Exact Task

School conjuration (calling); Level cleric/oracle 9

CASTING

Casting Time 5 minutes
Components V, S, DF, M (a bit of matter or substance from the native plane of the creature to be called and a piece of parchment with knowledge of the creature’s nature or its true name written on it that is burned during the casting)

EFFECT

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one called outsider or elemental of 27 HD or less
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

This spell is similar to the various planar ally spells, except it calls only one creature, payment is made after the service or task is performed, and if the caster fails to live up its end of the bargain, the called creature can gain control of the cleric (as by a geas/quest spell).

By casting this spell, you call an elemental or outsider (of 27 HD or less) of your choice. The creature called must share your philosophical alignment. If you know an individual creature’s name, you may request that individual by speaking the name during the spell. You cannot call a demigod or more powerful deity or god with this spell.

You may ask the creature to perform one task in exchange for a payment from you. Tasks might range from the simple to the complex. You must be able to communicate with the creature called in order to bargain for its services.

The creature called requires a payment for its services. This payment can take a variety of forms, from donating gold or magic items to an allied temple, to a gift given directly to the creature, to some other action on your part that matches the creature’s alignment and goals. This payment is made after the creature agrees to perform any services. The bargaining takes at least 1 round, so any actions by the creature begin in the round after it arrives.

A task taking up to 1 minute per caster level requires a payment of 100 gp per HD of the creature called. For a task taking up to 1 hour per caster level, the creature requires a payment of 500 gp per HD. A long-term task, one requiring up to one day per caster level, requires a payment of 1,000 gp per HD.

A nonhazardous task requires only half the indicated payment, while an especially hazardous task might require a greater gift. Few if any creatures accept a task that seems suicidal (remember, a called creature actually dies when it is killed, unlike a summoned creature). However, if the task is strongly aligned with the creature’s ethos, it may halve the payment.

At the end of its task, or when the duration bargained for expires, the creature returns to you to collect its payment. Failure to fulfill your end of the bargain results in you being subjected to a geas/quest spell (as if cast by the called creature) with no saving throw or being attacked by the called creature. In the latter scenario, the called creature is immune to all attacks made by you (including all melee, ranged, and psionic attacks, and spells).

Note: When you use a calling spell that calls an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it is a spell of that type.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Book of Lost Spells – Copyright 2015, Frog God Games, LLC

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