Summoning

Summoning System

Radial Menu

BGTSCC has introduced a new spell system which allows a conjurer to select from more then 20 creatures to choose from.

Creature Slots

"Summoned" Creatures go into different slots:

• Summon Slot (Summon Creature, Planar Calling, Palemaster's Vampire, Deadwalk, Epic Gate, etc)
• Cohort Slot (Blackguard's Hellhound, Thaumaturge's Cohort)
• Illusion Slot (Malicious Image, Programmed Image, etc)
• Copy Slot (Shadow Simulcarum)
• Dominate Slot (Dominate Person, Dominate Monster)
• Swarm Slot (Lure Shadow Demons, Animate Dead, Conjure Animals, Conjure Metalman, etc)
• Animal Slot (Animal Companions, Techsmith's Gondsman, Negative Plane Avatar)
• Familiar Slot (Familiars, Improved Familiars)

Conjuration Spells & Scaling

All summons have been adjusted to following:

• Summon Creature I: 2 HD Beast
• Summon Creature II: 4 HD Beast
• Summon Creature III: 6 HD Beast
• Summon Creature IV: 8 HD Beast
• Summon Creature V: 10 HD Beast or Elemental
• Summon Creature VI: 12 HD Beast or Elemental
• Summon Creature VII: 14 HD Beast or Elemental
• Summon Creature VIII: 16 HD Beast or Elemental
• Summon Creature IX: 18 HD Beast or Elemental
• Lesser Planar Binding(5): 8 HD Outsider

• Planar Binding(6): 10 HD Outsider
• Greater Planar Binding(8): 14 HD Outsider
• Planar Ally(6): 10 HD Outsider
• Planar Ally, Greater(8): 14 HD Outsider
• Gate(9): 18 HD Outsider
• Epic Gate: 20 HD Outsider or 24 HD Elemental
• Lure Shadow Demons(8): 16 Outsider
• Conjure Shadows(3): 6 Rogue
• Call Elementals(6): 14 HD Elemental
• Airball(8): 16 HD Elemental
• Call Shadow Pack(5): 10 HD Outsider
• Conjure Metalmen(8): 16 HD Outsider
• Conjure Spiders(7): 14 HD Vermin
• Revenance(4): 8 HD Paladin or Favoured Soul
• Sand Warriors(4): 8 HD Fighter
• Summon Ibrandlin(6): 12 HD Dragon
• Phantom Wolf(8): 16 HD Magical Beast
• Phantom Bear(9): 18 HD Magical Beast

Spellfocus Conjuration

All summons can be further improved by:

• Spellfocus Conjuration: +1 HD
• Greater Spellfocus Conjuration: +1 HD
• Red Wizard Specialist (Conjuration only): +1 HD
• Epic Spellfocus Conjuration: +2 HD

Swarm Spells

Such as Lure Shadow Demons, Conjure Metalman that conjure up to 4 creatures for a short time.

They are not benefiting from Extend Summoning (Thaumaturge Feat).

Planar Calling

Planar Calling Spells bring extraplanar creatures to the material plane. These are considered planar calling:

• Lesser Planar Binding
• Planar Binding, Greater
• Planar Binding
• Planar Ally
• Greater Planar Ally
• Gate
• Epic Gate

Creatures by alignment

• Good --> Good and Neutral creatures.
• Lawful Neutral --> Lawful and Neutral creatures.
• True Neutral --> Neutral creatures.
• Chaotic Neutral --> Chaotic and Neutral creatures.
• Evil --> Evil and Neutral creatures.

True Naming

A host of unique planar beings have been added to the game (and more will be added over time), and can be called if a caster learns their true name. Once an unbound being is called to a caster they will undergo a negotiation for the price of the being's services. If the caster agree and pay the price, the being will be bound to the caster and can henceforth be called upon and considered an ally.

How to learn the true name of a planar being

The DM team can leak a true name as part of an event, as a reward, as a clue, or any other way they see fit. They can also easily create new beings fitting their story lines as they see fit. But don't expect finding the true name of a being to be easy, they tend to keep those secret for a reason. 

