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I just bought the Monster Summoner's Handbook and figured it was time to ask all my questions and make all my observations.
First of all the base spell only allows for a Celestial or Fiendish template. Why? I could understand that you don't want to give the players the opportunity to apply any template willy-nilly at the time of casting or they would summon fire templated monsters when facing cold base opponents, light when facing shadow, etc. Just too versatile is my guess. Am I right? Was that the motivation?
Why not just make the player pick a single template when they learn their first summoning spell and make them stick to it? It seems a no-brainer that a Wayang should be able to use a Shadow template (and forgo the normal celestial or fiendish template for good if they choose to). I figure this is not legal without an appropriate feat in society play, but do some GMs allow this? I know about Versatile Summon Monster but it ADDs another template allowing you to choose and costs a feat. Not exactly what I'm asking.
I thought celestial planes were L/G, but the template seems to be associated with any good alignment. What's up with that or am I just mistaken?
Is it possible to apply multiple templates to a summoned creature? It would be fantastic to have a herald caller of Sarenrae that summoned fiery celestial creatures or some other cool combo. If so what feats/books would the character need to be society legal? Again Versatile Summon Monster allows variety, but no combos :(
And, if so, what would you do to determine which summoning spell it fits into since the CR would change?
You were mistaken about the celestial planes, it's any good.
The reason the base is just celestial/fiendish was that's all that existed when the spell was written.
I realize that, but are we locked into those two now, even though there are other templates, without a feat?
Summon monster is somewhat locked just because it is already a very, very versatile spell and could have had even more versatility with additions of lots of other templates and monsters.
First of all the base spell only allows for a Celestial or Fiendish template. Why? I could understand that you don't want to give the players the opportunity to apply any template willy-nilly at the time of casting or they would summon fire templated monsters when facing cold base opponents, light when facing shadow, etc. Just too versatile is my guess. Am I right? Was that the motivation?
The Resolute and Entropic templates would probably be fine, but anything more than that would definitely make the spell too versatile. Summon Monster I-IX are already some of the most versatile and flexible spells in existance, and every option you add to it only pushes the boundaries further.
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It probably wouldn't be a terrible house rule to allow a player to choose one template at first level and add feats allowing celestial and fiendish. I'd permit it if any of my players asked (with my usual proviso that it reverts if it isn't actually balanced).