D&D 5E What is so good about gate that it leads the current 9th level spells shootout?

[Coroc]

What is so good about the gate spell?

I tell you what I would rule: In Darksun a gate procures only elementals.
In Eberron it could be about anything even from the far realms.

Those two, because of the "altered" cosmology

In planescape gating something into Sigil which some major force there does not want to be there, could spell a swift sure and very messy TPK for the party.

All of the above is from (previous editions) "RAW" Lore, prove me wrong but leave out 4e please

Everything coming through has the potential to be countering the wil lof the caster / casters party so what is it people like about it?

Is it the uncertainty?

 

[Frankie1969]

Sometimes, on a scale of 0 to 9, Gate goes to 20. It's literally "divine intervention".

Everything coming through has the potential to be countering the wil lof the caster / casters party so what is it people like about it?

In any game with the standard cosmology (aligned outer planes) you pick a being that hates the other side, not you.

 

[Dausuul]

Gate is incredibly versatile.

1. Its most potent use is forcing the bad guys to fight on your turf. You can spend hours or days preparing an ambush, and then summon the villain from wherever it is, away from its minions and right into the middle of your death traps without so much as a saving throw. The biggest bad guys (gods and planar rulers) are immune to this trick, but any lesser enemy can be targeted.

2. As @Frankie1969 points out, you can use it to "bomb" the bad guys by dragging their natural enemies into the fray. If you're facing down Demogorgon, and you gate in a solar, the solar's first order of business will be to deal with the demon prince in its face. Even if you have to defend yourself against an angry solar after Demogorgon is defeated, you're still much better off than you were.

3. It combos beautifully with planar binding and magic circle. Take a goristro, for instance. It can't teleport, so it can't escape the circle; its Int is 6, so you don't have to worry about it outsmarting you; and it's a demon, so getting it killed fighting your enemies is not just morally acceptable but a positive good. Three hundred hit points of demonic beef is some sweet cannon fodder.

4. You don't have to target a creature at all. Gate can be used as a mode of planar transportation. It's like plane shift, but it creates a portal that stays open for a full minute, allowing you to move several hundred people, large objects, etc.

 

[Gadget]

What is so good about the gate spell?

If you are using the recent 'survivor' poll on 9th level spells as a bellwether, I think you might be reading too much into it. There were people voting for Weird in that poll, for pete's sake! That said, I agree that the potency of Gate is somewhat dependent on the DM, and the caster having knowledge of the name of a specific creature (probably not the same as a True Name, but the spell makes a big deal out of it not being a pseudonym and such). It is just that there are other, worse 9th level spells.

 

[Leatherhead]

If you are using the recent 'survivor' poll on 9th level spells as a bellwether, I think you might be reading too much into it. There were people voting for Weird in that poll, for pete's sake! That said, I agree that the potency of Gate is somewhat dependent on the DM, and the caster having knowledge of the name of a specific creature (probably not the same as a True Name, but the spell makes a big deal out of it not being a pseudonym and such). It is just that there are other, worse 9th level spells.

People have to remember those polls are actually asking the question "which of these do you hate the least?"

 

[BlivetWidget]

People have to remember those polls are actually asking the question "which of these do you hate the least?"

And let's also add that this hate isn't tied to a lack of effectiveness. Some people hate spells that are "too good" because it requires the DM to be rather flexible and not married to the idea of being in control of the game.

I mean, Wish was one of the first spells voted out on that poll, ffs. That was exactly the moment I stopped paying attention.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I think 4e didn't have gate, so no worries there. Gate's real strength is that it is open for 1 minute. So you can get Magnificus the Solar, but during the rest of the minute, some other angels might feel the urge to come after Magnificus. True you would have to bribe the DM a lot to get another Solar, but even a Solar and a couple of devas is pretty good even for a 9th level spell.

 

[Adamant]

I think gate was leading for a while because people just forgot about it and voted down more polarizing spells. I know I voted down wish because making good use of it requires memorizing tons of spells so I know what to use it for. True polymorph is similar, but i downvoted it because it requires the monster manual as a resource, and I don't own that because I don't dm. Those polls are more of a contest about being least hated than being most popular.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Those polls are more of a contest about being least hated than being most popular.

Yeah at this point we're certainly not going to get the "best" 9th level spell, but rather we're down to a collection of spells people forgot about, or spells people irrationally love. Gate and Shapechange (and perhaps True Polymorph) are actually the most "legit" 9th-level spells left on the list.

 

[Salthorae]

Yeah at this point we're certainly not going to get the "best" 9th level spell, but rather we're down to a collection of spells people forgot about, or spells people irrationally love. Gate and Shapechange (and perhaps True Polymorph) are actually the most "legit" 9th-level spells left on the list.

I mean... the moment Wish was voted off we weren't going to get the "best" 9th level spell. I just down voted Gate because you have to downvote something!