Questions about planar binding

[RoboEmperor]

This is my current understanding
1. You cast planar binding somewhere near you
2. A creature from another plane gets compelled to enter the trap via magic
3. If the creature fails its save it gets teleported into the trap and is stuck there
4. It attempts all three escape methods
5. Finally when all three fail, you do the charisma check for the service. If check fails, wait a day and go back to step 4

So how does the charisma check work? RAW says assign a bonus of +0 to +6 to your check, does that mean you'll never get a negative bonus (fiend folio II seems to think differently)? Does diplomacy somehow factor in? Is the creature hostile, unfriendly, indifferent... etc.? What rewards would give what bonuses (100gp is... +1?) Can you do a check with the reward of freedom alone?

The target is a Ghaele. It provides all the crafting spells my sorcerer needs, and if not, the Ghaele can prepare different cleric spells for me. I want to know how to figure out to do the charisma roll for
1. Provide the spells for today
2. Provide the spells for a week/month
3. Stay and help me until I finish crafting the item.
4. Be my companion and fight with me.

Can I keep it imprisoned for a week while using moment of prescience to get him up to helpful via diplomacy? Would a helpful ghaele do my service voluntarily?

Oh and I noticed Ghaeles have greater teleport. Do I need a dimensional anchor? RAW says escape is only possible via dimensional travel, and teleport cannot travel between planes...

[Deophaun]

This is my current understanding
1. You cast planar binding somewhere near you
2. A creature from another plane gets compelled to enter the trap via magic
3. If the creature fails its save it gets teleported into the trap and is stuck there

Nope.

You cast the spell. The spell reaches across the planes and taps a creature on the shoulder. The creature gets a Will save. If it makes its Will save, it's not inconvenienced in the slightest. If it fails, the spell grabs it, yanks it to your plane, and throws it in the trap you have already prepared. (You did cast circle of protection from x, right? Followed the directions and included the dimensional anchor, right? If not, was nice knowing you.


4. It attempts all three escape methods
One. Because you cast dimensional anchor on a properly prepared magic circle. No, this is not negotiable. You did this.

Also, you probably your Charisma as high as you could before casting planar binding. Because you're crafty like that.


5. Finally when all three fail, you do the charisma check for the service. If check fails, wait a day and go back to step 4
That could happen, just like that. But, what you really want is a way to reroll the check (alter fortune). Of course, you don't have to try to make a deal right away. You've got time. No need to risk that Nat 1 if you aren't sure that the odds are in your favor. Hit the creature with some debuffs first. Spectral hand (so you don't cross the circle) + bestow curse works well.


So how does the charisma check work? RAW says assign a bonus of +0 to +6 to your check, does that mean you'll never get a negative bonus (fiend folio II seems to think differently)? Does diplomacy somehow factor in? Is the creature hostile, unfriendly, indifferent... etc.? What rewards would give what bonuses (100gp is... +1?) Can you do a check with the reward of freedom alone?
You would never get a penalty, but who's to say that the creature your bargaining with didn't get a bonus? Notice how the spell is a tad vague on that.

This is worked out with the DM, but in general, yes, you can offer nothing in return and still make the check. It's planar binding, not planar ally.

The target is a Ghaele. It provides all the crafting spells my sorcerer needs, and if not, the Ghaele can prepare different cleric spells for me. I want to know how to figure out to do the charisma roll for
1. Provide the spells for today
2. Provide the spells for a week/month
3. Stay and help me until I finish crafting the item.
DM dependent. I'd generally say anything that's necessarily beyond the 1 day/caster level is going to be tough, but that's just me.

4. Be my companion and fight with me.
DM dependent as well, but I pulled it out because this will only hold for 1 day/caster level, because this task cannot actually be completed by the Ghaele. "Journey with me to find the MacGuffin of Power," meanwhile, can be completed, although the Ghaele could (will) become extremely disobedient when you aren't actively on the MacGuffin search.

