Summoning





Summoning is a members-only skill which was released on 15 January 2008 and updated on 31 March 2008. The skill is available to members 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.

The summoning skill is similar to Prayer, as Summoning points are drained when a familiar is summoned and are also drained at a continuous rate while the skill is in use (when a familiar is summoned, points are drained over time). (See the Familiars section or Summoning points for more details.) Like prayer points, summoning points do not automatically recharge, so 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. On PvP worlds Summoning is reflected as an addition to your normal combat level, unless you are carrying a pouch or are currently using a familiar.

You can log onto a Free-to-Play or PvP world (if you do not have a familiar or a pouch with you) and your combat level will be shown as (your combat level without summoning) + (the levels you gained from summoning). For example, if you were level 90 with summoning and 85 without, it would be shown as 85+5. 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. Previously, when your combat level increases due to levelling up in Summoning, you did not get the congratulations message for levelling up combat. This has since been fixed.

The current minimum requirement to be ranked (at approximately rank 342,000) on the hiscores for summoning is level 30.

History





 * 15 January 2008: Summoning release
 * 21 January 2008: Spirit shards were halved in price, from 50 coins to 25 coins each. Anyone who had bought shards for 50 coins before the price cut were given the number of shards they had bought, for free, as compensation.
 * 13 February 2008: the Summoning log-in screen was taken away, to be returned on 31 March (with the release of Summoning batch 2).
 * 31 March 2008: Summoning part 2 - When Summoning 2 update came out, the login screen became the summoning one once again. Then after the Treasure Trails update, the summoning log-in was taken away again.
 * 7 May 2008: Update:Perils of Ice Mountain - Bogrog will swap Summoning pouches for spirit shards at a 70% rate.
 * 15 October 2008: Update:PvP Worlds - Bogrog will swap Summoning scrolls for spirit shards at a 70% rate.
 * 6 January 2009: Update:In Pyre Need - New phoenix pouch and scroll was released.
 * 10 February 2009: Update: Soul Wars - New pets gained from Soul Wars Minigame, Including Abyssal demons and Crawling hands

Apparently, a hidden monster (it is said to be the Corporeal Beast) could be seen by using paint on the Summoning Log-in screen or by turning your brightness and contrast down to minimum. However, this may have been the result of pareidolia, which occurs when random shapes appear to resemble an actual object.

From the Update on 'Summoning Wallpaper #4' on the 27 March 2008, the picture along side 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'. Then from this description you see that 'element-ary' directly links with the wallpaper of 4 creatures based on the elements.

Familiars
Familiars are creatures that players may summon to help them with many 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 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, with some exceptions (i.e. minotaurs). Because of the skill cap of 99 and various other reasons, some familiars cannot be talked to.

The chocatrice that could be commanded during the 2008 Easter event is the only creature that could be controlled by non-member players.

Special abilities
Each familiar has a different special ability that they are able to use. Some are accessed by talking, using the familiar's special button or right clicking a familiar for another option.


 * {| class="wikitable" width=70%

! Abilities !! Description
 * Fighter || These familiar will fight with a player, and have combat levels similar to regular creatures. A player must be actively fighting and taking damage for his or her familiar to fight; safespotting with Ranged or Magic will not cause the famiiar to 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.
 * 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.
 * }
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * }
 * 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 the without 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.

Forbidden areas for familiars
There are certain places where you can not summon familiars or bring them into:

If the player tries to enter one of these areas with a familiar out or tries to summon one, he will get a message. If the player has a familiar out, then he will not be allowed to enter the area until it is dismissed.
 * Grand Exchange.
 * Players cannot summon a familiar at a Summoning Obelisk, but familiars that are already summoned can be brought to an Obelisk.
 * Some minigames:
 * The Barrows minigame area
 * The Mage Training Arena
 * Pest Control - Familiars cannot enter the Void Knight boats
 * Barbarian Assault - While playing familiars are not allowed
 * Entrana - The monks will not allow your familiar or scrolls on Entrana
 * The Tzhaar Fight Caves
 * Oo'glog spas
 * Puro-Puro
 * Falador Party Room
 * Stealing Creation


 * For most transportation methods, familiars will automatically follow you.
 * Familiars, however, cannot be taken on some types of transportation, including:
 * Canoes on the River Lum
 * The Balloon transport system
 * Magic carpets
 * Broomsticks


 * Ancient Cavern - While familiars are allowed inside the caves, players are not allowed to jump off the pier if they have already been summoned.

