Manifest as a form of transport?

[Oly]

Can a summoned Demon use Manifest as a form of transport? For example after summoning could he manifest back to it's home, then manifest in the target's bed chamber before manifesting away once it's job was done?

I can't see anything in the rules to say that it can't but it doesn't "feel" right to me, it also makes the Shaows quality of the Child of the Dark a bit pointless.

Also on a connected matter would "Go to X, kill Y, steal Z from him and return it to me" be a single mission? The killing yes, but what about extending it to add the theft?

 

[quigs]

For your first question I would say no. I would either limit the ability to places the demon has seen personally, or limit it to the sight of the summoner. If a demon could manifest wherever it wanted whenever it wanted, it would not need to make pacts with scholars and such. I think its good to tie the demon's existence on Earth with the sorcerer who summoned it. A good example would be Nightcrawler's ability from X-Men 2, he could only teleport to places he could see. If he didn't know what was on the other side, it was extremely risky. Kinda like the dimension door spell I'd say.

As for your second question it really depends on how the sorcerer words it. If there are 3 objectives, I would demand at least 3 sacrifices. A better idea would be to tell the demon to "obtain the X from Y's estate". Most demons would most likely kill anybody that got in their way anyways, and demons DO love to manipulate their commands!

I have a summoner in my group (2nd level) who has a pact with a black fiend. I can't wait until he begins using that thing to carry out missions!

I may even let him control the demon during its task, and he gets to see what the demon sees as a kind of nightmare during his sleep, since he has a couple corruption points

 

[Raven Blackwell]

I'd say that demons can only Manifest in places they've been but a Summon spell acts as a beacon for them allowing them to Manifest in a new place. Also places that the summoner describes well enough they might be able to Manifest to but they may choose to retain physical form and travel there the long way if they can't bet their bearings well enough. Summoned creatures made for transporting people like Air Elementals, Demonic Steeds and Byahkee can of course be directed by a rider.

 

[urdinaran]

My biggest concern with the Manifest ability is that it says that the creature can do it as a free action, going back and forth between earth and some demonic plane. Sounds like it could be abused by a nasty GM; creature disappears, then reappears behind you, etc. etc.

Are there any other limitations to it, as how often it could be used? How do some of you GMs use it?

 

[quigs]

I'm not sure what version of the rules you are looking at, but the AE version says that it takes a Standard action.

If yours says Free, I would change it to standard