Summoner (5E)

[jkeller]

Forge: https://forge.fantasygrounds.com/shop/items/3054/view

To use, enable the "Feature: Summoner" extension when loading your campaign.

This 5E extension adds pentacle buttons next to spells that summon NPCs (for example, "Find Familiar"). The player (or DM) can click on the button to add the NPC (as an ally) to the Combat Tracker and the map. If the caster is on the map, the NPC token is added to the map too (at a random location near the caster), but you can override this using Shift-click to add just to the Combat Tracker.

Spells that can summon different variations will have up to 5 buttons.

https://i.ibb.co/ZRVxx9tK/Summoner-Spell-Icons.png

The buttons will be added when the Character Sheet Actions tab is rendered, or when the spell is added or edited.

Spells are parsed to look for NPC links. If you want to add/change which NPCs can be summoned, you can have up to 5 NPCs (just drag and drop) them into the spell description.

Double-clicking on the map token will open the NPC page.

This can be useful for powers such as the Artificer's Steel Defender ability (simply add an action, and edit it to include [SUMMON: Steel Defender]".

Updates:
- 0.7: added support for drag-and-drop (drag the pentacle onto the map to spawn the NPC at that location)
- 0.5: Automatically remove the summoned creatures (Combat Tracker entries and map tokens) if the caster fails a concentration check.

[Hjorimir]

First, I'm really excited about this extension. However, I have some feedback for consideration:
1) The summoned creature's attack bonus doesn't seem to be working appropriately. (This may actually be an issue with how FGU implements these summon templates, so not sure you can fix.)
2) Is there any way to ensure the summoned creature has the same initiative count as the caster? I was testing with Summon Aberration and that spell says the summoned creature shares the caster's initiative.

[jkeller]

Currently, it uses whatever NPC it finds in the spell (though you can override that). So if the NPC that the spell links to has the wrong stats, you would need to either change the NPC (which may not be possible since most would be read-only), or make a copy and fix it, and then link to that one (using a "[SUMMON: My NPC]" tag in your spell description. Can you give me an example of one that's wrong? We may be able to report it to FG as a bug.

For #2, it's supposed to inherit the caster's init. Is it not doing that for you? Does the caster have an init (in the combat tracker)?

[jkeller]

Got a great feature request (it's in this version). Although it still supports the "[SUMMON: Some NPC]" tag, the easier/better way to do it is to just drag-and-drop the NPC into the spell description. The extension will add a summon button for any NPC links it finds (up to 5).

Also, you can now double-click on the summoned map token to open the NPC page.

[jkeller]

Fixed an issue where formatted links (e.g. bold "NPC") weren't found, such as in the Animate Objects spell.

[Vaall]

Hey, I really appreciate the simplicity of your summoning expansion.

I think it will make life easier for GMs when I summon my 8 wolves during Conjure Animals with my druid.

Do you think it would be possible to include the concept of Concentration summoning somewhere? So that if it's removed, it would remove the summoned creatures from the CT (and ideally all creatures at once if there are multiple summons this way)?

[jkeller]

Definitely! That's #1 on my todo list.

[jkeller]

The new version is ready. It should remove any concentration-dependent summoned creatures when the caster loses concentration. Don't forget to apply the concentration effect to the caster (that's outside this extension).

[Vaall]

Thank you for the quick update.

I was able to run some tests, and it works very well (if I lose concentration, it removes all the summons that were created).

Far be it from me to be overly picky, but I wonder if in some cases this latest update might be a bit too aggressive, or perhaps I’m just not using it the right way.

For example, with Conjure Animals, which is a concentration spell, it makes perfect sense that the summoned creatures disappear when concentration is broken.
However, in the case of summons where the spell or ability does not require concentration (such as the Cleric’s Spiritual Weapon), if the caster has also cast a concentration spell (before or after the summon, for example Spirit Guardians), then when they lose concentration, they also lose their summons—even though those summons are not tied to the concentration spell.

We would therefore need to find a way to say "this invocation is under concentration and this one is not".

