Building a Summoner

[Fire Tarrasque]

Hey! So, for my next character, I want to play a summoner. More specifically a Conjurer, so I want to keep it at least mostly Wizard, even if that's sub optimal. We've got 8 levels to work with right now, though the campaign is ongoing, so it might go up, and we have plenty of time. We're using point buy or "approved rolls," but we're just going to go with point buy.

My current setup is very simple:
Rock Gnome Wizard 8, school of Conjuration. 8 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 19 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha.

While that technically works, i'm being driven insane over the exclusively Druid summoning spells. The dilemma is: Do I up Wis and take levels in Druid until I can get those spells, do I take levels in BARD to grab magical secrets, or is there some other solution?
One last thing: Every resource is allowed for 5e released yet, and if Mordenkainen's has new options, those will also be allowed. Homebrew is also permitted, as long as I approve it with the DM, so don't be afraid to at least suggest it.
Any help?

[Kane0]

Homebrew permitted? One sec, I got something for ya.

Summon Monster
2nd-level Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to ten minutes

You call forth a single Monstrosity type creature of CR 1 or lower, appearing in a space you can see within range. Roll initiative for the creature, which has its own turns. When you summon it and on each of your turns you can issue a verbal command to it (requiring no action on your part), telling it what to do on its next turn. If you issue no command it spends its turn attacking any creature within reach that has attacked it.
If you stop concentrating on this spell before it reaches its full duration the summoned creature disappears immediately.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the CR of the creature you can summon increases by 1 for each slot level above 2nd.

I've playtested a bit with it and it's pretty close in power to the other summon spells. You get a lovely range of potential summons but can't call multiple creatures like you can with the Druid and Warlock spells, and it's a unique creature type that those other ones don't cover either. Just use Kobold Fight Club (https://kobold.club/fight/) or Donjon (https://donjon.bin.sh/)to easily sort your list.

[Fire Tarrasque]

What i'm doing right now is using Orcpub, though yeah, I'll probably use Donjon to sort through what I can summon. Didn't think of that earlier, though I knew of those sites, thanks!
I also didn't think of Homebrew spells. Also, thanks!
One thing I forgot to mention above: Through a series of events spurred on by another player's ambition and my current character's very specific skillset (Cleric, expertise in deception, intimidation, and disguise. Goes around pretending to be a crazy homeless person selling people knives at exorbitant prices.) a Paladin in our party acquired...
Madagascar... At least he's the lord below the king of Madagascar, that is slightly unclear, so it would also be useful to have summons that can do physical labor and/or function longer term than normal. Permanency was removed in this edition I believe, so that's not an option. Is there some kind of dimensional anchor spell? Though that would lose control of the summon... It's a bit paradoxical. The best I could do here is probably Awaken, but again, that's a DRUID spell. Which I am not. It feels like 5e split summoning between two classes, neither of which have all the effective tools but just enough to be appealing.

[Kane0]

Permanency was removed in this edition I believe, so that's not an option. Is there some kind of dimensional anchor spell? Though that would lose control of the summon... It's a bit paradoxical. The best I could do here is probably Awaken, but again, that's a DRUID spell. Which I am not. It feels like 5e split summoning between two classes, neither of which have all the effective tools but just enough to be appealing.

Yeah, many options to gain long term or permanent minions have been cut out or limited by duration, concentration, etc.
Create Undead lasts a good duration and can be renewed by casting the spell again the next day and there are options for binding extraplanar creatures, the latter of which is sort of the conjurer forte. Animating objects might also work in a pinch, but duration is a bit limiting. Ritual casting unseen servant could work on the small scale, and familiars are indefinite. Perhaps a homebrew Mass Unseen Servant, that makes a bundle of them lasts longer but isn't a ritual spell?

[Vogie]

If XGtE is available, Shepherd Druid would be a better fit - you can give your summoned creatures more power & more HP at level 6, instead of giving you minor effects only at 14 like a Conjuration wizard would. You can even use Bear Spirit to give your summons (and everyone else) THP as a bonus action.

[Ivor_The_Mad]

I would have gone shepherd druid. Or at least I would multiclass with it. It is all about summoning creatures to help you and empowering them.

[Fire Tarrasque]

I'm aware that Shepard Druid is probably better, but I personally want to play wizard. Firstly, the group already has a Druid, secondly, I just like Wizard fluff much more. Again, the issue is multiclassing. We only have 8 levels, so taking a significant amount of Druid levels means i'll just end up swapping to Druid totally.

[Fire Tarrasque]

If I had to make a level 20 summoner, i'd easily go 6 Shep druid, 14 Evo Wiz.

[Vogie]

That's a decent point - the only Conjuration Class options that help you are high-level, so if you're only going 1-9, you might as well choose Evocation, Divination, or War Wizard.

If homebrew is (tentatively) allowed, Middle Finger of Vecna has a Simulacrum-based Wizard school (http://mfov.magehandpress.com/2016/11/school-of-simulacra.html), so you'll always have at least 1 other conjured being around.

[KnotaGuru]

What is it about a wizard that interests you? What do you want your character be able to do?

[Fire Tarrasque]

To be honest, i'm interested in the fluff more than anything, alongside as I mentioned earlier, we already have a Druid, and a Shepherd Druid at that. The point of "Might as well do something else" is something I didn't consider. I'll have to consider that.

[PeteNutButter]

The Tiny Servant Spell deserves mention. It's not super impressive at first look, but if you expect to get that 14th level Conjurer they'd have 40 hp a piece. You can have a small army of them, and since they are tiny, you have less issues with space compared to a necromancer.

There are also demon summoning spells, but they just seem like equal parts bad idea and headache for your DM.