Question about Spell Templates

[candidus_cogitens]

I haven't looked at Arcana Unearthed, but I read about Spell Templates in Dragon #311. As the article is written, it sounds like you would have to spend an expensive material component EVERY TIME you cast a spell using the template.

Look at the Champion template, for example. You use up a topaz worth $250 gp just to get summon a creature with max hit points! Why would anyone do that?? For one thing, the creature is only going to stay around for a few rounds anyway. And for another thing, if the creature should happen to die . . . so what? It's not your permanent companion, and if I recall correctly summoned creatures don't actually die--they just go back to their home plane.

 

[kreynolds]

I haven't looked at Arcana Unearthed, but I read about Spell Templates in Dragon #311. As the article is written, it sounds like you would have to spend an expensive material component EVERY TIME you cast a spell using the template.

Pretty much, yeah. Monte likes stuff like that, but Dragon likes it even more, say a feat that lets you cast Wish once per week, but you have to sacrifice one-hundred and one children, none of which can weigh less than 8 pounds each or more than 10 pounds each, none of which can be be boys, and of at least fourty-three must be of half-elf heritage that were sired by sandy-blonde-haired elves.

Bah. Overall, believe it or not, I like the article. After all, if you don't want to use the template right then, then don't. You simply choose whether or not you use it at the time of casting. But, I think the costs detailed in the article are a little high. That's the way most Dragon articles go though.

 

[Nifft]

Sounds like an interesting Feat for an NPC scroll shop owner, though.
"Why yes, this scroll is a little more expensive than the competition's version, but this one assures your choice of Emissary will have MAXIMUM HITPOINTS!"

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Look at the Champion template, for example. You use up a topaz worth $250 gp just to get summon a creature with max hit points! Why would anyone do that?? For one thing, the creature is only going to stay around for a few rounds anyway. And for another thing, if the creature should happen to die . . . so what? It's not your permanent companion, and if I recall correctly summoned creatures don't actually die--they just go back to their home plane.

At lower levels, I'd say that yes, this spell is too expensive and doesn't do very much. But at higher levels it sounds like a great deal. If a battle is going poorly and you only have one Summon Monster VI spell left, would you rather have a Celestial Polar Bear with 68hp, or 104?