Summons
Almost every summoning spell here scales with caster level: the same spell brings a stronger creature the higher your caster level. Most of them scale past caster level 26 only if you have the matching Spell Focus.
This page is about spell summons. A Wizard's familiar and a Druid's animal companion are a separate system with its own scaling - see familiars and animal companions.
How many you can have
A summoning spell fills your summon slot: one at a time, as in the base game.
The two epic summons - Mummy Dust and Dragon Knight - fill that slot too, except for these characters:
For them the epic summon arrives as a henchman, so it stands beside an ordinary summon: two creatures out at once.
Only one epic summon at a time. Casting a second one while the first is alive is refused, with a message, and the use is given back.
The scaling rule
Where a spell scales, it works the same way throughout:
- The creature improves at fixed caster levels.
- Past a certain point each further grade needs a Spell Focus feat - Spell Focus for the first, Greater Spell Focus for the next, Epic Spell Focus for the last.
- Without the feat, the scaling stops at the last grade you qualify for. Nothing fails and there is no warning; you keep getting the weaker creature.
- A Druid's summons are one grade ahead of an arcane caster's at the same caster level on Summon Creature I to IX, Elemental Swarm, Mummy Dust and Dragon Knight. This applies when you cast as a Druid, or when Druid is your main class. No other summon on this page changes for a Druid.
Gate: read this before you cast it
Gate summons a Balor if you are evil and a Solar if you are good. If you are neutral it is 50% Balor, 50% Solar.
If a Balor comes and none of these is active on you, it turns on you: Protection from Evil, Magic Circle against Evil or Holy Aura. You take damage equal to half your current hit points as magic damage, and nothing is summoned.
Duration: 1 turn (1 minute) per 4 caster levels. The creature improves at 26, then at 31 / 36 / 40 with Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus and Epic Spell Focus (Conjuration).
The epic summons
Mummy Dust and Dragon Knight both start at their base grade and improve at 26, 36 and 40, each step needing Spell Focus, then Greater, then Epic. Mummy Dust accepts a focus in either Conjuration or Necromancy. Dragon Knight needs Conjuration.
Dragon Knight summons a Draconic Warrior, not a dragon.
When an epic summon fills your summon slot, it lasts 30 turns (30 minutes).
Uses per day: Mummy Dust is 1, +1 for every 20 levels of Druid, Cleric, Sorcerer or Wizard. Dragon Knight is 1, +1 at level 40.
Elementals
Summon Creature IX and Elemental Swarm run through 6 grades: up to caster level 20, then 21, 26, 31, 36 and 40. The last three need Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus and Epic Spell Focus (Conjuration) respectively. Without any of them the scaling stops at the level 26 grade.
Undead
| Spell | Grade changes at caster level |
|---|---|
| Animate Dead | 6, 10 - Skeleton Warrior, Skeleton Chieftain, Doom Knight |
| Create Undead | 12, 14, 16, 21, then 26 with Spell Focus (Necromancy) |
| Create Greater Undead | 14, 16, 21, 26 (Spell Focus (Necromancy)), then 31 with Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy) |
Create Undead climbs Doom Knight, Lich Apprentice, Lich, Master Lich, Fallen Priest, and finally an Epic Fallen Priest. Create Greater Undead starts one grade higher and ends on a Legendary Fallen Hero.
A Pale Master's own greater undead scales with Pale Master levels: it improves at 10, 15 and 20, and then at 25 and 30 only with the Epic Summon Fallen Angel feat.
Planar allies
Lesser Planar Binding, Planar Ally, Planar Binding and Greater Planar Binding each have two modes:
- Aimed at an outsider: the target is paralysed for 1 round (6 seconds) per 2 caster levels unless it makes a Will saving throw.
- Aimed at the ground: you call an ally of your own. Your alignment decides which kind of outsider answers.
| Spell | Grade changes at caster level |
|---|---|
| Lesser Planar Binding | 12, 15, 18, 21 |
| Planar Ally / Planar Binding | 15, 18, 21, then 26 with Spell Focus (Conjuration) |
| Greater Planar Binding | 18, 21, 26 (Spell Focus), then 31 with Greater Spell Focus (Conjuration) |
Other summons
Blackguard's Fiendish Servant scales with Blackguard levels. It improves at 10, 15 and 20, and then at 25 and 30 only with the Epic Fiendish Servant feat, which also grants +1 use per day. While the servant is out it carries an aura that gives its master +1 dodge AC per 10 Blackguard levels, for as long as the master stays inside it.
Black Blade of Disaster: its enhancement, damage and base statistics scale with the caster's casting ability - Intelligence for a Wizard, Charisma for a Sorcerer. It still needs a Concentration check each round to keep it up.
The summon-shadow option of Shades, Shadow Conjuration and Greater Shadow Conjuration brings a Shadow Mastiff up to caster level 6 and a Shadow Fiend from 7. The Shadow Fiend improves again at 11, 15 and 21 - the last being an Ancient Shadow Fiend.
The Shadowdancer's Summon Shadow scales with Shadowdancer levels. It improves at 10, 15 and 20, and then at 25 and 30 only with the Epic Shadowlord feat.