What are the rules governing legal summons?

[bot]

So I've been reading the lists about legal summons according to the rules, but I can't seem to find what does rules are?

F.x. why is Dwarf Ancestor (MMIV) a legal Summons Monster V? Looks pretty badass compared to many others above that level even.

[Devronq]

Its rougly based off of CR and HD, i dont think there is specific rules but also note some creatures are alot stronger than others even at the same CR.

[Mnemnosyne]

Creatures are legal summons if they're on the Summon Monster list in the PHB, or if their specific entry says they're a legal summon, or some other specific rule allows them to be summoned. There's no general set of rules guiding all of these additions to the Summon Monster list.

The Dwarf Ancestor, for instance, is a legal summon for Summon Monster V, but only for a cleric of Moradin, because of the specific rule in its entry.

If the designers used some criteria to determine whether something was legal for summoning, I don't know it, but I suspect the decisions to add things to the Summon Monster lists were made more or less individually without any particular overarching criteria or rules.

[Ravens_cry]

So if you had a scroll of Summon Monster V, and used Use Magic Device: Emulate a class, could you summon one?

[Mnemnosyne]

Kind of up to interpretation really. Emulate a class definitely emulates cleric, but does it emulate a cleric of a specific god? I think as a DM I would say no, but I doubt there's any RAW one way or the other, and I can certainly see an argument for it to be yes.

[Yora]

Generally, the CR of summoned creatures matches the level of the spell.

[bot]

Yes ok thanks for the replies. I had hoped for some rule that was more specific then just CR - so a little disappointed, seeing that I might not be able to sell that to the DM.

However, returning to the dwarf ancestor - could a shadowcraft mage using shadow conjuration, summon an illusion of one?

[Jack_Simth]

Yes ok thanks for the replies. I had hoped for some rule that was more specific then just CR - so a little disappointed, seeing that I might not be able to sell that to the DM.

However, returning to the dwarf ancestor - could a shadowcraft mage using shadow conjuration, summon an illusion of one?
Still no, as the Shadow Conjouration line duplicates arcane spells, and that use only works for a cleric of Moradin.

[Mnemnosyne]

I think by RAW you would still have to be a cleric of Moradin since you're mimicking the spell with your shadow conjuration and the spell requires a cleric of Moradin to summon a dwarf ancestor. In this case, however, I would allow it because it makes sense.

[Drachasor]

Still no, as the Shadow Conjouration line duplicates arcane spells, and that use only works for a cleric of Moradin.

Unless your DM lets sorcerers get divine spells, eh? Or if there's a specialized wizard spell just for that summon.

The thread title has me thinking of a Celestial Bureaucracy giving casters fines when they haven't filled out all the paperwork. Hmm, there was some spell or item that did that (the paperwork bit for all spells)...maybe it was in 2nd edition.

[Mnemnosyne]

I don't remember the name of it, but I do remember the item, from the encyclopedia magica. Made you fill out a form every time you wanted to cast a spell. I think it was a ring. Awesome cursed item. I do miss creative cursed items like that in these recent editions. So few of them.

[buttcyst]

I don't remember the name of it, but I do remember the item, from the encyclopedia magica. Made you fill out a form every time you wanted to cast a spell. I think it was a ring. Awesome cursed item. I do miss creative cursed items like that in these recent editions. So few of them.

that's awesome, I might do that to my party


as for the thread, I've searched high and low for a way to expand a summons list, some kind of base criteria for picking, or even adding. I found very little to support any additions, but have found a couple of expanded lists in splat books as well as different ways of handling a summoner PC. All in all, very few clear cut rules exist outside of core from what I have found.

[bot]

Still no, as the Shadow Conjouration line duplicates arcane spells, and that use only works for a cleric of Moradin.

Yeah ok, I didn't connect the dots until now - no dwarf ancestor for me :)

+1 to the amazingly crazy, interesting and original magic items from encyclopedia magic. For several years after we charged to 3e I was still reading those for simple fun or inspiration.

Pity about the rules not really existing in a sense I was hoping for - but thanks for the help :)