Mastering Banishment 5e: A Comprehensive Guide for D&D Players

Banishment is a powerful and versatile spell in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (5e). It allows you to temporarily or permanently remove a creature from the battlefield, offering a significant tactical advantage. However, understanding its nuances and limitations is crucial to using it effectively. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of Banishment 5e, covering its mechanics, applications, strategies, and potential pitfalls.

## What is Banishment 5e?

Banishment is a 4th-level abjuration spell available to Clerics (Knowledge Domain), Paladins (Oath of the Ancients), Sorcerers, Warlocks (The Archfey, The Celestial), and Wizards. Its primary function is to remove a creature from the current plane of existence.

**Spell Details:**

* **Level:** 4th
* **School:** Abjuration
* **Casting Time:** 1 action
* **Range:** 60 feet
* **Components:** V, S, M (an item distasteful to the target)
* **Duration:** Concentration, up to 1 minute
* **Classes:** Cleric (Knowledge Domain), Paladin (Oath of the Ancients), Sorcerer, Warlock (The Archfey, The Celestial), Wizard

**The Spell’s Effect:**

> You attempt to send one creature that you can see within range to another plane of existence. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished.
>
> If the target is native to the plane of existence you’re on, you banish the target to a harmless demiplane. While there, the target is incapacitated. The target remains there until the spell ends, at which point the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.
>
> If the target is on a plane that isn’t its home plane, you banish the target to its home plane. If the spell lasts for the duration, the target doesn’t return. Otherwise, the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.

## Breaking Down the Spell: Key Elements

To effectively utilize Banishment, it’s essential to understand its various components:

* **Target:** You must be able to see the creature within 60 feet. This means the target cannot be behind total cover, invisible without your ability to see invisible creatures, or otherwise obscured from your view.
* **Charisma Saving Throw:** The target must make a Charisma saving throw. Creatures with high Charisma scores are more likely to resist the spell. Consider targeting creatures with lower Charisma, or using spells or abilities to impose disadvantage on their saving throws.
* **Native vs. Non-Native:** This is the most crucial distinction. A creature’s origin determines the spell’s ultimate effect.
* **Native:** If the target is on its home plane (the plane you are currently on), it is banished to a harmless demiplane for the duration of the spell (up to 1 minute). While banished, the creature is incapacitated. When the spell ends, it returns to the space it occupied or the nearest unoccupied space.
* **Non-Native:** If the target is *not* on its home plane, it is banished *to* its home plane. If the spell lasts for the full duration (1 minute, maintained with concentration), the banishment becomes permanent. The creature does not return. However, if your concentration is broken before the full minute, the creature returns to the space it left (or the nearest unoccupied space).
* **Concentration:** Banishment requires concentration. This means you must maintain focus on the spell while it is active. Taking damage, being subjected to certain spells or effects, or choosing to cast another concentration spell can break your concentration, ending the Banishment spell prematurely.
* **Material Component:** The spell requires a material component: “an item distasteful to the target.” This component is consumed by the spell. This component adds flavor to the spell and might present interesting roleplaying opportunities. Determining what a creature finds distasteful can be part of your character’s research and preparation.

## Step-by-Step Instructions: Casting Banishment

1. **Identify Your Target:** Select a creature within 60 feet that you can see. Assess the creature’s Charisma score and whether it is native to the current plane. This is critical for determining the spell’s potential outcome.
2. **Gather Your Material Component:** Ensure you have an appropriate item distasteful to the target. This might require some prior knowledge of the creature or a quick check with your DM. Some examples could include a holy symbol for an undead creature, a lump of coal for a fire elemental, or a beautiful gem for a creature that despises beauty.
3. **Cast the Spell:** As an action, speak the incantation, make the required gestures, and present the material component. Declare that you are casting Banishment on the target.
4. **Target Makes a Saving Throw:** The target must make a Charisma saving throw. The DM will roll for the creature, adding any relevant modifiers to the result.
5. **Determine the Outcome:**
* **Success:** If the target succeeds on the saving throw, the spell fails, and nothing happens. The creature remains on the battlefield.
* **Failure:** If the target fails the saving throw, it is banished.
* **Native Creature:** The creature is banished to a harmless demiplane for up to 1 minute. It is incapacitated while banished. Maintain concentration for the desired duration (up to 1 minute). If concentration is broken before 1 minute, the creature returns. If you maintain concentration for the full minute, the creature returns after 1 minute.
* **Non-Native Creature:** The creature is banished to its home plane. Maintain concentration for the full duration (1 minute). If you maintain concentration for the full minute, the banishment is permanent, and the creature does not return. If concentration is broken before 1 minute, the creature returns.
6. **Maintain Concentration (If Applicable):** If the target fails the saving throw, focus on maintaining your concentration. Avoid taking damage, being subjected to concentration-breaking effects, or casting other concentration spells.
7. **End the Spell (If Desired):** For native creatures, you can choose to end the spell prematurely, returning the creature to the battlefield. For non-native creatures, breaking concentration before the full minute will return the creature.

