How do people handle getting summoned creatures without languages to do more than just fight? Or even to use their special abilities (say, smite evil for celestial animals)?
The spell says they show up and attack unless you communicate to them to do something else and many summons are animals or vermin of some variety with no language. Do you go with handle animal checks and "push" them to do tricks? Is the only way to use the speak with animals spell?
How do people handle getting summoned creatures without languages to do more than just fight? Or even to use their special abilities (say, smite evil for celestial animals)?
The spell says they show up and attack unless you communicate to them to do something else and many summons are animals or vermin of some variety with no language. Do you go with handle animal checks and "push" them to do tricks? Is the only way to use the speak with animals spell?
My group generally allows the player to control direct the summon and do any attacks that make sense. Special abilities included. If they are going a little too tactical for an animal the dm steps in and requires a handle animal check to 'push' the summon, even if it is not an animal. Anything with a language though, ignores such 'pushes' so if you are summoning outsiders, be prepared to speak their language.
My group tends to use Wands of Summon Monster I or Unseen Servant (to drag something down a hallway) to set off Traps and so forth, the summoner has some control over the actions of the creature to some degree but they still must be able to communicate as it states in the spell - otherwise all it does is attack designated or the closest enemies to the best of its ability if it happens to have animalistic intelligence.
If you speak a language they understand (and all the "beasts" are at least 3 int due to the celestial/infernal templates) then you can direct them to do more than simply fight. Otherwise they just smash stuff.
(and all the "beasts" are at least 3 int due to the celestial/infernal templates)
No, they aren't.
... (and all the "beasts" are at least 3 int due to the celestial/infernal templates)...Where did you see that? When I looked up the Celestial/Infernal templates I couldn't find any mention about changes to Intelligence.
That was an old 3.5 rule. He probably assumed it still applied.
A feat I saw allowed the summoner to give 'one' direction to the animal as if it were 'trained'. I have no idea where I saw it SEVERAL years back.
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I rule summoned animals use their smite ability as soon as engaged in combat whether beneficial or not (it's an innate part of what they are and they can't detect evil; to have them "save it" would be like asking a cat to sheathe its claws before going after prey, just not natural).
Since the spell directs the animal goes after the caster's enemies (which insinuates some degree of control so an ally is not presumed to be an enemy), I also rule summoned creatures will go after enemies as directed, unless it's complex (like scale the wall, open the portcullis, then tie yourself into the catapult...)
But for setting off traps and such, don't see any reason why an animal that can't understand you would run scout for you down the hall without some ability to direct (Handle Animal) or communicate (Speak with Animals).
As far as I can tell, a summoner would have to direct them as he would any unintelligent animal or beast--that is, he would have to make Handle Animal checks as a move action (since the spell specifically says it attacks, I like to assume it knows the attack x2 trick).
As far as I can tell, a summoner would have to direct them as he would any unintelligent animal or beast--that is, he would have to make Handle Animal checks as a move action (since the spell specifically says it attacks, I like to assume it knows the attack x2 trick).
Attacking and knowing the attack trick are not the same thing. A trained attack dog knows the attack trick. It will attack when commanded to, at a target it is commanded. A regular dog is capable of attacking someone, but it is not going to be directed to do so unless it is trained.
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I've always ruled the following:
Summoned creatures that had an int of 1 or 2 before the templates (so now they have an int of 3) get the Celestial (if good), Infernal (if lawful evil), Abyssal (if chaotic evil), or Infernal/Abyssal (if neutral evil) languages, except they can only understand them and not speak them. Then if the summoner knows how to speak any of them he can give them orders.
Otherwise, they just attack the summoner's enemies to the best of their ability, priority left up to the DM as they are still technically NPCs.
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I rule summoned animals use their smite ability as soon as engaged in combat whether beneficial or not (it's an innate part of what they are and they can't detect evil; to have them "save it" would be like asking a cat to sheathe its claws before going after prey, just not natural).
Since the spell directs the animal goes after the caster's enemies (which insinuates some degree of control so an ally is not presumed to be an enemy), I also rule summoned creatures will go after enemies as directed, unless it's complex (like scale the wall, open the portcullis, then tie yourself into the catapult...)
But for setting off traps and such, don't see any reason why an animal that can't understand you would run scout for you down the hall without some ability to direct (Handle Animal) or communicate (Speak with Animals).
+1 We basically said the exact same thing, but he put it to words better.
The one point of contention is that I don't allow directing which enemy they attack. When they finish off one, they move to the next closest, etc. etc until there are no enemies left, at which point they sit down and start cleaning themselves, roll in the dirt playfully, etc basically treating them like an untrained pet if you will. If you want them to attack someone who isn't the next closest enemy, you have to use handle animal to direct them.
I've always ruled the following:
Summoned creatures that had an int of 1 or 2 before the templates (so now they have an int of 3) get the Celestial (if good), Infernal (if lawful evil), Abyssal (if chaotic evil), or Infernal/Abyssal (if neutral evil) languages, except they can only understand them and not speak them. Then if the summoner knows how to speak any of them he can give them orders.
Otherwise, they just attack the summoner's enemies to the best of their ability, priority left up to the DM as they are still technically NPCs.
There's no adjustment to Int provided by the Celestial or Fiendish templates.
As an aside, almost all of the summoned intelligent (speaking) critters benefit from speaking Common or possessing telepathy/true speech.
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I've always ruled the following:
Summoned creatures that had an int of 1 or 2 before the templates (so now they have an int of 3) get the Celestial (if good), Infernal (if lawful evil), Abyssal (if chaotic evil), or Infernal/Abyssal (if neutral evil) languages, except they can only understand them and not speak them. Then if the summoner knows how to speak any of them he can give them orders.
Otherwise, they just attack the summoner's enemies to the best of their ability, priority left up to the DM as they are still technically NPCs.
There's no adjustment to Int provided by the Celestial or Fiendish templates.
As an aside, almost all of the summoned intelligent (speaking) critters benefit from speaking Common or possessing telepathy/true speech.
Huh! I guess I missed that, I haven't had a summoning character play in my games since 3.5, so I hadn't seen the change. Interesting. Ignore my comment then! :)
Huh! I guess I missed that, I haven't had a summoning character play in my games since 3.5, so I hadn't seen the change. Interesting. Ignore my comment then! :)
No worries you arent the only one, its certainly easy to miss.
Good to hear that others do about the same as we discussed. I was also wondering about the template issue and speaking celestial/infernal.