Here's a list of ideas (I don't know if they're possible or complicated to implement):

- If the effect that allows you to be under concentration (i.e., the effect containing "(C)") is in the same power that contains the summon button.
- If the NPC's name also contains (C) (I'm less keen on this, as it would require creating a copy of certain NPCs).
- Pressing a key during the summoning process.


Another detail: is it possible for an NPC to also have the button to summon themselves (after all, the archdruid also has Summon Animals and the Cleric/priest has Spirit Weapon)?

And do you also think it's possible to make the summoning button appear in the power group provided by an item equipped via the Jack of All Things expansion (so that it's possible to perform a summoning via a scroll if the NPC is also listed in the item's description, for example)?

[jkeller]

All good ideas, thanks! I'll take a look.

[Tempered7]

And do you also think it's possible to make the summoning button appear in the power group provided by an item equipped via the Jack of All Things expansion (so that it's possible to perform a summoning via a scroll if the NPC is also listed in the item's description, for example)?

This would be great! +1
Summoning wands would be automated to 100%.

[jkeller]

Updated.

1) This version should fix the concentration handling. Note that you do need to click the button to apply the concentration effect so that the Combat Tracker knows about it (summoning the creature does not automatically apply the effect).

2) It also adds some support for NPCs on the CT with summon spells. The Archdruid in my version doesn't have that summon spell, so I tested with some custom NPCs. As far as I can tell, there's no button on the CT to add the concentration effect onto the NPC, so currently, if it loses concentration, the summoned creatures will not automatically get removed.

3) I need to do some research and testing with Jack of All Things, but I think it should be possible.

[nephranka]

Nice ext! The summoning buttons overlap the spell info created by the spell action info ext. Any chance they could be moved?

Also, in 5.5e the familiars get their own initiative.

[jkeller]

Nice ext! The summoning buttons overlap the spell info created by the spell action info ext. Any chance they could be moved?

Also, in 5.5e the familiars get their own initiative.

Do you mean on the Combat Tracker (as opposed to the ones on the Character Sheet)?

So far, I have not had much luck drawing them somewhere else. I tried several options, including adding them to the left where there seems to be space, but they don't show. I might be able to do some kind of popup, so only one small icon would be needed. Or does anyone know of an example of another extension that has solved this issue?

[nephranka]

Do you mean on the Combat Tracker (as opposed to the ones on the Character Sheet)?

So far, I have not had much luck drawing them somewhere else. I tried several options, including adding them to the left where there seems to be space, but they don't show. I might be able to do some kind of popup, so only one small icon would be needed. Or does anyone know of an example of another extension that has solved this issue?

Here is the screen shot. It is on the actions tab of the sheet.

[jkeller]

Interesting. They should not be there. My first guess is that you have another extension that might be altering that page, too.
Or, I have a bug that I don't understand heh (which is quite possible, this UI stuff is very tricky!)

https://i.ibb.co/ZRVxx9tK/Summoner-Spell-Icons.png

[nephranka]

Interesting. They should not be there. My first guess is that you have another extension that might be altering that page, too.
Or, I have a bug that I don't understand heh (which is quite possible, this UI stuff is very tricky!)

https://i.ibb.co/ZRVxx9tK/Summoner-Spell-Icons.png

It is the Spell Action Info extension.

[jkeller]

Yep, that was it -- that extension is using the same UI space as mine.

I modified mine to see if that extension is installed, and if so, I adjust my position. Should work now.

https://i.ibb.co/4ZcmCxhZ/Summoner-buttons.jpg

[nephranka]

Yep, that was it -- that extension is using the same UI space as mine.

I modified mine to see if that extension is installed, and if so, I adjust my position. Should work now.

https://i.ibb.co/4ZcmCxhZ/Summoner-buttons.jpg

Looks good. Thanks!

[Diffus3d]

This is a good extension, well done. I woulda paid for it, if that is helpful.

My only issue is with a dark theme it's hard to see the buttons, but it's not a huge deal.

Good job.

[jkeller]

Thanks, glad you like it.

I don't charge for any of mine; I'm a retired developer, so I just do it for fun and to contribute to the great FG community.

I had never thought to test that one with a dark theme. I uploaded a fix - it should be better now. Thanks for letting me know!

[Diffus3d]

That's amazing. Thank you for your efforts, this extension is a banger.