- See also Banishment (Psionic).
Player's Handbook[]
A banishment spell enables the caster to force some extraplanar creature out of the caster's home plane. The effect is instantaneous, and the subject cannot come back without some special summoning or means of egress from its own plane to the one from which it was banished. Up to 2 Hit Dice or levels of creature per caster level can be banished.
The caster must both name the type of creature(s) to be sent away and give its name and title as well, if any. In any event, the creature's magic resistance must be overcome for the spell to be effective.
The material components of the spell are substances harmful, hateful, or opposed to the nature of the subject(s) of the spell. For every such substance included in the casting, the subject creature(s) loses 5% from its magic resistance and suffers a -2 penalty to its saving throw vs. spell. For example, if iron, holy water, sunstone, and a sprig of rosemary were used in casting a banishment upon a being that hates those things, its saving throw versus the spell would be made with a -8 penalty (four substances times the factor of -2). Special items, such as hair from the tail of a ki-rin or couatl feathers, could also be added to change the factor to -3 or -4 per item. In contrast, a titan's hair or mistletoe blessed by a druid might lower the factor to -1 with respect to the same creature. If the subject creature successfully rolls its saving throw vs. spell, the caster is stung by a backlash of energy, suffers 2d6 points of damage, and is stunned for one round.
Notes: Common spell (PHB). Known to be in the Demonomicon of Iggwilv (WoG).
Encyclopedia Magica[]
Definition: A banishment spell forces a creature from another plane to return to its own plane. The spell affects a single creature or a number of creatures whose combined Hit Dice are less than twice the level of the caster. A banished creature cannot voluntarily return to the plane from which it was banished, but it can be called back by gate or other spells. The spell requires that the caster name the type of creature to be banished. If any of the creatures has a personal name that must also be spoken. The caster must also name a deity or being that is an enemy of the creature being banished.
If the creature saves vs. spell, the caster will take 2d6 points of damage from a backlash of magical energy and will be stunned for Id4 rounds. If the creature fails its saving throw, it is immediately sent back to its own plane. The saving throw can be reduced by the type of components used in the spell.
The material components of the spell are substances and items hateful to the creature being banished. Rare items are more potent than common ones. Common items such as holy or unholy water, or powdered gems with magical properties will provide a -2 modifier on the saving throw roll. Special items that might be used against evil creatures are couatl feathers, powdered unicorn horn, or hair from the tail of a ki-rin. Good creatures would be repelled by such items as vampire dust, brain matter from a mind flayer, or the skin from a succubus' wing. Neutral creatures, such as elementals, would be affected by items relating to neutrals of opposite nature, such as the essence of a fire elemental could be used against a water elemental. A speeial component could reduce the saving throw die roll by -3 or-4, especially if the spellcaster personally obtains these items through adventuring. The DM may choose the exact special components that would be effective against any particular creature. Common and special components can be combined in the casting of the spell, but the saving throw die roll cannot be reduced by more than 8.
Note: This spell requires an appeal to divine or other powerful beings as part of its verbal component. At the DM's option, a wizard can receive help from a patron deity if the wizard's devotion has been outstanding. A deity can modify the saving throw die roll by an additional -1 to -6, depending on the worthiness of the wizard. However, such direct intervention should be extremely rare, and happen only if the success of the banishment is in the vital interests of all of the deity's followers.