| 193rd | Top MT-32-compatible computer games |
Summons are magical creatures that can be summoned in battle. These creatures are usually very powerful, but some have curative or supportive effects. Summons have been a regular addition in the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy III.
Explanations about the absence of summons in the first two games have been given in recent games. According to Dissidia Final Fantasy the world of Final Fantasy at one time had summons, but Garland supposedly killed them all. In the 20th Anniversary edition of Final Fantasy II, Deumion can summon Holy Beasts, one of which the party fights as a Superboss.
In Final Fantasy III, there are 8 levels of summons, with level 1 being Chocobo, level 2 being Shiva, and so forth down the list. Also, each summon has three different attacks. The attack depends on which job is summoning it. The following jobs can summon: Evoker, Summoner, and Sage.
In Final Fantasy IV, Rydia, the Summoner, could summon various monsters known as Eidolons. As a child, she could only summon a Chocobo (and Whyt in the DS version). As she grew, her abilities as a Summoner grew and expanded. There were even hidden monsters she could summon.
In all versions preceding the Nintendo DS remake, they were simply refered to as "Summons". Some names were also different due to space constraints.
With the exception of Whyt from the DS version, who does not appear, all of the Eidolons and their attacks are the same as they were in the original release. In the Gathering Tale during Planet Eater, the player must find them all again. This does not include the Chocobo or the monsters that drop their summon ability, such as the Cockatrice.
The Final Fantasy V summons are used by the Summoner job class. There are five levels of summons:
| Level 1 Summons | Level 2 Summons | Level 3 Summons
|
| Level 4 Summons | Level 5 Summons |
The Final Fantasy VI summons, called Espers, are obtained through magicite. In the original SNES version, some names were different either due to space constraints or Ted Woolsey's creative translations.
|
The following are Espers only available in the Gameboy Advance port of the game.
The Final Fantasy VII summons are obtained by equipping the variants of red Summon Materia. The amount of times that a summon can be used during a single battle is determined by the amount of levels, obtained via AP, that the materia has.
In Before Crisis, Summons require the player to use Materia Assistance and ask for three of the same element materia from three other Turks, with the fourth being the player's own. If it is successful, the four materia will perform a summon.
In Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Summons are obtained by finding items, usually through missions, that unlock them in the Digital Mind Wave.
Summon Reels:
|
Chocobo Mode: |
Guardian Forces are the summoned monsters of Final Fantasy VIII, and they are used by junctioning them to a character. By doing so, one is also able to junction drawn magic to a stat to enhance it or give it elemental or status changing attributes.
It is stated in-game that long-term junctioning of Guardian Forces causes memory loss to the user, due to junctioning being controlled by the same part of the brain that controls memory, so using them is not without risks.
Junctionable:
|
Non-junctionable:
(Although technically Angelo is not a Guardian Force, he does have a GF card. He is actually part of Rinoa's Limit Break.) |
In Final Fantasy IX summons are referred to as Eidolons. Only Princess Garnet and Eiko Carol are able to summon, because they are both members of a tribe of summoners from Madain Sari. They are able to learn summons by equipping jewels and mastering the skill of summoning that Eidolon. Also, an Eidolon's summon sequence differs from "short" and "long", the latter being more powerful in some way.
| Garnet's Summons: | Eiko's Summons: |
Alexander also makes an appearance in a FMV, but cannot be summoned in-game.
Aeons are the summoned creatures in Final Fantasy X. Unlike previous installments, Aeons could be controlled as a character, instead of just being summoned and dealing an attack, though Final Fantasy VIII was the first game to give the summoned creatures their own HP bars. Yuna is the only playable character with the ability to summon Aeons.
Only the Summoner and players with the Summoner as a support job can summon Avatars. There are three distinct types of Avatar that can be summoned: Terrestrial Avatars, Celestial Avatars, and Elemental Spirits. When summoned, Avatars will stay and fight by the Summoner's side until released. However, the Summoner must consume a steady flow of MP to perpetuate the avatar. Avatars are weak melee attackers, but can use powerful Blood Pact abilities on a shared timer. The development team has promised at least one more Avatar (new or otherwise) will become playable before the end of Final Fantasy XI's lifespan.
| Terrestrial Avatars: | Celestial Avatars: |
1These Avatars cannot be summoned by player characters.
