Custom nonepic summon spell research?

[RoboEmperor]

Golems, effigies, and other constructs in d&d are not viable in normal play for the following reasons.
1. Take super forever to craft and lots of adventures have no down time.
2. Super expensive.
3. Not expendable. If it dies, your character is essentially dead because you invested the majority of your wealth per level and a good chunk of your XP crafting it.

So the solution I thought of is creating a custom summon spell that lets me summon my specific construct, so that when it dies, I can resummon him 24 hours later, as per summoning rules.

So... how would I go about calculating spell level and whatnot? 1round/level is good enough duration.

Compared to normal summon spells, because you are summoning a specific creature, if it dies, you cannot summon it again for 24 hours. In addition there is 0 versatility in this summon spell so in exchange for these down sides, it should be noticeably stronger.

I'm thinking spell level = minimum level required for the wizard to create it.

If we use Effigies as an example, a 11hd effigy requires a wizard with a 11hd caster level to craft it so it should be a level 6 spell.

Is this fair?

[Uncle Pine]

Compare Astral Construct (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/astralConstruct.htm) to get a few ideas if you want, or directly play a Psion instead of a Wizard.

[Afgncaap5]

I think it's perfectly valid to research a new summoning spell for this purpose, though it *does* raise a few questions about how the cosmology of the world functions. Maybe not as glamorous a question as "Wait, just how many Solars are on the other side of the Gate anyway?", but possibly more structurally significant depending on how a GM's got things set up.

Case in point, is there any reason why another caster couldn't, if they learn the spell, also summon your construct?

On that note: if this is a world where you can summon your robot pal, has this already happened? You might be able to discover the lost alchemy behind a singular robot who's been built and rebuilt throughout history, merely being the reflection for a cosmic entity of artifice that can be magically brought into being by those trained in the sorcerous crafts.

Or maybe the spell'll just be the equivalent of a magic word you can shout to have a robot teleport in. Either way, fun effect!

Also, I couldn't help but be reminded of this guy: Blingtron! (http://www.wowhead.com/item=87214/blingtron-4000) It's always seemed weird to me that Engineers seem capable of independently crafting the exact same robot, one who's aware of just who's spoken to it even if it's a seemingly different instance of the robot. D&D style summoning seems to be a viable answer, though.

[Xar Zarath]

...snip...


Compare Astral Construct (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/astralConstruct.htm) to get a few ideas if you want, or directly play a Psion instead of a Wizard.

Also note that for the Wizard you can technically just fluff Astral Construct as a Wizard spell as per the rules...bolded below for emphasis...

Independent Research

A wizard also can research a spell independently, duplicating an existing spell or creating an entirely new one.

Note that this is also kind of a **** move especially if you abuse it profusely but all subject to DM's approval of course. Though technically note that this is also a case of RAW and RAI. I on one hand approve of this to copy any spell needed but up to the individual in question of course.

[Âmesang]

There's the call kolyarut, call marut, and call zelekhut spells, but they're calling effects instead of summoning and call very specific constructs.

My first thought was to look at the summon monster line of spells to compare Challenge Ratings to find an appropriate spell level… but if the spell summons only a specific construct then I could see at least a one-level decrease, perhaps by having the construct serve as a focus by casting the spell ahead of time—the spell would have a duration of "see text," allowing the spell itself to last until the original construct is destroyed or you choose another construct to target… but X amount of times per day you can summon it for 1 round per caster level. Well, that would actually require a fixed spell level, wouldn't it?

…okay, this isn't very well thought out but in my head I'm picturing some variation of 5th Edition's find steed spell.

[Flickerdart]

Note that summon monster creatures are typically half the CR of their caster. If you're fine with that power level, you can just make your true golem, and create simulacrum clones to use in battle. When they die, you lost a thousand XP, but it's not that much at high levels.

[RoboEmperor]

Note that summon monster creatures are typically half the CR of their caster. If you're fine with that power level, you can just make your true golem, and create simulacrum clones to use in battle. When they die, you lost a thousand XP, but it's not that much at high levels.

At that level I usually use Runic Guardians with Simulacrum embedded into them to give me one Simulacrum of a Greater Stone Golem a day. This is like level 14 though. I'm trying to make a golem/effigy master at level 6-8. A wizard can get craft construct by level 6.

