The Summoner

Overview of Summoner: The Pathfinder 1E Summoner is a multifaceted force renowned for its complexity and extraordinary power. This guide delves into the class’s quintessence, unveiling five meticulously designed builds to showcase its formidable influence.

Background and Lore: The Summoner class encompasses the crafting and commanding of powerful beings known as Eidolons, setting it apart as a unique entity. Its potential for exceptional versatility and strategic options makes it a compelling choice for players seeking diverse gameplay experiences.

Key Strategies and Tips: Strategic insights span from optimizing the Summon Monsters ability to synergizing spellcasting and combat prowess, offering tactical prowess through the Synthesist, Master Summoner, Shadow Summoner, and Wendigo Caller archetypes. Each build presents distinct thematic approaches, strategic advantages, and diverse combat capabilities.

Encouraging Player Creativity: The guide encourages personalization and experimentation, enabling players to tailor Summoner builds to their preferences and playstyles. It serves as a springboard for creative and adaptable players, fostering a multifaceted character who can adapt to various challenges within the Pathfinder 1E universe.

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Prepare to unearth the intricacies of the Pathfinder 1E Summoner, a class renowned for its complexity and potential for extraordinary power. Amidst the realm of TTRPGs, the Summoner stands out as a multifaceted force, capable of crafting and commanding powerful beings known as Eidolons. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the Summoner class’ quintessence, disentangling its myriad facets to unveil five distinct builds meticulously designed to demonstrate the Summoner’s prowess. From the foundational Base Summoner to the enigmatic Shadow Summoner, each build is a testament to the Summoner’s formidable influence. Embark on this journey and witness the Summoner’s unfathomable capabilities unfold before your eyes.

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The Base Summoner

The base summoner build typically relies heavily on the summon monster ability. Strategically, Extra Evolution is crucial to obtain +5 evolution points by level 20. Feats like Improved Initiative, Toughness, Augment Summoning, and Superior Summoning are essential for maximizing your Eidolon’s efficiency. The balance of using buff spells, acquiring useful skills, and distributing evolution points to improve the summon monster ability is critical to make the most of this build.

The Synthesist

The synthesist build synergizes spellcasting and melee combat by melding with the Eidolon. From a tactical perspective, selecting the right spells such as Haste, Shield, and Planar Binding is crucial for unleashing the full potential of the synthesist. Feats like Weapon Finesse, Agile Maneuvers, and Improved Grapple enhance combat capabilities, while investing in Dazzling Display and Shatter Defenses can significantly improve crowd control.

The Master Summoner

The master summoner archetype focuses on summon monster ability. To maximize effectiveness, key strategies involve utilizing summon monster spells, coordinating with the animal companion summoned with the Nature’s Ally ability, and leveraging numerous tactical buffs or debuffs. Feat selection like Nature Soul, Superior Summoning, and Augment Summoning can significantly enhance summoning output, turning the master summoner into a versatile force on the battlefield.

The Shadow Summoner

As a shadow summoner, leveraging the shadow plane origins and unique abilities is crucial to optimize your combat effectiveness. Strategic considerations include utilizing Shadow Walk for swift mobility, incorporating Dark Sight to counter visual impairments, and capitalizing on Dazzling Display to gain control over the battlefield. Spell tactics such as Baleful Shadow Transmutation and Shadow Invasion aid in maintaining disruptive and debilitating effects on targets.

The Wendigo Caller

The Wendigo caller build synergizes the summoner’s Eidolon and animal companion, offering significant versatility in combat. Strategic choices include utilizing the Eidolon for heavy damage output and leveraging the animal companion for additional utility or crowd control. Critical feat selection, such as Augment Summoning or nature-themed spells like Summon Stampede and Baleful Polymorph, can significantly enhance both the Eidolon and animal companion’s effectiveness in combat.

Summary

The Summoner class in Pathfinder 1E offers exceptional versatility and power when strategically built and utilized. The diverse archetypes, including Synthesist, Master Summoner, and Shadow Summoner, provide unique ways to leverage the class’s strengths. Key fundamentals such as utilizing Eidolons and maximizing spell selections contribute to the Summoner’s appeal. With these insights, the Summoner becomes a multifaceted character able to adapt to various challenges, making it an exciting choice for creative and adaptable players. The broad range of feats, spell options, and companion choices encourages personalization and experimentation, allowing players to craft Summoner builds tailored to their preferences and playstyles.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Summoner class unique in Pathfinder 1E?

The Summoner class in Pathfinder 1E distinguishes itself through its ability to summon and command powerful creatures called Eidolons. This unique feature provides the Summoner with immense versatility and strategic options in various situations. The Eidolon serves as a formidable ally in combat, offering distinct combat capabilities and playstyle customization, setting the Summoner apart from other classes in the game. Additionally, the class’s focus on spellcasting and creature summoning showcases its multifaceted nature, making it a compelling choice for players seeking diverse gameplay experiences.

How does the Synthesist build differ from the Base Summoner build?

The Synthesist build represents a significant departure from the traditional Base Summoner build by emphasizing a fusion between the Summoner and the Eidolon. Unlike the standard Summoner, the Synthesist physically merges with their Eidolon, gaining enhanced combat prowess and defensive capabilities. This symbiotic relationship allows the Synthesist to become a formidable front-line combatant, blurring the lines between traditional spellcasting and melee combat. The build offers a unique playstyle, focusing on versatility and adaptability while presenting a distinct thematic approach within the Summoner class.

What are the strategic advantages of choosing the Master Summoner archetype?

The Master Summoner archetype offers strategic advantages centered around maximizing the Summon Monsters ability. This archetype excels in summoning multiple creatures to the battlefield, providing versatile combat options and overwhelming the opposition through sheer numbers. By emphasizing summoning capabilities, the Master Summoner becomes a force multiplier, capitalizing on swarm tactics and battlefield control. Additionally, coordinating with the summoned animal companion further enhances strategic flexibility, making the Master Summoner an exceptional choice for players interested in tactical summoning and minion-based gameplay dynamics.

How does the Shadow Summoner build utilize the shadow plane origins for combat effectiveness?

The Shadow Summoner build leverages its origins in the shadow plane to enhance combat effectiveness through strategic utilization of shadow-themed abilities and spells. By tapping into the unique traits of the shadow plane, this build gains access to abilities such as Shadow Walk and Dark Sight, enabling swift mobility and enhanced perception in dimly lit environments. Furthermore, incorporating thematic spell tactics like Baleful Shadow Transmutation and Shadow Invasion enables disruptive and debilitating effects on targets, adding a layer of shadowy mystique to the combat style. The build offers a distinctive blend of shadow-inspired thematic elements and strategic combat prowess within the Summoner class.

What sets the Wendigo Caller build apart from other Summoner builds?

The Wendigo Caller build distinguishes itself by synergizing the Summoner’s Eidolon and an animal companion, offering a versatile and formidable combination in combat. This unique approach allows the player to command both an Eidolon and an animal companion simultaneously, providing exceptional tactical flexibility and diverse combat capabilities. The strategic emphasis on optimizing the Eidolon and animal companion’s synergy creates a distinctive playstyle centered around summoning and creature management, setting the Wendigo Caller apart as a compelling choice for players seeking a balanced and versatile Summoner build.