Commonly known as spirits or elementals, these are summonable versions of the elementals commonly found throughout Vana'diel. The only in-game reference to them as a group is on the Summoner relic armor, where they are referred to as Elemental Avatars. There is a spirit for each of the eight elements in Final Fantasy XI: Fire, Ice, Wind, Earth, Thunder, Water, Light, and Dark.
Unlike the other Avatars, spirits do not have Blood Pact abilities. Instead, a spirit will cast spells based on its element with a frequency dependent on the Summoner's summoning magic skill and the elements of the day and weather. E.g., a Fire Spirit will cast spells more frequently on Firesday, but less frequently in the rain.
Starting at level 50, Summoners can absorb a spirit using their Elemental Siphon ability to restore MP; the effectiveness depends on the current day and weather.
In Final Fantasy XII, all the summons, known as Espers, bar Shemhazai, are a reference to one of the following: A Lucavi demon from Final Fantasy Tactics, a Totema from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, or a final boss from another Final Fantasy. They all represent a sign of the Zodiac.
In Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, 51 Espers are bought on the Ring of Pacts, counting as the most summons any game in the series has had. There are four main elements, plus two additional areas for summons. Each element, bar holy, has melee, ranged and flying summons. Each of these areas has three ranks, with rank 1 being the weakest and rank 3 being the strongest. However, you do not need the rank 1 summon to get the rank 2 summon, and you do not need the rank 2 summon to get the rank 3 summon. Melee summons are strong against ranged, ranged against flying, and flying against melee. Some summons, mainly the Espers from Final Fantasy XII, must be defeated in battle before becoming available on the Ring of Pacts. The Espers of Revenant Wings act as party members in battle, and multiple instances of each can exist on the battlefield at any given time, bar rank 3 summons.
Non-Elemental summons have no weakness or resistance. They also tend to have no special attacks either. They are best used when you are fighting a group of enemies with different weaknesses. However, the game's most powerful summons are also non-elemental.
|
Melee Summons Rank 1: Alraune, Chocobo |
Ranged Summons |
Flying Summons Rank 1: Garchimacera |
Fire summons are weak against water summons. They are strong against earth summons, and some water summons.
|
Melee Summons |
Ranged Summons Rank 1: Salamander |
Flying Summons |
Water summons are mainly weak against thunder summons, while some are weak against fire. They are strong against fire summons, and some thunder summons.
|
Melee Summons Rank 1: Sahagin |
Ranged Summons |
Flying Summons |
Thunder summons are mainly weak against earth summons, while some are weak against water. They are strong against water summons.
|
Melee Summons |
Ranged Summons Rank 1: Quetzalcoatl |
Flying Summons |
Earth summons are weak against fire summons. They are strong against thunder summons.
|
Melee Summons |
Ranged Summons |
Flying Summons |
Holy summons have no offensive capabilities. Instead, they can only heal your party members with their attacks. Ultima's special attack, though, does damage to the enemies.
Ranged Summons
Rank 1: White Hare
Rank 2: Carbuncle
Rank 3: Ultima
Summons in Final Fantasy XIII are called Eidolons and have great importance to the plot, as they are tied to the l'Cie. They are an unique embodiment of what's inside each l'Cie's heart. They have the power to transform into vehicles and other objects during a "Gestalt Mode."
1This Eidolon cannot be summoned by player characters.
Though little information has surfaced, Final Fantasy Agito XIII, the summons might have a role similar to the one they have in Final Fantasy XIII. Known summons so far are:
Leviathan has been seen in the game's official trailer. It is currently unknown what the terms used for summons is in the world of Eorzea.
