Summon Aberration I - III Creature List

[FreeXenon]

The normal Summon Monster spells deal with alignment based summoning and that is not so appropriate for what I am doing. I want aberrant spell casters to summon other aberrations from their 'Summon Monster' spells.

I am looking for a balanced creature list for a Summon Aberration I - III.

I think I have MMI, MMII, I think I have MMII as well; some older Eberron and FR products as well as some complete books.

I am noticing that the SMI list tends to be creatures from CR 1/3 - 1 plus either the fiendish or celestial templates.

The lowest CR aberration I have found (in the SRD) is the Choker and Skum at CR2.

Perhaps I might not be able to have a Summon Aberration for each spell level. I might have to start with Summon Aberration I at third level and go every two levels or so. What do you think?

 

[Kapture]

For lower levels, you could use creatures with the pseudonatural template from ?complete mage?

 

[FreeXenon]

or a Template

... or I could follow a similar process as what the existing spell does and just apply an equivalent CR template to the creatures.

I am kind of liking both versions. I like this for simplicity but there will be work in determining the stars for each creature before its use, but I prefer the previous idea because it is drawing from an existing pool of diverse creatures (no creature calculations) which is one of the wonderful things about Aberrations.

 

[FreeXenon]

Pseudo-natural template? hmmm....

Is that in the Complete Arcane (the first one) or the newer Complete Mage? I do not have the Complete Mage, unfortunately.

 

[Tonguez]

Remember there are some creatures listed as Magical beasts which would be quite comfortable as abberations - Darkmantle comes to mind (cr1)

and include oozes too

Pseudo-natural template? hmmm....

Is that in the Complete Arcane (the first one) or the newer Complete Mage? I do not have the Complete Mage, unfortunately.

Pseudonatural template can be found in the EPic Level section of the SRD (Epic Monsters) but has CR +16!

Unless Complete MAge has got a lower power version...

 

[FreeXenon]

Oi!

Wizards has their monster index and there are a bunch of CR 1's there. I do have the Book of Vile Darkness or whatever it is called.

SA I List : Dolgrim, Ixitxachitl (Average), and Kython (Broodling)

Would going CR = Spell Level be too much or not enough?

 

[Arkhandus]

The Psuedonatural template originated in Tome & Blood for 3.0 D&D. It was reprinted in one of the Complete books (Arcane or Mage, I don't know which, you'll have to look through them yourself; might be listed in the Table of Contents, or Index if there is one), or maybe in Lords of Madness. The original Psuedonatural template is equivalent to the Fiendish or Celestial template; for some reason, the Epic Level Handbook was printed with a different, epic-appropriate version of the Pseudonatural template, that for some reason wasn't given a different name to go with the different CR and added traits. :\


From MM2 there's the Fihyr at CR 3 which is probably appropriate for your Summon Aberration III. The Grell and Vampiric Ixitxachitl are also CR 3 aberrations in MM2. The Average Ixitxachitl is CR 1. Meenlocks in MM2 may also be useable, CR 3 aberrations.

Other than those, and the stuff in the MM1, I don't know what aberrations you could use. You'd probably have to apply the Pseudonatural template to a few animals or other weak creatures to fill the SA 1, 2, and 3 lists.

 

[FreeXenon]

If Complete Arcane has it I will probably start with that. I think I remember if from that as the Alienist is in there, right? .. and they have their familiar pseudonaturalified?

I will see if I can find the time to analyze the monster lists a little bit more to see if I can find a pattern.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I may pick up Lords of Madness tonight. I have really wanted to get this book.

 

[FreeXenon]

Remember there are some creatures listed as Magical beasts which would be quite comfortable as abberations - Darkmantle comes to mind (cr1)

and include oozes too

I was noticing that too when looking at the Chokers and Darkmantles - they are very, very similar. I will have to look at that as well.

Thanks

 

[javcs]

It's in Complete Arcane, and yup, the alienist gets a 'pseudnaturalified' familiar (and all of his summons).