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.

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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!

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5 Low-Level Debuff Spells That Never Stop Being Useful (in Pathfinder)

One of the unfortunate facts about magic in Pathfinder is that all too often spells simply don't scale in power along with your character level. Which means a lot of the time that when you start hitting the final arc of the campaign, you can end up never touching your low-level spell slots... after all, they just don't have anything to contribute when you're going up against ancient wizards of obscene powers, or colossal dragons who can smash mountains to dust with a swipe of their tails.

With that said, though, there are a few low-level tricks that are worth keeping up your sleeve. Just in case.

There. That should put a cramp in your style.

If you're a fan of debuffing spells, then here are a few that you should hang onto no matter your level, because they're always going to be good to have on hand... they just won't end encounters are higher levels the way they can when you're at the start of the campaign.

#1: Adhesive Spittle

Well, this won't end well for anyone...

Out of all the cheese we got to play with in the Advanced Class Guide, this spell remains one of my favorite additions. A first level conjuration spell, adhesive spittle is basically a magical tanglefoot bag that you spit out for an automatic hit. The difference is that you can hold the spell for 1 round/level before the spitting happens (it's only got a 15-foot reach), and the save DCs and attempts to get out of the goo are modified to reflect your spell DCs rather than what's standard in the book. That can be a big benefit as the game goes on, especially if you are specialized in conjuration.

The benefits of this spell, aside from not requiring an attack roll to hit, are that being entangled can seriously hurt an enemy's effectiveness. It cuts movement in half, even if the target isn't stuck to the ground, and they can't charge. They also take a -2 on attacks, and a -4 penalty on Dexterity (so a -4 overall to attacks from Dex-based enemies, but also things like reducing the Reflex save and AC, which can come in quite handy). Spellcasters who are entangled also need to make Concentration checks, which probably isn't a huge deal at higher levels, but every little bit helps. This spell also doesn't allow spell resistance, which is a big deal when you start hitting a lot of foes with SR.

It's not overkill, though, because it has all the same limitations as a tanglefoot bag. It can be torn apart, broken, or removed by the target, which removes the penalty easily, but still eats up actions and time. Additionally, it only lasts for 2d4 rounds once deployed, and it can't affect any creatures bigger than Large size. It's also ignored by freedom of movement, and spells which grant similar effects, which a DM might start tossing in if you liberally use this one. Still, within those limitations, it's a handy way to toss a spanner into the enemy's gears.

#2: Web Bolt

Speaking of things that aren't good for your enemies...

Something that came to us out of the Advanced Race Guide, web bolt is basically a one-target version of the web spell. In addition to being a 1st-level spell, web bolt also takes up significantly less of the battlefield, while still inconveniencing the subject of the spell in question.

This spell also doesn't require an attack roll, but targets do get a Reflex save. If they fail, however, they now have the grappled condition (which gives them a -4 penalty to Dexterity and a -2 to attack rolls except for attempts to break a grapple, and it prevents them from doing anything that requires 2 hands... they're also stuck in place). There's a concentration check for spellcasters who get grappled, as most wizards out there know. It also allows no spell resistance, and unlike adhesive spittle doesn't have a size restriction, so that can come in handy when your monster is just too damn big to actually use a tanglefoot bag on.

While this spell technically lasts for minutes per level, the creature can try to break free every turn with a CMB or Escape Artist check. While the negatives might stop them (especially if they have other debuffs on top of being grappled), you're still eating up their actions as they try to get free. A solid use for a low-level spell slot.

#3: Touch of Gracelessness

Fall down, go boom.

While most of us think of ray of enfeeblement as the go-to 1st level nasty debuff, in my book touch of gracelessness hurts so much worse. Brought to us in the Advanced Player's Guide, this transmutation spell gives you a much bigger bang for your buck. Short version is that you make a melee touch attack, and you inflict 1d6 + 1 per 2 caster levels (maximum 1d6 + 5) penalty on the target's Dexterity. If the target moves more than half their speed, they fall prone, and if they fly, they reduce their maneuverability category by one. It lasts for 1 round/level.