In Final Fantasy Tactics, only Summoners and units equipped with the Summon command can summon. Summons are simply bought by using acquired Job Points, except Zodiark, which has to be cast on the Summoner in order to learn it.
There are two different types of summons:
Again, in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, there are two different types of summons:
|
|
|
|
W1 |
W2 |
W3 |
Forty summons appear in Dissidia. Summons can be equipped prior to fighting and are represented by red orbs over the player's health bar. Some summons have two appearances: one for their "Auto" version, and one for their normal version. The "Auto" version acts on a condition, usually a Brave Break or HP Attack, while normal versions must be triggered by pressing Circle and R. The normal version is more powerful than the "Auto" one when numerical values are at stake.
By using the power of the Magun and loading the appropriate summon, the main character Kaze can summon a whole host of summons. With his partner, Moogle, he can even upgrade some summons.
Summons by other characters in Unlimited include:
| v · e · d |
|---|
| Recurring Magic |
| Black Magic - Blue Magic - Ninjutsu - Summon Magic - Spellblade - Time and Space magic - White Magic |
| Final Fantasy XI |
| Blue Magic - Dark Magic - Divine Magic - Elemental Magic - Enfeebling Magic - Enhancing Magic - Healing Magic - Singing - String Instrument - Summoning - Wind Instrument |
| Final Fantasy XII Magicks |
| Arcane Magick - Black Magick - Green Magick - Time Magick - White Magick |
| Magic List |
| Final Fantasy - Final Fantasy II - Final Fantasy III - Final Fantasy IV - The After Years - Final Fantasy V - Final Fantasy VI - Final Fantasy VII - Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- - Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- - Final Fantasy VIII - Final Fantasy IX - Final Fantasy X - Final Fantasy X-2 - Final Fantasy XI - Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings - Crystal Chronicles - Ring of Fates - Mystic Quest - Vagrant Story |
|
Summoning is a members-only skill which was released on 15 January 2008 and greatly updated on 31 March 2008. The skill is available after completing the Wolf Whistle quest. This acts as an introduction to the skill: it allows players to infuse the essence of a variety of creatures into Summoning pouches, then summon these creatures, called familiars. Each familiar has a unique ability that requires a Summoning scroll, made from a corresponding pouch, to use. Summoning familiars and creating scrolls gives very little experience, so players must create pouches in order to gain experience effectively, and, even then, it is a slow skill to raise.
The Summoning skill is similar to Prayer in the way that Summoning points are drained when a familiar is summoned. (See the Familiars section or Summoning points for more details). Like prayer points, summoning points do not automatically recharge, so they must be recharged at a Summoning Obelisk or Small Obelisk, or by drinking a Summoning potion.
In addition to the ability to summon familiars, Summoning affects a player's combat level. Previously, the maximum combat level a player could reach was 126. When Summoning was added to the game, the maximum combat level was raised to 138. Players who have a familiar with them, or a pouch in their inventory, have their combat level shown as the following: (combat level without Summoning) + (combat levels gained from Summoning). It is also shown in this way in and around Bounty Hunter. The reason for this is so that player-killers are not discouraged from training Summoning.
The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 516,255) on the hiscores for Summoning is level 30. As of 17 January 2010 there are 4,351 players with 99 summoning.
To be able to begin Summoning, you must complete the Wolf Whistle quest, which will give 275 gold charms and bring your Summoning level to 4.
Familiars are creatures that players may summon to help them with various tasks. The familiars have many different abilities, from boosting skills to aiding you in combat. All familiars have a special move which can be activated with Summoning scrolls. Only one familiar can be summoned at a time, and must be dismissed before another can be summoned.
In order to summon a familiar, players must use the "Summon" option on a Summoning pouch. Summoning familiars costs summoning points (similar again to Prayer points). While a familiar is out, summoning points will be slowly drained until they reach 0, again similar to prayer. The familiar does not disappear when the points reach 0, but any right-click abilities will be unavailable until the summoning points are recharged. Summoning points must be recharged at a Summoning Obelisk or by using Summoning potion(s).
