What's the difference between summoned and called creatures

[Ferox4]

Reading the DMG I came across the sidebar about summoned creatures, specifically the finer points of personalizing them. Toward the end of the sidebar it talked about how to give your creatures arms or magical items, making explicit distinctions between summoned vs. called (planar ally spells). I realize that summoned creatures don't actually die if reduced to -10 HP, and that called creatures can die in battle.

So are summoned creatures only there in 'spirit force,' if you will, while called creatures are really there? Or have I missed something else entirely?

 

[Pyrex]

Yup, you pretty much got it. Take a look at Astral Projection and consider it as being applied in reverse when using summon spells.

 

[AuraSeer]

A summoned creature is really there, but only for the duration of the spell that summoned it. It can use most of its spells and abilities normally, but all their durations end as soon as the creature goes away.

For instance, if a summoned demon casts wall of ice, the wall goes away when the demon does. If a summoned viper poisons you, the poison vanishes from your system when the creature goes away. (But if you were already damaged by the poison, that damage is not cured.)

Summon creatures cannot themselves use any innate summoning abilities. They also refuse to use any spells or abilities that cost XP.

Certain abjuration spells, like the various magic circles, have special effects that work only against summoned creatures.

Also, a summoned creature vanishes as soon as its hit points are reduced to 0 or less, or when it is killed, or when the effect that summoned it is dispelled.

None of the above applies to called creatures. They work exactly like regular creatures and can use all their abilities, even the ones that cost XP. Even if a called creature is sent home somehow (by dismissal for example), its spells and abilities have their full normal duration.

[Edited to add

You can find this in the PHB, in the beginning of the Magic chapter, where it describes the various schools of magic. It's also in the "Magic Overview" section of the SRD.

 

[Otterscrubber]

One other thing is that I beleive summoned creatures cannot teleport or use any other type of dimensional travel normally available to them. This is listed under the summon monster spell descriptions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

One other thing is that I beleive summoned creatures cannot teleport or use any other type of dimensional travel normally available to them. This is listed under the summon monster spell descriptions.

This, however, isn't a trait common to all Conjuration [Summoning] spells, just the Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally spells.

As it happens, none of the other [Summoning] spells in the PHB (Creeping Doom, Insect Plague, Elemental Swarm, etc) summon creatures with teleportation or planar travel abilities. But if you had, say, a Janni Swarm spell that summons 1d4+3 Jann, then they would still be able to use Ethereal Jaunt unless the spell contained the same sentence.

Unless it's a Heavy Crossbow rule, in which case it's a blanket provision to all summoned creatures

-Hyp.

 

[Li Shenron]

Summoned creatures are copy-pasted: if you accidentally delete the pasted one, you still find the first in its original place.

Called creatures are cut-pasted: if you accidentally delete the pasted one, bye.

Why do I think things like this?

 

[Plane Sailing]

One other thing is that I beleive summoned creatures cannot teleport or use any other type of dimensional travel normally available to them. This is listed under the summon monster spell descriptions.

Gosh, I'd not noticed that. Is it new in 3.5e?

I guess it is useful to counter the abusive summoning of lantern archons as instant messengers or as teleporting attackers sent to a distant location to harrass others

Cheers

 

[AuraSeer]

Gosh, I'd not noticed that. Is it new in 3.5e?

Yes, it's new. I hadn't noticed it either.

My sorcerer can no longer use a summoned Djinni for planar travel. Time to invest in some scrolls of plane shift, I guess.