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High-Level Play: Nightmare for DMs?
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<blockquote data-quote="Mephistopheles" data-source="post: 1689458" data-attributes="member: 4460"><p>The particular versus unique portion of <em>gate</em> is quite straightforward as I read it. There are two separate clauses that some readers are mashing together to create some confusion that isn't there in a literal interpretation.</p><p></p><p>Clause 1:</p><p>The <em>gate</em> spell states: "By naming a particular being or kind of being as you cast the spell, you cause the gate to open in the immediate vicinity of the desired creature and pull the subject through, willing or unwilling."</p><p></p><p>The case for "kind of being" isn't being disputed so there's no need to cover that.</p><p></p><p>So for the "particular being" case, let's look at a definition of the word "particular". From dictionary.com there is "A separate case or an individual thing or instance, especially one that can be distinguished from a larger category or class."</p><p></p><p>If I call "A student wizard from the Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork, Discworld" then I'm calling a kind of being, which is subject to this clause and so will be pulled through willing or unwilling.</p><p></p><p>If I call "Rincewind the student wizard from the Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork, Discworld" then I am calling a particular being, one individual who can be distinguished from a larger category or class, that category or class in this case being student wizards from Unseen University. Rincewind is also subject to this clause of the spell and so will be pulled through willing or unwilling.</p><p></p><p>Clause 2:</p><p>The <em>gate</em> spell states: "Deities and unique beings are under no compulsion to come through the gate, although they may choose to do so of their own accord."</p><p></p><p>Deities are a straightforward case that is not being disputed so there's no need to cover that.</p><p></p><p>For the "unique beings" case let's look at a definition of the word "unique". From dictionary.com there is "Being the only one of its kind".</p><p></p><p>If I call "Nerull, The Reaper, God of Death" I am calling a deity. He is subject to this clause and can choose to come through the gate or not.</p><p></p><p>If I call "the Tarrasque" I am calling a unique being. Despite the Tarrasque having the Magical Beast type (and not some unique Tarrasque type) the description states that there is only one Tarrasque. It is subject to this clause and can choose to come through the gate or not (leaving aside the issues of its size relative to the size of the gate and its extremely low intelligence).</p><p></p><p>As a corollary, the clause in the <em>gate</em> spell which states "Deities and unique beings cannot be controlled in any event." is only applicable to creatures for which clause 2 applies.</p><p></p><p>Having said all of that, there is still some room for confusion when it comes to classifying some beings as unique, in my opinion.</p><p></p><p>If we look at the Demon Princes, for example, they are unarguably far more powerful than any other demons but they are themselves still demons. Is the divide between Graz'zt and a miserable Dretch any different from the divide between Mordenkainen and a turnip farmer? If Mordenkainen, as a particular human, can be called via the <em>gate</em> spell, willing or unwilling, can Graz'zt, as a particular demon, be similarly called? If Graz'zt can be called, then an 18th level caster would satisfy the requirements to call and control Graz'zt (who has 36HD as he is listed in the Book of Vile Darkness).</p><p></p><p>As I have been talking about a literal interpretation of the <em>gate</em> spell I would have to say that, as written, the spell can be used by an 18th level caster to call and control Graz'zt. (If I have missed something which would classify Demon Princes as deities or as unique beings please point it out.) I'm sure that Graz'zt would not appreciate this and would go out of his way to make my life miserable after he had finished serving me, assuming he survived, but it remains that it can be done and a player who is reading the spell literally could make a good case for it being possible.</p><p></p><p>Now, sure a DM could make the judgement call that Graz'zt, as a Demon Prince, is not just another demon and is a unique being or maybe even a deity for the purposes of the <em>gate</em> spell. That's fine, but that is a DM call and not the rules as written. Similar situations would apply for other powerful creatures that can be summoned with this spell, Demon Princes are an example of a borderline classification case.</p><p></p><p>In summary, then, the specifications of kinds of beings, particular beings, deities, and unique beings are all very clear. Unless there are some unusual circumstances, the average PC is not a unique being, they are a particular being. The question becomes classifying certain creatures as particular beings of their kind or unique beings. Whether or not these issues make the <em>gate</em> spell broken I won't say, but it certainly seems like it's capable of some extraordinarily powerful callings if the letter of the rules is adhered to.