Now, the target gets a Fortitude save to resist this, which will cut the penalty in half. But at level 10 (the last time you'd get an increase), you can roll a minimum of 6, with a save that's at least a -3 penalty to their Dexterity. If you roll well, and they don't, it's a -11 penalty to their Dexterity, and that can be game changing. It represents a lowered attack in many cases, lowered AC, lowered Reflex saves, inability to run away... that target has become a sitting duck. And when combined with the two debuffs we've covered already, this could quickly become a nightmare in a one v. party throw down.

But there are hefty risks involved. The first is that you have to make a melee touch, and that is especially bad at higher levels when you are squishy, and monster is dangerous. However, if you can sneak up unseen (or deliver the spell before the enemy can react) you may be able to abscond with your win. You could also have the spell delivered by a familiar, by the spectral hand spell, or by using the Reach Spell feat, or a metamagic rod. The spell also needs to actually get through spell resistance, which can be a pain at higher levels (though the potential reward can certainly be worth it).

#4: Frostbite

Baby, it's cold out here...

First debuted along with the magus in Ultimate Magic, this spell doesn't seem like that big of a deal. A touch attack that deals 1d6 + 1 point per caster level of non-lethal cold damage, it also bestows the fatigued condition onto any target as long as that damage persists. This spell is never going to be a big deal to a high-level monster's hit points... but that's not why you cast it.

For those not familiar, fatigue is a nasty condition. A creature cannot run or charge while fatigued, and it imposes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. And doing anything that would cause you to become fatigued instead renders you exhausted, which is a whole separate pile of particularly gross fish.

Now, that's only a -1 to Reflex saves and AC, to attacks (since we're hitting Strength and Dexterity both), and a minor issue with movements. It's not a huge deal, especially considering that it allows spell resistance, and you've once again got to get close enough to actually touch the target (or use one of the other methods of delivering the spell). It also won't work on creatures immune to fatigue, like undead, constructs, and the like. However, it's a nice bit of middle finger icing on the cake, and it can help stack just one more straw onto a target to help ensure they can't do as much damage to the party as they otherwise might. Additionally, and this is the really sneaky use, frostbite is a great way to mess with barbarians. Because more often than not they lack the ability to Rage while fatigued, which might allow you to shut off one of their main powers before they can hit the party like a truck... if your initiative is fast enough, anyway.

#5: Mudball

And here's mud in your eye!

Another one out of the Advanced Race Guide, mudball feels like one of those useless, gimmicky spells that only goblins toss your way in low level encounters. A conjuration spell with a close range, any target actually hit with a ranged touch attack is immediately blinded. They can make a Reflex save on their turn, or spend a standard action wiping the mud off their face on their turn, and as soon as they do, boom, the blinded effect ends.

However, the question is what can your party do between the time the mud ball lands, and the time the enemy wipes it off their face.

Because when a target is blind, they take a -2 penalty to their AC, and lose whatever Dexterity bonus they had to their AC. Your party is considered to have total concealment against them, meaning the target can't take attacks of opportunity while the others move into position. It also lets folks with sneak attack roll all of their dice when attacking the blinded creature. It makes them easy to hit with other effects while their guard is down, and best of all mudball doesn't allow spell resistance. So even if the bad guy shakes off the ball first thing on their turn, you've still got everything else that could happen. And if they don't manage to clear their vision with the Reflex save, you've also eaten up their standard action to wipe the mud out of their eyes... that's a big win at higher levels when they might instead have cast a devastating spell, or taken a dozen attacks against the party.

As with anything else, it's not a universal win. Creatures that have blindsight (dragons in particular) aren't going to be impacted at all. Enemies who have Uncanny Dodge or similar abilities may be able to fight blind, being down but certainly not out just because they can't see. Still, there are far more enemies who need their eyes than there are those who don't in the course of any given campaign.

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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.