General Discussion

[jkason]

My search-fu is weak, so I wasn't able to find a ruling on this, but maybe someone else can:

Summon Minor Monster doesn't have a hard list like the other summon spells. Instead, there's a suggested list ("creatures such as..."), but the only requirements I can find are "1d3 tiny or smaller animals," to which you can apply the normal summoning mods (templates, augment, etc).

Summon Monster 1 has two tiny animals on its list: Viper and Poisonous Frog.

Does this mean I can use SMM to summon 1d3 of those creatures? If not, how do I determine which Tiny or smaller animals my sorcerer can summon with only a suggested list?

I suspect most people don't choose the tiny creature options for SM1, anyway, so I don't know that it breaks anything, but I figured I should check.

Thanks in advance.

jason

 

[Satin Knights]

The only qualifications are "tiny" and "animal". The animal in question does not have to be on one of the other summon lists. It just needs a stat block. So you have a big list to chose from.

Going through Bestiary I: bat, cat, hawk, lizard, monkey, owl, poisonous frog, raven, rat, toad, viper, weasel.
Bestiary II: surprisingly nothing qualifies
Bestiary III: I don't have that one yet. Time to buy another book.
Ultimate Magic Familiars: blue ringed octopus, fox, hedgehog, thrush, turtle

I personally want to add squirrel to the list, but it does not have an official stat block yet, so weasel would have to be used instead of squirrel. They would make great spys for a summoner who can speak with animals. Ie. gnomes.

And then we have rabbits. They still have been snubbed in the stat block realm. Just think what a fiendish augmented rabbit would look like.

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Sorry, I can't help this...

I have to post this. Stupid rabbits.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ_C6zpyzKk&feature=fvst]OZZY FUDD(WABBIT SLAYER) - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Now that that is out of my system, I need help with something. I went to go edit Audra's sheet to reflect her now being in the Distant Relations game and the wiki freaked out, now I don't have an Edit link for the adventure log so I can't go in and add it. Not only that, the page shows me the code that should be there under the source tab as the content of the window with a loooooooooooong scrollbar. Can anyone else go to Audra Frost's sheet and see if you see it the same way?

 

[Walking Dad]

I don't think you should be able to summon 1d3 creatures of a type (viper) a same level spell can only summon one...
I thought the spell was for summoning non-combat animals.

 

[Artur Hawkwing]

Thank ya muchly, SK!

 

[Satin Knights]

Audra is fixed. What happened is you hit the source button too early. While it says "Editor loading" it is loading a completely different html block for editor tools. After those are loaded and the javascript fires, then the results of the javascript become the source for the block. If you switch to source before the javascript has fired, you get a huge mess. The only way to deal with it is to hit the back button and leave the page. Then try again.

 

[Satin Knights]

I don't think you should be able to summon 1d3 creatures of a type (viper) a same level spell can only summon one...
I thought the spell was for summoning non-combat animals.

Yeah, that is kind of problematic. But if you try to limit the spell to non-combat animals, you are left with only the toad.

If you are summoning these critters for combat, they don't even qualify as speed bumps for anyone past first level. The spell is more useful if the animals are used as spys, distractions or bait.

 

[jkason]

I don't think you should be able to summon 1d3 creatures of a type (viper) a same level spell can only summon one...
I thought the spell was for summoning non-combat animals.

Yeah, that is kind of problematic. But if you try to limit the spell to non-combat animals, you are left with only the toad.

If you are summoning these critters for combat, they don't even qualify as speed bumps for anyone past first level. The spell is more useful if the animals are used as spys, distractions or bait.

At 1 r / level, I don't imagine they're particularly useful as spies.

I didn't assume they were non-combat animals, though, for the same reason. At 1 r / level, what are you doing with them outside of combat?

I suppose part of the question might be answered by asking how optimal viper or poison frog are from the SM1 list. If most people aren't likely to choose them when summoning, anyway, it might not matter all that much.

 

[Satin Knights]

A low level caster only gets to throw a few spells a day. He is going to reserve those for Grease, Color Spray and Mage Armor. So, this is more of a utility spell once you get over fifth level. And by that time, it is ineffective in combat.