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POWER PROFILE: SUMMONING POWERSPOWER PROFILE: SUMMONING POWERSPOWER PROFILE: SUMMONING POWERS
Some heroes work alone, others in teams, and others
still have the ability to call-in as much help as they want,
by summoning other beings to assist them! From com-manding animals like birds or sea-creatures to creating
animated constructs of solidified energy or summoning
quantum duplicates, M&M characters can go from lone
individuals to an entire army!
All the powers in this profile summon—call, conjure, or
create—different independent beings in one fashion or
another. These beings are generally referred to as agents
of the summoner. Minions are agents with the minion
trait (Hero’s Handbook, page 193) and all the limitations
that come with it.
THE SUMMON EFFECTNaturally, summoning powers rely heavily on the Summon
effect (Hero’s Handbook, pages 128–130) which brings
other creatures to serve the user.
The default Summon effect calls upon a singular agent
with the minion descriptor and the dazed condition,
friendly towards the summoner (and thus generally dis-
posed to do as ordered). Modifiers can change these
default conditions. The Minion advantage (Hero’s Hand-
book, page 87) is much like a Permanent Limited Summon
effect, while the Sidekick advantage (Hero’s Handbook,
page 88) is like a Permanent Limited Summon effect that
calls upon an Active, Heroic agent, both of them involv-
ing Self-Powered agents who do not simply appear out
of thin air when called (see the Self-Powered modifier,
following).
Since Summon is a close range effect, the agent normally
appears in the nearest open space adjacent to the summon-
er. In the case of hordes of agents, they may fill the nearestavailable spaces, extending outwards from the summoner.
Ranged Summon effects are thus useful for their ability to
place an agent somewhere within range—on the far side of
a gap, for example, or another part of a battlefield. Precise
placement may require a ranged attack check for Ranged
Summon, it is automatic for Perception Ranged Summon,
so long as the summoner can accurately sense the location.
The GM may wish to bend or waive the requirement for an
agent to have a PL equal to or less than the Summon rank;
this makes the effect more flexible and does not penalize
concepts based on relatively low-cost agents with power
levels closer to the series limit. So long as the agents fall
within the series power level limit, there should be little
concern.
SUMMON MODIFIERS
In addition to the modifiers from the Hero’s Handbook,
Gamemasters may find the following modifiers for the
Summon effect useful in creating summoning powers.
Responsive: You can command your summoned agent(s)
as a free action rather than a move action, although youmay only issue commands once per agent per turn. +1
point per rank.
Self-Powered: The summoned agent(s) do not appear
near the summoner but must instead travel to the sum-
moner from wherever they are using their own movement
capabilities. –1 point per rank.
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...THREE’S A CROWD
As noted in the Hero’s Handbook, Gamemasters may wish
to have groups of homogeneous agents use team checks
to minimize the number of individual die rolls needed so
they do not clutter up encounters and take time and at-
tention away from the main characters. This works well
with the limitations on issuing orders to agents: it ’s easierto tell all of your agents to attack a particular target (co-
ordinating as a team check) than it is to issue them each
different orders, unless they are Responsive (see the previ-
ous modifier) and you can issue orders as a free action.
For truly large numbers of agents, Gamemasters may find
the mass combat rules from the Gamemaster’s Guide
useful, treating dozens or even hundreds of characters
as a single entity. Also see the Swarm power for treating
large numbers of agents as singular entities.
SUMMONING DESCRIPTORSExactly how the Summon effect brings agents into play,
and the type of agents it brings, are subject to the power’s
descriptors.
• Dimensional: The power summons agents from other
dimensions, from parallel universe soldiers to demons
from hellish netherworlds. Note that the Summon
effect need not have the Dimensional modifier unless
the agents can appear in a dimension other than the
one the summoner is presently in; having agents
come to the summoner is a built-in part of the effect,regardless of where they come from.
