Summoning Monsters

[Nail]

Er... so?

You don't control the movement of the swarm, so having them anchored in place is an advantage, if it keeps them in the same square as your opponent.

And the -2 on attack rolls has zero relevance to swarms, who don't make attack rolls...

-Hyp.

Ah..........sorry, just a bit of common sense creeping in. I would assume if all of the creatures in the swarm were held fast, they would effectively lose their abilities. (That is: sure a swarm of flies buzzing around me might make me nauseous, but not if they were all caught in a web!) I see the swarm sub-type RAW, etc. doesn't back me up. Oh well.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the facility of summoned monsters as trap-springers. Summon one and send it down the corridor and see what happens to it, or when you can get creatures with hands get them to open boxes or chests for you.

 

[farscapesg1]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the facility of summoned monsters as trap-springers. Summon one and send it down the corridor and see what happens to it, or when you can get creatures with hands get them to open boxes or chests for you.

By the rules, yes. I don't usally mention it because I see it as an abusive use of the spells. Maybe it is because I usally play my summoning spells up more as pets, especially since I take the time to make and print out individual statistic cards.

 

[Jack Simth]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the facility of summoned monsters as trap-springers. Summon one and send it down the corridor and see what happens to it, or when you can get creatures with hands get them to open boxes or chests for you.

Yes... but a lowly Unseen Servant can open chests and boxes, check for traps that see invisible things, and spring traps that don't require more than 20 lbs of force for their triggering mechanism, is a first level spell, and lasts for hours instead of rounds. Give him something to drag, and it can spring heavier plates or traps that can't see invisible, too.

That.... and dealing with traps is the Rogue's job.

 

[Pickaxe]

PS: With my Conjurer/Alienist Lucifus, I also dropped illusion and necromancy... funny that

Illusion is actually a good one to keep for summoners, because summoning doesn't break invisibility.

--Axe

 

[farscapesg1]

Illusion is actually a good one to keep for summoners, because summoning doesn't break invisibility.

--Axe

Yep, that's why my conjurer dropped Enchantment and Necromancy. Illusion spells are just too good to pass up. Besides, it's just wrong to play with the dead (Necromancy) or mess with people's minds (Enchantment and Psionics)

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I've found the usefullness of SM spells is directly related to how easy in your campaign it is to get 1 round spells off. In many games I played casting a spell that is 1 round long just puts a glowing target over your head, inviting death and almost asuredly loss of the spell. In these games the spells are almost worthless. In games where you can get your 1 round spells off with relative easy they are mediocre no better or worse than most spells of there level. There generally a tad bit weaker for there intended purpose at cast time but there versatility makes up for it.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Getting one round spells off is, IME, generally a matter of timing and positioning. As a player, any bad guy I see casting a one-round spell usually has a big target over his head and loses the spell. As a DM, I've noticed the same behavior from players. But, a bad guy or good guy who uses terrain to take cover or begins casting before the enemy is in position to disrupt him can often manage to pull it off despite the glowing target. Summon monster is a very viable target, but it's a bit harder to pull off than tossing fireballs and won't work in every situation.

One good way to buy time to get the summon spells off is to use battlefield control spells like fog cloud, stinking cloud, evard's black tentacles, wall of ice, solid fog, cloudkill, freezing fog, wall of force, or acid fog first and then use the summon spell while your enemies are manuevering around the obstacles you create. If you use the spells to summon creatures who can take advantage of your created terrain--for instance poison immune outsiders in the cloudkill--you can make it work even more toward your advantage.

I've found the usefullness of SM spells is directly related to how easy in your campaign it is to get 1 round spells off. In many games I played casting a spell that is 1 round long just puts a glowing target over your head, inviting death and almost asuredly loss of the spell. In these games the spells are almost worthless. In games where you can get your 1 round spells off with relative easy they are mediocre no better or worse than most spells of there level. There generally a tad bit weaker for there intended purpose at cast time but there versatility makes up for it.

 

[Shin Okada]

My former PC (12th-level Cleric) had tons of Summon Monster I Scrolls (with CL of 10 or so). Before walking onto suspicious corridor or room, he summon a celestial dog and let it run. A very effective trap detecter.