Geas: the good, the bad, the funny

[The_Universe]

Is that even physically possible? What happens if the geased instructions are not physically doable?

For themeselves: not as far as I know...I suppose if one was missing a few ribs, it might be possible. But, the spell doesn't say that they have to succeed, just that they have to try. It's a great way to take an ogre or a hill giant out of a fight.

And, much to the chagrin of the BBEG, I'm sure that it IS possible to have one's minions chasing one around, making every effort to orally polish one's knob.

--Kennon

 

[Endur]

Well, let's see the goal is to "aid you". You didn't say I couldn't kill you; you only said not to harm your allies. So, I'll kill your character and aid you on the way to heaven.

How's this for a geas: "Aid me in whatever way I require by means that provide maximum benefit to me without harming my allies or aiding BBEG or their allies in any way." (Which sets the duration at 1 day/level. Couldn't one of the later methods of aiding be: accept this spell?)

roguerouge

 

[reapersaurus]

I detest "Wish language" games.

 

[SnowDog]

Cool quest from Geas

I've had a character fall victim to a Geas once. My DM at the time was pretty good at tailoring the events of the campaign to fit the PCs' motivations and whatnot. My PC was a CG Cleric of Rudd (Greyhawk game).

My PC's best friend, an NPC, had fallen in battle (saving another PC's life). We rushed the corpse back to Verbobanc in hopes of getting a friendly temple to raise her. No luck. Our only chance was to go to the Cuthbertians, who were downright hostile to the party and had at one point been searching for us to arrest us.

My PC took the NPC into the temple while the rest of the party went on making progress on the main quest. The Cuthbertians questioned the PC at length, and when finally satisfied that the NPC had fallen while fighting evil, were willing to help, but at a high price.

But it was her friend's life. So, yes. The temple raised the NPC from the dead, in exchange for money ... and ... a quest of their choosing to be given to the PC and the now-risen NPC, which they promised wouldn't be completely against the PC's ethos.

The quest was to find and convince the missing Viscount of Verbobanc to return to his post and take up government of the city. It was great, from a storytelling standpoint, because as a CG character this was completely frustrating -- being forced to go track someone down who was doing what he felt was best and try to convince them to give up their personal ideals in favor of the greater good of society? Not exactly chaotic good!

It led to a great session as my PC and the now-raised NPC gathered info, followed leads, and then had a lengthy roleplayed conversation with the guy. She did talk him into returning home, and the geas was satisfied. It was intense, and a lot more complicated than I just made it sound.

So, there's a good use of Geas. How's that?

(Man, did we ever hate the Cuthbertians. We hated them until we died on some random plane in a story we never got to find out the end of .... )

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Is that even physically possible? What happens if the geased instructions are not physically doable?

I think you could break your neck with that, so it fails. But I won't go into detail with that.

As for your bickering about the rules: I just assume that we all follow the spirit of the rules, which is that you have to do this and can't opt to just suck up the damage.



One dwarf in our FR campaign was once quested to fell the whole forest of cormanthor. Wel held him back before he could do any harm to the wood (and, as an afterthought, to himself )

Then there's always the other fun stuff: fill up the Underdark with a spoon, wipe dust in the desert, and so on.

Other fun stuff for geas:
Get a dwarf to shave clean.
Get a prude lady (maybe duchess or something) to lay with every male in the realm.
Get someone to paint the Ebon Tower in bright, merry colors.
Get the snobby elf to cover himself completely in horse manure.
Get the dwarf to plant a thousand trees.
Get the druid to fell a thousand trees....

 

[Hypersmurf]

*If you do not know what this is, I am NOT explaining.

"Well you know, I'd like to tell you. But unfortunately, I don't know what fellatio is..."

The Priest, Rowan Atkinson Live.

-Hyp.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

Well, let's see the goal is to "aid you". You didn't say I couldn't kill you; you only said not to harm your allies. So, I'll kill your character and aid you on the way to heaven.

Lame.

That is a huge streach even under the best of conditions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Lame.

That is a huge streach even under the best of conditions.

I've had it done to me.

We were trying to rescue the princesses from the castle of giants.

So I geased the sergeant-giant of the gate guards - I don't remember the exact words, but it was basically "Cooperate with us to rescue the princesses."

The DM decided that since the simplest way for us to rescue the princesses would be to kill every giant in the castle, and the geasee was a giant, he'd cooperate with us by attacking us, forcing us to kill him... which brought us one step closer to "kill every giant in the castle".

I still can't make the connection between "Cooperate" and "Attack".

-Hyp.

 

[Bloodsparrow]

The DM decided that since the simplest way for us to rescue the princesses would be to kill every giant in the castle, and the geasee was a giant, he'd cooperate with us by attacking us, forcing us to kill him... which brought us one step closer to "kill every giant in the castle".

I still can't make the connection between "Cooperate" and "Attack".

Yeah, time to get a new DM.

It's one thing to make people be carefull what they wish for, and and quite annother thing to be an idiot... Or just really really lazy.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I've had it done to me.

We were trying to rescue the princesses from the castle of giants.

So I geased the sergeant-giant of the gate guards - I don't remember the exact words, but it was basically "Cooperate with us to rescue the princesses."

The DM decided that since the simplest way for us to rescue the princesses would be to kill every giant in the castle, and the geasee was a giant, he'd cooperate with us by attacking us, forcing us to kill him... which brought us one step closer to "kill every giant in the castle".

I still can't make the connection between "Cooperate" and "Attack".

-Hyp.

This is a suicidal course, and doesn't work.....

And your DM did walk away from that session?