TheGnome's page

The word is not the thing. The name is not the nature. Wolfsbane is called a poison but in this instance it doesn't work as such.
Nitrogliceryn is an explosive but is also a medication for hearth failure. When doctor uses it, she doesn't break her Hippocratic Oath or uses her Craft (Explosives) skill to administer it.

I've been toying with the idea of using different spell progressions depending on the school. A powerful necromancer may be able to cast (e.g) 9th level necromancy spells but only 6th level conjuration and abjuration, and a maximum of 4th level of the rest.

My idea is giving caster classes "spell ranks" that can be allocated in the different "schools skills". The ranks would determine the caster level and the maximum spell level the character can cast of that school.

What I just wrote is 90% of this vague idea. I´m trying to reduce the sameness that (IMO) afflict the spell lists of many casters that conceptually should be (again IMO) much more different.

I just want to say one thing about consequences: moderation is key. If the PC eats a guy, try to resist the temptation of turning the whole plot into a story about the revenge of the family of the devoured. If the PC grossly violates the tenets of his fate, don't drag the rest of the group into his epic redemption arc.
Having the spotlight focused in the disrupting player when the rest of the group are trying to get back to the plot can be really frustrating. I have seen a campaing derailed beyond recognition because of this.

One of my players likes playing highly sociable and charismatic characters, far more social and charismatic than himself. I don´t expect shakesperean performances from my geeky friends but sometimes...

This was little more than a random encounter. Our brave adventurers were traveling through a bandit infested land when they came across a band of evildoers. At this point, the PC were fairly powerful and have already effortlessly defeated many of their leaders so, when the highwaymen spring out of the bushes, the sorcerer sighs and says to the group:

-Ok, guys, leave this to me.

And then to the bandits:

-Listen, you worthless scum, we have been killing your kind for days and we are already bored. Just this morning we cleared an encampment full of your partners... You know that one down the river? It´s no more... So we are willing to be mercyful. Leave all your things on the ground, run away and abandon this lifestyle forever and we´ll let you live. Do you understand?

-Okeeey, roll Intimidate.
-What? No, I want to roll Diplomacy.
-But that wasn´t diplomatic. You threatened them.
-I don´t have any ranks in intimidate. I wanted to use Diplomacy.
-If you want to roll Diplomacy, you have to offer something positive; the carrot, not the stick. You have to negotiate...
-I negotiated. If they do what I told them, they live. Everybody wins.
-No, I´m sorry. You can go back and say another thing or roll Intimidate.
-F&&% it, I roll initiative...

This is just one recent example. Social interactions are the part of the game where the barrier between player and character grows thinner and the one that needs more GM discretion. I can´t imagine a system of rules that can make the first work without the second.

A Coruña, Galicia, on the northwest corner of Spain. Hi, everybody!

The point I was trying to make is that nothing in the alter summoned monster spell modifies the degree of control you exert on the summoned creature.
The glabrezu keeps all his attributes but the only obligation it has to you is to carry you as a mount.

Caster: "Destroy my enemies, I command you"
Glabrezu: "Nope"
Caster: "Well... dispel their buffs, then"
Glabrezu: "uh-uh"
Caster: "Better not to talk about wishes, I guess"
Glabrezu: "Mmmmm... Maybe we can make a deal"

The summon monster line of spells give you a more extensive degree of control of the summoned creature even considering the limitations that specifies.

Given that alter summon monster is apparently not legal for PFS, I guess I´ll treat (in my home games) the interpersonal relationship between caster and monster closer to that of a planar bindingspell.

Sooo... You summon a Glabrezu instead of a horse when casting Mount... and that´s all, right? So the new hypothetical text should read something like this: You summon a Glabrezu to serve you as a mount. The steed serves willingly and well. The mount comes with a bit and bridle and a riding saddle.
I have no problem with this. No telepathic commands, no default combat disposition, just a full harnessed demon you can jump onto and ride around.