GameBanshee Forums

While preparing for a big battle, I started casting all the summon monster type spells but after 5 monsters were summoned, a message came up saying that I was not able to control more than 5 creatures at any time. Why is this so? Is it because of my charisma?

Also the manual says that with the Animate Dead spell for mages and priests, the number of undead summoned is proportional to the level of the caster but I can only get 3 at most. Why is this?

The number of 5 summoned creatures is the maximum you can summon. It has nothing to do with stats, like charisma.

Just remember, as they die in battle, you can summon more.

There are several ways to get around the "5 creature summoning limit".

Ettercaps, Worgs and some other summons (bears, IIRC) are incorrectly not flagged as summons, and will ignore the limit. This is a bug. Baldurdash has a fix.

I'm not 100% certain, but I bet demons also ignore the limit.

Creatures summoned by clones (Project Image, Simulacrum, Helm of Vhailor) do not check the limit either. A clone with some spells, scrolls of Staff of <element> can summon armies of creatures (without expending any of your own spells, scrolls or charges). (Needless to say, clone spells are the Kings of Cheese)

Originally posted by Xyx:
<STRONG>(Needless to say, clone spells are the Kings of Cheese)</STRONG>

You got that right! This isn't BG1 Win-the-game-by-summoning-screens-full-of-knobgoblins. Josh quit ****in out and stomp your enemies yourself!

Simulacrum somehow makes me feel dirty when my solo PC casts it. It's like I'm not being true to my intention to solo the game. For some reason, it's worse than the feeling I get when I summon a horde of ettercaps and ogre berzerkers.

Originally posted by Doltan:
<STRONG>Simulacrum somehow makes me feel dirty when my solo PC casts it.</STRONG>

That's because of the overwhelming cheese fumes

And to answer the Animate Dead part of the question, instead of summoning more skeletons, it summons better ones (quality, not quantity, right?). As your caster's level increases, the HD of the skeleton also increases. Eventually, you'll get great Skeleton Warriors.

Animate Dead gives you 1-3 fodder skeletons if you're below level 15 (otherwise you get one Skeleton Warrior), the higher your level, the more likely you are to get the second and third one.