The Summoner

Oh boy. Here we go. The Summoner is one of the most complex classes to build in Pathfinder due to their Eidolons. It is also one of my favorite classes as you can imagine. It is also, despite not actually having access to 9th lvl spells, one of, if not the single most powerful class in the game if built properly. And I fully intend to prove this with these five builds, made for your viewing pleasure.

The Base Summoner

I am making this build to make a point. This point being that despite not having 9th level spells, this class is the strongest class in the game. It is also a class that you absolutely can mess up and become absolutely useless if build incorrectly, and as a highly modular class, may not be all that easy to figure out the different traps in it’s modularity. Here, let me show you how it’s done.

Class

Summoner 20

Race

Half-Elf. Half-Elves have the single most broken variant Favored Class Bonus for Summoners in the friggin game. So we are doing this. Get that floating +2 into Charisma. You don’t really need to, as a 16 is plenty enough but I am making a point here so here we are.

Ability Scores

If Constitution is odd, round it up and then put everything else in Charisma.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 20

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 10/Con 15/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 20

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 12/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 20

Traits

Reactionary for a Bonus on Initiative, as Initiative wins fights, and Twinned Presence to make Intimidate Checks based on your Eidolon’s size.

Favored Class Bonus

As a Half-Elf, we will choose the Alternative for Summoners, giving us +¼ Evolution Points. That means at level 20 we will have gained a +5 in evolution points in total and since we are starving for those anyway, this is great for us.

Skills

Intimidate, Use Magic Devices.

Feats by Level

1-Extra Evolution

Half-Elf Bonus-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices)

3-Improved Initiative

5-Extra Evolution

7-Toughness

9-Spell Focus(Conjuration)

11-Extra Evolution

13-Augment Summoning

15-Extra Evolution

17-Superior Summoning

19-Whatever, you are retraining it at the next level for Extra Evolution.

Improved Initiative means you will win the initiative more often. The more often you win initiative means the more often you will end a fight before it properly starts. Toughness covers one of your very few weaknesses. Augment Summoning and Superior Summoning make your Summon Monsters Ability, which is already completely busted btw, just downright ridiculous. You are taking Extra Evolution whenever you can to get another +5 Evolution Points by lvl 20, since we are starved for these. Skill Focus makes your Use Magic Devices skill easily on par with the Occultist, you know, the class dedicated to that skill? Heck, you could argue that you are their superior as you don’t need a trait to switch its ability dependence…

Eidolon each level

Base Form: Quadruped
1-Power Attack, Claws, Pounce, Magic Attacks
2-Armor +2, +3 Str/+1 Dex
3-Toughness
4-Grab
5-Armor +4, +2 Str/+1 Dex, Rake
6-Improved Natural Attack(Bite)
7-Armor +6, +1 Str/Dex
8-Large
9-Cornugon Smash
10-Armor +8, +2 Str/+1 Dex
11-Iron Will
12-Armor +10, +1 Str/Dex
13-Huge
14-Improved Natural Attack(Claws)
15-Armor +12, +2 Str, +1 Dex, Rend
16-Gore
17-Improved Natural Attack(Gore), Armor +14, +1 Str/Dex
18-Energy Attack, Skilled(Intimidate)
19-Weapon Focus(Bite)
20-Armor +16, +1 Str/Dex, Flight

