Gate for Wishes?

[Klaus]

Someone asked me this today:

Is it possible for a caster to use Gate to call in an efreet, order it (as a free 'task') to *not* resist the caster's next spell on it, cast a spell like, say, Dominate Monster or Thrall, and then command the dominated efreet to grant wishes (3 per day for several days in a roll)?

Or simply Gate in an efreet and command it to grant 3 wishes (as long as it doesn't take more than 1 round/level, the caster needs to offer no payment)?

If so, 1000 XP for 3 wishes seems like a bargain!

 

[Thanee]

No, you cannot do that.

Not resisting a spell is not really a task.

And you do not have control over the creatures you call, they are just helpful.
They surely wouldn't agree to such a potentially suicidal proposal.

Also, I would use the same restriction for summoned creatures here, when it comes to those abilities, which mirror spells that cost XP.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Kralin Thornberry]

Hey Thanee,

Do you know anything about the Shadowrun game we were in?

Sorry to hi-jack the thread...

 

[Arravis]

Found in the Gate spell description:

"If you choose to call a kind of creature instead of a known individual you may call either a single creature (of any HD) or several creatures."
"In the case of a single creature, you can control it if its HD do not exceed twice your caster level."

"A controlled creature can be commanded to perform a service for you. Such services fall into two categories: immediate tasks and contractual service. Fighting for you in a single battle or taking any other actions that can be accomplished within 1 round per caster level counts as an immediate task; you need not make any agreement or pay any reward for the creature’s help."

Seems pretty clearly written that as long as the creature is within the HD limit, and it can cast the wishes within the time limit, this shouldn't be an issue with the rules as written. Would I as a DM allow it? Probably not, but the rules definately seem to support it. I don't see any evidence supporting Thanee's view on this.

 

[Infiniti2000]

This part of gate is not so specific: "If you choose to exact a longer or more involved form of service from a called creature..." More involved can't mean longer, so it must mean something else other than what y'all seem to infer (i.e. 1 round/level spells). I think it's reasonable to decide that using the wish SLA is "more involved", despite the actual lack of an XP cost for the summoned creature.

 

[Thanee]

Hey Thanee,

Do you know anything about the Shadowrun game we were in?

Sorry to hi-jack the thread...

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=161527

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I don't see any evidence supporting Thanee's view on this.

Most of my post refers to the part about havnig the creature not resist a spell cast at it.

Only the last part refers to having the creature use its abilities to grant you wishes. I agree with you, that there is no real, hard restriction in the Gate description, that's why I said 'I would...' there.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Lorehead]

I don't think the dominate monster trick could work. Note that the being immediately returns to his plane upon completion of his task. The spell only keeps him there longer if he performs a longer service, which would require an appropriate reward.

As for simply ordering the outsider to grant your wish, a literal reading of the RAW might allow this, but I think it breaks the spirit of the rules, for instance: "A summoned creature ... refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells." (PH 173) A gated creature is called rather than summoned, but the spell works in a very similar way.

If you allow this trick in your campaign, consider having the gated being bear a grudge. You might also twist the wish more than usual: wish granted by an evil being who wants to get back at you is not like a spell you cast yourself.

 

[KarinsDad]

This part of gate is not so specific: "If you choose to exact a longer or more involved form of service from a called creature..." More involved can't mean longer, so it must mean something else other than what y'all seem to infer (i.e. 1 round/level spells). I think it's reasonable to decide that using the wish SLA is "more involved", despite the actual lack of an XP cost for the summoned creature.

I agree. Casting Wish is a "more involved form of service" and hence, would fall under the rest of the Gate description:

If you choose to exact a longer or more involved form of service from a called creature, you must offer some fair trade in return for that service. The service exacted must be reasonable with respect to the promised favor or reward; see the lesser planar ally spell for appropriate rewards. (Some creatures may want their payment in “livestock” rather than in coin, which could involve complications.) Immediately upon completion of the service, the being is transported to your vicinity, and you must then and there turn over the promised reward. After this is done, the creature is instantly freed to return to its own plane.

So, you could get a single Wish spell for some reasonable payment, but once that Wish spell is cast and it is paid for, the Efreet would depart.

You could not get three Wishes since that is three "involved forms of service".