New Spell: Cloud of Summoning: Need level!

[Forrester]

The conjurer in my campaign (who cannot learn Dispel Magic -- he's got a special class limiting himself to the schools of Conjuration and Divination) is looking into researching a spell that would allow the monsters he summons to ignore Protection from Evil effects -- specifically, the effect keeping his creatures from attacking.

Assuming I don't just rule that bcs *all* of the creatures he summons are neutral, they can't be blocked by that spell (the Sage advice to the contrary notwithstanding). Hell, they're not just neutral, they're all animals or beasts (with an elemental template) or elementals.

He suggested a Cloud of Summoning: summoned creatures in this cloud could attack through a Prot. from Evil. Figure a 30' spread, and no other effects for the cloud.

1st level? 2nd level? I mean, a targetted Dispel is just so, so much better, and that's only 3rd level. This doesn't even dispel the Protection from Evil -- it just nukes the protection from summoned creatures effect.

And they can always leave the cloud if they really want .

Also thinking about clouds that might increase the powers of the creatures summoned therein . . . might be interesting.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Hmm, interesting idea. But Protection from Evil / Good / Law / Chaos offers NO protection against neutral creatures, summoned or not. The following version of the spell is from the SRD, the PHB version is quite similar, IIRC.

Protection from Evil

Abjuration [Good]
Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Good 1, Pal 1,
Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No (see text)

This spell wards a creature from attacks by evil creatures, from mental control, and from summoned or conjured creatures. It creates a magical barrier around the subject at a distance of 1 foot. The barrier moves with the subject and has three major effects:

First, the subject gets a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made by evil creatures.

Second, the barrier blocks any attempt to possess the warded creature (as by a magic jar attack) or to exercise mental control over the creature (as by a vampire’s supernatural domination ability, which works similar to dominate person). The protection does not prevent a vampire’s domination itself, but it prevents the vampire from mentally commanding the protected creature. If the protection from evil effect ends before the domination effect does, the vampire would then be able to mentally command the controlled creature. Likewise, the barrier keeps out a possessing life force but does not expel one if it is in place before the spell is cast. This second effect works regardless of alignment.

Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by summoned or conjured creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Good elementals and outsiders are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned or conjured creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.

Protection from Good

Abjuration [Evil]
Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Evil 1, Sor/Wiz 1

As protection from evil, except that the deflection and resistance bonuses apply to attacks from good creatures, and good summoned or conjured creatures cannot touch the subject.

Protection from Law

Abjuration [Chaotic]
Level: Brd 1, Chaos 1, Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1

As protection from evil, except that the deflection and resistance bonuses apply to attacks from lawful creatures, and lawful summoned or conjured creatures cannot touch the subject.

Quite clear. If your opponents rely on Protection from Good , simply summon any neutral (or evil) creatures...

 

[Geoff Watson]

Dark Dragon, did you read the fourth paragraph? Neutral Summoned creatures ARE affected by Protection from Evil.

Geoff.

 

[Dark Dragon]

You're right about neutral creatures and the protection spell IF a caster uses Protection from Evil. If he uses one of the other versions of the spell (vs. good or lawful creatures), it won't work against neutral creatures. See the paragraphs for the "Good" or "Law"-version.

 

[Forrester]

*sigh*

Let's assume that they are using Protection from Evil, okay? Given the party is a band of humanoids (consisting, at this time, of an orc, a goblin, a kobold, a Dark Creeper, and a xvart), it's not exactly a stretch.

Perhaps this shows me how silly it is that the spell protects against neutral creatures. Assuming I don't change that, though, I think that the above spell being 1st level works. Haven't heard any protests -- and hell, if the party were good-aligned, they wouldn't have any problems with protections keeping out their neutral creatures at all (as their enemies would be using Prot. from Good).

 

[the Jester]

The main problem I see with this idea is that it doesn't sound like a conjuration or divination spell, it sounds like abjuration or transmutation.

What happened to two schools only?

 

[Forrester]

Well, it's a cloud, see, and if the spell creates a cloud, it must be a Conjuration spell, right?



Lame, I know. But I can't imagine sticking a specialist Conjurer with the drawback that he has absolutely no way to make his creatures attack someone protected by a 1st level spell. Any other mage could just rely on Dispel Magic, but he can't.

Hence the Cloud of I Hate Protection From Evil.

Again . . . lame, I know .

 

[Geoff Watson]

Very lame.

If he took a limitation that he can't cast Dispel Magic or similar spells, let him suffer.

If you let him get around those limitations just by saying 'It's a cloud', then there is no point in the limitations (Fireball > It's a cloud that burns things; Bulls Strength > It's a cloud that makes you stronger, etc).

Many summonable creatures have Spell Resistance and can attempt to break through the Protection from Evil. Why doesn't he summon them?

Geoff.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Many summonable creatures have Spell Resistance and can attempt to break through the Protection from Evil. Why doesn't he summon them?

Geoff.

To build on this idea, a way of enhancing the SR of summoned creatures might be very helpful. Mind you, it would have to be a feat, since the spell would be very transmutation-like.

I would say +4 to SR, or (alternatively) +6 to SR vs abjuration spells and spell-like effects.

 

[Crothian]

I would say +4 to SR, or (alternatively) +6 to SR vs abjuration spells and spell-like effects.

I'd go with the +4 to the SR. Havinga different SR for different types of spells might get cumbersome.