Summoning Wizard

[Master Thrower]

Hello playground, after my recent thread on making a blaster, I asked my DM about metamagic reducers and such and got a no.

So I am thinking about making a conjuror wizard banning enchantment and either evocation or necromancy., with a sub-theme of summoning. I can't use ACF's to gain augment summoning without SF (conj), but that doesn't matter as it is still a decent feat upping the DC's of web, glitterdust etc.

In the sources we allow, there are not too many good summoner PrC's, but I found a way to get into thaumaturgist using arcane discipline summoning domain.

I do have two spare levels between when I can break wizard 5 and enter thaumaturgist 8.

Current Ideas-

Wizard 5, X 2, Thaumaturgist 5, then what?

Race- Grey Elf?

Feats- SF (conj) Augment summoning, Arcane discipline summoning

any other ideas on feats? maybe extend?

Books- PHB,DMG,MM,CadV,CD,CA,CW,DrC,LM,PlH

[hangedman1984]

there is a metamagic feat, i believe its called rapid spell, that can reduce the full round casting time of summoning spells down to a standard action. I am AFB at the moment so i'm not sure the source but i think it is either complete arcane or complete mage


So I am thinking about making a conjuror wizard banning enchantment and either evocation or necromancy.

ban all three and go focused specialist.

[Fax Celestis]

Also, Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment: Summoning) is a must for a summoner wizard. Free extend on all your summons!

[Master Thrower]

Also, Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment: Summoning) is a must for a summoner wizard. Free extend on all your summons!

Thats in the Planar Handbook correct? and I just need the feat planar touch stone? I just don't know how the planar touch stone feat works

[Fax Celestis]

Yes and yes.

[jiriku]

Malconvoker (Complete Scoundrel 48) is the gold standard of summoner prestige classes. You might consider a build of wizard 6/malconvoker 9/thamauturgist 5 (not necessarily in that order).

And spreadsheets. Really. With Augment Summoning, everything you ever summon will be modified from its base version, even if it's not a celestial or fiendish creature. The last thing you want is to stop combat every couple of rounds while you try to figure out the stats on your critters, so you'll need to prepare them ahead of time and have them very well-organized so you can find what you need at a moment's notice. The biggest challenge of playing a summoner is finding a way to organize and manage your character and summoned creatures without bogging down gameplay.

Edit: Correction made

[Flickerdart]

Unfortunately, CScou is not one of his allowed sources.

It's really easy to boost summon caster levels, so that you can be a summoner from level one. Catalogues of Enlightenment for the Summoning domain gives you +2 CL, then there are the Summon Elemental and Dimensional Reach reserve feats. Remember that all summoning spells have subtypes, so thereafter you could use any of the elemental or alignment options to boost your CL even higher.

Thaumaturgist gives you Augment Summoning as a bonus feat, so you don't have to take it normally.

[Slipperychicken]

If you still haven't given up your familiar, the srd rapid summoning variant may be of use. It makes summoning a standard action, so you can get your summons online the turn you cast the spell, make them hit stuff, and take your other actions.

[Lateral]

Malconvoker (Complete Scoundrel 48) is the gold standard of summoner prestige classes. You might consider a build of wizard 5/malconvoker 10/thamauturgist 5 (not necessarily in that order).

Malconvoker's a nine-level class.

[Stormageddon]

Ban evocation it's only really usefully for dealing damage, which you can do with your summons. Necromancy has some useful spells for a summoner.

[Eldariel]

Meh, you lack the tools for all the fun Summoner Wizard stuff. See about SRD tho.

Conjurer Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants) has two extremely useful variants; Rapid Summoning (Take it!) and Enhanced Summoning.

Enhanced Summoning is average; trades feat for feat (Scribe Scroll for Augment Summoning which is generally net positive - with the house rule in play, just pick SF: Conjuration on level 1). Rapid Summoning tho, you get free Rapid Spell for your summons! In other words, you don't sit there for 1 round chanting. Most importantly, this makes them eligible for Quicken Spell! Trading the feat from level 5 for some harder-to-dispel summons isn't terrible either, though Enhanced Summoning vs. normal Wizard is kinda up in the air. About the same either way.


