Greenbound Summoning overpowered (again), but...

[Louis IX]

Hello all

I know that Greenbouns Summoning as been decried as overpowered by many many people since its publication.
However, having just come across the complete definition of the Greenbound template, I have a comment:

It says "Challenge Rating: same as base creature +2"

I think it means that you can't summon Greenbound creatures with SNA I, since all creatures from that list have a CR around 1.
You could only use SNA III (or higher-level SNA spells) to summon Greenbound version of the SNA I list (and SNA IV for Greenbound versions of creatures of the SNA II list, etc. etc.)

With this in mind, do you still consider that feat overpowered?

Thanks.

[KaeYoss]

Does the feat say that the monsters move up on the lists? Do the summon nature's ally spells (or any of the rules behind those spells) say that if any effect that changes the monster summoned (like a feat that applies templates to the summoned critters) increases its CR, the critters go up on the lists?

As far as I know, neither the feat nor the spells say that. That means that if you have the feat and use summon nature's ally I, you summon, say, a greenbound dire rat, and summon nature's ally VII would indeed summon a greenbound roc (CR 11), not a greenbound dire lion (CR 7)

[Set]

Turning it into a metamagic feat that adds +1 level to the spell being modified could make it better balanced.

While the template is good, I'm not sure it warrants a +2 level modifier to the summons.

[Louis IX]

KaeYoss wrote:

As far as I know, neither the feat nor the spells say that.

You're right. This correct interpretation is what pushed people to ban it, I believe. Most of the time, players argue for rules allowing them to be more powerful, here is the opposite :-)

Set wrote:

Turning it into a metamagic feat

Good idea, I'll include it in my folder of house-rules.