Rare books called 'Dusty Tome' have been added to the loot tables that, with the right lore skills, can be deciphered and potentially reveal a true name. If you fail to decipher such a book, you can let someone else try who might have better lore/knowledge in the area. Make sure it is someone you trust though, or they could steal the knowledge in the book. The main function of the books are as lore nodes: if successfully deciphered, the book will reward some XP and its description will be updated with a lore text. For a few of the books, that lore text will contain the true name of a planar creature.  

Finally, a true name can be a very valuable trade commodity. You are free to share a true name (or sell it) as you see fit. But remember, these beings are unique, two casters can't both call on the same one at the same time. So most casters would probably want to keep a true name secret.

How to call a planar being using its true name

To call a planar being by its true name you need a Planar Focus. The only known material to be able to function as a focus is a diamond. Three tiers of diamonds can be used:

• Diamond: lesser beings up to 15 HD
• Canary Diamond: beings up to 20 HD
• Blue Diamond: higher beings with no known limits

If you target one of these gems with a planar calling spell, you will be able to inscribe it with a true name, and then call on that being for negotiation. The negotiation includes a diplomacy check for determining the price that the being requires for its services, and the alignment distance between being and caster will influence it as well (may even make negotiation impossible). If you pay the price for the being's services the being will be bound to that gem and the gem becomes a Planar Focus bound to you. To call a being bound to a Planar Focus, use the appropriate calling spell and target the focus with it, and the being will be called.

Final notes

• When inscribing the true name into the gem, a Lore: The Planes skill check may reveal some information on the being before you call it.
• If a being is killed, it will not be possible to call it again for 24 hours. This "cooldown" may be increased later, or other penalties considered. Don't let a called being die, that is not part of the agreement you made with it...
• These beings can be stronger, smarter, weaker, uglier, even completely different from those normally called by the calling spells. But they are all subject to QC/dev balance so don't expect to be calling demi gods (well you can always ask a DM to let you do it and see if you survive it) 
• And probably a bunch of other things that I forget to mention right now.

Beings that are called through their true name can be more powerful than their generic counterpart. They might have adjusted stats, special feats, spells and hitpoints. However their power comes at at cost and is always paid in gold.

True naming increases their HD to

• Lesser Planar Binding(5): 11 HD Outsider

• Planar Binding(6): 13 HD Outsider
• Greater Planar Binding(8): 17HD Outsider
• Planar Ally(6): 13 HD Outsider
• Planar Ally, Greater(8): 17 HD Outsider
• Gate(9): 21 HD Outsider
• Epic Gate: 22 HD Outsider or 26 HD Elemental

and can be only improved by taking the Epic Spellfocus Conjuration feat.

An example:

"The Wishmaster" is an enormous powerful paeliryon devil, that has the power to grant wishes. Although he warns anyone who requests a wish, that a host of devils will be released upon the summoner's beloved, resulting in their death - if they are lucky, or dragged to hell if they are not.

"The Wishmaster" can be summoned via the epic gate feat and has a DC 34 diplomacy check during the negotiation. Unless you beat the diplomacy check he asks for 400.000 gold for his service. "The Wishmaster" is a 22 HD paeliron with +4 Int,+4 cha, +2 AC and the ability to cast the epic spells "Hellball" and "Ruin".

(Note: The asking for a wish has to be requested to a DM and is subject to his interpretation.)

Animating the Dead

Necromancy (Summoning)

All undead summons have been adjusted to following:

• Animate Dead(4): HD = (CL*2)/number of undeads or CL*3 if desecrated.
• Create Undead(6): 10 HD Fighter
• Create Baneguard(6): 12 HD Fighter
• Create Greater Undead (8): 16 HD Fighter or Warlock
• Army of Dead (8): 16 HD Fighter, Blackguard or Wizard

Spellfocus Necromancy

All undead summons can be further improved by:

• Spellfocus Necromancy: +1 HD
• Greater Spellfocus Necromancy: +1 HD
• Red Wizard Specialist (Necromancy only): +1 HD
• Epic Spellfocus Necromancy: +2 HD

The Dead Walk (Warlock Invocation)

Like before, this upgrades at 12 and 21 but now summons two different types:

• Skeleton: 7 HD, 10 HD, 16 HD (offensive mix of Undead/Fighter)
• Zombie: 9 HD, 13 HD, 19 HD (defensive mix of Undead/Fighter)

Furthermore they can be improved by taking the Spellfocus: Invocation feat.