Greater Planar Binding or Polymorph Any Object

[Thanee]

My Sorceress turned 16th last session.

Now, I need to decide which 8th level spell to learn first.

These spells are the most likely candidates currently:

• Greater Planar Binding
• Polymorph Any Object

And maybe:

• Moment of Prescience

Which one would you choose?



Her current spells, before someone asks:
[SBLOCK]0 - Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation;
1st - Shield, Mage Armor, Unseen Servant, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement;
2nd - Resist Energy, Glitterdust, See Invisibility, Command Undead, False Life;
3rd - Magic Circle against Evil, Suggestion, Deeper Darkvision, Dragonskin;
4th - Dimensional Anchor, Dimension Door, Evard's Black Tentacles, Orb of Force, Assay Resistance [Extra Spell];
5th - Dominate Person, Fleshshiver, Draconic Polymorph, Greater Blink;
6th - Planar Binding, Analyze Dweomer, Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability;
7th - Greater Shadow Conjuration, Limited Wish.[/SBLOCK]

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pyrex]

My general rule when choosing spells for my Sorcerer was "Will I cast this spell every day?"

Ergo I'd go with Poly Any with MoP coming in (a very close) second.

Depending on your game I'd also take a hard look at Mind Blank.

 

[Patlin]

Dealing with demons never ends well, in my experience. Polymorph any object would be my preference. It's just *so* flexible. And it would be soooo cool to polymorph a random pen lying about in the Library Of Evil Dark Wizards into a huge Fire Elemental and watch the chaos... Or to let your familiar try out being a Gryphon for a week, if it feels like it.

I'm sure you've at least considered Horrid Wilting as well. That's always a popular choice in my group. Your spell list seems a bit light on artillery to me, but perhaps your games aren't as combat heavy as I'm used to.

 

[Brain]

I'd get Mind Blank.

 

[Jack Simth]

Who says you always have to deal with Demons (well, unless you're using the Myth/M.Y.T.H. Inc definition....) when using Planar Binding? The ability to Call up a Planatar of your Cleric's diety when it's the Cleric who got killed, and carefully request that it use these 25,000 gp in diamonds to bring the Cleric very carefully back (Planatars cast as Cleric-17's - which means True Ressurection is available to them, with a day's notice....) can be way too good to pass up ... especially as the Cleric can't cast True Ressurection at 16th.....

 

[Stalker0]

Do you get a bit of character time between game sessions? Planar bindings are nice when you have the time to do the bargaining and the like, but it can be draining on the game if your doing them in game all the time.

But I've done a planar binding character before and it was fun

 

[Jack Simth]

Bah! If you're good at it, and willing to pay, it takes like half an hour: 10 minutes to scribe the circle if used, a round to cast the Magic Circle spell if used, a round to cast the Dimensional Anchor if used, ten minutes to cast the Binding, and DM fiat time to do the first bargain attempt (An opposed charisma check, and any Sorceror will be pumping Charisma anyway; if at first you don't succeed, it takes a full 24 hours before you can re-offer - but the time to present the first offer isn't specified, as far as I know). A Sorceror can commonly rest, regain spells, and Bind something in the same time it takes a Wizard to rest and prepare spells.

Mind you - the example situation I gave should get some pretty hefty circumstance bonuses to the bargain; 1) the called creature is of the cleric's diety; 2) the creature is being asked to help the cleric; 3) no danger to the called creature is involved; 4) anything not easily replaced is being provided (costs the critter a day to prepare a spell not normally prepared, and a single spell slot).

Also, by the book Moment of Prescience can apply to the bargaining (the opposed charisma check is an opposed ability check....) to make a Binding much, much safer (although there's still the "roll a 1" issue... but with MoP, outside combat, taking 10, with a Sorceror-17, that's probably in the neighborhood of a 37... which will beat most things rolling a 20, including the average Planetar....).

 

[Thanee]

Yep, the Planetar would be the outsider of choice. Or some huge elemental, which might aid us in combat.

I have used the Planar Binding spell quite a bit in the past, most often to call for the aid of a Ghaele Eladrin to aid/heal us. We use the Planar Ally spell as a guideline for the bargaining, it's not just a Cha check, that would be too simple. Havn't used it to call demons or devils at all.

BTW, the cleric is only 12th (basically, since he's a Mystic Theurge)... we did not have any cleric at all for quite some time, the MT only joined us recently (after the barbarian died). Planar Binding was incredibly useful in that time.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I'm sure you've at least considered Horrid Wilting as well. That's always a popular choice in my group.

Yep, but the problem is, that we face a lot of undeads currently, so it's not really useful, maybe for a later level, tho.

Your spell list seems a bit light on artillery to me, but perhaps your games aren't as combat heavy as I'm used to.

That's mostly because she has Evocation as a prohibited school since 7th level.

And I have swapped out Fireball and Scorching Ray at some point.

There are plenty spells for combat situations, though, and even two area effects (Glitterdust, with Heighten Spell, that spell is still quite nasty, and Evard's Black Tentacles, which is brand new (swapped away Polymorph, only got Draconic Polymorph recently)).

Well, I think I will go with Polymorph Any Object.
Planar Binding is still good and I can always learn the Greater version next level.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would definitely go with Poly Object. it has almost unbeatable versitility offensively and defensively. It would be my first choice without a doubt.

Cheers