Players can talk to their familiars if they have at least 10 or more summoning levels above the required level to summon that familiar, (e.g. a spirit wolf can be talked to at level 11) with some exceptions, such as minotaurs. Because the level cap at 99 and various other reasons, some familiars cannot be talked to.
The chocatrice that could be commanded during the 2008 Easter event was one of the only two creatures that could be controlled by non-member players.
Eek! the Spider, which could be obtained by doing the 2009 Halloween event, can also be controlled by a non-member.
Each familiar has a different special ability that they are able to use. Some are accessed by talking, using the familiar's special button, right clicking a familiar for another option, or simply summoning them.
| Abilities | Description |
|---|---|
| Fighter | These familiar will fight with a player, and have combat levels similar to regular creatures. Until a recent update, a player had to be actively fighting and taking damage for his or her familiar to fight; but now it is possible to safespot with Ranged or Magic, and still have your familiar fight. Familiars will only fight in multi-combat areas. |
| Light enhancer | Some familiars can see well in the dark and will make any light source a player carries brighter. |
| Skill booster | These familiars can either temporarily raise your level in a given skill, or provide an 'invisible' boost that is always active. If that stat has already been raised by a potion the skill boost will not work. Note that invisible skills boosts do not allow the player to perform an activity above his level; they simply help the player in increasing the efficiency of his activity at his current level. |
| Remote view | These familiars can fly into the air and allow the player to see through their eyes, giving the player the ability to see things much further away. |
| Beast of Burden | A beast of burden can carry a varying number of items. Certain familiars can only carry specific items, and only abyssal familiars can carry rune essence and pure essence. Beasts of burden will not carry items that have an individual value over 50k and they will not carry items that cannot be traded. |
| Healer | These familiars can heal a player's hitpoints at a given rate. For example, the Bunyip heals a player two hitpoints every 15 seconds. |
| Forager | A forager will find certain items from time to time, and can carry up to 30 of a specific type of item. Players are only able to withdraw items from these familiars, not deposit items in them. |
It is possible for a Summoning pure/skiller to use summoned creatures to attack others without the risk of raising Hitpoints experience. For example, if the player had a Desert Wyrm summoned, he could use the Electric Lash scroll to deal damage without having to worry about gaining experience in Hitpoints.
There are certain places where you cannot summon familiars or bring them into:
Summoning pouches are used to summon familiars. The creation of a pouch is relatively simple: the pouch is infused with the essence of a creature, or familiar, at a Summoning Obelisk which can then be summoned using the pouch. Infusing pouches yields experience in summoning. A pouch is used up when a familiar is summoned, and it is not restored when the familiar is dismissed.
Note that certain types of noted pouches (bloated leech, bronze minotaur, and other high shard pouches) can be sold to the ogre Bogrog to get up to 1 shard per 20 gold coins of pouch value.
Summoning scrolls are required to perform a familiar's special move. The special moves the scrolls can perform vary widely and are tied to the familiar. You must have the familiar summoned that the scrolls are tied to in order to use them. You must also have enough energy on the special energy bar to perform the action. They are created from converting familiar pouches into scrolls at a Summoning obelisk. 1 familiar pouch can be converted into 10 Summoning scrolls that are tied to the familiar the pouch was fused with.
Pets are animals that follow you all around RuneScape and are purely for decorative/entertainment purposes - with the exception of the broav, which plays a part in While Guthix Sleeps, the Saradomin owl and the Zamorak hawk, which both provide protection from respective factions in the God Wars Dungeon, and the platypus, which can be used to obtain caskets. They are very similar, if not the same, as pet cats, which can be obtained from the Gertrude's Cat quest.
