Binding and Ally as rituals?

[MechaTarrasque]

This seems strange to me, even with the warlock-as-servant interpretation. Why would the summoning spell work differently?

If planar ally was like most summoning spells, I would agree wholeheartedly, that it would be inappropriate to give someone a mane if they had cast conjure fiend (if that spell existed) at level 7, but planar ally basically gives the "otherworldly entity" free choice on what it sends you (as long as the ally is a celestial, fiend, or elemental--I could have sworn fey was in there too, but I looking at it on dnd-spells.com doesn't have them listed). [Also, I just want to reiterate to the world, not you specifically, that the write up of that text makes it seem at least as, if not more, appropriate for a warlock than a cleric, so I added it to warlock's mystic arcanum list in my games. To be fair to clerics, I changed their divine intervention to kick in when they are reduced to 0 hps (once per week if they haven't used it voluntarily as written--which they can still do), and all the cleric players at my games know that "divine intervention" is basically going to be an instantaneous version of planar ally, with the ally working for free for a short period of time (and for pay for longer periods).]

You beseech an otherworldly entity for aid.
The being must be known to you: a god, a primordial, a demon prince, or some other being of cosmic power. That entity sends a celestial, an elemental, or a fiend loyal to it to aid you, making the creature appear in an unoccupied space within range. If you know a specific creature’s name, you can speak that name when you cast this spell to request that creature, though you might get a different creature anyway (DM’s choice).

When the creature appears, it is under no compulsion to behave in any particular way. You can ask the creature to perform a service in exchange for payment, but it isn’t obliged to do so. The requested task could range from simple (fly us across the chasm, or help us fight a battle) to complex (spy on our enemies, or protect us during our foray into the dungeon). You must be able to communicate with the creature to bargain for its services.

Payment can take a variety of forms. A celestial might require a sizable donation of gold or magic items to an allied temple, while a fiend might demand a living sacrifice or a gift of treasure. Some creatures might exchange their service for a quest undertaken by you.

As a rule of thumb, a task that can be measured in minutes requires a payment worth 100 gp per minute. A task measured in hours requires 1,000 gp per hour. And a task m easured in days (up to 10 days) requires 10,000 gp per day. The DM can adjust these payments based on the circumstances under which you cast the spell. If the task is aligned with the creature’s ethos, the payment might be halved or even waived. Nonhazardous tasks typically require only half the suggested payment, while especially dangerous tasks might require a greater gift. Creatures rarely accept tasks that seem suicidal.

After the creature completes the task, or when the agreed-upon duration of service expires, the creature returns to its home plane after reporting back to you, if appropriate to the task and if possible. If you are unable to agree on a price for the creature’s service, the creature immediately returns to its home plane.

A creature enlisted to join your group counts as a member of it, receiving a full share of experience points awarded.


Admittedly, I have yet to "punish" anyone by giving them a subpar ally (I have warned them that planar ally plus planar binding will probably only be a good combo once). Since I am lazy, I tend to give them a critter with a CR equal to the highest level spell they can cast (planar ally is still a level 6 spell, they don't have to cast it at a higher level to get a higher level critter) or highest level spell plus one if they use it via divine intervention (if the cleric is at 0 hps, the party needs all kinds of help) {and I am not opposed to fallen celestials and risen fiends to fill out this list, although I do feel free to adjust powers as appropriate}, unless the cleric/warlock/bard (and probably the party) opens up a bag of holding full of loot ahead of time.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That's fair. Other posts just kinda struck a "let's make the thing into a monkey's paw for no discernible reason" chord that I didn't like.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

That's fair. Other posts just kinda struck a "let's make the thing into a monkey's paw for no discernible reason" chord that I didn't like.

I know, sometimes it seems warlock is the new paladin.....

I figure as often as not the devil/feylord/etc has already got the soul of the warlock (on paper), so why be petty about it? There is always a chance they can bring someone else to the dark side (if nothing else as a "good" example of "look at the power you get when you make a deal"), and if you are setting them up for the big disappointment (you got everything you wanted and it sucks), there are more satisfying ways to foreshadow it. The only reason I warn my players about the planar ally/planar binding combo is that the patron gets a percentage of the gold spent on planar ally (or at least has to sign off on pro bono work), and that combo is like trying to get the ally to work for free, and that is taking gold out of the patron's pocket.....