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Twilight Jack
2009-01-16, 02:39 PM
What are your favorite critters to summon, at each level of the spell, and why do you prefer them?

And before anyone points it out, I know that summon monster is not the spell I should be casting as a conjurer. That said, I will get bored of this game very quickly if I destroy everything the light touches with the same three spells. My conjurer likes a bit of variety and occasionally that means a summoned critter or three. I'll save my freezing fogs and black tentacles for the really dangerous fights.

Your preference can be based on either mechanics, style, or any other criteria you like. I'm looking to be sold on a few types of critters that I can summon on a fairly regular basis.

ShneekeyTheLost
2009-01-16, 02:41 PM
Actually, one of the best ones is Summon Monster III to summon a pack of Celestial Dogs or Dire Badgers, then place them around for AoO's and Flanking opportunities. Not so much for actually hurting someone, but makes flanking for the Rogue a LOT easier. Also can be used as a wall of bodies an opponent has to get through while you finish buffing.

Bugbeartrap
2009-01-16, 02:47 PM
Well, I'm going to be playing my sorceror conjuror in a game today. I'll let you know what works out. I know summoned monsters arent that great for damage but I was planning on using them as a living wall to protect the wizard, archer-ranger, and myself. I'm kinda disappointed that we don't have a rogue for SA. Do you feel the 15,000ish gp for a Ring of mighty summons(complete arcane) is worth it?

ShneekeyTheLost
2009-01-16, 03:47 PM
Do you feel the 15,000ish gp for a Ring of mighty summons(complete arcane) is worth it?
There is no such ring in Complete Arcane.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2009-01-16, 04:19 PM
I think the ring is from Complete Mage and costs 14 K IIRC.

Bugbeartrap
2009-01-16, 05:38 PM
Ah, I'm back with my books now. Schneeky and Silvanos, you are correct. Thank you kindly, gentleman.

Canadian
2009-01-16, 05:39 PM
I like to summon the smallest ones. I like small monsters.

Twilight Jack
2009-01-16, 05:43 PM
I like to summon the smallest ones. I like small monsters.

Okay, why?

Assassin89
2009-01-16, 06:00 PM
I haven't summoned any monster yet, but I prefer summoning celestial animals and good aligned outsiders, although it is only because I play a good aligned cleric.

Keld Denar
2009-01-16, 06:10 PM
Celestial Bison on III are pretty good, especially when you get 1d4+1 of them with SM V. A buddy of mine that I used to play LG with would often summon a pack of them, then, the round they get in, he'd Haste them to give them 2 attacks, one of which would be a smite.

Plus, when in doubt, Benign Transpositioning someone in trouble with a big angry bison is VERY funny.

Twilight Jack
2009-01-16, 06:14 PM
Yeah, I'm digging the Celestial Bison myself. My only complaint is that I'd need to maximize my roll on a Summon Monster V to get enough of them for a stampede.

Oh well, they're still pretty cool.

Any others?

KillianHawkeye
2009-01-16, 06:29 PM
My favorite low-level summon is the Fiendish Dire Weasel. It has the ability to attach, which is both funny and deals Constitution damage. Also, I like the mini.

For the mid-levels I like the Hound Archon, because they are just made from coolness and are "Evil Beatdown" incarnate. You also probably can't go wrong with a Celestial Dire Lion (for the pouncing) or Fiendish Rhino (for sheer intimidation value).

At the higher levels, there are fun things like Huge (and larger) Elementals, Celestial Triceratops, Fiendish T-Rex, and some good mid-tier demons and devils.

Emy
2009-01-16, 07:04 PM
I can't believe no one's mentioned Malconvoker yet, in a 3.5 Summon Monster thread.

If you have access to Complete Scoundrel, definitely take a look at it.

Vexxation
2009-01-16, 07:22 PM
I can't believe no one's mentioned Malconvoker yet, in a 3.5 Summon Monster thread.

If you have access to Complete Scoundrel, definitely take a look at it.

Definitely. Getting to Summon two monsters at once is awesome. Two Fiendish Dire Tigers, buffed with the Malconvoker class features and Augment Summoning are a force with which to be reckoned.

Starbuck_II
2009-01-16, 07:59 PM
I love Spiders to summon. No matter if I'm good or neutral (rarely play evil) I only summon them 70% of time.

They can web, poison, and they are useful.

Web alone makes spiders useful. Unlike the spell, the ability is single target but no anchoring issue.
Acts like Entangle.
If Foe frees himself of status effect, he waste a turn. So win win.