So we have an Eidolon with a Strength of 35, that can pounce, grab, and attack 6 times plus rend, for damage per round totaling 14d6+162 damage. That’s a lot of damage and that’s pre buffs. Oh and all that damage is considered Magical vs Damage Reduction. Oh and it’s armor class is around 32, again, pre-buffs. Even at lvl 1 we already have pounce and three attacks which should illustrate the point about just how stupid this is.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Resistance, Acid Splash, Daze, Mage Armor, Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon
2-Light, Grease
3-Mage Hand, Enlarge Person
4-Bull’s Strength, Haste
5-Blur
6-Invisibility
7-Shield, Fly, Greater Invisibility
8-Dimension Door
9-Rejuvenate Eidolon
10-Lesser Restore Eidolon, Communal Stoneskin, Teleport
11-Unfetter, Vitriolic Mist
12-Purified Calling
13-Restore Eidolon, Simulacrum, Greater Teleport
14-Resist Energy, True Seeing
15-Plane Shift
16-Hostile Juxtaposition, Maze, Walk Through Space
17-Stoneskin, Antipathy
18-Dominate Monster
19-Greater Rejuvenate Eidolon
20-Greater Celestial Healing, Create Demiplane

Equipment

A Component Pouch and clothes I guess.

Final Thoughts on the Build

If you have read the spells section correctly, you will have realized that Summoners gain Haste as a 2nd level spell, and thus can access it one level earlier than literally any other class period. Yeah. This is stupid. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg with the Summoner’s Spell list. Also all those buffs? Including those that cannot target your Eidolon because of type incompatibility like Enlarge Person, or because the spell has the target of “Self”?

Well, because your Eidolon has the Share Spell ability, you can still give him any of those buffs. Because this is just stupid. Oh, someone figured out that if they target you, they can get rid of your eidolon?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you can just exchange places with your Eidolon. Or you can become a copy of your Eidolon and suddenly, targeting you was a very stupid idea. Or you can merge with your Eidolon for the giggles and make all the melee combattants feel superfluous. And all of that?

That’s before talking about your Summon Monsters ability, which you can do a number of times per day, summon several monsters per use of the ability, each of them have a +4 in both Str and Con, and this only eats your Standard Action. And that’s only if you are caught in a situation where your Eidolon was not enough (in which case what did you do to upset your GM besides…yknow…playing a Summoner?)

Because you are a Summoner and Paizo cleary were drunk when making this class. Oh, and eventually, you can cast Unfetter and Simulacrum have just stay home inside your Demiplane while your body double and eidolon are adventuring with your party, making TPKs largely impossible now, just cast Plane Shift back where they are, and use a Wand of Raise Dead if that happens.

Did I make my point yet? Yes? Good. Now remember. That was the base Summoner. It somehow gets worse from here on out.

Synthesist

This is the build that is the biggest “Screw you” to all the martial classes, Gishes, and other such “combat classes” ever. We are taking the Synthesist and the Blood God Disciple Archetypes, which allows us to wear our Eidolon from level one. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only do we get all the abilities from spellcasting, but in case we want to give an inferiority complex to our barbarian/fighter, we can just become our Eidolon and go destroy everything ourselves.

Class

Summoner 20

Race

Half-Orc, with the Alternate Racial Feature Sacred Tattoo, giving us a bonus to all Saving Throws, because I guess we needed more ways to say you to everyone else. Get that floating +2 into Charisma.

Ability Scores

Put Everything in Constitution as we will not be using Spells that have a Saving Throw anyway.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 18/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

Traits

Reactionary because duh, Heavy Hitter because it says unarmed attacks, not unarmed strikes, meaning it gives all your natural attacks +1 damage.

Favored Class Bonus

We are taking the Half-Orc’s alternate racial favored class bonus for summoners, giving our Eidolon +1 HP/level, since we will be wearing it as a suit of armor anyway.

Skills

Spellcraft and Use Magic Devices. Fly when we get access to it.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Agile Maneuvers

5-Piranha Strike

7-Improved Unarmed Strike

9-Improved Grapple

13-Toughness

15-Greater Grapple

17-Extra Rage Power

19-Improved Natural Attack(Bite)

Yup. We, as a spellcaster, are doing a Grappling build. Because we are a summoner so we can, who is going to stop us? As our Eidolon is Dex based, Weapon Finesse Piranha Strike and Agile Maneuvers let us key our attacks and CMB to Dexterity, Improved Grapple is a must, especially when we dismiss our Eidolon and enter our Rage. Oh, and due to Blood God Disciple, we get Rage Powers, so Extra Rage Power is a must.