The enchantable helms thus far:
| Helm | Scroll Capacity |
Summoning Level To Enchant |
|---|---|---|
| Adamant full helm | 50 | 20 |
| Slayer helm | 50 | 20 |
| Snakeskin bandana | 50 | 20 |
| Splitbark helm | 50 | 30 |
| Rune full helm | 60 | 30 |
| Warrior helm | 70 | 35 |
| Berserker helm | 70 | 35 |
| Archer helm | 70 | 35 |
| Farseer helm | 70 | 35 |
| Helm of Neitiznot | 90 | 45 |
| Dragon medium helm | 110 | 50 |
| Lunar helm | 110 | 55 |
| Armadyl helm | 120 | 60 |
To have the item disenchanted, speak to Pikkupstix and he will remove the enchantment for free.
There are Summoning shops in Taverley, Gu'Tanoth, and the Nature Grotto wishing well.
Pet shops exist in Yanille and Taverley. Players can buy pets and pet food at these stores.
There are 4 types of charms:
Notice: Obsidian, abyssal, talon beast, and all Void charms are not regular summoning charms as they are for specific summoning pouches and still require a charm plus the tertiary charm to make. (Example; a Spirit Tz-Kih pouch will require 64 Spirit Shards, 1 pouch, 1 crimson charm, AND an obsidian charm.)
Notice: Click on the charm for a full list of monsters with that charm as loot.
The Chaos Tunnels are one of the best areas to obtain charms. Players should be warned that the area is multicombat: see the main article for details.
More information found on the Slayer page.
See Charm gathering for a list of monsters with high charm drop rates. Common monsters to kill for charms include rock lobsters, waterfiends, and cockroach soldiers.
See Summoning obelisk trips for a guide on fast trips to and from Summoning Obelisks.
Once a player has mastered the skill and reached level 99, Pikkupstix (in Taverley) will sell them a Summoning cape. Refer to the Capes guide for more details.
| Date | Update | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2008 | Summoning! | Summoning was released. |
| 17 January 2008 | Summoning Changes | Spirit shards halved in price from 50 coins to 25 coins, anyone who bought shards for 50 coins were given half of the money they spent for free as compensation. |
| 31 March 2008 | Summoning 2 | Second batch of Summoning familiars released, timer was changed to a set amount of time per pouch, familiar abilities were boosted, combat familiars now gave combat experience, charm drops added to more monsters, headdresses released. |
| 7 May 2008 | Perils of Ice Mountain | Bogrog will swap Summoning pouches for 70% of the spirit shards needed to make them. |
| 15 October 2008 | PvP Worlds | Summoning is separated from overall combat level. |
| 6 January 2009 | In Pyre Need | Phoenix familiars and pets released. |
| 28 April 2009 | Summoning Upgrade and Hairstyles | Doubled the amount of pets players can have, added familiar timer renewal feature, |
| 8 July 2009 | Mobilising armies | All functions of the Summoning interface moved to the Summoning icon near the mini-map. |
| 18 August 2009 | Familiar controls | A new screen was implemented (the one shown above). A player reaches it by right clicking on the summoning icon and choosing Follower Details. The only difference is that now a player can choose for their follower to attack a selected target. As well as being able to configure what happens when the icon is clicked. |
From the Update on 'Summoning Wallpaper #4' on the 27 March 2008, the picture alongside the article on the RuneScape homepage, when saved to your hard drive, has the name 'abyssal_titan.gif' showing yet another summoning familiar. This links with the Update description of 'It is element-ary that we would release a new wallpaper for something as titan-ic as Summoning 2.
to 
, but the next day it was changed to 
, however the skill icon and the summoning tab icon remained unchanged.| Free-to-play skills |
|
||||
| Member skills |
|
||||
|
Achievement Diaries • Advisor system • Chat • Clan Chat • Combat options • Choose Option • Emotes • Equipment Stats • Friends List • Game controls • Ignore List • Inventory • Items Kept on Death • Magic spell screen • Main Menu • Minimap • Music Player • Notes • Objective system • Options • Prayer screen • Price Checker • Quest List • Quest Overview • Quick Chat • Spam filter • Stats • Summoning screen • World map • Worn Equipment |
Sometimes, conditions exist as prerequirites and/or limitations for "Summoning" a monster to the field.
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Misc
Search
