Is it inherently evil to summon up a demon?

[Ruined]

This can easily be a great point of debate in your game. If you get the chance (and by your frequency of posts, I know you should), slide by the Story Hour section and read some of the stories by Sepulchrave II. There are a number of philosophical conversations between Eadric (a paladin), Mostin (an alienist wizard), and Shomei (an NPC wizard who uses demons and devils to her ends frequently). Great discussions.

And not to forget, an awesome story.

 

[Oni]

I had a good conjurer who routinely used summon monster to summon evil creatures. Now I realize this isn't quite the same thing as a planar binding spell where things can more likely go wrong, but perhaps the same logic can be applied. Her thinking was that there was no reason to put good creatures through the stresses and rigors of combat unnecessarily, but that evil creatures got what they deserved. With a planar binding type spell the creature summoned is at even greater risk since if they die, they're dead. That said this character didn't make it to high enough level to tackle that particular issue, however I think that type of summoning would have been something she would have tried in only the most dire circumstances, not wanting to bring inconvenience or harm to good creatures, or lightly undertaking the risk associated with evil creatures. I don't know if the DM ever changed her alignment, but I always played her as a good character despite the types of spells she used.

On a more mechanical level, I've always been of the view that the spell descriptors do not necessarily lend a morality to the spell that would affect a characters alignment. They are there to show what spells clerics can and cannot cast, and to show how the spell detects under the scrutiny of divinations. I cannot think of any place in the core rules where it mentions what the possible ramifications of casting such spells would be, only the things that I mentioned above.

 

[blackshirt5]

Or not, kenjib. I think it'll depend how far the players let him lean over the edge before they forcibly grab him by the neck and haul him away from that particular cliff.

Which is of course one of the things that makes my players great.

But either way that definitely gave me food for thought. Maybe Tak should just stick to being a Mystic Pimp.

 

[Celebrim]

Yes.

 

[Umbran]

...the wizard takes the stance(and always has taken it) that "The End Justifies the Means".

The stance the wizard takes is pretty much irrelevant. In D&D (at least by the core books) the morality of an action is decided in reference to the absolute definitions of Good and Evil of the universe (or the gods, or what have you). The wizard can go ahead and think it's good. Doesn't make it so in the eyes of the Powers that Be.

Also, for those that think such a summoning isn't evil - the basic story is as old as the hills. Wizard thinks he's hot dumplings, and can handle a demon. He summons the demon, and lo and behold, it looks like the wizard is correct! Everything goes about how the wizard expects... until the demon springs the real trap.

Generally speaking, mortals who think they can match wits with immortals are generally guilty of hubris, and eventually bring harm unto themselves and others in the process. So, yeah, it's evil

 

[Darrin Drader]

Is it inherently evil to summon up a demon?

Yes. It puts your immortal soul in peril. Don't do it.

 

[green slime]

The way I see it, the summoned creature isn't just "doing your bidding".

A CE summoned creature such as a Demon will do your bidding in the most perverse, chaotic, evil way possible. If commanded to attack, it may tear the leg off your manservant to beat your enemy on the head with... Laughing demonically while your man bleeds to death.

Or it will be tempting you to do other Evil acts in the meanwhile. It will bargain so as to gain an advantage over you. An advantage that you are almost unaware that you have given it.

While summoned it may offer you the secret of how to bind a similar demon, if "you just do these acts", which will of course seem innocent enough at the time...

So yes, summoning a Demon IMC is irrevocably evil...but you might not know that when you start...

 

[Voadam]

Under the core rules a wizard can summon demons using the summon monster spells and not worry about them getting out of control.

Morally I would say there is no difference between summoning a fiendish dire rat to attack your foes compared to a celestial hawk. Or a dretch compared to an elemental. They will detect differently and there will be different social consequences but there is not a moral difference using the core spells as written. Even using a summoned demon to do good deeds (rescue babies or whatnot) will detect as evil. And witch hunts and paladins will come after you.

If they have leeway and discretion to act on their own through some other binding, then you are playing with fire and can expect to be burned.

 

[DonAdam]

If the demon gets something in return, yes, because you are cooperating with evil.

Otherwise, you are subjugating evil. That would be the standard summon monster spell. However, I use those descriptors to determine what spells people can cast, not what they should.

Regardless, it might not be a prudent decision.

It also depends on how you choose to use them. In one of the Drizzit books, Cadderly made a cameo and summoned Druzil, and evil imp, to interrogate him for information. I wouldn't see that as an evil act.

 

[green slime]

Its not worrying about them "getting out of control"... its that they'll suggest things to you, that you let them do...

From the SRD:
This spell summons an outsider (extraplanar creature) that attacks the character's enemies. It appears where the character designates and acts immediately, on the character's turn. It attacks the character's opponents to the best of its ability. If the character can communicate with the outsider, the character can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. Summoned creatures act normally on the last round of the spell and disappear at the end of their turn.

Thus the creature attacks your opponents, to the best of its ability, but without much regard to your friends... That Pitfiend may blast the area with a Meteor Swarm... Or destroy artifacts of great worth in the process...

Or suggest that he should go and disembowel the reinforcements he hears in the passageway... Only for you to discover after the fact the reinforcements weren't your enemies at all...

It is not a mindless automaton you are summoning, but a primal Evil force, with a hatred and desire for destruction that far surpasses anything the character himself is capable of.

As to information providing, any information given freely by a CE being should be treated with grave distrust. These creatures are the masters of lies and deceit. How can you trust them? There is nothing in the spell compelling them to act truthfully. You compel them to attack, or perform other actions to the best of their abilities. But they are in no way bound by your intent... only your word...