Escape from Planar Binding

[Oblivionsmurf]

Imagine you are a spellcaster who uses Planar Binding to call a Lawful creature (that also happens to have Sor/Wiz spellcasting).

You trap the creature using a Magic Circle against Law, calling diagram, and Dimensional Anchor (as per normal).

You fail to win your first Charisma check, and the creature takes its turn. It casts Soul of Anarchy (from Dragon Magic):


A wreath of crackling energy encircles your body, twisting madly around you before sinking into your skin in an unsettling fashion.
This spell infuses your body with energy drawn from the primal forces of chaos.
You gain a +5 competence bonus on Escape Artist checks, as well on grapple checks to resist or escape a grapple.
Your natural weapons are treated as chaotic-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Regardless of your normal alignment, you are considered chaotic-aligned for the purpose of effects that rely on alignment (such as protection from chaos or chaos hammer).
If soul of anarchy and soul of light are active on you at the same time, you gain damage reduction 3/evil or lawful.
If soul of anarchy and soul of shadow are active on you at the same time, you gain damage reduction 3/good or lawful.
Soul of anarchy counters and dispels soul of order, and vice versa.
Special: A chaotic-aligned dragon capable of casting 4th-level sorcerer spells can cast this spell as a swift action.

Can the creature now merely cross the Magic Circle barrier?

[fallensavior]

Can the creature now merely cross the Magic Circle barrier?

Yes they can.

[Falontani]

However a [Lawful] Outsider is not likely to cast a spell like this, as it is against their very being. It is not to say that it can not happen, however the average lawful outsider should not ever have this spell prepared, or even known. I can see a wizard trying to catalog the spell having it in their book, but probably never prepared. Why not simply throw down a silence? The opponent can make no future cha check against you as long as you are in a silence. Or perhaps otiluke's prison yourself, they can't affect you while you reside within your prison and you can simply wait them out.

[Maat Mons]

Why not simply throw down a silence? ... Or perhaps otiluke's prison yourself, they can't affect you while you reside within your prison and you can simply wait them out.

Wouldn't it make more sense for it to cast Rope Trick and then, when it's safe from the mean old wizard, cast Sending to tell its allies that it's been kidnapped?

[heavyfuel]

However a [Lawful] Outsider is not likely to cast a spell like this, as it is against their very being. It is not to say that it can not happen, however the average lawful outsider should not ever have this spell prepared, or even known.

I don't really agree with this... If they know it to be a countermeasure against being made a literal slave, that might be something they would consider. If Wizards/Players can be paranoidly prepared for everything, why can't outsiders that just as smart?


Wouldn't it make more sense for it to cast Rope Trick

The Dimensional Anchor effect would prevent the Rope Trick

[AMFV]

They would be able to walk through it, but only if you only cast magic circle against law. Which seems to be a terrible lack of forethought on your part.


I don't really agree with this... If they know it to be a countermeasure against being made a literal slave, that might be something they would consider. If Wizards/Players can be paranoidly prepared for everything, why can't outsiders that just as smart?

While high level outsiders are likely to have contingencies for getting summoned into a magic circle, the HD limit on Planar binding makes it unlikely that the sumonees are likely to have a bunch of contingencies. What I would expect from high level outsiders is contingency and then forbiddance (stopping them from being summoned) for lawful ones and non-combat oriented ones. And then probably some kind of dispel effect for ones that want to pick a fight.



The Dimensional Anchor effect would prevent the Rope Trick

The dimensional anchor effect isn't inherently part of the spell. The caster has to cast that after (if and only if they beat the creature's initiative).

[Oblivionsmurf]

They would be able to walk through it, but only if you only cast magic circle against law. Which seems to be a terrible lack of forethought on your part.



While high level outsiders are likely to have contingencies for getting summoned into a magic circle, the HD limit on Planar binding makes it unlikely that the sumonees are likely to have a bunch of contingencies. What I would expect from high level outsiders is contingency and then forbiddance (stopping them from being summoned) for lawful ones and non-combat oriented ones. And then probably some kind of dispel effect for ones that want to pick a fight.



The dimensional anchor effect isn't inherently part of the spell. The caster has to cast that after (if and only if they beat the creature's initiative).

