Guide:Summoning

Work in progress*

This is a collection of items I've found in Baldur's Gate 3 that either allow you to summon creatues or improve the performance of creatures you summon. I wanted to put all of these items in one place for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of anyone else trying to create a "Summoner" character.

You do not need all of these items or spells to be an effective summoner, nor are all of these items or spells necessarily good on a summoner character, but each of the items and spells listed in this guide will allow you to summon and enhance creatures. In a full party, you may be able to use most of this equipment spread across four characters, but in a solo playthrough a combination of items listed in this guide combined with other equipment will most likely be optimal.

I will eventually have the entries sorted in terms of availability. Visit the page for each of these entries for more information.

Equipment

General Party Utility

Phalar Aluve can debuff nearby enemies with a Bane-like effect and an extra 1d4 Thunder on hit or, alternatively, buff nearby allies with a Bless-like effect. On current patch, the Sing or Shriek effects persist even when Phalar Aluve is un-equipped.

Hellrider's Pride provides Blade Ward when healing a character or creature. Will not effect undead summons.

Duke Ravengard's Longsword grants nearby allies temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier when you land a killing blow.

Devotee's Mace provides turn-based healing in an AoE around the wielder. Will not effect undead summons.

Equipment that Enhance Summoned Creatures

Circle of Bones provides permanent physical resistance to all nearby allied undead as long as the circlet is equipped.

Abyss Beckoners provides resistance to *all* damage types to *all* summoned creatures while the effect is active, but will cause the creatures to go mad if they fail a Wisdom Saving Throw. I would recommend that you start using this probably after you enter Act 3, once you have enough summoned creatures that the madness debuff isn't super debilitating, and possibly only if your summoned creatures really need the durability boost. You can turn the passive effect on and off without consuming an action, so use the Abyss Beckoners to prevent big AoE damage, and then turn the effect off once enemies have exhausted their spell slots.

Equipment that Summon Creatures

Infernal Rapier is obtained through Wyll's questline, towards the very end of Act 2. Allows you to cast Planar Ally: Cambion once per Long Rest.

Shadow Lantern can only be obtained by interacting with the broken Moonlantern located in Balthazar's study in Moonrise Towers while Gale is in your party. Allows you to cast Conjure Shadow Lantern Wraith. The wraith only persists while the lantern is equipped, unfortunately.

Second Marriage can be obtained if you choose to keep the Bitter Divorce wand at the culmination of the Save Mayrina questline, and allows you to summon Connor Vinderblad as a zombie. Mayrina must surive the fight with the Hag.

Sethan allows you to summon a Spiritual Weapon.

Conditional

Staff of Cherished Necromancy (Only works with Necromancy spells, but allows you to potentially cast Raise Dead without consuming a spell slot)

Flesh (Only works in the Gauntlet of Shar)

Scroll of Summon Quasit or Find Familiar: Cheeky Quasit summons a unique NPC, Shovel. Spellcasters can gain access to this spell permanently once per Short Rest by choosing the right dialogue options.

Find Familiar:Scratch if you have Scratch in your camp. I think you may need to speak with him using Speak With Animals at least once.

Find Familiar: Boo for Minsc only.

Summoning Spells or Cantrips (including comparable scrolls)

Mage Hand can be learned natively by ever spellcaster save for Clerics.

Find Familiar does not consume a spell slot when cast outside of combat.

Flaming Sphere

Animate Dead can be learned by Wizards, Clerics, Spore Druids, and Pact of the Tome Warlocks. Necromancy Wizards automatically gain Animate Dead at level 6.