Summon Spells
From LiMaWiki
Summons allow an illusionist to create a “pet” that is identical to an actual creature, monster, or beast. The summoner can control the pet, give it direct and distinct orders, and the summon will obey it, even upon its own destruction. Summoned creatures are not real creatures. They can look, smell, sound, and act the same way like the real creature except that those who can sense magic will be able to see a distinct summoning aura around the creature. The creature does not eat or sleep. It does not shed blood when hurt nor does it back down when near death. It shows neither sign of pain nor any emotion unless instructed to by the summoner. Summoned creatures seem to not retain or show any sign of memory, however giving the creatures names is not uncommon. The summoner and the creature are linked by an unbreakable telepathic bond that allows communication on a unknown level. The beasts are also capable of absorbing the magical energies in the air to replenish their supply of magic.
In game terms, this means that the person who summons the creature is the only one who can tell it to attack or defend. While in combat, the creature receives its own initiative, turn, combat, spells, etc. The character can control his creature by a telepathic link that will only break if the two are more than 1 mile apart. If the creature is more than that distance, the creature is de-summoned and returns to the void from whence it was created. The pet will stay by the character’s side until the creature is de-summoned, dies, or reaches maximum distance. Summoning and de-summoning takes up an entire character’s turn. A character can only have one creature summoned at any one time. Most summoned creatures can carry things, be used as mounts, or serve as healers.
When a player de-summons and re-summons a hurt creature, such as the loss of HP or PE, the creature is not brought back to full health upon return. Instead, it retains the same attributes it had before it was de-summoned. The only way to return a creature to full life is through its HGEN or PGEN. Creatures who are dead must be revived through the caster which requires 1 hour of concentration and expends 50% of the caster's maximum PE. Summoning and de-summoning a creature costs no PE however still takes a full action to perform.
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[edit] Leveling
The summoned creatures below are learned just like a spell with a few added twists. In order for a character to summon a creature, he must first learn the spell to summon it. Each summoned creature costs 20 SP to learn how to summon Summoned creatures however, do not have levels inherent like normal spells. Summoned creatures are basically a simplified character sheet, having the basics and many skills lumped into one. The stats a summoned creature possesses are listed below:
Carry, SPD, RUN, HGEN, DEF, LVL, PGEN, MGD, Saves, HP, and PE
Creatures do not possess stats that these numbers are based off of. Instead, each creature can advance in these areas by the expenditure of the creator's SP through the use of creature specific skills.
For example, an alligator has a base HP of 10. To increase this, the caster would purchase the skill Tougher listed below for the creature. Under the Alligator summon, next to its HP, it states HP: 10+3, this means that for every rank the creature knows of Tougher, it adds +3 HP. So if the alligator knew level 4, it would have a base HP of 22. The same is true for all other attributes. Those with a half a number (0.5) do not gain the value of it until a whole number is reached. An alligator has a LVL of 1+0.5. This means that the alligator must learn two levels in Brainpower to gain the benefit of a 2 LVL stat.
It is this way that the creatures can also learn spells, skills, and other abilities. Creatures also gain access to a number of skills special to them. These skills work in every sense like player skills however have different SP costs and consist of many put together.
[edit] Monster Skills
Monster Skills consist of a short list of skills specific to summoned creatures and serves as a basis for created monsters. These skills are condensed versions of their normal counterparts with only a slight difference in how they work. For creatures, the rules on how much they can know differ slightly than players. Creatures can know an infinite number of spells or skills however their levels are still based off the LVL stat. The SP cost comes out of the creator's SP. Not all creatures can use these skills, for example an alligator cannot obviously equip armor unless the creator goes to great lengths to make special armor. Same is true for weapons, an alligator cannot use a sword effectively so is quite pointless to teach the creature it. Many skills are not important to gameplay for creatures to use, for example, disguise, rope use, and bluff are not useful for creatures to learn however if casters wish to teach these skills, they can use the base SP cost listed under skills. Creatures do not gain bonuses based off of SKL attributes nor can they gain bonuses from spells that increase skills for a duration. Unlike players, creatures without skills gain no bonus or negative to use them. For example, creatures without perception would just gain a straight roll.
Ability Mastery - Increases the creature's usage of certain special abilities
Added Damage - Adds damage to both weapons and natural attacks of the creature
Equip Armor - Allows monster to equip armor. Every level adds ST to all armor the creature wears
Equip Weapons - Allows monster to equip weapons. Every level increases the strike chance
Fighter Tactics - Allows monster to learn Warrior Tactics
Keen Initiative - Similar to Improved Initiative, increases initiative per level
Manipulation Magic - Allows monster to only learn manipulation spells from Illusion
Natural Weapons - Increases the strike chance of the creature's natural attacks
Perception - Combines listen, search, and spot for the creature
Physics Control - Allows monster to learn Super Force techniques
Psionic Caster - Allows monster to learn Psychic powers
Red Magic - Allows monster to learn both Black and white magics
Two Weapons - Similar to Two-Weapon Fighting, allows creature to utilize an off-hand weapon
[edit] Attribute Skills
Each bonus per level is dependent on the creature it is applied to. These are not based off of LVL attributes and a creature can effectively have an uncapped amount of levels at any one time.