There is a glitch that when the player is in the Grand Exchange, he can follow a person and quickly turn on House Options. This allows Summoning familiars to enter all parts of the Grand Exchange. The player should note that if the person he are following logs out or does not move back into the area that allows familiars, then any attempt to move or exit the House Options with automatically dismiss the familiar. This is the same if the player tries to dismiss his familiar just after he has clicked to walk/run to the Grand Exchange; the familiar will remain. If the player tries to do anything (move, bank, etc.) his familiar will be forced to leave.

Pouches


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.

Scrolls
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
Pets are animals that follow you all around RuneScape and are purely decorative/Entertainment. They are similar to pet cats obtained from the Gertrude's Cat quest.

Headdresses

 * The feather headdress is not really animated, it is only animated here to show the different colours available.
 * These items can only store scrolls that are used to attack (not skill helping scrolls like "Egg Spawn").
 * Combat scrolls stored in headdresses will be automatically used while in a multicombat zone with your familiar summoned and when you are wearing the headdress.
 * The scrolls stored in the headdress must match the familiar you have currently summoned for them to be used.
 * The non-specific Summoning items (e.g. Adamant full helm) can be enchanted by Pikkupstix, for free, to store Summoning scrolls. (Note: You must have the required Summoning level to get the item enchanted in the first place.) If you wish to have the item disenchanted, simply speak to Pikkupstix and he will remove the enchantment, again for free. (See table below)
 * The specific Summoning items (e.g. Antlers, Lizard skull, and Feather headdress) are the only items that require the summoning level to wear. All other items can be worn like normal.

Armour
Some armour provides Summoning defence bonuses.

Summoning shops
There are Summoning shops in Taverley, Gu'Tanoth, and Nature Grotto wishing well.

Pet shops
Pet shops exist in Yanille and Taverley.

Summoning obelisk

 * Summoning obelisks (as opposed to small obelisks) are fully charged with summoning energy but can only be used to recharge summoning points. See the main article for a list of their locations.


 * Small obelisks are partially-charged with summoning energy and may be used to recharge summoning points, but not to infuse pouches or scrolls. They are much more abundant than summoning obelisks. For their locations see the main article.

Training
The majority of summoning experience is gained from making pouches. Making scrolls and using special effects gives very little experience (typically less than 10% of that provided by making pouches). Hence, training summoning quickly involves making a huge amount of pouches.

The four items required for pouch-making are blank pouches, charms, spirit shards, and tertiary ingredients. Pouches must be bought from summoning shops for 1gp each. Charms are not tradable, and you must collect them yourself from monster drops, as rewards from the Soul Wars minigame, from a Random Event Gift Box, from Dorgeshuun Thieving chests, from the Treasure Hunting miniquest (one-time only), or from burning Vyrewatch corpses. (see Charms). Spirit shards cost 25 coins each and are not available from monster drops. They can be traded from other players and bought on the Grand Exchange. However, as most pouches sell at prices under the 70 percent exchange rate for shards, this can be a way to obtain shards at a slightly discounted price. Finally, the tertiary ingredient can usually be bought or collected. Tertiary ingredients trade at significant prices due to their use as a summoning item.

One also needs to find a way to do quick and efficient round trips between a bank and a summoning obelisk (see Obelisk section above), to minimise the time taken to make pouches.

Players are also recommended to trade their pouches with Bogrog in Gu'Tanoth, who will exchange for 70% of the Spirit shard required to make the pouch. This will help the player save money on how many spirit shards one needs to buy, however, it requires the player to be at least 1 level above the level required to make the pouch.

