Does Dispel Magic banish a summoned Fire Elemental?

[trentonjoe]

thats all

 

[jaelis]

I would say yes (assuming it was summoned via a spell.) Some might argue you need to cast DM on the summoner instead.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I might not dispel the elemental, but rather the magic that allows the caster to command the elemental.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Yes.

The duration of the Conjure Elemental spell is "Concentration, up to 1 hour". It isn't "instantaneous". The spell does not have the instantaneous effect of calling forth an elemental that then hangs around for some time; it calls forth an elemental that hangs around for the spell's duration - the spell is still in effect. And but for the specific rider in the spell's description that the elemental continues to hang around, uncontrolled, if the caster's concentration is broken, the elemental would disappear if the caster's concentration was broken. Indeed, one way in which the caster could get rid of the uncontrolled elemental is to cast Dispel Magic on it.

By analogy, you can dispel a Wall of Stone, Wall of Force, or any other spell that creates something or transports something from somewhere else, while the spell is in effect. (Of course, specific overrides the general - once a Wall of Stone has been in place for the full duration of the spell, "it becomes permanent and cannot be dispelled" - so always check the spell description).

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Henry]

Ditto for my take on it — to me, the elemental is either a creature with an active spell on it (hence the “disappears in an hour”) or qualifies as a “magical effect” itself.

Plus, it’s already been answered in a Sage Advice column:

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/rules-answers-march-2016

(Note the part about dispel magic and conjure woodland beings)

 

[trentonjoe]

Thanks!

 

[abs]

I don't know... DM would end the spell; however, the spell description, I remember correctly, details what happens if the spell ends early. I don't have my PHB in front of me to confirm it though.

 

[jaelis]

I don't know... DM would end the spell; however, the spell description, I remember correctly, details what happens if the spell ends early. I don't have my PHB in front of me to confirm it though.

It says:

If your concentration is broken, the elemental doesn’t disappear. Instead, you lose control of the elemental, it becomes hostile toward you and your companions, and it might attack. An uncontrolled elemental can’t be dismissed by you, and it disappears 1 hour after you summoned it. The GM has the elemental’s statistics.

I would read that as meaning the spell doesn't end when you lose concentration, but you lose control instead. Dispel magic, in constrast, would definitely end the spell. But there is room for interpretation.

 

[jgsugden]

As noted by the Sage Advice reference above, DM, if successful, would end the spell and send the elemental back home.

 

[abs]

Like I said, I don't have the PHB on me. I Just remember something weird in the spell description.