Can you use a resurrected creature's blood as the material component for the Summon Lesser Demons spell?

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The material component of the summon lesser demons spell is




a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




If a creature is killed and brought back to life, could their blood (if collected before their resurrection) still be used for the material component for the spell?










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    up vote
    8
    down vote

    favorite












    The material component of the summon lesser demons spell is




    a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




    If a creature is killed and brought back to life, could their blood (if collected before their resurrection) still be used for the material component for the spell?










    share|improve this question

























      up vote
      8
      down vote

      favorite









      up vote
      8
      down vote

      favorite











      The material component of the summon lesser demons spell is




      a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




      If a creature is killed and brought back to life, could their blood (if collected before their resurrection) still be used for the material component for the spell?










      share|improve this question















      The material component of the summon lesser demons spell is




      a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




      If a creature is killed and brought back to life, could their blood (if collected before their resurrection) still be used for the material component for the spell?







      dnd-5e spells spell-components






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      edited 16 mins ago









      V2Blast

      14.4k23594




      14.4k23594










      asked 7 hours ago









      Twiggy

      465216




      465216




















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes

















          up vote
          9
          down vote













          By the letter of the rules, it would work.



          The material component is:




          a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




          The blood has to meet the condition of being from a humanoid who was killed within the past 24 hours, regardless of the current condition of the humanoid or the time of collection.



          By the spirit of the rules, it seems unlikely to work.



          What's the point of the material component in this case? The blood is used 1) as part of the casting but also 2) to paint a circle that acts as a barrier to contain the otherwise hostile demons.



          Effectively, the caster has to be willing to kill someone (either directly or by proxy) in order to summon the demons and to be protected from them. The caster is trading someone else's life for their own safety in order to summon "incarnation[s] of chaos and evil" (as the demons are described in the bestiary of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).



          It seems obvious to me that the caster has to commit an evil act to finagle a benefit from the spell. Killing for the purpose of summoning evil creatures to do evil things should be an unambiguously selfish and evil act, but a kill-and-resurrect method of acquiring the blood (possibly even from a consensual blood donor) would seem to go against the spirit of that commitment to evil. This seems like a way to have your demon cake and eat it too.



          As a DM, I would rule that the spell fizzles because the blood provided failed to comply with the implied thematic requirement that the caster commit to their evildoing. I would consider the kill-and-resurrect method to be an exploit of a technicality of how the rules are worded in violation of how they seem to be intended.



          Your mileage may vary if you think that kill-and-resurrect is chaotic evil enough to work or that the blood merely needs to have been tainted by the duress of undergoing death, but I think demons are smarter than that, given their "fiendish, subtle shrewdness" (according to MToF's overview of the demonic point of view), and that they would consider kill-and-resurrect to be too vanilla.






          share|improve this answer
















          • 1




            To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
            – Neil Slater
            2 hours ago











          • I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
            – Mark Wells
            17 mins ago

















          up vote
          6
          down vote













          Yes



          Summon Lesser Demon:




          a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




          It does not say it has to be dead at the time of casting.



          It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but I think that was the intent.



          Balance Considerations



          This spell is a bit weaker than Conjure Animals.

          What arrives is on the same power level, as the summoned creatures have same CR. However there you have more control over what you get, and what they do.



          So for balance the components of Summon Lesser Demon should be less restrictive, not more.

          For me this means whatever workaround or shortcut you can take you deserve it.






          share|improve this answer


















          • 1




            "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
            – Kevin
            2 hours ago










          • @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
            – András
            53 mins ago

















          up vote
          5
          down vote













          Yes



          It doesn't require the blood to be of a humanoid who is currently dead, only one who was killed in the past 24 hours.






          share|improve this answer




















            Your Answer




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            3 Answers
            3






            active

            oldest

            votes








            3 Answers
            3






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes








            up vote
            9
            down vote













            By the letter of the rules, it would work.



            The material component is:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            The blood has to meet the condition of being from a humanoid who was killed within the past 24 hours, regardless of the current condition of the humanoid or the time of collection.



            By the spirit of the rules, it seems unlikely to work.



            What's the point of the material component in this case? The blood is used 1) as part of the casting but also 2) to paint a circle that acts as a barrier to contain the otherwise hostile demons.



            Effectively, the caster has to be willing to kill someone (either directly or by proxy) in order to summon the demons and to be protected from them. The caster is trading someone else's life for their own safety in order to summon "incarnation[s] of chaos and evil" (as the demons are described in the bestiary of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).



            It seems obvious to me that the caster has to commit an evil act to finagle a benefit from the spell. Killing for the purpose of summoning evil creatures to do evil things should be an unambiguously selfish and evil act, but a kill-and-resurrect method of acquiring the blood (possibly even from a consensual blood donor) would seem to go against the spirit of that commitment to evil. This seems like a way to have your demon cake and eat it too.



            As a DM, I would rule that the spell fizzles because the blood provided failed to comply with the implied thematic requirement that the caster commit to their evildoing. I would consider the kill-and-resurrect method to be an exploit of a technicality of how the rules are worded in violation of how they seem to be intended.



