Geas

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• Level: 5
• School: Enchantment
• Class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: 60 feet
• Components: V
• Duration: 30 days

You give a verbal command to a creature that you can see within range, ordering it to carry out some service or refrain from an action or a course of activity as you decide. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration. The target automatically succeeds if it can't understand your command.

While Charmed, the creature takes 5d10 Psychic damage if it acts in a manner directly counter to your command. It takes this damage no more than once each day.

You can issue any command you choose, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Should you issue a suicidal command, the spell ends.

A Remove Curse, Greater Restoration, or Wish spell ends this spell.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. If you use a level 7 or 8 spell slot, the duration is 365 days. If you use a level 9 spell slot, the spell lasts until it is ended by one of the spells mentioned above.

Alternative Applications

Geas excels in diplomatic and espionage scenarios beyond direct control. Use it to establish non-aggression pacts by commanding enemies to avoid harming you and your allies. For intelligence gathering, command infiltrators to report everything they learn about enemy plans.

In mercantile contexts, Geas can enforce contracts and agreements. Command business partners to honor all agreements made or suppliers to deliver goods as promised without delay. This application works particularly well for high-stakes negotiations where trust is limited.

For personal development, willing targets might request Geas to enforce difficult lifestyle changes. Commands for daily exercise or avoiding alcohol can help with self-improvement when willpower alone is not sufficient.

Related Spells

Mind Control: Dominate Person and Dominate Monster provide immediate, direct control but with much shorter durations. Command offers instant but limited single-action control. Suggestion provides moderate influence without the harsh penalties.

Long-term Effects: Modify Memory can alter recollections after Geas expires, while Magic Jar provides extended control through possession. Planar Binding offers similar long-term control over extraplanar creatures.

Removal Options: Remove Curse, Greater Restoration, and Wish all end Geas. Dispel Magic cannot remove it, making lower-level removal difficult.

Tactical Usage

Geas transforms target creatures into unwilling servants bound by magical compulsion, making it invaluable for infiltration, interrogation, and long-term strategic manipulation. In combat preparation, use Geas to neutralize enemy commanders by commanding them to avoid battle or protect your allies. The 30-day duration allows for extended campaign-level advantages that outlast typical magical effects.

For resource management, the 1-minute casting time requires careful positioning and protection. Focus on high-value targets - enemy leaders, informants, or key figures whose cooperation provides maximum strategic benefit. The spell's reliance on Wisdom saves makes it most effective against physically powerful but mentally weak opponents.

Target selection should prioritize creatures that can understand your language and commands. Complex, multi-part instructions work better than simple prohibitions. Frame commands positively when possible - order targets to protect allies rather than avoid harming them for clearer magical interpretation.

Spell Combinations

Geas synergizes powerfully with divination magic for target identification and monitoring. Use Scrying to check on Geas subjects and verify compliance from a distance. Detect Thoughts can reveal whether targets are actively seeking ways to circumvent their commands or plotting rebellion.

For enhanced effectiveness, combine Geas with Zone of Truth during initial commanding to ensure targets fully understand their obligations. Suggestion can soften resistance before casting Geas, making targets more receptive to the initial command structure.

Modify Memory becomes crucial for post-Geas operations, allowing you to alter targets' recollections of receiving commands. This prevents them from warning others about magical compulsion or seeking removal magic. Sending enables remote command updates within the spell's parameters.

Material Component Details

Geas requires only verbal components, making it exceptionally efficient for high-level enchantment magic. The lack of material components means the spell cannot be counterspelled through component theft or environmental interference. This makes Geas reliable in situations where other control spells might fail due to missing materials.

The purely verbal nature allows for subtle casting modifications. Experienced casters can embed commands within seemingly normal conversation, disguising the magical compulsion as persuasive dialogue. This subtle approach helps prevent observers from recognizing magical influence.

