D&D 5E (2014) Ancestral Guardian

[gyor]

Something just dawned on me about Ancestral Guardian and it's that for some races it could get really weird when summoning Ancestors.

Example a Narfellian Tiefling, the AG (Ancestral Guardian) summons the Spirits of his ancestors, only to discover his fiendish ancestors show up, demons, devils, succubi, yugoloths (in spirit form of course). It radically changes the feel of the class.

You could the same with Aasimar with Celestials, or multiclassing Sorceror, the Ancestor that shows up is the Dragon ancestor whose blood made you a Dragon Sorceror for example.

Even more more regular races it's interesting, does a Half Elf summon both human and elven amcestors? Imagine Dragonborn Ancestors, or Yuan Ti Ancestors coming when summoned.

 

[BookBarbarian]

It is possible.

What's worse in an ancestor they didn't even know was dead.

"Grandpa???"

"Yeah. The plague took me a week ago."

 

[transtemporal]

Yeah, could be pretty traumatising. Like what if your parents were swingers and an aboleth, a leprechaun and a treant turned up?

 

[Blue]

Yeah, could be pretty traumatising. Like what if your parents were swingers and an aboleth, a leprechaun and a treant turned up?

Lubrication, rainbows and a woody?

Sorry, I'll let myself out.

 

[Eltab]

Example a Narfellian Tiefling, the AG (Ancestral Guardian) summons the Spirits of his ancestors, only to discover his fiendish ancestors show up, demons, devils, succubi, yugoloths (in spirit form of course).

You get a Nentyarch from days of yore.

The spell tries to contact a Nentyarch but goes horribly wrong, sucking you into The Moaning Crown of Ndulu.
(Yes I've studied too much FR lore.)

ORCUS shows up (the Nentyarch's daddy!)

Remember that demon you banished to the 249th Layer of the Abyss for all eternity, in that fight the other day? He's ba-a-ack.

 

[gyor]

You get a Nentyarch from days of yore.

The spell tries to contact a Nentyarch but goes horribly wrong, sucking you into The Moaning Crown of Ndulu.
(Yes I've studied too much FR lore.)

ORCUS shows up (the Nentyarch's daddy!)

Remember that demon you banished to the 249th Layer of the Abyss for all eternity, in that fight the other day? He's ba-a-ack.

See this is why no one invited Narfellians to parties anymore, you never know of relatives will being showing up with them.

 

[Eltab]

Back to the main point:
You only get weird ancestors if it will help advance the story. If doing it will just make your plot threads into a tangled knot of yarn, don't bother.

(But it could be fun if blue-blood snob Lord BetterThanThou turns out to have a peasant for his great-to-the-Nth-grandfather.)

 

[jgsugden]

I'm just wondering about these evil ancestors that will spend the duration enjoying their breaks from the Hells.

 

[Jester David]

It is possible.

What's worse in an ancestor they didn't even know was dead.

"Grandpa???"

"Yeah. The plague took me a week ago."

"The milkman?? Why are you here? Sunnova...!"

 

[Coroc]

Something just dawned on me about Ancestral Guardian and it's that for some races it could get really weird when summoning Ancestors.

Example a Narfellian Tiefling, the AG (Ancestral Guardian) summons the Spirits of his ancestors, only to discover his fiendish ancestors show up, demons, devils, succubi, yugoloths (in spirit form of course). It radically changes the feel of the class.

You could the same with Aasimar with Celestials, or multiclassing Sorceror, the Ancestor that shows up is the Dragon ancestor whose blood made you a Dragon Sorceror for example.

Even more more regular races it's interesting, does a Half Elf summon both human and elven amcestors? Imagine Dragonborn Ancestors, or Yuan Ti Ancestors coming when summoned.

Ahm that would get a bit complicated. With demons devils and yugoloths being de facto immortal, the same with angels, it is questionable if one of these would show up at all since they are not dead.
But as a DM I would totally let this spell go corrupt in this case and let some real flesh and blood ancestor show up and depending on the circumstances he might be generous or in a very foul mood.

Imagine that lesser devil who rose up through the ranks through the milenia to now be a pit fiend genera,l and now gets summoned whilst being in the middle of some important errand of his own...