Summoned Shadows (Shades, etc.)

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Wytchee
Arelith Silver Supporter
Arelith Silver Supporter
Posts: 875
Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:37 pm

Summoned Shadows (Shades, etc.)

Post by Wytchee » Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:56 pm

I really love these. They're so thematic and just down right cool! But they're also utterly useless!

I know Peppermint has said in the past that these are supposed to be used to buy the caster some time, or as a buffer between the caster and the mobs. But in practice, there's very little actual use for these summons, and even less reason to slot Shades over any of the other very useful sixth circle spells. Add on the fact that the Shades subspells cannot be extended, and that the shadows dismiss any proper summon you currently have out, and you're better off just slotting mass hastes like every other wizard out there.

So my suggestions for these summons are these:

- keep them more or less as they are in terms of mechanical power and scaling. They shouldn't match a necromancer's vampires in power, certainly. But perhaps give them the ability to pierce DR, at least (if they don't already).

- set them to be 3 rounds/level for casters with Greater Illusion focus, and 1 turn/level for Epic Focus.

In no way should every school of magic have potent summons readily available. I think the shadows fill the niche fairly well without supplanting proper summons, as it should be. But their durations need to be extended to make them worth the spellslot.

That's all. Thanks!
Current character: Abigail Duskwood

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