Monsters that can be Summoned

[Pooky the Imp]

What sorts of monsters can be summoned?

I'm not necessarily thinking of player spells but more creatures that the lore says can be summoned with the appropriate rituals or such.

e.g. Demons and Devils are classic examples.

Ideally, I'm looking for monsters that might be morally dubious to summon but perhaps not as outright diabolical as literal demons/devils.

[stoutstien]

What sorts of monsters can be summoned?

I'm not necessarily thinking of player spells but more creatures that the lore says can be summoned with the appropriate rituals or such.

e.g. Demons and Devils are classic examples.

Ideally, I'm looking for monsters that might be morally dubious to summon but perhaps not as outright diabolical as literal demons/devils.

Most fey and fey based monstrosities like banderhobbs have strong lore. Also elementals, celestials, and stuff fr the negative plane.....is there anything that can't be summoned....

*Forgot the assorted oozes*

There's also the transformation rituals like the yuan-ti or mind flayers.

[MrStabby]

Hmm. Well there is Lore and there is The Lore.

So lore being things like fairy tales and myths, The Lore being explicitly what works in a given setting.


So things like fey are are obviously summonable - conjure woodland beings, conjure animals, spirit guardians etc. Same for fiends and celestials. Elemental conjuration is also strongly represented. Undead yes - not just through spells but through things like ancestral guardian barbarian.

Beasts - yes. Vampires for example can summon beasts I think. Plants are harder - things like plant growth grow existing plants rather than summoning them. Humanoids - well other than a sending spell I don't think there is anything special here. Aberations.. yup with spells from Tasha's.

The one thing to add is Gate, which can summon anything from another plane.

[Pooky the Imp]

Most fey and fey based monstrosities like banderhobbs have strong lore. Also elementals, celestials, and stuff fr the negative plane.....is there anything that can't be summoned....

*Forgot the assorted oozes*

Fey is a good point, I hadn't considered those.

Are oozes actually summoned? I thought they were created in magical experiments or something like that.



Hmm. Well there is Lore and there is The Lore.

So lore being things like fairy tales and myths, The Lore being explicitly what works in a given setting.

Hmm, fair point I guess. I was thinking specifically of D&D lore. I specified lore simply because there's a lot of stuff - like making golems - which the lore indicates can (and indeed must) occur, yet which isn't possible with any player spells.

If it helps, I guess I'd aim for Forgotten Realms lore.




So things like fey are are obviously summonable - conjure woodland beings, conjure animals, spirit guardians etc. Same for fiends and celestials. Elemental conjuration is also strongly represented. Undead yes - not just through spells but through things like ancestral guardian barbarian.

Beasts - yes. Vampires for example can summon beasts I think. Plants are harder - things like plant growth grow existing plants rather than summoning them. Humanoids - well other than a sending spell I don't think there is anything special here. Aberations.. yup with spells from Tasha's.

The one thing to add is Gate, which can summon anything from another plane.


I think perhaps I need to narrow things down slightly.

What I'm really looking for is monsters that can be summoned for an extended period (ideally weeks at the minimum - not just an hour or so), and which the summoner can reasonably control or bargain with.

Would that be possible with either Fey or Aberrations? If so, are there there any specific monsters that might fit the bill? (ideally of moderate CR), or is pretty much anything fair game? e.g. is it as easy to summon a Beholder as a Slaad?

[Quietus]

As a player? Or as an NPC?

[Pooky the Imp]

As a player? Or as an NPC?

This is for a group of NPCs.

[Anonymouswizard]

Technically any outsider can be summoned. However elementals, genies, fey, and aberrations are probably the ones that would be considered the most 'fair', and not even all aberrations. Yes you can summon a mpdron or slaadi, but it's probably not expected.

[Pooky the Imp]

Technically any outsider can be summoned. However elementals, genies, fey, and aberrations are probably the ones that would be considered the most 'fair', and not even all aberrations. Yes you can summon a mpdron or slaadi, but it's probably not expected.

Which aberrations would be expected?

[Anonymouswizard]

Which aberrations would be expected?

Anything coming directly from the Far Realm, not a Prime Bound aberration. Which means it'll likely be unique, at least until it works out reproduction. You know, the Plane of Cthulhu.

3.5 had a prestige class based on summoning far realms beings (the Alienist), they generally took the form of gibbering betentacled Prime creatures. I don't think 5e has a Summon Aberration spell yet, but it would be fairly ob-theme for GOO Warlocks and AM Sorcerer.

[Pooky the Imp]

Anything coming directly from the Far Realm, not a Prime Bound aberration. Which means it'll likely be unique, at least until it works out reproduction. You know, the Plane of Cthulhu.

3.5 had a prestige class based on summoning far realms beings (the Alienist), they generally took the form of gibbering betentacled Prime creatures. I don't think 5e has a Summon Aberration spell yet, but it would be fairly ob-theme for GOO Warlocks and AM Sorcerer.

Oh, so there aren't any statted aberrations in 5e that make sense for summoning? :smallconfused:

[Anonymouswizard]

Oh, so there aren't any statted aberrations in 5e that make sense for summoning? :smallconfused:

It depends on your setting, but going by official FR-focused lore I don't think so. I can't say for certain because I lack MToF and MotM.