It is theoretically possible for players to gain level 99 Summoning at combat level 15 or combat level 21. However it would extremely hard, as there is only one non-combat method for obtaining charms: by thieving Dorgesh-Kaan chests (players would have at least level 13 Ranged after the quest, because of the experience reward, which is why players cannot get 99 Summoning at level 15.) Players can also use lamps, books of knowledge, penguin points, etc. to gain experience in the skill. They could not use rings of recoil to kill monsters that drop charms because you need to hit at least 1 damage. This would cost a lot of money for the rings and the food needed, however the better charm-droppers would hit more than 10 damage, the hitpoint level of the player. Yet, with help from somebody you could go to a lootshare world and split charms such as from the mole which could be much faster. The familiars are not as strong as the player.

It would also be possible to get 99 summoning at 15 combat by playing the soul wars minigame and using the zeal for charm rewards, having auto-retaliate off or by wielding a bow with no arrows equipped would be necessary as to not get any combat experience.

Travelling between Falador and Taverley
Travelling between the bank in Falador and the Summoning obelisk in Taverley is an easy route, and is available to all members who have completed Wolf Whistle. However, it is not the quickest way to travel between a bank and an obelisk.

Travelling between Yanille and Gu'Tanoth
Travelling between Yanille and Gu'Tanoth is an easy way to infuse pouches and swap shards. However, it will require the player to bring a mithril grapple with a suitable crossbow to access the grapple shortcut.

Energy potions may be required if the player decides to run all the way. However, this is made easier at level 52 Summoning with the Spirit Terrorbird familiar which has the Tireless Run ability to restore some of the player's run energy, as well as being a Beast of Burden, hence reducing the number of trips required.

The pouches can be given to Bogrog in note form.



Travelling between Piscatoris Fishing Colony and the nearby Summoning Obelisk
Travelling between Piscatoris Fishing Colony and the nearby Summoning Obelisk is another easy way to infuse pouches, but without a store and the shard swapping service. There is a bank nearby, but players will need to have completed the Swan Song quest before gaining access to the fishing colony.

One of the fastest ways to create pouch/scroll can be performed in the obelisk south of Piscatoris, and will not require the completion of Swan Song, but will require level 57 Summoning, everything needed is some rings of duelling and a Spirit Kyatt, using the Kyatt's teleport will send you VERY close of the obelisk entrance, and then using a Ring of Duelling to teleport to Castle Wars or Fist of Guthix for quick bank.

If both Swan Song and level 57 Summoning were achieved, the Piscatoris Fishing Colony bank can be used by walking from the obelisk and then using the Spirit Kyatt teleport back to the obelisk (removing the use of Rings of Duelling), however, this way is slower than the one with rings of duelling.

Finally, if you have a player-owned house with a portal room, you may move it to Taverley and teleport to your house then run to the quest start area and use the obelisk there. Once you make your pouches you may either teleport back to your house and use portal to bank or you may save a few law by walking back to your house and then using portals to bank. After banking you teleport back to house and continue to make pouches.

Minimise shards
Based upon minimising the cost due to the number of spirit shards used:

Table below shows minimum cost assuming players buy all the components (pouches, shards, tertiary ingredients).
 * {| class="wikitable" width=70%

