# What are the best Planar Bindings?



## Plane Sailing (Mar 3, 2007)

With Lesser Planar Binding, a bit of time and supporting spells (magic circle, dimensional lock), there are a huge range of useful outsiders of 6HD or less that can be summoned.

Edit: With Planar Binding this goes up to 12HD

So which ones give the most 'bang for the buck'? Which ones do you recommend summoning and why?

I'm thinking at the moment of Djinni for transport, Succubi for infiltration or assassination missions, large Elementals for brute force work... but what else?

Cheers


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## frankthedm (Mar 3, 2007)

Whatever can't kick the caster's own butt.


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## Jack Simth (Mar 3, 2007)

Well, first off, it's 6 HD, not 8; your elementals can't get over medium, sorry. 

All Archons have Continual Flame at will.  Everburning Torches have a market price of 110 gp (cost to hire the spell at caster level 3).  An Everburning Torch is just an otherwise normal torch with a Continual Flame spell on it.  Regular Torches have a market price of 1 cp.  You can get quite the profit margin with an Archon tapping Torches all day.

A Janni can get you back to the prime material (or the astral or one of the elemental planes), but not much of anywhere else.  Useful if the Cleric isn't up to a Plane Shift, or if you've lost all the focuses for it.

Hound Archons make decent trackers (especially in Wolf form; take 10 Survival check for tracking in Wolf form is 26 - which is a halfling covering his tracks on a surface that doesn't bear marks - and the Wolf Hound Archon traveling at half speed has a move of 25, while the halfling going the distance to be hard to follow is traveling at a move of 10 due to half-speed to cover tracks).

A Succbus makes a useful spy/assasin (bluff +19, Disguise +17 (+19 acting, futher +10 when using Change Shape), listen and spot +19, charm monster, detect thoughts, and suggestion at will; Telepathy, Tongues, and and the Greater Teleportation come in handy for it, too).

An Quasit makes a useful scout (fly 50 perfect, self-only invisibility at will), as does an Imp (for exactly the same reasons, but the Imp is slightly harder to bind due to a higher Charisma score).

Beareded Devils make reasonable short-term meatshields.

Bralani get Cure Serious Wounds, twice per day.


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## nameless (Mar 3, 2007)

A Nightmare makes an incredible (flying) mount. Etherealness at will it utterly broken as well. And the smoke ability shouldn't be underestimated - the nightmare gets full concealment while suffering no penalties to its vision from the smoke.

The Rekjar (MM3) has fabricate at will and can make lots of very cool stuff for you..

I wouldn't recommend binding elementals, they have lots of HD compared to their CR. Angels/Archons/Eladrins/Guardinals are much better choices for their low HD but lots of special abilities. A Hound Archon is probably the best fighter/meatshield/tracker you will get with Lesser Planar Binding. With full-on Planar Binding, Ghaele Eladrins and Trumpet Archons are king of the hill in pretty much every respect with their Cleric 13 casting. I prefer the Ghaele for the bevy of spell-like abilities.


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## Elethiomel (Mar 3, 2007)

nameless said:
			
		

> A Nightmare makes an incredible (flying) mount. Etherealness at will it utterly broken as well. And the smoke ability shouldn't be underestimated - the nightmare gets full concealment while suffering no penalties to its vision from the smoke.



The Nightmare entry says nothing about the rider being unaffected by the smoke, so I don't think it's such an incredible mount after all. If I were going to have a Nightmare mount, I'd have it de-smoked.


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## Sejs (Mar 3, 2007)

I've always been a fan of things with class levels, but the OK on that one varies from DM to DM.  Likewise templates.  I tend more toward you compact with -Outsider X- instead of just ... any random outsider, whomever happens to pick up the phone.

I actually used to have a list of beings for use with lesser planar binding, each built along a particular theme (earth, air, shadow, fate, etc).  For example, the Earth guy was built on the stats for an Ogre Barbarian (2) with the Earth Element Creature template, he wore an ornate bronze breastplate, wielded a big bronze hammer, and had the Rock Hurling feat from RoS.  Oh, and had the special quality "Uncanny Ability To Find Throwin' Rocks" penciled in.  

