D&D 4E Bag of Tricks seems to be a look into 4E summoning

[Daniel D. Fox]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4pr/20080807a



Bag of Tricks

These small leather bags come in a variety of colors, gray being the most common. You can use a bag of tricks to conjure an obedient beast. You must spend a healing surge to activate the bag’s power, and you gain no other benefit for spending the healing surge.
When you use a bag of tricks to conjure a creature, it appears in an unoccupied space within 5 squares of you; the space must be large enough to contain the creature without squeezing. The creature obeys only you, responding to commands spoken in any language. The creature remains until the end of the encounter or for 5 minutes. The conjured creature acts on the same initiative count as you. Every action it takes costs you a minor action (which you use to issue commands), and a conjured creature cannot exceed its normal allotment of actions (a standard, a move, and a minor action) during its turn. If you spend no minor actions on your turn to command the creature, it remains where it is without taking any actions on its turn.
A conjured creature is a minion (MM 282). It has no healing surges and cannot be healed, and it cannot gain temporary hit points. When reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, the conjured creature disappears. If an object is placed in the bag of tricks, the bag ceases to function until the object is removed. A bag of tricks used for simple storage holds up to 3 pounds.
LvlNamePrice (gp)8Bag of tricks, gray3,40018Bag of tricks, rust85,00028Bag of tricks, vermilion2,125,000
Bag of Tricks, Gray
Level 8

This simple, leather bag produces feral critters that you can send against your enemies.
Wondrous Item 3,400 gp
Power (Daily

Conjuration): Standard Action. Use this bag to conjure a Tiny minion (see below for statistics).
Roll a d8 to determine which beast is produced and modify its statistics accordingly:
1: Bat; this creature also has a fly speed of 6.
2: Rat; this creature also has darkvision.
3: Cat; this creature also knocks the target prone on a hit.
4: Weasel; this creature does not provoke opportunity attacks for moving.
5: Snake; this creature also deals 2 poison damage on a hit.
6: Badger; this creature gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
7: Spider; this creature also has a climb speed of 6.
8: Scorpion; this creature deals ongoing 1 poison damage (save ends) on a hit.


Conjured Critter (Gray Bag)
Level 8 Minion

Tiny natural beast

Initiative as conjurer Senses Perception +8; low-light vision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 18; Fortitude 17, Reflex 18, Will 16
Speed 6

Bite or Claw (standard; at-will)
+11 vs. AC; 4 damage.

Alignment Unaligned
Languages —

Str 6 (+2)
Dex 12 (+5)
Wis 9 (+3)

Con 11 (+4)
Int 2 (+0)
Cha 6 (+2)

 

[Lancelot]

I like it. Eight different creatures, with enough flavor to distinguish them... but only one basic monster entry. No more flipping through the MM, based on whether you pull a rhinoceros or a raccoon.

I also *really* like the concept of minions for summoned creatures. No more tracking hit points for each of those 8 zombies you just animated.

 

[jaelis]

The biggest thing IMO is that you have to spend an action to have your creature critter do something. So your number of actions is conserved... seems like a sensible way to go.

 

[inkmonkeys]

Crap, there's an error here. I've passed it to the necessary parties, but I thought I'd correct it in the quote.

Bag of Tricks, Gray
Level 8

This simple, leather bag produces feral critters that you can send against your enemies.
Wondrous Item 3,400 gp
Power (Daily

Conjuration): Standard Action. Use this bag to conjure a Tiny minion (see below for statistics).
Roll a d8 to determine which beast is produced and modify its statistics accordingly:
1: Bat; this creature also has a fly speed of 6.
2: Rat; this creature also has darkvision.
3: Cat; this creature also knocks the target prone on a hit.
4: Weasel; this creature does not provoke opportunity attacks for moving.
5: Snake; this creature also deals 2 poison damage on a hit.
6: Badger; this creature gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and is named Francis.
7: Spider; this creature also has a climb speed of 6.
8: Scorpion; this creature deals ongoing 1 poison damage (save ends) on a hit.

 

[abyssaldeath]

It took me 5 min to see what you did there.

 

[TK Lafours]

I don't see it as something I would use in combat much.

Me: Aha, I use my daily and create a kitty.
DM: Squish! The ogre is enraged that your kitty has stained her patent leather boots of stomping.

More likely it's going to be my bait on the end of a string to send into dark, trap-laden areas.

 

[Ipissimus]

Of course, who needs it to spend actions? Free flanking bonus for everyone! Including the Rogue...

 

[Rechan]

Considering that you must spend a minor action to give your critter an action, that means you could only be using 3 summoned entities in a round if you did nothing.

(Granted, 3 attacks ain't bad, but they're also minimum damage).

 

[FadedC]

Considering that you must spend a minor action to give your critter an action, that means you could only be using 3 summoned entities in a round if you did nothing.

(Granted, 3 attacks ain't bad, but they're also minimum damage).

Although it appears to require a minor action for each action the creature takes. So if you need your cats to move and attack that would require 2 minor actions each.

Of course the limit on daily item usage would be more restrictive here most likely.

 

[Stalker0]

Although it appears to require a minor action for each action the creature takes. So if you need your cats to move and attack that would require 2 minor actions each.

Of course the limit on daily item usage would be more restrictive here most likely.

That's what charging is for!

Go death kitty!