Summons In Depth

[Burninator]

Had a quick play with the new summons out in the Vale (no augment summons).
Nothing scientific but here are a few observations.

The Air Ele (VIII) behaves like the old Air eles and anything in range is constantly making knockdown saves. Vale mobs (tested on trogs, spiders, bats, ogres, rakshasa, scorpions, rats) will spend 90% of their time knocked flat. It appears to chase anything not currently knocked down. Very little dps (chain lightning occasionally) but excellent CC abilities.

The Ghaele will win 1:1 any fight in the Vale including named mobs. It's ability to heal outstrips creature dps although that would be different in instances. You cannot target the it while in orb form but if you target it when you first summon it will stay targeted allowing you to watch health levels. Doesn't melee just spams searing light with hold monster now and then.

Fire Ele took out a 4 rat pack ending with 50% health. So it appears that it has normal elemental DR X/-. Will put out significant AoE dps (for a summon).

[Dunfalach]

Have the hostile mephit summons and the worg victims been bug reported? That's a pretty major bug for an otherwise very interesting set of options. Also, are the summons/victims hostile to *you*, or just to other party members? And are they hostile to the summon that summoned them?

Those questions aside, I love that they've added new options. Maybe someday we'll get the ability to summon more than one and my dreams of a viable summoner build shall come true. :>

[Kazasu]

Have the hostile mephit summons and the worg victims been bug reported? That's a pretty major bug for an otherwise very interesting set of options. Also, are the summons/victims hostile to *you*, or just to other party members? And are they hostile to the summon that summoned them?

Those questions aside, I love that they've added new options. Maybe someday we'll get the ability to summon more than one and my dreams of a viable summoner build shall come true. :>

And just maybe.. Just maybe.. We'll get a familiar or a cohort... <3 (Heart intended mostly toward cohort)

[Scraap]

Have the hostile mephit summons and the worg victims been bug reported? That's a pretty major bug for an otherwise very interesting set of options. Also, are the summons/victims hostile to *you*, or just to other party members? And are they hostile to the summon that summoned them?

Those questions aside, I love that they've added new options. Maybe someday we'll get the ability to summon more than one and my dreams of a viable summoner build shall come true. :>

Reminds me: Should note the metal mutts are still on the same chain as arcane summons. (WAI I believe, but has been a source of confusion for quite a few folks)

[sirdanile]

Have the hostile mephit summons and the worg victims been bug reported? That's a pretty major bug for an otherwise very interesting set of options. Also, are the summons/victims hostile to *you*, or just to other party members? And are they hostile to the summon that summoned them?

They act as if another enemy had summoned them, completely hostile to every player and anything on the players side.

*Edit* confirmed full heal on Ghaele.

"You must wait 1 day, 3 hours, and 16 minutes to swap spells again"

[SisAmethyst]

Missed the level 8 wizard ones in your list, so I provide them here:



Bezekira

Melee (bite/claw) and try to trip the enemy. Movement is medium/fast.

Greater Air Elemental

Mostly melee (blunt) and cast from time to time lightning bolt. Due to the knockdown effect the enemies in Redwillow spent all of their time on their butt, therefore very long lasting. In the Vale of Twilight it used knockdown very effective against Spiders, Scorpions and Ogres. Movement is medium/fast.

Orthon

Mostly melee (cleave) and fires regularly a salve of arrows to enemies. Teleport to enemies but the overall movement is slow.

PS: It is especially soloing with the summons of great use to cast mage armor, blur, greater heroism and haste on them as it will make their special ability like trip/knockdown more effective and further increase their durability.

[Angelus_dead]

Greater Air Elemental
Mostly melee (blunt) and cast from time to time lightning bolt. Due to the knockdown effect the enemies in Redwillow spent all of their time on their butt

That knockdown is something the devs will surely remove as soon as they notice.

PS: It is especially soloing with the summons of great use to cast mage armor

I wonder if Orthons are correctly immune to Mage Armor.

[SisAmethyst]

That knockdown is something the devs will surely remove as soon as they notice.


I wonder if Orthons are correctly immune to Mage Armor.

Well, the knockdown of the Greater Air Elemental is the major and only benefit of this Summon and compared to this the Ghaele is much more powerfull casting Hold Monster and Cometfall.

The Mage Armor was only mentioned in a general buff of summons. But it seems to work even on the Orthon which seems to be sadly necessary as it looks like he lack any decent armor or damage reduction.


3-4 red small scorpions in the Vale take the Orthon already out.