            Your mileage may vary if you think that kill-and-resurrect is chaotic evil enough to work or that the blood merely needs to have been tainted by the duress of undergoing death, but I think demons are smarter than that, given their "fiendish, subtle shrewdness" (according to MToF's overview of the demonic point of view), and that they would consider kill-and-resurrect to be too vanilla.






            share|improve this answer
















            • 1




              To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
              – Neil Slater
              2 hours ago











            • I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
              – Mark Wells
              17 mins ago














            up vote
            9
            down vote













            By the letter of the rules, it would work.



            The material component is:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            The blood has to meet the condition of being from a humanoid who was killed within the past 24 hours, regardless of the current condition of the humanoid or the time of collection.



            By the spirit of the rules, it seems unlikely to work.



            What's the point of the material component in this case? The blood is used 1) as part of the casting but also 2) to paint a circle that acts as a barrier to contain the otherwise hostile demons.



            Effectively, the caster has to be willing to kill someone (either directly or by proxy) in order to summon the demons and to be protected from them. The caster is trading someone else's life for their own safety in order to summon "incarnation[s] of chaos and evil" (as the demons are described in the bestiary of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).



            It seems obvious to me that the caster has to commit an evil act to finagle a benefit from the spell. Killing for the purpose of summoning evil creatures to do evil things should be an unambiguously selfish and evil act, but a kill-and-resurrect method of acquiring the blood (possibly even from a consensual blood donor) would seem to go against the spirit of that commitment to evil. This seems like a way to have your demon cake and eat it too.



            As a DM, I would rule that the spell fizzles because the blood provided failed to comply with the implied thematic requirement that the caster commit to their evildoing. I would consider the kill-and-resurrect method to be an exploit of a technicality of how the rules are worded in violation of how they seem to be intended.



            Your mileage may vary if you think that kill-and-resurrect is chaotic evil enough to work or that the blood merely needs to have been tainted by the duress of undergoing death, but I think demons are smarter than that, given their "fiendish, subtle shrewdness" (according to MToF's overview of the demonic point of view), and that they would consider kill-and-resurrect to be too vanilla.






            share|improve this answer
















            • 1




              To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
              – Neil Slater
              2 hours ago











            • I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
              – Mark Wells
              17 mins ago












            up vote
            9
            down vote










            up vote
            9
            down vote









            By the letter of the rules, it would work.



            The material component is:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            The blood has to meet the condition of being from a humanoid who was killed within the past 24 hours, regardless of the current condition of the humanoid or the time of collection.



            By the spirit of the rules, it seems unlikely to work.



            What's the point of the material component in this case? The blood is used 1) as part of the casting but also 2) to paint a circle that acts as a barrier to contain the otherwise hostile demons.



            Effectively, the caster has to be willing to kill someone (either directly or by proxy) in order to summon the demons and to be protected from them. The caster is trading someone else's life for their own safety in order to summon "incarnation[s] of chaos and evil" (as the demons are described in the bestiary of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).



            It seems obvious to me that the caster has to commit an evil act to finagle a benefit from the spell. Killing for the purpose of summoning evil creatures to do evil things should be an unambiguously selfish and evil act, but a kill-and-resurrect method of acquiring the blood (possibly even from a consensual blood donor) would seem to go against the spirit of that commitment to evil. This seems like a way to have your demon cake and eat it too.



            As a DM, I would rule that the spell fizzles because the blood provided failed to comply with the implied thematic requirement that the caster commit to their evildoing. I would consider the kill-and-resurrect method to be an exploit of a technicality of how the rules are worded in violation of how they seem to be intended.



            Your mileage may vary if you think that kill-and-resurrect is chaotic evil enough to work or that the blood merely needs to have been tainted by the duress of undergoing death, but I think demons are smarter than that, given their "fiendish, subtle shrewdness" (according to MToF's overview of the demonic point of view), and that they would consider kill-and-resurrect to be too vanilla.






            share|improve this answer












            By the letter of the rules, it would work.



            The material component is:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            The blood has to meet the condition of being from a humanoid who was killed within the past 24 hours, regardless of the current condition of the humanoid or the time of collection.



            By the spirit of the rules, it seems unlikely to work.



            What's the point of the material component in this case? The blood is used 1) as part of the casting but also 2) to paint a circle that acts as a barrier to contain the otherwise hostile demons.



            Effectively, the caster has to be willing to kill someone (either directly or by proxy) in order to summon the demons and to be protected from them. The caster is trading someone else's life for their own safety in order to summon "incarnation[s] of chaos and evil" (as the demons are described in the bestiary of Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes).



            It seems obvious to me that the caster has to commit an evil act to finagle a benefit from the spell. Killing for the purpose of summoning evil creatures to do evil things should be an unambiguously selfish and evil act, but a kill-and-resurrect method of acquiring the blood (possibly even from a consensual blood donor) would seem to go against the spirit of that commitment to evil. This seems like a way to have your demon cake and eat it too.



            As a DM, I would rule that the spell fizzles because the blood provided failed to comply with the implied thematic requirement that the caster commit to their evildoing. I would consider the kill-and-resurrect method to be an exploit of a technicality of how the rules are worded in violation of how they seem to be intended.



