[ Named Summons ] Ownership, availability mechanics.

[Aspect of Sorrow]

Uniqueness in the PW benefits story, there are bits and baubles throughout that support most of such content but one struggled with is the accessibility to named summons. I don't argue on my behalf as I don't have a real investment in this mechanic, but I enter circles of players that do. The struggle that some presently have is that post-bound summons have a bit of a lock to them that others cannot access. Names are certainly shared, bounds are made, but there are some who have legitimate interactions with what they did invest in but cannot due to either collectors, or another also taking part. Sometimes these characters, and sometimes their summons, are not openly summoned for large stretches of time, and these are made unavailable to others who do want to play Ash Ketchum once in a while.

Is a change such as moving monthlong bound locks to 12 hours instead, a interest to staff?

[FearBeforeTheFlames]

I'd even go as far as to ask how we can add more variety to the existing system. Perhaps even a pathway for new named summons to be made from DM interactions? Wouldn't that be a neat reward?

I would support more open mechanics to this unique feature; and encourage it to be highlighted. When implemented, it set alot of initial interest.

[Anrilor]

My understanding is that it is 10 days from last summon, so those that have them bound need to resummon them once every 10 days. When I had one summon for my character that was gifted to me, I made sure that I summoned the summon once a week as to not loose the binding. Its not a month bound.

Also, the fact that it can cost upwards of 250k-300k in a single binding, is expensive, and maintanace is required to keep it going, especially if you are a low income character (IE have a hard time solo, not in a busy/active circle, no crafting ability) that single payment is highly investive, whereas someone else might have no issue dishing out that sort of money just for a 'vanity' item so to speak. If you loose the binding, to someone else taking it back over, it costs the same amount to have it rebound again, which gets expensive fast.

While I no longer have my summon, I did gift it to a player who was taking over in my stead, so they could have the RP oppertunites with it.

The few times I did loose access to my summon (go away on vacation for a week or so, and forget to summon it when I got back, etc) I would find it bound by someone else, and have to go around the "Ash Katchem's" of the server and try to track it down and ask for it back for RP purposes.

If anything, just not having them locked I think would be better, its not like everyone is wandering around with the summons out. Maybe just some sort of check of "if x Summon has been used in the last 60 minutes, x summon is unavailable for another person to use." But there is no rebinding cost to it.

[Izsu]

I would definitely put my support down for an effort that lets people build some significant RP and possibly friendship with a planar entity.

Whether it be a cleric calling repeatedly upon the same solar or other favored entity of their deity for protection or a warlock/wizard that takes a liking to a specific demon's propensity for bloodshed - I feel there's a lot that can be done with the named summon system.

One doesn't necessarily have to do away with the current system entirely, but there's possibilities to be had here for sure. The table of named summons could be resetted, expanded upon, serve as a gateway to more meaningful interactions etc.

Regarding the way the named summons are locked down, there's options there too.

Three named summons per character? Per account? Obviously some people could/would just use the loophole of having alt/mule accounts, but it's something to think about.

[Flasmix]

This entire system reads as being entirely convoluted while punishing RPers and rewarding the hoarders and constant loot runners. The idea that someone can put a bunch of work into a summon, yet lose it by going on vacation or having to visit family up to say, having to go to the hospital for X amount of time doesn't sit right. Nor does having some of the best summons being simply held in reserve until 1 hour before their binding is reset just to have that player log on and refresh it. That doesn't help anybody at all, except keep certain summons out of commission due to greed.

The idea of using the naming system sounds good. Instead of set names, use RNG to create unique names based on creature type. At the same time, if the system is switched to this I'd even go so far as removing the requirement to refresh the bind. Yet only allow one bind per character, maybe allowing for two if some PrC's or an epic feat is taken.

[Green Monster]

This entire system reads as being entirely convoluted while punishing RPers and rewarding the hoarders and constant loot runners. The idea that someone can put a bunch of work into a summon, yet lose it by going on vacation or having to visit family up to say, having to go to the hospital for X amount of time doesn't sit right. Nor does having some of the best summons being simply held in reserve until 1 hour before their binding is reset just to have that player log on and refresh it. That doesn't help anybody at all, except keep certain summons out of commission due to greed.

The idea of using the naming system sounds good. Instead of set names, use RNG to create unique names based on creature type. At the same time, if the system is switched to this I'd even go so far as removing the requirement to refresh the bind. Yet only allow one bind per character, maybe allowing for two if some PrC's or an epic feat is taken.

All of this. 1 contract per character, random name generated gets added to a db so that name generation script doesn't use the same name twice. I don't think the true name of an extra-planar entity needs to be pronouncable, so a collection of random letters and apostrophes like a drow signing their name while drunk would be fine.

the function could first determine the length of the name by generating a random number from 5 to 20, then create a list of characters with the first one being a capital letter, then the others randomly selected from a set of hyphens, apostrophes, and lowercase letters, then parse that list of characters to a string.

