so, I decided to make a summoner...

[tobian]

I recently acquired Complete Scoundrel and the malconvoker PrC jumped out at me-it looked like I could finally make a viable summoner build. I wouldn't have to worry about alignment complications even if I choose to summon evil creatures; ironically, they are actually the best kind to summon due to class features gained from the class itself. Basically evil creatures summoned I can make a check to extend them without paying metamagic costs and they have more HP and hit harder. When he becomes level 5 in malconvoker he gets an ability that whenever he summons an evil creature from the summon monster lists to a second one of the same type at no charge. The DM is going to let me have a go with it in our current campaign, and I have never used the summon spells much before. So, im looking for advice and/or tatics for summoned creatures.

The build is an Archivist 5/Malconvoker 4 at the moment. The first level of the malconvoker had me lose a caster/spell level, but its a 9 level (weird...) PrC that gives caster levels every level after. I put all the summon monster and summon nature ally spells in my prayer book among other spells that I need. (Reason I made him an Archivist, I have access to druid list as well; I want him to be a summoner in general for RP reasons, and the summon natures ally spells had some decent creatures it looks like.)

So, any good tactics or advice on how to play him are appreciated. If it helps, the party is a warmage/ultimate magus, a druid, and a wizard/dragonmarked heir, all level 9. We don't dungeon crawl much; most of our adventures happen in the city, though we tend to get into combat a lot.

[Fixer]

The biggest thing to remember is that summon spells require full round actions. Plan for your next turn, not the present one.

As a bookkeeping issue, get the stats for every creature you want to summon prepared beforehand so you can just put the piece of paper down and say, "I summon Betty, the Celestial Porpoise!" instead of just saying, "I summon a celestial porpoise." Helps when you have the stats prepared. (As a GM, I tell people who summon creatures regularly that if they don't have stats prepared so they don't have to be looked up, they can't summon it. Puts the responsibility of bookkeeping back on the players and prevents players from 'browsing' through the MM during combats.)

[lord_khaine]

for being allowed to summon your deamons in peace, i would recomend invisibility first, quickend if you can pull it off, to avoid disruptions.

[Alveanerle]

Hrm. Can an archivist qualify for the Initiate of Nature feat? If so, the ability to turn/rebuke animals and plants could be a great addition to your summoning - you can command animal/plants of lower enough level, gaining animal companions of sorts, and have them act in a first turn while your summoned Betty is not on the scene yet.

[Xuincherguixe]

As a bookkeeping issue, get the stats for every creature you want to summon prepared beforehand so you can just put the piece of paper down and say, "I summon Betty, the Celestial Porpoise!" instead of just saying, "I summon a celestial porpoise."

Summoning Betty on Porpoise then?

[bigbaddragon]

There is a way to reduce casting time for summoning from full round to standard action but that is for Conjurer Specialist. I would look into it though because it would work nice with fiendish legion.

Its in Unearthed Arcana page 60.

Other than that I find it kinda ironic to call evil creatures to your aid to fight other evil creatures. I like it

[asqwasqw]

Hrm. Can an archivist qualify for the Initiate of Nature feat? If so, the ability to turn/rebuke animals and plants could be a great addition to your summoning - you can command animal/plants of lower enough level, gaining animal companions of sorts, and have them act in a first turn while your summoned Betty is not on the scene yet.

Aren't summoned animals magical beasts, and not affected by command animals?

[Keld Denar]

Aren't summoned animals magical beasts, and not affected by command animals?

Yes, but that was not the point. The point was to increase the size of your menajere so that there would be something between you and your opponent that would give you extra time to summon up a couple of mobile damage absorbers.

The core feat Augmented Summoning is one to look into, but I'm sure you already have seen that. More hp and more dmg for your summons is always fun.

I highly agree on the pregame book work though, especially if you are augmenting/upgrading. Sometimes it's hard to remember all those fun little buffs that fiendish and other such templates give to a creature. Just find a PDF version of a MM, MMII, MMIII, and MMIV, copy the relevent stat blocks into word editor of choice, mod some stats, and add any special ability notes.

[Fax Celestis]

Augment Summoning and Imbued Summoning are key. There's some others that'll help too, such as Cloudy Conjuration and some reserve feats.

[Tyger]

And over on the WotC boards, there's a great guide (at least for the Summon Monster critters, of the abilities of the critters. You can find it right here.

[tobian]

Wow, thanks everyone

There is a way to reduce casting time for summoning from full round to standard action but that is for Conjurer Specialist. I would look into it though because it would work nice with fiendish legion.

Its in Unearthed Arcana page 60.

Other than that I find it kinda ironic to call evil creatures to your aid to fight other evil creatures. I like it

I actually found a workaround to get it down to a standard action-rapid spell from complete divine. That and metamagic school focus (conjuration) from I think complete mage allows me to essentially 3/day standard action summon as opposed to a full round actions. I have the pre-req spell focus needed for the feat due to it being needed to enter the PrC anyways.

And yes, I find it very ironic to-that is what's going to make it fun, because one of my friends I play with is literally a paladin incarnate-be interesting to see his reaction to me popping up a fiendish creature/devil/demon.

Augment Summoning and Imbued Summoning are key. There's some others that'll help too, such as Cloudy Conjuration and some reserve feats.

I didn't know about Imbued Summoning-that looks incredibly useful.

And over on the WotC boards, there's a great guide (at least for the Summon Monster critters, of the abilities of the critters. You can find it right here.

That was a wonderful link! That basically is all the tactics I was looking for.