Best Single Summon from a Subclass

[Melphizard]

Hello folks!

Right now I'm trying to consider which subclass gets the best single summon/pet as opposed to planar binding, this idea sparked by the new UA. The Primeval Druid's pet gets at best a +8 to hit and no magical attacks by RAW so it's not high in the rankings, but a Battle Smith's Iron Defender shares the caster's spell attack, a better alternative to 2+PROF bonus. Interested to hear opinions on this because summoning in DND is limited and this is the closest most DMs will allow a character to get to having a golem companion.

[Pixel_Kitsune]

Best in what sense?

For raw power I'm sure there's better answers, but for overall usefulness and uptime? Fey Wanderer can cast Summon Fae Spirit once for free and then continuing without having to use Material Components (Though it shortens the duration). Which means you can cast in a pinch, cast if your equipment has been taken, etc.

[Psyren]

Echo Knight :smalltongue:

I agree that Primeval Companion should use spell hit and get magical attacks.
Wildfire Spirit is also a strong pet, not because of its damage or tanking potential (though the damage isn't terrible) but because of the massive utility it gives to druids with its teleportation.

[Bobthewizard]

Not counting echo knight since that's a different type, I'd go with Battlesmith's steel defender. The ability to heal it with a cantrip makes it much more durable than anything a ranger can summon.

The druid ones are interesting since they rely on wild shape, so 2 per short rest, and are getting added to a full caster. So I could see an argument for one of those. I played next to a wildfire druid and the wildfire spirit was very useful.

[sithlordnergal]

I'd say Wildfire Spirit is probably the most annoying to deal with when you're a DM. It deals AoE damage when its summoned, it has a decent ranged attack, good mobility, and it has an at-will non-spell teleport that also lets it teleport any willing creature of the Druid's choice 15 feet, while damaging anyone left behind.

And to top it off, it has decent HP, is immune to Fire, it can be resummoned with a Wild Shape, and it lasts for an hour. By level 5, where the big AoEs start coming into play, it'll have 30 hp. Meaning it has a good chance to survive things like Lightningbolt if it makes the save, and simply ignores Fireball.

Its a nightmare to deal with. Especially if you're using creatures that Restrain or Grapple.

[RogueJK]

Best in what sense?

For raw power I'm sure there's better answers, but for overall usefulness and uptime? Fey Wanderer can cast Summon Fae Spirit once for free and then continuing without having to use Material Components (Though it shortens the duration). Which means you can cast in a pinch, cast if your equipment has been taken, etc.

You left out the best part... Fey Wanderer can cast Summon Fey without using Concentration. So they're the only character who can have two summoning spells running at the same time.


I'll give a big shoutout to the Tasha's Beastmaster Ranger. It may not be the strongest pet, but their subclass pet is the only pet that not only shares the master's initiative, but also acts during their turn. All the others (Steel Companion, Primeval Companion, Drake Companion, Wildfire Spirit, etc.) stated that the pet shares your initiative but takes its turn immediately after yours.

This means that the Beastmaster is the only "pet" subclass that can coordinate simultaneous combat maneuvers, like the Land Beast Charging an enemy to knock it prone, the having the Ranger follow up by attacking at Advantage.

It's also means they're the only "pet" subclass who can effectively utilize their pet as a mount (by small PCs), since all the others run into positioning/movement issues as a result of your mount not being able to act/move until after your turn. (Yes, even the Drakewarden's Drake, who is apparently intended to be a mount, yet is hampered by this rigid initiative order...)

[animorte]

Echo Knight :smalltongue:

Ha, love it!

Summon Aberration is pretty sweet, though realistically only really one of your best options when against psionic enemies as all the summons are immune to psychic damage. Either way, still pretty darn good.

[Psyren]

So they're the only character who can have two summoning spells running at the same time.

Chronurgist can too actually, via Arcane Abeyance. Sorcerers can too via Twin Spell provided they get access to a summon.

[RogueJK]

Chronurgist can too actually, via Arcane Abeyance. Sorcerers can too via Twin Spell provided they get access to a summon.

Summoning spells don't target a creature, so can't be Twinned.

A Summoning spell cast using Arcane Abeyance still requires Concentration.

[Bobthewizard]

You left out the best part... Fey Wanderer can cast Summon Fey without using Concentration. So they're the only character who can have two summoning spells running at the same time.


The wildfire and now primeval druids can have their pet and still cast conjure animals or summon fey so can get to about the same place as the Fey Wanderer at a much lower level and many more times per day.

A battlesmith can have its steel companion, a homunculus, tiny servant, and summon construct all at the same time.

By level 11, when the Fey Wanderer gets that ability, the subclass pets are stronger than what you get from summon fey.


It's also means they're the only "pet" subclass who can effectively utilize their pet as a mount (by small PCs), since all the others run into positioning/movement issues as a result of your mount not being able to act/move until after your turn. (Yes, even the Drakewarden's Drake, who is apparently intended to be a mount, yet is hampered by this rigid initiative order...)

I think you can still utilize the others as controlled mounts. They just couldn't attack while being controlled.

[elyktsorb]

Obviously the Spore Druid and their Wis Mod per long rest 1 hp Zombie

[Quietus]

You left out the best part... Fey Wanderer can cast Summon Fey without using Concentration. So they're the only character who can have two summoning spells running at the same time.


