Summoning Changes

Summoning Changes

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This page lists and explains Spells that work differently than in Vanilla NWN.

Summoning has been completely overhauled in Arelith. Every form of summoning, from base classes such as the wizard and the cleric, to blackguard and the shadowdancer were completely changed to follow different progressions, tiers of power and functions.

For specific summons stats and details, check the summons article.

Controlling Summons

All summons can be directly commanded using the Player Tool 1.

Multiple Creatures

Many summon spells will bring forth several creatures at the same time. These are treated as a "single" creature; if you summon any other creature that would occupy the "summoned" slot, the previous creatures are automatically unsummoned. Things that don't use the "summon" slot are the familiars, the animal companions, the henchmens, the ranger's charmed animal, dominated creatures, and a few others.

Summoning Streams

"Stream" books may be found randomly as loot. These books may either be used once per day to summon a relatively weak creature, or a character may use and consume them to permanently learn the respective stream. Once a stream has been learnt, the character may use the -stream command to select a predetermined creature out of a summoning spell.

For example, a wizard with a "Water" stream casting Summon Creature VIII would always conjure a water elemental, instead of randomly getting one between water, fire, earth or air.

There are a few streams that are limited by class and abilities, or having special conditions, like the undead streams, which can only be learnt through a ritual in a very specific location in the Underdark.

Streams affect all summoning spells casted by the character, including those from non-casting classes using items and scrolls.

Alignment divergence

Some summoning spells are random and may result in a variety of creatures. Others will have a specific result based on the alignment of the caster. However, a character that uses a -stream may force creatures from other alignments to come, though that incurs a failure chance in which the creature may turn hostile immediately upon summoning.

The chance is increased by 10% for each horizontal step beyond the first, and 10% for each vertical step away from the caster at a maximum of 30%.

That means that:

• A LE character (bottom-left corner) would have 0% chance of failure at LE, but 10% at CE, 20% at CN, and 30% at CG.
• A LG character would have 0% at LG and NG, but 10% at LN, CG and TN, 20% at LE, NE and CG, 30% at CE.

One can see the chance of hostility using the -stream command.

The three "protection from alignment" spells reduce this chance accordingly, 10% for the first, 20% for the second, and completely negating it with 30% at the third, provided you are warding against the alignment of the creature you intend to summon.

Spell Focus Bonus

Spell foci feats will provide a stat bonus to every summon that corresponds to the magic school. Conjuration affects Conjuration summons, Necromancy affects Necromancy summons.

Each level of focus provides:

• +1 to all skills the summon has ranks in
• +1 hit die worth of hit points (meaning, as if the creature was 1 level above in terms of HP, both adding base class HP and CON modifier).
• +1 AB
• +1 Damage
• +1 AC
• +1 Universal Saves

Spells and abilities that are affected by foci:

Conjuration

• Black Blade of Disaster
• Dragon Knight (Non-dracolich)
• Summon Creature

  Does not receive the above bonuses. Instead, it only has its summon tier raised by 1 with Greater Spell Focus: Conjuration. Warlocks do not get the raised tier, but the one shown above. Casters with the Animal domain and Greater Conjuration Focus will receive both the increased tier and the summoning bonus.

• Elemental Swarm

  Behaves as Summon Creature. Receives summons one tier higher or summons one tier higher and the bonus above if the caster has both GSF: Conjuration and the Animal domain.

• Summon Fiend (Blackguard)

Evocation

• Shelgarn's Persistent Blade

Illusion

• Greater Shadow Conjuration
• Shades
• Shadow Conjuration

Necromancy

• Animate Dead
• Create Undead
• Create Greater Undead
• Mummy Dust
• Dragon Knight (Dracolich)

Transmutation

• Mordenkainen's Sword

Epic Caster Bonus

Epic levels in the summoning class will also increase the power of epic summons.

