Lesser Geas

[Lord Ben]

How does this work? If I have an NPC cast Lesser Geas on a PC fighter and command him to kill the wizard. Figure he knows their name, or points at them, etc.

Would the fighter have to immediately attack the wizard? Or just make plans to do it eventually? Is the timing of the quest up to the PC?

What if I cast it on the Cleric and command him not to cast spells? Is that a valid use of the spell?

 

[LokiDR]

Lesser Geas doesn't work well to compell the fighter, since the effects don't take place for a day.

Your use of command seems a bit off. You can only issue one-word commands. If you know a word that means "do not cast spells" yes, the usage is fine.

 

[Lord Ben]

Nothing in Lesser Geas says it has to be a one word command.

So he's not held to the command of killing his friends until the next day or what? I know he doesn't get the penalty to stats until the next day, but if he turns around and starts swinging at his friend that's good enough for me.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Lesser Geas and Geas are worded differently.

Lesser Geas doesn't give you the option of electing to disobey. The penalties begn if you are prevented from following the command for a day. You can't just decide not to. If you fail your save, you carry out the task unless someone locks you in a jail cell.

Geas doesn't have a save, but there is room in the wording of the spell to interpret it as giving you a choice - follow the task, or take the penalty. In this case, the penalty doesn't kick in for 24 hours. Geas is not a combat spell.

If you want to force someone to retrieve the Red Crown of Omadon from the Realm of the Red Death, use Geas - no save. But if you want to make someone stop hitting you right now!, Lesser Geas is a better bet.

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

If you Lesser Geas the fighter and tell him to kill the wizard, he can ignore the command and dice your NPC into little pieces. The spell remains in effect on him, and he suffers penalties every day for as long as the wizard remains alive, but eventually he can find a friendly cleric and get a Remove Curse. (Note that the duration limit does not come into play, because killing a specific target is not an open-ended task.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

The geased creature must follow the given instructions until the geas is completed, no matter how long it takes.

If the subject is prevented from obeying[/i] the lesser geas for a whole day, he suffers a –2 penalty on each ability score. Each day, another –2 penalty accumulates, up to a total of –8. Abilities are not reduced below 1. The ability penalties end 1 day after the character resumes obeying the lesser geas.

Must follow. Is prevented from.

No ignoring by your own choice.

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

Lesser Geas and Geas are worded differently.

Oh heck. I forgot about this debate.

IMHO, the difference in wording is just an oversight, and the compulsion effect is intended to work the same way in both spells. If you read too narrowly, Lesser Geas becomes an unlimited-duration Dominate Monster, except without the telepathic communication. And it's 6 levels lower.

Some DMs have no problem with that, and rule as Hypersmurf says.

A debate on this point can go on for way too many pages. Hopefully they'll resolve this ambiguity in version 3.5.

 

[LokiDR]

Nothing in Lesser Geas says it has to be a one word command.

The spell "Command" is only one word. I thought that is what you were refering to.

 

[LokiDR]

Oh heck. I forgot about this debate.

IMHO, the difference in wording is just an oversight, and the compulsion effect is intended to work the same way in both spells. If you read too narrowly, Lesser Geas becomes an unlimited-duration Dominate Monster, except without the telepathic communication. And it's 6 levels lower.

I agree this is silly. Lesser Geas should be weaker than Geas, not more powerful in it's compulsion.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I agree this is silly. Lesser Geas should be weaker than Geas, not more powerful in it's compulsion.

Actually, in my opinion, Geas is more powerful.

I don't see anything in there to contradict the "as Lesser Geas" clause, so I feel that Geas shouldn't allow someone to elect to ignore the task either... and Geas has no save.

But others argue that "does not attempt" is different to "is prevented from".

-Hyp.