Conjuration Specialization: Good idea? [Slightly rantish]

[Iron_Chef]

I'm looking over the Conjuration Wizard spell list and it seems pretty sparse. Sure it's got the summon monster spells and a few other useful ones like mage armor, but it seems like a cleric has access to all the same summon monster spells and more (leser planar ally, etc.), so why not be a cleric, get the summoning domain (available as a regular domain IMC--it's in DotF and Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide, FYI) and you're suddenly a better summoner than a wizard conjuration specialist, plus you get armor, better weapons and curative magic. Conjurers give up Evocation and lose every cool damage spell out there (magic missile, fireball, lightning bolt, etc.). Sure, conjuration has some attack spells like Melf's Acid Arrow and Flame Arrow, but almost all require a ranged attack roll to hit! Where's the justice here? Is there any reason to play a Conjurer? I'd like to play one, but it doesn't seem to make much sense, especially with the crappy duration of the summoning spells:1 round/level.

I'd like some opinions on the pro's and cons of arcane conjurers and links to more prestige classes or spells for same so I can see my options here. Thanks!

PS: Please critique my Summoner Core Class (rought draft!)
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42055

 

[KingCroMag]

Losing evocation for conjuration really is a bit of a challenge. I have had a good time playing an alienist. The pseudonatural template makes summon monster fun. Another option is the summoner from RR1. You get to use one feat for free and get additional summon monster spells. You still get to dish out the damage (girillons and dire apes kick ass), but stylistically it is different. You arent the behold my unholy wrath -fireball -fireball ! type. You are more the destroy them my minions type.
-KCM

 

[MGibster]

I'd like some opinions on the pro's and cons of arcane conjurers and links to more prestige classes or spells for same so I can see my options here. Thanks!

I have a Wizard in Living Greyhawk that specializes in Conjuration and dumped Evocation. The biggest problem is that at lower levels summon monster doesn't really last all that long. To top that off you can't really summon a decent monster until higher levels. Having other players in the game look shocked and say "You don't know magic missile?" You have to take great care in which spells you choose to memorize.

There are some pros as well. You'll come up with more creative ways to use the spells you've got. Later on you'll be able conjure up some nifty animals/elementals and they'll stick around for a decent amount of time. I also think you can cast summon monster while you're invisible. Woo hoo.

Marc

 

[Azure Trance]

Con: Any conjured monster in Ravenloft may not be able to go back home, and thus may attack for leaving it stranded in the lands of the mist.

 

[Buttercup]

I suppose it depends on why you decided to become a specialist wizard. If it's for the roleplaying aspect, then there really isn't any problem with specializing in conjuration.

However, if you have powergamer tendencies (I mean no insult by this, since I have a bit of it myself) then the only really resaonable specialty to take in 3E is Diviner. You give up a school of your choice, in which case Necromancy is probably the least painful, since there are so few core spells and since it's practice is generaly reviled by civilized folk.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Please critique my Summoner Core Class (rought draft!)
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42055

 

[hong]

However, if you have powergamer tendencies (I mean no insult by this, since I have a bit of it myself) then the only really resaonable specialty to take in 3E is Diviner. You give up a school of your choice, in which case Necromancy is probably the least painful, since there are so few core spells and since it's practice is generaly reviled by civilized folk.

And give up enervation, finger of death, horrid wilting and wail of the banshee? No way, mang!


Hong "or should that be womang?" Ooi

 

[Destil]

Just research a few higher level energy missile spells and you'll be fine.

 

[Buttercup]

In which case mang, er, Hong, you could play a Necromancer and give up Divination. Of course every time you go into a town, people would beat you with a stick. Oh, wait. That already happens to you, doesn't it?

*Beats Hong with a stick.*

 

[Pielorinho]

Have you looked at the "augment summoning" feat? I think it's in Magic of Faerun and one other book, but I'm not sure. It grants every creature you summon +1 HP per HD and a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Very nice feat for conjurer specialists.

One downside to being a summoning specialist is that it can make your turn in combat last a really, really long time. I've been playing a druid with augment summoning, an animal companion, and a bag of tricks; between me and my menagerie, we take up more table-time in combat than everyone else put together. Eventually my DM pointed this out to me, and so I'm changing my PC around to focus less on summoning and similar tricks.

There are some fantastic other conjuration spells for wizards, certainly enough of them to justify taking spell focus: conjuration:

Grease (great on fighter's hands: watch 'em try to make a reflex save, hee hee!); Glitterdust (dual purpose invisibility-remover and blindness-causer); Web (a million tactical uses); Summon Swarm (great versus enemy wizards -- and no spell resistance!); Sleet Storm (great for the quick getaway); Stinking Cloud; Evard's Black Tentacles; Cloudkill; Wall of Iron (Timmmmmbeerrrrrrr!); Acid Fog; Incendiary Cloud. Plus all the cool spells from the splatbooks.

Probably the next wizard I play will be a conjurer. Their magic is a little bit subtler than an evoker's, but it's got some great options in it.

Daniel