I had just finished up my math homework and was halfway through my last farming run for the day when a system update timer popped up on the screen, and it turned out to be the long awaited, and pretty overdue, Summoning skill!!
The usual new interface that follows the release of skills. They released one with flowers and plants all around it for Farming as well.
First thing I did when I got back on was rush to the start of the Wolf Whistle quest start point, which was supposed to double as an intro into Summoning. Started up with Druid Pikkupstik having problems with what he described as a bunny rabbit tearing up his room.
Well, if you ignore the wings, the sabre-like fangs and the fact that its about the size of a cow, yeah, could say it was a bunny rabbit. As with most quests, you're supposed to help him out with getting rid of it. Apparently, despite being a Master Summoner judging by his skillcape, Pikkupstik can't leave the front room, or the wolpertinger (Fanged, winged "rabbit") would sneak out the door or get down to the Summoning altar in his basement and release more wolpertingers, and thats where your character comes in.
Because its still got the mind of a rabbit (tendencies for eating human flesh aside), it should therefore be scared of wolves, but since its not an ordinary animal, but one from the spirit domain, it has got to be scared away with a wolf from that domain as well, which is where the Summoning comes in. First, pouches need to be infused with spirit shards, charms and a certain ingredient (that determines what ends up Summoned) at the Summoning altar
In this case, 2 sets of wolf bones were needed since a spirit wolf was required. Pikupstikk had already sent his assistant out to gather them, but he hasn't returned for quite awhile, so you've got to go out and look for him and find more wolf bones at the same time. With most of the wolves on White Wolf Mountain suddenly finding themselves fought over to be killed, I was hard pressed to kill a wolf, until I found the assistants body. Apparently, he bought it on the mountain.
I decided to give the poor guy last rites. Yes, he's a Guthixian druid, I know, but I guess Saradomin and Guthix would probably get along well anyhow. Looted his corpse, which conveniently had the wolf bones I needed, headed back to Pikkupstik, made spirit wolf pouches and scrolls, Summoned spirit wolf, pwnz00red the wolpertinger, finished quest.
Its going to be an expensive skill to train, by the looks of it. At level 4, one dreadfowl pouch requires 8 spirit shards to be infused, and one shard costs 50gp, though Jagex are halving the price by the end of the week. Even so, at 25gp a shard, its still going to cost 200gp for each pouch, and considering the one pouch gives a measly 9.3 exp, that works out to about roughly 20gp per exp. So for a 99 in Summoning, it would cost 260,000,000 if you made pouches alone. 260 million. In short, a lot of money. Even for level 50, it would require about 100k exp which still comes up to around 2 million.
Then again, there'll probably be more economical ways of training at higher levels, but its still going to cost a bomb like construction. A great money sinkhole to help reduce inflation. Of course, its not like the entire community is feeling very rich at the moment thanks to a few other updates recently....
That aside, Summoning looks like a pretty promising skill. Most, if not all, the spirit monsters can aid you in combat, as well as having a few side perks thrown in (Dreadfowl temporarily boost your Farming level, others will carry items for you), and the pets!! Most people would be going for 99 for the dragon. Imagine that, a dragon following you around... Of course, at level 4, I'll just have to be content with my little bulldog puppy. I have to admit, its kinda cute.