!Level!!Shards!!Tertiary!!Method!!Cost!!Notes
 * 1 - 4 || 14 || Wolf bones || Starting point ||align="right"| - || At completion of Wolf Whistle quest
 * 4 - 10 || 760 || Raw chicken || 95 Dreadfowl pouches ||align="right"| 0 coins || Uses gold charms from quest
 * 10 - 16 || 1,008 || Spider carcass || 126 spider pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms from quest
 * 16 - 18 || 378 || Iron ore || 54 Granite crab pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses up the remaining gold charms from quest
 * 18 - 40 || 10,927 || Iron ore || 1,561 Granite crab pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * 40 - 52 || 17,930 || Marigolds || 1,630 Bull ant pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * 52 - 66 || 65,364 || Raw bird meat || 5,447 Spirit terrorbird pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * 66 - 67 || 6,545 || Swamp toad || 595 Barker toad pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * colspan=6 | From this point up, the rarity and cost of the tertiary component may be your primary constraint.
 * 67 - 82 || 31,964 || Tortoise shell || 31,964 War tortoise pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * 83 - 86 || 3,226 || Dagannoth hide ||3,226 Spirit dagannoth pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses crimson charms
 * 86 - 99 || 12,469 || Runite bar ||12,469 Rune minotaur pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses blue charms
 * colspan="6"|Costs are based on current exchange prices plus the cost of shards and pouches. And without taking into consideration later alching/use/trading of made pouches.
 * }
 * 66 - 67 || 6,545 || Swamp toad || 595 Barker toad pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * colspan=6 | From this point up, the rarity and cost of the tertiary component may be your primary constraint.
 * 67 - 82 || 31,964 || Tortoise shell || 31,964 War tortoise pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses gold charms
 * 83 - 86 || 3,226 || Dagannoth hide ||3,226 Spirit dagannoth pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses crimson charms
 * 86 - 99 || 12,469 || Runite bar ||12,469 Rune minotaur pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses blue charms
 * colspan="6"|Costs are based on current exchange prices plus the cost of shards and pouches. And without taking into consideration later alching/use/trading of made pouches.
 * }
 * 83 - 86 || 3,226 || Dagannoth hide ||3,226 Spirit dagannoth pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses crimson charms
 * 86 - 99 || 12,469 || Runite bar ||12,469 Rune minotaur pouches ||align="right"|0 coins|| Uses blue charms
 * colspan="6"|Costs are based on current exchange prices plus the cost of shards and pouches. And without taking into consideration later alching/use/trading of made pouches.
 * }
 * colspan="6"|Costs are based on current exchange prices plus the cost of shards and pouches. And without taking into consideration later alching/use/trading of made pouches.
 * }

At around level 16 this will use up all the gold charms from the Wolf Whistle quest. Raw chicken meat can be obtained through killing Chickens, bought in a store in Canifis or from Ali Morisanne. Iron ores are easily mined or purchased from the Grand Exchange. It also will require just over 2,000 Spirit shards at 25 coins each. It will cost around 50,000 coins to reach level 18. Expect to spend at least three times that to make the hiscores at level 30. Players can also make a few extra GP from using Alchemy on the pouches.

Note that shards may be obtained at about 20 each from other players (but the trade limits make large trades impossible), so instead (if you are high level enough) you can sell certain types of noted pouches from the Grand Exchange (bloated leech, bronze minotaur, high shard pouches you could have made yourself a few level ago) to the ogre instead to get up to 1 shard per 20 gold coins of pouch value. This makes shards cost 80% less compared to buying them in summoning shop or the Grand Exchange. After making a pouch you can always sell it to the Grand Exchange or use Alchemy on it if the ogre won't give you enough shards for it (hint: low shard count pouches are not worth walking to the ogre, even if the other ingredient is expensive). This cuts costs considerably if you have a high number of ogre-worthy pouches to trade, as you will do very few ogre trips.

Alternatives to making low level pouches are: Penguin Hide and Seek, Tears of Guthix minigame, reward from certain random events, and certain quest lamps (usually require you to reach level 30 first to get summoning exp). Doing this means some no-cost experience, but also making your charms be worth more exp when certain levels are reached!

Pure skillers take notice, it is possible to earn both exp and some income making red spider eggs (just remember to be 2 squares away from any grey ground), and cockatrice eggs from chicken eggs with the spirit cobra (use summoning potions to keep you going, or be next to a small obelisk). These methods are not the most exp-effective for people who can earn charms easily.

Minimise time
See Summoning Training for details on Gathering Charms in the shortest time needed.

Chaos Tunnels
The Chaos Tunnels were released in conjunction with Summoning. They are one of the best areas to obtain charms. Players should be warned that the area is multicombat: see the main article for details.

All of the titans


Many people wanted to see all the titans at once. Compare their sizes and the level requirements. From top-left to bottom-right, these are Fire, Steel, Iron, Ice, Lava, Geyser, Moss, Swamp, and Abyssal.

Cape of Accomplishment




Once players have mastered the skill and reached level 99, Pikkupstix (in Taverley) will sell them a Summoning Cape. Refer to the Capes guide for more details.