Help with dealing with another pc as a cleric

[moneyman11]

Hi,
This is my first time posting. I kinda need some guidance with dealing with another PC. The setting is 3.5 and we are epic level for the first time 21. My character is a cleric of selune who is chaotic good and my alignment is neutral good. One of the other characters is a summoner who is chaotic good. The issue I having is what he summons. Currently he has a summoned balor which is a demon general. The balor is under his control cause of class features and magic. It being there has caused a little disturbance in the group; however, since we just started we are kinda trying to finish our quest before we deal with him and his demon. This is the first time I played a cleric so I'm not really sure how to deal with this without simply ruining the fun for either my character or his. any suggestions? BTW he doesn't own the demon it made a deal to work for him for a month then its sent back and might come back later to get revenge or something.

[HammeredWharf]

How did he summon the balor? He can't use Planar Binding or a similar spell, because binding evil creature makes those spells evil and good clerics can't cast evil spells. Making a deal with a balor is usually not good, but I suppose it's ok if you're going to kill it in the end. Killing a creature summoned with a Conjuration [Calling] spell actually kills that creature instead of sending it to its home plane.

[RagingDemon]

Hi,
This is my first time posting. I kinda need some guidance with dealing with another PC. The setting is 3.5 and we are epic level for the first time 21. My character is a cleric of selune who is chaotic good and my alignment is neutral good. One of the other characters is a summoner who is chaotic good. The issue I having is what he summons. Currently he has a summoned balor which is a demon general. The balor is under his control cause of class features and magic. It being there has caused a little disturbance in the group; however, since we just started we are kinda trying to finish our quest before we deal with him and his demon. This is the first time I played a cleric so I'm not really sure how to deal with this without simply ruining the fun for either my character or his. any suggestions? BTW he doesn't own the demon it made a deal to work for him for a month then its sent back and might come back later to get revenge or something.

Wow that is a tough situation there while you are a good cleric maybe not lawful but good altogether a balor is extremely evil. And if a party member not only summoned it but made a pact with said demon that is an evil act. He isn't controlling it just giving it something to work for him. I'd straight up call this an evil act no matter what the "end justify the means" arguement should arise.

But on the other hand your character shouldn't support evil acts or your ***** members making pacts with evil demons. Selune is a good good and fights shar whoop is the evil sister. You're deity would teach you not to support such actions even if it didn't involve lycanthropes.

But the biggest and most essential question is what would your character do? I don't s cleric would just kill someone like that on the spot but what about taking to him about his sorry comings explain how no good can come from such an act and how he should not be willing to sacrifice his morals for power. "With great power comes great responsibility"

How did you meet this character? What does your character think of this? Speak to the player out of game and tell them the issues they're creating with yours and that it could lead to conflict. Maybe plan out the oncoming role play with them before the next game to come to the best conclusion.

This sounds like a perfect opportunity to create some character development on both sides. Have fun with it and try to keep it fun and entertaining.

[Gildedragon]

They could be a malconvoker: summoning fiends to make evil fight evil (perhaps allowing evil beings to redeem themselves in that act) and thus not damage the forces of the Upper Planes
it could be a redeemed Balor, summoning it would not be an evil act

in short: Assume the best of the guy. Give the balor funny looks, don't be a **** to it though.

Remember your deity's dogma: See all other beings as equals. Heck try and talk to the Balor and redeem it as per the guidelines in BoED

[moneyman11]

Thanks for the replies. I think talking to him out of character might help. I'm not too sure though cause he talks about summoning all sorts of demons. Also, from some of the stuff he was saying he is definitely a malconvoker. I tried talking to him a little all he said was that when his service was up he could summon him back for me to kill (basically do his dirty work and cover his butt). And, yes if the demon is killed while summoned it dies. As for regarding everyone as equal that might work, but I'm not to sure because he tricked the demon into working for him. There is a tiefling in our group but the first thing I did was detect evil and she wasn't. The balor is def evil.

[Gildedragon]

Balors (even paladin ones) always read as CE. They actually ping all alignment detection spells.

And even if it is evil: Try and convert it.

BoED steps are:
1) Be decent and nice to it
2) Show willingness to include it in the side of good, forgive its atrocities, etc
3) Talk with the balor a lot (at least 1 hr a day)
4) then there's some diplomacy vs saving throw mechanics... and after (at least) 2 weeks you get a good balor. Probably takes longer. But a cleric can dream

(actually BoED says you can't redeen evil outsiders... but the wealth of evidence to the opposite says, well, the opposite)

Besides what greater testament to Selune's glory than turning a general of the Abyss to her side!

[Urpriest]

Thanks for the replies. I think talking to him out of character might help. I'm not too sure though cause he talks about summoning all sorts of demons. Also, from some of the stuff he was saying he is definitely a malconvoker. I tried talking to him a little all he said was that when his service was up he could summon him back for me to kill (basically do his dirty work and cover his butt). And, yes if the demon is killed while summoned it dies. As for regarding everyone as equal that might work, but I'm not to sure because he tricked the demon into working for him. There is a tiefling in our group but the first thing I did was detect evil and she wasn't. The balor is def evil.

The point of being a Malconvoker is using evil against evil. The way I see it, you can have your character advise caution without shutting the other character down. After all, you both agree on your common goals.

Basically, be aware that not every roleplaying conflict needs to be resolved. Your character tries to be the wise one, pointing out the dangers of his actions, while the other character assures you that things will turn out fine. That dynamic can just continue, it doesn't need to escalate to interparty conflict.

[dascarletm]

Basically, be aware that not every roleplaying conflict needs to be resolved. Your character tries to be the wise one, pointing out the dangers of his actions, while the other character assures you that things will turn out fine. That dynamic can just continue, it doesn't need to escalate to interparty conflict.

That is very sage advice, and advice two of my players need currently.

Cross party banter is usually fun and memorable, cross party conflict usually has a more bitter taste.

[Mnemnosyne]

If he is a malconvoker, then it sounds like it should just be a matter of his character and yours talking things over and him properly explaining himself. Malconvoker is a class that is explicitly authorized by The Forces Of Good to summon evil creatures and use them for good ends without endangering their alignment the way a caster normally would if they made a consistent habit of summoning and planar binding fiends. Good clerics of good gods are given special exemption of of cast evil spells that they would normally be completely incapable of casting, and so on.

That doesn't mean your character should necessarily relax about it - he might well find it very uneasy and potentially problematic, but it certainly should not escalate into anything more than well-intentioned warnings about the potential hazards of what the other guy is doing.

[moneyman11]

His back story has his character learning everything he knows from a book and he has only been spell casting for a week. Before that he was a slave who now has his freedom. Not really much to go on.