Summons

Here are some basic thoughts on how to integrate Final Fantasy style summons like those seen in FF4/6/7 (one attack/effect) and FF10/12 (fighting for an encounter or so).

So, the things you’re going to want are one time effects (fire attacks, status effects, and healing) and encounter length companions. The first is easy: create at-will, encounter and daily abilities that do those very same things (look to existing class abilities for attacks and healing, look to poisons for status effects as a general guideline). The problem with the latter is the overpowering affects of having a second character making actions. Here is how I’d do it.

Let’s take a summoner, a Tiefling named Kallista and an eidolon, Shiva. I’m not sure if Shiva should be an always thing, like a god, granting specific at-will, encounter, and daily abilities like Channel Divinity does for Clerics and Paladins, or if they should be summon inspecific. But, whatever the summoner has, they have some array of at-will, encounter and daily abilities. An at-will ability included with the class is Summon Eidolon. Ignoring some of the particulars, you’d arrive at an ability that summoned the eidolon within a certain range (is that a burst?) Shiva’s arrival would come with an effect, somewhat comparable to Cloud of Daggers. Then, Shiva could act on Kallista’s next turn or react as normal. Here’s the balancing thing: Summon is a Sustain Standard, meaning that Kallista can still perform move and minor actions, but not be blasting away simultaneously. Here’s the other balancing thing: Shiva’s Encounter and Daily abilities can only be activated by burning Kallista’s Encounter and Daily abilities. Now, Kallista isn’t any more powerful than someone else because she has two Daily abilities or what-have-you. She’s just got different arrays to choose from. Still too powerful? Maybe, maybe. If so, Summons could act like magic weapons – only summonable after a major rest or a milestone. How does that sound?

Airship Battles

So, the party is fighting on an airship’s deck. That doesn’t take any changes at all from 4E. But, what about flying the ship into special maneuvers, firing cannons, tilting to and fro to affect enemies?

Have the character take control of the ship, Leaders like the Warlord work best. Their actions will be tied up with the normal stuff (Sustain Standard again). They can still activate anything that works on a move, minor, or on other’s actions (like AP usage). But, they can sacrifice their Encounter or Daily abilities to activate those of the Airship (sound familiar?). So, isn’t it overpowering to not be the subject of attacks on the battlefield?

Yeah, but you’re now worrying about the airship’s HP versus the flying monsters or enemy airships. Neat, huh? This, of course, would work for any vessel, be it train, ship, moon rocket, etc.

Thoughts?