D&D 5E Am I missing something about Summoning?

[Longshadow]

We have spells directly responsible for conjuring (relatively low-CR) Fey, Celestials, Elementals, and woodland critters. What about Fiends, or other outsider-types? Obviously Magic Circle and Planar Binding are involved, but what mechanism actually drags the target into the circle from its home plane so it can be bound?

Gate?

That's the only other spell I found with language pertaining to the question. Did I miss something? Because Gate seems awful high-level as a prerequisite in this situation, at least by my reckoning.

Can anyone point me to the spell description or language I missed? Thanks.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I haven't noticed any easier way to do it myself (except for Planar Ally if you are a cleric).

In some ways I like that it has become harder, but I share your distaste for how much harder it is.

 

[Joe Liker]

It may be intentional that planar ally is a cleric spell. I like the idea of a wizard and cleric having to cooperate to pull off the one-two punch of planar ally and planar binding. That's how cults get started in the real world, isn't it?

But if you (and your DM) disagree, and you want to have lone demonologists wreaking havoc on the kingdom, just add planar ally to the wizard and warlock spell lists. Might turn out to be fun for everyone!

 

[Rocksome]

I believe the celestials type include demons and devils, as well as good-aligned outsiders.

 

[Joe Liker]

I believe the celestials type include demons and devils, as well as good-aligned outsiders.

Nope, celestials are one type, and fiends are another. Fiends include demons, devils, yugoloths, succubi/incubi, hags, nightmares, and maybe a couple of others. Celestials include empyreans, angels, couatl, pegasi ... stuff like that.

"Outsider" is not an actual 5e classification, but people know what you mean when you say it if they've played 3e or 4e.

It doesn't matter, though. Both planar ally and gate can handle both types.

 

[Celtavian]

I'm hoping they make a summoner class at some point. Would make them extraordinarily unique even if all they could do is have two summoning spells active at once.

It is interesting how the gate spell works now. Seems to require that you know which creatures are natural enemies before you use it to have any chance of getting what you gate in to fight your enemy.

 

[Mephista]

It may be intentional that planar ally is a cleric spell. I like the idea of a wizard and cleric having to cooperate to pull off the one-two punch of planar ally and planar binding. That's how cults get started in the real world, isn't it?

Actually, clerics get Planar Binding too. As do druids and, oddly enough, the non-summoning bard (I suppose they could Magic Secret the Conjure spells!). But, anyways, Conjure class spells last an hour, and it takes an hour to cast Planar Binding. I think the intent is for the classes with summon magic to be able to bind the thing they Conjure.

We do need a Conjure Fiend and Conjure Minor Fiend spell. I don't know if its in the DMG with the Oathbreaker and Death Cleric, since its pretty much the definition of evil magic, especially for Fiend Warlocks. Actually, I'm a bit surprised warlocks don't have access to some kind of Planar Binding magic, even though they get Magic Circle. Oversight?

After that, the question becomes, what do you want to call? Archons will be a celestial. Eladrin from Arborea are now either Fey or Celestials. Modrons? Those are constructs which, if the memory serves, can be created via a magic item in book form. Same with pretty much every kind of undead and Animate/Create Undead class spells. If you want to talk to them, cast Contact Other Plane; if you want servants, you build them.

Slaadi? Those are abominations now, and I don't know of any way to actively deal with aberration of any kind, from aboliths to mind flayers to slaadi. Can't even call them with Planar Ally. Granted, its probably suicidal in the first place to call or create them, or any aberration really.

Animal Lords are probably going to be celestials or fey. The Gith (both races) are traditionally not summons. Ant people probably will be summoned fey or beasts, summoned by the respective spells.

I can't think of anyone that would be left to call after those. Celestial hits almost all the good-aligned planes. Fiend hits all the lower planes. Elementals hits the inner planes. Fey and Woodland hits a lot of the miscellaneous critters, and the rest you can make yourself.

Of all the creatures out there, only the Slaadi and the two Gith factions aren't summoned or made.

 

[Moorcrys]

I'm sure fiend summoning and binding will be in a future supplement.

They may have made a conscious choice to keep things like summoning and binding devils and demons out of the core rules to keep it relatively PG. Although there is the infernal warlock, so I could be wrong. They might also want more room to expand on summoning fiends - make it a bit more dangerous or complicated than summoning an elemental or fey creature. But they didn't want to use up the space in the PHB.

 

[Mephista]

Both the Demon and Devil entries in the Monster Manual talk about using True Names to call and bind demons through summoning magic, so I imagine it has to show up at some point.