Elementals & Other Summoned Creatures (Patreon)

A spellcaster’s magic makes them very versatile in the heat of battle. They have all sorts of options for tackling the problems at hand, especially when those problems happen to be a large monster or enemy combatant that needs to be put down. And while some spellcasters are happy to attack directly, some prefer others to do the dirty work for them.

Summoned creatures typically reside on other planes of existence; pocket dimensions that are connected to our world through the astral plane. Most are typically no more intelligent than your average animal, caring for little else than following its instincts. However, when presented with the opportunity to access the material plane, their priorities tend to shift.

Summoned creatures are not able to travel to or remain on the material plane on their own. The physical forms we see them take on are not in fact their true forms, but a facsimile powered by the summoner that their spirit inhabits. Without a connection to the caster that summoned them, they are instantly shunted back to their home plane.

A summoning spell can in some ways be thought of as a magical contract. The spell requires the caster to make an offering to the summoned creature. This is typically a material component, such as coal or other fuel for a fire elemental, though some more intelligent and powerful creatures may ask the spellcaster to agree to some sort of deal or exchange. While most summonings happen willingly, there are truly powerful mages capable of magically shackling all sorts of summoned creatures and bending them to their will.

Elementals are the most common type of creature to be summoned, due in part because the dimensions they call home are more closely aligned with ours than some of the others. This includes the classical elements you know: fire, air, water, and earth, but there are also others. There are elementals of frost, lightning, wood, or even metal. The forms of these elementals can vary, some taking on familiar bipedal forms, while others may more closely resemble animals, typically dependent on the amount of power the creature possesses.

But there are other, more intelligent creatures capable of being summoned as well. Residing on planes of celestial or demonic natures, these beings often closely resemble what we think of as “angels” or “demons.” A significant amount of spell power is required to connect to these planes, and the costs are often more exacting. These creatures often have their own motivations and wants far more complex than the animal-like instincts of an elemental. They may ask the caster for a favor, or only agree to assist them under specific conditions, and it is up to the spellcaster to weigh the costs against the benefits.

While technically any arcane caster can cast a summoning spell, there are certain casters with an affinity for reaching out to the creatures on these other planes. These are known as Summoners. Other types of spellcasters can also seemingly summon their own types of creatures, though there are usually significant differences. More powerful creatures require a more powerful caster, and if someone isn’t careful, it is entirely possible for a summoned creature to break free of the control of the person who summoned them, leading to disaster.

Enchanters, another subdivision of arcane spellcasters, are able to use their talents for imbuing objects with magic to create something unique. By imbuing an object or objects with aspects of their own personality, they can bring these objects to life to function as an assistant or guard. Though not technically “alive” in the strictest sense, the “creature” contains the intelligence and other quirks of the caster themselves, making it hard to tell the difference.

Necromancers, a type of divine caster, are capable of summoning the dead. Mind you, this is not the same as bringing the dead back to life; there is no spirit or soul, they are simply reanimated corpses. Skeletons, cadavers, even the freshly dead can be utilized. Though the musculature, skin, and bones of their body might be destroyed, the negatively-aligned magical energy holds them together and even makes them ambulatory. Similar to enchanters, this is done by the necromancer in question imbuing the dead with their own magic, though they have no independent thought and can only obey the orders of their master. Despite this association with the undead, not all necromancers are evil.

Finally, we have the totems, familiars, and other spirits that natural casters call on. These are often thought of in the same category as other summoned creatures, with some even bearing similar elemental affinities. However, there are some key differences. The “contracts” they form with a natural caster are often much longer lived; a shaman could summon the same totems for years, and a witch's familiar will typically be with them their entire life. These creatures also already reside on the material plane, and cannot be “banished” in the same way.

So, there you have it. In a big and magic-filled world like Terra, some of its people will use that magic to summon all sorts of creatures. Maybe it’s to win an epic battle, maybe it’s in the name of important research, maybe they just don’t feel like plowing the fields on their own - all it takes is a little magic and the right offering. Just remember: the more you seek, the higher the cost.