Dispel Evil And Good
- Level: 5
- School: Abjuration
- Class: Cleric, Paladin
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (powdered silver and iron)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
For the duration, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, and Undead have Disadvantage on attack rolls against you. You can end the spell early by using either of the following special functions.
Break Enchantment. As a Magic action, you touch a creature that is possessed by or has the Charmed or Frightened condition from one or more creatures of the types above. The target is no longer possessed, Charmed, or Frightened by such creatures.
Dismissal. As a Magic action, you target one creature you can see within 5 feet of you that has one of the creature types above. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be sent back to its home plane if it isn't there already. If they aren't on their home plane, Undead are sent to the Shadowfell, and Fey are sent to the Feywild.
Tactical Usage
Divine Protection: Dispel Evil and Good provides powerful defensive and banishment capabilities against extraplanar creatures. This 5th-level abjuration spell excels at protecting against celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.
Optimal Timing: Deploy when facing extraplanar threats, when your party is charmed or possessed by evil entities, or when immediate creature banishment is required.
Resource Management: Uses a 5th-level spell slot - available from character level 9+. 1-minute concentration provides sustained protection.
Target Selection: Self-targeting creates defensive aura while enabling targeted actions against extraplanar creatures.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Protection Magic: Combine with protection from evil and good for comprehensive extraplanar defense
- Detection Magic: Layer with detect evil and good to identify valid targets for banishment
- Binding Magic: Pair with planar binding for controlled extraplanar creature interaction
Class Feature Interactions:
- Divine Power: Clerics and paladins gain thematic connection to divine protection
- Channel Divinity: Paladin abilities enhance extraplanar creature interaction
- Spell Resistance: High-level features may interact with banishment attempts
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple protected party members can coordinate against powerful extraplanar threats.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: Requires holy water or powdered silver and iron (consumed). Cost varies but typically 25 gp worth of materials.
Component Handling: Material components must be touched to creature being banished or applied to self for protection.
Roleplay Opportunities: Sacred materials reflect religious traditions, planar knowledge, or divine connections.
Economic Considerations: Moderate cost requires planning for extraplanar encounters or evil creature threats.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Powerful protection and banishment affects high-level extraplanar encounters significantly.
NPC Usage: High-level clerics, paladins, or divine champions might deploy against fiendish invasions.
Environmental Considerations: Divine magic functions normally except in areas of strong evil influence or planar distortion.
Campaign Integration: Essential for campaigns involving planar threats, undead invasions, or extraplanar politics.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: Self-targeting works anywhere, though banishment effectiveness varies by plane proximity.
Weather Influence: Divine magic generally unaffected by weather conditions.
Structural Interactions: Works in most structures, though consecrated areas may enhance effectiveness.
Elemental Interactions: Effective against elemental creatures but unaffected by elemental environmental conditions.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time with 1-minute concentration. Protection affects you, actions affect others.
Target Limitations: Self for protection benefits. One creature for banishment or break enchantment effects.
Duration Interactions: Concentration required for protection. Banishment and break enchantment are instantaneous.
Mechanical Interactions: Banished creatures return if spell ends. Break enchantment provides immunity until spell ends.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Banishing unwanted extraplanar visitors, breaking curse effects, or creating safe zones from evil influence.
Social Encounters: Revealing disguised fiends, protecting during negotiations with evil entities, or demonstrating divine power.
Exploration Applications: Clearing corrupted areas, banishing guardian creatures, or protecting during planar travel.
Utility Functions: Exorcism services, planar creature management, divine investigation support, or consecration preparation.
Related Spells
Same School: Other abjuration spells like protection from evil and good (1st level single protection), magic circle (3rd level area protection), planar binding (5th level creature control).
Similar Effects: banishment (4th level creature removal), turn undead (class feature undead control), holy aura (8th level group protection).
Progression Options: protection from evil and good (1st level basic protection), magic circle (3rd level area protection), dispel evil and good (5th level active defense).
Complementary Magic: detect evil and good (creature identification), consecrate (area blessing), plane shift (planar travel).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains highly valuable against extraplanar threats throughout high-level campaigns.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 5th-level investment.
Campaign Phases: Most valuable in mid-to-high level campaigns where extraplanar threats become common.
Comparative Value: Excellent specialized defense against specific creature types with powerful banishment capabilities.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Divine energy surrounds you in protective radiance while sacred power prepares to banish unholy creatures back to their home planes.
Effect Manifestation: Brilliant aura of holy light creates sanctuary while divine force can instantly transport evil creatures away from the material plane.
Personal Style: Clerics channel their deity's protective power, paladins radiate righteous determination, while divine soul sorcerers manifest innate sacred energy.
World Integration: Represents advanced divine magic associated with planar guardians, temple defenders, or champions against extraplanar invasions.