Familiars and Summoned Animals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Familiars and Summoned Animals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Agent Cooper
03-30-07, 08:40 PM Hey there folks!
Just need some clarification on fine points of summoned animals and familiars.

For instance, my wizard player will occasionally send his owl familiar ahead in the dungeon. He then asks, "What does the owl see?" Can the owl do something like this? Does the wizard really have this type of "Beastmaster" connection with his familiar? If so, how detailed is the information the familar can relay to the wizard?

As for summoned creatures, I have a character who likes to use monster summoning spells frequently. This is fine, but I'm not 100% clear on how much control the summoner has over the creature. I understand the creature is an ally, and will fight for the character as such. My questions arise outside of that. As in, how much can the character control and direct the creature. For instance, sometimes this character wants to tell the creature to enter the battle at a certain time, or attack a certain opponent, or follow a certain tactical plan the characters have devised. Will the summoned creature do this? Does its intelligence come to play, or does the power of the spell trump that?

Sorry this is long already, but while I'm on this, one more related issue we've run into: As the character is able to summon more powerful and intelligent creatures, the players and I have wondered how alignment can factor in. Alignment isn't a major issue in our campaign, but I do have to question how plausible it is that a neutral good bard could summon a powerful evil demon and expect that demon to want to fight for her against her evil enemies, or even cooperate with the summoning at all? My players and I have discussed this a few times, to figure how we'd handle this in the campaign. My official ruling has been that since there is no specific rule about this in the books (that I can find), she can summon whatever is on the list regardless of alignment. However, I have hinted that a really powerful unfriendly outsider might remember being so compelled and make her pay for summoning it if met again at some future time (however unlikely). This felt right to me and the group thought it made sense, and we've gone with that. The bard player has since decided that her character wouldn't choose to summon such a creature anyway. But I wonder if any other DMs have thought of this, and how you guys handled it.

Probably no right or wrong answer to the last one, just looking for ideas.

Thanks!
Marcus Majarra
03-30-07, 09:56 PM The wizard does not have a telepathic or sensory link to his familiar. Only the following modes of communication are available to the wizard:

1st level: empathic communication. This is reflected in that the wizard, when communicating with his familiar, feels what the familiar is feeling, and vice versa. If his familiar is within 1 mile and is afraid, the wizard will sense his familiar's fear, for example. He will not know what triggered this emotion, but he will know what the emotion is.

5th level: spoken verbal communication. Although this doesn't have the sheer range of empathic communication, this is where the wizard can actually talk to the familiar. He still can't sense what the familiar can.

13th level: scrying. This is merely a spell-like ability usable once per day and equates to the wizard casting a scrying spell on his familiar. This is the best way of discovering the familiar's surroundings without resorting to magic.

Regarding summoned creatures (using summon monster or summon nature's ally), they will attack the character's opponents to the best of their ability, unless the caster has a way of communicating with the summoned creatures and directing them to do something else (like not attacking, attacking specific enemies, or performing another action). If the character wants to setup specific encounters with his summoned creatures, he needs a means of communicating with them. This makes it difficult to specifically direct creatures without the ability to understand languages. If the character can communicate his orders, the summoned creatures will obey to the best of their ability.

