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<blockquote data-quote="farscapesg1" data-source="post: 2238233" data-attributes="member: 15234">I posted this on the Wizard's message boards, but thought I would put it out here for advice also.First, let me apologize for the lame class name&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/nervous.png"&nbsp; class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":heh:" title="Nervous Laugh&nbsp; &nbsp; :heh:" data-shortname=":heh:" /> This is a prestige class I have been working on for my character.&nbsp; I need some advice on balancing things out (as I am sure they are unbalanced) but still maintain the flavor of a caster who can summon large numbers of creatures.&nbsp; I can drop some of the enhancement ideas, but then I would need to find some filler ideas for bringing in more creatures.Master SummonerThe scout reported back to his commander that a small unit of the opposing army was just over the hillside.&nbsp; “The unit is small sir, fourteen soldiers and a wizard from the looks of it.”“Get the men ready, we have them out numbered two-to-one.&nbsp; Make sure to spread out when we attack so the wizard can’t get us with a fireball or any other magical tricks.”Jorlath Mirsham worried while his unit marched behind enemy lines.&nbsp; As second-in-command, he had to take control when their commander fell in battle.&nbsp; His main concern was getting what was left of the unit back to friendly territory.&nbsp; While crossing a river, he hears the distant sound of armored troops just before they emerge from the forest both behind and in front of them.&nbsp; Realizing they are outnumbered and unable to fight on both fronts, Jorlath raises his hands and begins chanting as a couple trained warriors move to protect him from incoming attacks.&nbsp; As he completes the spell, five black bears and four dire badgers appear between his unit and those ambushing them from behind and move to attack at his command.&nbsp; Quickly, his troops rush across the river and towards the other group of enemies as Jorlath’s words of magic signaled the coming of more allies to help turn the odds in their favor. Many casters dabble in the magics pertaining to summoning creatures from other planes.&nbsp; Conjurers focus in this field of magical study.&nbsp; Master Summoners immerse themselves in it.&nbsp; To a Master Summoner, very few things cannot be accomplished by bringing another being from a distant plane to do it for them.RequirementsTo qualify to become a Master Summoner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.Skills: Knowledge (Planes) 10 ranks, Spellcraft 10 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 10 ranksFeats: Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning, Extend Spell, Skill Focus – Knowledge (planes)Spells: Able to cast 3rd level spells and must know Summon Monster from each spell levelSpecial: Able to speak at least 3 planar languagesClass SkillsThe master summoner’s class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language, and Spellcraft (Int)[code] Level BAB Fort Ref Will --------------------------&nbsp; 1&nbsp;&nbsp; +0&nbsp; +0&nbsp;&nbsp; +0&nbsp;&nbsp; +2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2&nbsp;&nbsp; +1&nbsp; +0&nbsp;&nbsp; +0&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp; 3&nbsp;&nbsp; +1&nbsp; +1&nbsp;&nbsp; +1&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 4&nbsp;&nbsp; +2&nbsp; +1&nbsp;&nbsp; +1&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 5&nbsp;&nbsp; +2&nbsp; +2&nbsp;&nbsp; +2&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp; &nbsp; 6&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp; +2&nbsp;&nbsp; +2&nbsp;&nbsp; +5&nbsp; &nbsp; 7&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp; +3&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp;&nbsp; +5&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 8&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp; +3&nbsp;&nbsp; +3&nbsp;&nbsp; +6&nbsp; &nbsp; 9&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp; +4&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp;&nbsp; +6&nbsp; &nbsp; 10&nbsp; +5&nbsp; +4&nbsp;&nbsp; +4&nbsp;&nbsp; +7&nbsp; *Level&nbsp;&nbsp; Special Abilities&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Spells-----------------------------------------------------------&nbsp; 1&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Improved Augmentation,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; --------&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Communication, Enhanced Specialization&nbsp; 2&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Variable Allies&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; 3&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Spontaneous Summoning&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; 4&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Extra Allies&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; 5&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Extended Summoning&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 6&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Of