Summoner Build 3.5 (HELP)

[TripperdeCleric]

Hi. I will be LEVEL 8-9. I want to be a summoner. Utility summoner would be more specific. Please include all class features, feats, ACF.

I want them to be good at combat also if thats easily done. IT can be any class option from the books allowed.

Books Allowed:

Allowed books are as follows:
Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook II
Dungeon Master's Guide
Dungeon Master's Guide II
Monster Manual
Monster Manual III
Monster Manual IV
Monster Manual V
Player's Guide to Faerun
Complete Adventurer
Complete Arcane
Complete Divine
Complete Mage
Complete Scoundrel
Complete Warrior
Draconomicon
Miniatures Handbook (Not everything, but mostly okay)
Magic Item Compendium
Rules Compendium
Spell Compendium
Unearthed Arcana
Epic Level Handbook


Other books might be welcome. Please post a snippet of the text you refer to, or a book so that I may look at it and request.

[Svata]

Just wondering, why are all of the Monster Manuals except for II allowed, was that just a typo, or what?

[HalfQuart]

Probably because MM2 is a 3.0 book, so you either get some weirdness or have to do the conversion.

When I was building a summoner I found this guy's work on Valgrim the Summoner (http://geek-related.com/session-summaries/rise-of-the-runelords/valgrim-the-summoner/) useful, especially his "Summonable Monster Stats Cheat Sheet".

[TripperdeCleric]

I believe 2 is 3.0...not sure exactly


But the main concern is a viable build. You are welcome to referrence other books and ill run it by the DM

[Snowbluff]

Binder makes a fun summoner with the online vestiges. Anima Mage Binder/Sorcerer?

Master Specialist (Conjurer) from Complete Mage is quite good.

[TripperdeCleric]

What does the progression look like?

Also saw Malconvoker.

Whats the earliest I can qualify for that? and how?

[Snowbluff]

What does the progression look like?
Binder would be Binder1/Sorcerer1/AnimaMage10, assuming you are cool with Early Entry Stuff (I am assuming you are). As for actual feats, Quicken Su would do quite well, withe Versatile Spellcaster and Heighten spell for the spell level requirement.

Wizard3/MasterConjurer10/Nar Demonbinder1 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030502a&page=2)/UltimateMagus6 would be best for the Wizard build.

Good feats in general would be Rapid Spell, Practical Metamagic Rapid Spell, Augment Summoning, Versatile Spellcaster.



Also saw Malconvoker.

Whats the earliest I can qualify for that? and how?
Summon Monster 3? 5 looks like the earliest for a Wizard, unless you are a Domain Elven Generalist that wrote SM 3 into your book.

The issue with the Malconvoker entry is that otherwise you would not normally have enough feats to cheese your way in before level 5.

A cleric would do it at level 3 with Versatile Spellcaster, I believe.

[TripperdeCleric]

Binder1/Sorcerer1/AnimaMage10

Looks quite nice. What books are these from?

and How does it achieve the goal?

[Snowbluff]

Binder1/Sorcerer1/AnimaMage10

Looks quite nice. What books are these from?

and How does it achieve the goal?

Binder and Anima Mage are from Tome of Magic. The Binder can bind vestiges to himself to gain abilities, namely Zceryll, "The Star Spawn." This vestige can cast Summon Monster as a Supernatural Ability every 5 rounds (no limit per day). Your Binder level has to be 12 to use it (10 with a feat), so you'll be using Sorcerer summoning spells in the mean time.

Anima Mage progresses Binder and Sorcerer, as well as give free Metamagic a few times per day.

[TripperdeCleric]

Whats the feat progression?

[Snowbluff]

Whats the feat progression?

Oh.

Human or a flaw assumed.

1st: Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell.
3rd: Improved Binding (+2 to your Binder Level, lets you Bind a second level vestige)
6th: Favored Vestige (for Zercyll)
9th: Rapid Recovery (Lowers cooldown to 4 rounds)

You can sub out Sorcerer for Warlock with the Precocious Apprentice feat (with Magical Training, depending on your DM's ruling). It's really quite a fun combination. Binder can be skipped entirely with the Bind Vestige and Improved Bind Vestige feats.

[TripperdeCleric]

It will be human. What do I do after level 12 with this build?'




Any other ideas are also welcome.

[Pilo]

A druid or cloistered cleric base would be better.

Summoning_Handbook (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19864066/Summoning_Handbook)

If cleric, take a domain that lets you control other creatures than undead.

[Snowbluff]

It will be human. What do I do after level 12 with this build?'


Grab weapon focus and enter Knight of the Sacred Seal (ToM), which gives you an AC buff and the ability to ignore the cooldown on your summoning ability 1/day.

And/Or you can use Legacy Champion/Uncanny Trickster to increase your levels of Anima Mage.

[Piggy Knowles]

Honestly, a straight gish can easily focus on summoning for utility. If you can get Races of the Wild and the Swiftblade (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/prc/20070327) class approved, just going elven generalist wizard 6/swiftblade 3 to start would mean you'd be a competent fighter with all the spells necessary to summon. Pick up the Summon Elemental reserve feat for some at-will utility summoning, and enjoy the fact that your emphasis on haste will boost all of your summoned critters as well.

Otherwise, yeah, going binder for Zceryll is an excellent choice. Even straight binder will do the trick, as you can build a competent melee character, and Zceryll alone makes you a better summoner than most.

[bekeleven]

A druid or cloistered cleric base would be better.

Summoning_Handbook (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19864066/Summoning_Handbook)

If cleric, take a domain that lets you control other creatures than undead.
Mostly true, but remember that much of a druid's tricks come from campaign books. Greenbound is in LEoF and Ashbound in ECS. This list also lacks complete chamption, source of half the SNA boosts like Ehlonna's holy symbol or ring of the beast.

Edit: List also lacks races of eberron, which has some fun summoning prestiges and ACFs.

[Malroth]

if they took arcane preparation could the anima mage build then go into Ultimate magus advancing both binder and sorcerer?

[EvilJames]

No. Binders are not casters. They use supernatural abilities. The ultimate magus could not advance binder.