Rage Powers by Level 11-Lesser Beast Totem 15-Animal Fury

17-Superstition

So when we dismiss our Eidolon and enter our Rage, we still get two claws and a bite attack, plus massive bonus against spells.

Eidolon each level

Base Form: Serpentine
1-Grab
2-+2 Armor, +1 Str/Dex, Constrict
3-Magic Attacks
4-Energy Damage(Acid)
5-+4 Armor, +1 Str/+2 Dex
6-N/A
7-+6 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
8-Large
9-N/A
10-+8 Armor, +1 Str/+2 Dex
11-N/A
12-+10 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
13-Huge
14-N/A
15-+12 Armor, +1 Str/+2 Dex
16-Swallow Whole
17-+14 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
18-N/A
19-Spell Resistance
20-+16 Armor, +1 Str/Dex, Improved Damage(Bite)

So, whenever we successfully Grapple someone with our downright massive Grapple Bonus (+41) we can Constrict our target dealing additional damage equal to our Bite attack (which itself deals 4d6+11 plus 1d6 acid before buffs) each turn, before making our attacks. So unless our target has Freedom of Movements or a Still Spell of Dimension Door, Teleport or

the like, they are dead in a matter of rounds. Oh, and we can swallow them too if they prove to be too wiggly for us.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Resistance, Mage Hand, Read Magic, Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon, Enlarge
Person
2-Mending, Mage Armor
3-Guidance, Shield
4-Haste, Cat’s Grace
5-Protection from Arrows
6-Lesser Restore Eidolon
7-Magic Fangs, Fly, Dimension Door
8-Displacement
9-Fire Shield
10-Summon Eidolon, Vitriolic Mist, Wall of Stone
11-Unseen Servant, Communal Stoneskin
12-Overland Flight
13-Greater Invisibility, Plane Shift, Greater Rejuvenate Eidolon
14-Blur, True Seeing
15-Spell Turning
16-Teleport, Magnetic Field, Maze
17-Greater Magic Fang, Protection from Spells
18-Walk Through Space
19-Greater Teleport
20-Greater Celestial Healing, Create Demiplane

Equipment

You don’t even need clothes with this one, just a Component Pouch. So buy whatever you fancy.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You can turn into a massive serpentine entity and grapple as well if not better than barbarians and monks with zero problem, deal stupid damage, and can power buff yourself to stupid levels, you can grant some of your Evolutions to allies and even if someone manages to destroy your Eidolon, you instantly get into a Rage and your buffs are still there, meaning suddenly you can tore someone apart even if they thought that you’d be useless without your Eidolon.

Master Summoner

I am making this build to dispel an idea that you probably had in that the Eidolon was the do all get all of the Summoner. The Summoner absolutely do not rely solely on their Eidolon, and the Master Summoner proves this beyond doubt. This Archetype focuses on the Summon Monsters ability of the Summoner.

Class

Summoner 20

Race

Halfling. We’re going to be a fat little thing sitting atop our Eidolon while summoning things to do stuff for us since we’re the exemplification of laziness. Pff, fighting? That’s for peasants.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Charisma

15Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 9/Con 14/Int 11/Wis 10/Cha 20

20Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 9/Con 16/Int 11/Wis 10/Cha 20

25Point-Buy

Str 5/Dex 9/Con 18/Int 10/Wis 9/Cha 20

Traits

Reactionary for higher Initiative which we desperately need, Trustworthy to make Diplomacy into a class skill.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, for we are only increasing three skills anyway

Skills

Diplomacy, Ride and Use Magic Devices.

