[RPG] Does Arcane Abjuration permanently banish creatures below the threshold

class-featureclericdnd-5e

Arcana domain Clerics get a Channel Divinity option called Arcane Abjuration. Here's the relevant part of the description:

After you reach 5th level, when a creature fails its saving throw against your Arcane Abjuration feature, the creature is banished for 1 minute (as in the banishment spell, no concentration required) if it isn't on its plane of origin and its challenge rating is at or below a certain threshold, as shown on the Arcane Banishment table.

The spell description for banishment says:

If the target is native to a different plane of existence than the one you're on, the target is banished with a faint popping noise, returning to its home plane. If the spell ends before 1 minute has passed, the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied. Otherwise, the target doesn't return.

It sounds like a creature below the CR threshold for Arcane Banishment is permanently returned to their home plane. However, the phrasing "banished for 1 minute" could be interpreted to say that after one minute they return.

Are creatures banished by Arcane Abjuration sent back to their home plane permanently, or only for one minute?

Best Answer

No: Creatures are only banished for the 1 minute duration

From the wording, it appears that the intent of the feature is for the creature to return after one minute, and the phrase "as in the Banishment spell" is used to describe what banishment is, as it's not an otherwise defined term within 5e (as opposed to something like "Stunned", which is a defined condition).

Here's the logical flow of the Banishment spell:

  • If the target is native to the current plane of existence: They return at the end of the spell.
  • If the target is native to a different plane of existence:
    • If the spell ends early: They return at the end of the spell.
    • If the spell lasts for the full minute: They are banished permanently.

And here's the logical flow of the Arcane Abjuration feature for comparison:

  • If the target is native to a different plane of existence:
    • The target is banished for one minute.

The Arcane Abjuration feature only effects creatures that fit the criteria for permanent banishment in the Banishment spell, and there's no way to end the effect early (the effect does not require concentration, and is not a spell that can be dispelled), so the only reason to include a duration at all would be to override the permanence clause of the referenced spell.

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