I'll give a big shoutout to the Tasha's Beastmaster Ranger. It may not be the strongest pet, but their subclass pet is the only pet that not only shares the master's initiative, but also acts during their turn. All the others (Steel Companion, Primeval Companion, Drake Companion, Wildfire Spirit, etc.) stated that the pet shares your initiative but takes its turn immediately after yours.

This means that the Beastmaster is the only "pet" subclass that can coordinate simultaneous combat maneuvers, like the Land Beast Charging an enemy to knock it prone, the having the Ranger follow up by attacking at Advantage.

It's also means they're the only "pet" subclass who can effectively utilize their pet as a mount (by small PCs), since all the others run into positioning/movement issues as a result of your mount not being able to act/move until after your turn. (Yes, even the Drakewarden's Drake, who is apparently intended to be a mount, yet is hampered by this rigid initiative order...)

Beastmaster Ranger's Primal Companion (Tasha's) is really very good, actually. The fact that it powers off of your wis mod for attacks is a little unfortunate, it creates a MAD situation - but it doesn't scale just off your Wis mod, it scales off of your spellcasting attack mod - which means anything you have that boosts that, like a Moon Sickle, also boosts your beast's attack.. But if you compare it to what other subclasses get, Beastmaster's pet does a great job of keeping up in damage. It can also provide solid support with the right beast, and Share Spells (if you get that far) can give you some fun nonsense you can do.

The Primal Companion also adds Proficiency to every check and saving throw it makes. ALL OF THEM. My Beastmaster's companion is currently also the group's know-it-all, because we don't have an int-focused character in the group.

Damage : 5.5-6.5 +Proficiency damage per attack, magical damage so it is unlikely to be resisted, with a second attack at tier3. At level 5, your bonus action is worth 8.5-9.5 damage plus either a rider or flyby attack. At level 11, that's 9.5-10.5 x2.

Support : Beast of the Land is great if you're a melee ranger, to get that prone effect, and the bonus 3.5 damage. I've gone an unusual route, and my guy (a Triton) uses a Beast of the Sea, flavored as a strange fey-ish creature, and wearing Boots of Striding and Springing so it can move on land. I intend to eventually get it Horseshoes of Speed, and make it more of a seahorse. So it's a 30 land speed/60 swim speed, 10-ish damage per attack, with auto-grapple on hit, triggered off my bonus action. That is, frankly, a better bonus action than most of my characters have had access to.

For Share Spells, some of these are really just pointless novelties, but off the ranger list, you can share the spells noted below. The multiclass option section isn't exhaustive, but it's worth noting that if you shift to the Druidic Warrior fighting style, you can have a purely spellcasting-focused ranger. Even before casting any buffs, primal savagery is 3d10, duplicated by your Primal Beast, followed by a bonus action for two attacks from your beast on top of that. Throw in a 4th-level summon or something like that, and things truly begin to get silly.




Absorb Elements
Cure Wounds
Aid
Lesser Restoration
Protection from Poison
Stoneskin
Protection from Energy
Freedom of Movement
Greater Restoration


Ensnaring Strike
Searing Smite
Zephyr Strike
Ashardalon's Stride
Conjure Barrage
Guardian of Nature



Jump
Longstrider
Darkvision
Enhance Ability
Gust of Wind
Pass Without Trace
Nondetection
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Tree Stride



Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Speak with Animals
Locate Animals or Plants
Locate Object
Speak with Plants
Locate Creature
Commune with Nature



Barkskin
Hail of Thorns
Lightning Arrow
Revivify
Swift Quiver


Lightning Lure (can be wis-powered with Arcana Cleric)
Primal Savagery
Produce Flame
Sword Burst (can be wis-powered with Arcana cleric)
Shield
Shadow Blade
Haste (as a capstone)
Spirit Guardians (as a capstone)



Fey touched :
Bless
Comprehend Languages
Detect Eviland Good
Gift of Alacrity
Heroism
Misty Step

Shadow touched :
Color Spray (Hilariously useless, but it's there)
Disguise Self
False Life (also likely terrible)
Invisibility

[Psyren]

A Summoning spell cast using Arcane Abeyance still requires Concentration.

Right, but not yours :smalltongue: The post I was responding to specifically said "two summons running at the same time." I didn't say anything about not needing concentration.

[RogueJK]

Right, but not yours :smalltongue: The post I was responding to specifically said "two summons running at the same time."

But not on the same character, which was my initial point: "So they're the only character [singular] who can have two summoning spells running at the same time."

Handing off an Arcane Abeyance to an ally and having them cast it to have two Summons running in the party is functionally no different than having two party casters each casting Summoning spells. The Fey Wanderer Ranger can have two Summon spells running by themselves.

They also can have a Summoning spell running that can't be dismissed by breaking Concentration, similar to a Level 10+ Conjuration Wizard, but even stronger because the Conjuration Wizard's Concentration can't be broken by damage but can be broken through other means (like environmental effects or Sleet Storm).

[Psyren]

But not on the same character, which was my initial point: "So they're the only character [singular] who can have two summoning spells running at the same time."

Both summons do come from the same character. You can even hand one to your familiar if you want to (provided they can hold the bead), and then you're truly using a single character's features for both.