Summon Elemental

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Summon elemental.png Summon Elemental
Level 4
School1 Summoning
Source(s)
Casting noise 3
Spell noise 0
This spell calls forth a spirit from the elemental planes to aid the caster. A large quantity of the desired element must be available; this is rarely a problem for earth and air, but may be for fire and water. The elemental will usually be friendly to casters - especially those skilled in the appropriate form of elemental magic.

Summon Elemental is a level 4 Summonings spell which summons an elemental of either fire, water, air, or earth into existence. The type of elemental summoned varies based upon the contents of the tile you attempt to summon it from. While only the Summonings and Spellcasting skills are necessary to cast the spell, the friendliness of the summoned elemental is based entirely upon your skill in the associated elemental magic school:

Fire elemental: Summoned from lava or flame clouds
Fire Magic × 10% friendliness rate
Fast fire damage strikers that leave a trail of flames

Water elemental: Summoned from shallow water or deep water
Ice Magic × 10% friendliness rate
Decent minions with no real strengths or weaknesses

Air elemental: Summoned from an empty tile
Air Magic × 6.66% friendliness rate
Fast, nimble physical damage attackers

Earth elemental: Summoned from rock walls
Earth Magic × 10% friendliness rate
Slow brutes that deal massive physical damage

Duration: 1 + (1d(spell power) / 5) turns
Maximum Friendliness Rate: 98%

Iron elementals cannot be summoned, except by the Iron Giant.

Strategy

  • Summoned elementals can last a long time at high spell power. Once you've maxed out the friendliness rate, you can maintain a sizable army by summoning a new elemental each time your mana regerenates to full. This works less well with earth elementals, as they move extremely slowly.
  • One convenient aspect of some elementals is that they are immune to the kind of damage you are most likely going to be slinging around the battlefield. Air elementals have complete immunity to all Air Magic. Fire elementals are mostly immune (though Bolt of Magma or Fire Storm will make short work of them). Earth and water elementals have no immunity to their school's magic, so try not to hit them with friendly fire. However, all elementals are immune to poison, so if you're willing to train Poison Magic, Poisonous Cloud pairs up well with elemental summoning.
    • This also makes air elementals immensely useful when trying to get past diamond obelisks. An army of air elementals is the fastest way past these obnoxious obstacles.
  • Certain evocable items can be used to imitate this spell for a single element: the lamp of fire, the stone of earth elementals, and the air elemental fan. Just remember that you still need the correct elemental magic skill to avoid summoning angry elementals. These items have a horde penalty: the more elementals you already have, the greater the chance of summoning unfriendly ones.
  • Summoning an Earth elemental removes the square of rock wall that was used to create it. It can thus be used as a 1-square-at-a-time Dig.

History

Prior to 0.11, Merfolks had lower chances of summoning unfriendly Water elementals.