## Strategic Applications of Banishment 5e

Banishment is a highly versatile spell that can be used in a variety of situations. Here are some common and effective strategies:

* **Removing a Powerful Enemy:** The most obvious use is to temporarily remove a powerful enemy from combat. This can give your party time to focus on weaker enemies, heal, regroup, or escape. If the powerful enemy is not native to the plane, maintaining concentration for the full minute can remove them permanently.
* **Isolating a Threat:** Banishment can isolate a single dangerous enemy from a group. By banishing the most threatening creature, you can divide the encounter and make it more manageable.
* **Protecting Allies:** If an ally is in immediate danger, you can banish them to protect them from harm. This effectively removes them from the battlefield for a short time, allowing them to recover or reposition.
* **Disrupting Spellcasters:** Banishment can interrupt a spellcaster’s concentration or prevent them from casting spells altogether. Removing a spellcaster, even temporarily, can significantly weaken the enemy’s offensive capabilities.
* **Interrogating a Creature:** Banish a creature to a demiplane for interrogation. The isolation and disorientation can make them more willing to cooperate. This is especially useful for creatures that are resistant to other forms of coercion. Just remember that they will return after a minute unless they are on a plane other than their home plane.
* **Dealing with Summons:** Creatures that have been summoned are not native to the plane they are summoned to. If you can maintain concentration for the full minute, you can permanently banish summoned creatures, ending the summons and preventing them from causing further harm.
* **Avoiding Encounters:** In some situations, the best course of action is to avoid a fight altogether. If you encounter a creature that is too powerful to defeat, you can use Banishment to temporarily remove it, giving your party time to escape.
* **Solving Puzzles:** Sometimes, a creature is blocking your way or preventing you from solving a puzzle. Banishment can temporarily remove the creature, allowing you to proceed.

## Choosing the Right Target: Considerations

Selecting the right target for Banishment is crucial for maximizing its effectiveness. Consider the following factors:

* **Charisma Score:** Prioritize targets with low Charisma scores. Creatures with high Charisma are more likely to succeed on the saving throw, rendering the spell ineffective.
* **Plane of Origin:** Determine whether the target is native to the current plane. Banishment has significantly different effects on native and non-native creatures. Permanently removing a non-native creature is often the ideal outcome.
* **Current Situation:** Assess the current tactical situation. Which enemy poses the greatest threat? Which enemy is most vulnerable to Banishment? Which enemy, when removed, will provide the greatest advantage to your party?
* **Available Information:** Do you have any information about the target’s weaknesses or vulnerabilities? Some creatures may be particularly susceptible to Banishment due to their nature or alignment.
* **Party Composition:** Consider your party’s strengths and weaknesses. Banishment can be used to compensate for your party’s vulnerabilities or to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses.

## Optimizing Your Banishment: Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips and tricks to optimize your use of Banishment:

* **Lowering Charisma Saves:** Use spells or abilities to impose disadvantage on the target’s Charisma saving throw. Spells like *Bestow Curse* or abilities that inflict conditions like frightened or poisoned can make it more likely that the target will fail the saving throw.
* **Strategic Positioning:** Position yourself strategically to maintain line of sight and avoid taking damage. Remember that Banishment requires concentration, so you need to protect yourself from attacks and other effects that could break your focus.
* **Communication:** Communicate with your party to coordinate your actions. Let them know who you are targeting and why. This will help them make informed decisions and maximize the effectiveness of your strategy.
* **Identifying Creatures:** Use divination spells or abilities to determine a creature’s plane of origin. Knowing whether a creature is native to the current plane is crucial for determining the spell’s potential outcome.
* **Choosing the Right Material Component:** Select a material component that is truly distasteful to the target. This can increase the likelihood of success, especially if the DM rules that a particularly effective component grants advantage on the spell attack roll or imposes disadvantage on the saving throw (at their discretion).
* **Preparing for the Return:** For native creatures, be prepared for their return after 1 minute. Have a plan in place to deal with them when they reappear. This might involve repositioning, setting up traps, or preparing offensive spells.
* **Using Banishment Defensively:** Don’t just use Banishment offensively. It can also be used defensively to protect yourself or your allies from harm. Banish yourself or an ally if you are in danger of being overwhelmed.
* **Consider the Environment:** Take the environment into account when casting Banishment. If you are in a confined space, banishing a creature might not be as effective, as it will simply reappear in the nearest unoccupied space.
* **Work with your DM:** Discuss the specific rules and interpretations of Banishment with your DM. The DM has the final say on how the spell works in their campaign.

