Summon Nature's ally questions

[aza9999]

It seems the search function has been removed since last i was here and google is not helping me out.

I have a few questions regarding summon nature's ally for a druid character i'm about to start playing.

In the spell casting section of the players handbook it says that spells which take 1 round to cast are a full action and the spell takes effect from start of the persons next turn, however the description for summon natures ally says that "it appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn". Does this mean that it is an exception to the normal rule and the creature appears in the round when you cast and acts immediately, or that it appears at the start of your next turn and then acts?

Also when does the duration run out and the creature dissapear, at the end of the turn in which it acts, at the beginning of your next turn, or at the end of your next turn.

My interpretation is that for the scenario of a level 1 druid (so SNA lasts one round) and a kobold in combat where the druid has higher initiative:

The druid casts summon natures ally. The kobold acts. The ally appears and acts. The Druid acts. The kobold acts. The ally dissapears and the druid acts.

Is this correct?

For a casting time of 1 round is the caster "concentrating" on the spell between the turn when he is casting and when it actually takes effect at the start of his next turn, and can it therefore be interrupted?

Also where do the creatures from summon natures ally come from? Are they plucked from somewhere and then returned or created out of thin air? If my ally is killed is my druid bummed because a living creature died, or does it not matter because the creature didn't really exist, it was just magical energy pretending to be a wolf?

[Kristinn]

The druid casts summon natures ally. The kobold acts. The ally appears and acts. The Druid acts. The kobold acts. The ally dissapears and the druid acts.

Is this correct?

Yes.


For a casting time of 1 round is the caster "concentrating" on the spell between the turn when he is casting and when it actually takes effect at the start of his next turn, and can it therefore be interrupted?

Yes.


Also where do the creatures from summon natures ally come from? Are they plucked from somewhere and then returned or created out of thin air? If my ally is killed is my druid bummed because a living creature died, or does it not matter because the creature didn't really exist, it was just magical energy pretending to be a wolf?

The creature is summoned, i.e. brought to you from somewhere else, and is returned there at the end of the duration of the spell. That is why DMs frown upon druids using low level summons for triggering traps, as they are supposed to have empathy with nature and animals. But really, summoning a meatshield to eat a Tarrasque full attack to the face isn't really less cruel.

[aza9999]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Devils_Advocate]

"A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can’t be summoned again." (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#summoning)

So: Plucked from somewhere and then returned, really existed, did not die when it was killed. :P

[aza9999]

One more question i just thought of, what is the extent to which you can communicate with a summoned ally without any other spells/equipment present? Say i was in a jail cell, could i get a summoned monkey to get the keys off the table and bring them to me? How about getting the monkey to pickpocket the keys off the sleeping guards belt?

If i summon a wolf and then shapeshift to wolf form can i communicate with them fully?

[Frosty]

You have to use handle animal. Also, even if you speak Wolf, the wolf's intelligence limits what it can understand from you.

[Devils_Advocate]

One more question i just thought of, what is the extent to which you can communicate with a summoned ally without any other spells/equipment present?
"If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions." (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonNaturesAllyI.htm)

The summoning spell itself confers no special ability to communicate.


If i summon a wolf and then shapeshift to wolf form can i communicate with them fully?
Nah, just turning into a wolf doesn't give you knowledge of how to speak to wolves.


You have to use handle animal.
Specifically, the "'Push' an animal" use of the Handle Animal skill (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleAnimal.htm).

Alternately, cast speak with animals (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/speakWithAnimals.htm).

[Darrin]

One more question i just thought of, what is the extent to which you can communicate with a summoned ally without any other spells/equipment present?

There's a blind spot in the rules here that most people just ignore. The summon monster line generally slaps a fiendish/celestial template on animals and vermin, which brings their Int up to 3 by default. So by RAW, pretty much everything you summon via summon monster can understand common and follow verbal commands.

Summon nature's ally does not apply any templates, so by RAW the creatures it summons still have animal/vermin intelligence. Thus they can't understand common. I think the reasoning here may have been "oh, well, you just use animal empathy or handle animal to get them to do what you want", but it may also be that the designers just simply assumed that all summoned animals can understand verbal commands. From a practical standpoint, I've never seen anyone insist that you treat SNA creatures any differently from summon monster creatures, and it's just assumed that they can follow verbal commands.

[aza9999]

Seems like i might have to discuss with the GM how he wants to handle it, i think we will probably go with the animals being able to understand and obey basic commands (attack, fetch, chase etc) but anything more complex would require an appropriate roll.

[Vaz]

Just noticed that about the object; just wondering if there are any "naturally psionic monsters" like a dragon is naturally magical, can be used to make a psionic sandwhich stay forever?"

[Chronos]

With the druid I've been playing, I've been assuming that my summoned animals just act like animals (mostly fighting back against the enemy that attacked them, or lacking that fighting whatever enemy is closest). I haven't had occasion yet to order them to do things out of combat, though.

My animal companion I've been a little more free with, though I've also trained him specifically to do certain things, and druids have a bonus for handling their animal companion, too.