rferries
2018-04-19, 01:20 AM
Lesser geas and greater geas seem a little "off" to me. Why the hard HD limit? Why does geas inflict less harmful penalties than a lesser geas? Why have penalties at all, since they can actually make it impossible for a creature to continue to follow the geas? This revision also incorporates mark of justice.
These are mostly role-playing spells (as is so much of my work...); as with the original spells you're better off casting a charm or dominate spell of similar level in combat, as those are much more versatile. The one advantage of these spells is that they can be permanent.
Geas, Lesser
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Curse, Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 3, Cleric 4, Druid 4, Paladin 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: One round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: One living creature
Duration: Permanent or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The dragon rears up to tower over you. The glitter of its hoard pales in comparison to the creature's gleaming golden scales.
"Intruders! Thieves! I abjure thee! From this time forward, you shall never again lie or cheat or steal! Break the laws of the land at your own peril! This I command!"
You place an enchantment on a creature with Hit Dice no greater than your caster level (maximum 15 Hit Dice). The target creature is compelled to perform some activity (or refrain from performing some activity), as desired by you. The activity can be as broad ("act according to a Lawful Good alignment") or specific ("bring me the severed head of the Bandit King") as you wish, with the following provisos:
Duress
The target is compelled to follow the activity to the limits of its ability, though it is still allowed to eat, sleep, and so forth as necessary to survive. Some activities ("do not lie") might actually require little or no effort on the target's part.
The target may not remove the spell from itself, even if it has access to the proper spells.
A clever subject may be able to subvert the spirit of your instructions, if not the letter.
Peril
The spell fails automatically if you command the target to slay itself or perform some activity that would result in unavoidable death ("jump into that pool of acid without protection", "do not eat or drink", "do not defend yourself against our attacks", "without assistance, slay the king in broad daylight tomorrow in front of his guards", etc.).
You may command a creature to perform a dangerous activity, but it is allowed a great deal of freedom in how it performs that activity. For example, if you command a 1st-level commoner to "slay that great wyrm red dragon", she need not rush headlong into the dragon's lair. She is instead permitted to adventure until she has sufficient levels in a PC class to reasonably challenge the dragon, to seek out the aid of high-level allies, and so forth.
Quests
If you are a divine caster, the activity you specify must follow the precepts of your belief ("slay any poachers in this wood" if you are a druid, "live a virtuous life according to the teachings of Pelor" if you are a paladin, "slay all pilgrims of Pelor" if you are an evil cleric, etc.). This restriction also applies to the activities you prohibit for a contigent geas (see below).
Servitude
The spell fails automatically if you command the target simply to serve you or one of your most trusted allies (i.e. party members).
You may command a creature to serve a third party or a cause (i.e. "serve as needed at the local nunnery", "serve as a member of the city guard", "work as a baker, donating all earnings you do not need to live to a recognised charity", etc.).
You may command a creature to perform some open-ended task for purely your own benefit ("continue to work at your profession, giving me all of your earnings"). However, doing so is dangerous (e.g. enslaving a town with multiple castings of this spell would draw the enmity of the local authorities, possibly including high-level spellcasters).
Contingent Geas
In place of compelling the target to perform or abstain from an activity, you may instead punish it for doing so ("the next time you take an innocent human life, you will be driven mad"). Such a creature is free to act normally, but instantly suffers the effects of baleful polymorph, bestow curse, binding (slumber only), feeblemind, flesh to stone, or insanity as soon as they violate the terms of the spell.
Release
For specific activities ("slay that great wyrm red dragon"), completing the activity releases the target from the spell.
For broad activities ("act according to a Lawful Good alignment"), you may specify a condition that ends the spell ("for the next 10 years", "until you receive the kiss of True Love", etc.). Otherwise, the spell lasts indefinitely.
A lesser geas (or the effects of an activated contingent geas) can be ended by break enchantment, greater dispel magic, limited wish, remove curse, miracle, or wish. Dispel magic does not affect a lesser geas.
Geas
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Curse, Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Cleric 6, Druid 6, Paladin 4, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: One round; see text
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Area: One living creature
Duration: Permanent or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text
This spell functions similarly to lesser geas, except that it affects a creature of any HD and cannot be removed with greater dispel magic or remove curse.
Additionally, you may specify that the target must suffer the geas even beyond death. Such a creature always rises as a ghost or other undead creature if slain, still under the effects of the geas. This ignores the normal immunity of undead creatures to mind-affecting effects.
