Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues – Summons, Tamed Creatures, and Companions

by Falagar / Articles, Misc. Guides / 21 Apr 2018

Avatars have several ways to obtain NPC companions and creatures that will accompany them in their travels and may even aid them in battle. Regardless of how the creature was obtained, an Avatar can only have a single NPC companion in play at a time. Calling or summoning a new companion replaces the current one.

Skilled mages can summon Elementals, Undead, and other creatures to assist them in combat. A summoned creature may be re-summoned immediately if dismissed or slain, provided the summoner has enough Focus. Summoning spells can be added to a deck, locked into a slot, and used from the Utility Hotbar.

The effort of maintaining control over a summoned creature (or tamed beast) occupies a certain amount of the Avatar’s Focus; the more powerful the creature, the more Focus is required. This Focus cannot be used to power other glyphs and will not recover through rest or potions until the creature is dismissed or slain. The exception to this rule are summoned undead, who suffer constant heath decay instead. Summoned creatures are fickle and will depart when you change scenes.

Avatars can also tame wild beasts to serve as pets and allies in battle. Taming a beast is a bit more complex than summoning a magical minion. First, basic training in the Tame Creature skill is required. The skill can be found at the top of the Taming tree in the Strategy skills menu.

Next, a prospective tamer must obtain the proper equipment: a Taming Collar (or several, to be safe) and a Summoning Whistle Necklace (which must be worn). These items can only be obtained through crafting and requires the services of a tailor, carpenter, and alchemist. Note that the “Animal Collar” and “Animal Whistle” items are components of the finished Taming items, not the finished items themselves. The Recipes for these items and their components can be obtained in the general store in Ardoris near Sequanna Square.

Once properly equipped and trained, the prospective tamer may locate a tameable beast and use the Tame Creature skill on them. Taming is not guaranteed to succeed and stronger or more willful beasts are more resistant to it. Stronger beasts are also more likely to consume a taming collar during an unsuccessful taming attempt. Each successful taming attempt always consumes a taming collar. Injured beasts are easier to tame, so it may be desirable to wear down an animal before attempting to tame it. If the process succeeds the beast will vanish and can be called to your side via the Summoning skill.

Note that a specific beast is tied to the exact Summoning Whistle Necklace you were wearing when you tamed it, and the name of the necklace will change to reflect the beast it calls. You must be wearing a necklace with an associated beast to to use the summoning skill. You can tame as many beasts as you have Summoning Whistle Necklaces, but remember you may only have a single beast called at a time.

Tamed beasts need time of their own to rest and hunt. After being called, there is a significant cooldown before a tamed beast can be called again, although increasing your Refresh skill will reduce this timeframe. Unlike summoned creatures, tamed beasts will follow you from scene to scene and across the overworld.

Tamed beasts will also not fight to the death, fleeing when badly injured. This is not without reason, as tamed beasts remain dead when slain and cannot be called again. If a tamed beast is slain this frees up its necklace to be used to tame another beast. Note that a slain-tamed beast may be resurrected with an appropriate spell up to 5 minutes after their death, but afterwards they are beyond recovery. Slain beasts may not be resurrected, even by their master’s allies, while their master is slain.

Most natural beasts are tameable, even some exotic ones like the giant “corpions” of New Britannia. Many domesticated and “barnyard” animals can be tamed, although some creatures may not make effective combatants or have any fighting abilities at all. Horses can be tamed, but not used as mounts at this point in development. Skills that aid in the taming process and make tamed beasts stronger and more reliable can be found in the Taming tree, under the Strategy skill menu.

Tamed beasts can be assigned names through the right-click menu. These names will be remembered for the duration of their lives. Summoned elementals can be assigned names if you wish, but these chaotic and inconsistent creatures will have forgotten them by the next time they are summoned.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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