Templates for my summon natures ally

[Beholder Bob]

There is a new feat in a FR book, Greenbond, I think, that allows summon natures ally to apply the template, Greenbond, to the summoned creature. This is a great concept, but the template is immensely overpowered (grants 1/day wall of thorns, bonus stats, fast healing, and DR).

I’m looking for alternate templates to apply to a summon natures ally, something not so powerful. Any ideas?

BB

 

[Beholder Bob]

Oh - thought I'd mention an alternative I'd already thought of, the feat:

The Dreaming
Creatures summoned by summon natures ally gain the natural ability Blur, which acts as per the spell of the same name (a 20% miss chance when struck).

Well, what do you think? I'm hoping that the consensus is that this is a weaker alternative to greenbond. This would be not be cumulative with an ability that grants a summoned creature a template.

BB

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I have not seen the Greenbond feat/template, or whatever its proper name is..

This is an interesting thought however, kinda like metamagic for summoning.
Thematically the templates should be ones that tie the summoned being more closely with the natural world as opposed to a dream world.. IMO, more solid/real

Change the feat to allow applying one of a listing of templates...
Perhaps templates named for the base elements, in a semi-druidic fashion.

Earthy (Strength ): As long as the creature remains in contact with the gound, it gains +4 to STR and DR 1/- per Hit Die of summoned creature. The creature also applies a -4 penalty to AC. Can only be used on land-based creatures.
{Visual description on evidently higher mass than a normal creature of the same type, moves a bit slowly but is strong.}

Water (Life ): Gains Improved Initiative and +10 to move speed. Natural weapons can critical undead due to the infusion of positive energy. The duration of the summoning spell is halved.
{visual description of swift and smooth movements, almost dancelike in nature. The creaure virtually glows with life.}

Fire (Rebirth ): Gains Fast Healing 1 and a +1D6 sneak attack per each 2 HD. The summoner takes lethal damage equal to 1 point per HD of the summoned being. {Must make a Concentration check to cast due to taking damage}
{Visual description on chaotic, almost beserker tactics and sudden deadly strikes}

Air (???? ): Gains immunity to criticals, Flight rating becomes Perfect, gains a +2 to hit while in flight.
{visual description on agility and difficulty to follow the quick, lightning like movements of the creature}


Anyway, these are just random thoughts and probably need alot of cleaning up before being allowed in public areas like the forum

 

[Beholder Bob]

This is an interesting thought however, kinda like metamagic for summoning.
Thematically the templates should be ones that tie the summoned being more closely with the natural world as opposed to a dream world.. IMO, more solid/real

Ah, The Dreaming refers to a tie to the fey/unseelie world. This is a feyish critter who jumps/flickers between the here and the dream.

Perhaps it should be renamed Ephemeral summons and allow it to wiz/sorc/bards

BB

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Ah! That makes sense..
I have been running an Eberron campaign, in which the Dreaming is another plane

Personally I would rather see this template idea stay with the Druid/Ranger as the other casters can already snag templated {celestial, etc..} critters. It provides a bit more variety and usefullness in an ability that most agree becomes relatively pointless around level 7.

 

[Beholder Bob]

...It provides a bit more variety and usefullness in an ability that most agree becomes relatively pointless around level 7.

Perhaps I missed something, but it seems to me an overwhelmingly powerful boost! It doesn't increase level nor casting time, improves stats, natural armor, grants DR, fast healing, and spell abilities - far outshining anything gained by fiendish/celestial for the wizard. Did I overestimate the template?

BB

 

[farscapesg1]

I haven't seen the feat, what book is it in??

Going from your description of the template I think it sounds overpowered for a single feat, but I would want to take a look at it before making a final decision.

However, this does give me some ideas for my Conjurer. Now if I can just find a couple templates that I could add to my summoned creatures and get the DM to give me access to them for a feat

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I have not seen the Feat myself, I was refering to the concept of applying templates, such as what is dicussed above, to the SNA ally spell.
I would make sence that any power boost should be offset by some sort of penatly.

Options that come to mind are:
Higher spell level.
Excemption from the spontaneous casting of 'normal' SNA's
Longer casting time
Shorter duration
Caster sacrifice of hp's, XP, or temp level loss.


What I would like to come up with in this thread is a HR version of the feat, and a variety of interesting and balanced templates for my players to utilize... well, okay. My NPC enemy Druid's will use them too

 

[Nifft]

IMHO the baseline should be "Augmented Summoning", so for the price of two feats you should get a benefit roughly in line with +4 Str / +4 Con.

Some examples might be:

Fae-Touched (any Animal)
-2 Con, blur, +4 to Will saves & skill checks, and...
HD 1-6: DR 5/cold iron
HD 7-11: DR 10/cold iron
HD 12+: DR 10/cold iron and magic


Shadow-Spawn (any Animal)
Evasion, Slippery Mind, +8 to Hide & Move Silently


Frost-Fused (any Animal)
Gain [cold] subtype, attacks count as magic, and damage bonus to attacks:
HD 1-6: +1d6 cold damage
HD 7-11: +1d10 cold damage
HD 12+: +2d6 cold damage


Just from the top of my head. -- N

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I like the Frost-Fuzed... perhaps one of these for each element type.

Instead of two feats perhaps one feat, +1 spell level, and cannot be cast spontaneously?

I am not familiar with Augemented summoning.... two feats? what prereq?