[Morphic tide]

Well, if we are looking at a 4th level spell, you are basically **** out of luck. Summoning specific creatures, particularly ones with CR equal to your CL, is typically much higher up. Now, a 4th level spell that allows you to summon a Construct that you embedded an Arcane Mark into as part of the creation process is another story. As are developing Construct healing spells and other Construct-friendly spells. Buffs, creation, control, various stuff ripped off from Necromancy and so on. Like the one Necromancy spell that lets you bind a CR 3 or lower Outsider to an undead, which would turn into binding an Elemental into a Construct.

Personally, I'd make something like Create Construct I-IX, allowing you to create temporary Constructs within specific limits of HD, CR, GP cost to create and CL needed to make(of course, you need the body to work with first, but it's cheaper than actual Golem making). Then, as the free time opens up, I'd make various Repair spells to match the role of Cure spells, making Warforged parties significantly better off. Oh, and spells to make temporary magic item enhancements, of course. Works best in a persistent campaign world, as you can work things out with the DM(s) to have these spells become common throughout the setting, allowing you to carry over spells researched.

Then again, I'm of the opinion that Evocation should be able to make(not summon, but create) Elementals and be where Cure and Inflict Wounds are at. Because all of those involve making and shaping magical energy of rather raw types. Cure and Inflict Wounds spells are, supposedly, only slightly more than just making a bunch of positive/negative energy and tossing it into the target. Sounds like Evocation to me.

So, Transmutation minionmancy is something I actually like the idea of doing. As are Transmutation direct damage spells that aren't Disintegrate. Basically, I like the idea of every school of magic having large variety in what you can do with it.

[Darth Ultron]

There is a spell summon golem out there? Maybe an Ebberon spell?

[ShurikVch]

I seen somewhere spells to summon golems; unfortunately, for the life of me I can't find where (no, it wasn't that 9th-level Summon Golem spell); IIRR, Summon Flesh Golem was 6th-level spell, Clay Golem - 7th, Stone Golem - 8th, and Iron Golem - 9th

Also, article in Dragon #302 allowed to change list of creatures of Summon Monster spells - as long as replacement creature is extraplanar somehow (say, have some "planar" template)
Ask your DM about it
Guidelines about which monster for which spell allowed (Spell's level/CR):


Spell level
CR


1
½


2
1


3
1 - 2


4
3


5
3 - 5


6
6 - 7


7
7 - 9


8
9 - 10


9
11 - 13

[Diarmuid]

Not sure if this is viable for the game you're looking at, but the PF Summoner sounds like it would fit your fluff very nicely.

[Calthropstu]

I think it's perfectly valid to research a new summoning spell for this purpose, though it *does* raise a few questions about how the cosmology of the world functions. Maybe not as glamorous a question as "Wait, just how many Solars are on the other side of the Gate anyway?", but possibly more structurally significant depending on how a GM's got things set up.

Case in point, is there any reason why another caster couldn't, if they learn the spell, also summon your construct?

On that note: if this is a world where you can summon your robot pal, has this already happened? You might be able to discover the lost alchemy behind a singular robot who's been built and rebuilt throughout history, merely being the reflection for a cosmic entity of artifice that can be magically brought into being by those trained in the sorcerous crafts.

Or maybe the spell'll just be the equivalent of a magic word you can shout to have a robot teleport in. Either way, fun effect!


In theory, anything can be summoned so long as it is extraplanar. I recall a D&D book mentioning PCs could actually be summoned at some point. I forget where, but I know it's somewhere. As long as the golem is stored somewhere other than the material plane, a summon spell should be able to be created that will bring it forth.

But the problem is the golem still needs to be created, it doesn't scale with level and now, on top of the cost of crafting a golem, the guy has to research a new spell... incurring those costs as well.

[RoboEmperor]

In theory, anything can be summoned so long as it is extraplanar. I recall a D&D book mentioning PCs could actually be summoned at some point. I forget where, but I know it's somewhere. As long as the golem is stored somewhere other than the material plane, a summon spell should be able to be created that will bring it forth.

But the problem is the golem still needs to be created, it doesn't scale with level and now, on top of the cost of crafting a golem, the guy has to research a new spell... incurring those costs as well.

An expendable construct is superior to a 1-2hd higher construct that is not expendable, and the spell research costs is a joke compared to the actual golem.

Right now my "construct" strategy is planar binding Ravids for their 24/7 animate object effect and sticking em inside a gargantuan statue I created from Fabricate, but this starts at level 9, which means my construct master starts at level 9, and I want it sooner with effigies.