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Hi all,
I've found two previous threads on planar ally spells in PFS play, but none of them really answer this question, which is as follows:
I'm toying with the option of making a Sacred Servant (Paladin Archetype from APG) of Erastil. They lose the ability to get a bonded mount, but gain a more or less permanent planar ally without paying any gold piece cost.
Looking up Erastil in Rivers Run Red (Kingmaker Adventure Path), he has four options for answering planar ally spells: The Grim White Stag (18HD), Arangin (a horse who understands common), Blackfeather (an archer who can shapechange into an eagle), and Scorchbark (a young treant).
Only the Grim White Stag is statted out. The others are apparently left to the imagination other than the minor details listed above.
Questions:
1) Can I pick which of the four servants I get? My paladin would probably want to pick the mount for most modules. Some people prefer having the GM select the planar ally, though.
2) Given that they are not statted out, how are they usable in PFS? I imagine just making up something (Blackfeather is... a hound archon with two levels of ranger, who shapechanges into a bird instead of a dog?) is probably not encouraged.
3) Given that only the summons list on that page is approved for PFS play (which the planar allies are part of, sort of), should we just use the standard planar ally rules and let the GM decide if you get either a permanent lantern archon or hound archon?
I'm just going to address part of this, and leave the rest to the pros:
Looking up Erastil in Rivers Run Red (Kingmaker Adventure Path), he has four options for answering planar ally spells: The Grim White Stag (18HD), Arangin (a horse who understands common), Blackfeather (an archer who can shapechange into an eagle), and Scorchbark (a young treant).
I think you've interpreted things incorrectly. Those aren't the only four minions Erastil has available to answer Planar Ally spells (he can also send the usual generic angels, archons, and whatever else the DM deems appropriate).
These are just his Four Best Friends, as it were. The Grim White Stag is his Herald, available for Greater Planar Ally when things are of great significance to him.
However, since they're his Four Best Friends, it's unlikely they'll be more-or-less-permanently assigned to any one person (though certainly RPing in a campaign and the given campaign situation might make that appropriate), and he wuoldn't be available till appropriate levels.
Probably the best course will be to work with your DM to decide on something appropriate to the character you have, with, of course, advice from the forumers, who can give more specific suggestions.
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In a home campaign, I wouldn't have any issues with it. But in Society play, I'd rather not have to have a sit down with the DM every game.
I could easily have a few different stat blocks printed out, and hand them to the DM and say, "Here, pick the one Erastil will send my plantadin this game", but I'm not sure that's how it is supposed to work.
Planar ally allows you to specify a specific named outsider to call, but it is not guaranteed you get it.
Well in PFS it's probably going to be more difficult to pull off; you're more likely to get generic LG planar allies of the appropriate spell (lesser, regular) than a unique critter you brought to the table with homebrew stats.
That's just an opinion, though. Others might have better ones. :)
Noting that in PFS the Greater Planar Ally type dudes, including The Grim Stag, won't even be available since the level cap is 12 and Greater doesn't become available till 16th.
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Also note, the spell requires a specific task to be assigned; you can't just call an ally and say, "follow me around just in case". An ally who is asked to violate the tenants of their alignment (like breaking into a place without a warrant) will just leave.
It's best used when you're heading in for a strike on the bad guy that you've already found, or to aid in the gathering of information, depending on the scenario. You want something concrete that isn't wasting the ally's time tavern-hopping for info when it could be out battling evil and defending innocents.
I have seen significant table variation on handling this; not all of the PFS scenarios have you on the "good guy" side, and so allies (and paladins!) sometimes have to tread lightly.