Infernal Calling Commands

[ATHATH]

Is there any reason why I couldn't make my first issued command from Infernal Calling "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour."? Do verbal commands provoke a check even if you're not trying to use the spell's forced verbal command obedience feature (for example, if you've already given that aforementioned "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour." command and want to tell your conjured devil (without using telepathy or the like) what it should do next in order to best serve you)?

[Wizard_Lizard]

Always best with devils to be as specific as possible without tripping yourself up. Word it like you would word a wish or the devil will find a loophole.

EDIT: Of course dm dependent, i.e if it were me as the dm, I am far too smoothbrain to come up with loopholes on the spot.

[Unoriginal]

Is there any reason why I couldn't make my first issued command from Infernal Calling "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour."?

You could. But giving such a command to a Devil is going to end in disaster for you, most of the time.



Do verbal commands provoke a check even if you're not trying to use the spell's forced verbal command obedience feature (for example, if you've already given that aforementioned "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour." command and want to tell your conjured devil (without using telepathy or the like) what it should do next in order to best serve you)?

Yes, it does provoke a check.

[No brains]

You tell a devil to serve you as best it can for an hour and it will do nothing but dance and throw subpoenas at you.

[MaxWilson]

Is there any reason why I couldn't make my first issued command from Infernal Calling "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour."? Do verbal commands provoke a check even if you're not trying to use the spell's forced verbal command obedience feature (for example, if you've already given that aforementioned "Serve me as best as you are able to for the next hour." command and want to tell your conjured devil (without using telepathy or the like) what it should do next in order to best serve you)?

Then the devil pulls out a chef's hat and a cleaver and tries its best to serve you for dinner, to itself and its friends.

Note: no blue text.

[Unoriginal]

Then the devil pulls out a chef's hat and a cleaver and tries its best to serve you for dinner, to itself and its friends.

Note: no blue text.

The Devil attacks the PC with wild abandon, doing their best to serve the PC's butt to them.

[ATHATH]

Then the devil pulls out a chef's hat and a cleaver and tries its best to serve you for dinner, to itself and its friends.

Note: no blue text.
Damn, okay, that's a good one.

Are there any synonyms for "serve" that I could use that wouldn't result in me being eaten?

[kingcheesepants]

There might be a particularly clever way to word the command such that the devil had to do what you would want it to do without you needing to command it every turn but they'll always be looking for that loophole which is a precarious situation to be in. Really you should be combining infernal calling with planar binding. Planar binding does exactly what you want to do and has the further benefit extending the duration of the summons up to 24 hours (or more if you cast it at a higher level). The only real downside is the 1000 gp per use cost. But if the cost isn't an issue to you I'd recommend it.