jaelis
Oh this is where the title goes?
I think this is more of a spell to use on NPCs than PCs. I think I'm happy with that, I don't need the DM to geas me to make me go on a quest
D&D 5E Ending geas
Enevhar Aldarion
Hero
For things like this, I like to house rule in a rule similar to how light and dark spells counter each other. Basically, you need a spell of equal or higher level to cancel out an opposing spell or you are going to have major negative modifiers for making a successful roll when using a lower level spell. No way a dinky low-level dispel magic is going to counter a high-level, powerful spell without serious effort or luck from the dispel magic caster.
CapnZapp
Legend
I think this spell is there to allow the "Zeus tells Hercules to go on a quest" archetype.I think this is more of a spell to use on NPCs than PCs. I think I'm happy with that, I don't need the DM to geas me to make me go on a quest
With Zeus as a 20th level caster, and Hercules barely breaking 3rd. And Hercules is definitely a player character, not a NPC.
I just wish the spell worked in a more general application, but it doesn't.
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CapnZapp
Legend
It simply ignores the fact it isn't the only spell in the book. And the fact that not everybody you want to geas is a low-level hero.
At high levels you have no use for low-level beginners (except if you're a "hero enabler" like Zeus). You want to Geas medium-level heroes.
But the consequence of disobeying the Geas is inconsequential except perhaps at the very lowest levels where it can kill you using instant death; just a healing potion away. And medium-level heroes have access to Remove Curse, sometimes even trivially so (their fellow party member is a spellcaster with that spell prepared).
At the very least the spell needs to lower maximum hit points (which is an inconvenience no matter your level) and it needs to specifically say attempts to dispel the geas or break its curse fail automatically if a lower-levelled slot than the one used to cast Geas was used.
This way Geas cast as a 9th level spell lowers your maximum hp by 27 hp on average, and only a spell cast using a level 9 slot has a chance of breaking the Geas.
This is important since the expectation is that you're normally geased by a spellcaster of higher level than yourself.
Ilbranteloth
Explorer
It's like many undesirable effects in the game. Most of them have become trivial to remove. Curses, disease, poison, etc. and magical ones in particular. In part because it used to be the difference between caster level, not spell slot level.
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CapnZapp
Legend
Give him 5d10 psychic damage as soon as he's trueressed for trying to evade the geas
Honestly, old Geas made a lot more sense. Back in AD&D, a creature affected by geas that tried to resist it would become weak (strength damage) and if it kept at it for four weeks it would simply die. No save, no dispelling it and no removing curse. Only ways to end it were: complete the task, die, get the caster to cancel it or use a wish spell.
The writing was a bit ambiguous but at least in the circles I played it was generally understood that the target had to agree to the geas when it was cast.
As it is now, geas is worthless. Old geas was a plot device, 5th ed. one is a minor inconvenience.
The writing was a bit ambiguous but at least in the circles I played it was generally understood that the target had to agree to the geas when it was cast.
As it is now, geas is worthless. Old geas was a plot device, 5th ed. one is a minor inconvenience.
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