PFS Planar Binding

[thejeff]

andreww wrote:

Is there no scope for the act to fall into the morally grey middle?

That is pretty much where I would peg most bindings of evil outsiders to accomplish good purposes. Of course the issue of the PFS is that most of their missions have precious little involvement with doing good.

If the player plans to use magical torture to compel co-operation that would certainly push it towards the evil end of the spectrum. So hitting the prisoner with Bestow Curse to improve your chances I would generally consider bad. Not sure I would think the same of a Suggestion spell to get it to agree to the deal.

Well, this isn't for PFS, since there I don't get to decide, but:

I'd consider dealing with devils/demons to be evil. And most of the creatures in question will do their best to tempt you and twist you towards evil. It is by its very nature a corrupting act.

On the other hand, in the short run at least, the evil of the summoning can be made up for by doing so for a good purpose. Turning the outsider's innate evil towards good ends is possible, just morally dangerous.

And it's a theme I enjoy playing with: Being driven by desperation to use evil means for good ends is an old trope and a good one. I've played several characters working to prevent absolute catastrophe who would use any means to do so. And were quite morally tortured by that willingness.

Corwin of Amber wrote:

I am a part of the evil that exists in the world... I sometimes fancy myself an evil which exists to oppose other evils... And on that Great Day of which prophets speak but in which they do not truly believe, on that day when the world is cleansed of evil, then I, too, will go down into darkness, swallowing curses. Perhaps even sooner than that, I now judge. But whatever... until then, I shall not wash my hands nor let them hang useless.

OTOH, many PFS missions don't rise to the level that I'd consider justification for dabbling in evil.

[Diego Rossi]

The problem with summoning a evil outsider to do good deeds is that he will do whatever he can to corrupt the deed.

A often used example is "I summon a demon to save the children in a burning orphanage."
A good outsider summoned to do that will fly through a window, heal the children, comfort them and so on.
A demon would smash the building wall to enter it (with the risk of killing someone under falling debris and spreading the fire, but "it was done to be speedy"), terrorize the children into immobility (it made easier transporting them), will not try to avoid not fatal burns on the children (it was the fastest route, so I was capable to save more of them). Terrorizing the children into running into the fire to avoid him with his aspect and demeanor would be worth bonus points (I didn't anything to him, I was gathering the other child and he run away, right into the fire. I was gartering this one, so I was incapable to save him).
When you call a evil outsider you can control his goal, not his methods.

[FLite]

CRobledo wrote:

I think what he meant is that when the spell asks for the task that is required, he would just say "[insert carefully restated mission briefing here]" to the deva. This way it would basically help you do whatever you are already doing, since you are working on that task.

That makes so much more sense

[FLite]

Benrislove wrote:

you can always just finish the job :)

Just remember, even fiends have friends (or at least people who owe them.) And if you do this, you are very quickly going to find your name passed around hell.

You might even find out that *other* conjurers have been told that the price for hells service is your elimination from the mortal plane, preferably by transportation to the circles of hell.

Less of an issue in a society game, but I would not advise doing this in a home game I run. I tend to run "Power has a price, if it looks cheap you probably missed something."