| Dammerung |
I am big fan of variant summoning tables (I helped a player who was running a druid of Aedrie Faeyna create one based on faeries and avians) and recently got approval from a new DM for themed summoning list below. This is for a Golarion, dwarf conjurer who hails from the Ironbound Archipelago and has traveled a good deal in the Linnorm Kings. Below is the synopsis and reasoning I presented to my DM along with the subsequent table. It’s been approved by my DM, but I was curious if there are other casters (particularly clerics, druids and wizards) out there that have created other themed lists for their home campaigns.
“…Specifically, I would like to request a summoning table that reflects my character’s alignment(Lawful Good), animals that he would have observed directly or read about in his homeland, and the elements of fire and earth that are so closely associated with dwarves, crafting and metallurgy. On the converse, I would like to remove from the available summoning list the vast majority of amphibians and vermin (with the exception being those creatures that potentially exist in a temperate or cold environment), all dinosaurs and animals from tropical/warm locals, and any summoned outsiders of evil alignment.
My primary reason for removing particular creatures is broken down into four categories:
• Foreign Environment: Creatures that would not be native to the Linnorm Kings or Varisia. This covers most creatures of the dinosaur type or creatures that are listed as exclusively living in some type of warm climate.
• Summoning is an evil act: Outsiders from the Abyss or Hell that my character would not summon based on his good alignment.
• Companion to an ancestral enemy: Only one animal (goblin dog) fell into this category.
• Amphibians and Vermin: Largely these creatures were excluded by their environment, but I still culled a few more that would have qualified strictly for thematic purposes."
As a rule of thumb, I removed twice as many options as I added and I made sure that the CR of the creature added matches that of the current summoning spell level. This helps limit the argument of "selection gluttony" and truly makes you think about what additions would be ideal and appropriate.
1st Level
Badger*
Dire rat*
Dog, Riding*
Dolphin*
Eagle*
Fire beetle*
Pony (horse)*
Viper (snake)*
2nd Level
Elemental (small)
Elk*
Gar*
Horse*
Magma Elemental (small)
Octopus*
Ram*
Squid*
Wolf*
3rd Level
Aurochs (herd animal)*
Axe Beak*
Azer
Boar*
Dire Badger*
Dire bat*
Giant Porcupine*
Harbringer Archon
Lantern Archon
Leopard (cat)*
Shark*
Thoqqua
Wolverine*
4th Level
Bison (herd animal)*
Dire boar*
Dire wolf*
Dire Wolverine*
Elemental (medium)
Giant wasp*
Grizzly bear*
Hound Archon
Magma Elemental (medium)
Megaloceros* (dire elk)
Mephit (any)
5th Level
Bralani Azata
Cloaker*
Elemental (large)
Giant Owl*
Glacier Toad*
Magma Elemental (large)
Orca (dolphin)*
Woolly rhinoceros*
6th Level
Dire bear*
Dire tiger*
Elemental (huge)
Giant octopus*
Invisible stalker
Legion Archon
Lillend Azata
Magma Elemental (huge)
Stone Giant*
7th Level
Dire shark*
Elemental (greater)
Giant squid*
Magma Elemental (greater)
Mastadon (elephant)*
Shield Archon
8th Level
Azer Cleric 9*
Elemental (elder)
Magma Elemental (elder)
9th Level
Astral deva (angel)
Ghaele Azata
Trumpet Archon