If you prepare a calling diagram, you can cast dimensional anchor prior to the calling

[Zanos]

I don't really agree with this... If they know it to be a countermeasure against being made a literal slave, that might be something they would consider. If Wizards/Players can be paranoidly prepared for everything, why can't outsiders that just as smart?
Not sure what lists it's on, but if you're a divine caster with a Lawful patron you cannot even prepare [Chaotic] spells. IIRC, most outsiders with spellcasting have divine casting.


They would be able to walk through it, but only if you only cast magic circle against law. Which seems to be a terrible lack of forethought on your part.
A creature can always nat 20 the check and automatically escape, so you should really have other defenses besides magic circle. And if you can't figure out how to properly prepare a death room your intelligence score isn't high enough to cast planar binding anyway.

[heavyfuel]

Not sure what lists it's on, but if you're a divine caster with a Lawful patron you cannot even prepare [Chaotic] spells. IIRC, most outsiders with spellcasting have divine casting.

Well, yeah. But the theoretical Outsider has Sorc/Wiz casting so the point stands

[Maat Mons]

If Wizards/Players can be paranoidly prepared for everything, why can't outsiders that just as smart?

And, let's especially not forget, some player characters have the outsider type.

Say you're an elf with the Otherworldly feat. You and your family keep getting enslaved. What do you do?

[AMFV]

If you prepare a calling diagram, you can cast dimensional anchor prior to the calling

Emphasis mine:



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. If the called creature has spell resistance, it can test the trap once a day. If you fail to overcome its spell resistance, the creature breaks free, destroying the circle. 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. You can prevent the creature’s extradimensional escape by casting a dimensional anchor spell on it, but you must cast the spell before the creature acts. If you are successful, the anchor effect lasts as long as the magic circle does. The creature cannot reach across the magic circle, but its ranged attacks (ranged weapons, spells, magical abilities, and the like) can. The creature can attack any target it can reach with its ranged attacks except for the circle itself.

The "calling diagram" doesn't do anything to stop extradimensional escape unless you beat the creature's initiative. Of course there are things you as the caster could do to prep that well.

Also the creature can use ranged weapons and magical attacks across the circle. So not super effective in-and-of-itself.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

It's only available in PF and 3.P campaigns, but the unchained oracle curse outright removes your alignment, and you always count as the most beneficial alignment when subject to alignment-based effects (like magic circle against X). It has its downsides, but the upsides vastly eclipse them. Very useful when some trumped-up upstart stage magician reels you in and expects you to actually submit to his will. Ha! As if.

Hmm. Is there any other way in 3.X and PF to remove your alignment?

[Zanos]

Emphasis mine:
The "calling diagram" doesn't do anything to stop extradimensional escape unless you beat the creature's initiative. Of course there are things you as the caster could do to prep that well.

Also the creature can use ranged weapons and magical attacks across the circle. So not super effective in-and-of-itself.

Continue reading.


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.

[AMFV]

Continue reading.

I stand corrected. They had a line break with an ad in it and I figured that was the end of the spell since I hadn't been on d20SRD since they caught the ads.

Notably that still doesn't prevent the creature from attacking you with ranged weapons or magic. Just holds it in place.

[Zanos]

I stand corrected. They had a line break with an ad in it and I figured that was the end of the spell since I hadn't been on d20SRD since they caught the ads.

Notably that still doesn't prevent the creature from attacking you with ranged weapons or magic. Just holds it in place.

Now you're making me feel like a jerk.


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.

[Goaty14]

Yes, but if the trapped creature has the [Lawful] subtype, then it can't escape because it's still counted as lawful (and the spell doesn't alter that bit).

[AMFV]

Now you're making me feel like a jerk.

Nah, it's alright. The creature still has options for that situation though. Although they might not have that many. Since Planar Binding limits you to 12 HD, that drastically limits the number of innate spellcasters you can grab.

For elementals, Immoth is pretty much your only option. He casts at level 12, which is enough to make things messy for you, but he does have spells known which might limit his options for creating a planned defense. Immoth is however not of any alignment subtype, nor with any alignment at all, therefore he can't be Magic Circled anyways.

For outsiders you could get a Sylph, who casts as a 7th level sorcerer, a Lillend who casts as a 6th level Bard. Rakshasas who cast as 7th level sorcerers (and may be of varied alignments. The Coatl, the Ghaele, the Urisinal, the Iceguant, and the Trumpet Archon.

That list mostly doesn't include things that can do a lot of planning since most of them are spontaneous casters. Only the Eladrin and the Ursinal could likely be properly prepped for that sort of thing.