RTGoodman
2009-01-16, 08:41 PM
I've never played a caster that could use summon monster (mostly just summon nature's ally), but with the latter spell I really like wolverines and badgers. For summon monster though, I've had players use celestial bison to GREAT effect - nothing surprises a caster hiding behind a door more than a buffalo trampling through both the door AND the caster. :smalltongue:

Thurbane
2009-01-16, 09:13 PM
Much love for the Celestial Bison...stampede! :smalltongue:

Starscream
2009-01-16, 11:21 PM
The campaign I'm currently in has a really fun and interesting house rule wherein we all get a couple of spell-likes depending on our current levels, and we are high enough now that we each have any first level spell we want at will.

Pretty sweet. Anyway, since my character is a druid specializing in summons, and I want to get my moneys worth for the feat I had to waste on Spell Focus: Conjuration (we loves our Augment Summoning, we loves it!) I took a bunch of Natures Ally spells for mine.

You'd be amazed how many uses there are for being able to summon a monkey whenever you want. For one, it makes a handy trap detection system.

Jack_Simth
2009-01-16, 11:40 PM
The campaign I'm currently in has a really fun and interesting house rule wherein we all get a couple of spell-likes depending on our current levels, and we are high enough now that we each have any first level spell we want at will.

Well, *a* first level spell at will; you don't get all of them, just one of them. Mind you, the campaign you're currently in is also quite treasure-poor; there's verrry few permanent magic items in the party that are of much use (other than a few carefully dropped ones, partially to get everyone access to some of their spell-likes - they run on Charisma, after all).

Also - it's a campaign rule, not a house-rule. There's a reason for it, not yet revealed (although the observant in the party might have a reasonable inkling).


Pretty sweet. Anyway, since my character is a druid specializing in summons, and I want to get my moneys worth for the feat I had to waste on Spell Focus: Conjuration (we loves our Augment Summoning, we loves it!) I took a bunch of Natures Ally spells for mine.

You'd be amazed how many uses there are for being able to summon a monkey whenever you want. For one, it makes a handy trap detection system.Yeah. Trap detection, flanking, whatever. Eventually I might start enforcing the communication issues listed in the spell description... but for now, it's funny enough that I let it fly.


Edit:
As for the OP - I'm personally fond of the [Celestial] Dire Badger (if you can communicate with it - the Druid will need Speak with Animals, the Cleric or Wizard will need either Celestial or Common) for manipulating terrain outside battle. Due to a nifty little quirk in the Dire Badger's description.

zakk2to2
2009-01-16, 11:46 PM
i like to use vipers against low con targets like casters. their posion does 1d6 con damage and requires a fort save so the more it gets through the easier it gets though. you can potential kill a caster easily with a swarm of viper.

Mikeavelli
2009-01-16, 11:53 PM
Best (worst?) use of Summon monster I ever had was the Bison. A troll was demanding payment in order to cross his bridge, and he wanted food. I summoned up a Bison, and fed it too him.

We crossed, and I muttered, "alright, that Bison is going to disappear in about thirty seconds, and when it does, troll-boy is gonna be pissed. RUN!"

UserClone
2009-01-17, 12:03 AM
How did the bison not disappear when it was killed? The corpse doesn't persist for the duration of the spell, does it?:smallconfused:

RTGoodman
2009-01-17, 12:07 AM
How did the bison not disappear when it was killed? The corpse doesn't persist for the duration of the spell, does it?:smallconfused:

Hey, nobody said the buffalo had to be dead when the troll started eating it... :smallwink:

zakk2to2
2009-01-17, 12:15 AM
it probably would wait for the party to cross and be out of sight before chowing down. after all they just had a bison appear out of nowhere beter watch the tricky little snots.

Starscream
2009-01-17, 01:32 AM
Well, *a* first level spell at will; you don't get all of them, just one of them.


Also - it's a campaign rule, not a house-rule. There's a reason for it, not yet revealed (although the observant in the party might have a reasonable inkling).

Yeah, that's what I meant in both cases. Late night posting seems to have a detrimental effect on my I.Q.

Samakain
2009-01-17, 02:17 AM
Elementals are always good quailty, especially since you can choose type based on location.

Memphits can be useful, for the same fact as the elementals, however your options are more varried, and a swarm of them can be quite distracting, even if there not going to be dealing out the HP

For fun?

Three words
Fiendish, Dire, Tiger. Roar!, Halfling Druid once, riding one of these, fun as hell.

Scorpions of all sizes (great for that eberron drow sorcerer on the go)