Augment Summoning

[Idea Man]

I was wondering which prestige classes give you Augment Summoning? It seems such a waste to use one feat just to get another (you know, like dodge to get spring attack). I'm familiar with Thaumaturgist, but what else is out there?

[Mavian]

The Variant Conjurer from UA can give up scribe scroll to get it. Linky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#enhancedSummoning)

[MCerberus]

The Thaumaturgist (http://geocities.com/sovelior/srd/thaumaturgist.html)gets it... but they're generally considered useless.

arg foiled by my lack of reading closely enough!

[RTGoodman]

Not sure about PrCs, but I know the Conjurer variant Wizard here (http://systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/unearthedSpecialist.html#conjurer) gets it for free at first level instead of Scribe Scroll.

EDIT: Ninja'd looking up the link!

[SadisticFishing]

Well Spell Focus (Conjuration) is actually pretty good. I'd have no problem taking it as a druid with a decent wisdom score, and I wouldn't play a wizard/sorceror based on summoning, but I would play one with SF(Conj) anyways.

There are some very good conjuration spells with saves.

[Temp]

Well Spell Focus (Conjuration) is actually pretty good. I'd have no problem taking it as a druid with a decent wisdom score, and I wouldn't play a wizard/sorceror based on summoning, but I would play one with SF(Conj) anyways. Agreed. Glitterdust, Stinking Cloud and Web are some of the most powerful low-level spells around. Boosting their save DCs is a beautiful thing.

[CASTLEMIKE]

One of the Variant Conjurer options mentioned by Mavian and rtg with a link to the UA/SRD (in a non PRC game it could be nice since it continues to improve as your PC levels at the cost of your standard wizard feats if you desire that), another bennie is you don't need to spend a feat on Spell Focus Conjuration. Right from the SRD:

Enhanced Summoning (Ex)
At 1st level, a conjurer using this variant gains the Augmented Summoning feat for free instead of the Scribe Scroll feat.

(Personally I'd give you the Spell Focus Conjuration feat along with it since it is the normal prereq but that isn't a given in all games).

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Conjurer Master Specialist - 4 Minor Esoterica from Complete Mage stacks with Augment Summoning feat.

Thaumaturgist PRC - 2 from DMG/SRD grants the PC the Augment Summoning feat but need to acquire Lesser Planar Ally spellcasting by some method. Arcane Disciple from Complete Divine with Anyspell Greater will do the trick so will the Summoner domain since LPA is a level 4 spell in that domain.

[Damionte]

Spell focus as a stand alone feat blows. It's about as effective as weapon focus, dodge, & weapon specilisation. Those feats all blow as well.

The only reason for takign spell focus anything is because it's a standard prerequesite for other things. Taken by itself though it's not worth the feat slot.

[Cybren]

boosting save DCs is more useful than boosting attack rolls though.

[tyckspoon]

boosting save DCs is more useful than boosting attack rolls though.

True, but only if you cast enough spells from that school that have saves. Conjuration is not the school you want to be spending that feat on. It has some good save-based spells at lower levels, but even there those spells are competing with save-based spells in other schools. Other schools that continue to have good save-based spells throughout the spell levels, and where you'd be better off spending a precious feat on Spell Focus. To take an extreme example: The SRD has four 9th level Conjuration spells. They are Gate, Refuge, Summon Monster IX, and Teleportation Circle. These are all Save: No and do not directly affect any enemy. Spell Focus (Conjuration) does exactly nothing for you here. In contrast, if you'd taken that feat and placed it on Enchantment you would have a boost to the DC of Dominate Monster and Mass Hold Monster, which are both quite powerful spells that you would do well to make sure don't fail.

Edit: Right. I'm referring to the Sorc/Wiz list, obviously. As the poster below mentions, the feat is even more useless for Druids, which are the class best suited to focus on summoning. It is almost exactly like taking Weapon Focus.. except you'll probably get use out of Weapon Focus, it's just not a very significant benefit. Spell Focus (Conjuration) is often more like taking a skill-boosting feat for skills you never intend to use. It'd be a near total waste of a feat if it weren't a prerequisite for some stuff that is actually quite nice.

[deadseashoals]

In the SRD, there only one non-beneficial Druid spell in the school of conjuration that allows for a saving throw. That spell is fire seeds. The healing spells could count, I suppose, if you're fighting a lot of undead, but that's it. It's incredibly worthless for Druids, though the Spell Compendium makes it not quite as god awful.

[Saph]

In the SRD, there only one non-beneficial Druid spell in the school of conjuration that allows for a saving throw. That spell is fire seeds. The healing spells could count, I suppose, if you're fighting a lot of undead, but that's it. It's incredibly worthless for Druids, though the Spell Compendium makes it not quite as god awful.

Yeah, but Augment Summoning is so awesome for Druids that it's worth two feats all on its own. :)

- Saph

[deadseashoals]

Yeah, but Augment Summoning is so awesome for Druids that it's worth two feats all on its own. :)

- Saph

Well, I have played a lot of Druids, and every single one of them ended up with the feat. It's a good deal. The first feat just makes me cringe though.

[Temp]

True, but only if you cast enough spells from that school that have saves. Conjuration is not the school you want to be spending that feat on. Maybe. I mostly play Sorcerers and Druids. Augment is worth two feats for Druids and Sorcerers tend to work best by Heightening low-level area Save-or-Lose spells. Conjuration is loaded with Low-level Save-or-Loses.

[SadisticFishing]

In the Spell Compendium there are tons of Conjuration spells with good save-or-lose effects, and most are AoE.

[Leon]

The Half Orc Druid Racial Sub class gives a Augment Summons effect at level six.

[Overlard]

Go outside of the SRD and into the SC, and Spell Focus (Conjuration) is a much more attractive feat.

[Leon]

Moonspeaker PrC from Races of Eberron has it as well