In theory, sure. I'm sure that you could GM a game where that happens. I'm assuming that only higher-level PC's would get summoned, not some poor level 1 human fighter. However, would the "monsters" that do the summoning want to summon pc's when they could summon demons or some other powerful creature instead?
Cast Summon 20th Level Wizard. Let those jerks know how it feels.
It would be interesting to see a full list of summons 1-9 with different CR PCs. 2-3 choices per summon monster level, with beginning ones having mostly martial abilities, and the higher options giving more advanced PCs with SU/SP abilities and even casting options (would have to be careful with this one, but many of the current summons have casting options as well).
If I recall correctly, doesn't it have something to do with the relationship between the Prime Material and the Outer Planes? A summoned animal comes from the Happy Hunting Grounds (and returns there after the spell) while demons and devils and other spirits come from their respective planes. A GATED creature or being is dead if slain, while a summoned one is not.
If there's a summons that brings someone or something from elsewhere in the Prime Material, I'd like to know about it.
IIRC an NPC can probably use Gate on PCs but there is no summon PC spell because PC is not something that exist. The characters are just other creatures and from a metagame point of view it just would not be fun to.most people. Also since summoning dors not actually kill the creature it would also be pointless
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I had a player play a dwarven cleric once where his list of Summon Monsters were celestial dwarven warriors from Valhalla. I think it started with a dwarf warrior 1 and went up through something like a mid-level paladin at Summon Monster V. I tried to keep them in line with the CRs of the existing Summon Monster spells.
One of my players who likes making deals with entities from beyond is eventually going to find himself under the effects of the Wizard Discovery True Name by an Outsider with Wizard class levels now at some point (i.e. a 1/day but otherwise "permanent" Planar Binding). Thank you for this topic TC because you made that happen.
You can planar ally Aasimar Paladins or Tiefling Antipaladins.
I sort of like the poetic justice of an extraplanar being summoning a level 1 wizard to "disarm" a trap by activating it. It would be very interesting if, because they are "summoned", they simply return to wherever they just were with the jarring experience of having just set off and been killed by an alien device with no understanding of how or why they were transported to and from.
*starts constructing scenario*
I just had this thought that it might be an interesting plot twist if a PC were interrupted in the middle of doing something important to fight in some extraplanar battle.
Maybe one of the princes of Hell has just invented a new spell and now the PCs have to find a way to permanently nerf it.
Having it happen as part of a specific adventure is different from having it as a game option all the time. I agree that it can be a unique idea, with the players trying to find a way to be sure it never happens again.
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This assumes tha summons actually plucks out an actual creature from a plane who was minding his business to suddenly act at his command.
generally acepted but I think unconfirmed.
I always condìsidered summon monster spells as "you create an indiviual creature of a certain type that never really existed before the summon and will cease to exist after the summon".
planar ally and gate calls the real deal.
that being said, summoning humans with a lesser spell is just pretty useless.
You can't summon an individual with class levels, when you summon a Vrock, you summon a regular vrock with no chance to get a Vrock barbarian 6/antipaladin 4.
You would probably summon a human shoemaker.
Again gate is different as I believe let's you summon named individuals.
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Well, in the magic chapter it talks about how an individual summoned creature recovers after 24 hours if it's killed. So they're not entirely generic. But there's no limit on how many you can summon, so getting a few of them killed doesn't inhibit the summoner.
I think it's more like the spell finds a creature, uses it as a mold to create a copy, and the copy is what you summon. More like you sort of summon a creature's astral projection.
Now suppose that the original creature (the mold) also gains the memories of the projections made from it. Then every time you summon a devil, you're leaking information to hell about what you're up to. A comforting thought.
@Pheoran: that's actually a pretty interesting way of foreshadowing something...
If you're a native outsider (e.g. aasimar or tiefling) then you can technically be targeted by planar binding or planar ally, as I recall.
Actually, Planar Ally calls an outsider of your deities choice - this could be a PC but it would need to make sense story-wise for their deity to send the PC.
Planar Binding works on any creature "from another plane", so any PC is subject to it when they are not on the same plane as the caster.
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If you're a native outsider (e.g. aasimar or tiefling) then you can technically be targeted by planar binding or planar ally, as I recall.Actually, Planar Ally calls an outsider of your deities choice - this could be a PC but it would need to make sense story-wise for their deity to send the PC.
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The Monster Summoning I spell (2nd Ed) included this gem: "In rare cases, adventurers have been known to disappear, summoned by powerful spellcasters using this spell. Those summoned recall all the details of their trip."
There is plenty of precedence in literature of heroes and unfortunates being summoned or finding themselves in some outer plane, answering the call of some powerful entity. Hellraiser comes to mind.
Perhaps NOT summoning mortals is part of the protections and pacts the gods have made with one another...?
I could actually see an interesting scenario with a set of cursed magic items (possibly a mythic version of dungeon rings) based on a 9th-level version of instant summons (similar to call construct or refuge) that would allow the holder of the master object to teleport the wearer of one of the subordinate objects to the master's location (and possibly activate some kind of mental control, like geas/quest)...
<evil laugh>
I thought this thread would be about a sad, lonely GM looking for a new group of players.
Oh well...