Sonoric's Superior Minions  (Divination/Conjuration/Summoning)
Level: Fifth                  Range: Special
Components: V, S, M           Duration: 1 hour + 1 turn/lvl
Casting Time: 1 turn          Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

This spell summons a major etherling, from the Ethereal Plane, to
do the caster's bidding. Major Etherlings are fairly intelligent,
although they still suffer from summoner-awe. The caster summons
one etherling per five levels, for example two at sixth, three at
eleventh, etc. The summoned etherlings are eager to serve the
caster, and they are capable of more complicated tasks than their
lesser brethren. 

A major etherling (AC:0 MV:60 HD:4 #AT:2 D: 1-3/1-3 INT:12) is a
man-sized, transparent, humanoid-appearing creature, formed of
the stuff of the ethereal plane. They have some control over
their appearance on the Prime Material plane, although,
regardless of form, they have blurry outlines and are partially
transparent. They also move by flight, although they are
sophisticated enough to give the illusion of walking. Being
mostly on the ethereal plane, they are able to pass through solid
objects, save lead, living matter, or mortar infused with
Gorgon's blood. Major etherlings are fairly intelligent and have
a 20% chance of knowing any specific minor lore, although they
will answer such a question only once. A major etherling will be
stricken with extreme respect for the summoner, and will attempt
to follow the spirit of its commands to the best of its ability.
It has the ability to turn small items, of less than ten pounds
in weight, ethereal, allowing it to transport the item. It may
only carry one such item at a time, however. It also has a
photographic memory.

Major etherlings are capable of performing complicated tasks, and
can grasp abstract concepts. Once given a task, they will remain
on the Prime Material plane until the task is complete, or the
spell's duration expires. One advantage the major etherlings
possess over their lesser brethren, however, is their ability to
move into the Ethereal Plane and return to the Prime Material
plane, essentially teleporting. They are also capable of
completing tasks on the Ethereal plane, as well as the Prime
Material. Again, an intelligence check is required for
particularly baffling problems encountered, and if the task is
rendered somehow incompletable, and the etherling makes an
intelligence check, it will return to the caster, and inform him
of the problem, before returning to the ethereal plane (for
good).

Being dual-plane beings, they are only hit by magic weapons and
spells. The material components of this spell are jade figurines,
one for each etherling to be summoned.

Note: If you use common sense in the ruling of these spells, they
can be rather useful, even humorous. I would urge DMs to give the
etherlings personality; make minor etherlings eager to please,
amusing simpletons. Their descriptions of events, though
accurate, will be colored by their personalities, much to the
chagrin of the caster, who must translate their rantings into
useful information. If you are an evil DM, you may want to give
each spell a 10% chance of summoning a capricious etherling who
will lie like crazy and generally make a mess of things.

