I have an Arcana Domain cleric and am, in general, loving the domain. I am about to hit 5th level and while looking into Magic Circle as one of my domain spells, I got more and more confused. Chatter online about this spell is that it is usually coupled with Planar Binding to compel a fey/celestial/elemental/fiend into your service. Planar Binding is a 5th level domain spell for Arcana Domain – so far so good. But what does a cleric summon that can use these two spells? There is Planar Ally as a 6th level spell, Conjure Celestial as a 7th level, and Gate as a 9th level option. Planar Ally and Conjure Celestial are friendly, so locking up 20% of the domain spell list seems foolish to prep for a 9th level spell. Clerics cannot access summoning elementals, fey, or demons- so what is the point of having these two spells? Even with Arcane Mastery at 17th level, you don't gain access to many more summoning options.
I just don’t see how Magic Circle and Planar Binding really fit into the domain kit, other than Magic Circle is one of two 3rd level spells with the word ‘magic’ in it. The one minute casting time for Magic Circle means it is effectively out for combat. Maybe use channel divinity: Arcane Abjuration to drive a creature into a corner for a minute while you prep the circle?
Anyway, I would love to hear other players or DMs who have experience using these domain spells - Magic Circle and Planar Binding - in fun or interesting ways without summoning or conjuring spells available.
Magic Circle's useful in any of the following scenarios:
You anticipate a fight with the right creature types in a location you control.
You just got into a fight with the right creature types and you buy enough time with Channel Divinity, Hypnotic Pattern or just running away/staying out of reach.
You're fighting a fey or fiend and know it's going to try to teleport or escape to the Ethereal Plane once it looks like it might lose, so you incapacitate it (see previous bullet point) and trap it.
Someone else in your party is capable of summoning creatures.
Also, the creature you target with Planar Binding need not be summoned. It be an elemental, fey or fiend you encountered in the wild.
The only thing I can really think of is using Arcane Banishment for low level creatures, drawing the circle, and then binding them or questioning them when they return.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I have an Arcana Domain cleric and am, in general, loving the domain. I am about to hit 5th level and while looking into Magic Circle as one of my domain spells, I got more and more confused. Chatter online about this spell is that it is usually coupled with Planar Binding to compel a fey/celestial/elemental/fiend into your service. Planar Binding is a 5th level domain spell for Arcana Domain – so far so good. But what does a cleric summon that can use these two spells? There is Planar Ally as a 6th level spell, Conjure Celestial as a 7th level, and Gate as a 9th level option. Planar Ally and Conjure Celestial are friendly, so locking up 20% of the domain spell list seems foolish to prep for a 9th level spell. Clerics cannot access summoning elementals, fey, or demons- so what is the point of having these two spells? Even with Arcane Mastery at 17th level, you don't gain access to many more summoning options.
I just don’t see how Magic Circle and Planar Binding really fit into the domain kit, other than Magic Circle is one of two 3rd level spells with the word ‘magic’ in it. The one minute casting time for Magic Circle means it is effectively out for combat. Maybe use channel divinity: Arcane Abjuration to drive a creature into a corner for a minute while you prep the circle?
Anyway, I would love to hear other players or DMs who have experience using these domain spells - Magic Circle and Planar Binding - in fun or interesting ways without summoning or conjuring spells available.
Magic Circle's useful in any of the following scenarios:
Also, the creature you target with Planar Binding need not be summoned. It be an elemental, fey or fiend you encountered in the wild.
The Forum Infestation (TM)
The only thing I can really think of is using Arcane Banishment for low level creatures, drawing the circle, and then binding them or questioning them when they return.