Feats by Level

1-Improved Initiative

Bonus 2-Augment Summoning

3-Superior Summoning

5-Mounted Combat

7-Toughness

9-Extend Spell

11-Spell Focus(Conjuration)

13-Greater Spell Focus(Conjuration)

15-Spell Penetration

17-Greater Spell Penetration

19-Summon Evil Monsters

We get Augment Summoning for free at 2nd level, and the only other really necessary feat is Superior Summoning that we snag at lvl 3. Everything else becomes extra gravy to make our spells bypass Spell Resistance via Spell Penetration and harder to resist with Spell Focus.

As we are riding our Eidolon, Mounted Combat is not a bad take either. Summon Evil Monsters just expand our list of summonable creatures.

Eidolon each level

Base Form: Quadruped
1-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices), Skilled(Use Magic Devices), Mount
4-+2 Armor, +1 Str/Dex, Limbs
6-Magical Aptitude
8-Flight10-+4 Armor, +1 Str/Dex/Cha
12-Hover, Flight(Magical)
14-+6 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
18-Flyby Attack, Fast Healing
20-+8 Armor, +1 Str/Dex/Cha, Scent

So, we are riding what amounts to a chair with a pair of arms and a mouth that uses Magic Items really well and flies around. Why? My answer is “Why not?”

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Light, Grease, Unseen Servant
2-Open/Close, Barbed Chains
3-Acid Splash, Feather Fall
4-Haste, Invisibility
5-Summon Eidolon
6-See Invisibility
7-Alarm, Wall of Fire, Dimension Door
8-Stoneskin
9-Black Tentacles
10-Detect Thoughts, Wall of Stone, Summon Stampede
11-Endure Elements, Summon Accuser
12-Teleport
13-Dimensional Anchor, Banishment, Simulacrum
14-Create Pit, Conjure Black Pudding
15-Wall of Iron
16-Thaumaturgic Circle, Create Demiplane, Dimensional Lock
17-Aqueous Orb, Maze
18-Summon Labourer
19-Greater Teleport
20-Vitriolic Mist, Greater Planar Binding

Equipment

Clothes. Components Pouch. Food and Drinks.

Final Thoughts on the Build

If your Eidolon isn’t up, you can summon up to 400HD of monsters at once at lvl 20 before magic items This is the equivalent of having 20 Balors under your control at once. Your Eidolon can use Magic Items as well as you do, meaning more spells thrown into the fray each turn, and you can have one instance of your Summon Monster ability up at the same time as your Eidolon, meaning you can leave the fight to them as you summon at least 2 creatures per summon starting lvl 3. Eventually you can swarm any encounter by yourself, killing whatever opposes you by sheer numbers. If the Summoner is the strongest class in the game, then the Master Summoner is the strongest build in the game. Prepare however to drag combat to an absolute crawl.

Shadow Summoner

So now that I have made my point exceedingly clear about why the Summoner is completely and absolutely broken, let us enjoy the two remaining builds with some fun thematics. This one, the Shadow Summoner, is all about the shadow of the depths. We are taking the Shadow Caller Archetype, for the beast we summon is from the depths of the oceans of the Shadow Plane.

Class

Summoner 20

Race

We are going for Fetchling, a race of humans that once were stuck in the shadow plane and have developed physical and mental attributes tied to the shadows.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Charisma

15Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 16/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 17/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 19

25Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 17/Con 11/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 20

Traits

Seeker to gain Perception as a Class skill and Reactionary for extra Initiative.

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, we may have few HP, but we will avoid physical confrontations with this build.

Skills

Stealth, Perception, Swim.

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

3-Tenebrous Spell

5-Gloom Sight

7-Dark Sight

9-Improved Dark Sight

11-Shadow Ghost

13-Shadow Ghost

15-Shadow Ghost

17-Shadow Ghost

19-Shadow Ghost

We can increase our spells while in the dark via Tenebrous Spell, Dark Sight gives us the ability to see in Magical Darkness, and Shadow Ghost lets us use our Spell-Like Ability of Shadow Walk several times per day which gives us plenty of mobility.