I could see if I can dig that up, if you'd like.


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## Plane Sailing (May 30, 2007)

Sejs said:
			
		

> I could see if I can dig that up, if you'd like.




Although the thread has lain fallow for quite a while, it would be great if you could dig that up for me, please!


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## Nifft (May 30, 2007)

Low HD Outsiders with class levels. 

Imp / Quasit Rogue 3
Azer Crusader 4
Lantern Archon Scout 6


Extraplanar Monsters with one of the Half-Thingy templates.

Half-Fiend Shadow-Creature Pixie Rogue 6


Cheers, -- N


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## Victim (May 30, 2007)

Jack Simth said:
			
		

> A Succbus makes a useful spy/assasin (bluff +19, Disguise +17 (+19 acting, futher +10 when using Change Shape), listen and spot +19, charm monster, detect thoughts, and suggestion at will; Telepathy, Tongues, and and the Greater Teleportation come in handy for it, too).




Succubi are also hard to successfully bind thanks to their high CHA.  But they do have pretty potent spell-likes and good skills.


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## frankthedm (May 30, 2007)

Nifft said:
			
		

> Lantern Archon Scout 6



Ahem...

Planar Binding, Lesser
Target: One elemental or outsider with *6 HD or less*

_*Humanoids and Class Levels*
Creatures with 1 or less HD replace their monster levels with their character levels. The monster loses the attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skills, and feats granted by its 1 monster HD and gains the attack bonus, save bonuses, skills, feats, and other class abilities of a 1st-level character of the appropriate class. _ 


I mentioned this idea here. Finally got around to doing the stats... 

[sblock=Haeltar'n, Least Hunter of Baphomet, Half fiend minotaur suitable for Lessser Planar Binding]Large Outsider
*Hit Dice: *6d8+18 (45 hp)
*Initiative: *+2
*Speed: *30 ft. (6 squares), Fly 30 ft. (average).
*Armor Class: *17 (+2 dex, –1 size, +6 natural), touch 11, flat-footed — (see text)
*Base Attack/Grapple: *+6/+16
*Attack: *Greataxe +11 melee (3d6+6/x3) or gore +11 melee (1d8+4) or Bite +11 melee (1d8+4)
*Full Attack: *Greataxe +11/+6 melee (3d6+6/x3) and gore +6 melee (1d8+2), Bite +6 melee (1d8+2) or two claws +11 Melee (1d6+6), gore +6 melee (1d8+2) & Bite +6 melee (1d8+2)
*Space/Reach: *10 ft./10 ft.
*Special Attacks: *Powerful charge 4d6+6, Smite good, Spell like abilities
*Special Qualities: *Darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic, immunity to poison, natural cunning, resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10, scent, SR 11.
*Saves: *Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5
*Abilities: *Str 23, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10
*Skills: *Intimidate +2, Listen +7, Search +2, Spot +7
*Skills: *Hide +2, Intimidate +9, Jump +15, Listen +13, Move silently +6, Search +13, Spot +13, Survival +7.
*Feats: *Skill focus (Survival), Power Attack, Track
*Challenge Rating: *6
*Treasure: *Standard
*Alignment: *Chaotic Evil 
*Advancement: *By character class

A minotaur stands more than 7 feet tall and weighs about 700 pounds.

This fiendish minotaur speaks Abyssal, Giant & Common.

COMBAT

*Powerful Charge (Ex): *A minotaur typically begins a battle by charging at an opponent, lowering its head to bring its mighty horns into play. In addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge, this allows the beast to make a single gore attack with a +9 attack bonus that deals 4d6+6 points of damage.

*Natural Cunning (Ex): *Although minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to _maze _spells, prevents them from ever becoming lost, and enables them to track enemies. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.

*Smite Good (Su):* Once per day the creature can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD (maximum of +20) against a good foe.

*Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)*: Caster level 6, and the save DC is Charisma-based (10+ spell level )._ Darkness _3/day,_ Desecrate _1/day_, Unholy blight _1/day_._

*Skills:* Minotaurs have a +4 racial bonus on Search, Spot, and Listen checks.
[/sblock]


Here is a Lesser planar ally for  the cult of elder elemental evil.  I believe the Elemental would loose the ability to receive STR 1.5 on it's slams use to having additional [un]natural attack. Though from my understanding the template does let it keep the special qualities of being an elemental

From the wall, a distorted being, slightly larger than yourself, exudes forth, the stone giving no resistance to the creature as if grateful to be rid of it. A heartbeat later, a foul scent violates your nostrils, leaving you grateful your eyes only have to contend with hints of stone and slime. Almost bipedal, 4 arm like appendages flail near the top of the thing’s form. Even glancing upon the creature’s muted form call up sensations, urgent and primal, that demand ‘_Destroy this creature or flee from it!'_[Sblock=Half Far spawn Earth Pseudomental, Medium]Medium Outsider (Earth, Extraplanar)
*Hit Dice:*	6d8+36 (63 hp) [66 if you give monsters high average HP]
*Initiative:*	+0
*Speed:	*20 ft. (4 squares)
*Armor Class:*	22 ( +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 22
*Base Attack/Grapple*:	+4/+9
*Attack:*	Slam +10 melee (1d8+6 magic)* OR tentacle +11 melee(1d4+6 magic)
*Full Attack:*	Slam +10 melee (1d8+6 magic)*, 2 Tentacles +6 melee (1d4+3 magic) OR 4 tentacles +11 melee [1d4+6 magic]
*Space/Reach:*	5 ft./5 ft.
*Special Attacks:*	Earth mastery, push 
*Spell like Abilities:	*{  } {  } {  }blur 3/day, {  }touch of idiocy 1/day, {  }stinking cloud1/day 
*Special Qualities:*	Acid resist 10, Blindsight 60 ft, Change shape, DR 5/ magic, Darkvision  60 ft., earth glide, elemental traits, Electricity resist 10, Poison immunity, Spell Resist 16, {  }True Strike 1/day
*Saves:*	Fort +11, Ref +2, Will +4
*Abilities:*	Str 23, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 13 
*Skills:*	Concentration +11, Listen +11, Spot +11 
*Feats:*	 Power Attack, weapon focus tentacle,  blind fight.
*Environment:*	Plane of Earth or areas of Far Rælm corruption
*Organization:*	Solitary 
*Challenge Rating*:	5.66  
*Treasure:*	None
*Alignment:*	Chaotic Evil or Not Applicable
*Advancement:*	7 HD (Medium)

Pre-combat: If alerted to foes, use blur on self and glide into the nearest wall. Change to horrid form.
Round 1: Listen[+2] for party to pass, Glide out of wall near party use touch of idiocy casting defensively if needed and touch foe.
Round 2: If full attack is possible, do so, then adjust into wall to avoid reprisal.
Round 3: Adjust out of wall, full attack if possible. If surrounded, _True Strike_, power attack for full and fight defensively. Strike most annoying combatant. 
Round 4: Full attack and adjust into wall or if party is clustered together, stinking cloud on group and glide beneath them.
Round 5: Launch full attacks from within the wall, using blind fight to reduce miss chance. Flee at 10 or less HP.
Earth pseudomentals speak Terran but rarely choose to do so.

Combat
Though an earth pseudomental moves slowly, it is a relentless opponent. It can travel though solid ground or stone as easily as humans walk on the earth’s surface. It cannot swim, however, and must either walk around a body of water or go through the ground under it. An earth pseudomental can move along the bottom of a body of water but prefers not to.

*Earth Mastery (Ex): * An earth pseudomental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the pseudomental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)

*Push (Ex): * An earth pseudomental can start a bull rush maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. The combat modifiers given in Earth Mastery, above, also apply to the pseudomental’s opposed Strength checks.