• Duplicate: The agents are duplicates of an existing
character, often the summoner, but a power might
also summon up duplicates of other characters. Du-
plicates are as close to identical to their source as
possible. See the Duplication power description for
more.
• Magical: The agents are summoned by magic and
are often magical creatures like elementals, spirits,
demons, or constructs. They may be vulnerable to
harm or banishment by other magic.
• Necromantic: These Summon effects call upon the
dead, typically undead creatures like zombies or
ghosts. Certain magical, holy, or life-affirming descrip-
tors (particularly light) may counter or harm necro-
mantic agents.
• Technological: Technology summons the agents,
who may or may not be technological themselves. This
could be machine animation or a teleportal device, for
example. Other types of technology could counteract
the summons.
• Countering: Countering a Summon effect typically
sends the agents back where they came from (ban-
ishment) or renders them incapacitated (deactiva-
tion). For example countering a Demon Summoning
spell may send the hellspawn back to their nether-
world whereas countering an Animate Machines
effect deactivates the machine agents, rendering
them inert and countering an Energy Constructs
power simply dissolves the construct.
SUMMONING FEATURESSome potential Feature effects associated with Summon-
ing Powers include the following:
• Monitor: You always know the condition of any of
your agents. So if one goes from normal to incapaci-
tated or immobilized, for example, you know it. If you
are able to exchange other information with your
agents, apply the Mental Link modifier of Summon.
• Servants: You can summon “servant” agents to
handle various routine, mundane tasks but not useful
in conflicts or challenges, kind of like a portable Per-
sonnel feature for a headquarters (Hero’s Handbook,
page 177).
OFFENSIVE POWERS“Offensive” summoning powers generally call or create
beings to fight on the summoner’s behalf. Some fight
alongside their summoner, while others allow the sum-
moner to stay safely back from the conflict.
ANIMATION
You can imbue objects in your line of sight with animation
and a semblance of life, making them constructs under
your control (see Constructs, Hero’s Handbook, page 179).Create the object as a construct with (Summon rank x 15)
total power points. Constructs—like other agents—are
subject to the series power level limits. The object gains
movement according to its form: statues can get up and
walk, for example, rugs can crawl, balls roll, cars drive, etc.
Some animators are additionally Limited to a particular
type of objects, such as pictures, statues, machines, stone-
work, and so forth.
Animation: Perception Range Summon Animated Object,
Limited to Available Objects • 3 points per rank.
CONSTRUCTS
You create mobile constructs out of a particular medium,
typically some type of energy: light, sound, shadows, and
so forth. Constructs act as you direct under your control
(with the standard Summon parameters of a move action
to issue orders and agents taking only a single action per
turn, unless modified).
Constructs: Ranged Summon Construct, Broad Type,
Controlled • 5 points per rank.
DUPLICATION
You can create a duplicate of yourself. Your duplicate is
an agent with the same capabilities as you, except for this
power and any hero points. You can spend your own hero
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points for your duplicate’s actions, essentially, you share
the same “pool” of hero points.
You must have this power at a rank equal to your own
power point total (less the cost of Duplication) divided by
15 and rounded up for your duplicate to possess your full
abilities. If you have it at a lower rank, create your dupli-
cate as a scaled-down version of yourself, with a power
level equal to your Summon rank and starting powerpoints determined accordingly (rank x 15). So a power
level 11 hero with Duplication 8 creates a power level 8
duplicate with (8 x 15) 120 power points and proportion-
ately lower-ranked traits.
Your duplicate thinks and acts just like you, so it is auto-
matically helpful toward you. Gamemasters should gen-
erally allow the hero’s player to determine the duplicate’s
actions. Your duplicate disappears if your power is coun-
tered. You can also make your duplicate disappear at will
by turning off your power.
Apply the Multiple Minions extra if you can summonmore than one duplicate, and the Horde extra if you can
summon them all at once. Given the power’s cost, duplica-
tors tend to be less superhuman—built on fewer power
points—the more duplicates they can summon.