Eidolon each level

Base Form: Aquatic
1-Power Attack, Shadow Blend, Improved Damage(Bite)
2-+2 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
3-Intimidating Prowess
4-N/A
5-+4 Armor +2 Str/+1 Dex Flight(Magic)
6-Cornugon Smash
7-+6 Armor +1 Str/Dex
8-Large
9-Improved Natural Attack(Bite)
10-+8 Armor, +2 Str/+1 Dex
11-Weapon Focus(Bite)
12-+10 Armor +1 Str/Dex
13-Huge
14-Dazzling Display
15-+12 Armor +2 Str/+1 Dex, See in Darkness
16-N/A
17-Shatter Defenses, +14 Armor +1 Str/Dex
18-Swallow Whole
19-Toughness, Energy Attack(Cold)
20-+16 Armor +1 Str/Dex, Magic Attacks

So, our Eidolon can be summarized as this: Big flying shark from the shadow realm. It can swim, it can fly, it can go on land and it will bite our enemies to death. Each bite attack will trigger its Cornugon Smash and thus Shatter Defenses. Plus it’s bite deals a massive 4d6+36 plus 1d6 cold plus it gains Concealment when in dim light, which is a huge screw you to enemies.

Spells by Level

1-Detect Magic, Read Magic, Guidance, Resistance, Mage Armor, Magic Fang
2-Mage Hand, Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon
3-Mending, Enlarge Person4-Dark Whispers, Haste
5-Ghost Wolf
6-Invisibility
7-Ray of Sickening, Restore Eidolon, Water Breathing
8-Fly
9-Dimension Door
10-See Invisibility, Purified Calling, Shadow Invasion
11-Grease, Skeleton Crew
12-Communal Stoneskin
13-Nondetection, Unseen Crew, True Seeing
14-Slow, Hungry Pit
15-Greater Teleport
16-Sending, Baleful Shadow Transmutation, Shadow Transmutation
17-Greater Magic Fang, Maze
18-Dominate Monster
19-Ethereal Jaunt
20-Overland Flight, Create Demiplane

Equipment

Components Pouch, Clothes. Maybe a Chain Shirt for a bit more AC. You can also sport a Light Crossbow.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You are very stealthy, can see in Magical Darkness which is not only thematic, but a fairly good ability, have a flying shadow shark that you can buff and transport through the shadows, plus with a wide array of buffs and debuffs, plus your altered Summon Monsters ability to summon kytons and shadow creatures make you a versatile, yet extremely dangerous scout specialist.

Wendigo Caller

You did not expected me to make a Summoner without going there right?

Yup, we are summoning the slurp juicy wendussy. We are taking the Wild Caller Archetype.

Class

Summoner 20

Race

Half-Elf for all the reasons in the world(plus the fact that Wild Caller is a racial archetype). That floating +2 naturally goes into Charisma.

Ability Scores

Everything into Constitution. We won’t be taking spells with a saving throw once again.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 10/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 16/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 13/Con 18/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

Traits

Reactionary for extra Initiative and Know the Land for Survival for thematic reasons.

Favored Class Bonus

Take that +¼ Evolution Points and run away with it.

Skills

Survival and Use Magic Devices. Also, Put some points in Handle Animal…You’ll get why soon.

Feats by Level

1-Extra Evolution

Bonus Half-Elf-Skill Focus(Use Magic Devices) 3-Nature Soul

5-Extra Evolution

7-Animal Ally

9-Nature’s Bond

11-Extra Evolution

13-Spell Focus(Conjuration)

15-Extra Evolution

17-Augment Summoning

19-Irrelevant as we are retraining it at lvl 20 for Extra Evolution

I love this build. This build is fun and will get you hated if you don’t heavily roleplay into it rather than play SWAT Team Fantasy Land with it. Animal Ally+Nature’s Bond gives us an Animal Companion at full druid level. Yup. This is, in fact, in addition to our Eidolon. So now we do not have 2, but three characters going around messing everything up. Fun times.

