[OOC] Return to the Rusty Rat

[Toot]

1. The spell uses the term "communicate" which may involve body language and motions in case of an intelligent monster. and honestly I haven't thought about it. I considered that Torin cannot speak with animals. A celestial bison has Int 3. Does it qualify for nonverbal communication?
Maybe a similar question; if a tamed or domestic animal hasn't been taught to follow orders by hand sign (like, a "trick" it could learn one sign to "attack" etc) then would it understand why its master raised its hand with all but one finger closed?
AFAIK most if not all animals if you point at something they think you want to draw their attention straight to your fingertip. Just like infants.

2. Sorry didn't miss the question but did miss the answer. I believe that the first time it came up we agreed that Toot cannot be sure how good an idea that would be but if he ordered the creatures to do so later then they would've been damaged by the process before even scratching the surface. What would a summoned creature do in that case? Continue the attempt at carrying out the order given or stop right there and then and look at the master quizzically in expectance of confirmation?

3. That's an interesting point you brought up considering the order of events, yes. What's more, I was pondering about whether standing up from prone would be part of movement or not since the warrior in question has Mobility (+4 dodge AC) but since none of the attacks would end differently with or without the +4 dodge AC it became irrelevant. From feasibility point of view; the dire wolves couldn't trip a prone opponent trying to stand up but they could try to grapple it or similar. Alternatively, intelligent creatures hunting as a pack could share parts of their tactics like three tearing at the opponent while prone (and AOO as standing up) while three others just guarding, readying an attack in case the creature wanted to leave that square. If the creature crawls; well that's AOO plus the readied attacks. If the creature stands then steps away then there go three readied attacks with the potential to trip. Just a few ideas.

This whole restricting mobility thing brought up my memory about freedom of movement which, in my interpretation, is quite powerful (maybe even broken?) for fourth level since its recipient can move in water unhindered and can't be paralyzed, slowed, held, or otherwise kept in place, including being grappled, let alone pinned.

OoC1: Actually I forgot the Bison were Celestial.  This came up in our IRL game and we decided that since it has a greater than animal intelligence that the creature should be able to understand (not speak) Celestial or whatever language of its plane of origin.

OoC2: Summoned creatures do what they are told including self-destructive orders.  If that means running them off a precipice into a Volcano, they do it.  If you wish to have summoning act differently in your world then that's your prerogative.  

It has always been my understanding that when Summoned creatures die or the spell ends, they just return from whence they came from as if nothing happened.  I personally doubt they even have any knowledge of what just happened to them (or in some cases, hellish nightmare they just endured).  Though I did get a chuckle thinking about that Unicorn Toot summoned returning to its native forest covered in Jermlaine droppings!    Because if they did remember or were damaged, I'm surprised there hasn't been a great uprising in the inner/outer planes, demanding wizards stop what they're doing!  Or at least a booming psychiatric business for summoned (abducted) creatures. 

OoC3:  I think you wouldn't get the benefits of Mobility when standing because it's not a true move action to stand from a prone position.  Though I might agree with Lugar in house ruling it does because those trip rules are nasty!  

In game, Dire Wolves only have animal intelligence so it's doubtful they could develop tactics like the one you described.  Unless you offer animals who attack in packs a +1 morale bonus to Intelligence when there is more than one creature.  Which isn't so far fetched.  A female wolf will stand (head under chin) so she is covering the throat of her mate if he is being challenged by a rival.  Which is pretty clever.  But this could be just an example of it's fairly high wisdom (12).

I wasn't sure if you could perform a grapple as part of an AoO but apparently you can.  If the Wolf can grapple as an AoO then that's what he should have done to the Skeleton because the point of Toot summoning the Dire Wolf was to trip the skeletons to give his smaller creatures, with crappy base attack bonuses, the +4 bonus for attacking a prone creature.