Summoners make terrible fair fights.
And that’s exactly why they make some of the best villains in Palladium Fantasy Second Edition.
Most boss encounters in fantasy games are built around stats. Big numbers. Big attacks. Big hit point pools. You walk into a room, roll initiative, and see who drops first. Palladium can do that, sure, but it shines when the fight starts long before anyone draws a weapon. Summoners live in that space. They prepare. They choose the ground. They don’t fight alone. When players finally confront one, they’re not just fighting a character, they’re fighting a situation that’s been waiting for them.
This episode of The Summoner’s Circle Podcast is about flipping the perspective. Instead of asking “how do I play a Summoner,” the question becomes “what happens when the party has to fight one.” We talk about why Summoner villains feel different at the table, how to telegraph their presence without exposition dumps, and why demons, circles, and preparation turn an ordinary boss fight into something your players will remember years later. No stat blocks. No scripted outcomes. Just practical thinking about threat, setup, and consequences.
If you’ve ever wanted a villain who feels patient, dangerous, and unsettling without needing absurd power levels, this episode is for you. Summoners don’t overpower the party. They out-think them. And in Palladium Fantasy, that’s often far more dangerous.
Give it a listen, then look at your next big bad and ask a simple question.
What have they already prepared for the players?
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