[Note: This spell and associated elements (monsters, abilities, etc.) are deprecated, and are preserved here solely for use/adaptation by game masters]
Summon beast is an advanced natural spell for caster’s level 3 and above. It materializes a beast (T6-T8 [GM’s discretion]; 7-9 HP [GM’s discretion]; +1 to relevant attribute) to the summoner’s service. Unless otherwise noted, summoned beasts will de-materialize after 24 in-game hours. Cost: 6 magic points.
Summoner’s Table (Beasts)
Giant bat – glittering onyx-eyes and the frenzied beating of gnarled, leathery wings announce the giant bat’s summoning. It is cunning as a wolf, and vicious as one too, as it follows dutifully the commands of its summoner. On a natural 10, the giant bat inflicts an additional +2 damage, and transfers the target’s lost hit points to the summoner (must make physical contact with the summoner to complete).
Stygian serpent – from the black depths of antediluvian forests, fog-choked and memory-shrouded, hails the stygian serpent. Dark as the deepest night, it is a massive knot of rippling muscle poised to strike like an arrow at the summoner’s command, and is capable of effortlessly ensnaring and constricting human-sized prey. The stygian serpent has the following abilities:
Constrict – conduct a power challenge after each successful attack. If the target fails, it becomes constricted. Each round, the target must conduct a power challenge; if the target fails, it suffers 1 damage, and a -1 penalty (per failure) to its challenge roll.
Stygian lullaby – After three combat rounds of constriction, the victim will fall under the serpent’s spell, and if released, its actions may be controlled by the summoner for 1d10 + the summoner’s level amount of rounds.
Wolf spider – standing tall as a large house cat and grey as the misty, benighted jungles from whence it comes, the wolf spider is like to lurk in the dark shadows, or skulk through the dense, low-hanging branches, lying in wait for its target. As such, it will not directly attack enemies, but instead acts as a trap (skills: +1 hide, +1 sneak); however, once it has engaged its target, it will attack until it or the target is slain. The wolf spider has a 50% chance of envenoming its target on a successful attack (target is paralyzed for 1d10 rounds).
Widow-vine – a red-streaked, thickly-corded vine that, when summoned, rapidly blooms broad, black-petaled flowers. From these flowers, darts containing a potent toxin are fired at the summoner’s command. Targets struck by the darts suffer -1 aspect and -1 intellect, and a -1 attack penalty for 1d10 + the summoner’s level amount of rounds. The widow-vine will follow the summoner wherever he or she goes, moving like mass of swift, writhing snakes.
Black leopard – Ink-black and silent as the starless night sky, the black leopard is a faithful and cunning beast. Only seen when it wishes to be (skills: +1 hide, +1 sneak), the black leopard will accept even complex commands from the summoner. Once per summoning, the black leopard will revive itself if slain in combat; however, it will flee before being slain a second time. The black leopard has the following ability:
Creature of the night – when attacking under the cover of low or no-light, deal double damage and knock prone the target if you successfully surprise it (perception check vs. sneak check).
Great-hawk – wise of mind and sharp of eye, the great-hawk prefers to perch resplendently on the arm or shoulder of its summoner when not scouting for danger, or surveying the surrounding lands far and wide. Its keen body and wide wings carry it through the skies faster than a gale, and it uses them to cover distances at an almost supernatural rate. If the summoner uses 1 hit point during the summoning, he or she will be able to see through the great-hawk’s eyes; 2 hit points, and the summoner can control the great-hawk’s actions.
Storm cloud – thick and sullen, the storm cloud hangs like a dam fit to burst. It is 10 feet x the summoner’s level in diameter, though it can be divided into the summoner’s level – 1 amount of separate clouds. The storm cloud(s) can be guided by the summoner’s gesture to anywhere within sight, unleashing torrential rain, booming thunder, and crackling lightning. For every round that an entity is within the storm cloud, they must save 8, or be struck by lighting (1 damage).
Elemental – the living embodiment of the classical elements: air, earth, fire, and water. To summon an elemental, the corresponding element must be within the summoner’s sight. When summoned, the elemental seizes control of the “body” of the existing element, and use it to carry out the summoner’s commands: a campfire may swell into a blazing inferno; a trickling stream could explode into a rushing river; the earth might rise like a humanoid titan; the wind may tear at enemies like a thousand daggers. The elemental behaves as a standard beast, with any capabilities granted to it by its respective element.
Myconid – also known as “mushroom-men”, myconids are a primitive race of living mushrooms and proud, stoic warriors. The myconid’s allegiance lies with the soil and the seeds, and as such, it will follow the summoner’s commands so long as his or her directives align with those goals. Though primitive, myconids are intelligent, and will share with the summoner their preternatural insights of the natural world around it. If killed, the myconid drops 1d10 + the summoner’s level spores, which after 1 round, grow into myconites (T4; 1HP). The myconites will ceaselessly attack the entity (and its allies) that slew their parent myconid.
Ephemeral ranger (4 PP; skills: +1 heal) – a luminous, humanoid spirit of forest-green, the ephemeral ranger’s ghostly features are human, with soft elven suggestions, and a vague implication of something… else. The spirits of rangers throughout the epochs who died in heroic valor, the ephemeral ranger has chosen to continue its service in the after-life, and can be summoned to aid in the defense of the weak, oppressed, and righteous. The ephemeral ranger is equipped with a standard ranged weapon (mediumweight and below), and a standard melee weapon (lightweight and below). The same ephemeral ranger is never summoned twice, is incapable of direct speech, and will not accept commands, but instead works as an intelligent teammate to the party for the duration of its summoning. The ephemeral ranger has the following abilities:
Fight and flight – if you have not moved during a combat round, you may strike a target and quickly flee from their melee/movement attack range.
Natural healing – at the beginning of each combat round, roll 1d10; on a roll of 8 or higher, regain 1 HP. Outside of combat, heal at twice the standard rate.
Preemptive strike –Â gain a free ranged attack against any opponent moving toward you. Cost: 2 power points.
Game masters might consider lowering the cost of the summon beast spell to 4 magic points in exchange for the summoner randomly rolling the beast that is summoned; this may include the beasts introduced here, as well as any other natural beasts. Alternatively, consider using spell components (like the sacrificing of hit points when summoning the great-hawk) to lower the cost of casting, should GMs or players find summon beast requires too many magic points to cast.
