Banishment/Dismissal & Outsider Familiars? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Banishment/Dismissal & Outsider Familiars? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tashanen
09-10-06, 04:52 AM At the end of our most recent game this subject came up and none of us are sure on exactly what the correct ruling is.

The parties wizard's [Level 12] familiar [Ice Mephit] got hit with a banishment spell.

After pouring over the familiar section in the PHB and the Improved Familiar feat from the DMG we have concluded that the familiar is indeed a valid target for the spell.

Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: If the creature’s type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate).

Small Outsider (Air, Cold, Extraplanar)

Since the mephit's subtype is still extraplanar (as opposed to native) it would of been forced back to Elemental Plane of Air, which seems to make the Improved Familiar feat extremely weak since everything on the default Improved Familiar list would be subject to banishment/dismissal with the exception of the shocker lizard and the homunculus.

Celestial creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype.

Fiendish creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype.

On to the real questions:
1.) Have we as a group been reading the entries wrong?
2.) Should we just house rule that any extraplanar familiars gained through the improved familiar feat have their subtype changed to native?
3.) Has errata/FAQ clarification been published on this matter?

Pax,

Tash
kjenks
09-10-06, 08:16 AM It does indeed sound like a valid target for the spell. No worries. Just have the wizard spend the usual 100 gp to summon the same mephit back again.
Grod_The_Giant
09-10-06, 08:50 AM i'd rule that the familiar was indeed banished, but the wizard doesn't loose experience or anything. he just needs to cast dimension door or something to the elemental plane of air.
kjenks
09-10-06, 09:27 AM Uh, er, Dimension Door doesn't enable planar travel.
PhaedrusXY
09-10-06, 01:45 PM It would be Banished, but it is still his familiar. He just needs to get it back somehow. Sounds like a good plothook. ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tashanen 09-10-06, 04:52 AM	At the end of our most recent game this subject came up and none of us are sure on exactly what the correct ruling is. The parties wizard's [Level 12] familiar [Ice Mephit] got hit with a banishment spell. After pouring over the familiar section in the PHB and the Improved Familiar feat from the DMG we have concluded that the familiar is indeed a valid target for the spell. Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: If the creature’s type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate). Small Outsider (Air, Cold, Extraplanar) Since the mephit's subtype is still extraplanar (as opposed to native) it would of been forced back to Elemental Plane of Air, which seems to make the Improved Familiar feat extremely weak since everything on the default Improved Familiar list would be subject to banishment/dismissal with the exception of the shocker lizard and the homunculus. Celestial creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype. Fiendish creatures encountered on the Material Plane have the extraplanar subtype. On to the real questions: 1.) Have we as a group been reading the entries wrong? 2.) Should we just house rule that any extraplanar familiars gained through the improved familiar feat have their subtype changed to native? 3.) Has errata/FAQ clarification been published on this matter? Pax, Tash
kjenks 09-10-06, 08:16 AM	It does indeed sound like a valid target for the spell. No worries. Just have the wizard spend the usual 100 gp to summon the same mephit back again.
Grod_The_Giant 09-10-06, 08:50 AM	i'd rule that the familiar was indeed banished, but the wizard doesn't loose experience or anything. he just needs to cast dimension door or something to the elemental plane of air.
kjenks 09-10-06, 09:27 AM	Uh, er, Dimension Door doesn't enable planar travel.
PhaedrusXY 09-10-06, 01:45 PM	It would be Banished, but it is still his familiar. He just needs to get it back somehow. Sounds like a good plothook. ;)