Summons duration

[HellsPanda]

true as an RP tool they lack alot, but if the duration is to be increased, it should be in a manner that would require the char to actually invest something in it
like shadowthrone's feat idea

[Bad_Bud]

I'm not sure what a summon would add to RP that a familiar couldn't.  You can't even talk through them.

[Metal_ash]

A Cleric/Sorceress/Wizard preform a ritual to bring forth his summon is one sort of RP, The RP to be a master Necromancer and bring forth his undead minion is another on, RP around a summon as i see it has no limits really as, the only limitation here is your own fantasy of what can be RP around a summon or not.
As always only my opinion on it as it is now, if not high level or as mentioned has improved duration on it and with that a good level to back it up your summons disappear almost as fast as they was summoned.

Yes i do know you can just click on one button and the summon is there ready to do your will, but it ain't as cool as when you actually preform a ritual to bring forth your summon and it is in such times the limited duration is rather boring.

[Purist]

Seems that the majority(so far) of the community would like to have longer durations. Uhm... Let's keep voting people!

I'm aware of that Heretic 

[Heretic]

Just a note: These things aren't considered on a majority voting decision though, just to make that clear. Its the pulse, however don't be disappointed if development deemed the durations fine weighing in other factors.

[Purist]

I know the results of the Voting won't influence the Dev team, but I'd like to see the feedback from my fellow players here. Keep voting people!

[failed.bard]

  MS 1 should probably be 1 hour + 1 hour/level.
  MS 2 should probably be 1 hour + 1 turn/level.  (This is due only to animal domain clerics getting dire wolves with this spell)

  Summons durations for everything beyond MS 2 are fine.  Skeleton chieftiens and helmed horrors are absolute monsters, so is the dire tiger and dire wolf when buffed.  The planar allies blow all their spells in the first 30 seconds to a minute most times, so they only need a minute to two to do all the killing they're going to.
  Gate is destruction on a level you shouldn't even be allowed to have in this setting, though watching a Balor stomp on high demonologists that irked you is really gratifying.

[Amon-Si]

Possibly link Duration to foci? All casters with summons can get foci so everyone would have the same chance for this.
I'm not good with the actual numbers, but say...

Focus: +50% duration

Greater Focus: +100% duration,

Both stack with extend spell?

[Bad_Bud]

  MS 1 should probably be 1 hour + 1 hour/level.
  MS 2 should probably be 1 hour + 1 turn/level.  (This is due only to animal domain clerics getting dire wolves with this spell)

  Summons durations for everything beyond MS 2 are fine.  Skeleton chieftiens and helmed horrors are absolute monsters, so is the dire tiger and dire wolf when buffed.  The planar allies blow all their spells in the first 30 seconds to a minute most times, so they only need a minute to two to do all the killing they're going to.
  Gate is destruction on a level you shouldn't even be allowed to have in this setting, though watching a Balor stomp on high demonologists that irked you is really gratifying.

...what are you talking about?  I thought MS stood for Mordenkainen's Sword.  Let's not use abbreviated spell names from now on... 

[ethinos]

Monster Summoning, I expect.

Possibly link Duration to foci? All casters with summons can get foci so everyone would have the same chance for this.
I'm not good with the actual numbers, but say...

Focus: +50% duration

Greater Focus: +100% duration,

Both stack with extend spell?

Um, I'd like to see the special feat of the Pale Master, where you get one animate dead per day to actually be of useful length. As it is, its little more than a cheapo cannon fodder spell at low levels, which being prestige levels means that its going to be weak for a loooong time. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind seeing focus or greater focus just adding +25% for each level. Foci are pretty easy to get, so I don't want to see them overpoweringly affecting the summon spells.

[failed.bard]

  MS 1 should probably be 1 hour + 1 hour/level.
  MS 2 should probably be 1 hour + 1 turn/level.  (This is due only to animal domain clerics getting dire wolves with this spell)

  Summons durations for everything beyond MS 2 are fine.  Skeleton chieftiens and helmed horrors are absolute monsters, so is the dire tiger and dire wolf when buffed.  The planar allies blow all their spells in the first 30 seconds to a minute most times, so they only need a minute to two to do all the killing they're going to.
  Gate is destruction on a level you shouldn't even be allowed to have in this setting, though watching a Balor stomp on high demonologists that irked you is really gratifying.

...what are you talking about?  I thought MS stood for Mordenkainen's Sword.  Let's not use abbreviated spell names from now on... 

Monster Summoning 1, and Monster Summoning 2.  I abbreviate Mordenkainen's Sword to helmed horror.

[Dreaderick]

Like Engelfire mentioned, with the current rate at which feats are gained, everyone could spare two to get Greater Focus in summoning related spells. I think the durations for combat summons are fine as it is. You can already extend powerful summons like the Skeleton Chieftain or the Direwolf and they'll last throughout a battle.

However, using summons as part of RP is pretty useless atm. It has been suggested before in a different thread, but I would like to repeat it here again. Will it be possible to make an RP version of the different summons that are equivalent to a 1HD creature, without any abilities, but with an extended duration of 1 hour/level? That way, the necromancer can have fun with his minions and the conjurer and blackguard can have fun with their demons. They'll be decorative summons, usable only for RP and to enhance moods.

[engelfire]

hm well when vino and bernard summoned things for their own needs, we asked that dm would replace the summoned creature with their own version of it, thus it wouldnt vanish anywhere and dm was doing the rp for the creature

id say use the aid of a dm if one is present, that way there can also be a pretty good boost in athmosphere when the summon aint just standing there and waiting you to emote for it

[Dreaderick]

hm well when vino and bernard summoned things for their own needs, we asked that dm would replace the summoned creature with their own version of it, thus it wouldnt vanish anywhere and dm was doing the rp for the creature

id say use the aid of a dm if one is present, that way there can also be a pretty good boost in athmosphere when the summon aint just standing there and waiting you to emote for it

That requires a lot of DM attention...

Perhaps it is possible to have a 1HD roleplay summon that can be used as a sockpuppet with the @familiar command? That way you don't need any DMs for the emoting and interacting.

[engelfire]

Not really, depends on situation, always worked well on vino and bernard. We aint summoning things all the time so we dont stress dm's too much with that. All im saying is that theres ways to improvise so that dev's dont have to waste time on creating the whole summon spells again, only to bring forth a 1HD creature that people emote

[wags the tail]

im sure some friendly dm will help you with the summon when you ask, so much more fun, and really doesnt take much time unless you plan to have the summoned thing hang around some cave all day?