Twowolves
Explorer
I studied every critter on the summoning lists and checked their patters of CR vs spell level.
Then I gave up and came to ENworld. Found a thread ages ago and this is what I took from it:
SM/SNA Spell >>> CR
================
1 > Less Than 1
2 > 1
3 > 2
4 > 3
5 > 4-5
6 > 6-7
7 > 8-9
8 > 10-11
9 > 12-13
Elementals get favorable treatment on the SNA list, with a 1 level delay on the SM list (since they get the extraplanar creatures)
If the monster can do non-hit-point damage (for example, it has ability poison, or ability drain): then bump it’s summon level by one point, maybe even two if it can do level drain.
If the monster can have the caster benefit from the spell of level X: then the summon level must be at least X+1, bump it accordingly otherwise. Don't necessarily do that if the spell-casting or spell-like ability is limited (like formian workers that must be several to cast make whole or heal, or efreet that can cast wish only once in a long while).
Soooo, for my Scarred Lands game, I used this guideline and the elemental templates from both MotP and the Monster's Handbook (with tweaking) and opened up elemental templates and alignment templates for the unique SM lists.
Hope that helps.
Twowolves Howling
Then I gave up and came to ENworld. Found a thread ages ago and this is what I took from it:
SM/SNA Spell >>> CR
================
1 > Less Than 1
2 > 1
3 > 2
4 > 3
5 > 4-5
6 > 6-7
7 > 8-9
8 > 10-11
9 > 12-13
Elementals get favorable treatment on the SNA list, with a 1 level delay on the SM list (since they get the extraplanar creatures)
If the monster can do non-hit-point damage (for example, it has ability poison, or ability drain): then bump it’s summon level by one point, maybe even two if it can do level drain.
If the monster can have the caster benefit from the spell of level X: then the summon level must be at least X+1, bump it accordingly otherwise. Don't necessarily do that if the spell-casting or spell-like ability is limited (like formian workers that must be several to cast make whole or heal, or efreet that can cast wish only once in a long while).
Soooo, for my Scarred Lands game, I used this guideline and the elemental templates from both MotP and the Monster's Handbook (with tweaking) and opened up elemental templates and alignment templates for the unique SM lists.
Hope that helps.
Twowolves Howling
