Thinking about trying out warlock. Need summons.

[sorcererlover]

I play characters that do these 3 things:
1. Blast
2. Summon
3. Transform

which is why I play sorcerer that specializes in these three. I don't like wizard because, I just don't.

Warlocks have at-will blasting, which is better than sorcerer, at least for me. I know their damage is uncomparably low to a Sorcerer's orb blasting, but that at-will has a lot of charm for me.

The True Mind Switch threads that popped up recently realized I could satisfy my Transformation criteria with Imbue Magic. I craft a scroll of Wish with a ton of XP and use that scroll to create a power stone of true mind switch and go from there.

Which leaves the summon criteria. If I can fulfill this then I would really like to try out warlock.

At-Will Charm Monster and Animate Dead could potentially satisfy the Summon criteria, but the problem is Warlocks have no way of choosing the creatures for this. They don't have planar binding or gate, or polymorph any object, or that stone to flesh thing.

Summon Swarm doesn't count since it doesn't stay relevant past level 1. And no hive-mind exploit.

Epic Level Warlocks have at-will summon, but all the campaigns I find are always pre-epic.

Craft Construct and building effigies would almost qualify, but I like my summons to be expendable. I mean technically I could make some kind of fabricate scroll loop using ambrosia in a method mentioned again in another post in a recent thread and use that to gain unlimited wealth and crafting xp for summon scrolls or constructs, but I don't like doing any wealth breaking shenanigans especially since no DM in their right mind would allow such a thing.

So is there a way for a warlock to achieve permanent summoning ability? I'm ok with crafting permanent magic items, just not limited use ones, to fulfill this criteria. Again, either reliable consistent way to get Charm targets instead of charming random stuff I encounter, or reliable way of obtaining corpses. Like Dread Necros getting planar binding but not magic circle just for corpses type of thing. Or permanent magic items that let me summon monsters. They don't have to be as strong as the level-appropriate summon monster monsters, but they should be relevant in combat.

[RoboEmperor]

Water Devotion. Grab a cleric dip, grab Undeath Domain (Extra turning for free) and Water Domain. Exchange Water Domain for Water Devotion, and for that one dip you suddenly got 8 + CHA mod water elementals a day. Want more? Grab more Extra Turnings and nightsticks.

Cleric dips also give a nice amount of spell slots for Create Water to refill your waterskins with.

[sorcererlover]

I read that thread about water devotion and claiming that the general rule prevents the errata from gaining addition uses is highly questionable, and any DM ruling by RAI not RAW is going to say no.

[RoboEmperor]

How about trickery domain? At 15th level your simulacrums can deal damage. So instead of Water Domain grab Trickery Domain and you'll have 1 + (7+CHA MOD)/3 simulacrums a day. More with nightsticks and extra turning.

[sorcererlover]

How about trickery domain? At 15th level your simulacrums can deal damage. So instead of Water Domain grab Trickery Domain and you'll have 1 + (7+CHA MOD)/3 simulacrums a day. More with nightsticks and extra turning.

Actually this does satisfy my criteria. Thanks!

Still though, I'd like it if someone could show me a method of getting reliable targets for charm and animate dead.

[Crake]

Actually this does satisfy my criteria. Thanks!

Still though, I'd like it if someone could show me a method of getting reliable targets for charm and animate dead.

At level 12, a warlock can literally make whatever magic item he wants. In essence they become pseudo artificers. Get scribe scroll and just make scrolls of planar binding?

[sorcererlover]

At level 12, a warlock can literally make whatever magic item he wants. In essence they become pseudo artificers. Get scribe scroll and just make scrolls of planar binding?

You missed the part where I wanted permanent items, not one time use. Constantly spending XP is not an option, especially for something I intend to use daily. So eternal wands of summon monster III would qualify if it weren't for the fact that summon monster III drops out in power, and custom items of at-will summon monster IX would qualify if they weren't just guidelines that requried DM approval and actual RAW.

So do you know of any permanent items that lets me summon relevant power creatures? I'm thinkin water devotion's power level, Huge Elemental at level 16+, so at least large elemental when I get Imbue Item at 12.

And again, creating a fabricate scroll loop to multiply my existing ambrosia stash and gold supply is wealth breaking and my DM would certainly not allow it. I have thought about Gate->Solar->Create a Scroll of Gate using Wish and repeat, but that uses wish loops which is obviously not allowed.

[Gruftzwerg]

Actually this does satisfy my criteria. Thanks!

Still though, I'd like it if someone could show me a method of getting reliable targets for charm and animate dead.

