Summoning Spell Power

[njvack]

So, looking into the Mummy Summoner build, I wondered, "What does spell power do for summoning spells?" and was surprised to find it effects quality, number, or duration without any obvious patterns:

canine familiar: quality, duration

call imp: quality, duration

demon, greater demon, horde: (I think) quality, duration, friendliness

haunt: number

malign gateway: nothing?

abjuration: duration reduction

shadow creatures: nothing

butterflies: number

dragon: quality, sometimes trades high-quality for number

summon elemental: duration

ice beast: duration

ugly thing: ugliness, duration

horrible things: number, trades large numbers for higher quality

hydra: quality

scorpions: number, friendliness

small mammals: number, quality

swarm: number, duration (duration is randomized per-cast, same for all monsters in one swarm)


Maybe this doesn't matter, but it does feel a bit like a mishmash of effects, especially when compared to the rather more straightforward "conjuration power makes spells do more damage." At least, it's probably worth mentioning the effect of power in summoning spell descriptions.

At most, it might make sense to have somewhat more consistent rules -- say, there's always at least some duration effect, and then maybe some effects of number, quality, and friendliness. Thoughts?

[Kate]

Making power always affect (for example) duration would probably affect balance in a reasonably big way, since lots of spells are meant to have particularly long or short durations (and making power only have a small effect would probably be no better than it having no effect at all). Mentioning more of the effects of power in spell descriptions sounds good, though.

[greepish]

I suppose it makes sense to change it, but summoning has always just been "put enough points into summoning till the spell is great/excellent". Exception being spammals' two mammals.

[Pteriforever]

ice beast: duration

Well fancy that. I DON'T need to put any points in Ice to be able to use it semi-effectively.