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Yes I got it, I was talking about Planar Binding as well. To be honest I've just found out about the existence of the "Binding" spell in this post.

Thanks again

I didn't ignore it, I replied that I thought it wasn't the case. It seems I was wrong, my apologies and thanks for the reply.

Thank you all for the help, I guess I was allowing the spell to be even more powerful than it actually is, but I'm glad at least I was right not allowing it to be dispellable.

Ok so I think I might have misinterpreted the spell cast on the outsider in question. Snowblind was right. I thought it was a planar binding, as I said before, I didn't even know the existence of the spell Binding before Snowblind pointed it out.

Thanks for the clarification.

In any case, Wraithstrike since you seem very knowledgeable about rules, could you please also help us clarify the Planar Binding spell? Beside not being dispellable, does it work as I have read it (as in, the spell forces the outsider to complete the task you give it if you win the Charisma check) or as Claxon suggests (the spell simply traps the outsider and after that it's just a matter of convincing it through bargaining or using a compulsion spell)?

Thanks again for your help guys.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes, I am in fact running the Anniversary Edition, I should have been clearer.

Claxon, while I tend to agree with you that probably it shouldn't be dispellable, I'm afraid you are confusing Planar Binding with Planar Ally.

While the latter does indeed involve bargaining and the payment of a price to the called outsider, the first one does not. You lure it into a magical trap and then, if it doesn't manage to break free:

You can attempt to compel the creature to perform a service by describing the service and perhaps offering some sort of reward. You make a Charisma check opposed by the creature's Charisma check.

The spell itself compels the creatures to do your bidding, the promise of a reward or the reasonable nature of the service asked can get you a bonus to the opposed charisma check, but are not required to force the creature.

For example:

Snow, I don't think that's the case since the outsider in question is not restrained by any of the version of the spell you linked, but thanks for pointing out a spell I had never read about.

Hi guys,

As the title says, can Planar Binding be dispelled by Dispel Magic? I'm talking about the effect compelling the called outsiders, not the calling effect itself.

The confusion raises from the Planar Binding spell text: while the duration is "instantaneous", suggesting that it can't be dispelled, in the text it calls out that in case the orders are too generic to be completed by the creature's own means, the spell "remains in effect" for 1 day per caster level.
Can in this case be dispelled by normal means? The text does seems to suggest the spell has a duration in this instance, although the description doesn't read "Duration: instantaneous: see text" as it usually does in these cases, but simply "instantaneous".

To further add to my confusion, in a published AP there's a certain outsider forever bound in a dungeon since the caster of the spell died before it could complete its task and the text of the adventure suggests that the PCs could free him by "dismissing the CL 20th binding effect", a feat that shouldn't be possible since the binding effect is not dispellable (this isn't even the case of the 1 day per caster level scenario).

Thanks for any input.

Ok thank you, I wasn't sure it was to be considered "level-dependent" since usually SLA are not really based on the level of the monster, and the caster level for said SLA is often based on HDs or the monster's CR. That 3.5 rule didn't help either.

Hi,

Do negative levels affect the effective caster level of a Spell-like ability?

I.e. A Pit Fiend casts its SLA as a 18th level caster: if it takes 9 negative levels, would it be considered a 9th level caster to roll against spell resistance or to calculate the damage of its fireballs?

I would assume it does, since that's the way it works for spells, but I can't seem to find any official ruling about it and the only thing I've found is this article, that says otherwise (even though it's something related to 3.5).
The part of the article I'm referring to says: "A creature retains its spell-like abilities (and its caster level for those abilities) no matter how many negative levels it gain or how many Hit Dice it might lose as a result of those negative levels. The penalties from negative levels apply to any attack rolls a creature makes to use a spell-like ability (such as a touch attack or ranged touch attack)."

Thanks for the help.

Thanks guys

Hi, I'm about to use an ancient white dragon in the next session of the game I'm DMing and after reading the Blizzard effect of its breath weapon I couldn't understand how it exactly works.

Does the effect add up on top of the damage the breath weapon would normally do or instead of it? I've read the entries for other dragons' breath additional effects and couldn't figure a definitive answer.

Thanks for the help

I've always frowned at long range spells. How can a caster hit a 5ft square without any chance of error from 800ft distance (10th level, can easily be more than that)?!
I get that "hey, it's magic!" and that you rarely happen to have such a long straight line in real combat situations, but still, it's a damn long range to be that accurate...
And if the caster has time to plan and prepare for the fight, you might easily get a situation where a flying mage, even if spotted, can be virtually unhittable by anyone else but another caster of at least the same level.