Summon Minor Monster Question

[KingOldBoy]

This spell functions as summon monster I, except you can summon 1d3 Tiny or smaller animals, such as bats, lizards, monkeys, rats, ravens, toads, or weasels. The summoned animals must all be the same type of creature. As with animals summoned with summon monster I, you may apply one alignment-appropriate template to these animals.

I was wonder what exactly I could summon with this spell. Can I summon stirges? They are tiny magical beasts? I know about the list of familiars, but what exactly is the restriction on this spell?

[MC Templar]

you can summon.. Tiny or smaller animals, such as bats, lizards, monkeys, rats, ravens, toads, or weasels

so anything mechanically superior to bats, monkeys, rats, weasels, etc...

No you can't.

[Oladon]

Tiny animals. No, not magical beasts.

[KingOldBoy]

Thanks for the clarification. I wish this spell was any good.

[mplindustries]

KingOldBoy wrote:

Thanks for the clarification. I wish this spell was any good.

The great majority of spells are not any good--unfortunately you just have to get used to it.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Don't underestimate what you can do with 1d3 Ravens or Weasels.

[Dust Raven]

It makes a handy distraction, can provoke AoOs for you, can provide you with a massive Aid Other bonus to your attack rolls and/or AC, and otherwise perform some of the quick utility effects SM-I does, but more of them at once, etc.

The only thing that I don't like is that you can end up with just 1 creature. I wish the minimum was at least 2.

[Azaelas Fayth]

1 creature is still better than 0.

And when you take into account you can summon say Celestial or Fiendish Weasels.

[Dust Raven]

Azaelas Fayth wrote:

1 creature is still better than 0.

And when you take into account you can summon say Celestial or Fiendish Weasels.

True, but I'd rather avoid the gamble. If I'm only getting one creature, I should get the most powerful type/category of creature available for that spell level, or more than one weaker type. One celestial raven is better than nothing, but is nowhere near a celestial eagle.

[Azaelas Fayth]

But A Fiendish Weasel is just brutal.

[Oladon]

Erm... pretty sure you can only apply an alignment template if the animal has the relevant descriptor, as with the other summon monster spells. Am I wrong in this understanding of the text?

[Dust Raven]

You can (must?) apply the celestial or fiendish template to any normal animal summon via a summon monster type spell. Animals don't really have any sort of descriptor which dictates which animal gets which template.

[Azaelas Fayth]

Relevant descriptor?

Summon Minor Monster allows you to apply the templates to be applied to the Animal(s) you summon.

[Nefreet]

This spell is awesome sauce. 1d3 hawks are better than 1 eagle. Especially when you take Superior Summoning later on =D

[Experiment 626]

My personal favorites!

My master summoner is just itching for the chance to use this. Augment summoning + superior summoning FTW, baby!

[Azaelas Fayth]

So evil... I love it...

[Andrew Parker 165]

Try using elemental summon ability with large number of summons.
each creature adds 1d6 elemental damage to attacks

[Samasboy1]

Oladon wrote:

Erm... pretty sure you can only apply an alignment template if the animal has the relevant descriptor, as with the other summon monster spells. Am I wrong in this understanding of the text?

The caster's alignment determines the template, not the creature's. Evil casters summon fiendish animals, good casters summon celestial animals, and neutral casters get to choose.