## Common Misconceptions about Banishment

* **Banishment always removes a creature permanently:** This is incorrect. Banishment only permanently removes a creature if it is not native to the current plane and you maintain concentration for the full duration.
* **Banishment works on any creature:** This is also incorrect. Creatures with high Charisma scores are more likely to resist the spell. Additionally, some creatures may be immune to the banished condition or have abilities that allow them to ignore the effects of Banishment.
* **The demiplane is the same for all creatures:** The demiplane that native creatures are banished to is a harmless, featureless space. It is implied that the demiplane is unique to the caster, so different creatures banished by the same caster would share the demiplane. However, different casters might send creatures to different demiplanes.
* **Banishment is a guaranteed win:** Banishment is a powerful spell, but it is not a guaranteed win. The target can succeed on the saving throw, your concentration can be broken, or the creature can return and cause even more problems.

## Banishment vs. Similar Spells

Several other spells offer similar effects to Banishment, but with key differences. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right spell for the situation.

* **Imprisonment:** A 9th-level spell that permanently imprisons a creature. More powerful than Banishment, but also requires a much higher spell slot and has a longer casting time.
* **Plane Shift:** A 7th-level spell that transports you and up to eight willing creatures to another plane. Can be used to escape danger or to travel to a specific location.
* **Maze:** An 8th-level spell that banishes a creature to a labyrinthine demiplane. Similar to Banishment, but the creature must navigate the maze to escape.
* **Polymorph:** A 4th-level spell that transforms a creature into another form. Can be used to turn a dangerous enemy into a harmless animal.

## Roleplaying with Banishment

Banishment is not just a tactical tool; it can also be a powerful roleplaying element. Consider the following:

* **The Material Component:** The choice of material component can reflect your character’s personality, beliefs, and knowledge of the target. A cleric might use a holy symbol to banish an undead creature, while a wizard might use a rare arcane artifact.
* **The Incantation:** The words you speak when casting the spell can be tailored to the situation and your character’s style. You might use a formal incantation, a personal plea, or even a taunt.
* **The Reaction:** How does your character react when the spell succeeds or fails? Do they gloat over their victory, express relief, or show concern for the banished creature?
* **The Ethical Implications:** Consider the ethical implications of banishing a creature. Is it right to remove a creature from its home plane? What are the long-term consequences of your actions?
* **Interactions with other Planes:** Banishment can open up opportunities for interactions with other planes of existence. Your character might learn about new cultures, encounter strange creatures, or uncover ancient secrets.

## Dungeon Master Considerations for Banishment

As a Dungeon Master, it’s important to understand Banishment and its implications for your campaign. Here are some considerations:

* **The Material Component:** Be consistent in how you handle the material component. Does the player need to acquire a specific item? Can they improvise? How does the material component affect the spell’s effectiveness?
* **The Demiplane:** Decide what the demiplane looks like. Describe it to the player when they first use the spell.
* **Creature Tactics:** Consider how intelligent creatures will react to being banished. They might try to break your concentration, escape from the demiplane, or seek revenge when they return.
* **Plane of Origin:** Be prepared to determine a creature’s plane of origin. This information might be readily available, or the players might need to research it.
* **House Rules:** If you want to modify the spell’s effects, be clear about your house rules. For example, you might rule that Banishment always removes a creature permanently, or that it only works on certain types of creatures.
* **Story Opportunities:** Use Banishment as a springboard for new story arcs. The banished creature might return with allies, seek revenge, or offer a reward for its return.
* **Fairness:** Ensure that Banishment is used fairly. Don’t allow players to abuse the spell or to trivialize encounters.

## Conclusion

Banishment 5e is a potent tool in the hands of a knowledgeable player. By understanding its mechanics, applications, and limitations, you can significantly enhance your tactical capabilities and contribute to your party’s success. Remember to consider the target’s Charisma score, plane of origin, and the current situation. Optimize your use of Banishment with strategic positioning, communication, and preparation. With practice and experience, you can master this versatile spell and become a true master of the planes. Good luck, and may your enemies be banished!