Anwyn
Novus 2nd Edition
Novus 1st Edition
In addition to the actual spell or ritual itself, there are a few procedures that also need to be followed when summoning a creature from another plane.
The Offering
Prior to casting the summoning spell, the caster may wish to make an offering to gain the favor of his deity or patron.
A minimum offering of at least 10 gp worth of incense, aromatic herbs and/or spices is customary, and grants the caster a +1 on all Saves related to the summoning and the results of the summoning. Fragrant oils and certain types of magical fumes may also be used to provide additional bonuses to the caster.
Such precautions and preparations are optional, but they may serve to aid in protecting the caster in the event that a pact cannot be successfully sealed.
The Ritual Inscription
In the ritual summoning of any creature that may prove dangerous or hostile to the caster, he will be required to inscribe the traditional Circle of Protection and Thaumaturgic Triangle upon the floor or ground. Inks or chalks may be used to paint them upon very hard surfaces. They may be scratched into a floor or traced or scratched in the dirt.
It takes half an hour to complete the Circle of Protection and half an hour to complete the Thaumaturgic Triangle, and creating each requires a successful Magecraft: Circles skill roll. The TN of the skill roll will depend upon the level of the creature that the caster is attempting to summon (TN = 15 + creature’s level). Summoning elementals does not require the use of the Thaumaturgic Triangle, as elementals require a source of their element.
Both the Circle of Protection and the Thaumaturgic Triangle must be perfectly inscribed or it could result in disaster for the caster (see Results of the Summoning Ritual).
The Summoning
Once everything has been prepared, the caster then stands within the Circle of Protection and casts the desired spell of summoning. The summoned creature will then arrive in 1-5 minutes, appearing within the confines of the Thaumaturgic Triangle. In the case of elementals, the creature will arise out of the elemental source provided.
The Circle of Protection may hold up to 3 individuals, so if there are to be more people present at the summoning, additional Circles of Protection may be required.
Sealing a Pact
Once the creature summoned by the caster has arrived, he must attempt to seal a pact with the creature.
If the summoned creature is beneficially disposed towards the caster who summoned him, it will likely offer to perform a service for the caster.
The following list of professions and summoned creatures or beings will normally have no difficulty sealing a pact with each other.
- Clerics and kerubim, devas, guardians and other celestial beings and creatures.
- Druids and elementals, true elementals and animals.
- Any caster who summons a familiar, as a familiar is always willing to accept its summoner as master.
Any summoned creature that does not have a relationship like the one described above with its caster will always seek every way possible to resist the character.
Each attempt to seal a pact with a demon causes it make a Save vs. Will. If the creature fails any of these Saves, then that means that a pact has been sealed and it must obey the caster. If the creature makes its Save, then it is free to do as it wishes.
There are a number of methods that may be used to seal a pact. They are as follows:
Offering Wealth: Demons and Devils receive a -1 to their Saves for every increment of wealth that is offered. The amount of wealth must be equal to 1,000 gp times the level of the demon or devils. Other creatures and beings that are offered wealth only have to make a Save vs. Wealth if they are greedy in nature.
Offering a Sacrifice: Demons and Devils and certain other war-like and/or evil creatures and beings are unusually fond of sacrifices of sentient beings and will always accept a pact if offered such. However offering any sort of sacrifice is an evil act and those who do it will be considered evil. Good and Neutral creatures and beings will never accept an offer of a living sacrifice.
Threat of Harm: Most of the time threats of harm will never make a summoned creature agree to a pact. The only exception is if the caster possesses a weapon or magical item that the creature specifically has cause to fear, such as Devil’s Bane Sword or a Wand of Demon Smiting. If the caster possesses such a device, the creature suffers a -1 modifier on his Save for each +1 that the item has. If the item has additional abilities, each additional ability will also provide another -1 modifier.
Threat of Imprisonment: If the caster has a device or spell that can imprison the summoned creature, it will receive a -4 modifier to its Save.
Attacks: If a character attacks the summoned creature and does at least half its hits in damage to it, he may force the summoned creature to make a Save vs. Will or it must immediately agree to sealing a pact. However, attacking a creature you just summoned is extremely dangerous because attacking the creature will automatically free the summoned creature by negating the power of the Circle of Protection. This then allows the summoned creature to attack in turn.
Magical Constraints & Spells: This is the safest method of sealing a pact because once cast, the summoned creature must make a Save vs. Will or it must seal the pact.
Holy Magic: The caster may use Holy Symbols, Holy Water, Holy Oils, certain Divine and Mystic spells, and/or certain Holy or Mystic devices to force an evilly aligned summoned creature to make a Save vs. Will or be force to agree to a pact. Only individuals of a good disposition may use these things effectively for this purpose.
Summoning by Name: If the character knows the common name of the summoned creature, he may use that common name to gain one additional chance of sealing a pact with the summoned creature. Also, many creatures will share their common names in exchange for release from a pact, enabling the caster to summon that creature by name the next time.
True Name: If the caster is able to learn the True Name of a creature summoned from another plane, he will be able to use that True Name in order to coerce the creature into sealing any pact without delay. While knowledge of the creature’s True Name will allow the caster to cast spells upon it at will, simply possessing that knowledge is extremely dangerous as the creature will not rest until it has found a way to destroy or eliminate the one who knows its True Name.
Additionally, there may be other beings or creatures who wish to learn the True Name of the summoned creature, and they may very well attempt to coerce this information from the caster using force or other painful methods.