Summon Horror I

School conjuration (summoning) [evil]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1, summoner 1, witch 1

CASTING

Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (a pinch of powdered bonemeal and ash)

EFFECT

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one summoned creature
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

This spell summons a terrifying creature (typically an aberration, outsider, or undead). It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. The spell conjures one of the creatures from the 1st Level list on Table: Summon Horror. You choose which kind of creature to summon, and you can choose a different one each time you cast the spell.

A summoned creature cannot summon or otherwise conjure another creature or create spawn, nor can it use any teleportation or planar travel abilities. Creatures cannot be summoned into an environment that cannot support them. Creatures summoned using this spell cannot use spells or spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with expensive foci or material components (such as wish).

Author's Note: Summon Horror

The spell line of summon horror is meant to be an equivalent spell to summon monster; it uses creatures of similar Challenge Rating and ability, but provides a more sinister list of creatures to choose from. It also is a great way to make a low-cost necromancer, as each level of summon horror has at least one undead creature to summon.

While the spell is currently listed only for the sorcerer/wizard, summoner, and witch spell lists, GMs are encouraged to allow this spell as a substitute for summon monster for other classes, archetypes, and abilities that use summon monster. Examples include the bard spell list, an antipaladin’s fiendish boon class feature, or the bottled ally I-IX class feature for the preservationist alchemist archetype. This goes the same in reverse; an archetype or class that uses summon horror, such as the dark conjuror nightblade archetype in this book, can easily have its abilities substituted for the equivalent summon monster spell.

Some GMs may feel that having an additional creature list for conjuration-focused casters to choose from may be too strong. It is not unreasonable to require a player to choose either summon horror or summon monster; once they select one line of summon spells, they cannot learn any from the other.

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