Edition note: This guide targets 2014 5E (legacy PHB-style rules). If your table uses the 2024 Player's Handbook, confirm wording, class lists, and any renamed features before locking a build.
Banishment removes a problem from the board. On a failed Charisma save, a creature is banished while you maintain concentration — and if it isn’t native to your plane, a full-duration banishment can send it away for good.
This Banishment 5E guide covers targeting, upcasting, and fight planning.
Spell Level: 4th
Spell Type: Abjuration
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Component Requirements: Verbal, Somatic, Material (an item distasteful to the target)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Class: Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
At Higher Levels: +1 creature per slot level above 4th
How does Banishment work?
You attempt to send one creature you can see within range to another plane of existence. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished.
If the target is native to the plane you’re on, it is banished to a harmless demiplane and incapacitated while the spell lasts; it returns when the spell ends.
If the target is native to a different plane, and the spell lasts the full duration, the target doesn’t return — it’s effectively removed from the fight forever (until it finds another way back, story permitting).
Best uses
- Park a legendary brute for a minute while you delete adds
- Hard-answer demons, elementals, and other extraplanar threats
- Upcast to exile multiple lieutenants in a boss fight
Concentration reality
If you drop concentration early, natives pop right back. Protect the caster — this is a “win more if you live” spell.
Banishment vs Hypnotic Pattern
| Spell | Level | Save | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banishment | 4th | Charisma | Remove 1+ creatures from the field |
| Hypnotic Pattern | 3rd | Wisdom | Mass incapacitate (damage wakes) |
Hypnotic Pattern controls crowds cheaper. Banishment surgically deletes the one creature you can’t afford to face.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does damage on the banished creature end it?
While banished to the demiplane they’re incapacitated and typically out of reach — you usually can’t wail on them until they return.
Do legendary resistances ruin it?
Yes, often. Burn legendary resistances first with cheaper saves, then land Banishment.
Should Paladins prepare it?
In planar or demon-heavy arcs, absolutely. Otherwise it’s a strong situational 4th.