Summoning



Summoning is a members-only skill which was released on 15 January 2008 and expanded on 31 March 2008. Summoning 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. If a familiar has a special, right-click ability, points are also drained when that ability is used. (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 or a super restore.

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. As of 28 August 2010, one player (Drumgun) has achieved 200 million experience.

Getting started
To be able to begin Summoning, you must complete the Wolf Whistle quest, which will give 275 gold charms, enough for 16 Summoning, and raise your Summoning level to 4.

Background
"For many centuries now, the druids of Taverley and some of the ogre shamans of Gu'Tanoth have been bringing various familiars from other realms to help them with a variety of their tasks. Of course, the druids being peaceful and the ogres being more 'business-like', they traditionally summon entirely different familiars - what would a druid want with a rune minotaur, for example? What would an ogre do with a unicorn stallion?

Having realised how useful this skill is to the adventurers of RuneScape, they have released the secret of their powers, and now you can enjoy the curious advantages that come with learning the art of Summoning.

Summoning works by 'infusing' the essence of a creature from a strange realm into a type of pouch. When the Summoning pouch is opened, a portal is briefly activated to pull the familiar through to the world of RuneScape, where it is bound to serve its master for a period of time before the portal closes and it is pulled back."

- RuneScape Game Guide - Summoning: The Basics

It has been revealed by Pikkupstix, when you reach Level 99 Summoning, that the place where your Familiars hail from has never been part of Gielinor, yet is nevertheless part of our lives every day. Familiarisation allows you to access this realm, known as the Spirit Plane, for limited amounts of time, where you and a Familiar can hunt for raw shards. Other races than the druids, ogres, and now the humans, appear to possess some knowledge of Summoning; for instance, the Elf Warrior drops charms, hinting that the art is known to the Elven race as well.

Familiars


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 understood at level 11) with some exceptions, such as minotaurs. Because the level cap at 99 and various other reasons, some familiars cannot be understood.

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.

Non-members could also summon a squirrel using the squirrel ears obtained during the 2010 Easter event.

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, right clicking a familiar for another option, or simply summoning them.


 * {|class="wikitable" width="90%"

!Abilities !Description
 * Fighter
 * These familiar will fight alongside 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 life points at a given rate. For example, the Bunyip heals a player twenty Life Points 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.
 * Teleporter
 * These enable the summoner to teleport to a specific place when talked to. Examples are Spirit Kyatt and Arctic Bear.
 * }
 * These familiars can heal a player's life points at a given rate. For example, the Bunyip heals a player twenty Life Points 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.
 * Teleporter
 * These enable the summoner to teleport to a specific place when talked to. Examples are Spirit Kyatt and Arctic Bear.
 * }
 * These enable the summoner to teleport to a specific place when talked to. Examples are Spirit Kyatt and Arctic Bear.
 * }

It is possible for a Summoning pure/skiller to use summoned creatures to attack others without the risk of raising Constitution 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 Constitution.

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


 * The Grand Exchange.
 * The Party Room.
 * The basement under Varrock west bank.
 * Familiars can't be summoned at a Summoning Obelisk, those that are already summoned can be brought to one.
 * Familiars can't be summoned at the nature grotto in Mort myre swamp.
 * You cannot bring a familiar into your house in construction mode.
 * Many locations related to quests.
 * Entrana - The monks will not allow your familiar or scrolls on Entrana;
 * Keldagrim and Dorgesh-kaan stations;
 * The Elemental Workshop;
 * Some activities:
 * The Barrows activity area;
 * The Mage Training Arena;
 * Pest Control - Familiars cannot enter the Void Knight boats;
 * Barbarian Assault - Whilst playing familiars are not allowed;
 * Temple Trekking;
 * Stealing Creation - can summon Clay beings inside the activity;
 * The Tzhaar Fight Caves;
 * The Sawmill Training Area - Cannot bring in Beaver for the +2 WC level boost.
 * Under Daemonheim - can summon special familiars called the Gorajo
 * For most transportation methods, familiars will automatically follow you. Familiars, however, cannot be taken on some types of transportation, including:
 * The Broomstick teleporting you to the Sorceress's Garden;
 * The Dorgesh-Kaan - Keldagrim Train System.
 * The Ancient Cavern pier entrance. You cannot jump off the pier if a familiar is summoned. Familiars are allowed inside the cavern itself, and players can summon them there or bring them with them when using the fairy ring network or teleporting to Kuradal using a Ferocious ring.
 * Golrie's Strongroom.
 * The Brimhaven Agility Dungeon.

Some areas are not actually forbidden, but the familiar 'returns to the spirit plane' while the player is there. When the player leaves the area, the familiar returns. These areas include:
 * Every spa at Oo'glog.
 * The Varrock Museum.

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.

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.

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. Using a scroll does not use any summoning points. Instead, it uses special move energy. You must have enough energy on the special energy bar to perform the action.

Scrolls are created by converting familiar pouches into scrolls at a Summoning obelisk. One pouch can be converted into 10 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 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 only difference is that you have to continue feeding your summoning pets after 100% growth.

Headdresses

 * These items can only store scrolls that are used to attack.
 * Combat scrolls stored in headdresses will automatically be used at random intervals when you attack with no cost to Special move points while in a multi-combat 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 if you meet requirements to do so.

The enchantable helms thus far:

To have the item disenchanted, speak to Pikkupstix and he will remove the enchantment for free.
 * The specific Summoning items (e.g. Antlers, Lizard skull, and Feather headdress) are the only items that require the summoning level to wear.
 * Some armour provides Summoning defence bonuses.

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

Pet shops
Pet shops exist in Yanille and Taverley. Players can buy pets and pet food at these stores, but only certain pets (as you get a cat from Gertrude in Varrock after completing Gertrude's Cat).

