Planar Ally [Archive] - Wizards Community

Planar Ally [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Drag0nUL
09-22-07, 07:32 AM I have a question about the Planar Ally spell.
In the description it says it calls 'an outsider or elemental of the deity's choice'. This means you will get a somewhat random creature I assume.

Still, it also says that you might call a specific individual creature by name.

What I am a bit puzzled about: can u request a specific creature type, such as a hound archon?
heffroncm
09-22-07, 10:41 AM I have a question about the Planar Ally spell.
In the description it says it calls 'an outsider or elemental of the deity's choice'. This means you will get a somewhat random creature I assume.

Still, it also says that you might call a specific individual creature by name.

What I am a bit puzzled about: can u request a specific creature type, such as a hound archon?

By the rules, not with any success. You can either call a specific being whom you know the name of, or you can ask your god to send a lackey. You can ask your god for it to be a certain kind of lackey, and your god is completely free to ignore you if he wants to.
Drag0nUL
09-22-07, 11:24 AM By the rules, not with any success. You can either call a specific being whom you know the name of, or you can ask your god to send a lackey. You can ask your god for it to be a certain kind of lackey, and your god is completely free to ignore you if he wants to.

Of course he can ignore you. But most gods tend to be somewhat benevolent toward their mid-to-high level clerics.

Actually, my questions arose from a discussion I was having with a friend and fellow DM. He is about to start a campaign in about 2 weeks, in which I intend to play a cleric. So we were going through some aspects of the character, and the Planar Ally issue came up.

So far in all campaigns we have played, you could request anything (generic help, a specific creature or type of creature), the god would listen and send what he saw fit. But this is going to be an Eberron game, a setting in which gods are more philosophical concepts and abstract source of power rather than actual physical entities. So the request would be handled by the outsider themselves, much like the case of worshiping no deity in the spell description and a random one would respond.

And the issue was: per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental?
heffroncm
09-22-07, 11:37 AM And the issue was: per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental?

And I answered: By the rules, no.
Sildatorak
09-22-07, 12:53 PM I've found it best to just list what types of planar allies each deity sends to their clerics for each of the appropriate spells. I think the part about asking for a specific creature is less for making sure you get the right kind of creature and more for getting one you've worked with previously.
mvincent
09-24-07, 12:39 PM per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental?It is not in the spell description... but common sense says that asking for something will increase the chances of getting it (however slightly). The actual increase is entirely up to your god, and your DM.

In my games, it would certainly have a significant effect (assuming the request was reasonable and of a type the God was affiliated with).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Drag0nUL 09-22-07, 07:32 AM	I have a question about the Planar Ally spell. In the description it says it calls 'an outsider or elemental of the deity's choice'. This means you will get a somewhat random creature I assume. Still, it also says that you might call a specific individual creature by name. What I am a bit puzzled about: can u request a specific creature type, such as a hound archon?
heffroncm 09-22-07, 10:41 AM	I have a question about the Planar Ally spell. In the description it says it calls 'an outsider or elemental of the deity's choice'. This means you will get a somewhat random creature I assume. Still, it also says that you might call a specific individual creature by name. What I am a bit puzzled about: can u request a specific creature type, such as a hound archon? By the rules, not with any success. You can either call a specific being whom you know the name of, or you can ask your god to send a lackey. You can ask your god for it to be a certain kind of lackey, and your god is completely free to ignore you if he wants to.
Drag0nUL 09-22-07, 11:24 AM	By the rules, not with any success. You can either call a specific being whom you know the name of, or you can ask your god to send a lackey. You can ask your god for it to be a certain kind of lackey, and your god is completely free to ignore you if he wants to. Of course he can ignore you. But most gods tend to be somewhat benevolent toward their mid-to-high level clerics. Actually, my questions arose from a discussion I was having with a friend and fellow DM. He is about to start a campaign in about 2 weeks, in which I intend to play a cleric. So we were going through some aspects of the character, and the Planar Ally issue came up. So far in all campaigns we have played, you could request anything (generic help, a specific creature or type of creature), the god would listen and send what he saw fit. But this is going to be an Eberron game, a setting in which gods are more philosophical concepts and abstract source of power rather than actual physical entities. So the request would be handled by the outsider themselves, much like the case of worshiping no deity in the spell description and a random one would respond. And the issue was: per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental?
heffroncm 09-22-07, 11:37 AM	And the issue was: per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental? And I answered: By the rules, no.
Sildatorak 09-22-07, 12:53 PM	I've found it best to just list what types of planar allies each deity sends to their clerics for each of the appropriate spells. I think the part about asking for a specific creature is less for making sure you get the right kind of creature and more for getting one you've worked with previously.
mvincent 09-24-07, 12:39 PM	per spell description, would asking for an archon increase the possibility of getting an archon instead of let's say an earth elemental?It is not in the spell description... but common sense says that asking for something will increase the chances of getting it (however slightly). The actual increase is entirely up to your god, and your DM. In my games, it would certainly have a significant effect (assuming the request was reasonable and of a type the God was affiliated with).