D&D 5E Summoning and Binding Demons in 5E

[Gwarok]

Thanks for the responses folks. And the Unearthed Arcana link. So yea, I wasn't going to count Planar Ally because it wasn't for use with a cleric, nor the listed spells pumped up to 9th because then we're just using Gate, which doesn't have a CR limit as far as I can tell. I think I like the idea of looking up the old spells and simply adding them to my campaign as what is there now isn't all that fleshed out or useful for this kind of thing. Thanks again!

 

[Saeviomagy]

So... the lowest level planar transport I can think of is:

Have a familiar that is a fiend or celestial
Get a chest for leomund's secret chest
Get in the chest
Cast leomund's secret chest
Familiar picks up mini chest
Someone else casts banishment on the familiar
You swap the chests

You are now on the home plane of your familiar

Getting home is as simple as casting banishment on yourself and sustaining it (while on your home plane) for 1 minute.

So... now you just need to find a native that you can trick or dominate into a magic circle while you cast planar binding on it. You can then bring it home via your leomund's chest.

You probably want to know teleport circle to get home too.

and... beyond that it doesn't get much easier. In fact, at higher levels you're probably still best off using this trick, with the possible exchange of plane shift or word of recall to return you home if your bound demon doesn't fit in the leomund's chest.

Beyond that... magic items?
The various "of commanding X elementals" and the elemental gem items give you targets.
The obsidian steed can take you to hell if you're not evil, and it can possibly take you to the elemental planes otherwise, either of which let you pull off the trick from above.
The iron flask might contain something you can bind.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Also note that the timing on planar binding and magic circle is really tight. Most of the time you'll need 2 magic circles to get off the binding, reinforcing it the round before you start binding.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Also note that the timing on planar binding and magic circle is really tight. Most of the time you'll need 2 magic circles to get off the binding, reinforcing it the round before you start binding.

Just cast Magic Circle at higher level.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Just cast Magic Circle at higher level.

Well, I was working on the presumption that spending 2 3rd level spells would be preferable to spending a 4th.

 

[Morinth]

You could just handwave all this. If you want summoned demons in your game, just put them there. Maybe only wizards of this special school can summon them, or clerics of a certain unholy order or whatever. It doesn't really matter how they get there, it's what you do with them in the story that's interesting and fun.

 

[CapnZapp]

So to summarize this 6 months old thread: Planar Binding still has no practical use case?

Because to me Planar Ally isn't a serious suggestion. Why? Because if you get an outsider this way you don't need to bind it, it's already being sent to help you.

Or is there a way to either summon a demon in a way that makes it stay in place for a whole hour, without messing with the Concentration to cast the hour-long Planar Binding spell?

Or is there a way to make a hostile demon you encounter normally stay in place for a whole hour, again without messing with Concentration?

Because for me to say "yes, there is a way to make use of Planar Binding" the rules must also provide a reliable means of getting hold of the outsider and making it stay for one hour. Without concentration. Without voluntary service - you don't need Planar Binding if you can just ask nicely.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

IMO, this a pure ritual thing. Research, gather resources, draw the circle, speak the Name, hope the circle holds, make a deal or bind the thing or whatever, profit. Each of the 4 first steps takes at least an hour, and requires skill checks, the make a deal step depends on what you're doing.

The material components should vary, and should be expensive.

 

[CapnZapp]

If all the other steps are rituals/story why then single out the binding step as a spell?

 

[Zander]

So to summarize this 6 months old thread: Planar Binding still has no practical use case?

Or is there a way to either summon a demon in a way that makes it stay in place for a whole hour, without messing with the Concentration to cast the hour-long Planar Binding spell?

Sage Advice has opined that Conjure Elemental works with Planar Binding: http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/10/14/...ure-elemental/ . I reckon that if it works for elementals, it works for demons too.