Making Planar Binding more effective (through tactics)

[Samael Morgenst]

The OP concept is that: a relatively low level character is able and willing to invest considerable time and resources into conjuring and putting into service a powerful outsider. RAW and RAI, what tactics could be avaiable?

If possible, something that would make for a cool narrative.

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A magic circle leaves much to be desired as a trap. If the circle of powdered silver laid down in the process of spellcasting is broken, the effect immediately ends. The trapped creature can do nothing that disturbs the circle, directly or indirectly, but other creatures can.

That begs the question: if time and money are not issues, can a circle of solid silver be forged instead? Or, if powdering is absolutely necessary, hammered silver (silver powder hammered and compressed untill solid) ?

Can be the circle be protected with a metal/stone/glass coverage?

You can add a special diagram (a two-dimensional bounded figure with no gaps along its circumference, augmented with various magical sigils) to make the magic circle more secure. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is ineffective. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20.

A successful diagram allows you to cast a dimensional anchor spell on the magic circle during the round before casting any summoning spell. The anchor holds any called creatures in the magic circle for 24 hours per caster level. A creature cannot use its spell resistance against a magic circle prepared with a diagram, and none of its abilities or attacks can cross the diagram. If the creature tries a Charisma check to break free of the trap (see the lesser planar binding spell), the DC increases by 5. The creature is immediately released if anything disturbs the diagram—even a straw laid across it. However, the creature itself cannot disturb the diagram either directly or indirectly, as noted above.

Could the diagram be crafted or forged from marble or metal, rather than draw on the ground?


Finally, about the Dimensional Anchor, I found this:

Unhallow
Evocation [Evil]

Level: Clr 5, Drd 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 24 hours
Range: Touch
Area: 40-ft. radius emanating from the touched point
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: See text
Unhallow makes a particular site, building, or structure an unholy site. This has three major effects.

First, the site or structure is guarded by a magic circle against good effect.

Second, all turning checks made to turn undead take a –4 penalty, and turning checks to rebuke undead gain a +4 profane bonus. Spell resistance does not apply to this effect. (This provision does not apply to the druid version of the spell.)

Finally, you may choose to fix a single spell effect to the unhallowed site. The spell effect lasts for one year and functions throughout the entire site, regardless of its normal duration and area or effect. You may designate whether the effect applies to all creatures, creatures that share your faith or alignment, or creatures that adhere to another faith or alignment. At the end of the year, the chosen effect lapses, but it can be renewed or replaced simply by casting unhallow again.

Spell effects that may be tied to an unhallowed site include aid, bane, bless, cause fear, darkness, daylight, death ward, deeper darkness, detect magic, detect good, dimensional anchor, discern lies, dispel magic, endure elements, freedom of movement, invisibility purge, protection from energy, remove fear, resist energy, silence, tongues, and zone of truth.

Saving throws and spell resistance might apply to these spells’ effects. (See the individual spell descriptions for details.)

An area can receive only one unhallow spell (and its associated spell effect) at a time.

Unhallow counters but does not dispel hallow.

Material Component: Herbs, oils, and incense worth at least 1,000 gp, plus 1,000 gp per level of the spell to be tied to the unhallowed area.

So, if the conjuring is done inside a previously prepared, Unhallowed area/building, it is possible to have conjured outsiders subject to Dimensional Anchor for a whole year - or forever, if the spell is renewed yearly?


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Another idea. Could the circle of conjuring be drawn (or forged, or engraved ) inside an area enclosed in thick steel bars - a cage? So that if the outsider somehow manages to break free from the spell it has also to break the cage (assuming the Dimensional Anchor on the area is active and it can't simply teleport).

[Anthrowhale]

You may want to look at the Nar Demonbinder class which optimizes planar binding w.r.t. demons.

[Samael Morgenst]

The character would no longer be low level.

I was thinking about a level 4 to 7 Adept (not over-optimized) that use the Sacrifice rules on the Book of Vile Darkness (excpecially the Limited Wish reward) and a mix of planning and ingenuity.