Augment Summoning turns our Summon Nature’s Ally into a fest for whatever we are encountering and between our Extra Evolution feats, our Half-Elf Favored Class bonus and the Wild Caller’s bonus Evolution points, our Eidolon ends up with a total of 41 Evolution Points. Our Wendigo Eidolon is not gonna be okay.

Animal Companion Each Level

Animal: Wolf
7-Power Attack, Iron Will, +2 Armor, +2 Str/+1 Dex
8-Weapon Focus(Bite)
9-Dodge, +6 Armor, +3 Str/+2 Dex
10-Improved Natural Attack(Bite)
12-+8 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
13-Mobility
14-+1 Str
15-+10 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
16-Spring Attack
18-Run, +12 Armor, +1 Str/Dex
20-+1 Str

We get a massive wolf that can Spring Attack into a Bite+Trip each turn, and that bite deals a massive 2d6+33, and with a Speed of 50 ft. It can rush in, Bite someone, trip them over, then rush back to safety rapidly behind our walls of summons/eidolon, or flank with the Eidolon for stupid shenanigans in combat.

Eidolon each level

Base Form: Biped
1-Power Attack, Bite, Improved Damage(Bite), Improved Damage(Claws), Improved Natural
Armor
2-Armor +2, +1 Str/Dex
3-Improved Sunder, +2 Str
4-Gore, Grab
5-Armor +4, +2 Str/+1 Dex, Flight
6-Cornugon Smash
7-Armor +6, +1 Str/Dex
8-Large
9-Improved Natural Attack(Claws), Rend
10-Armor +8, +2 Str/+1 Dex, Flight(Magic)
11-Improved Natural Attack(Gore)
12-Armor +10, +1 Str/Dex
13-Huge
14-Improved Natural Attack(Bite), +2 Str
15-Armor +12, +4 Str, +1 Dex
16-N/A
17-Intimidating Prowess, Armor +14, +1 Str/Dex, Scent
18-Fast Healing 1
19-Hover, +2 Str
20-Armor +16, +1 Str/Dex, Fast Healing 3

Our Wendigo is huge size, can fly, has a Fast Healing of 3, has an AC of 33, a Strength of 43 and a damage output per round of 12d6+178, plus Cornugon Smash activating at each attack(4), plus Grab (and as a huge sized creature our Grappling is really, really good).

Combine this with our Wolf animal companion to absolutely obliterate any resistance in combat.

Spells by Level

1-Mending, Detect Magic, Guidance, Resistance, Endure Elements, Enlarge Person
2-Mage Hand, Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon
3-Message, Mage Armor
4-Haste, Lesser Restore Eidolon
5-See Invisibility
6-Bull’s Strength
7-Shield, Fly, Greater Magic Fangs
8-Dimension Door
9-Restore Eidolon
10-Invisibility, Communal Stoneskin, Purified Calling
11-Ventriloquism, Overland Flight
12-Baleful Polymorph13-Rejuvenate Eidolon, Greater Rejuvenate Eidolon, Simulacrum
14-Bear’s Endurance, Greater Teleport
15-True Seeing
16-Greater Assume Appearance, Maze, Protection from Spells
17-Wall of Ice, Fey Gate
18-Create Demiplane
19-Plane Shift
20-Summon Stampede, Discern Location

Equipment

A Chain Shirt, a Quarterstaff for the giggles, not that you’ll ever use it, and a Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

The fact that we can have both an Eidolon and an Animal Companion is just downright not okay to begin with. We switch our Summon Monsters ability to Summon Nature’s Ally which gives us more thematically appropriate summons, and the fact that our Eidolon and Animal Companion can both benefit from our various buffs, yeah, this build is broken, I don’t know what else to tell you (could have been worse, could have given the animal companion and Leadership to the Master Summoner build, but that would just make any Game Master throw the book at you tbh…)