            Your mileage may vary if you think that kill-and-resurrect is chaotic evil enough to work or that the blood merely needs to have been tainted by the duress of undergoing death, but I think demons are smarter than that, given their "fiendish, subtle shrewdness" (according to MToF's overview of the demonic point of view), and that they would consider kill-and-resurrect to be too vanilla.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 6 hours ago









            Bloodcinder

            16.4k255110




            16.4k255110







            • 1




              To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
              – Neil Slater
              2 hours ago











            • I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
              – Mark Wells
              17 mins ago












            • 1




              To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
              – Neil Slater
              2 hours ago











            • I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
              – Mark Wells
              17 mins ago







            1




            1




            To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
            – Neil Slater
            2 hours ago





            To get around your ruling mechanically, a caster could always resurrect their victim after the summoning . . . then discussions could become convoluted. For instance, did the caster intend to do that all along, and therefore qualify as "evil lite" and not bad enough for the demons (and how would that manifest, since we don't typically nail down motivations of every act, and try to hold players to play it consistently)? Or were they truly evil, and just need the old ally back later on for unrelated reasons?
            – Neil Slater
            2 hours ago













            I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
            – Mark Wells
            17 mins ago




            I figure if you try to resurrect them after sacrificing them in a demonic ritual, you fail because they're already in Hell. The demons will not give up their payment so easily.
            – Mark Wells
            17 mins ago












            up vote
            6
            down vote













            Yes



            Summon Lesser Demon:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            It does not say it has to be dead at the time of casting.



            It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but I think that was the intent.



            Balance Considerations



            This spell is a bit weaker than Conjure Animals.

            What arrives is on the same power level, as the summoned creatures have same CR. However there you have more control over what you get, and what they do.



            So for balance the components of Summon Lesser Demon should be less restrictive, not more.

            For me this means whatever workaround or shortcut you can take you deserve it.






            share|improve this answer


















            • 1




              "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
              – Kevin
              2 hours ago










            • @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
              – András
              53 mins ago














            up vote
            6
            down vote













            Yes



            Summon Lesser Demon:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            It does not say it has to be dead at the time of casting.



            It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but I think that was the intent.



            Balance Considerations



            This spell is a bit weaker than Conjure Animals.

            What arrives is on the same power level, as the summoned creatures have same CR. However there you have more control over what you get, and what they do.



            So for balance the components of Summon Lesser Demon should be less restrictive, not more.

            For me this means whatever workaround or shortcut you can take you deserve it.






            share|improve this answer


















            • 1




              "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
              – Kevin
              2 hours ago










            • @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
              – András
              53 mins ago












            up vote
            6
            down vote










            up vote
            6
            down vote









            Yes



            Summon Lesser Demon:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            It does not say it has to be dead at the time of casting.



            It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but I think that was the intent.



            Balance Considerations



            This spell is a bit weaker than Conjure Animals.

            What arrives is on the same power level, as the summoned creatures have same CR. However there you have more control over what you get, and what they do.



            So for balance the components of Summon Lesser Demon should be less restrictive, not more.

            For me this means whatever workaround or shortcut you can take you deserve it.






            share|improve this answer














            Yes



            Summon Lesser Demon:




            a vial of blood from a humanoid killed within the past 24 hours




            It does not say it has to be dead at the time of casting.



            It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but I think that was the intent.



            Balance Considerations



            This spell is a bit weaker than Conjure Animals.

            What arrives is on the same power level, as the summoned creatures have same CR. However there you have more control over what you get, and what they do.



            So for balance the components of Summon Lesser Demon should be less restrictive, not more.

            For me this means whatever workaround or shortcut you can take you deserve it.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 43 mins ago

























            answered 7 hours ago









            András

            22.5k881168




            22.5k881168







            • 1




              "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
              – Kevin
              2 hours ago










            • @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
              – András
              53 mins ago












            • 1




              "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
              – Kevin
              2 hours ago










            • @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
              – András
              53 mins ago







            1




            1




            "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
            – Kevin
            2 hours ago




            "It does not even say it has to be dead at the time of collection, but that is implied." - What if you kill them, resurrect them, and then take some blood from the now-living humanoid? Is that legal?
            – Kevin
            2 hours ago












            @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
            – András
            53 mins ago




            @Kevin RAW yes, but I very much doubt RAI.
            – András
            53 mins ago










            up vote
            5
            down vote













            Yes



            It doesn't require the blood to be of a humanoid who is currently dead, only one who was killed in the past 24 hours.






            share|improve this answer
























              up vote
              5
              down vote













              Yes



              It doesn't require the blood to be of a humanoid who is currently dead, only one who was killed in the past 24 hours.






              share|improve this answer






















                up vote
                5
                down vote










                up vote
                5
                down vote









                Yes



                It doesn't require the blood to be of a humanoid who is currently dead, only one who was killed in the past 24 hours.






                share|improve this answer












                Yes



                It doesn't require the blood to be of a humanoid who is currently dead, only one who was killed in the past 24 hours.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 7 hours ago









                Quadratic Wizard

                19.1k367106




                19.1k367106



























                     

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