Spells to collect minions

[Nettlekid]

What spells (or other effects, perhaps items or something) can be used to collect little minions of some sort? Probably of far lower power level than your character at the time you're using this spell to get them. Some examples that I've found already are Valiant Steed and Cry of Ysgard from BoED, which can call either a Pegasus or Unicorn and up to four Bariaur Ranger 6s, respectively. I'd also count all versions of Halaster's Fetch, which work as Summon Monster of three levels lower, except that at the end of the duration the creature stays as a free-willed creature (which you could then perhaps coerce to stay, maybe Command via Rebuke if you have the capacity, etc.)

For the purposes of this, I'd like to exclude spells like Dominate Monster which could feasibly make any creature your minion, and I'd like to eliminate any Undead from the running since it's far too easy to get a huge supply of Undead chained to one another's command. Also, though I guess you can throw them out there, I'm not looking for feats or class features (basically anything that requires significant investment) for this purpose, so Animal Companions/Leadership is out. Generally, anything you could like, grab a scroll of, cast, and be set with your little minion indefinitely.

[Vaz]

Wu Jen 10/Incantatrix 3/Archmage 1

Get Body Outside Body as an SLA at CL 14, persist and extend for 48 hours. Each clone can also use it as an SLA.

Without more SLA's the clones aren't as helpful, but Wu Jen 5/Incantatrix 10/Archmage 5 is one of the most powerful builds available because of this.

[Segev]

Create Crawling Claw, from the 3.0 Monsters of Faerun softcover, is a 3rd level spell that makes a bunch of the little things. They're constructs, rather than Undead. (This annoys me, personally, but falls into your criteria, possibly.)


There's obviously Lesser Planar Binding.


Mind Seed creates mental duplicates of yourself with lower level by effectively killing the host.


Summon Draconic Ally gives rules for bargaining with the dragon for its service, but the actual mechanical effect of the spell proper brings the dragon to you, so you can use any means you like to gain control of it.


Hypnotism fascinates 2d4 HD of humanoids and gives them a 2-step-to-positive shift in attitude towards you; make a single request or topical discussion with the victims, and they retain that level of attitude towards that request or topic even after the spell expires. Can get Friendly people to Fanatic for that request, at the least. Is more in line with the Charm/Dominate stuff you said you weren't interested in, though.


There's obviously the Summon Monster line of spells. Short duration, though.


Animate Objects can be Permanencied.


Handle Animal can theoretically tame as many animals as you have time for.

[unseenmage]

In the old 3.0 Savage Species there's a version of Animate Objects that creates Intelligent sentient Animated Objects and it's already permanent.

It's called Minor Servitor.


Also, the Crawling Claw mentioned earlier animates severed hands, but it makes them Constructs, not Undead.

The Psionic Astral Construct power line is a lot like the Summon Monster spells only shapable; heck by RAW they don't even have to be creatures. They could be battle armor or a bridge or whatever.

[Vizzerdrix]

Create Crawling Claw, from the 3.0 Monsters of Faerun softcover, is a 3rd level spell that makes a bunch of the little things. They're constructs, rather than Undead. (This annoys me, personally, but falls into your criteria, possibly.)

The same book has Create drakenbeast as well. Keep them out of direct sunlight and they are okay minions.

[Mithril Leaf]

Call Faithful Servants from BoED is a pretty solid minion summoner. 1d4 low level celestials per casting, no more than 2 HD per caster level total, serve for one year. Generally a decent choice.

[Nettlekid]

Call Faithful Servants from BoED is a pretty solid minion summoner. 1d4 low level celestials per casting, no more than 2 HD per caster level total, serve for one year. Generally a decent choice.

Ah, bingo, this is the sort of thing I'm looking for. I guess lots of little things that have a limit on how many you can make using this method, as opposed to "If you have enough time then you can make billions" like the Crawling Claw. I'm surprised I missed this one, probably because of the Celestial component. If you Polymorph into a Celestial, do you meet that component cost?