Talk:Stone of Monster Summoning (3.5e Equipment)

Balance

Way under priced... Image a group of kobolds that want to save their village and will go to any means to do this. All they would have to do is go about a mile in front of the invading army and all use these stones. This could create 50 CR 10 monsters, that would be enough to destroy the oncoming army (and the Kobolds who would not put up a fight), or at least weaken the oncoming army. These stones are not all negative.... I would say raise the price quite a bit. --Green Dragon 23:48, 10 January 2007 (MST)

Well the kind of monsters that appear are chosen by the DM, but perhaps I should make it clearer that the monsters summoned are always to the determent of the user.-Cypresslyshra 23:51, 10 January 2007 (MST)

User choice would make it more breakable... I like the idea of this, but no DM is going to make the Kobolds well thought out plan fire that backwardly (Kobolds coming up with something like that, wow!). I would say just raise the price to 1000 or even 100 (?)gp. Just so much that someone would not mass buy these and exploit them. --Green Dragon 23:57, 10 January 2007 (MST)

200 gold then.--Cypresslyshra 00:01, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Well, with DM choice, wouldn't it be possible that it draws the invading army? Or a part of it, at least (however many the stones could summon). I think that would probably be one of the most ironic uses of it in that situation. Although, it wouldn't be necessarily bad, as it would split the army up a bit. Passer 00:04, 11 January 2007 (MST)

I say sure, however if this was to be the case a good reason why this would happen would be needed and the price raised again because with this method a kingdom could send out a ranger to go a day or two behind an army and use this their, drawing the army away from the kingdom and giving the kingdom more days to prepare for war... --Green Dragon 00:17, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Yes, but since DM has control over what is summoned, and the item is meant to screw with the user, at about that time he/she should be saying something along the lines of "As you complete the chanting, you see a Troll appear infront of you."--Cypresslyshra 00:20, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Oh... In my head I am not considering this to give full control to the DM. I am imagining what I would do, not make that mean of a monster. One that might be a challenge, but not kill them. You might want to clarify that this item is intended as something not good and will normally result in a problem for the character, not a bonus in any way. Also, are their any environmental restrictions to the type summoned? --Green Dragon 00:24, 11 January 2007 (MST)

The creature summoned must be able to have been their in the first place without the aid of the spell (So, while a demon would not normally appear in the woods, and thus would not appear if used in the woods, there would be a better chance of one appearing in, say, an evil clerics house.) And I shall clarify that now--Cypresslyshra 00:29, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Oh, okay. --Green Dragon 00:30, 11 January 2007 (MST)

If it's drawing a creature (or group?) that will be detrimental to the user, if it was used in front of the army, drawing them closer would be bad. If you use it behind the army, it's not, although drawing the support troops for that army would be. Or something around there. Especcially as it would almost never work exactly the same way twice. Passer 00:40, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Anytime we have a discussion this complex about how to omnisciently have an item screw over the user, the item had best simply be balanced. Fortunately, I think the author has wisely already done this. In any case, enough disclaimer has been made that this is best considered an item not meant to be mass produced by either PCs or nefarious/conniving NPCs (unless done so for plot reasons). --EldritchNumen 00:55, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Masterful summation --Cypresslyshra 00:58, 11 January 2007 (MST)

Why, thank you. :) --EldritchNumen 01:02, 11 January 2007 (MST)