Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Summoning

Arcane Power Excerpts: Summoning

Today's excerpt gives us a look at how summoning magic works in 4E and a couple of summoning spells.

A summoned creature appears within a range indicated in the power and is considered an ally. It has the same defenses and HP equal to the summoners bloodied value. The creatures speed is determined by the summoning power.

A summoned creature does not have any healing surges but its summoner can spend a healing surge for it if a power allows the creature to do so. If the summoned creature is destroyed at 0 HP, the summoner loses a healing surge. Summoned creatures last until the end of the encounter unless stated otherwise in the power entry or can be dismissed as a minor action.

Summoners must command their summoned creatures to attack which takes up an action according to the power. The attack is made using the summoners modifier but the damage is dealt according to the power. Some summoned creatures can also make skill checks which also uses the summoner's modifier. All summoned creatures can also be commanded with a minor action to perform general actions such as crawling, escape, fly, open or close a door or container, pick up or drop an item, run, stand up, shift, squeeze or walk.

While summoning spells are mostly daily powers, summoners also use conjurations which are either at-will or encounter powers. Conjurations don't have any HP value or needs to be command by the summoner but they cause an effect over a certain area over a shorter period of time like a summoned ally.

For examples, Astral Wasp (level 1, encounter) is a conjuration that occupies a square within the target's square and deals 1d10+Int damage to the target. Until the end of your next turn, if the target moves out of the occupied square or ends it turn more than 2 squares away away from the occupied square, it takes damage equal to your Con.

Summoners can Summon Fire Warrior (level 1, daily) which appears in an unoccupied square within 10 squares. The Fire Warrior has a fly speed of 6 and has +2 to AC and Fortitude. As a standard action, it can attack one creature with Int vs. Reflex for 1d8+Int fire damage. It can also make opportunity attacks to make the same attack.