That said I'm sure you can find third party bestiaries to pull summonable aberrations from, particularly Cthulhu related ones. I'm personally more than willing to homebrew up a horror as long as I don't have to do it on short notice.

[gloryblaze]

It depends on your setting, but going by official FR-focused lore I don't think so. I can't say for certain because I lack MToF and MotM.

That said I'm sure you can find third party bestiaries to pull summonable aberrations from, particularly Cthulhu related ones. I'm personally more than willing to homebrew up a horror as long as I don't have to do it on short notice.

Star spawn would work, and there are a variety of them ranging from CR 1/4 (star spawn grues, found in MToF or MP:MotM) to CR 21* (greater star spawn emissaries, found in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft).

Lorewise, star spawn were originally the minions of the aberrant stars from 4e. Probably the most recognized of those would be Hadar, since its name appears in several 5e spells and class features. Current 5e lore has revised them to be the minions of any "Elder Evil", which is (in 5e) a pretty broad and vague category that basically includes anything that has been called that in the past (including the stars like HAdar, but also things such as Father Llymic, Atropus, and the other creatures called Elder Evils in the book of the same name from 3e, and even creatures like Dendar the Night Serpent, the Queen of Chaos, and Tharizdun, who have also been called a primordial, demon, and god, respectively).

MP:MotM has this to say about star spawn:


The creatures known as star spawn are the heralds, servants, and soldiers of the Elder Evils, capable of taking on forms that can journey to the Material Plane. They arrive most often in the wake of a comet—or perhaps this phenomenon merely signals that star spawn are in the vicinity and available for communication. When the signs are right, cultists gather together, read aloud their blasphemous texts, and conduct the mind-searing rituals that guide star spawn into the world.

If I was going to use them, I'd scrap the Elder Evil thing and restrict them to just being minions of Hadar and its pals again, since, you know, they're called star spawn so it makes sense for them to serve aberrant stars. Those other guys already have minions, anyways! Atropus has atropals, Tharizdun has the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye, etc.




*Really, these are stronger than CR 21 since based on the lore and statblocks, the players would never fight just a greater emissary. What should actually happen is that the players fight a lesser star spawn emissary (CR 19), which has the Aberrant Rejuvenation feature:


When the emissary drops to 0 hit points, its body melts away. A greater star spawn emissary instantly appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of where the lesser emissary disappeared. The greater emissary uses the lesser emissary’s initiative count.

[Pooky the Imp]

Star spawn would work, and there are a variety of them ranging from CR 1/4 (star spawn grues, found in MToF or MP:MotM) to CR 21* (greater star spawn emissaries, found in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft).

Lorewise, star spawn were originally the minions of the aberrant stars from 4e. Probably the most recognized of those would be Hadar, since its name appears in several 5e spells and class features. Current 5e lore has revised them to be the minions of any "Elder Evil", which is (in 5e) a pretty broad and vague category that basically includes anything that has been called that in the past (including the stars like HAdar, but also things such as Father Llymic, Atropus, and the other creatures called Elder Evils in the book of the same name from 3e, and even creatures like Dendar the Night Serpent, the Queen of Chaos, and Tharizdun, who have also been called a primordial, demon, and god, respectively).

MP:MotM has this to say about star spawn:


If I was going to use them, I'd scrap the Elder Evil thing and restrict them to just being minions of Hadar and its pals again, since, you know, they're called star spawn so it makes sense for them to serve aberrant stars. Those other guys already have minions, anyways! Atropus has atropals, Tharizdun has the Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye, etc.


*Really, these are stronger than CR 21 since based on the lore and statblocks, the players would never fight just a greater emissary. What should actually happen is that the players fight a lesser star spawn emissary (CR 19), which has the Aberrant Rejuvenation feature:

Ah, thank you. Star Spawn are a great idea.

[Quietus]

This is for a group of NPCs.

Then why worry about rules? "These guys did crazy things that made them crazy so they can summon crazy things. Here's the monsters I feel would be cool/fun to encounter. If you learn how to do this yourself your PC goes crazy and is now an NPC"

[Segev]

A number of Aberrations qualify. Slaadi in particular are things that were Outsiders in prior editions. Certain constructs, such as Modrons and Inevitables, also would qualify.

[Anonymouswizard]

Then why worry about rules? "These guys did crazy things that made them crazy so they can summon crazy things. Here's the monsters I feel would be cool/fun to encounter. If you learn how to do this yourself your PC goes crazy and is now an NPC"

Keeping consistent lore can help with a sense of worldbuilding. It can also hinder it, but it generally helps. Of course the GM writes the lore, but it still helps to base it on established lore. Plus the more you stretch the established facts the less fair it seems.

Yes there is nothing stopping you from summoning a dragon turtle, but it's not something people expect. If the players discover a summoning is about to take place they'll stock up on anti-demon, fey, undead, and possibly aberration stuff. Getting such a thing to seem fair requires foreshadowing.

I also have no idea why summoning an ooze makes you a crazy NPC when summoning a starspawn demon doesn't. At least when Shadowrun banned stuff it involved stuff like human sacrifice and being taken over by a spirit (Unknown Armies* doesn't even bother strictly banning the first, it just points out it comes with a lot of work to hide your charging).

* I've never had a UA player ask to summon a demon, but I'd totally allow it. Because 1) it's seriously dangerous and 2) most UA PCs end up pretty crazy in character creation.