Strategic Use of "Summon Monster" in Pathfinder

Most Pathfinder players have come across the summon monster spell list at some point in their careers. Whether it was dealing with a campaign villain who called upon summoned creatures to fight for them, or as a spellcaster who attempted to do the same, it's a fairly common spell. Given that it takes a full-round action to cast (in most cases), and that the monsters one can call never seem to be quite up to the task of carrying a fight, it tends to feel like a subpar use of one's actions in combat unless you have some serious time to prepare.

However, with a little bit of strategy, this spell (and class features or spell-like abilities that mimic this spell such as the one gained by summoners, and by clerics and warpriests of certain domains) can make a huge difference when it comes to how difficult a battle becomes.

Let's get crafty, shall we?

Giving Your Summoned Monsters a Hand Up

When most of us think of summoned monsters, we tend to think of front-line baddies that stand between us, and our enemies. Whether they're as bodyguards for you, or for the bad guy, they exist on the field for a round per caster level, or until they're beaten down to the point that they poof out of existence. And in some circumstances a summoned creature can act as a battering ram, hammering into an enemy's formation and wrecking havoc.

But it is very rare that a summoned monster is going to prove more powerful than you and your companions. At least without a little help.

You called me all the way up from hell for this?

For example, let's take a low-level summoned monster like a lemure. This devil's natural attack isn't anything to write home about (it does a d4 and some change damage), and its bonus to hit isn't that great. However, it's got a pretty beefy chunk of hit points, and it's got damage reduction that's going to be tough for low-level enemies to overcome. It's also immune to fire and mind affecting effects, and it has the see in darkness ability that will allow it to function even in magical darkness.

So, in short, we have a meat shield. It's not likely to do a lot of damage all on its own, but it can take a pounding.

But let's say your party has a bard, or a skald. If their music starts going, the lemure is going to get the bonuses from song of courage or the raging song along with other allies. If the sorcerer casts haste, then the lemure can get all those benefits, too. If the tiefling in the party casts darkness on themselves, the lemure can wade right in hacking and slashing without being negatively affected by the lowered light condition in that area, but while also benefiting from the miss chance on attacks that target it.

As I said in Vulgar Displays of Power: Tips For Getting The Most Out of Your Magic in Pathfinder, if your party is slinging around buff spells that improve all your allies, you're going to quickly notice that your summoned creatures are far more effective when they get caught in the power up fields.

You Don't Always Need The Biggest, Baddest Bruisers

If you are willing to crunch the numbers, and to memorize all the creatures you could summon at any given level, you will likely be able to select something that is appropriate for any particular fight. However, it's important to remember that summoned monsters don't necessarily have to be front-line combatants. Sometimes they are the ones who provide support.

Worry not... I am here to help.

At their absolute most basic, a summoned monster can provide important positioning bonuses on the battlefield. Even if it's something small, it still threatens a space. That means the creature can move into a flanking position, granting an ally a +2 bonus to hit their target (and, if the ally is a rogue, a slayer, etc., ensuring the ally gets their sneak attack off). The monster may not be able to hit the enemy's armor class, but they could use the aid another action to provide an additional +2 to either the ally's armor class, or their next attack.

That last one can get particularly nuts if you have several small monsters all providing aid another bonuses.

Sometimes you'll actually get more bang for your buck using a monster's spell-like abilities, or their senses to help you on the field. A hound archon, for example, has an aura of menace that goes off automatically against any enemy within the area of effect, and if they fail they're shaken until they hit the archon. That can provide a serious benefit if you need enemies to fail some saving throws. More importantly, a hound archon is one of several celestial creatures who permanently exude an aura that acts as magic circle against evil. So if your allies need bonuses against attacks from evil creatures, or you want to be sure that no mind control effects can take hold, a hound archon is an ideal ally even if all it does is stand nearby and supervise. When you add in that you can summon it into the thick of the battlefield, putting itself and its aura where it's most needed, that can be a particularly useful trick.

Especially since it frees you up to cast other spells, and take other actions on your turn.

Also, though it can sometimes make us feel bad, let us not forget that sometimes the most important role a summoned monster can serve is to take the hit so that the PCs don't have to. Whether it's opening a door you know is trapped, or running straight into an attack of opportunity so the fighter can close on their turn, it's important to remember that sacrificing a pawn can often net you a much bigger advantage in the larger game of strategy between you and your enemies.

And if it helps, summoned monsters don't die when their hit points run out. They just poof back to where they came from, which can make for interesting roleplaying between you and your occasional allies when you call on them once more as I mentioned in Make NPCs Part of Your Story (It Makes Everything More Interesting).

Preparation is The Key

When it comes to getting the most out of your summoned monsters, you need to make sure you bring the right monster to the right fight. If you need a tank, if you need a shield, if you need a striker, or if you need a flanker, it's important to keep note cards on-hand with the most appropriate monsters so you can just whip them out at a moment's notice. Feats like augment summoning won't go amiss, either, if you intend on calling on others to do your fighting for you. Just remember that enemies may have protection from X spells as well, which can limit your monsters' abilities to close with them.

However, just as important, is discussions among your party about strategy, and what you can do. Because you might be able to pull an army out of your hat... but if you can get the bard, the skald, the cleric, the sorcerer, or any others with buff spells up their sleeves to wait until you field those allies, the sum of your spells together is going to be a lot more impressive when all is said and done.

Like, Share, and Follow For More!

That's all for this week's Crunch topic! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio! Or if you'd like to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well! And if you'd like to help support me and my work, consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron! Even a little bit of help can go a long way, trust me on that one.