Totems

[Zikke]

So I rolled a Spectre High Elf Summoner to play around with the totem system in this variant, and I killed a Giant White Mouse and got a skeleton. So I made a true totem and summoned a mouse. The mouse bred all over the level (which was expected) but sometimes I noticed mice that were bigger and badder versions of the original mouse. I occasionally got a Zombie Giant White Mouse and then once a Ghost Giant White Mouse, the former was level 11 and the latter was level 21. So two questions;

1) How are these better versions of monsters generated?

2) What is the practical difference between True and partial totems? I read the in-game info but still don't understand...

[madmonk]

Your summoned creature will gain experience... and therefore levels... and therefore become bigger/better/tougher.

# Partial Summoning Partial summoning creates a simulacrum of the monster, with little will of its own. The Summoner must maintain the simulacrum using mana; when he runs out, or stops paying the mana, the simulacrum vanishes.
# True Summoning is quite different in effect from Partial Summoning, but the two are closely related in usage. A True Totem conjures a full copy of the creature in question; the process tends to make the monster a loyal ally to the summoner, but this loyalty is not guaranteed, nor is the survival of the totem used in the summoning.

[Zikke]

So basically the true summoning has a chance to be aggressive but doesn't cost mana upkeep, and the partial is always loyal but costs mana upkeep?

[madmonk]

Correct...

Also the true totem has a chance of being destroyed and the Unique you have summoned may just leave you...

In practice you use partials all the time. You will need to put quite a few points into Magic skill to get your Mana up to a good level, and thus sustain creature(s) you have summoned for a length of time.

Remember that creatures that breed are good, since the descendants don't require mana but are loyal.

Remember that creature that summon are good, since those creatures that have been summoned by the creatures that you have summoned also do not require mana and are loyal.

Minor tip... Don't play a Maia Summoner - Maia have Aggravation as an intrinsic and all summoned creatures go instantly hostile!

[Zikke]

Interesting... so do any of them ever follow you between levels? Or can I not turn this into a pet class

[madmonk]

Never tried! Not to say it would not work, I don't know

The mana drain is continuous so I tend to develop a limited objective mentality and summon only when necessary. And dismiss immediately after.

[Daniel Fishman]

Pets do not follow you between levels; with a certain level in Monster-lore (I think) you can convert pets to companions - companions have the advantages of following you between levels (and so they can be levelled up significantly), and not requiring mana upkeep; however you do not gain any experience from their kills.
I'm not 100% sure that you can convert summoned creatures to companions actually, thinking about it - again, I've never tried. I would have thought so, though.

[madmonk]

Pets can be turned in to companions... You need Monster Lore > 12 to do this!

It is debatable whether it is worth doing that.

[petebull]

1) How are these better versions of monsters generated?

When monsters breed there is a chance for mutations.