Why is a CR4 creature, the Pixie, in the Summon Nature's Ally IX (level 9 spell) list?
Should Pixie actually be moved into the Summon Nature's Ally V (level 5 spell) list?
FYI, in the same list for spell level 9 is a Storm Giant (CR13)...
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It is not summoning a pixie, it summons a pixie with irresistible dance and sleep arrows. Read the description of pixie and you will see that this is basically 1/10 pixies that has an additional SLA. While this might not seem very powerful it does provide a slight distration. If I remember correct the 3.5 MM had the second type of pixie statted separately, and this may just be a copy/ paste error. Not the most powerful option but even if he only hits once a round with those sleep arrows there is at least a 5% chance of completely knocking a creature out of the fight.
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It is not summoning a pixie, it summons a pixie with irresistible dance and sleep arrows. Read the description of pixie and you will see that this is basically 1/10 pixies that has an additional SLA. While this might not seem very powerful it does provide a slight distration. If I remember correct the 3.5 MM had the second type of pixie statted separately, and this may just be a copy/ paste error. Not the most powerful option but even if he only hits once a round with those sleep arrows there is at least a 5% chance of completely knocking a creature out of the fight.
Irrestible Dance has a 1 round effect even if the enemy makes their will save. Its an 8th Level Wizard/Sorceror spell, and the primary reason theres a pixie in the SNA9 list of choices. The sleep arrows... Not so hot.
Let me tell you a story. In the 3.5 game I am in, we encountered a Pixie once. We were about 5th level. Her name was Tina.
Four months of once-a-week sessions later, any member of our party can give you a laundry list of ways Tina has made our lives miserable. She memory erased our rogue and almost turned him against us. She lured us into a teleport trap that sent us to the north pole. She ~posed as a PC~ and nearly got us all petrified. She stole a mechanized treasure chest we'd hired a ghoul to build for us (long story) and turned it into an animated monster which she laid as a trap for us.
And in over a dozen sessions, we STILL haven't managed to kill her (dang illusions) and universally agree that she was the most dangerous random encounter we've yet had. Especially since it isn't over yet.
So if Tina is typical of the breed, then I am fully in support of Pixies being a Summon Monster 9 item. xD
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 6, sorcerer/wizard 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range touch
Target living creature touched
Duration 1d4+1 rounds
Saving Throw Will partial; Spell Resistance yes
The subject feels an undeniable urge to dance and begins doing so, complete with foot shuffling and tapping. The spell effect makes it impossible for the subject to do anything other than caper and prance in place. The effect imposes a -4 penalty to Armor Class and a -10 penalty on Reflex saves, and it negates any Armor Class bonus granted by a shield the target holds. The dancing subject provokes attacks of opportunity each round on its turn. A successful Will save reduces the duration of this effect to 1 round.
The Pixie casts this at caster level 8 according to the Pixie stat block?
The Pixie has to get though SR...and being an 8th level caster vs. the type of creatures you'll be fighting when you're casting a 9th level spell good luck getting through.
Additionally a Will save on top of that. The Pixie, with the amazing 18 hp, AC 18, and a +8 melee touch attack.
You spend a full round casting the spell; the Pixie appears next to your living target that can be affected by mind-affecting spells; they make a +8 melee touch attack; if they hit the Pixie may need to make an SR check at CL8; if they get though SR then the target needs to make a Will DC 21 (10 + (Int 16) + (Spell level 8) = 10 + 3 + 8 = 21).
If the target saves then for 1 round they dance and provoke an AoO. Otherwise they dance for 1d4+1 rounds.
Oh...and the Pixie can only do this once.
Oh...and the Pixie can only do this once.
Whether Irresistible Dance should be a level 8 spell or not is debatable. But the principle remains that an ally who can use a level 8 spell should require at least a level 8 spell to summon.
If you note, irresitable dance is really an example of what they could do. The text of the pixie specifically states the GM can give them pretty much any ability, although it suggests they be limited to mind affecting.
So, this is a permanently invisible tiny creature (that can enter your square), can fire magical arrows 16 times a day, can cast a spell that even if you save for it, you have a -4 ac, -10 reflex save (note that, for spell casters, this virtually ensures those massive spells with reflex saves for half do full damage), loss of all shield AC, and finally provokes AoO against every attacker for a minimum of 1 round (maximum of 5 rounds if you don't save).
Honestly, that's pretty powerful. Especially if everyone gangs up on the big bad the round before she uses dance. There are other mind affecting spells she could cast too, instead of Dance, at the GMs option.