However, the verbal requirement means Silence effects completely prevent casting. Plan accordingly when operating in areas where magical detection or countermeasures are likely. The need for clear verbal commands also means language barriers significantly limit the spell's effectiveness.

Creator Notes

Geas fundamentally alters social dynamics and campaign pacing, requiring careful DM consideration. The 30-day duration can dominate multiple sessions, creating ongoing narrative threads that need consistent tracking. Establish clear documentation systems for active Geas effects and their specific commands.

When NPCs use Geas against players, provide clear indicators of magical compulsion without completely removing player agency. The daily damage mechanic creates meaningful consequences while allowing limited resistance. Consider offering creative interpretation opportunities where players can technically follow commands while subverting their spirit.

For campaign balance, remember that high-level NPCs likely have access to Remove Curse or Greater Restoration. Political figures and religious leaders might have protective networks that can break enchantments. This prevents Geas from trivializing major campaign antagonists while maintaining its utility against mid-level threats.

Environmental Interactions

Geas functions independently of environmental conditions but interacts meaningfully with social and political structures. In lawful societies, magically compelled actions might still violate local laws, creating complex legal situations. Some jurisdictions treat Geas as assault or false imprisonment, while others accept it as legitimate magical influence.

Areas with strong divine presence might interfere with enchantment magic. Temples to deities of freedom or protection could provide sanctuary where Geas effects are suppressed. Similarly, regions with wild magic might cause commands to be interpreted unpredictably or enforced with unusual severity.

Planar effects can significantly impact Geas functionality. In the Feywild, commands might be interpreted with fey logic, creating unexpected loopholes. On lawful planes, the spell's compulsions might be enhanced, while chaotic planes could cause daily resistance checks beyond the standard damage mechanism.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Command Interpretation: Commands must be specific and understandable, but allow reasonable interpretation by the target. Generic commands like protect my interests allow more flexibility than specific actions like guard this door. Ambiguous commands often favor the target's interpretation.

Daily Damage Timing: The 5d10 psychic damage occurs once per day when the target acts directly counter to commands. This typically happens during the target's first significant violation each day, not necessarily at the same time daily.

Language Requirements: The target must understand the language used for commands. Translation magic like Comprehend Languages or Tongues can bridge language barriers, but commands given in unknown languages automatically fail.

Suicidal Command Definitions: Commands that would result in certain death immediately end the spell. This includes obvious death commands but also extends to situations where following the command creates virtually certain lethal outcomes.

Scaling Analysis

Higher-level casting dramatically increases Geas utility and campaign impact. 7th-level slots extend duration to one year, making the spell viable for major political manipulation and long-term campaign elements. 9th-level slots create permanent effects that can define NPC relationships for entire campaigns.

The jump from 30 days to 365 days at 7th level represents exceptional value, making this upcast option highly desirable for strategic applications. Year-long compulsions allow for seasonal operations, extended infiltration missions, and political campaigns that span multiple story arcs.

Permanent 9th-level Geas fundamentally changes target creatures, essentially redefining their motivations and loyalties for campaign purposes. This level of control approaches the power of divine intervention, making it suitable for epic-level storylines involving the fate of kingdoms or planes.

Narrative Flavor

Geas manifestation varies based on the caster's magical tradition and the nature of commands given. Divine casters might invoke holy vows and sacred obligations, while arcane users could create binding contracts written in mystical energy. Bardic Geas often takes the form of compelling songs or stories that echo in the target's mind.

The daily damage represents the magical compulsion's struggle against the target's natural inclinations. Describe this as mental anguish, phantom pain, or disturbing visions that occur when targets contemplate violating their commands. The psychological pressure should feel oppressive without being gratuitously cruel.

Command violations trigger dramatic moments of internal conflict. Targets might clutch their heads in pain, experience flashbacks to receiving commands, or struggle visibly with competing impulses. These manifestations should emphasize the spell's serious nature while creating opportunities for dramatic roleplay.