Duplication: Summon Duplicate, Active, Heroic • 4 points per rank
NECROMANCY
You can imbue corpses, even skeletal remains, with a
semblance of life, turning them into undead creaturesthat rise up at your command. Use the zombie arche-
types from the Gamemaster’s Guide (page 144) or apply
the zombie template (page 145) to a different archetype
for things like creating zombie or skeletal dinosaurs or
other creatures.
Although the power as listed has a substantial cost per
rank, only 1 or 2 ranks are needed to cover the undead’s
power level and costs; Summon Zombies costs 14 points
while Summon Skeletons costs 28 points.
Necromancy: Summon Undead, Controlled, Horde, Multiple
Minions (32 total) • 14 points per rank
SWARM
You summon a swarm of essentially identical agents, such
as insects, vermin, or even small machines. Rather than
racking up the tremendous (and expensive!) ranks of
Multiple Minions needed for, say, a swarm of a thousand
bees, it’s far easier to treat such swarms as single “agents”
which act as one and may also be fought (and potentially
defeated) as one entity.
A swarm is Insubstantial (Hero’s Handbook, page 114) at
the second rank of effect: the individual members of the
swarm can slip through small openings and flow out of
grabs and restraints, and the swarm as a whole is immune
to direct physical attacks like punches and slashes, but
still affected by area or energy attacks. Larger swarms
may have ranks of Growth and the Area modifier on their
Swarm Attack to represent their greater overall size. Apply-
ing the Multiple Minions modifier allows you to summon
multiple swarms able to split up and act independently of
each other.
Swarm: Summon Swarm (Active, Controlled) • 4 points per rank.
SWARM PL8 • MR3
STR — STA 2 AGL 0 DEX 0 FGT 0 INT — AWE 0 PRE 0
Powers: Swarm (Insubstantial 2, Permanent, Innate, Quirk:Limited by size of individual components, –2 points), SwarmAttack (Affliction 6, Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude,Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated, Concentration, Cumulative)plus choose one of Flight 2 or Movement 2 (Slithering andWall-Crawling)
Skills: Close Combat: Swarm Attack 10 (+10)
Offense: Initiative +0, Swarm Attack +10 (Close, Affliction 6)
Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 4, Fortitude 5, Toughness 2, WillImmune
Totals Abilities –6 + Powers 31 + Advantages 0 + Skills 5 +Defenses 15 = 45
DEFENSIVE POWERSDefensive summoning powers typically use summoned
beings as shields, even sacrificing them to protect the
summoner. This is of little concern when the “beings” are
mindless constructs but morally gray (to say the least)
when they are intelligent, living beings of some sort.
DECOYS
You summon up a mass of seemingly identical dupli-
cates, but they are not real and cannot physically interact,
but do provide useful cover, allowing you to lose your-
self amongst them. You gain the defensive benefits of
total concealment (a –5 circumstance penalty to attacks
against you, and opponents must guess your location) al-
though none of the other benefits.
Decoys: Concealment 4 (All Visual Senses), Limited to Decoy
Images • 4 points.
SACRIFICE
You can shift a successful attack on you to one of your
minions instead by spending a hero point. If a Gamemas-
ter character uses this power, award the affected player
a hero point instead. Gamemasters may wish to prohibit
minions from having the Interpose advantage, requiring
this power instead.
Sacrifice: Add Sacrifice modifier to Summon • 1 point.
MOVEMENT POWERSSummoning powers typically to bring agents instantly
into the summoner’s presence. They may provide other
types of movement as well.
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CASTLING
You can “swap” places with one of your duplicates (see
Duplication, previously) instantly. You appear in the du-
plicate’s place and it appears in yours, so long as you are
within the Teleport effect’s range of each other. If you
apply the Subtle modifier, those around you may not even
be able to tell you have switched places!
Castling: Teleport, Accurate (wherever duplicate is), Easy,
Extended, Limited to Switching Places With Duplicate (–2),
Medium (Duplicate) • 2 points per rank
DUPLICATE LADDER
You summon a “chain” of duplicates to cover a distance, then
re-absorb them at the destination point, essentially allow-
ing you to “leap” across a span like an instant, living bridge.