[Tumarek]

Yeah the Air ellies need to be nerfed... trips anything in amrath and sins (all i tried out). Cinder was an floor most of the time. All other things even longer. With 2 or 3 of these babies it would just be a pure massacre. Immune mobs are still immune though.

Even works a little on epic black loch, but it died very fast. A single mob was spending half the time on floor. Way too powerfull for a level 8 spell summon.

[sirdanile]

Greater Air Elemental



Spells: Ball Lightning (generally when surrounded)

Attacks: Knockdown: Remember the crazy pre nerf air ele? well it appears to be kindve like that except monsters don't get flung backasswards. Weak aoe melee, the damage seems to be whenever the ele moves around you.

Other: Movement Speed: Fast, single target damage is actually pretty respectable as they keep the single target on the ground the entire time and are able to provoke their aoe damage more often than if they had more targets, There are reports of being able to trip extremely powerful creatures permanently until death. Good crowd control but I foresee a nerf bat.

Orthon



Ahhhh our good buddy the orthon, lets see if he compares to the other devil summon the bearded devil.

Spells: None

Attacks: Melee Cleave, Repeating sonic crossbow (4 shots instead of 3), limited teleportation

Other: Slow Movement, Seems to have a twitch problem when standing still, relatively good damage, high hp.

[Visty]

wheres the sleeping bat? :/

[Chaosprism]

Seems the ones that SPAWN creatures need these spawns to be "neutral" aligned at least, if not on the same side as the spawner.


Umbral worg creating shadows on creature death is extremely cool. But the shadow spawn themselves need to be on the "neutral side" , the "worgs" side or a special "undead" side . Which means they wont attack any other undead (including palemaster in shroud form)

The mephits that get autosummoned need to also be aligned with the mephit or at least in the "neutral" category and attack anything.

[Dunfalach]

Seems the ones that SPAWN creatures need these spawns to be "neutral" aligned at least, if not on the same side as the spawner.


Umbral worg creating shadows on creature death is extremely cool. But the shadow spawn themselves need to be on the "neutral side" , the "worgs" side or a special "undead" side . Which means they wont attack any other undead (including palemaster in shroud form)

The mephits that get autosummoned need to also be aligned with the mephit or at least in the "neutral" category and attack anything.

Just as an FYI, I did point the coordinator for Lamannia at this thread, just to be sure they were aware of the issue being raised, since it appeared in the midst of the thread.

[Angelus_dead]

The mephits that get autosummoned need to also be aligned with the mephit or at least in the "neutral" category and attack anything.

Mephits are supposed to get an anti-summoning debuff as soon as they're summoned.

[Orratti]

Very nice. Summon spells were very weak. I'm glad to see some work done on them.

[zorander6]

Lets check with the judges
9
9
9
6
9


/me shoots the Silver flame judge....


9's all around on this one. I like being able to choose a summon and the bearded devil cleared Deadgirl's spellbook pretty quickly. All I had to do was throw some levers.......

[Scraap]

Seems the ones that SPAWN creatures need these spawns to be "neutral" aligned at least, if not on the same side as the spawner.


Umbral worg creating shadows on creature death is extremely cool. But the shadow spawn themselves need to be on the "neutral side" , the "worgs" side or a special "undead" side . Which means they wont attack any other undead (including palemaster in shroud form)

The mephits that get autosummoned need to also be aligned with the mephit or at least in the "neutral" category and attack anything.

While an interesting notion, that puts them roughly at the same utility level as create undead. How often do you see that one cast in-party for anyone not deliberately trying to get hit to proc a concordant op?

[rendet]

While an interesting notion, that puts them roughly at the same utility level as create undead. How often do you see that one cast in-party for anyone not deliberately trying to get hit to proc a concordant op?

Hmmm never thought of using that spell to help proc my conc op

[Midarc]

Well, it reads like theres a lot of balancing still to do for this, but I have to say I'm genuinely thrilled to see this reaching the game.
It always rankled with me summoning stuff that looked like it'd been vomited up by orcus on what was ostensibly a goodly character.
That factor aside, it's nice to have a bit of choice too.

[Scraap]

Well, it reads like theres a lot of balancing still to do for this, but I have to say I'm genuinely thrilled to see this reaching the game.
It always rankled with me summoning stuff that looked like it'd been vomited up by orcus on what was ostensibly a goodly character.
That factor aside, it's nice to have a bit of choice too.

So the Lich summons the Lantern Archon and tells it to get to gutting...
Humor aside, I will say this is one of the better upgrades.