Talk:Summon Astral Beast (5e Spell)

Doesn't this seem a bit too powerful compared to Find Familiar, which is also a 1st level spell?

• Summons a CR 1/4 Monster instead of CR 0
• Can attack unlike a familiar which can't.
• Can teleport, making it far superior to any familiar that can't fly.
• Gives no demerits for seeing through the beast's eyes and special senses and implies to be a bonus action or free action to do to keep the effect forever unlike a familiar which makes the caster blind and deaf while costing their action to have this effect for one turn.
• You can cast ranged spells through it giving pseudo-infinite range to any spell at no cost, unlike familiars who can only transmit touch spells and uses the familiar's reaction.
• Has infinite range to do the above two while the familiar caps at 100 feet apart from the caster.
• Can summon infinite for a 1st level spellslot and zero gold per beast meanwhile you can only have a maximum ever of 1 familiar and it costs a 1st level spellslot and 10 gold worth of materials per use.

Edit: Okay, and with the new edits by User:Icing, it also no longer requires upkeep of food, water, air nor sleep. Unlike a Familiar which requires all the above.

It also gained a off option for gaining their senses and the ability to speak with them telepathically.

Along with the condition to always follow the commands of the user.

Isn't this just getting more overpowered? --Alearori (talk) 19 October 2017 (UTC)

Right, so here's my suggestion on how to balance this thing:

• First of all, I think this should have the statistics of a wolf instead of a blink dog because a Blink Dog is simply too powerful. And instead have the player actually roll for it's hp instead, which is 2d8+2. This will cause the dogs to be more vulnerable, and the Astral Beast won't be able to escape Attack of Opportunities for free with Teleport.
• The Astral Beast should make the user blinded and deafened while looking through its eyes and other special senses, just like a Familiar. Additionally add a range limit like 100ft just like Find Familiar.
• The Astral Beast should not make it's own initiative in combat, because having infinitely many of them will flood the Initiative list. Instead, it'll probably be better to have it work like Animate Dead. where the user can use a Bonus Action to mentally Command the Astral Beasts within 60 feet of them. Keeping the part about general and specific commands.
• Add a limit to how far the Astral Beasts can be to cast spells through along, what type of spells and the penalty for doing so. Such as touch spells only, at most 100ft from caster, and uses the Astral Beast's Reaction just like Find Familiar.
• Add back the necessity for an Astral Beast to breathe, eat, drink and sleep because even familiars have to breathe, eat, drink and sleep.
• Finally add a cap to the amount of Astral Beasts that a player can have, like 3. This part was the only special part about it that separates it from Find Familiar.

Personally, I think this spell is just a more overpowered Find Familiar spell, but that's how I'd balance it unless someone has a better idea. --Alearori (talk) 16:13, 29 October 2017 (MDT)