Help with Planar Binding Spells

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

Hey all:

I'm going to play a Malconvoker (Complete Scoundrel) in an upcoming campaign, and I need some help with Planar Binding spells. Can anyone give me some examples of the service and reward system?

Thanks!

 

[moritheil]

These are largely up to your DM. I note that as a malconvoker, unless you don't mind your align dropping hard and fast, you'd probably better not trade services for services and just stick to trading money-equivalent items.

 

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

These are largely up to your DM.

Understood, but I was hoping for some examples both from players and DMs.

 

[robberbaron]

Actually, I think moritheil has it right.
Anything suggested would have to be agreed by your DM (and we don't know what his ideas are) so you are perhaps better off discussing with him how he wants it to work.
Also, as a DM, I would not let my players decide both service and reward. They can ask for a boon but the cost demanded by the bound entity would be up to me, albeit after some discussion.

There is certainly nothing wrong with getting ideas but don't assume that your DM will like them.

Very sticky subject, this, and one I am having to think about as one of my players wants to use a planer summoner type. Haven't actually come to any decisions yet and it is very hard to get a balance between boon and demand so I shall be watching this thread closely.

 

[moritheil]

I normally only use planar binding when a char has enough cha and caster levels to force elementals to do its bidding . . . and I've never had a PC use that spell while I was DMing.

Large elementals may not individually be impressive at level 20, but given how many of them you can keep around for free, the spell is really worth it for a sorcerer or other high-cha caster!

Note the text:

You can attempt to compel the creature to perform a service by describing the service and perhaps offering some sort of reward. You make a Charisma check opposed by the creature’s Charisma check. The check is assigned a bonus of +0 to +6 based on the nature of the service and the reward. If the creature wins the opposed check, it refuses service.

 

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

With such a vague spell description, I don't even know what to request for a service.

Some examples of requests I can think of off the top of my head:

1. "Be my bodyguard for a year and a day."
2. "Serve me while my companions and I complete the quest for the Grand MacGuffin."
3. "Go kill the wizard that lives in that tower."

I totally understand it's whatever my DM decides, but I DM also and I wouldn't have a clue how to adjudicate these requests.

 

[moritheil]

With such a vague spell description, I don't even know what to request for a service.

Some examples of requests I can think of off the top of my head:

1. "Be my bodyguard for a year and a day."
2. "Serve me while my companions and I complete the quest for the Grand MacGuffin."
3. "Go kill the wizard that lives in that tower."

I totally understand it's whatever my DM decides, but I DM also and I wouldn't have a clue how to adjudicate these requests.

1. and 2.: Nope. You're limited to days equal to caster level, as per the spell text.
3. is totally legal, though it tends to produce sub-par results.

Really this spell is not that complicated. If you offer the outsider/elemental money (or something else it can use) then you get a bonus to convince it. If you're really much bigger than it, though, you can get away with no bonus. You are saying, "do this and I'll set you free; otherwise you're stuck here for years. And I'm high level enough that you have no chance of escape or vengeance upon me. Deal with it."

Once the requested service is completed, the creature need only so inform you to be instantly sent back whence it came. The creature might later seek revenge. If you assign some open-ended task that the creature cannot complete though its own actions the spell remains in effect for a maximum of one day per caster level, and the creature gains an immediate chance to break free. Note that a clever recipient can subvert some instructions.

When you use a calling spell to call an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it is a spell of that type.

 

[Wolfwood2]

With such a vague spell description, I don't even know what to request for a service.

Some examples of requests I can think of off the top of my head:

1. "Be my bodyguard for a year and a day."
2. "Serve me while my companions and I complete the quest for the Grand MacGuffin."
3. "Go kill the wizard that lives in that tower."

I totally understand it's whatever my DM decides, but I DM also and I wouldn't have a clue how to adjudicate these requests.

Oh, it's not so hard. I'd restrict the first two under the "one day per caster level" limitation, as there is no opportunity for the creature to complete service sooner by his own efforts.

The third is a perfectly reasonable request, though you would be well advised to make sure the creature can properly identify the wizard in question.

However, I would always keep the inherent limitations and natures of the creature summoned in mind when fulfilling requests. Good outsiders will refuse to do evil, and evil outsiders will seek to pervert requests towards maximum evil. The more intelligent the creature the more it will intepret requests as best suits it. A creature will likely be most cooperative on requests that fit in with its nature or that it can complete quickly. Invisible Stalkers, for example, will always hunt down and creatures if requested because that is in their nature, though they will be resentful of long chases.

Elementals will tend to be less deliberatively uncooperate because they lack the sophistication, but they will act in accordance with their natures and will probably require careful supervision.

 

[moritheil]

Good outsiders will refuse to do evil, and evil outsiders will seek to pervert requests towards maximum evil.

Except that they can only refuse if they can beat you on an opposed cha check. Hence my suggestion that you start out by summoning elementals (relatively low cha), not outsiders (who tend to be very charismatic.) If a BBEG has enough cha, he can force an angel to slaughter innocents, attack a good-aligned temple, or do something utterly heinous as long as he words it reasonably (he would need a pretty good cover story, but high-Cha BBEGs tend to excel at that sort of thing.) If that angel figures it out and survives, he will surely seek vengeance and get aid from more powerful agents of good (and you have the beginning of a story arc for a campaign.)

Elementals will tend to be less deliberatively uncooperate because they lack the sophistication, but they will act in accordance with their natures and will probably require careful supervision.

Exactly. Which makes them ideal for use with this spell.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Except that they can only refuse if they can beat you on an opposed cha check.

Nah, a good outsider would figure out some way to wriggle out, up to and including committing suicide first. The text of the spell may not say so, but I feel so strongly about it I would stage an argument on the spot with any DM who said different.