Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Aldath Apr 19, 2012 14:23:20	Well guys I've been breaking my head trying to figure out how to pull this one out... Some years before I started being a D&D DM, I played Anima: Beyond Fantasy... My favorite class was the summoner since it had a vast array of summonable minions, great beasts to use special attacks a-la-Final Fantasy, and of course, using magical items to transform their body into ancient warriors and have their equipment and atacks.   I have been thinking how to add these features to D&D 4E, and well, I HIGHLY doubt making a homebrew class just for this would be effective, and I would end up making broken characters. My idea is to implement them as Rituals. SUMMONS    Summons would be Special Rituals that can only be attained via quest rewards or other incredible means. In order to gain a summon, the usser must do two things, the first is peying the ritual cost in gold or materials, and second, after the ritual has been pefrormed, achieving what the summoned entity desires (for example, Durga demmands the player to kill a total of 100 enemies in order to use her, Idea wants the player to caosue Fear ailment stat to more than 6 enemies at once, and Byakko wants the player to become Lawful Good and never commit evil acts, otherwise he will be gone forever). After the desiers of the entity are achieved, the pleyer can re-use the ritual anytime to obtain a special summon gem that can be used once per day only, dthis gem contains the summon which is released when broken to unleash its special attack. SOME SUMMON EXAMPLES: UTILITY SUMMONS ARCANA 0: THE FOOL You summon the Arcana Spirit of The Fool, the mad traveler of endless possibilities, it appears as a young girl with pauper's clothes and a clown mask. LEVEL: 4 CATEGORY: Summon (Arcana or Religion) Time: 20 minutes Duration: Special Component Cost: 20 GP Market Price: N/A Pact: None  Efect: You pick a skill, you gain a +2 bonus to checks with said skill until the nxt extended rest, in adittion, you win a +2 stackable bonus to your next DC for a ritual. Skill Check Result: 15-20 ARCANA 3: THE EMPRESS You summon the Arcana Spirit of the Empress, the queen of protection, it appears as a beautiful woman in a floating crystal throne, wearing a white long dress ad a red crystal crown. LEVEL: 6 CATTEGORY: Summon (Arcana or Reigion) Time: 2 hours Duration: Encounter Component Cost: 300 GP Market Price: N/A Pact: The caster must promise to protect an ally from death in battle. If said ally dies, the pact is broken and can not be redone. EFECT: After the pact is made, you gain an Empress Summon Jewel, you have to repay the component cost and spend the ritual casting ime again if you wish to aquire another Summon Jewel, you can only carry one at a time and obtain one per day. Using the Jewel is a Minor Action. When it's used, you gain the Empress Protection Power EMPRESS PROTECTION At-Will*Arcane, Teleportation Immediate Interrupt   Teleport 15 Effect: When the Ally you swore to protect is Bloodied and about to take damage, you teleport as a free action to an unoccupied square adyacent to the enemy and take damage for your ally with a +2 Power Bonus to all your defenses. The ally then gains Temporal Hit Points equal to 2+ your Constitution modifier. Skill Check Result: 20-29 ATTACK SUMMONS DURGA: You summon Durga, Queen of wrath, who splits the heavens and attacks he battlefield with unending rage, using her hundred arms to crush everything at her pathLEVEL: 21 CATTEGORY: Summon (Arcana or Reigion) Time: 10 hours Duration: Special Component Cost: 6,000 GP Market Price: N/A Pact: You must kill 100 oponents after this ritual is cast, and do it in less than a year. EFFECT: After the pact is made, you gain a Durga Summon Jewel, you have to repay the component cost and spend the ritual casting ime again if you wish to aquire another Summon Jewel, you can only carry one at a time and obtain one per day. Using the Jewel is a Minor Action. When it's used, you gain the Durga's Wrath Power DURGA'S WRATH Dialy*Primal Minor Action   Burst 20 Attack: Strength vs AC Effect: The Summon Jewel is used, the burst causes 8d10+your strength modifier to every opponent in burst. Bloodied enemies take 1d8 extra damage, and you gain a +2 to your attack rolls until the end of the encounter. Skill Check Result: 30-39 INCARNATIONS  Incarnations are simmilar to summons, with the exception that no pacts are required, but you MUST have one of the magic items listed below to pperform it. The Item is not lost and has no special effects, but it grants DC bonus to ritual checks only to said ritual. After an Incarnation ritual is complete, deppending on the success of the DC, the player transforms into an ancient warrior which only modifies its skills, equipment and powers. While in Incarnation form you can only use Incarnation powers and Incarnation equipment. After the Incarnation ends, you must take an extended rest before using another one, and wait at least 24 hours before doing it again. The Incarnaion equipment dissapears when Icarnation ends. EXAMPLES WILL BE PUBLISHED SOON!!!!
#2 Daethon May 18, 2012 23:53:57	As helpful examples or guidelines for appropriate power, have you checked out Arcane Power chapter 5 or Essentials book- Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms warlock hexblade 9th level fey pact summon pg 227 and 25th level summon pg 229? I don't know how they compare to the summoning you want to do, but it would give you summons of various levels and power types (encounter/daily) you can either use straight up or use as guidelines for balancing those you create on your own.