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View Full Version : [PF] Master Summoner help - make me worse, but not bad!



HearTheRequiem
2013-10-11, 08:37 PM
Okay, so here's a little background information on this: I've just started a new campaign at level 3, and I'm playing a Master Summoner, with my tactic being to flood the field with meat shields, so the Rogue can flank, our casters don't get hit, and because the Barbarian doesn't like being the only tank.

So basically, this is my build:

LE Human Master Summoner 3

Str: 10
Dex: 15
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 14
Cha: 17

Feats:
1) Extra Summons
1) Extra Evolution
2) Augment Summoning (Master Summoner bonus feat)
3) Superior Summoning

So, I have 9 uses of Summon Monster II per day, which I generally use to summon 1d3+1 Fiendish Eagles. My spell list is irrelevant, as is my Eidolon, as I haven't ever used either of them for fear of overshadowing the party.

I've been fairly lucky with my summoning rolls (In the three encounters so far, I've summoned 4, 4, and 2), but have only used my class feature three times in total...and the Druid has complained about me overshadowing the party because the eagles outdamaged everyone and actually managed to hit (despite a +3 attack bonus and 1d4+2 damage).

So yeah, what I was hoping for was some advice on how to perform well at summoning without overshadowing the party - but without feeling like I'm deliberately screwing myself over. Maybe some alternate creatures to summon, with spell-like abilities or something? Anything from a Bestiary with CR 1/2 or lower is fair game.

In case it matters, here are the other party members:

CG Elven Ranger 3 - focused on the archery combat style, uses ranged attacks exclusively
CN Elven Rogue 3 - Finesse rogue, uses a light crossbow, rapier and light mace, likes to mix it up with regards to melee and ranged
N Half-Elven Generalist Wizard 3 - Likes Colour Spray and Web.
CN Half-Orc Barbarian 3 - Hits the thing. If it's not dead, hits it again.
NG Half-Elf Druid 3 - For some reason, dual-wields sickles and uses Weapon Finesse, and blasts. Gets ~3 turns a round due to Animal Companion, Flaming Sphere, and her own actions.

So yeah, anything I can summon that these guys will like, Playgrounders?

avr
2013-10-11, 08:47 PM
You've got a lot of people trying to do damage. Maybe summon giant spiders and have them use webs for battlefield control? In melee they're comparable to your eagles but with strength damage poison. On the downside you won't get multiples of them just yet, they're on the 2nd level list.

HearTheRequiem
2013-10-11, 09:00 PM
That's a fair enough suggestion, but the problem I can see with that is that Web is one of our Wizard's favourite spells - and so he's the only one in the party whose role I'm not "stealing" by summoning, if that makes sense - so I'd prefer to stay away from the spiders specifically.

I'm tempted to ask my GM if I can refluff Sprites as some kind of minor devil-type thing, and spam those - 1d3+1 DC 11 Colour Sprays /will/ hit something, right?

avr
2013-10-11, 10:25 PM
Web as a spell and web as a monster attack do use quite different mechanisms.

I'd be extremely wary of anything which can throw color spray myself, even at a low DC that's still a save or (just about) die at these levels. At-will daze is pretty useful if you're summoning 1d3+1 too.

I.e. these are CR 1/3 because they can't follow up on their SLAs with anything, not because they are less effective than eagles or giant spiders! They shouldn't really be on the summon monster I list - compare to the mite (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/fey/mite) which is on an alternate summon monster I list somewhere.

Summoned wolves can trip for another mechanism to use. Summon monster II, again.

HearTheRequiem
2013-10-12, 06:31 PM
At the current level, I'm really looking for things on the SM I list or equivalent - most of my build is centred around summoning multiple things, and that /really/ helps conserve uses of my SMII ability. I understand if there's nothing good, though :smalltongue:

That said, at level 5, I do plan to spam wolves for tripping.