You could pick up Obtain Familiar as a feat to gain one too. Then Improved Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedFamiliar) (it's in the DMG so in your allowed sources) to get something thematically appropriate like an Imp or a Quasit or a Pseudodragon (anything summonable, really).

You could ban Evocation and Necromancy and take 1 level of Mindbender on 6 for Telepathy; ease of communication with your summons and all. Tho that's prolly not necessary, but an option nevertheless. The other good one is Mage of the Arcane Order. You could get one bonus feat (for the two invested) on level 7 and then go Thaumaturgist and then finish out Mage of the Arcane Order afterwards.

[Fax Celestis]

Also consider the Domain Granted Power ACF in CCham to pick up some relevant domain powers (like Summoning, Dragon Below, and Summon).

[Eldariel]

Also consider the Domain Granted Power ACF in CCham to pick up some relevant domain powers (like Summoning, Dragon Below, and Summon).


Books- PHB,DMG,MM,CadV,CD,CA,CW,DrC,LM,PlH

Unfortunately. CScoundrel and CMage in particular would have useful stuff (Malconvoker and Focused Specialist + Master Specialist, respectively) but alas, it is not to be. CChamp would have Paragnostic Apostle too which has few handy abilities for summoners. Ah well.

[Fax Celestis]

Aw, boo, I didn't see that. :(

[hex0]

UA Variant Conjurer 3/Master Specialist 4/Nar Demonbinder 1/Ultimate Magus (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20061010a&page=3) 10/xxx 2

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030502a&page=2 stacks with your Wizard levels for caster level and you get CL boosts from UM...and Master Specialist gets you bonus HP based on your caster level.

I like that build better than Malconvoker, but you could pick that up as well!

[Madara]

I would definitely second master specialist, the conjurer version enhances summoning. I'll be the one to point out what has been said many times in the past, "Druids make better summoners". However, I notice that you are a conjurer with a sub-focus in summoning. I would suggest the Summon Elemental reserve feat(CM) and spam Earth elemental scouts. I might be crazy(someone correct me if I am) but Druid dip?

Edit: just noticed the books, sorry :smallredface:

[chaos_redefined]

I would definitely second master specialist, the conjurer version enhances summoning. I'll be the one to point out what has been said many times in the past, "Druids make better summoners". However, I notice that you are a conjurer with a sub-focus in summoning. I would suggest the Summon Elemental reserve feat(CM) and spam Earth elemental scouts. I might be crazy(someone correct me if I am) but Druid dip?

Edit: just noticed the books, sorry :smallredface:

Not true, depending on books allowed, levels played, etc... For example, if Complete Scoundrel is allowed, then the Malconvoker prestige class makes up for the difference. If Unearthed Arcana is allowed, you can summon as a standard action, which is handy. At higher levels, SNA has a very short list of options, while SM has a lot of monsters with a variety of SLA's.

[kulosle]

yeah you really don't have access to the things that make the conjurer great. First go look at the conjurers handbook. Don't have the link on me but google should have it. Second, although many frown upon it, with your limited selection i'm going to suggest red wizard. Circle magic with summons is great, not the most optimized but there isn't much else you can do.

[Sudain]

Ban evocation it's only really usefully for dealing damage, which you can do with your summons. Necromancy has some useful spells for a summoner.

Good sir, I disagree! I would pause long and hard before giving up evocation.

Things that would force you to give up: Contingency, Dancing Lights(http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0512.html - you know you want to pull that), Daylight(Very useful if darkness starts to come up), Darkness(20% mobile concealment for the party, yes please), Freezing Sphere(triple duty: Damage, affects water, and can be held as a charge), Gust of Wind(knock back versus small & wind effects), Prismatic Spray(http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prismaticSpray.htm), Resilient Sphere(Lock down a caster or self defense), Tiny Hut(Great traveling and total concealment), Wall of Force(Battle Field control), Wall of Ice(Battle Field Control), Wind Wall(Battle Field control & anti-archer).

Then the fist line is always great(especially chained):
Interposing Hand(5), Forceful Hand(6), Grasping Hand(7), Clenched Fist(8), Crushing Hand(9).