*Earth Glide (Ex): * An earth pseudomental can glide through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other signs of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth pseudomental flings the pseudomental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

*Elemental traits:* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning. Not subject to critical hits or flanking. Raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on this creature. Nor does it eat, sleep, or breathe.[/SIZE]

*True Strike (Su): * Once per day, this creature can make a normal attack with a +20 insight bonus on a single attack roll. The half-farspawn is not affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks against a concealed target. _*Note*, This is not casting true strike, the creature chooses to use this ability and launches the attack that round, often power attacking for full and fighting defensively, reducing the bonus to +12._

*Change Shape*(Su): As a standard action, a half-farspawn can take the form of a grotesque, tentacled mass.This ability functions as described for the change shape ability (see page306 of the Monster Manual), except the creature: looses its slam attack, Push and Earth mastery, movement modes do not change, retains the tentacle attacks and gains two additional tentacle attacks when making a full attack, cannot be flanked, criticaly hit, and Creatures native to the Material Plane take a –1 morale penalty on attack rolls against a half-farspawn in its amorphous form.[/Sblock]


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## Nifft (May 30, 2007)

frankthedm said:
			
		

> Ahem...
> 
> Planar Binding, Lesser
> Target: One elemental or outsider with *6 HD or less*
> ...



 (underline modified)

Are you implying that a non-Humanoid would keep its single racial HD if it gained class levels? Pixies (Fey), for example? The text you've quoted strongly implies the opposite -- even if the section title is "humanoids", the actual quoted text says "creatures".

 -- N


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## frankthedm (May 30, 2007)

Nifft said:
			
		

> (underline modified)
> 
> Are you implying that a non-Humanoid would keep its single racial HD if it gained class levels? Pixies (Fey), for example? The text you've quoted strongly implies the opposite -- even if the section title is "humanoids", the actual quoted text says "creatures".
> 
> -- N



I say yes. The section's title calls out the creatures that section applies to. The FAQ does say otherwise though.


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## Nifft (May 30, 2007)

frankthedm said:
			
		

> I say yes. The section's title calls out the creatures that section applies to. The FAQ does say otherwise though.




This is the problem with quoting in isolation. Above what you quote, this appears:



			
				SRD said:
			
		

> Class Levels
> 
> Intelligent creatures that are reasonably humanoid in shape most commonly advance by adding class levels. Creatures that fall into this category have an entry of "By character class" in their Advancement line. When a monster adds a class level, that level usually represents an increase in experience and learned skills and capabilities.




Thus, the definition of reasonably humanoid is creatures with an entry of "By character class" in their Advancement line.

Lantern Archon fails (and I'm willing to concede that); but Pixie does indeed say otherwise. 

Cheers, -- N


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## Sejs (May 30, 2007)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> Although the thread has lain fallow for quite a while, it would be great if you could dig that up for me, please!




Sure.  It'll take me a little while to recompile everything, but I should still have the notes or be able to reconstruct from memory anything that's missing.

Part of the concept I was working with stemmed from the fact that most of the time the things you see Called are demons, devils, etc.. extraplanar beings with an inherrant morality.  It was getting stale, so I wanted to move away from that model and instead go for a more elements of creation sort of kick.  In the end, stealing inspiration from here and there, I cooked up 10 beings, one for each of 10 categories: earth, fate, fire, ice, light, nature, shadow, thunder, water, and wind.

You want a full statblock per, or just a quick overview?  Just a heads-up in advance, some of the critters are a little .. let's say 'flexible' with the rules, but that's almost solely with regard of tweaking creature type so they can be Called.  One of those 'change the type, but don't recalculate stats' kinda deals.


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## Plane Sailing (May 30, 2007)

Sejs said:
			
		

> You want a full statblock per, or just a quick overview?  Just a heads-up in advance, some of the critters are a little .. let's say 'flexible' with the rules, but that's almost solely with regard of tweaking creature type so they can be Called.  One of those 'change the type, but don't recalculate stats' kinda deals.