Ritual
You may cast the spell as a 10-minute ritual (generally requiring a willing or helpless subject). If you do so, it does not allow a saving throw or spell resistance.
These are mostly role-playing spells (as is so much of my work...); as with the original spells you're better off casting a charm or dominate spell of similar level in combat, as those are much more versatile. The one advantage of these spells is that they can be permanent.
Geas, Lesser
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Curse, Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 3, Cleric 4, Druid 4, Paladin 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: One round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: One living creature
Duration: Permanent or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The dragon rears up to tower over you. The glitter of its hoard pales in comparison to the creature's gleaming golden scales.
"Intruders! Thieves! I abjure thee! From this time forward, you shall never again lie or cheat or steal! Break the laws of the land at your own peril! This I command!"
You place an enchantment on a creature with Hit Dice no greater than your caster level (maximum 15 Hit Dice). The target creature is compelled to perform some activity (or refrain from performing some activity), as desired by you. The activity can be as broad ("act according to a Lawful Good alignment") or specific ("bring me the severed head of the Bandit King") as you wish, with the following provisos:
Duress
The target is compelled to follow the activity to the limits of its ability, though it is still allowed to eat, sleep, and so forth as necessary to survive. Some activities ("do not lie") might actually require little or no effort on the target's part.
The target may not remove the spell from itself, even if it has access to the proper spells.
A clever subject may be able to subvert the spirit of your instructions, if not the letter.
Peril
The spell fails automatically if you command the target to slay itself or perform some activity that would result in unavoidable death ("jump into that pool of acid without protection", "do not eat or drink", "do not defend yourself against our attacks", "without assistance, slay the king in broad daylight tomorrow in front of his guards", etc.).
You may command a creature to perform a dangerous activity, but it is allowed a great deal of freedom in how it performs that activity. For example, if you command a 1st-level commoner to "slay that great wyrm red dragon", she need not rush headlong into the dragon's lair. She is instead permitted to adventure until she has sufficient levels in a PC class to reasonably challenge the dragon, to seek out the aid of high-level allies, and so forth.
Quests
If you are a divine caster, the activity you specify must follow the precepts of your belief ("slay any poachers in this wood" if you are a druid, "live a virtuous life according to the teachings of Pelor" if you are a paladin, "slay all pilgrims of Pelor" if you are an evil cleric, etc.). This restriction also applies to the activities you prohibit for a contigent geas (see below).
Servitude
The spell fails automatically if you command the target simply to serve you or one of your most trusted allies (i.e. party members).
You may command a creature to serve a third party or a cause (i.e. "serve as needed at the local nunnery", "serve as a member of the city guard", "work as a baker, donating all earnings you do not need to live to a recognised charity", etc.).
You may command a creature to perform some open-ended task for purely your own benefit ("continue to work at your profession, giving me all of your earnings"). However, doing so is dangerous (e.g. enslaving a town with multiple castings of this spell would draw the enmity of the local authorities, possibly including high-level spellcasters).
Contingent Geas
In place of compelling the target to perform or abstain from an activity, you may instead punish it for doing so ("the next time you take an innocent human life, you will be driven mad"). Such a creature is free to act normally, but instantly suffers the effects of baleful polymorph, bestow curse, binding (slumber only), feeblemind, flesh to stone, or insanity as soon as they violate the terms of the spell.
Release
For specific activities ("slay that great wyrm red dragon"), completing the activity releases the target from the spell.
For broad activities ("act according to a Lawful Good alignment"), you may specify a condition that ends the spell ("for the next 10 years", "until you receive the kiss of True Love", etc.). Otherwise, the spell lasts indefinitely.
A lesser geas (or the effects of an activated contingent geas) can be ended by break enchantment, greater dispel magic, limited wish, remove curse, miracle, or wish. Dispel magic does not affect a lesser geas.
Geas
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Curse, Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Cleric 6, Druid 6, Paladin 4, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: One round; see text
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels); see text
Area: One living creature
Duration: Permanent or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text
This spell functions similarly to lesser geas, except that it affects a creature of any HD and cannot be removed with greater dispel magic or remove curse.
Additionally, you may specify that the target must suffer the geas even beyond death. Such a creature always rises as a ghost or other undead creature if slain, still under the effects of the geas. This ignores the normal immunity of undead creatures to mind-affecting effects.
Ritual
You may cast the spell as a 10-minute ritual (generally requiring a willing or helpless subject). If you do so, it does not allow a saving throw or spell resistance.