[Jack_Simth]

Nah, it's alright. The creature still has options for that situation though. Although they might not have that many. Since Planar Binding limits you to 12 HD, that drastically limits the number of innate spellcasters you can grab.

For elementals, Immoth is pretty much your only option. He casts at level 12, which is enough to make things messy for you, but he does have spells known which might limit his options for creating a planned defense. Immoth is however not of any alignment subtype, nor with any alignment at all, therefore he can't be Magic Circled anyways.

Umm... (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicCircleAgainstEvil.htm):
This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A magic circle against evil can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a nongood called creature (such as those called by the lesser planar binding, planar binding, and greater planar binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the magic circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal protection from evil spell for that creature only. (Emphasis added)

So... a True Neutral outsider or elemental with no alignment subtypes is normally subject to Magic Circle Against Evil when used as a trap. Any of them, really, as they all phrase it as "nongood" or "nonevil" or "nonlawful" or "nonchaotic".

[MaxiDuRaritry]

So... a True Neutral outsider or elemental with no alignment subtypes is normally subject to Magic Circle Against Evil when used as a trap. Any of them, really, as they all phrase it as "nongood" or "nonevil" or "nonlawful" or "nonchaotic".Happily, if you're an unchained oracle, you count as whichever alignment the magic circle won't stop. If there are multiple magic circles, you count for each one separately. Huzzah!

[Doctor Awkward]

Per a strict RAW reading of all things involved, no.

Planar Binding states that the extraplanar creature is drawn into a specially prepared trap created with the Magic Circle spell. It states specifically that the caller can "employ a calling diagram (see magic circle against evil) to make the trap more secure."

The calling diagram, as defined under magic circle against evil states the following:
"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."


Meanwhile, Planar Binding says this:
"To create the trap, you must use a magic circle spell, focused inward. The kind of creature to be bound must be known and stated. If you wish to call a specific individual, you must use that individual’s proper name in casting the spell."
The spell has no alignment-based restrictions whatsoever on the creature that it targets.


So per the text of planar binding, you are not required to use a specific magic circle regardless of the creature being called. Any version is allowed.
And said magic circle may entrap any creature if a calling diagram is employed before casting, regardless of that creature's alignment.


RAI, on the other hand, is quite clear. Each version of the magic circle does not function to entrap creatures whose have an alignment component that opposes the version of circle being employed in the calling.
So you'd better have a friend nearby ready an action to counterspell.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

According to the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicCircleAgainstEvil.htm):


This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A magic circle against evil can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a nongood called creature (such as those called by the lesser planar binding, planar binding, and greater planar binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the magic circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal protection from evil spell for that creature only.It actually does specify "a nongood creature" on what it entraps, meaning that it does not entrap those of Good alignment. You can use magic circle against evil as a calling circle to call Good creatures to you, but it does not entrap them.

[Crake]

You're thinking far too complicated. You don't need to cast souls of anarchy or anything. Just a good ol' fashioned polymorph will do. It changes your subtypes, so you could change into whatever alignment subtype you'd need to escape the circle, then boom, done.

[Jack_Simth]

You're thinking far too complicated. You don't need to cast souls of anarchy or anything. Just a good ol' fashioned polymorph will do. It changes your subtypes, so you could change into whatever alignment subtype you'd need to escape the circle, then boom, done.

Problem: Alignment subtypes don't remove your actual alignment. As an example, let's look up the Chaotic Subytpe (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#chaoticSubtype):
A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. Most creatures that have this subtype also have chaotic alignments; however, if their alignments change they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has a chaotic alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the chaotic subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were chaotic-aligned (see Damage Reduction, below). (Emphasis added)

... and that same underlined section occurs verbatim in the descriptions for the Evil (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#evilSubtype), Good (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#goodSubtype), and Lawful (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#lawfulSubtype) sub type entries.

So if you happen to be a Lawful Good [Chaotic, Evil] creature stuck in a Magic Circle Against Good, then using Polymorph to dump the Evil subtype will let you out (you're no longer treated as a nongood creature). However, that's... shall we say "an uncommon situation" as basically all subtype'd critters also have an "Always X" alignment that matches the subtypes.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Except magic circle against Law works against nonLawful creatures (or magic circle against Evil/nonEvil creatures). Whether your alignment is Lawful [Chaotic] or Chaotic [Lawful], you count as Lawful and thus bypass the entrapment feature of magic circle against Law.