D&D 5E Planar Ally is it the most powerful conjuration spell in the game? How do you run it?

[Alexemplar]

I consider Planar Ally to be your standard "summoning things from beyond" spell and I treat it as such. Which creatures can be summoned, how they react, and what they're willing to do all vary greatly on the setting and the nature of all parties involved. For the most part, the entity that gets sent through is acting on behalf of the cosmic power that you beseeched, with the authority that implies.

It's really up to the DM to understand the cosmic powers and monsters and how they all interact. The Silver Flame will send coautls that are helpful to the point of self-sacrifice if they see the purpose for summoning them as worthy. The Undying Court will not likely be able to send anything outside of Aerenal (that's where their power is) and anyone they do send will likely act more in an advisory position as opposed to fighting stuff. In fact, I can't offhand think of any instances in an Eberron game where a creature summoned by the spell would accept simple gold coins as payment.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

This bugs me to no end, because it makes little sense. Presumably the only one a cleric should be contacting to request reinforcements is their deity (who might send fiends or celestials or whoever they want). Wizards are the ones who summon up whatever random being they want to work with.

It seems like it's straight up on the wrong spell list.

I suspect it was going to be on the warlock's spell list, both based on the text (which is as much, if not more, warlock than cleric) and it was a major feature for a couple of the 4e warlock types (binder and hexblade).

I am not sure why they didn't include it in the Mystic Arcanum spell list. I homebrewed it into the list in my campaign. The warlock never gets anything for free unless he/she wins a diplomacy check against the monsters charisma.

The bard can also get the spell, so I guess they made it more open for them.


Back to the OP:

I usually use the highest spell level the cleric (bard, favored/divine soul sorcerer, and in my campaign warlock) can cast to determine the maximum CR of what they can get. It is still only a 6th level spell (no benefit for up casting). There is one exception:

I changed the cleric's divine intervention so that it is automatically invoked in if the cleric is reduced to 0 hp's (but still can only be used once a week). If the role is successful, you get up to a highest level spell+1 CR critter. I figure a party with a down cleric needs all the help it can get.

 

[gyor]

Yeah Planar Ally should have been on the Warlock's spell list.

As is only Clerics, Favoured Souls, and the Bards can take the spell.

 

[chunkosauruswrex]

This bugs me to no end, because it makes little sense. Presumably the only one a cleric should be contacting to request reinforcements is their deity (who might send fiends or celestials or whoever they want). Wizards are the ones who summon up whatever random being they want to work with.

It seems like it's straight up on the wrong spell list.

Yeah my thought is why isn't this on the warlock spell list? Beseech a great old one and he sends some lovecraftian terror to work for you. That's so warlock

 

[Mephista]

A better question - why is the god giving a spell to a cleric if theyre goign to summon devils without a very, very good reason? That's a very quick way of losing your diety, imho.

 

[gyor]

Yeah my thought is why isn't this on the warlock spell list? Beseech a great old one and he sends some lovecraftian terror to work for you. That's so warlock

You can't summon aberrations with Planar Ally, just Celestials, Fiends, or Elementals.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

There have been some pretty GOO-y fiends in past editions (the piscoloth and the devil type that looks like a man from the waist up, a slug from the waist down, and that swims in the Styx). They would cover the GOO's pretty well if WotC would update them (or you went to the DMs Guild). In Tome of Beasts, they made the Star Spawn of Cthulhu a fiend, but it is also a CR 15, so I would be pretty reluctant to give those out to a party.

 

[Alexemplar]

Yeah my thought is why isn't this on the warlock spell list? Beseech a great old one and he sends some lovecraftian terror to work for you. That's so warlock

I think because they want to downplay the closeness of the relationship between the Warlock and their patron as opposed to the Cleric and their deity. The default flavor of the Warlock seems to be that although you got your powers by associating with fiends/lovecraftian horrors/fair folk, that you're still a somewhat heroic character and not a minion that's actually advancing those beings' agendas (with the other players as convenient pawns). Yes, you can certainly play a Warlock character like that, but I don't think they wanted to encourage it.

Compare this to Clerics, where they seem to have fewer issues with the idea that your character is furthering their deity's cause and as such can call on their deity to intervene and send them (somewhat) regular support. Keep in mind that while one could theoretically summon a fiend, that the deity's PCs have relationships with tend towards the Good/Neutral end of the spectrum.

 

[gyor]

Yeah my thought is why isn't this on the warlock spell list? Beseech a great old one and he sends some lovecraftian terror to work for you. That's so warlock

You can't summon aberrations with Planar Ally, just Celestials, Fiends, or Elementals.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I cast the spell a few times with my cleric, and always chose a couatl. Mostly for utility. At will detect magic, then bless a few times a day, and greater restoration for the barbarian in the group? Then of course it's flying ability for scouting purposes. It came in handy.