Both Worlds&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level &nbsp; 7&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Denial&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; 8&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Banishment&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 9&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Spell Enhanced Summoning&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; +1 Spellcaster Level &nbsp; 10&nbsp;&nbsp; Army of Allies&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; --------[/code]Class FeaturesWeapon and Armor Proficiency: Master Summoners gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.Spells per Day/Spells Known: At each level a master summoner gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level.&nbsp; He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on).&nbsp; If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an acolyte of the skin, he must decide to which class to add each level of the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.Improved Augmentation (Ex): Each creature summoned by the Master Summoner receives a +4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity in addition to the Strength and Constitution bonus from Augmented Summoning.Communication (Sp): A Master Summoner can automatically communicate with any creature they have summoned.&nbsp; To anyone else listening, they are each speaking their own language, but they are able to understand each other similar to the familiar ability “speak with master.”Enhanced Specialization: A master summoner increases his devotion to the school of Conjuration.&nbsp; If the character was already a Conjurer, he must choose one additional prohibited school of magic (cannot be abjuration or divination).&nbsp; If the character was not specialized (whether a generalist wizard, sorcerer, etc.), he must choose two prohibited schools of magic (cannot be abjuration, divination, or conjuration).&nbsp; &nbsp; He can never again learn spells from these additional schools of magic, but is still able to cast spells from the schools that he previously learned and he can still use items that are activated by spell completion or spell trigger that utilize spells he already knows.&nbsp; The master summoner does not gain any additional spells or bonuses to spellcraft from this enhanced specialization.&nbsp; Further, if the caster has the ability to swap spells previously learned (such as a bard or a sorcerer), he cannot choose to forget a Summon Monster spell.Variable Allies (Ex): Any time the Master Summoner uses a Summon Monster spell to summon multiple creatures, they no longer have to be of the same kind.&nbsp; A Master Summoner using Summon Monster IV to summon 3 creatures from the 3rd level list could select any 3.&nbsp; For example, he could summon a Celestial Black Bear, a Celestial Hippogriff, and a Celestial Dire Badger (or any other combination).Spontaneous Summoning: A master summoner can choose to exchange any previously prepared spell for any Summon Monster spell of equal level.&nbsp; For example, a master summoner could choose to exchange a Fireball spell that he had previously prepared for a Summon Monster III spell.&nbsp; This ability obviously has no effect if the caster already has spontaneous spellcasting, such as a sorcerer or bard.Extra Allies (Ex): When using a Summon Monster spell to summon creatures from a lesser list (such as using Summon Monster IV to summon creatures from the level 3 list), use the following to determine the number of creatures summoned;1 level lower – 1d3+12 levels lower – 1d4+23 levels lower or more – 1d6+3Extended Summoning (Ex): Any summoning spell cast by the Master Summoner functions as if it was cast using the Extend Spell feat, but without the added casting time or spell level adjustment.&nbsp; Alternatively, the Master Summoner may use a Summon Monster spell to summon one creature for a duration of 10 minutes per level to perform non-combat related tasks.&nbsp; If commanded engage in combat, the summoned creature will return to it's plane of existance, ending the duration prematurely.Of Both Worlds:&nbsp; Creatures summoned by a master summoner have the ability to bypass protections that would normally keep them out of an area, such as Protection from Evil or Magic Circle against Evil.&nbsp; The master summoner must make a Caster Level check against the spell for each creature.&nbsp; A success means that the creature is not blocked from entering the area and attacking those protected by the spell.&nbsp; All summoned creatures also gain a +4 bonus to will saves against Dismissal or Banishment spells cast on them.Denial (Su): Twice per day a master summoner may attempt to counterspell another’s summoning spell without using a spell slot.&nbsp; This ability functions exactly as if the master summoner had used the same spell to counter another caster’s summoning spell.&nbsp; The master summoner senses any caster within 60’ casting a summoning spell and does not have to ready an action to counterspell.