Abjuration • Extraplanar Banishment
Dismissal
Dismissal forces one extraplanar creature away from the current plane. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e retain the spell directly; fifth edition uses Banishment instead.
Dismissal at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell named Dismissal; use Banishment |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No spell named Dismissal; use Banishment |
| Pathfinder 1e | Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| D&D 3.5e | Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Core effect | Send one extraplanar creature away |
Spell Rules by Edition
Dismissal — 5.5e / 2024
Status: there is no SRD 5.2.1 spell named Dismissal. Use Banishment and the current edition’s planar-travel rules.
Dismissal — 5e / 2014
Status: there is no core 2014 spell named Dismissal. Banishment occupies the same general tactical niche.
Dismissal — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Level | Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V, S, DF |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Target | One extraplanar creature |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | Will negates; see text |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
On a failed save, the target is forced away from the current plane. Under the published Pathfinder rules there remains a chance that the creature is sent somewhere other than its native plane.
Dismissal — D&D 3.5e
| School | Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Level | Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Components | V, S, DF |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Target | One extraplanar creature |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | Will negates; see text |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
The target makes the spell’s special Will save. On a failure it is forced away from the current plane, with the legacy spell retaining a chance of sending it to a plane other than its own.
What Changed?
- 5.5e / 2024 and 5e / 2014: Dismissal is replaced by Banishment.
- Pathfinder 1e / 3.5e: Dismissal remains a single-target anti-outsider spell with Spell Resistance and a Will save.
Counterplay and Rulings
Spell Resistance and the Will save are the primary defenses in the older editions. A creature that is native to the current plane is not a valid target merely because it is unusual or magical.
Because the spell is instantaneous, Dispel Magic cannot undo a successful dismissal after the creature has already been sent away.
Using Dismissal in Play
Dismissal is a specialist answer to summoned or visiting outsiders. It is strongest when the party knows what kind of creature it is facing and wants removal rather than damage.
Related Magic
Compare Banishment, Lesser Planar Ally, Plane Shift, and the wider Witch spell archive.
Mythical Context
Hermes led travellers and spirits between worlds in Greek mythology. A dismissal spell reverses the drama: the visitor is forced from mortal territory back across a boundary it did not wish to cross. See the study of Hermes as divine messenger and guide.
Historical Context
The Mesopotamian Maqlû incantation series documents ritual attempts to counter malicious witchcraft. Its surviving cuneiform tablets describe protective procedures, not a mechanically demonstrable power to expel creatures to other planes. See the British Museum’s Maqlû tablet.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e use their respective published Dismissal rules. Fifth-edition panels identify the modern replacement rather than inventing a conversion.
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