Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

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RedGiant
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Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by RedGiant » Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:25 pm

So I just had a character summon a Death Slaad who went on an uncontrolled murderous rampage.

The engine said the summons "resists your control".

Obviously a scripted message would seem to indicate a feature...yet...what are the parameters here? Used to be just a plain old protection from alignment spell and you're good.

Is this a stealth update or did I miss it?
The GrumpyCat wrote:I CLICK THE HOSTIBLE BUTTON NOW U ARE DED!
Irongron wrote:The slaughter, i am afraid, will not abate.

Fionn
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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by Fionn » Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:06 am

Slaads suck. Seriously, even if it didn't agro the caster, they tend to drop AoE horrible with abandon. They should be restricted to Wild Mages only! Down with Slaad!
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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by Nitro » Wed Aug 29, 2018 12:11 am

Feature, it's in the "Summoning changes" article on the wiki:
Some summoning spells are random and may result in a variety of creatures. Others will have a specific result based on the alignment of the caster. However, a character that uses a -stream may force creatures from other alignments to come, though that incurs a failure chance in which the creature may turn hostile immediately upon summoning.

The chance is increased by 10% for each horizontal step beyond the first, and 10% for each vertical step away from the caster at a maximum of 30%.

That means that:

A LE character (bottom-left corner) would have 0% chance of failure at LE, but 10% at CE, 20% at CN, and 30% at CG.
A LG character would have 0% at LG and NG, but 10% at LN, CG and TN, 20% at LE, NE and CG, 30% at CE.

One can see the chance of hostility using the -stream command.

The three "protection from alignment" spells reduce this chance accordingly, 10% for the first, 20% for the second, and completely negating it with 30% at the third, provided you are warding against the alignment of the creature you intend to summon.
TLDR: Don't use slaad without protection if you're good or evil aligned.

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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by RedGiant » Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:44 am

I totally missed that. Thanks!

For reference...and specificity...what are the three "protection from alignment" spells? I.e. protection, circle, and aura? If so, that seems excessive (also...aura is cleric only). I could see one of the appropriate level...maybe scaling with the level of planar summoning.

Moreover, because the planar summons we currently have represented in game are overwhelmingly evil, doesn't this inordinately gimp good aligned summoners? Or is this something the 'hidden' streams have addressed?
The GrumpyCat wrote:I CLICK THE HOSTIBLE BUTTON NOW U ARE DED!
Irongron wrote:The slaughter, i am afraid, will not abate.

Bryce Silver-Wind
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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by Bryce Silver-Wind » Wed Aug 29, 2018 2:00 am

I believe the Streams have addressed this issue.

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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by Nitro » Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:28 am

RedGiant wrote:
Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:44 am
I totally missed that. Thanks!

For reference...and specificity...what are the three "protection from alignment" spells? I.e. protection, circle, and aura? If so, that seems excessive (also...aura is cleric only). I could see one of the appropriate level...maybe scaling with the level of planar summoning.

Moreover, because the planar summons we currently have represented in game are overwhelmingly evil, doesn't this inordinately gimp good aligned summoners? Or is this something the 'hidden' streams have addressed?
You only need to use the aura if you summon something in the opposite corner of the alignment spectrum, a LE summoning a CG creature for example. If you are neutral evil summoning a CG creature, it's only a 20% failure chance, therefore circle against alignment is enough. (If you're TN, you only ever need protection against alignment to summon creatures of any alignment).

Also what? Slaad aren't evil, archons are the literal opposite of evil.

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Re: Uncontrolled Summons - Bug or Feature?

Post by Ork » Wed Aug 29, 2018 3:17 pm

Slaad are totally evil xenomorphs. Anyone that thinks otherwise needs to rewatch Aliens.

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