[Dolorof]

I'd even go as far as to ask how we can add more variety to the existing system. Perhaps even a pathway for new named summons to be made from DM interactions? Wouldn't that be a neat reward?

I would support more open mechanics to this unique feature; and encourage it to be highlighted. When implemented, it set alot of initial interest.

Yeah...

I am of the opinion that the dusty tome was a great system, its VERY unique. But at the end of the day it became a "Grind" of sorts, you need to collect huge amount of tomes, that i frankly don't care about anymore, and hope for it to have a name. Most of the times it will be a weak summon (Low CR).
In general it favor hoarders. That said, i don't think it needs to go away or even change, it could remain as it is. But if extra means of acquiring named summons, without the help of a DM, could be added, it would really be a welcoming experience for mages.

I could think of something like divinations spells to uncover new names? Perhaps the contact the other plane could be use combinade with something else? Something that also makes use of the language system and Knowledge: other planes, as in a research of sorts? Just general ideas.
Maybe something like that generated quest system, where a mom is looking for her kid (lol), could also, sometimes, direct the player to some ritual site generated randomly.

[Dolorof]

This entire system reads as being entirely convoluted while punishing RPers and rewarding the hoarders and constant loot runners. The idea that someone can put a bunch of work into a summon, yet lose it by going on vacation or having to visit family up to say, having to go to the hospital for X amount of time doesn't sit right. Nor does having some of the best summons being simply held in reserve until 1 hour before their binding is reset just to have that player log on and refresh it. That doesn't help anybody at all, except keep certain summons out of commission due to greed.

The idea of using the naming system sounds good. Instead of set names, use RNG to create unique names based on creature type. At the same time, if the system is switched to this I'd even go so far as removing the requirement to refresh the bind. Yet only allow one bind per character, maybe allowing for two if some PrC's or an epic feat is taken.

One named bind per character seems too restrictive to me. The summon system is in a... Delicate state as of right now. The majority of named summons won't be stonger than an epic gate spell or the dragon. If you lock people to just one summon, that may very well make the system disapear, because if its hard to find a true name, its nearly impossible to find an epic true name. While the lock of one summon or not, hardly adress this point in question, the possibility of binding more than one summon has at least some RP repercussion to it.

[Kitunenotsume]

One named bind per character seems too restrictive to me. The summon system is in a... Delicate state as of right now. The majority of named summons won't be stonger than an epic gate spell or the dragon. If you lock people to just one summon, that may very well make the system disapear, because if its hard to find a true name, its nearly impossible to find an epic true name. While the lock of one summon or not, hardly adress this point in question, the possibility of binding more than one summon has at least some RP repercussion to it.

I considered trying to go after Dusty-Tomes briefly years ago, if only for an RP summon with a consistent name - but the prices that they go for, and the absolute tedium of trying to get a name just prices me out in both cost and time. I'd honestly be happy with a CR 2 summon with nonstandard name, as long as the summon itself weren't a complete anathema to the character. I don't think I am alone in that regard (hopefully not, anyway?).

[Steve]

The system of Named Summons was also designed so that players could RP their PCs to acquire a Named Being (DM reward). Not sure if this ever actually happened, but it would allow one option to bypass the tedium of grinding coin and hoping to Ao to actually find a Tome with an actual name (and one not already taken).

[Dolorof]

One named bind per character seems too restrictive to me. The summon system is in a... Delicate state as of right now. The majority of named summons won't be stonger than an epic gate spell or the dragon. If you lock people to just one summon, that may very well make the system disapear, because if its hard to find a true name, its nearly impossible to find an epic true name. While the lock of one summon or not, hardly adress this point in question, the possibility of binding more than one summon has at least some RP repercussion to it.

I considered trying to go after Dusty-Tomes briefly years ago, if only for an RP summon with a consistent name - but the prices that they go for, and the absolute tedium of trying to get a name just prices me out in both cost and time. I'd honestly be happy with a CR 2 summon with nonstandard name, as long as the summon itself weren't a complete anathema to the character. I don't think I am alone in that regard (hopefully not, anyway?).

You're right. I think there was a plan to have the Thaumaturge class to name the planar cohort? I think so.
As for me. Althought tedious, the dusty tomes are still cool, i just would love to see otehr ways of getting named summons. Ideally without a DM help. (Its my understand that DMs can already give you unique summons, i know i have one from DM Loki)

[Rhifox]

You're right. I think there was a plan to have the Thaumaturge class to name the planar cohort? I think so.

Letting classes with cohorts name their cohorts is on my to-do list, yes.