Summoning
- Preparation
Summoning and calling rituals start with preparations. Demon summoners must draw a summoning circle plus some additional circles of protection and warding to keep the demon at a distance. You can eschew these protective measures (to save time, for example), but most experienced demonologists would advise against doing so.To call an elemental, you must have a certain amount of its element on hand. For an elemental spirit, you need only a small campfire, a kettle of water, or a few pounds of humus. Djinn require (and expect) a conflagration or something similar.
- Casting the Magic
The ritual skill check suffers a penalty equal to the invocation difficulty of the demon or elemental (invocation difficulty measures the difficulty of summoning a particular creature). You can choose to apply modifications from the general description of rituals. All modifications are cumulative.
3a A Successful Check
The summoner can use the QL of a successful check to improve the abilities of the creature being called. These improvements reduce the QL for services the creature will render (see below).
Improving Summoned Creatures
Instead of spending your QL for services, you can chose improvements for the summoned being from the following chart. You can only take each improvement once.
Improvements for Summoned Creatures
Offensive Improvement +2 AT, +4 DP
Defensive Improvement +2 PA, +2 PRO, +10 LP
Speed Improvement +2 MOV, +2 DO
Magical Improvement SR of all known spells +4
Resistance Improvement +2 Spirit and Toughness. Attacks with magical weapons do half damage (halve the damage points first, and then subtract PRO).
Mental Improvement Raise Mental attributes by 2. This has no effect on secondary stats.
Physical Improvement Raise Physical attributes by 2. This has no effect on secondary stats.
3b. A Failed Check
A spellcaster who fails a ritual must pay half the AE, as with any other enchantment. If you were trying to call an elemental, failure has no additional consequences. If you were trying to summon a demon, the GM rolls secretly on the following chart (if you botched the summoning, add 15 points to the result).
Failed Demon Summoning
1D20
1-14 Nothing happens. No demon appears.
15-18 A large amount of material from the Netherhells manifests in the summoning circle.
19-21 The demon appears but is not under the summoner’s control.
22-23 An uncontrolled demon (chosen by the GM) with the same or a lesser number of horns appears.
24-25 An uncontrolled demon (chosen by the GM) with 1D3 additional horns appears.
26-27 A pillar of flame shoots from the summoning circle, possibly igniting objects in the area.
28-29 A cloud of poisonous gas spreads out from the summoning circle and does 1D6 DP (ignoring PRO) per CR when inhaled.
30-32 The desired demon appears and pretends to be under the summoner’s control at first, but pursues its own agenda sooner or later. It remains in the Third Sphere until the next sunset.
33+ Nothing happens immediately, but the summoner has somehow attracted an archdemon’s attention. The archdemon could reveal itself in dreams, offer a pact, or simply view the spellcaster as a toy for its sadistic pursuits.
- Services
If the summoning succeeds, the desired creature appears and is ready to render services to the caster, within the scope of its abilities. The number of services is limited. Each creature must render at least one service. For each QL of the summoning, the creature must perform an additional service. Staying in the Third Sphere costs services, as well—in general, you lose one remaining service each sunrise thereafter (exceptions are noted below). When all services are expended, the creature disappears and returns to wherever it came from. Note that some creatures don’t perform every type of service, as specified in their descriptions. By using a free action, summoners can make the creatures they summoned abort a service immediately. While awaiting orders, a summoned creature follows its summoner around and stays within shouting distance.
Services of Summoned Creatures
Labor
Until the next sunrise, the summoned creature performs simple labor within the limits of its mental and physical capabilities, such as trying to work out the fine print in a trade agreement, or carrying items or people (including the summoner) from one place to another.
Advise
The creature advises the summoner within the limits of its mental capabilities. This can take the form of suggesting a course of action, offering playing tips for a game of boltan, or helping with a riddle. Remember that demons and elementals are not omniscient.
Use Ability
The creature uses one of its abilities (or spells it knows) on its summoner’s behalf.
Combat
The creature attacks a single target, using all the tools at its disposal unless instructed otherwise. Creatures defend themselves when attacked. Directing a creature to attack more than one enemy uses up 2 of its services (at least). The creature stops fighting after, at most, 1 hour. Extended travel, if any, is subtracted from the fighting time.
Espionage
The creature pursues and watches a target chosen by the summoner, returning after a time specified by the summoner to report what it has seen. The creature will not spy for longer than 1 day per service.
Search
The creature searches for an object or character known personally to the summoner. The duration of the search depends on distance traveled. A good hiding place or confusing terrain might prolong the time, as well. A gotongi (a flying demon) or a flying elemental can search an area of 2 square miles in about 1 hour. After that, the summoner must spend another service.
Guard
The creature guards an object or person. If an unauthorized person touches the object or attacks the character being guarded, the creature protects it with everything at its disposal. The creature will not guard something for longer than 1 year. This circumvents the requirement of spending 1 service per sunrise. This activity requires at least 2 services, but otherwise uses up all services gained by the summoning. The creature’s guard duty ends after the first combat.
Core Rules page 63