UMD?^^
I mean, warlocks can take 10 (lvl4), so abuse it to the max.

btw..
If you intend to craft your own stuff with "Imbue Item" (lvl12) for scrolls and such a lot, a Blood Magus could be a nice addon on later lvls. He can inscribe scrolls on his skin and brew potions in his blood (which can be shared with one person. interesting for self-only buffs). It's a nice higher lvl build if you don't intent to play t1/t2 classes but still want to keep the caster roll and have limited/expensive resources to access them. It's a nice way to have access to all needed higher lvl spells while not spamming em as easy as a T1/T2 would do it and keep the balance to the other mundane T3/T4 party members.

edit: and what about the swarm invocation? would they count as summons in your terms?

edit2: and the gain familiar feat`?

[Crake]

You missed the part where I wanted permanent items, not one time use. Constantly spending XP is not an option, especially for something I intend to use daily. So eternal wands of summon monster III would qualify if it weren't for the fact that summon monster III drops out in power, and custom items of at-will summon monster IX would qualify if they weren't just guidelines that requried DM approval and actual RAW.

So do you know of any permanent items that lets me summon relevant power creatures? I'm thinkin water devotion's power level, Huge Elemental at level 16+, so at least large elemental when I get Imbue Item at 12.

And again, creating a fabricate scroll loop to multiply my existing ambrosia stash and gold supply is wealth breaking and my DM would certainly not allow it. I have thought about Gate->Solar->Create a Scroll of Gate using Wish and repeat, but that uses wish loops which is obviously not allowed.

I was more referring to using planar binding to get a permanent ally via charm monster, or a corpse for animate dead, since you expressed interest in wishing to use those as well. Summoned creatures have no interaction with either of those spells, since they're a) already under your control and b) disappear when they die.

For summoning creatures, back of tricks covers animals to varying degrees, while the various ABC of commanding XYZ elementals are pretty expensive, but give you access to elementals

[sorcererlover]

I was more referring to using planar binding to get a permanent ally via charm monster, or a corpse for animate dead, since you expressed interest in wishing to use those as well. Summoned creatures have no interaction with either of those spells, since they're a) already under your control and b) disappear when they die.

For summoning creatures, back of tricks covers animals to varying degrees, while the various ABC of commanding XYZ elementals are pretty expensive, but give you access to elementals

I guess that could work! Planar Binding does last forever if you break the circle instead of making a deal, so a one time relatively cheap cost for a permanent ally could work, and the scroll scribing time is well within non-stop adventure time reason. I just need to ensure somehow the resulting creature doesn't break free via protection from evil or dispel magic. Or break enchantment.

There's also necrotic tumor, and warlocks can bestow negative levels for the save.

Thanks a lot! I never thought about it like this. Planar Binding -> Utterdark Blast -> Necrotic Cyst -> Necrotic Tumor.

Quick question, can warlocks intentionally deal less damage with their eldritch blast? Like 1d6. And can they deal nonlethal damage?

[RoboEmperor]

I guess that could work! Planar Binding does last forever if you break the circle instead of making a deal, so a one time relatively cheap cost for a permanent ally could work, and the scroll scribing time is well within non-stop adventure time reason. I just need to ensure somehow the resulting creature doesn't break free via protection from evil or dispel magic. Or break enchantment.

There's also necrotic tumor, and warlocks can bestow negative levels for the save.

Thanks a lot! I never thought about it like this. Planar Binding -> Utterdark Blast -> Necrotic Cyst -> Necrotic Tumor.

Quick question, can warlocks intentionally deal less damage with their eldritch blast? Like 1d6. And can they deal nonlethal damage?

I just want to point out that using scrolls for planar binding is a terrible idea. You need a high saving throw to beat an outsider's will save, and even then they might roll a 20. If you go gate, you're going to have to pay 1,000xp, so unless you are fine with paying 1,000xp everytime your minion dies, this is not a viable method. Of course if you gate in a 34hd creature via gate and then proceed to enervate/knock him out for necrotic tumor, I highly doubt he will die anytime soon.

[sorcererlover]

I just want to point out that using scrolls for planar binding is a terrible idea. You need a high saving throw to beat an outsider's will save, and even then they might roll a 20. If you go gate, you're going to have to pay 1,000xp, so unless you are fine with paying 1,000xp everytime your minion dies, this is not a viable method. Of course if you gate in a 34hd creature via gate and then proceed to enervate/knock him out for necrotic tumor, I highly doubt he will die anytime soon.

That makes sense. Magic Circle just says I need to cast a calling spell not planar binding, so I guess it works by RAW.

[sorcererlover]

while the various ABC of commanding XYZ elementals are pretty expensive, but give you access to elementals

Finally figured out what this meant, and yes this fully qualifies what I'm looking for. Thanks! They're all at-will as well, and the earth version is Huge as default.