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Kaelaroth
2007-07-18, 03:16 PM
Hi. This is my first thread, so please don't get annoyed if I get something wrong.

This is my problem: I am teaching a few of my friends DnD. One of them is a druid, who is very very very interested in the idea of summoning beings to do stuff for him. Every time he casts something, he calls up a different being, which I then have to make for him. He then discards it. To make matters worse, he chose the Augment Summoning feat, which piles on more work for me. I advised him to stick with something he likes, but he hasn't chosen anything yet, and I have to keep making new stuff for him. Any tips? :smalleek:

The Glyphstone
2007-07-18, 03:20 PM
It sounds like maybe you don't understand the method of summoning either. You don't create something new when you summon, the druid is allowed to select one of a list of creatures for a Summon spell of that level. The list for Summon Nature's Ally I (the low-level Druid summon spell) is here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonNaturesAllyI.htm
You just take the stats of the monster he picks off that list, and you've got the monster you need.

For Augment Summoning, its just a matter of adding the +4 Str and +4 Con to the monster's stats, and doing a bit of adjustment for the attacks and HP/saves. It might help to have a folder or list with the stats of each animal on the SNA I list, modified to include the Augment bonuses, so you can just whip that critter out when he makes his pick from the list on that spell.

triple-Simu FTW!

Reptilius
2007-07-18, 03:20 PM
All the things that a Druid can summon are in the MM, that doesn't seem like a lot of work. Augment Summoning is also just a little addition. But maybe I'm missing something from your explanation.

EDIT: Simu!

Mattarias, King.
2007-07-18, 03:20 PM
My question is: why are you making up stuff? :smallconfused:

The table in the PHB entry of summon nature's ally indicates exactly what a druid can and cannot summon. Just use the MM stats for those, ne?

edit: *removes ninja star from head* dah! ow. Simu'd..

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-07-18, 03:22 PM
The best solution is to teach him to augment his creatures and then print* out all the animals he would like to summon. :smallwink:



*: You can use the SRD for easy modifying and printing.




EDIT: Popcorn restrictions are now enforced!

Kaelaroth
2007-07-18, 03:22 PM
I think I may have left something out. It is Summon Nature's Ally II he uses most. And he found a randomly rolled 3-Use SNA4 scroll. If that really changes anything.

ZeroNumerous
2007-07-18, 03:29 PM
The SRD has all the different Summon Nature Ally [X] spells.

Attilargh
2007-07-18, 03:30 PM
I think I may have left something out. It is Summon Nature's Ally II he uses most. And he found a randomly rolled 3-Use SNA4 scroll. If that really changes anything.
No, it really doesn't. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonNaturesAllyII.htm)

ndragonsbane
2007-07-18, 03:34 PM
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsS.html#summon-natures-ally-i
This one does.

Kaelaroth
2007-07-18, 03:34 PM
Oh well....

I am sorry to have made the mistake.

And also, while I'm confused, may I ask something else?
When summoning the same kind of creature again, is it the same one. I know this is discussed in one of the cores, but is it certified?

The Glyphstone
2007-07-18, 03:38 PM
The standard is that you conjure up a random, generic creature of the type chosen - it appears as it is, and leaves when dispelled/killed/spell ends, leaving behind anything you tried to give it in the meantime.

There is an alternate optional version that has you summon specific creatures when you summon with a spell - that variant has you roll the stats for the creatures, and if they die, you can't summon that creature anymore until you do something to replace it...much more complicated, and probably a bad idea.

daggaz
2007-07-18, 03:38 PM
no, its not the same one, if by that you mean he summons a dog named spot, and the next time he summons a dog, its spot again.

So the creature always appears with full hps and no spells or previous injuries/additions to it.

Yakk
2007-07-18, 04:04 PM
Just re-crunch the rules.

Changed Summoning Rules: (not RAW)
There are multiple versions of summon spells such as Summon Nature's Ally II. Each summon spell contains the True Name of one particular creature, and summons that creature from the celestial realms.

In the case of Druids, it summons the embodied spirit of a particular natural creature.

This spirit can bleed and die on this plane, but this does not cause it to die forever. Recasting the spell summons the same spirit with a newly created body -- fully healed and ready to go.

...

Give the Druid a handful of pre-crunched Allies to summon -- as a Druid can cast Summon Nature's Ally spontaneously, she should have more than one of them. Druids in particular can seek out new allies through religious ritual, beseeching a Spirit to tell the Druid their true name. The most reliable way of doing this is contacting a physical creature of that type, and asking it's consent to beat it in a contest (Which can vary! Have fun), the reward being the true name of a spirit of that type.

Druids should be granted True Names of new creatures "free of charge" when they level up, so they can use their Summon Nature's Ally spells.

This doesn't line up perfectly with the D&D standard crunch, but is works pretty similar. It adds lots of tasty crunch and roleplaying potential to summoning spells as well!

Dervag
2007-07-18, 04:30 PM
And by 'crunch' he means 'statistics' or 'numbers'. This bit of slang can be very confusing to neophytes.

Just Alex
2007-07-18, 06:15 PM
I've always liked the idea that summon spells don't actually bring about a real creature, but the caster's mental image of that creature. Therefore, I don't summon Spot the dog, I coelesce the forces of magic into the idea of Spot the dog.

Matthew
2007-07-20, 12:14 PM
Yeah, I rather like that idea as well.