Nasty trick with Planar Binding spells!

[lukelightning]

The Pseudonatural template turns the base creature into an outsider. That means with any of the planar binding spells you can call a pseudonatural version of just about any creature in D&D.

With a mere lesser planar binding you can call a very young pseudonatural white dragon, or even a 6-headed pseudonatural hydra! With planar binding call a juvenile pseudonatural white dragon (102 hp) or very young pseudonatural gold dragon (104hp), or for a super combat monster, a 12-headed pseudonatural pyrohydra!

p.s. It's probably best to ask your DM if you'd like to do this.... maybe to avoid problems you could compromise on what you can actually bind (perhaps there are no pseudonatural dragons, or hydras, or whatever, but there are pseudonatural megaraptors (which is also a cool name for a band).

 

[Cheiromancer]

Nice find. I had thought that fiendish and celestial did this as well, but I was mistaken.

 

[lukelightning]

The great thing with this is that the usual cast of characters that you call with planar binding (demons, devils, and celestials) tend to have high charisma scores (making it harder to control them) and dimensional travel (so you have to cast dimensional anchor in addition to planar binding and magic circle.

A hydra only has a charisma of 9 (-1 to charisma checks!), easily beat if you boost your charisma and have a circlet of persuasion or that spell from Complete Mage that gives you +4 to charisma checks.

With lesser planar binding you can call a pseudonatural troll and easily bind it (charisma of 6). So when you enter a dungeon, call the troll and bind it and order it to serve you for a few days. Trolls are pretty dumb so shouldn't be able to "subvert" your commands easily, plus they are rather simple and violent creatures, so they shouldn't have much problems with killing at your behest (heck, that could count as a reward for the creature).

 

[Shemeska]

I suppose however that's it's entirely up to the DM if a simple planar binding spell is able to reach outside of the normal multiverse and wrench something to your specifications from some alien, antithetical reality.

Personally I'd do one of three things: 1) if they didn't have any idea in-character what pseudonatural things were or where they might come from, they couldn't cast the spell, 2) if they knew in-character about them and such, the spell would still fail, 3) or depending on my mood it might work, but not in the intended way, and they'd probably end up pulling an Alhazred in the sense of being devoured by invisible monsters in public.

 

[lukelightning]

Shemeska: You're totally right. As a DM I would allow this on a case by case basis; outlawing some (pseudonatural gold dragons or whatever), allowing some no problem (pseudonatural dire apes), and requiring planar knowledge checks for others.

I'd say a pseudonatural manticore would be far less of a potential problem than a bralani eladrin (which you could technically call, then kill, and loot for a +1 holy sword!) or other outsiders with greater teleport and other abilities. Heck, you can even call an imp or quasit and force it to use its commune ability, which some would find problematic.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

I suppose however that's it's entirely up to the DM if a simple planar binding spell is able to reach outside of the normal multiverse and wrench something to your specifications from some alien, antithetical reality.

I'd be more concerned about what a pseudonatural creature would ask for in return for service.

 

[gizmo33]

The Pseudonatural template turns the base creature into an outsider. That means with any of the planar binding spells you can call a pseudonatural version of just about any creature in D&D.

This wouldn't work in my campaign because the DM populates the universe with monsters, not the players. That means that monsters and monster templates are design tools, not player tools. For instance, there are no flumphs, pseudo-natural or otherwise.

 

[Wolfwood2]

The great thing with this is that the usual cast of characters that you call with planar binding (demons, devils, and celestials) tend to have high charisma scores (making it harder to control them) and dimensional travel (so you have to cast dimensional anchor in addition to planar binding and magic circle.

What you're looking for there are elementals. Low charisma, no dimensional movement powers, unlikely to demand morally unacceptable rewards.

True they don't get cool neat powers either, but that's the price for safety.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Heck, you can even call an imp or quasit and force it to use its commune ability, which some would find problematic.

Though I think that one is a classic scene from fantasy.

A wizard conjuring up a minor demon and bullying it into giving out answers is straight out of the fantasy genre. I'd argue it's the reason the game designers gave them the commune ability in the first place.

 

[lukelightning]

What you're looking for there are elementals.

Oh, I like elementals, but with lesser planar binding my wizard is limited to medium, (4hd) elementals, though maybe I can check with my DM to get an advanced 6hd one.

Anyways, as I said above, this is definitely a DM call. But if there are pseudonatural creatures in the campaign then they could be an option.