Irrestible Dance has a 1 round effect even if the enemy makes their will save. Its an 8th Level Wizard/Sorceror spell, and the primary reason theres a pixie in the SNA9 list of choices. The sleep arrows... Not so hot.
And after the pixie blows it's one use of that per day it is left with 16 sleep arrows, and not much else. I do not think it belongs in the Summon Natures Ally 9 list, especially since the save DC is pathetically low for that level of play (DC 21) Using a 9th level spell to inconvenience a single enemy for 1 round is not what I would consider on par with other 9th level spells. Especially since it does allow spell resistance and the pixie with it's +6 to overcome the resistance is not going to get the spell off against anything with SR. Again, I understand it's potential usefulness I just think that by that level most things you are fighting will be able to defend against it too well for it to really have an impact on the fight.
Edit: Since druids can hotswap summon spells it could be used in a pinch to take care of a lower level cohort... but so could a storm giant.
Edit:
Here are the creatures from the bestiary CR 17+ and the assosiated SR
CR 17
copper dragon (ancient) 28
Green dragon (ancient) 28
Ice linnorm 28
Marilith 28
CR 18
Blue dragon (ancient) 29
Bronze Dragon (ancient) 29
kraken 0
CR 19
Red dragon (Ancient) 30
Shoggoth 30
Silver dragon (ancient) 30
Cr 20
Balor 31
Gold Dragon (Ancient) 31
Pit fiend 31
Tarn linnorm 31
CR 23
Solar 34
CR 25
Tarrasque 36
Since a 20 on a spell resistance check is not an automatic success this means that from the bestiary none of the creatures are affected save for the kraken, except that he is immune to mind affecting effects. This leaves NPC characters as the only available targets.
On another note... can the pixie even cast the spell? since spell like abilties function like spells they require 10+ spell level in the relevant ability scroe (charisma in this case) to cast. So wouldn't this mean that by RAW the pixie could not cast irresistable dance since it needs an 18 Cha?
Let me tell you a story. In the 3.5 game I am in, we encountered a Pixie once. We were about 5th level. Her name was Tina.
Four months of once-a-week sessions later, any member of our party can give you a laundry list of ways Tina has made our lives miserable. She memory erased our rogue and almost turned him against us. She lured us into a teleport trap that sent us to the north pole. She ~posed as a PC~ and nearly got us all petrified. She stole a mechanized treasure chest we'd hired a ghoul to build for us (long story) and turned it into an animated monster which she laid as a trap for us.
And in over a dozen sessions, we STILL haven't managed to kill her (dang illusions) and universally agree that she was the most dangerous random encounter we've yet had. Especially since it isn't over yet.
So if Tina is typical of the breed, then I am fully in support of Pixies being a Summon Monster 9 item. xD
My complements to your DM. That's some Pixie!
On another note... can the pixie even cast the spell? since spell like abilties function like spells they require 10+ spell level in the relevant ability scroe
Spell-like abilities do not function as spells in every aspect (for instance, you don't need material or any other components). Hence the reason they're separate from spells :)
By the way, that Tina story has made me really want to roll a Pixie for a random encounter soon! Maybe I'll just make a BBEG Pixie ;)
Spell-like abilities do not function as spells in every aspect (for instance, you don't need material or any other components). Hence the reason they're separate from spells :)
Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.
A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell.
Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled.
It does not mention that it ignores the requirement to cast yet it says in ALL other ways it functions just like a spell. I think that as intended they may not need to meet this requirement but it is not explicitly spelled out in the text that they do. Also, we know that gnomes who have their charisma lower than 11 lose their SLAs. Though this does not confirm anything because for the cantrips they should only need a 10 charisma.
It does not mention that it ignores the requirement to cast yet it says in ALL other ways it functions just like a spell.
If you look at the Universal Monster Rules entry for Spell-Like Abilities (in the Bestiary), there are also a lot of other ways where SLA's do not function just like a spell. For instance:
The creature's caster level never affects which spell-like abilities the creature has; sometimes the given caster level is lower than the level a spellcasting character would need to cast the spell of the same name.
Besides, the very fact that monsters are printed with SLAs that have a higher spell level than the monster's CHA modifier should be an indication that SLAs don't require any specific CHA.
I know, I am simply saying that by RAW it is unclear. By RAI I completely agree, otherwise Drow nobles would be in trouble. I certainly would DM allowing them to use the SLA, really I just brought it up to point at that nowhere I can find does it explicitly state that SLA's ignore that requirement of spells. I don't always expect this of the game since every spell and ability creates loopholes and special circumstances and it would require a huge amount of time and paper to cover how every rule exception interacts with every other rule exception.