Non-Shenanigan Driven- Conjuration Damage Spells

[killem2]

Not looking for metamagic reducing, orb of this or that DM soul shattering methods.

Just run of the mill spells. My friend who was going to go evoker, read a lot of post on these forums and told me she wants conjuration instead lol.

I can help her with summoning spells as I used to be a FS conjurer, but I didn't really pay much attention to the other spells.

[purpenflurb]

What do you have against the orb spells with metamagic? They are a solid option, but not really any more "DM soul shattering" than a fighter with spirited charge.

Another not particularly high OP, and lower level, method one of my players had some fun with is a warmage with extended melf's acid arrow. Warmage's edge is explicitly given to apply to spells that deal damage in multiple rounds every time, so it is kind of a fun way to do 2d4+int damage every round for 4 rounds, at the first level you can get the spell.

A summoner is probably a better damage dealer, though. Especially if you look into something like malconvoker. But it sounds like your player is fairly new, so I doubt you have to worry too much about doing anything gamebreaking with any direct damage conjuration spells. It requires quite a bit of rather feat intensive optimization before they begin to eclipse a moderately well bit martial character.

[eggynack]

Why not just orbs with low quantities of metamagic. Alternatively, orbs with a good degree of metamagic, but not mailman level. It seems like the reason she wants to go conjurer is to use orbs, possibly with metamagic, and maybe even with some reductions, so maybe just give her that. It's just damage, after all. Ridiculously consistent damage, but damage nonetheless. There's definitely a happy medium between super crazy mailman powers and a crappy wizard shooting unchanged acid arrows.

[Karnith]

Some assorted (non-Orb) blasty Conjuration spells of various levels of usefulness:
Hail of Stone (SpC pp. 108-109; Sorc/Wiz 1) is a no-save, SR: No area blast that deals 1d4 damage/level. It also has a slightly costly (5 gp) material component.
Kelgore's Fire Bolt (PHB II p. 116; Sorc/Wiz 1) is a single-target fire spell that sort-of ignores SR.
Kelgore's Grave Mist (PHB II p. 116; Sorc/Wiz 2) creates a mist that deals 1d6 cold damage/round and fatigues creatures if you overcome SR. Note that it's a Conjuration/Necromancy spell.
Melf's Acid Arrow (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/acidArrow.htm) is pretty well-known, albeit not terribly good.
Acid Breath (SpC p. 7; Sorc/Wiz 3) is a sort-of acid equivalent of Fireball that blasts in a cone.
Icelance (SpC p. 119; Sorc/Wiz 3) is a single-target ranged attack (note: not a ranged touch attack; it requires a normal ranged attack roll) that deals cold damage and has a chance of stunning the target.
Melf's Unicorn Arrow (PHBII p. 119; Sorc/Wiz 3) requires a ranged touch attack, deals a bit of damage, and starts a bull rush attempt. It's no-save and SR: No, and you get additional arrows with a high CL.
Blast of Flame (SpC p. 31; Sorc/Wiz 4) is a SR: No fire spell that blasts in a cone.
Firestride Exhalation (Dragon Magic p. 67; Sorc/Wiz 4) is a combination cone-shaped blast and teleport spell. Note that it's a Conjuration/Evocation spell.
Arc of Lightning (SpC p. 15; Sorc/Wiz 5) is an odd, SR: No, line-shaped blast that deals electricity damage; it effectively requires two target creatures.
Acid Fog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/acidFog.htm) (Sorc/Wiz 6) speaks for itself, though it's not really blasty.
Acid Storm (SpC p. 7; Sorc/Wiz 6) is a SR: No acid area blast with a slightly costly (10 gp) material component.

[ericgrau]

Well direct conjuration damage is almost the definition of "why isn't this evocation" DM irkiness. But like summon monster there are other ways to do damage besides direct damage.

In the PHB some decent ones are:
2 Summon swarm
4 Black tentacles (though it's more battlefield control)
6 Acid fog (likewise control + damage)

There's also [lesser] planar binding and gate, though that gets complicated. Hmm, that's not much of a list, and they're all actually either battlefield control blended with damage or more summons. If you don't want to step on the toes of other schools, why not use conjuration for battlefield control, summons and teleportation? And evocation for battlefield control and damage? I mean it's like you're saying she doesn't need evocation because she wants to use conjuration to do direct damage, but I want a way to let her do that without her using conjuration to do direct damage. Either decide the orbs and so on are ok, which neither you or me like, or just tell her sorry no I can't let you do that without evocation.

Or do you mean you want good conjurations in general, without system abuse? Ok then you're not looking for damage. The best ones are battlefield control, and conjuration has tons of that. Web, sleet storm, solid fog, Evard's black tentacles, etc. She should also keep evocation for resilient sphere, wall of force and maybe tiny hut (Leomund's maybe? I don't remember). That's the main thing these boards are talking about with conjuration, and there are plenty of good ones without resorting to abuse (varying levels of abuse are also on these boards, but not necessary). The basic concept behind battlefield control is divide and conquer. Delay or otherwise impede half the foes, then the remaining foes are far easier to handle. I've had a couple casters that hardly ever did any damage and merely made fights way easier for everyone else. Let the guys with swords do the damage.

[killem2]

Oh I will have her use orbs, it usually just degrades into metamagic stuff when talking about conjuration :)

[ericgrau]

Oh whatever works for you then. I mainly don't like them because they make no sense IMO, but that's all up to you.

Generally metamagic is fine. It's when you get into metamagic reducers that problems start. So ya just say no reducers and it should be fine.