What happens to an Outsider when it dies?

[Malimar]

It seems to be common knowledge that an extraplanar Outsider slain on the material plane simply returns to its home plane. But I can't recall ever reading this in a book (which is not to say I haven't; just that I can't recall it). I seem to recall some vague mumblings that this is only true if the creature is under the effect of some sort of summon spell, but that sounds bizarre, and even if it's true I can't find a source for it.

The SRD entry on the Outsider type says nothing about returning to its home plane, only that a dead outsider is dead for keeps (unless it has the native subtype).

The entry on the extraplanar subtype only specify the conditions under which a creature gains or loses the subtype, not what effects (if any beyond the Dismissal line) the subtype has.

So my question is this: what, exactly, are the rules for when an Outsider or extraplanar creature dies? Under what conditions does it simply rematerialize on its home plane, and under what conditions does it take limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to return it to existence? And where, in which source text, does it say so?

[Cogitor]

It's a property of summoning spells.


A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can’t be summoned again.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#summoning

[DeltaEmil]

In Core, fiends like Tanar'ri-demons and Baatezu-devils are forever dead if killed if they weren't summoned (Ressurection and True Ressurection needed to restore the outsider to life).

Expansion books like Fiendish Codex 1 or 2 say that they can only be killed forever on their home plane (they reform on their home planes if killed somewhere else).

[Yuki Akuma]

Ressurection doesn't work. Only True Ressurection does.

[Malimar]

Aha, thank you, Cogitor; so it is a function of the summoning subschool. I looked for that, but not in the right place. Then I partially answered my own question once DeltaEmil told me where to look:

Fiendish Codex I (page 9) says that a demon killed outside the Abyss but not under the effect of summoning magic gets reincarnated back in the Abyss, albeit usually as a weaker demon, while a demon killed in the Abyss is just dead.

Fiendish Codex II (page 18) says that a devil killed in the Nine Hells stays dead, while a devil slain on the mortal realm but not under the effect of summoning magic returns to Baator 99 years later in its original form, and may or may not then face demotion for its failure.

Those two processes are different enough that it seems likely that every kind of Outsider works differently. Are there any sources for any other Outsiders?

[Volthawk]

Aha, thank you, Cogitor; so it is a function of the summoning subschool. I looked for that, but not in the right place. Then I partially answered my own question once DeltaEmil told me where to look:

Fiendish Codex I (page 9) says that a demon killed outside the Abyss but not under the effect of summoning magic gets reincarnated back in the Abyss, albeit usually as a weaker demon, while a demon killed in the Abyss is just dead.

Fiendish Codex II (page 18) says that a devil killed in the Nine Hells stays dead, while a devil slain on the mortal realm but not under the effect of summoning magic returns to Baator 99 years later in its original form, and may or may not then face demotion for its failure.

Those two processes are different enough that it seems likely that every kind of Outsider works differently. Are there any sources for any other Outsiders?

Not that I know of. WoTC didn't really care about the other kinds, as far as I can tell.

[holywhippet]

Ressurection doesn't work. Only True Ressurection does.

Limited wish, wish and miracle also work. If the outsider has the "native" subtype then standard raise dead type spells will work.

[Gurgeh]

Plus if you move outside of Core then there's the Raise Outsider spell.