D&D 5e players discover genius new use for OP Banishment spell
Wizards of the CoastD&D 5e players have found an amazing way to use the already overpowered Banishment spell to escape from powerful enemies on different planes.
Dungeons & Dragons has always had spells that outstrip others of the same level, with the likes of Haste and Polymorph ranking among the best in the game. This is in stark contrast to the worst spells of each level, which players avoid as much as possible.
In D&D 5e, the level 4 Banishment spell is ranked among the best in the edition. When a caster uses Banishment, a target they can see must make a Charisma saving throw. If they fail, they’re banished to a demiplane for up to a minute.
If the target is native to another plane of existence, they’re sent home, and if the spell lasts for the full minute, they’re sent back permanently. This second usage has piqued players’ interest, as Banishment can be used on yourself or an ally.
D&D players can banish themselves to safety
A user on the DnD Reddit created a thread asking whether the Banishment spell can be used on yourself to escape from another plane. As many D&D campaigns can send you to unpleasant places like the Nine Hells, the Abyss, or the Elemental Plane of Fire, could you use Banishment to send yourself home?
“I double-checked the spell text and I didn’t see anything that would indicate it wouldn’t work,” one player wrote, “There is the line about incapacitation if the target is banished while already on its home plane, but there is no specific incapacitation if the target is not already on its home plane.”
There’s some confusion about how the effect works, as the first effect of the spell (banished to a demiplane) incapacitated the target, which means it wouldn’t work on yourself, as it would break concentration, ending the spell’s effect.
The second usage of the spell (returning a target to their home plane) DOESN’T mention the incapacitation effect, which means it should work, assuming the caster can maintain the concentration for a full minute.
What this means is that spellcasters have a solution for escaping from other planes, but it has some drawbacks. For one thing, they can only use it on themselves (unless they cast Banishment with a higher slot), meaning the other party members might be out of luck.
Banishment also doesn’t specify where the target returns to on their home plane. This gives the DM scope to mess around with the player, as they could get dropped in the middle of the ocean, breaking their concentration on the spell and sending them right back.
Regardless, the Banishment escape route is a great extra use for the spell, even if it’s one the designers never intended. Hopefully, the rules will be made clearer in the upcoming updated D&D 5e core rulebooks, while keeping the escape route intact.