Summon Nature's Ally

[Legildur]

All I can say is that for a druid, Augment Summoning really is worth two feats. It's most worth it from level 3 (when you start to get a decent summons duration) through level 13 (the top two levels of Summon Nature's Ally aren't as competitive).

My druid 15 is also the backup healer. He often prepares a few healing spells for when the Cleric can't reach someone (usually because he is in up to his neck in devils). But the healing spells are also very handy for dealing with undead, particularly incorporeal undead (because of the no miss chance). Here SF (conjuation) ups the DC for the Will saving throw required to avoid half the damage - so it's not a complete loss.

As for the higher summons, the elder earth elementals are fantastic! Augment Summoning on these really boosts their hit points as they have a lot of hit die, making them a very effective wall (one that hits back pretty hard) unless the opponent has Dispel Magic or other means to be rid of them. Besides, the higher spell slots can be used to churn out more allies from lower level SNA spells.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I cannot bring myself to take the Spell Focus: Conjuration feat just to get Augment Summoning. Does anyone do anything in particular to help with this? Any ideas what I could propose to my DM?

I agree with the poster above who said it was worth it just to get Augment Summoning. If you are a summoner, Augmenting Summoning is worth it. If you have to blow a feat, it isn't like the druid isn't already powerful enough that it can't waste a feat. I know that they don't get many to begin with, but seriously. Druids are powerful. One poor feat does not a bad druid make.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

So let's say the Hippogriff is summoned, and tears the guy that's attacking the druid into tiny pieces. What does it do then? Attack one of the remaining foes at random, defend the druid as a priority, what...? This is assuming that the druid can't communicate with it and tell/ask it to do something specific.

It attacks whoever the DM says it attacks, having regard to the specific circumstances of the combat in which it finds itself and its innate behaviours.

Having played alongside a druid in a recently-finished campaign, I've always thought they seemed absolutely colossal in melee with powerful summoned creatures all over the place, and wondered whether there was some rules subtlety that was being missed.

Given most creatures summoned by summon nature's ally are neutrally-aligned melee combatants, any protection from alignment or magic circle against alignment spell will stymie them. Intelligent opponents know this, and if they knew of your party's druid's penchant for summoning, should've equipped themselves accordingly...

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Christian]

Given most creatures summoned by summon nature's ally are neutrally-aligned melee combatants, any protection from alignment or magic circle against alignment spell will stymie them.

Actually, as written, only Protection From Evil, oddly enough ...

Protection From Evil: "Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creature to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Good summoned creatures are immune to this effect."

Protection From Good: "This spell functions like Protection From Evil, except that ... good summoned creatures cannot touch the subject."

Similar language in Protection From Chaos and Protection From Law. So you specifically need Protection From Evil to ward against the natural weapon attacks of Neutral summoned critters.

DM: "Your summoned dire wolf appears unable to touch the enemy."

Druid: "Fine. This round, I cast Summon Nature's Ally III again and call ... a giant eagle."

DM: "@)#$(^*("

 

[Wolfwood2]

It attacks whoever the DM says it attacks, having regard to the specific circumstances of the combat in which it finds itself and its innate behaviours.

While technically true, most DMs have enough on their plate in a battle that they would rather leave it up to the player to run summoned critters. So many other things to be thinking about.

Given most creatures summoned by summon nature's ally are neutrally-aligned melee combatants, any protection from alignment or magic circle against alignment spell will stymie them. Intelligent opponents know this, and if they knew of your party's druid's penchant for summoning, should've equipped themselves accordingly...

That's true for just about any magical tactic, though. If the evoker is known for fireballs, the bad guys will have Resist Energy up. If the cleric is known for self-buffing, he'll be a prime target for Dispel Magic.

Heck, the bad guys preparing is much less of a hassle for the druid than either of the above cases because he never prepares SNA spells in the first place and so will always have some other useful spell filling up the slot.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Actually, as written, only Protection From Evil, oddly enough ...

It depends on how you read it. My reading is that PfE protects from less than the other three.

PfE prevents contact by: LE, NE, CE, LN, N, CN.
PfL prevents contact by: LE, NE, CE, LN, N, CN, CG.
PfC prevents contact by: LE, NE, CE, LN, N, CN, LG.
PfG prevents contact by: LE, NE, CE, LN, N, CN, LG, NG, CG.

Protection from Good is the most powerful of the four.

It functions as Protection from Evil - summoned creatures cannot touch him, but Good summoned creatures are immune - with the exception that Good summoned creatures cannot touch him. The exception effectively removes the immunity that Good summoned creatures have to Protection from Evil, and therefore the subject is protected from a/ all summoned creatures except Good ones, and also b/ Good summoned creatures.

PfC and PfL both protect from all summoned creatures except Good ones, and also Chaotic (covering Chaotic Good) or Lawful (covering Lawful Good) summoned creatures.

-Hyp.