A good summoner class?

[DarkEternal]

Recently I toyed with the idea of making a summoner sort of character, and soon we'll start a new campaign.

The guy who'll run the campaign says it'll start at level 7 and go from there, so I had a few ideas about my character. I'm looking to have a blast, not really into optimising that much, but still want my character to be moderately good.

I came down to to ideas, one is for a Kensai sort of character that would become what he was in an almost Green Lantern sort of way, swearing to destroy evil wherever he goes(a Kensai must make an oath to become a Kensai). The other idea was for a summoner sort of character, I'd perhaps even make him a kid who has a bond with spirits-elementals and can summon them. but I didn't really find any good classes so far and I want something different then just "Go druid and spec in summoning". Perhaps a prestige class? On paper, the "Bonded summoner" from Miniatures handbook seemed interesting, but mechanically it's a piece of crap, giving you a weak arse familiar and making your spells infinitely weaker then what they should be like.


Any ideas? I looked at the Elemental Savant and Alienist and those two seem sort of interesting, though for the Alienist it would seem I'd have to convince the DM of a lot of things, considering the way they function.

[Aharon]

Do you know the Malconvoker PrC from Complete Scoundrel? It does summoning on a wizard or cleric chassis.

[Psyren]

Alienist is a trap - run screaming in the other direction and don't look back.

Wizards and Clerics make the best summoners, particularly if you enter the amazing Malconvoker prestige class. Here is a handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=289.20)

[Piggy Knowles]

As a base class, archivists make spectacular summoners - they get access to both Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally, and they have built in buffing mechanics right off the bat that do well with summoning. They can also go for the Malconvoker class, which as mentioned is about as good as it gets for summoners.

It's especially nice, since at the low levels, SNA is almost always the better choice, while at higher levels, spell-like abilities and resistances make Summon Monster an outrageously flexible spell. As an archivist, you get the best of both worlds.

That being said, none of that really fits in well flavor-wise with the idea of a kid who bonds with spirit elementals. As you mentioned, druid does the trick better with that, as does a sorcerer. For something a little bit different, a slightly reflavored Nar Demonbinder (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030502a&page=2) could also do the trick...

[DarkEternal]

Malconvoker looks pretty nice. I was thinking of going Sorcerer 6(fluff reasons for not choosing wizard) and then Malconvoker from there if I decide for the class(since I need Summon Monster III to qualify for the class, it seems).

[Tetrasodium]

a kid who has a bond with spirits-elementals and can summon them. but I didn't really find any good classes so far

Psthfinder base class "summoner" actually does that with their ediolon (sort of a fighter-lite outsider pet they can customize pretty heavily and summon 1/day till it dies or gets dismissed) along with a decent spell selection, medium armor with no asf,some summon monster SLA's for when ediolon isn't around* and d8 hitdie.
*can't use the slas when the eidolon is around

[Kosjsjach]

It's a shame you're avoiding Wizard, as you're missing out on the Rapid Summoning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#rapidSummoning) variant and a free Augmented Summoning feat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#enhancedSummoning). Just sayin'.

[DarkEternal]

Like I said, it's more of a flavor thing, I don't think I would feel comforable with a wizard being like 12 years old or something. Sorcerer's are born with it, though. I'll have to look through various options, but so far I love what I'm seeing. Never heard of this Prc before.

[Psyren]

If you're set on Sorcerer and don't mind being a goody two-shoes, consider also Exalted Arcanist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20031004b) from BoED. In addition to adding every Sanctified Spell in the game to your spells known at the capstone (ohai Greater Luminous Armor), you also get a wider list of spells to choose from - including the lovely Planar Ally line, which gets you into Thaumaturgist (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/thaumaturgist.htm) (normally for clerics only.)

[DarkEternal]

Quite a few options. I "Might" somehow make an Archivist the base class, but I'll have to see how it would fit in the story I had in mind for the character, we'll see. In any case, Malconvoker looks really nice so far.

[Maho-Tsukai]

Archivist is sadly a research-based class fluff-wise, like a wizard. However I don't understand why that would be a barrier. While the wizard is certainly often portrayed as a wise old man, the archivist carries with it no such connotation that would make people assume they are all old men...and child geniuses are certainly not unheard of in fiction. Artemis Fowl II, Itachi Uchiha, Minato Namikaze, Izzy Koushiro, Dexter, Jeff Andonuts....the list goes on and on. So while the class may be fluffed as involving study, I don't see how that would be a barrier to your concept as child geniuses are not unheard of in fiction.(and VERY common in anime)

[DarkEternal]

The anime part irks me the most, to be honest. I just hate how the children are used as some ubermensch more often then not taking down burly warriors, be it with magic or "martial arts" crap in that specific medium so I'm trying to stray most from it. The closest thing towards it(and ironically, animeish) is Tim from Wild Arms 2, who is basically from a village that is renown for talking to spirits and using their abilities in battle once they obtain their cooperation. A shaman would probably be more for that fluff, though really, I also wanted to see how a summoner fares in DnD, having never seen one in action.

[Reprimand]

Druid's are nice, the half-orc sub levels can get you free augment summoning. so you don't have to waste feats + druids are OP every other way even without summoning so you get a lot more bang for your buck.

and for a 5th level summon nature ally spell you can summon D3 unicorns with 5 levels in cleric for healing.

[riddles]

I played a focused spelcialist conjurer/malconvoker up to level 17 a couple of years ago.

You are a standard wizard with a summoner bent until mid levels and then you have a horrid amount of power on your hands.

Consider:
- summons don't worry about spell resistance
- summons don't allow a save, potentially negating your valuable spell slot
- low level summons maintain some utility (literal trap monkeys, flanking partners etc)

Intelligent use of summons will net you a lot of options - need a door broken down? Summon 2 fiendish rhinos with augmented strength. Need archers mounted on a wall dealt with? Summon 2 monstrous spiders. And so on.

The only downside is the heavy book keeping (I had printed stats for a couple of key summons at every level) and the fact that your souped up summons can and will outshine other members of the party. Oh, and if you don't know what you're doing, your turns take forever

[ericgrau]

Without malconvoker I think the druid summons tend to be a little better for their level plus you get a lot of mass buffs that work with them. Oh and it looks like archivist gets summon nature's ally and qualifies for malconvoker.

[Stone Heart]

Psthfinder base class "summoner" actually does that with their ediolon (sort of a fighter-lite outsider pet they can customize pretty heavily and summon 1/day till it dies or gets dismissed) along with a decent spell selection, medium armor with no asf,some summon monster SLA's for when ediolon isn't around* and d8 hitdie.
*can't use the slas when the eidolon is around

I have to second this, if you are allowed to use pathfinder material at least. They are specifically summoners who get a specialized creature.

If not however, I would advise the druid or Cleric, though the Druid seems more in line with your comment about bond with Spirit-Elementals.

[gomipile]

You might want the Summon Elemental reserve feat from Complete Mage. It is great flavor-wise and also quite useful mechanically if you use some imagination.

[TwylyghT]

If you can get permission to use it, there's the PF summoner. Its extremely fluffed for a concept of a spirit bound creature that grows/improves with you as your control/influence of it increases in power. They also get the Summon Monster spells I-IX and Gate as spell-like abilities, and gets them sooner than even a pure wizard can cast them normally.