good forced to do evil?

[Arravis]

I doubt that any sapient creature of any alignment would be very pleased to be summoned and enslaved

I was specificly answering the question of the initial poster, which was dealing only with celestial beings. Anyway... not all outsiders mind being called. A fair number of devils are quite fond of it, regardless of what they're asked to do. They see the mere fact of them being summoned as corrupting the caster and bringing him closer to evil. To grab something from the DM's guide to Hell I put together:

"The unofficial motto of the Ministry of Mortal Relations is “If you’d just sign here, we can conclude our business”. The Dark Eight set up this organization to govern contacts with mortals. This includes summoned fiends and mortal visitors to the Nine Hells. Several schools are run by the Minstry of Mortal Relations, including one where imps are trained by Erinyes teachers (with Kocrachons to provide inspiration) to do their duties."

If you want to take a look at The Nine Hells, a DM's Guide pdf, go here

http://www.knology.net/~pawned79/Arravis/28487-NineHells.zip

 

[F5]

I have this really weird thought of the PC's, in the middle of an adventure, just being plucked from nowhere by a powerful variant of summon monster, deposited in the middle of a fight, being compelled to fight in a battle by a powerful evil wizard, possibly even dying, then instantly transported right back where they were, all wounds healed, and wondering what the hell just happened.

Bit of a hijack, but I've found this is a great way to give characters who have fallen a few levels behind the rest of the party some bonus experience. Have a caster on another plane summon the character for a big fight, and give them 1/2 XP for the encounter (only 1/2 because the character isn't in any real danger of dying). You can also plant some great plot seeds in this kind of encounter.

This could serve as an explanation as to why some creatures might not be so upset about being summoned; they gain valuable experience and knowlege of the material plane and its' inhabitants. Not all summonable creatures will have this attitude, but some will, as long as the summoner has compatible goals with the creature.

And I agree that a DM could bring down some holy retribution on casters who summon celestials to do vile deeds. It's more likely that the celestials' more powerful allies will come seeking revenge than an evil creaures' allies would. If you summon a demon you run the risk of the demon being mad at you. If you abuse a summoned lantern archon, he rounds up his Hound and Trumpet Archon friends and they come looking for you...that threat would be enough to keep most evil casters from indescriminate celestial summoning.

 

[Cerubus Dark]

Hi!

My Demon Prince just got a new hobby...

Thanks!

Hehe, I love this idea. I wonder if Vangal's minons would do something like this

 

[WayneLigon]

I have this really weird thought of the PC's, in the middle of an adventure, just being plucked from nowhere by a powerful variant of summon monster, deposited in the middle of a fight, being compelled to fight in a battle by a powerful evil wizard, possibly even dying, then instantly transported right back where they were, all wounds healed, and wondering what the hell just happened.

I guest-starred as an NPC in a campaign last weekend and that was exactly what happened to us. The world features a brewing war between the various celestial factions. We were all summoned via a high-level summoning by a planetar (who had met the party previously) into a battle between a hoard of demons and celestials. We were, to use the words of the party's bard, 'terrestrial speed bumps' to soak up some damage from the various demons. Plus, we got to see how a Balor's Implosion attack works. Seeing someone sucked into their own belly button makes you think.

 

[LordVyreth]

I think the opposite scenario would be entertaining; summoning fiends to perform good acts. And I don't just mean to fight evil; I mean to make them do generally good things. Imagine an ancient wizard who summons imps to get his grandchildren milk and cookies (and is bright enough to tell the imps what not to do.) Or imagine a probably-misguided wizard who uses the planar binding spells to make vrocks rescue kittens from trees, ice devils to fight fires, and give erinyes and succubi sweaters and floor-length skirts and make them teach schoolchildren!

Vyreth

 

[Voadam]

Could an evil wizard use the Summon Monster spells to summon good celestial creatures (a good act) but then command them to do evil things (torture innocent people, etc.)? How bound are such good summoned creatures to obey these commands?

Absolutely bound if the evil wizard can communicate with them.

And the spell will detect as good, as will the torturing celestial, no evil for a paladin to detect!

 

[Philip]

I think the opposite scenario would be entertaining; summoning fiends to perform good acts.

I don't know, but ever since my LG cleric didn't get any reward from that foolish Solar named St. Sollars (from the Bloodstone series) he used his gate spell once a day to summon the Solar and make him clean the toilet. Until 3.5 came along, the toilet never looked better.

 

[The Sigil]

...imagine a probably-misguided wizard who uses the planar binding spells to ... give erinyes and succubi sweaters and floor-length skirts and make them teach schoolchildren!

That was the funniest thing I've seen in quite some time.

I can just see the students now... "Hey, Allistair the Great, you wanna just summon that substitute teacher so you can go do some research? We'll be good for her and do our studying, we promise!"

--The Sigil

 

[LordVyreth]

that foolish Solar named St. Sollars (from the Bloodstone series)

St. Sollars the Solar? If celestials have parents, his weren't the most creative ones in the mountain...

Vyreth

 

[LordVyreth]

That was the funniest thing I've seen in quite some time.

I can just see the students now... "Hey, Allistair the Great, you wanna just summon that substitute teacher so you can go do some research? We'll be good for her and do our studying, we promise!"

--The Sigil

Glad you like it! I'm almost certain to use this premise some time in my next game now!

I'm trying to imagine which is funnier, imagining the unfortunately schoolmarm reciting every line of "Puffy Wuffy Bunny Goes to Buy Shoes" like it was the most cursed thing she ever had to say, or what she did to rewrite the story when Allistair the Misguided was lax on his guidelines on what she could teach. "Then, Puffy Wuffy plunged the serrated blade deep into the cobbler's spleen! And then he visited the warren's local brothel, where...."

Vyreth