Regarding alignment issues with monster summoning, only certain classes are forbidden to cast spells with alignment descriptors opposing their own. For example, a good cleric cannot summon evil creatures, as summon monster gains the evil descriptor when used to summon an evil creature. While it is certainly questionable for a good bard to summon a chain devil with Summon Monster VI (casting an evil spell is an evil act), it is not forbidden to him, and should pose no problem unless he makes a habit of it (which should cause an alignment change towards an evil an alignment). The evil creature summoned will still only attack the caster's opponents or perform another action as indicated by the caster.
Burgundy Lotus
04-01-07, 07:24 AM Marcus Majarra seems to have covered everything I was going to say (and then some, and then some more) so I'll just say: "What he said."
tos_shai_hulud
04-01-07, 03:21 PM I have run into situations like this, as well. I am wondering what to do with the evil wizard travelling with the good party who likes to summon celestial creatures just so they can smite evil on his also-evil enemies... I mean, yes, he is casting a good spell, but he is doing evil things with it. The celestial creature is probably not smart enough to realize the evil plan, and smites without remorse.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Agent Cooper 03-30-07, 08:40 PM	Hey there folks! Just need some clarification on fine points of summoned animals and familiars. For instance, my wizard player will occasionally send his owl familiar ahead in the dungeon. He then asks, "What does the owl see?" Can the owl do something like this? Does the wizard really have this type of "Beastmaster" connection with his familiar? If so, how detailed is the information the familar can relay to the wizard? As for summoned creatures, I have a character who likes to use monster summoning spells frequently. This is fine, but I'm not 100% clear on how much control the summoner has over the creature. I understand the creature is an ally, and will fight for the character as such. My questions arise outside of that. As in, how much can the character control and direct the creature. For instance, sometimes this character wants to tell the creature to enter the battle at a certain time, or attack a certain opponent, or follow a certain tactical plan the characters have devised. Will the summoned creature do this? Does its intelligence come to play, or does the power of the spell trump that? Sorry this is long already, but while I'm on this, one more related issue we've run into: As the character is able to summon more powerful and intelligent creatures, the players and I have wondered how alignment can factor in. Alignment isn't a major issue in our campaign, but I do have to question how plausible it is that a neutral good bard could summon a powerful evil demon and expect that demon to want to fight for her against her evil enemies, or even cooperate with the summoning at all? My players and I have discussed this a few times, to figure how we'd handle this in the campaign. My official ruling has been that since there is no specific rule about this in the books (that I can find), she can summon whatever is on the list regardless of alignment. However, I have hinted that a really powerful unfriendly outsider might remember being so compelled and make her pay for summoning it if met again at some future time (however unlikely). This felt right to me and the group thought it made sense, and we've gone with that. The bard player has since decided that her character wouldn't choose to summon such a creature anyway. But I wonder if any other DMs have thought of this, and how you guys handled it. Probably no right or wrong answer to the last one, just looking for ideas. Thanks!
Marcus Majarra 03-30-07, 09:56 PM	The wizard does not have a telepathic or sensory link to his familiar. Only the following modes of communication are available to the wizard: 1st level: empathic communication. This is reflected in that the wizard, when communicating with his familiar, feels what the familiar is feeling, and vice versa. If his familiar is within 1 mile and is afraid, the wizard will sense his familiar's fear, for example. He will not know what triggered this emotion, but he will know what the emotion is. 5th level: spoken verbal communication. Although this doesn't have the sheer range of empathic communication, this is where the wizard can actually talk to the familiar. He still can't sense what the familiar can. 13th level: scrying. This is merely a spell-like ability usable once per day and equates to the wizard casting a scrying spell on his familiar. This is the best way of discovering the familiar's surroundings without resorting to magic. Regarding summoned creatures (using summon monster or summon nature's ally), they will attack the character's opponents to the best of their ability, unless the caster has a way of communicating with the summoned creatures and directing them to do something else (like not attacking, attacking specific enemies, or performing another action). If the character wants to setup specific encounters with his summoned creatures, he needs a means of communicating with them. This makes it difficult to specifically direct creatures without the ability to understand languages. If the character can communicate his orders, the summoned creatures will obey to the best of their ability. Regarding alignment issues with monster summoning, only certain classes are forbidden to cast spells with alignment descriptors opposing their own. For example, a good cleric cannot summon evil creatures, as summon monster gains the evil descriptor when used to summon an evil creature. While it is certainly questionable for a good bard to summon a chain devil with Summon Monster VI (casting an evil spell is an evil act), it is not forbidden to him, and should pose no problem unless he makes a habit of it (which should cause an alignment change towards an evil an alignment). The evil creature summoned will still only attack the caster's opponents or perform another action as indicated by the caster.
Burgundy Lotus 04-01-07, 07:24 AM	Marcus Majarra seems to have covered everything I was going to say (and then some, and then some more) so I'll just say: "What he said."
tos_shai_hulud 04-01-07, 03:21 PM	I have run into situations like this, as well. I am wondering what to do with the evil wizard travelling with the good party who likes to summon celestial creatures just so they can smite evil on his also-evil enemies... I mean, yes, he is casting a good spell, but he is doing evil things with it. The celestial creature is probably not smart enough to realize the evil plan, and smites without remorse.