Summoned Creatures
Summoned creatures are spell effects with bodies. They should be useful, fast to run, and bounded by the spell that created them.
- Read the spell first: duration, concentration, creature choice, command rules, action economy, and limits.
- Use prepared stat references so the table does not stop while searching for numbers.
- Resolve turns quickly with default tactics when the player has no specific order.
- Track concentration, range, environment, and whether the summoned creature can understand the command.
- Keep large groups organized with shared initiative, average damage, or clear table procedures when appropriate.
Summons should not triple turn length. Have attacks, saves, conditions, and movement defaults ready.
Follow the spell's command language. If control is limited, let creature instincts and the scene matter.
Summons change positioning, action economy, blocking, scouting, and concentration pressure. Account for that when building encounters.
Prepare the stat block. If the spell allows choice, have likely options ready before the player needs them.
Use default behavior. When instructions are vague, choose a simple behavior consistent with the spell, creature, and last command.
End cleanly. Track duration, concentration, dismissal, death, and what happens to any objects or positions the summoned creature affected.
The cleanest table procedure is agreed before the spell is cast: who chooses, who controls, where the reference lives, and how quickly the turn resolves.