Summoned creatures and limited charge items

[Lucian-Sunaka]

Hey guys, I'm playing a summoner in a D&D3.5 campaign, and I was hoping somebody could help me on a somewhat obscure rules question.

My GM and I both recall seeing a rule somewhere that stated that summoned creatures aren't 'really there' in terms of depleting equipment, in the same sense as they don't really die, it takes 24 hours for a slain summoned creature to reform.

For example, planar bind/ally a creature you can summon, that's capable of using a wand. Give them said wand, and return them to their home plane. When summoning said creature, do uses of that wand count against it's remaining uses. (Admittedly in this complicated case the GM would likely want to determine a number of charges the creature uses per week or whatnot in it's plane, but that's not the point of this inquiry lol.)

For those curious, the primary item in question for me are Contingent spells, crafted with the craft contingency feat set to trigger only when they are summoned by me. (We're using the specific creatures variant, each of my summons is known to me by name, my character kind of treats the animals like pets, the celestials as associates, and the fiends as slaves, but again, not relevant to the thread.)

Thanks for the help guys, and if you haven't seen the rule that may or may not exist, perhaps you could discuss the concept as a houserule, how you would feel about it in your campaign?

[Moritz]

In my opinion

If the creature showed up with the item on the first summoning, then there would not be a charge limit with each additional summoning. As if it were part of the creature's package.

If the creature was given the item by the summoner (such as a wand), then there would be a charge limit.

Otherwise, one could give the creature a really mega powerful item like a ring of 3 wishes. Summon the creature over and over and make subsequent wishes for the rest of their lives.

[gajenx]

I agree with Moritz. If I was running the game and you summoned a creature and let them use one of your items. Every time that creature used the item it would use up a charge. But if the creature had the item themselves it would get a new charge amount every time you summoned it, as long as said item was not overly powerful.

[Lucian-Sunaka]

Ah, I see how to draw the line. Your right on the rings, I'd never even considered something that powerful. (Although I imagine if you gave the creature something that big, it would use it up itself in it's own plane, remember these are independent beings, they are only your slaves for very limited amounts of time.)


Edit: Although it is funny, at a lower level than one could afford such a ring one could bind an Efreeti with Planar Binding and generate the same effect. They shouldn't, of course, because that's a game breaker, but it is possible.

[nijineko]

yeah, equipment you give to someone still gets used up, even if they disappear later.

most summoned creature cross the astral plane to be summoned, if i recall. as such they get a temp body on this side the same way that astral travelers from the material plane get a faux body when they hit the outer planes. equipment carried by them comes likewise.

i suggest taking a peek at the astral plane qualities in the planar handbook and manual of the planes, as well as the astral traveling spells. the various effects are spelled out there, if i recall correctly.

in any case, tweak the rules for what is best for your campaign.