Geas spell - any creative use to suggest?

[Entessa]

Hello,
would you kindly provide creative use of geas ?

I'm really curious of what you players have cooked.

[Amnestic]

I wouldn't recommend instructing Euphemia to kill all Elevens. Didn't end well.

Generally Geas' use is going to be highly contextual, based upon the NPCs you're encountering and the plotlines they're interwoven with. Dropping a few geas on a king and his trusted advisors (who are the ones who could Remove Curse) can basically give you a country, but you also are probably a villainous character who's the BBEG of the next campaign at that point.

It turns every prisoner you take from a fight into an ally, if you're patient enough with your spell slots and have time to burn. The fact that its only limitation is commands that result in 'certain death' ending the effect gives you a fair bit of leeway with what you can order.

[ruadh128]

I have only ever seen used in a game once. A DM used it to keep an evil party together. Do not kill, or take actions that will kill a party member. Cast it on all members of the party.

[JackPhoenix]

I wouldn't recommend instructing Euphemia to kill all Elevens. Didn't end well.

Generally Geas' use is going to be highly contextual, based upon the NPCs you're encountering and the plotlines they're interwoven with. Dropping a few geas on a king and his trusted advisors (who are the ones who could Remove Curse) can basically give you a country, but you also are probably a villainous character who's the BBEG of the next campaign at that point.

It turns every prisoner you take from a fight into an ally, if you're patient enough with your spell slots and have time to burn. The fact that its only limitation is commands that result in 'certain death' ending the effect gives you a fair bit of leeway with what you can order.

Despite the charmed condition it applies, Geas doesn't actually force the target to obey your commands, it only punishes it for not following them, and it only does so once per day.
Anything with more than 50 hp may not care. Anything with 26 or more HP is safe form being instantly killed, so it can survive if it gets someone to stabilize is once it drops unconscious. And, of course, you can't stack multiple Geas on a single target.

[KorvinStarmast]

Hello,
would you kindly provide creative use of geas ?

I'm really curious of what you players have cooked. As a DM: couple of Lamia used Geas on a few of our PCs. (They wandered off and got captured, silly them). The others eventually figured out what was going on and went after the Lamias successfully. Remove Curse did the rest.

I have seen it used on groups of orcs and hobgoblins.
If your players use Geas on a squad of orcs and hobgoblins, a few at a time, they can build up a decent little strike team who are motivated to do the PCs bidding since the first guy who disobeys just dies. (5d10 averages out to 27.5 psychic damage). This is better suited to 'campaign' style games than one shots. Why? 30 days is the duration, level 5 spell.

The most successful use I saw them apply it to was resulted in a squad+ of orcs ambushing a trade caravan route (in coordination with the PCs). This got the response they were looking for, which allowed the party to capture the baron's evil/backstabbing henchman/deputy ... anyway, it's got some interesting uses.

[solidork]

It's most useful as a long duration "you can't attack me" spell, since it applies the Charmed condition for a very long time.

[Amnestic]

Despite the charmed condition it applies, Geas doesn't actually force the target to obey your commands, it only punishes it for not following them, and it only does so once per day.
Anything with more than 50 hp may not care. Anything with 26 or more HP is safe form being instantly killed, so it can survive if it gets someone to stabilize is once it drops unconscious. And, of course, you can't stack multiple Geas on a single target.

Sure, if the NPCs have access to the player's handbook to read the spell entry that might be an issue, but they generally won't know that disobeying the order will only hurt them exactly once a day and no more. A wizard might know what the deal is, but even if they do, are they willing to risk the literal psychic torture on a daily basis, from an in-character perspective? Or will they go along with it? Not to mention that you do this to them and then let them go - the implication being that even if they do find a way out...you can just kill them. It's a permanent threat in the back of their mind.

So yeah, mechanically, it could be stronger. Bigger or more repetitive damage. But if your geas targets are being played like people and not statsheets, I think it's pretty good.

[cZak]

Is the command issued upon the casting of the spell or is it any command while the spell is in effect?

[PhantomSoul]

Is the command issued upon the casting of the spell or is it any command while the spell is in effect?


Geas
5th level Enchantment

Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 60 feet
Target: A creature that you can see within range
Components: V
Duration: 30 days
Classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Wizard
You place a magical command on a creature that you can see within range, forcing it to carry out some service or refrain from some action or course of activity as you decide. If the creature can understand you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration. While the creature is charmed by you, it takes 5d10 psychic damage each time it acts in a manner directly counter to your instructions, but no more than once each day. A creature that can’t understand you is unaffected by the spell. You can issue any command you choose, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Should you issue a suicidal command, the spell ends. You can end the spell early by using an action to dismiss it. A remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell also ends it.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th or 8th level, the Duration is 1 year. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 9th level, the spell lasts until it is ended by one of the Spells mentioned above.



From the phrasing, just one command per casting