The number of duplicates is largely irrelevant, a descriptor
of the effect, although this power is most often connectedwith Duplication (previously). A version of it might work
with other Summon effects as well. This is also an effective
power stunt for duplicators who occasionally find a need for
it and can expend the extra effort (and/or the hero point).
Duplicate Ladder: Leaping • 1 point per rank
SUMMON STEED
You summon a steed with traits equal to the horse arche-
type (Gamemaster’s Guide, page 134) with 6 additional
power points of traits—most likely effects such as Flight
or Movement. More unusual steeds should be created as
full characters to determine the Summon rank needed for
them.
Summon Steed: Summon Steed 1, Continuous • 3 points
SUMMON VEHICLE
You conjure up a vehicle to transport you (and possibly
others). Create it according to the usual vehicle rules (Hero’s
Handbook, page 169) based on (rank x 15 points). Cost-wise,this is similar to the Equipment advantage (which costs 1
point per 5 points of the vehicle’s cost) but sustained rather
than continuous and with different descriptors.
You may pilot the vehicle yourself or have someone else
do so. If the vehicle is capable of driving itself, apply the
Responsive modifier of Summon; it essentially removes
the move action required to pilot. If the vehicle is remote-
controlled and must come to you, rather than simply ap-
pearing, apply the Self-Powered modifier.
Power:Summon Vehicle, Controlled •
3 points per rank
UTILITY POWERS The utility uses of summoning are manifold, depend-
ing on the abilities, skills, and powers of the beings they
summon.
ANATOMIC SPLIT
You can split off different parts of your body without
harm, allowing them to act semi-independently. Their
movement abilities tend to be limited to crawling or shuf-
fling, but a separated eye can still see and a separated ear
can still hear, and so forth.
The power format assumes the ability to make up toeight splits, with each part as a relatively low-cost “agent”
(having only a portion of your capabilities) requiring only
1 or perhaps 2 ranks. If your separated parts have more
significant capabilities, increase the Summon rank to
account for the added cost.
Anatomic Split: Summon Body Part, Controlled, Mental Link,
Multiple Minions 3, Side-Effect (Lose use of the separated part)
• 1 point + 8 points per rank.
COMBINE
You and one or more other characters can combine to
summon a singular being. The components of the com-
bined being disappear and cannot act while it exists but
the combined form has a full set of actions each turn. The
components also suffer whatever conditions the com-
bined form does (Feedback) and countering or ending the
Summon effect causes the combined form to split back
into its components.
At the Gamemaster’s option, the components of the com-
bined form can evenly divide the ranks (and cost) of the
power amongst themselves. The combined form must stillobey any series power level limits, although the GM is free
to set different limits for the component characters and
the combined form, as appropriate for the series.
This power best suits when a group of characters summons
an even more powerful combined agent; for instances where
a character has two or more “normal” components, consider
an Identity complication and Activation modifier instead.
Combine: Summon Combined Form, Active, Heroic, Feedback,
Limited (requires all components be present), Limited
(components vanish while combined form is present) • 2 points per rank
EMPOWER
You grant an otherwise ordinary being power to become
your agent. Examples of this power include transform-
ing ordinary animals or insects into giant, super-powered
monsters, or granting normal human thugs temporary
super-human strength and toughness. You might use a
mad-science “growth ray” or invest subjects with magical
power or divine archetypes. Once the effect lapses, the
subjects revert back to their normal form. If you canempower multiple subjects at the same time, apply the
Multiple Minions and Horde modifiers, as appropriate.
This ability is primarily intended to work on “background”
characters, not to further empower other player charac-
ters. It is best reserved for concepts such as “summoning”
powerful agents from ordinary creatures in the environ-
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System Reference Document , Copyright 2000, Wizards of
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MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS POWER PROFILE: SUMMONING POWERS
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