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Non-elemental arcane summons preferences

Are any so good that they ought to be taken, in your experience? I find myself consistently underwhelmed by the spell duration and the monsters summoned. I sometimes take one or two at lower levels for quick-cast meatshields if my main summons are dying too quickly, but I don't really use them for damage or long-term tanking. Since I mostly play HoF, duration is quite important, and the lesser HP of the shadow/demi-shadow type of summons makes those less helpful.
Yigor

Comments

  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    Animate Dead, duration: 8 hours! ?
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    edited October 2021
    I try to avoid the excessive use of summons in IWD. Otherwise, it becomes too easy, even on HoF. ?
    Post edited by Yigor on
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    conjure animals is also an amazing level 6 druid spell ( if clerics are lucky they might get it as well ) those mountain bears hit as if they had +4 weapons, and they hit hard and fast
    StummvonBordwehr
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    Lmao - it would appear the consensus is that divine casters have far better summons, and there are no hidden gems among the arcane summons.
    Balrog99
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    edited October 2021
    Aerich wrote: »
    Lmao - it would appear the consensus is that divine casters have far better summons, and there are no hidden gems among the arcane summons.

    At high levels, U can try something like lvl 9 Gate spell, summoning a Pit Fiend for 33 rounds. ?

    N.B. There is 1 Gate scroll in TotL. ?
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    Aerich wrote: »
    Lmao - it would appear the consensus is that divine casters have far better summons, and there are no hidden gems among the arcane summons.

    well to be honest the elemental summons are the best arcane ones, and you asked for summons that weren't the elementals

    in fact, even for the priests the elementals are the best summons

    the only real hidden gem amongst the arcane ones would probably be the invisible stalker, they have very low AC and are immune to all mind influencing effects, in fact, they make better mind flayer killers than skeleton warriors thanks to their incredible AC

    so if you want to try a new arcane summon, try invisible stalkers and see how they treat you

    or you could try carrion summons and then cast champion's strength on it and an improved haste and watch it paralyze all yer foes no sweat with it's 8 APR and if your cleric is level 12 it will make your carrion crawler's thac0 8 with some decent hitting power to boot

    this can also work with the spider spawn spell, casting champions strength plus improved haste, also gives it 8 APR, with some decent to hit, and with 8 APR that is going to be some decent damage
    AerichStummvonBordwehr
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    Thanks, Sarevok57! That’s more like what I was looking for. I wasn’t aware that the stalkers were mind-immune, that might help against greater mummies and the like. Good call on the carrion summons too.

    Has the spider spawn bug been fixed?
    sarevok57
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    Yigor wrote: »
    Aerich wrote: »
    Lmao - it would appear the consensus is that divine casters have far better summons, and there are no hidden gems among the arcane summons.

    At high levels, U can try something like lvl 9 Gate spell, summoning a Pit Fiend for 33 rounds. ?

    N.B. There is 1 Gate scroll in TotL. ?

    That’s a good one, but I’ve always been hesitant to burn level 9 slots on a summons. Don’t you miss out on the xp for what it kills?
    Yigor
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    Also, clerics get Gate at level 7. And they have the area-effect version of Protection from Evil to use it better with a party.

    Summons you control directly grant experience for what they kill, though it's not credited to any individual character. Summons you don't control such as demons don't grant experience for their kills.
    Aerich wrote: »
    Has the spider spawn bug been fixed?

    Still active in 2.6. There's a quick "drop in override" fix available here.
    sarevok57Yigor
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    jmerry wrote: »
    Summons you don't control such as demons don't grant experience for their kills.

    Not a major problem in IWD on HoF imho, there are tons of XP anyway. ?
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    I'm a greedy guts when it comes to xp, unless I'm already maxed out. I rarely play evil clerics - I prefer Heal to Gate. But it's a nasty summons with halfway decent duration.
  • StummvonBordwehrStummvonBordwehr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 1,343
    I have always been fond of the aerial servant. It packs a punch and can stand up for itself - it lasts 1 turn per level, which is decent.

    In one of the first play through, where a player dualed his cleric of lathander at level 29, he summoned a bunch of these before dualing (and cashed in some postponed quests) for an easy time after the dual.
    sarevok57Yigor
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    I have always been fond of the aerial servant. It packs a punch and can stand up for itself - it lasts 1 turn per level, which is decent.

    In one of the first play through, where a player dualed his cleric of lathander at level 29, he summoned a bunch of these before dualing (and cashed in some postponed quests) for an easy time after the dual.

    I have done that too. Aerial Servants are a solo cleric's best friend, and useful from the time you get access to them through the endgame. The point is, though, with respect to the original topic, is that they seem to be far better than any arcane summons available, when you consider ability to control them, duration, weapon immunity, and hitting power. Considering when you get access to them, they are in the conversation for best summons in the game on a pound-for-pound basis - IMO with Stalkers, elementals, beetles, and animate dead.
    StummvonBordwehr
  • alex750alex750 Member Posts: 6
    edited October 2021
    I love insect summons: bombardiers beetles can stun (in several of my runs they stunned Yxunomei), phase spiders can deal 3 points of poison damage per second
    StummvonBordwehrAerich
  • AerichAerich Member Posts: 159
    alex750 wrote: »
    I love insect summons: bombardiers beetles can stun (in several of my runs they stunned Yxunomei), phase spiders can deal 3 points of poison damage per second

    Boring beetles also do great damage, relative to when you get access to this summons, and all beetles have good DR to non-crushing damage, which increases their tanking potential, along with the eight hour duration.

    From the roleplay perspective, one could also argue that it's morally superior to summon insects to their doom instead of higher orders (animals, humanoids).
    StummvonBordwehr
  • ZaxaresZaxares Member Posts: 1,325
    Aerich wrote: »
    From the roleplay perspective, one could also argue that it's morally superior to summon insects to their doom instead of higher orders (animals, humanoids).

    Verminmaster Druids would like to have a word with you. ;) (And by word I mean several dozen sub-dermal encounters with flesh-eating scarabs. >:) )
  • UnsanityUnsanity Member Posts: 54
    I know this is a year later, in some forums I would be a necroposter, but I would say Animate Dead hands down. In early levels it does great damage as you do your own and later on it's a good distraction and fodder for aoe spells. It can be a nice wall vs melee to get in that one or two heals that can make all the difference in living or wiping. I love that spell so much. Thank goodness it's only level 3 too.
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