Summoning obelisk

 * Summoning obelisks (as opposed to mini obelisks) are fully charged with summoning energy and can be used to recharge summoning points. They can also be used to infuse pouches and scrolls. See summoning points and infuse pouches and scrolls the main article for a list of their locations.


 * Mini obelisks are partially-charged with summoning energy and may be used to recharge summoning points, but not to infuse pouches or scrolls. They have many locations, such as Edgeville or even, if the player has the required construction level and materials, in a players POH. For a complete list, please go to the main article.

Acquiring charms
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.)'
 * Crimson charms
 * Blue charms
 * Green charms
 * Gold charms

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.

Thieving

 * Dorgesh-Kaan Average Chest (requires level 52 Thieving)
 * Dorgesh-Kaan Rich Chest (requires level 78 Thieving)

Soul Wars

 * Soul Wars rewards

Slayer assignments
More information found on the Slayer page.

General combat
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.

Hunter

 * Spirit Impling (requires level 54 hunter)
 * Charm sprite (requires level 72 hunter)

Travelling


See Summoning obelisk trips for a guide on fast trips to and from Summoning Obelisks.

Cape of accomplishment
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. Because summoning takes many other combat skills to raise, untrimmed capes are very rare. Before the Bonus Experience Weekend, very few players had obtained a trimmed Summoning Cape, however several players managed to obtain the untrimmed cape during the event.

Trivia

 * The first player who achieved 200m Summoning XP is Drumgun.
 * The lowest level to get 99 Summoning is "Giant Earth". Who is still the lowest possible level for the achievement, at 15 combat.
 * Before the second Summoning update on 31 March 2008, players were able to renew their familiars timer by clicking a "renew timer" button in the summoning interface if the player had the correct number of summoning points left.
 * Until the update on 28 April 2009 each familiar stayed out for a set amount of time, no matter how many summoning points the player had left. Once the timer ran out, the familiar disappeared. Since this caused issues with Beasts of Burden, Jagex added the current timer renewal system.
 * The Run energy update on 9 June 2009 also changed the summoning icon located near the mini-map from [[File:Summoning-icon.png]] to [[File:OldSummoning.gif]], but the next day it was changed to [[File:Summon icon.png]], and then back to [[File:Summoning-icon.png]].
 * Along with Mobilising Armies, the update on 8 July 2009 moved all the functions of the Summoning tab to the Summoning icon near the mini-map. Jagex cited the fact that it was only accessible some of the time as the reason for the change.
 * Previously, when your combat level increases due to levelling up in Summoning, you did not get the congratulations message for levelling up combat. This bug has been fixed.
 * A glitch seems to happen when you dismiss a familiar, sometimes as you dismiss it, it produces an item, then the system thinks you have an item inside an "Invisible Familiar". It is shown here: Click as it was later proved his ibis had an item.
 * In Postbag From The Hedge 7, Postie Pete asked if tortoise shells and proboscises would have a future use, referring to being tertiary ingredients in the War tortoise and spirit mosquito.
 * Familiars that restore run energy seem to increase more in the vicinity of a musician.
 * A kind of Summoning existed in DeviousMUD.
 * The lowest possible combat level to have level 99 Summoning on an account made in RS2 is 15 if the account has not been stat wiped
 * The Stray Dog can be thought of as a pet as it follows you like a pet does, although it will not follow you into buildings.
 * Before the release of Summoning, there was a glitch that allowed players to summon a Karamthulhu for a short time.
 * Before the release of Summoning, a lady would periodically come out of the pet shop in Yanille to walk her dog. This led to small events where players would gather around the pet shop to see for themselves.
 * The first player to reach a Summoning level of 30 did it in about 5 hours. After 1 week, there were 33,750 players ranked, one having achieved level 77, whereas the Hunter skill, at the same point in time following its release, had 124,000 players ranked with one having reached level 93.
 * On the month of release, the loading screen was changed in favour of the new skill. Along with that, the RuneScape homepage was also changed.
 * It was possible to get 0/1 Summoning before completing Wolf's Whistle and even on F2P servers. If you ate a bad kebab, it could lower your Summoning to 0, and in F2P it couldn't be recharged at an obelisk.
 * If you go on a F2P server, summoning does not add to your combat level.
 * Party Pete has a summoning level that is not high enough to talk to his pet, Karma.
 * There are currently no temporary boosts for Summoning.
 * During the first bonus xp weekend there were about 100 people per world all training summoning at the same obelisk.
 * Sometimes a summoned familiar may be glitched by trapping it against a closed area. When this happens, the familiar will try to go around you until your summoning points run out, you dismiss the familiar, or you move away from the wall.
 * It is thought that many of the forbidden areas for familiars are this way to prevent the cause of lag in crowded areas, such as the Grand Exchange which would simply overflow with lag if familiars were permitted on the premises.
 * During A Void Dance, if you talk to Jessika about what she studies, she will reveal that there are two types of summoning; Arcane and Druidic Summoning. Druidic Summoning is the skill players can learn, while arcane summoning is likely the branch of magic that Wizard Grayzag and Evil Dave study.
 * Before the removal of PvP and Bounty worlds in 2011 a player with 99 summoning in these worlds would have shown their combat level with the summoning bonus levels if they are holding a pouch. (For example a player with 99 summoning and only 112 combat would have been shown as level 124 instead of 112+12)
 * Even though Summoning is said to increase your combat level by a maximum of 12, it is possible to have +13 if a player has 99 Summoning and 96 Prayer, along with 99 Attack, Strength, Defence and Constitution. This is no longer visible due the removal of PvP worlds.
 * On the Follower Details area of the Summoning Tab, the time amount your follower has left is shown in a decimal instead of a time. (Ex: 10.00, instead of 10:00)