Had a bard in our party draw from the Deck of Many Things and draw the Skull card, leading to a fight with the Avatar of Death. On his first turn, the bard casts Banishment on the Avatar, with the Avatar failing the saving throw.
Where does the Avatar get banished back to? The Shadowfell? Back to a demiplane of the deck? Is it considered native to the material plane? If the bard just concentrates on the spell for the full duration, does that mean the Avatar of Death is just gone?
I didn't see a time limit for the avatar of death summoned by the deck of many things, whereas banishment only lasts a minute. So it should eventually reappear to finish the job.
This is an interesting conundrum. DxJxC is right, the Avatar of Death is summoned for an indefinite period, until it defeats the player or it is defeated by the player. Banishment will work for the full duration, but the Avatar will return. That is, if it is native to the Material Plane. The effect of the card does say that you, as the player, summon the Avatar, which could be interpreted as it being native to another plane of existence, and the act of pulling that card from the Deck summons it to your location. Therefore, if the DM decides that is the case, after concentrating on the spell for 1 minute, the Avatar would not return.
It is up to the DM, but since it doesn't indicate otherwise, I'd think its native plane is the material plane, the plane it was summoned to, or the summoner's native plane in that order of likelihood. (99% of the time these will all be the same plane)
If the Avatar of Death was native to the Prime Material plane, it would be seen far more often than when just drawn from a Deck of Many Things.
In my campaign, I made it from one of the unknown planes of the Abyss.
It is the avatar of death. It is native to any plane where death exists. It is specifically the avatar of the death of its summoner, so it is native to the plane its summoner is on (as that is where the threat of death is).
For my campaign, I've decided that the Avatar of Death was banished back to the Shadowfell. As I have the player characters going to that particular plane later in the future, I think the bard will meet with his Avatar again when he least expects it ;).
OH! Interesting plot line: Later, after that campaign, if the Avatar isn't out yet, make it take place 500 years later. The bard is dead, but he has a huge family. The avatar gets out, and the family starts dieing one by one because of how powerful the Avatar is now. BOOM! Plot line.
OH! Interesting plot line: Later, after that campaign, if the Avatar isn't out yet, make it take place 500 years later. The bard is dead, but he has a huge family. The avatar gets out, and the family starts dieing one by one because of how powerful the Avatar is now. BOOM! Plot line.
Not that I don't like your idea, but the avatar disapears if its summoner dies.
The 2024 version can't perma-banish the Avatar because it's Undead and that version only has the secondary effect on an Aberration, a Celestial, an Elemental, a Fey, or a Fiend. The 2014 version is DM's call since there's no information about where the Avatar comes from- personally I'd have it pop back because it's too anticlimactic for one save or suck effect to completely erase the Avatar.
The 2024 version can't perma-banish the Avatar because it's Undead and that version only has the secondary effect on an Aberration, a Celestial, an Elemental, a Fey, or a Fiend. The 2014 version is DM's call since there's no information about where the Avatar comes from- personally I'd have it pop back because it's too anticlimactic for one save or suck effect to completely erase the Avatar.
Its a 1 hit point enemy, how is being banished any more anticlimactic than the player just rolling decent on one attack roll.
edit apparently its 1/2 the summoners hit points. Still its a quick easy kill for most characters.
Had a bard in our party draw from the Deck of Many Things and draw the Skull card, leading to a fight with the Avatar of Death. On his first turn, the bard casts Banishment on the Avatar, with the Avatar failing the saving throw.
Where does the Avatar get banished back to? The Shadowfell? Back to a demiplane of the deck? Is it considered native to the material plane? If the bard just concentrates on the spell for the full duration, does that mean the Avatar of Death is just gone?
I didn't see a time limit for the avatar of death summoned by the deck of many things, whereas banishment only lasts a minute. So it should eventually reappear to finish the job.
This is an interesting conundrum. DxJxC is right, the Avatar of Death is summoned for an indefinite period, until it defeats the player or it is defeated by the player. Banishment will work for the full duration, but the Avatar will return. That is, if it is native to the Material Plane. The effect of the card does say that you, as the player, summon the Avatar, which could be interpreted as it being native to another plane of existence, and the act of pulling that card from the Deck summons it to your location. Therefore, if the DM decides that is the case, after concentrating on the spell for 1 minute, the Avatar would not return.
I was focusing on the wrong part of the question.
It is up to the DM, but since it doesn't indicate otherwise, I'd think its native plane is the material plane, the plane it was summoned to, or the summoner's native plane in that order of likelihood. (99% of the time these will all be the same plane)
I agree, it depends on what the avatar's native plane is. I don't think that it's from the material plane so I think that the bard won that fight.
Professional computer geek
If the Avatar of Death was native to the Prime Material plane, it would be seen far more often than when just drawn from a Deck of Many Things.
In my campaign, I made it from one of the unknown planes of the Abyss.
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!
It is the avatar of death. It is native to any plane where death exists. It is specifically the avatar of the death of its summoner, so it is native to the plane its summoner is on (as that is where the threat of death is).
Interesting notes for the future, thanks guys.
For my campaign, I've decided that the Avatar of Death was banished back to the Shadowfell. As I have the player characters going to that particular plane later in the future, I think the bard will meet with his Avatar again when he least expects it ;).
That’s brilliant!
Professional computer geek
OH! Interesting plot line: Later, after that campaign, if the Avatar isn't out yet, make it take place 500 years later. The bard is dead, but he has a huge family. The avatar gets out, and the family starts dieing one by one because of how powerful the Avatar is now. BOOM! Plot line.
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
Not that I don't like your idea, but the avatar disapears if its summoner dies.
Who's to say you cant hand wave and say it's still around due to.... Shadowfell magic?
Extended Signature! Yay! https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/3153-extended-signature-thread?page=2#c21
Haven’t used this account in forever. Still a big fan of crawling claws.
The target would not return to the material plain and would be sent to random location as per the spell it will not return.
Banishment
The 2024 version can't perma-banish the Avatar because it's Undead and that version only has the secondary effect on an Aberration, a Celestial, an Elemental, a Fey, or a Fiend. The 2014 version is DM's call since there's no information about where the Avatar comes from- personally I'd have it pop back because it's too anticlimactic for one save or suck effect to completely erase the Avatar.
Its a 1 hit point enemy, how is being banished any more anticlimactic than the player just rolling decent on one attack roll.
edit apparently its 1/2 the summoners hit points. Still its a quick easy kill for most characters.