• +1 AB per odd epic caster level
• +1 prime attribute per odd epic caster level (i.e. strength or dexterity)
• +1 universal saving throws per even epic caster level
• +1 AC per even epic caster level
• +1 skills per epic caster level
• +1 hit dice worth of hit points per epic caster level
• +1 caster level per epic caster level

Remember that Epic levels start at level 21 for base classes, and 11 for prestige classes, that can be acquired once the character reaches level 20. Only the highest epic caster level is used for this. When the class level is not used, the caster level is used - classes that increase the general caster level, like the pale master and the Harper scout count and the added caster level is used for the bonus.

The bonus apply if they are from the class casting the spell. A cleric 10/blackguard 20 won't get the level bonus from the cleric's spellbook, but he would from his blackguard abilities. Shadowdancers do not apply for any of these bonuses.

Spells and abilities that are affected by epic caster level:

• Elemental Swarm
• Epic Dragon Knight
• Gate
• Summon Creature VI (Warlock)
• Summon Creature IX
• Summon Fiend (Blackguard)
• Greater Planar Binding

Animal Companion

See Ranger/Druid.

Undead Summoning

Necromancy summoning has been completely modified. Now, the undead summoning spells will summon a number of creatures relative to the spell, but the actual creatures summoned will be relative to the UCL. The Undead Caster Level is either your full cleric levels, or your added total of wizard, sorcerer and pale master levels. The UCL becomes irrelevant once you get the Epic Mummy Dust feat, enabling the sixth and seventh tiers.

Undead Tier	UCL/feat requirement	Mummy Stream	Vampire Stream
1	0	Zombie	Ghoul
2	5	Zombie Warrior	Grave-touched Ghoul
3	9	Tyranfog Zombie	Ghast
4	13	Mummy	Wight
5	17	Mummy Warrior	Frost Wight
6	Mummy Dust	Mummy Lord	Vampire
7	Mummy Dust Special	Dread Mummy	Vampire Count

Undead Summoning Spells

• Animate Undead: 1 summon.
• Create Undead: 2 summons.
• Create Greater Undead: 3 summons.
• Epic Mummy Dust: 3 summons - 2 at Tier 6 and the third at Tier 7.

Undead Summoning Abilities

Pale master:

• Animate Dead: 2 summons.
• Summon Undead: 3 summons.
• Summon Greater Undead: 3 summons - 2 as defined by UCL, and the third one tier above.

The Blackguard does not use these undead summoning rules, but instead, it has its own progression seen in his page.

Shadow Conjuration

Shadow Conjuration: Summon Shadow follows similar rules as necromancy, but the spell belongs to the illusion school.

The duration of Summon Shadow is rounds/caster level.

Lesser Shadow Conjuration: 1 shadow.

Greater Shadow Conjuration: 2 shadows.

Shades: 3 shadows.

Shadow

The Shadowdancer does not use this shadow.

• Shadow Stats: 10 Strength, 14 Dexterity, 5 Constitution, 6 Intelligence, 12 Wisdom, 13 Charisma
• Shadows Feats: Blind Fight, Crippling Strike, Improved Knockdown, Sneak Attack (+1d6)
• Shadow Skills: Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot
• Shadow Properties: DR 5/+1, 50% Concealment + 10% / Illusion Focus, Undead Immunities
• Shadows come equipped with a random No Damage weapon
• Shadows level up to the caster's level using the Outsider class
• Shadows gain bonus AB equivalent to the caster's prime attribute bonus (e.g. a wizard with 20 intelligence would summon a shadow with an additional +5 AB)

Surface/Underdark summons

The Summon Creature I to VI spells will conjure different creatures depending whether the character is a surfacer or an underdarker, the latter including monster races and outcasts. The summons are basically the same, albeit thematically dark.

Experience Calculations

• Summons count as only half a party member when calculating experience, but only if this would cause the summoner to lose experience.
• Summons no longer impact the party's overall level for experience calculations unless they are of a higher challenge rating than the summoner level (in which case the summon's challenge rating will be used instead of the summoner's level).
• All members of the party receive XP for any kill in the map, even out of sight and with a summon delivering the killing blow.