The full statblock would be great if you have the time, but I don't want to take advantage of your willingness to be nice


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## moritheil (May 31, 2007)

I've always touted the use of this spell to call up low-charisma monsters that can easily be forced to do your bidding.  Word your commands carefully!  

EDIT: I am used to working with Planar Binding, not the Lesser version.  Once the HD cap moves up a bit, dozens of more useful creatures (inevitables, chaos beasts, more powerful outsiders) become available.  Offhand, elementals are what I use if only the Lesser version is available.  Be sure to note their low charisma!  On off days, wizards use their spell slots scribing scrolls, but sorcs should use them to call up fodder.


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## Plane Sailing (May 31, 2007)

moritheil said:
			
		

> EDIT: I am used to working with Planar Binding, not the Lesser version.




Actually I've got access to Planar Binding now too, so I've made some edits to my original post so that 12HD creatures can come to play too.

I was having a quick scan through the monster manual to compare relative CR for given HD and as nameless mentions, Ghaele Eladrins and Trumpet Archons are king of the hill. Too bad I'm a CE sorcerer, eh? Might be fun forcing them to do some work for me from the 'greater good' angle though 

I'll speak to my DM about the possibility of having half-fiendish creatures of various kinds as servants, as that seems like a useful and likely possibility.


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## robberbaron (May 31, 2007)

In my capacity as PS's DM I'll add my 2p.

I think that if you cast the Binding to get a, say, Hound Archon, you would get a random standard one.
If you spend the time researching and asking questions of other bound Archons, you may get information that enables you to call a specific Hound Archon with Class levels.
With your CHA you are bound (sorry) to get some info.

Same principle for templated critters.

Oh, and MM1 only.


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## Plane Sailing (May 31, 2007)

robberbaron said:
			
		

> In my capacity as PS's DM I'll add my 2p.
> 
> I think that if you cast the Binding to get a, say, Hound Archon, you would get a random standard one.
> 
> If you spend the time researching and asking questions of other bound Archons, you may get information that enables you to call a specific Hound Archon with Class levels.




Excellent, that seems a very fair way of handling things. 

What about elementals with advanced HD? The standard large elemental is 8HD, would it be OK to summon one that was advanced to 12HD?

Cheers


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## Someone (May 31, 2007)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> With Lesser Planar Binding, a bit of time and supporting spells (magic circle, dimensional lock), there are a huge range of useful outsiders of 6HD or less that can be summoned.
> 
> Edit: With Planar Binding this goes up to 12HD
> 
> ...




I used once a hound archon for discreetly scouting a haunted forest. Teleport + detect evil at will + wolf form + track + scent + good skills.

Edit: I used a trick directly from Sepulchrave's story hour: as soon the archon fell on the trap I told him it was only for our protection and we just wanted to speak with him, and that as soon he agreed on that I would erase the circle. He agreed, we set him free, and then the party member with the highest Diplomacy skill convinced the archon to help us scout the forest. Don't try this with Chaotic outsiders!


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## robberbaron (May 31, 2007)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> What about elementals with advanced HD? The standard large elemental is 8HD, would it be OK to summon one that was advanced to 12HD?




Same thing, I guess. You get standard ones until you successfully research non-standard ones.

What am I letting myself in for?


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## Brother MacLaren (May 31, 2007)

robberbaron said:
			
		

> Same thing, I guess. You get standard ones until you successfully research non-standard ones.
> 
> What am I letting myself in for?



8-HD Large elemental going to 12-HD?  2 extra feats, 50% more hp, additional +3 attack bonus, +2 to all saves, and 1 ability point (which may or may not affect anything).  

A 12-HD Large Elemental is tough, but nowhere near as tough as these 12-HD outsiders: Bebelith (only 13 Cha), Half-Fiend Hill Giant (9 Cha), or Glabrezu (a little tougher to control at 20 Cha).

Templates risk some abuse since they add power without adding HD, but a half-fiend hill giant isn't all that strange or inconceivable.


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