Squawk! Registered Member #648
Joined: 1:50:32 am GMT 11/20/05
Posts: 1484
Released summons are a great RP tool which can be used to flesh out one's character, make for fun RP, and even allow players to make NPC's or hostile encounters for player events.
There has recently been some confusion as to what they can represent, in regards to a character's standing or power. The large number that can be released into an area lets a player set up events where the summons can represent either their allies or their enemies.
These are, of course, subject to the approval of the other players involved. This is part of the reason that /destroysummon can let a player simply delete that hostile Balor that was placed in his or her way.
No player has to acknowledge the power of a released summon if they do not want to. They are a game feature which is designed to add RP and fun for all involved. When they cease to do this, they cease to be useful.
All of this being said, keep the Rule of Respect in mind. Simply attacking or deleting someone's non-hostile summons without provocation is disrespectful. If they just have a camp full of guards or a treant they are escorting, please do not attack them without consent from the other player.
So, if you and some other players want to use them in an event, please do! If the other players want to go through a gauntlet of monsters to get to your character, then this is excellent. But this has to be agreed upon by all involved, or else they can just be deleted from existence with /destroysummon.
In addition, please understand that being able to create a group of these NPC's does not mean that your character commands an army or runs a faction. Political status must be earned on Thain, not created with summoned NPCs. Having some henchmen or animals or even monsters as part of your story is fine, but they do not represent some larger following.
As a basic TL;DR
Summons =/= factions. Your PC isn't important because you can make a bunch of summons.
If you want your PC to be important, your PC needs to go out and do things that matter over and over again until they are perceived as important enough by others to join in their story.
You should not expect that any amount of released summons represents a faction equivalent in power to established NPC factions without DM approval.
[ The Island of Thain ]
Released Summons and Their IC Relevance