D&D 5E Banishment and swallowed creatures

[MarkB]

So, a couple of weeks ago were playing a one-shot where we were investigating a bunch of insectoid arcane creatures who'd invaded from another plane, and as we were approaching their lair we came up against the guard dog - a huge chitinous worm-thing that was basically a toned-down Purple Worm. It won initiative and promptly swallowed the paladin.

My warlock was going last, and I already knew I was going to Banish this sucker. It was a big, dangerous bag of hit points that could digest us to death, and it was alone, and extraplanar - Banishment was an "I win" button if it failed its save. But what would happen to the paladin?

As it turned out, the paladin managed to deliver sufficient Smite damage on her turn to get vomited out, so our DM didn't have to answer that conundrum, but I was left wondering. Would the swallowed paladin have been banished too? Would she have got a saving throw?

How would you rule it?

 

[Fenris-77]

The Paladin would get banished as well. I'm ok with there being some situational downsides to the spell. If I was feeling nice I might give the Paladin a save too.

 

[darjr]

Yea I’d probably banish the Paladin too.
What would I do as the DM? No idea.

 

[commandercrud]

Banishment doesn't empty your stomach. It doesn't matter what you swallowed.

 

[Jester David]

RAW it affects one creature.
If it was grappling another creature, that wouldn't be banished too. Or if it was carrying a creature: you couldn't get rid of both a mount and it's rider. You couldn't banish a dragon by casting banishment on the dude riding it (or grappling it).

But rulings not rules and rule of cool. It would be fair to have a swallowed creature make the save as well (possibly with disadvantage) to avoid being dragged along.
And, honestly banishment is a pretty potent spell. So anything to humble it's use is fun.

 

[Iry]

I wouldn't banish the paladin. A grappled creature does not get banished, even if that grapple is inside their body.

 

[Fenris-77]

I wouldn't banish the paladin. A grappled creature does not get banished, even if that grapple is inside their body.

So stomach contents don't get banished? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm just curious as to where you draw the line and why. I mean, if the Paladin was the one who got banished, would the ham sandwich he'd had for lunch get left behind? Is the line a 'living' creature? And if that's the case, how do you make that make sense, from a narrative standpoint?

 

[Eltab]

If you belong on the plane where you were Banished from, you come back after a minute, or when the banisher breaks concentration.

The Paladin pops back in, gooey and slimey, rather confused and with one heck of a tale to tell !

 

[darjr]

This right here is some of what brings back the mystery and strangeness back to D&D for me.

It’s like nobody quite knows how the magic works.

 

[Umbran]

I mean, if the Paladin was the one who got banished, would the ham sandwich he'd had for lunch get left behind?

The ham sandwich does not count as a creature... unless it was animated? Did the Paladin eat an animated ham sandwich? Who animated the sandwich? How did it count as one sandwich after all the masticating involved?

I can see it now...
Paladin: "Burp! Drat and fiddlesticks! Who animated my lunch again!?! This has gone far enough!"