&nbsp; This ability uses his action for the round and changes his initiative to that of the opposing spellcaster.Banishment: Once per day a master summoner can banish enemy summoned creatures as per the Banishment spell except that the target is a 60’ radius centered on the caster.Spell Enhanced Summoning: Once per day, a master summoner may choose to expend an addition spell with a range of Touch or Personal when casting a summoning spell.&nbsp; All creatures summoned gain the benefit of the spell as if it had been cast on them.&nbsp; The extra spell is treated as a quickened spell for purposes of maximum number of spells per round (only one quickened spell per round).&nbsp; For example, a master summoner could summon 1d3 celestial black bears and choose to also expend Mage Armor to give them each the benefit of a Mage Armor spell (+4 AC).Army of Allies (Ex): A 10th level Master Summoner is so proficient in his summoning skills that all Summon Monster spells summon twice the number of creatures as usual.&nbsp; This ability combines with the Extra Allies ability.&nbsp; This ability does work on summoning creatures of the highest level list, so a Summon Monster VI spell would summon two creatures from the 6th level list (and they do not have to be the same kind).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="farscapesg1, post: 2238233, member: 15234"] I posted this on the Wizard's message boards, but thought I would put it out here for advice also. First, let me apologize for the lame class name :heh: This is a prestige class I have been working on for my character. I need some advice on balancing things out (as I am sure they are unbalanced) but still maintain the flavor of a caster who can summon large numbers of creatures. I can drop some of the enhancement ideas, but then I would need to find some filler ideas for bringing in more creatures. [FONT=Arial][SIZE=4][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Master Summoner[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] [I]The scout reported back to his commander that a small unit of the opposing army was just over the hillside. “The unit is small sir, fourteen soldiers and a wizard from the looks of it.” “Get the men ready, we have them out numbered two-to-one. Make sure to spread out when we attack so the wizard can’t get us with a fireball or any other magical tricks.” Jorlath Mirsham worried while his unit marched behind enemy lines. As second-in-command, he had to take control when their commander fell in battle. His main concern was getting what was left of the unit back to friendly territory. While crossing a river, he hears the distant sound of armored troops just before they emerge from the forest both behind and in front of them. Realizing they are outnumbered and unable to fight on both fronts, Jorlath raises his hands and begins chanting as a couple trained warriors move to protect him from incoming attacks. As he completes the spell, five black bears and four dire badgers appear between his unit and those ambushing them from behind and move to attack at his command. Quickly, his troops rush across the river and towards the other group of enemies as Jorlath’s words of magic signaled the coming of more allies to help turn the odds in their favor. [/I] Many casters dabble in the magics pertaining to summoning creatures from other planes. Conjurers focus in this field of magical study. Master Summoners immerse themselves in it. To a Master Summoner, very few things cannot be accomplished by bringing another being from a distant plane to do it for them. [FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Requirements[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] To qualify to become a Master Summoner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Skills: Knowledge (Planes) 10 ranks, Spellcraft 10 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 10 ranks Feats: Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning, Extend Spell, Skill Focus – Knowledge (planes) Spells: Able to cast 3rd level spells and must know Summon Monster from each spell level Special: Able to speak at least 3 planar languages [FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Class Skills[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] The master summoner’s class skills are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language, and Spellcraft (Int) [code] Level BAB Fort Ref Will -------------------------- 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 5 +2 +2 +2 +4 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 7 +3 +3 +3 +5 8 +4 +3 +3 +6 9 +4 +4 +4 +6 10 +5 +4 +4 +7 * Level Special Abilities Spells ----------------------------------------------------------- 1 Improved Augmentation, -------- Communication, Enhanced Specialization 2 Variable Allies +1 Spellcaster Level 3 Spontaneous Summoning +1 Spellcaster Level 4 Extra Allies +1 Spellcaster Level 5 Extended Summoning +1 Spellcaster Level 6 Of Both Worlds +1 Spellcaster Level 7 Denial +1 Spellcaster Level 8 Banishment +1 Spellcaster Level 9 Spell Enhanced Summoning +1 Spellcaster Level 10 Army of Allies --------[/code] [FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Class