SecretlyaFish
2016-03-14, 10:56 AM
So in my new campaign with me being a summoner, I have started to brush up on the rules of summoning and spells and have gotten into a bit of a disagreement with the meaning of the Gate spell with my DM. The particular line in which there is confusion is here.
Immediately upon completion of the service, the being is transported to your vicinity, and you must then and there turn over the promised reward. After this is done, the creature is instantly freed to return to its own plane.
Before this is stated, it gives a description of what the long term indentured service is, and how to go about doing that, telling the player to look at the description of the lesser planar ally spells. At the end of the description of Lesser Planar Ally, it says "At the end of its task, or when the duration bargained for expires, the creature returns to its home plane (after reporting back to you, if appropriate and possible)."
I assume this is the same for Gate? It did not send the player/reader to the description of the planar binding spells afterall, so I am lead to assume this spell functions more like the planar ally and regular summon spells than the planar binding spells. After all, you do not need a protective circle or anything to protect yourself from such a creature when casting the spell, the power of the spell is enough to compel the creature to obey you.
My understanding of Gate is that, in a long term task, once it has been completed, the creature is then "freed", implying that because it is indentured to you during the task, it is not free yet until the task is completed. Once the task is completed, the magic of the spell ends and the creature is forced to return to its own plane. My DM believes that is wrong, and that after the task is complete the creature can choose to stay and is no longer under my control. He believes that the creature is "free or freed" to return to its own plane if it wishes it. I read it as "freed to" return to its own plane, implying that until it finishes the task, it cannot return. But the magic of the spell ends once the service is complete, so at that point, regardless of whether the creature wishes to stay or not, it returns to its own plane of existence.
I said there is no way that his version can be true because those creatures, specifically devils, demons, or celestials, are still usually indentured to their own form of service to another being. For example, if I used gate to call an Erinyes, it would be unlawful of it to stay on a plane where it would not only shirk its duty to its lord or superior, but also have no way of returning back to its own plane. I imagine a demon would LOVE the chance to stay but I don't believe this is how the spell works. Especially when a particular creature has no ability on its own to return to its original plane. Also in the Planar Binding spells it states when a creature can get free. I said if it were the case with Gate, they would have stated it specifically.
There is however the last note on Gate : Failure to fulfill the promise to the letter results in your being subjected to service by the creature or by its liege and master, at the very least. At worst, the creature or its kin may attack you. This seems to imply that the only way a creature may attack or otherwise break free of the spell is if you fail in your part of the bargain. That would be the only way a creature has the chance to break free and attack you, but it still isn't clear really on this point. Is there creature then stuck on the material plane if it has no way to return to its own?
Immediately upon completion of the service, the being is transported to your vicinity, and you must then and there turn over the promised reward. After this is done, the creature is instantly freed to return to its own plane.
Before this is stated, it gives a description of what the long term indentured service is, and how to go about doing that, telling the player to look at the description of the lesser planar ally spells. At the end of the description of Lesser Planar Ally, it says "At the end of its task, or when the duration bargained for expires, the creature returns to its home plane (after reporting back to you, if appropriate and possible)."
I assume this is the same for Gate? It did not send the player/reader to the description of the planar binding spells afterall, so I am lead to assume this spell functions more like the planar ally and regular summon spells than the planar binding spells. After all, you do not need a protective circle or anything to protect yourself from such a creature when casting the spell, the power of the spell is enough to compel the creature to obey you.
My understanding of Gate is that, in a long term task, once it has been completed, the creature is then "freed", implying that because it is indentured to you during the task, it is not free yet until the task is completed. Once the task is completed, the magic of the spell ends and the creature is forced to return to its own plane. My DM believes that is wrong, and that after the task is complete the creature can choose to stay and is no longer under my control. He believes that the creature is "free or freed" to return to its own plane if it wishes it. I read it as "freed to" return to its own plane, implying that until it finishes the task, it cannot return. But the magic of the spell ends once the service is complete, so at that point, regardless of whether the creature wishes to stay or not, it returns to its own plane of existence.
I said there is no way that his version can be true because those creatures, specifically devils, demons, or celestials, are still usually indentured to their own form of service to another being. For example, if I used gate to call an Erinyes, it would be unlawful of it to stay on a plane where it would not only shirk its duty to its lord or superior, but also have no way of returning back to its own plane. I imagine a demon would LOVE the chance to stay but I don't believe this is how the spell works. Especially when a particular creature has no ability on its own to return to its original plane. Also in the Planar Binding spells it states when a creature can get free. I said if it were the case with Gate, they would have stated it specifically.
There is however the last note on Gate : Failure to fulfill the promise to the letter results in your being subjected to service by the creature or by its liege and master, at the very least. At worst, the creature or its kin may attack you. This seems to imply that the only way a creature may attack or otherwise break free of the spell is if you fail in your part of the bargain. That would be the only way a creature has the chance to break free and attack you, but it still isn't clear really on this point. Is there creature then stuck on the material plane if it has no way to return to its own?