Geas
Ritual 3, Arcana (expert), Occultism (expert), or Religion (expert)
Pathfinder 2e (Remaster)
You bind a willing target with a magic rule, forcing it to perform or refrain from a certain act.
- Uncommon
- Curse
- Mental
- Rank
- 3
- Traits
- Uncommon, Curse, Mental
- Cast
- 1 day
- Casters
- 1 primary, 1 secondary caster
- Primary check
- Arcana (expert), Occultism (expert), or Religion (expert)
- Secondary checks
- Society or Legal Lore
- Range
- 10 feet
- Targets
- 1 creature of a level no greater than double the geas ritual's rank
- Duration
- see text
You bind a willing target with a magic rule, forcing it to perform or refrain from a certain act. A geas to perform an act is usually conditional, such as always offering hospitality to strangers seeking a place to stay; an unconditional one does not require the target to do nothing else, but it must put the task above leisure. The most common geas to refrain from an act is a specification against violating a contract, in which case the secondary caster usually takes charge of attuning the contract's wording to the ritual's magic. Because the target is willing, the geas can last as long as the target agrees to. A target unable to fulfill the geas becomes sickened 1, increasing by 1 for each further consecutive day it is prevented from following it, to a maximum of sickened 4; the condition ends as soon as it follows the geas again and cannot be removed any other way. Only powerful magic such as a wish ritual can lift a geas from a willing target.
Degrees of success
- Critical Success
- The geas succeeds, and the target gains a +1 status bonus to skill checks that directly uphold it, at the GM's discretion.
- Success
- The geas succeeds.
- Failure
- The geas fails.
- Critical Failure
- The geas fails and you are affected by the geas you meant to place on the target. You count as an unwilling target, so it can be counteracted with a cleanse affliction spell.
Heightened
- 5th
- You can use geas on an unwilling creature, which can attempt a Will save to negate the effect. On a failed save the geas lasts up to 1 week. A cleanse affliction spell can counteract a geas on an unwilling creature, as can powerful magic such as a wish ritual. A clever unwilling creature can subvert the geas by contriving situations that keep it from complying, but it becomes sickened as described above.
- 7th
- As 5th rank, but the geas lasts up to 1 year on an unwilling creature.
- 9th
- As 5th rank, but the geas lasts for a duration you choose, even unlimited, on an unwilling creature.
Source: Pathfinder Player Core, p. 393
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