Summoning Powers Homebrew

[Rhenny]

Here is another crack at creating summoning powers for the game. This gives Wizards, Warlocks and Clerics the ability to summon creatures. I tried to balance it a bit, but I realize that these powers may give these classes a little more power.

I used generic summoning powers so that pcs wouldn't have to keep swaping out new powers as they level up. This version is much more in 4e spirit (more streamlined) than my other attempt.

What do you all think?

Summoning Powers (Wizard, Warlock or Cleric) – Replacement Daily Powers

Any summoned creatures are Astral or Shadow Creatures that return to their own plane when the spell is dismissed, or the creature gets bloodied (except for minions, which are sent back when they take any damage), or another caster counters the summoning by successfully using Dispel Magic.

Only evil casters can summon undead, devils or demons.

Summoning 1 * Wizard, Warlock or Cleric Attack 1
You conjure one creature to engage your foes for you.
Daily * Arcane, Summoning
Standard Action * Range 10
Target: empty square
Effect: You summon 1 creature from summoning list at your level divided by 2 (no less than 1). It acts on your initiative, under your control. Sustain Standard: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter.


Summoning 2 * Wizard, Warlock or Cleric Attack 4
You conjure two creatures to engage your foes for you.
Daily * Arcane, Summoning
Standard Action * Range 10
Target: two empty squares
Effect: You summon 2 creatures from summoning list at your level divided by 4. They on your initiative, under your control. Sustain Standard: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter.


Summoning 3 * Wizard, Warlock or Cleric Attack 12
You conjure three creatures to engage your foes for you.
Daily * Arcane, Summoning
Standard Action * Range 10
Target: three empty squares
Effect: You summon 3 creatures from summoning list at your level divided by 6. They act on your initiative, under your control. Sustain Standard: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter.


Summoning 4 * Wizard, Warlock or Cleric Attack 24
You conjure four creatures to engage your foes for you.
Daily * Arcane, Summoning
Standard Action * Range 10
Target: four empty squares
Effect: You summon 4 creatures from summoning list at your level divided by 8. they act on your initiative, under your control. Sustain Standard: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter.


Summon Minions * Wizard, Warlock or Cleric Attack 1
You conjure four creatures to engage your foes for you.
Daily * Arcane, Summoning
Standard Action * Range 10
Target: four empty squares
Effect: You summon 4 minions from summoning list at your level divided by divided by 4 (no less than 1). They act on your initiative, under your control. Sustain Standard: You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter.

Summoning List

1. Kobold Skirmisher
Kobold Minion
Decrepit Skeleton (minion)
2. Gray Wolf
Human Rabble (minion)
Zombie
3. Orc Raider
Hobgoblin Grunt (minion)
Skeleton
Zombie Rotter (minion)
4. Fey Panther
Orc Drudge (minion)
Rotwing Zombie
5. Dire Wolf
Wraith
Wight
Vampire Spawn Fleshripper (minion)
6. Shadow Hound
Sahuagin Guard (minion)
Mad Wraith
Chillborn Zombie
7. Razorclaw Stalker
Human Lackey (minion)
Crimson Acolyte
8. Ogre Skirmisher
Hobgoblin Warrior (minion)
Zombie Hulk
9. Displacer Beast
Orc Warrior (minion)
Battle Wight
10. Wyvern
Skeletal Tomb Guardian
11. Firelasher
Mezzodemon
12. Banshrae Warrior
Battle Wight Commander
13. Dragonborn Warrior
Vrock
Bearded Devil
14. Cyclops Rambler
Boneclaw
15. Angel of Battle
Immolith

 

[guybrush]

This is a great start!

I think the powers should be specific to each class, though. After all, all three classes fulfil different roles, so just giving them all the exact same powers is probably not going to balance well. The creatures each could summon should be ones that can fulfil the class's role: skirmishers or maybe soldiers for Warlocks, artillery or brutes for Wizards, and maybe soldiers for Clerics? I'm not sure there's a good direct mapping of monster role to class role, so those don't sit quite right, but you get the idea.

Splitting them up also allows for added flavour; I'd make the Cleric prayers summon creatures from the Astral Realm, Wizard powers summon creatures from the Elemental Chaos, and Warlock powers summon creatures appropriate to their pact type, i.e. from either the Feywild (Fey Pact), Far Realms (Star Pact) or the Nine Hells/Abyss (Infernal Pact). I realise this would mean creating monsters at the appropriate levels.

I'd also argue that these seem a little underpowered for daily powers. Yes, you get to make "remote melee" attacks (i.e. the monster does your attacking for you), and you add another target to the battlefield, but it's a daily power and the sustain is a standard action. I don't think there's anything wrong with the mechanics for that - in fact I think it's well thought out - but the creatures at each level should be a little tougher. Maybe a level above the level number listed? A level 1 PC should be able to easily take out a single monster of level 3 or 4, after all, so I'm not sure the power would be worth it at first or second level to summon a Kobold Skirmisher. Remember in 3E that if you summoned an Astral Dog or whatever, you could command it and still fire off a magic missile or whatever. Not so here; you give up your standard action to maintain it, so the payoff should be a little better.

 

[guybrush]

Bumped for comment...anyone?