Absorber - Increases base PGEN for every level
Augur - Increases base PE for every level
Body Resistant - Increases base DEF for every level
Brainpower - Increases base LVL for every level
Element Protection - Increases a specific resistant for the creature
Haul - Increases base Carry for every level
Immunities - Increases base Saves for every level
Magic Barrier - Increases base MGD for every level
Natural Recovery - Increases base HGEN for every level
Sprinter - Increases base SPD for every level
Tougher - Increases base HP for every level
[edit] Natural Attacks
Many creatures possess natural attacks. Instead of listing the attacks to each individual creature, this list covers most, if not all, the attacks a creature can know. If a creature knows the particular attack, it will be listed under the creature's stats. Each creature also has a unique attack that is special for them to use.
Bite - Bites with a powerful jaw
Body Slam - Creature crushes or slams into a target with the force of its own weight and strength
Breath Weapon - A cone attack that lets loose a breath weapon such as a dragon's flame, venom, or other lung based attacks
Claws - The creature attacks with claws
Elemental Type - The creature is of pure element and gains a strength and weakness
Fly - Allows flying for a short duration in battle
Kick - The creature can power kick targets
Projectile Attack - The creature throws, launches, or shoots a part of its body at targets such as spines, bones, etc
Punch - Stiff arm, palm, or punches a target
Stinger - The creature comes equipped with a huge stinger that can be used to pierce targets
Tail Whip - Swipes targets in a cone with the creature's tail
Wing Clap - Winged creatures can use their powerful wings to smash, clip, and slice targets
[edit] Summonable Creatures
Alligator
Annihilator
Atrocity
Basilisk
Bear
Bilge Rat
Black Dragon
Blue Dragon
Bone Naga
Cave Spider
Chaos Elemental
Chimera
Copper Dragon
Crystal Dragon
Displacer Wyrm
Emerald Dragon
Giant Turtle
Giant Wasp
Gold Dragon
Green Dragon
Hydra
Ice Elemental
Land Wyrm
Large Rat
Lava Elemental
Light Elemental
Manticore
Monstrous Scorpion
Mummy
Physic Destroyer
Platinum Dragon
Prismatic Dragon
Psion Walker
Red Dragon
Rock Elemental
Ruby Dragon
Rune Golem
Sand Drake
Sapphire Dragon
Silver Dragon
Skeletal Invoker
Skeletal Mage
Skeleton
Spectre
Thunder Roc
Vine Elemental
Void Eater
Warp Hound
Wind Elemental
Wolf
Zombie
[edit] Monsters
As it has been laid out, a DM can use these "Summoned Creatures" as normal monsters or NPC's for his game without the need to make up his own. Certain rules are changed through the use of summoned creatures and typical monsters. While not listed in the group above, monsters have a "sub-type" that is determined by its pertaining Lore skill. For example, a skeleton is an Undead Sub-type. As a monster, this may mean that the creature is susceptible to curing spells and actually takes damage from positive energy. For summoned creatures however, it is easiest to assume it will not as the creature is already made of pure magic. Both these however, would be affected by the skill "Undead Lore" and be subject to bonus damage and strike if attacked by creatures with that lore.
With this ground work, any player can essentially make whatever foe they wish. These rules can be applied to all sorts of NPCs including mercenaries, hired cohorts, or even trained animals. For example, a human with Animal Training could find a Bilge Rat and train it to be a companion, or he could simply buy one. At this point, for obvious reasons, it is not a summoned creature, instead an actual companion. The death of this creature could completely devastate its master and the human may take special care in its growth and development.
[edit] Cohorts
Using the base provided for monsters, it is fairy simple to make cohorts for players to hire, travel with, or provide a service. Since Geomancy is skill point based, a single cohort can be increased to fit the player's needs. As such, these cohorts are painted with a broad brush with "starting", "mid-level", and end-game" cohorts that are easily customizable to fit where the group is. These points are not to determine where a player stands in ranks with a cohort or where they should be as far as skill points are concerned. Generally, these NPC's can cover a range of abilities, and can be changed as the DM needs. Humanoid is a bland statement, as such, the DM may wish to create an elven mercenary with a bonus to PE or whatever he sees fit.
[edit] Starting Cohorts
Starting Cohorts should have around (#) SP spent on skills, abilities, and the like that are not a part of the creature's base sets.
