If summoning worked like it did in FLCL...

[Dr.Epic]

Just a random thought that popped into my head. What if summoning (any system/game really) worked like it did in FLCL? How entertaining* do you think that'd be?

*and by entertaining, I mean off the wall crazy?

[kaomera]

Just a random thought that popped into my head. What if summoning (any system/game really) worked like it did in FLCL? How entertaining* do you think that'd be?

How much like FLCL? Because what was happening in that animé I'm not sure I'd actually classify as ''summoning''...

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I was under the impression that Atomsk was actually behind all the stuff coming out of Naota's head and that he may well have been hiding in there at one point himself... In any case Naota really has no control over any of the craziness, does he?

I think you probably mean ''creatures pop out of the summoner's head'', and I think all of the additional craziness of FLCL is what makes that work. It would be less interesting if the stuff just popped out without an episode-long struggle, imo.

[Dr.Epic]

How much like FLCL? Because what was happening in that animé I'm not sure I'd actually classify as ''summoning''...

Spoiler

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I was under the impression that Atomsk was actually behind all the stuff coming out of Naota's head and that he may well have been hiding in there at one point himself... In any case Naota really has no control over any of the craziness, does he?

I think you probably mean ''creatures pop out of the summoner's head'', and I think all of the additional craziness of FLCL is what makes that work. It would be less interesting if the stuff just popped out without an episode-long struggle, imo.

Not just your head. It works for other people too. So you could like pull a creature out of an enemy's head and think of how that would make them react.

[supermonkeyjoe]

I once included an NPC wizard with a gigantic afro, when he summoned monsters they leapt out of his hair. It wasn't a very serious game.

[Poil]

It might make summoning spell take too long to be worthwhile though.

Also any game where something is even remotely like FLCL would demand san checks. For characters and players.

[Treblain]

Instead of spell resistance, you'd use giant prosthetic eyebrows.

[Starscream]

Do you need to hit the person with a guitar first?
Do you get a bonus if the guitar is Masterwork?
...Can I name my summoner El Kabong?

[Dr.Epic]

It might make summoning spell take too long to be worthwhile though.

Increase duration for the creatures.

Do you need to hit the person with a guitar first?
Do you get a bonus if the guitar is Masterwork?
...Can I name my summoner El Kabong?

Bards just got more useful. Weapon Focus now stacks with Perform.

[Vknight]

...Bard summoner with a guitar max ranks in preform and all sorts of focused abilities.
Yes yes yes!
Its so perfectly evil!

[Crossblade]

You'd have to start the summon spell LONG before battle. Do you remember how long it often took for the head bump to turn into a creature? And when it did, it tried to kill the summoner!

Being a slow casting class, who's summons try to kill you sounds like a bad thing.

[Eldan]

You'd have to start the summon spell LONG before battle. Do you remember how long it often took for the head bump to turn into a creature? And when it did, it tried to kill the summoner!

Being a slow casting class, who's summons try to kill you sounds like a bad thing.

He's just a prepared caster. Obviously, he just prepared the spell long, long before he cast it. (Seriously. Wizards store spells pre-cast in their heads after preparation. That's exactly what he did.)

[gkathellar]

So ... if summoning worked by forming a bridge into reality for a succession of monsters created by an evil intergalactic corporation, which are increasingly symbolic of the challenges of masculinity and adulthood, as you slowly warmed up to the idea of growing out of your childishness? And then you had to fight the monsters you summoned, by fusing with a robot that you also summoned? While being courted/manipulated/annoyed by an older woman who wants you for your weird brain, a teenage girl who wants you as a replacement for your older brother, and a girl your own age who wants you as a play-boyfriend to help her feel more mature while she works out her own issues? All of whom provoke these summonings as a result of your confused sexual feelings for them?

Because that's how summoning in FLCL works. The things Naota summons are all his enemies, with the exception of the Atomsk robot (which is basically just "adult Naota" in domestic and "masculine" forms indicated by color).

[banthesun]

Craaaaaaaaaazy idea here:

Start of the session, every player chooses a social issue to affect their character and gets a mysterious bump on their heads. They run around for half an hour trying to work out these issues with each other or catch something of a larger plot, and then when things reach crisis point, suddenly robots jump out of their heads and have a massive battle. After clean up, all the players have a good laugh, go home and try to think about what stupid things their character is going to be thinking next week.

Use something like M&M to build the robots, but let the other players apply changes to the robots during the summoning, let players wander round and talk separately, and have the GM play Haruko or an equivalent.

Would need a very special group of players, but would probably be awesome, or at least hilarious.

[gkathellar]

But what happens when you run out of phallic symbols for the horns to approximate?

[Dr.Epic]

Instead of spell resistance, you'd use giant prosthetic eyebrows.

Then this guy has like spell resistance 30.

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[Roderick_BR]

Do you need to hit the person with a guitar first?
Do you get a bonus if the guitar is Masterwork?
...Can I name my summoner El Kabong?

Only if your character is a werehorse or something. And speaks in a Mexican accent.

[OracleofWuffing]

But what happens when you run out of phallic symbols for the horns to approximate?

If you've ran out of phallic symbols, you are not trying hard enough. That's like running out of room for Jell-O, having too much dakka, or using too much fire. It can't be done.