And this is ignoring the blasting spells. It's about how you use the tools; for example holding your action to cast scorching ray on a wizard when he's about to cast a spell(forcing a concentration check) is more effective than simply casting the spell on your turn.

12d6 averages out to 42 damage(12 * 3.5 = 42). DC 52 concentration check at level 11 ignoring the fact the guy is closer to death for a 2nd level spell? Yes please.


So I am thinking about making a conjuror wizard banning enchantment and either evocation or necromancy., with a sub-theme of summoning.

Figure out what you want to do with your conjurer(Battle field control, summons?, other?) and then I'd suggest figuring out which school supports that role or adds versatility the least and then ban that(after making sure you didn't leave gaps that you don't find acceptable).

[Eldariel]

Good sir, I disagree! I would pause long and hard before giving up evocation.

Things that would force you to give up: Contingency, Dancing Lights(http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0512.html - you know you want to pull that), Daylight(Very useful if darkness starts to come up), Darkness(20% mobile concealment for the party, yes please), Freezing Sphere(triple duty: Damage, affects water, and can be held as a charge), Gust of Wind(knock back versus small & wind effects), Prismatic Spray(http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prismaticSpray.htm), Resilient Sphere(Lock down a caster or self defense), Tiny Hut(Great traveling and total concealment), Wall of Force(Battle Field control), Wall of Ice(Battle Field Control), Wind Wall(Battle Field control & anti-archer).

With little creativity, you can replicate those effects quite well with Conjuration, Transmutation and Illusion. As long as you have those three schools, you don't really need Evocation. Contingency is unfortunately postponed but c'est la vie. And of course, not all the replacements are as good; Force Walls are the only indestructible walls in addition to Prismatics you can make, after all.

[Sudain]

With Shadow Evocation I can certainly see how some of the effects get replicated. I personally can't justify a 5th level spell replicating the effect 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level can do. I absolutely buy into the versatility it provides though.

I do think those schools provide similar effects but I think evocation will do them better.

Blur/displacement/blink as possible replacements for darkness. Blur(20% and 1/m level for 1 target) a solid level 2 spell. Displacement(50% for 1 round/level for 1 target) is excellent for tanks at a level 3 spell. Blink(50% miss and lots of other cool toys for 1 round/level with personal range) different school and still is a solid utility at level 3. Now compared with darkness: 20% miss for everyone inside the aura(all party members and all foes) 10 min/level for a level 2 spell. All doing the same type of thing: I think evocation does it better because I can get more total chances to miss, lasts longer, and for a cheaper spell slot. I have to be willing to deal with the double edge sword that it helps foes too. At level 4 Tiny hut provides total concealment in an aura at the cost of mobility.

I can see tiny hut replaced with rope trick(bleah!) and secure shelter. The wall line complimentary with the other schools, I agree. Maybe I'm just not familiar enough with all the little tricks but I really don't see other schools doing the same job better than evocation.

[kulosle]

Why would you want to give your enemies concealment? Although I agree that with the limited spell selection he'll have that evocation will not be as easily made up for but the shadow evocation spells still do the job.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Everything I would want to suggest is in Complete Scoundrel (Malconvoker) or Complete Mage (Master Specialist, Summon Elemental reserve, Cloudy Conjuration feat). Seeing as most of the Completes are already allowed, I'd ask your DM and see what you can do about getting the rest of the Complete series on the table.

[Sudain]

Why would you want to give your enemies concealment?

Your right, I wouldn't. So I'd probably cast it on a dagger, torch or other small, concealable item and hold it myself trying to keep the party just within range and the baddies just outside range. That leaves me about 15-20 feet away(not in medium range where i want to be) from melee. Or have an unseen servant or abducted peasant (Did I mention I enjoy being evil?) hold the item. Baring that try to be creative with cover.

I may try to sheath it every other round or so to see if that would help. If the baddies will get the benefit hopefully the party will know about the trick ahead of time and be able to work around it(Save based attack versus AC based). Baring all else, I just have to be careful about when it get's cast so it's worth the trade off.

Certainly more work than a fire and forget for sure. I think it matches the benefit though. Then again I enjoy sundering people's reality by doing what they didn't realize could be done.

[Fax Celestis]

Or your buddies can all take Pierce Magical Concealment.