For the numbers, if you don't want to use the standard SNA rule, let's go with the second choice or something similar. But 2d4+2 critters 3 ranks down seems like too few/not accessible enough, while the standard 1d4+1 one rank down (if nested) seems too many. What about 2d4+2 every 2 levels?
Pardon? The standard is 1d4+1 two ranks down, it's 1d3 one rank down.
I did wonder about whether 2d4+2 was too few and considered making it 2d6+2 (i.e. two sets of 1d6+1 creatures three ranks lower) but was worried it was
slightly too good.
When you say 2d4+2 every 2 levels do you mean nested? Like so:
Nested 2d4 +2 per 2 Levels
max 0 - one
summon IX = 1d3
summon VIII = 1d4+1
summon VII
split 1 - 2d4+2
summon VII
split 2 - 4d4+4
summon V
split 3 - 8d4+8
summon III
split 4 - 16d4+16
summons I
That's 56
summon I creatures on average of up to 16 types, which seems quite a few too keep track of.
Contrariwise, if you meant linearly:
Linear 2d4+2 per 2 Levels
max 0 - one
summon IX = 1d3
summon VIII = 1d4+1
summon VII
split 1 - 2d4+2
summon VII
split 2 - 4d4+4
summon V
split 3 - 6d4+6
summon III
split 4 - 8d4+4
summons I
The lowest level ones seem too few in number to be of much value to an 18th+ HD caprine to spend the effort on summoning them compared to the fewer but significantly more powerful higher ranks.
Regarding the accessibility issue, the only way to increase I could think of is having the splitting "kick in" a level higher, but if we did that the split summons would end up oddly ranked.
Alternative #1:
summon one creature of a rank equal to the caprine's summoning rank.
1d3 creatures of a rank one lower than the summoning rank.
1d4+1 creatures of a rank two lower than the summoning rank.
OR
two separate summons of a rank two lower than the summoning rank (so 2 creatures 2 ranks lower, 2d3 creatures three ranks lower, or 2d4+2 creatures four ranks lower).
That's weaker than my previous proposal, so seems untenable.
Alternative #2:
summon one creature of a rank equal to the caprine's summoning rank.
1d3 creatures of a rank one lower than the summoning rank.
1d4+1 creatures of a rank two lower than the summoning rank.
OR
two separate summons of a rank one lower than the summoning rank (so 2 creatures one ranks lower, 2d3 creatures two ranks lower, 2d4+2 creatures three ranks lower).
That
might work, but it's basically the same as the original proposal for the 2d4+2 splitting with an overlap option added to higher summoning ranks. One problem is that while the standard 1d3 gives the same average number of creatures summoned as two summons a rank lower it's more reliable and versatile, while 2d3 creatures a rank two lower is somewhat better than the standard summons 1d4+1 of that rank. On average half a creature better!
If it stacks it would also exponentially increase the numbers way to quickly, which apart from the balance issues is fiddly to keep track of it the caprine can summon difference creatures with each half or a summons.
Alternative #2 (1-step split)
max 0 - one
summon IX = 1d3
summon VIII = 1d4+1
summon VII
split 1 - two
summons VIII = 2d3
summon VII = 2d4+2
summon VI
split 2 - four
summons VII = 4d3
summon VI = 4d4+4
summon V
split 3 - eight
summons VI = 8d3
summon V = 8d4+8
summon IV
split 4 - 16
summons V = 16d3
summon IV = 16d4+6
summon III
split 5 - 32
summons IV = 32d3
summon III = 32d4+32
summon II
split 6 - 64
summons III = 64d3
summon II = 64d4+64
summon I
split 7 - 128
summons II = 128d3
summon I
split 8 - 256 six
summons I (!)
While the earlier proposals:
Alternative #2 (2-step split)
max 0 - one
summon IX = 1d3 summon VIII = 1d4+1 summon VII
split 1 - two
summons VII = 2d3 summon VI = 2d4+2 summon V
split 2 - four
summons V = 4d3 summon IV = 4d4+4 summon III
split 3 - eight
summons III = 8d3
summon II = 8d4+8
summon I
split 4 - sixteen
summons I
Original proposal (3-step split)
max 0 - one
summon IX =
1d3 summon VIII =
1d4+1 summon VII
split 1 - 2d4+2
summon VI
split 2 - 4d4+4
summon III
That's not including "mixed splits", the original proposal only allowed those for
summon VII and higher, with the maximum being a
summon IX split into 4d4+4
summon III creatures plus 1d4+1
summon VI creatures.
Upon reflection, it would be nice to have a mixed split with a set of 1 or 1d3 on one side of the split if we could figure out a neat way of doing it.
I do think that restricting it to 3-step splits is the way to go, assuming we decide to use splitting at all of course!
Hmm… maybe have the split summons be two sets of 1d4+1 creatures three ranks lower (which may be different creatures) OR a set with a single creature one rank lower plus a set with 1d3 creatures two ranks lower AND each set in a split may be split again in the same way.