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mephistopheles, post: 1689458, member: 4460"] The particular versus unique portion of [i]gate[/i] is quite straightforward as I read it. There are two separate clauses that some readers are mashing together to create some confusion that isn't there in a literal interpretation. Clause 1: The [i]gate[/i] spell states: "By naming a particular being or kind of being as you cast the spell, you cause the gate to open in the immediate vicinity of the desired creature and pull the subject through, willing or unwilling." The case for "kind of being" isn't being disputed so there's no need to cover that. So for the "particular being" case, let's look at a definition of the word "particular". From dictionary.com there is "A separate case or an individual thing or instance, especially one that can be distinguished from a larger category or class." If I call "A student wizard from the Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork, Discworld" then I'm calling a kind of being, which is subject to this clause and so will be pulled through willing or unwilling. If I call "Rincewind the student wizard from the Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork, Discworld" then I am calling a particular being, one individual who can be distinguished from a larger category or class, that category or class in this case being student wizards from Unseen University. Rincewind is also subject to this clause of the spell and so will be pulled through willing or unwilling. Clause 2: The [i]gate[/i] spell states: "Deities and unique beings are under no compulsion to come through the gate, although they may choose to do so of their own accord." Deities are a straightforward case that is not being disputed so there's no need to cover that. For the "unique beings" case let's look at a definition of the word "unique". From dictionary.com there is "Being the only one of its kind". If I call "Nerull, The Reaper, God of Death" I am calling a deity. He is subject to this clause and can choose to come through the gate or not. If I call "the Tarrasque" I am calling a unique being. Despite the Tarrasque having the Magical Beast type (and not some unique Tarrasque type) the description states that there is only one Tarrasque. It is subject to this clause and can choose to come through the gate or not (leaving aside the issues of its size relative to the size of the gate and its extremely low intelligence). As a corollary, the clause in the [i]gate[/i] spell which states "Deities and unique beings cannot be controlled in any event." is only applicable to creatures for which clause 2 applies. Having said all of that, there is still some room for confusion when it comes to classifying some beings as unique, in my opinion. If we look at the Demon Princes, for example, they are unarguably far more powerful than any other demons but they are themselves still demons. Is the divide between Graz'zt and a miserable Dretch any different from the divide between Mordenkainen and a turnip farmer? If Mordenkainen, as a particular human, can be called via the [i]gate[/i] spell, willing or unwilling, can Graz'zt, as a particular demon, be similarly called? If Graz'zt can be called, then an 18th level caster would satisfy the requirements to call and control Graz'zt (who has 36HD as he is listed in the Book of Vile Darkness). As I have been talking about a literal interpretation of the [i]gate[/i] spell I would have to say that, as written, the spell can be used by an 18th level caster to call and control Graz'zt. (If I have missed something which would classify Demon Princes as deities or as unique beings please point it out.) I'm sure that Graz'zt would not appreciate this and would go out of his way to make my life miserable after he had finished serving me, assuming he survived, but it remains that it can be done and a player who is reading the spell literally could make a good case for it being possible. Now, sure a DM could make the judgement call that Graz'zt, as a Demon Prince, is not just another demon and is a unique being or maybe even a deity for the purposes of the [i]gate[/i] spell. That's fine, but that is a DM call and not the rules as written. Similar situations would apply for other powerful creatures that can be summoned with this spell, Demon Princes are an example of a borderline classification case. In summary, then, the specifications of kinds of beings, particular beings, deities, and unique beings are all very clear. Unless there are some unusual circumstances, the average PC is not a unique being, they are a particular being. The question becomes classifying certain creatures as particular beings of their kind or unique beings. Whether or not these issues make the [i]gate[/i] spell broken I won't say, but it certainly seems like it's capable of some extraordinarily powerful callings if the letter of the rules is adhered to. [/QUOTE]
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