Can I keep it imprisoned for a week while using moment of prescience to get him up to helpful via diplomacy? Would a helpful ghaele do my service voluntarily?
If you have a caster level of at least 7, then yes, you can keep it imprisoned for a week while you try to persuade it. Whether or not Diplomacy will do you any good is another matter. Sure, you may improve its attitude towards you, but if I was the DM, it would just drop again as you're still keeping it imprisoned, which, unless you're counting on Stockholm Syndrome, is not the best way to win friends and influence people.

Oh and I noticed Ghaeles have greater teleport. Do I need a dimensional anchor? RAW says escape is only possible via dimensional travel, and teleport cannot travel between planes...
Um, check RAW again:

A creature capable of any form of dimensional travel (astral projection, blink, dimension door, etherealness, gate, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar abilities) can simply leave the circle through that means.

[Erik Vale]

Quick point out, the Days/Caster Level is only for events with no set time frame/that are open ended. If it will take more days then your casterlevel to craft the item, you can state it, and then the creature stays for that long.
I.E.: Guard this area: Days/CL
I.E.: Guard this area for a year: Lasts 1 Year.


However, expect to be thoroughly annoying the outsider, and note that while it can go back to wherever when the spell ends, I'm not sure if it actually has to, so be careful with what you call.


And yes, teleport counts as dimensional travel, normally through the astral unless stated otherwise. [Which means shadowdancers go through the astral but must start and end in places of shadow, which would make more sense if they went through the shadow... However that would allow them to bypass some teleportation blocks]

[RoboEmperor]

Damn it, I need to burn a level 3 slot for the circle. I don't mind getting dimensional anchor but circle? >.<
Ah well, I'll just say good bye to flame arrow and not use bows...

Thanks for the huge clarification btw, I didn't even read circle of protection because it did not interest me, which is probably why I was so confused on planar binding.

[Andezzar]

Damn it, I need to burn a level 3 slot for the circle. I don't mind getting dimensional anchor but circle? >.<
Ah well, I'll just say good bye to flame arrow and not use bows...You usually do not do planar binding in a dungeon. You do it before the dungeon crawl, when it does not matter that you do not have flame arrow prepared.

If you are playing a sorcerer with limited spells known, just buy a scroll for Dimensional Anchor, Magic Circle against [Alignment] and/or Planar Binding. You won't be using those spells every day.

[Graypairofsocks]

Damn it, I need to burn a level 3 slot for the circle. I don't mind getting dimensional anchor but circle? >.<
Ah well, I'll just say good bye to flame arrow and not use bows...

Well technically you don't really need the circle, it just helps to avoid having a messy fate.

[Devils_Advocate]

Nope.

You cast the spell. The spell reaches across the planes and taps a creature on the shoulder. The creature gets a Will save. If it makes its Will save, it's not inconvenienced in the slightest. If it fails, the spell grabs it, yanks it to your plane, and throws it in the trap you have already prepared.
Given that the spell is classified as Conjuration (Calling), that is almost certainly the intent. It's actually written as someonenoone11 described, however; "Target" is NOT "Effect".

Some spell descriptions are just comically and blatantly screwed up like that. For example, someone apparently wasn't clear on whether fire seeds should be considered to create new objects or modify existing ones, with the result that the spell obliterates the very special weapons it produces, because they're the material component! Whoops! XD

[Deophaun]

Given that the spell is classified as Conjuration (Calling), that is almost certainly the intent. It's actually written as someonenoone11 described, however; "Target" is NOT "Effect".
Really?


Target: One elemental or outsider with 6 HD or less
Saving Throw: Will negates

That's a very unique interpretation of "Will negates."

[Devils_Advocate]

It's not an interpretation of "Will negates" at all, it's an interpretation of "Target"! XD

I think that we've both suffered a bit of confusion. It seems that you were disagreeing with the implication that the spell still does something even if the creature passes its Will save. I thought that you were disagreeing with the implication that the creature must already be present when you cast the spell. My point was that, as written, the creature does have to be present and the spell doesn't "reach across the planes" at all! Of course, that's what it's supposed to do, but they screwed up the description.

Clear?

[Deophaun]

My point was that, as written, the creature does have to be present and the spell doesn't "reach across the planes" at all! Of course, that's what it's supposed to do, but they screwed up the description.

Clear?
Very well. But it's enforced as often as the need for scrying to have LoE and LoS.