Mostly, this tactic is only used when either it is particularly important for an individual mortal, such as a powerful leader, to be destroyed, or when the succubus is pressed for time. When a succubus is not under such constraints, she prefers to take a more long term approach. The prevalence in tales of only the individual attacks of these fiends can be attributed mostly to the above average standing of the victims, and the fact that the succubus is not trying to conceal herself. When given the choice, most succubi gladly conceal their tracks, making it difficult to detect the presence of the fiend in the chaos she causes.
The succubus' preferred method of attack is as follows. First, the succubus appears in a community, one in which she is unlikely to be detected immediately. This usually precludes areas with powerful wizards or large temples. Once she arrives in a suitable area, the succubus changes into a very nondescript individual, and uses her ESP and clairaudience powers to scout the area, focusing on the local customs and social mores. The succubus then uses her shapechange ability to make herself look like an unavailable, but highly attractive female. The classification of unavailable differs widely by culture. For some, it is an age group. For others, a certain caste or race. The form need not be off limits to all members of society, just a very large portion. The succubus carefully chooses her role to be one that can plausibly arrive in the community, and will have a relatively high profile once she establishes herself.
At once, the succubus' corrupting power begins to assert itself. During the first stage, very little overt change will be observed in the community. However, within the minds of the people, the succubus is having an effect. The major effect of the succubus' presence is a lowering of inhibitions with regard to sex and lust. Slowly, the populace begins to shrug off its ingrained social mores. In a very strict society, this may even be a good thing for a while, as excessive restrictions are relaxed. However, as the succubus continues to live within the community, this change becomes dangerous. At first, the lowering of inhibitions is only in regards to the succubus herself. Males and females to whom the succubus is unavailable begin to desire her. The succubus' attractive force works on all beings, gender and sexual orientation notwithstanding. At this stage, the succubus may be approached by people to whom she is culturally available. The succubus welcomes such attentions, and deliberately holds her soul draining powers in check, to avoid destroying those she trysts with.
In the second stage, the community begins to change outwardly. The first signs are the competition between everyone to win the succubus' attention. Fights and jealousies break out between those who are affected. Those who others view as being more in favour are set upon, and often physically attacked. The second noticeable affect is that the decreasing of inhibitions extends to all people. People feel less and less social pressure to restrict themselves in their romantic pursuits. Often, relationships spring up between those who are fighting for the attention of the succubus, and find themselves among the losers. In addition, the lessening of inhibitions spreads to those who may never have even seen the succubus. In this manner, large cities can be corrupted, even though the succubus is only active in a small neighbourhood.
As the succubus' influence spreads, it can corrupt whole countries, even worlds. The people become less and less concerned with others, and more and more intent on fulfilling their own desires. Often, by the time powerful figures recognise something is wrong, the succubus' influence has spread too far to pinpoint the centre of the danger, and unable to find the fiend to exorcise her. Stopping a succubus usually depends on some lucky individual discovering her true nature early, and either stopping her, or reporting her. Even then, if authorities have been corrupted as well, reporting can be useless, if not dangerous to the reporter.
The succubus' corrupting effect is not precisely a magical effect. The succubus need not concentrate or even activate it. The effect persists on anyone who does not know the true nature and goals of the fiend. Because this ability is not really magical, people who have been corrupted by the succubus are not detected by such magic as detect charm, or similar spells. Detect evil, however, will discover a general malaise in an area under the influence of a succubus, while protection from evil will prevent the effect from affecting a person within its confines, and bless or remove curse will reverse the effect. Removing the effect, however, does prevent it from again affecting a person, and protection from evil will not remove the effect from a person.