Features[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Master Summoners gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor. [B]Spells per Day/Spells Known:[/B] At each level a master summoner gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an acolyte of the skin, he must decide to which class to add each level of the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known. [B]Improved Augmentation (Ex):[/B] Each creature summoned by the Master Summoner receives a +4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity in addition to the Strength and Constitution bonus from Augmented Summoning. [B]Communication (Sp):[/B] A Master Summoner can automatically communicate with any creature they have summoned. To anyone else listening, they are each speaking their own language, but they are able to understand each other similar to the familiar ability “speak with master.” [B]Enhanced Specialization:[/B] A master summoner increases his devotion to the school of Conjuration. If the character was already a Conjurer, he must choose one additional prohibited school of magic (cannot be abjuration or divination). If the character was not specialized (whether a generalist wizard, sorcerer, etc.), he must choose two prohibited schools of magic (cannot be abjuration, divination, or conjuration). He can never again learn spells from these additional schools of magic, but is still able to cast spells from the schools that he previously learned and he can still use items that are activated by spell completion or spell trigger that utilize spells he already knows. The master summoner does not gain any additional spells or bonuses to spellcraft from this enhanced specialization. Further, if the caster has the ability to swap spells previously learned (such as a bard or a sorcerer), he cannot choose to forget a Summon Monster spell. [B]Variable Allies (Ex):[/B] Any time the Master Summoner uses a Summon Monster spell to summon multiple creatures, they no longer have to be of the same kind. A Master Summoner using Summon Monster IV to summon 3 creatures from the 3rd level list could select any 3. For example, he could summon a Celestial Black Bear, a Celestial Hippogriff, and a Celestial Dire Badger (or any other combination). [B]Spontaneous Summoning:[/B] A master summoner can choose to exchange any previously prepared spell for any Summon Monster spell of equal level. For example, a master summoner could choose to exchange a Fireball spell that he had previously prepared for a Summon Monster III spell. This ability obviously has no effect if the caster already has spontaneous spellcasting, such as a sorcerer or bard. [B]Extra Allies (Ex):[/B] When using a Summon Monster spell to summon creatures from a lesser list (such as using Summon Monster IV to summon creatures from the level 3 list), use the following to determine the number of creatures summoned; 1 level lower – 1d3+1 2 levels lower – 1d4+2 3 levels lower or more – 1d6+3 [B]Extended Summoning (Ex):[/B] Any summoning spell cast by the Master Summoner functions as if it was cast using the Extend Spell feat, but without the added casting time or spell level adjustment. Alternatively, the Master Summoner may use a Summon Monster spell to summon one creature for a duration of 10 minutes per level to perform non-combat related tasks. If commanded engage in combat, the summoned creature will return to it's plane of existance, ending the duration prematurely. [B]Of Both Worlds:[/B] Creatures summoned by a master summoner have the ability to bypass protections that would normally keep them out of an area, such as Protection from Evil or Magic Circle against Evil. The master summoner must make a Caster Level check against the spell for each creature. A success means that the creature is not blocked from entering the area and attacking those protected by the spell. All summoned creatures also gain a +4 bonus to will saves against Dismissal or Banishment spells cast on them. [B]Denial (Su):[/B] Twice per day a master summoner may attempt to counterspell another’s summoning spell without using a spell slot. This ability functions exactly as if the master summoner had used the same spell to counter another caster’s summoning spell. The master summoner senses any caster within 60’ casting a summoning spell and does not have to ready an action to counterspell. This ability uses his action for the round and changes his initiative to that of the opposing spellcaster. [B]Banishment:[/B] Once per day a master summoner can banish enemy summoned creatures as per the [I]Banishment[/I] spell except that the target is a 60’ radius centered on the caster. [B]Spell Enhanced Summoning:[/B] Once per day, a master summoner may choose to expend an addition spell with a range of Touch or Personal when casting a summoning spell. All creatures summoned gain the benefit of the spell as if it had been cast on them. The extra spell is treated as a quickened spell for purposes of maximum number of spells per round (only one quickened spell per round). For example, a master summoner could summon 1d3 celestial black bears and choose to also expend Mage Armor to give them each the benefit of a Mage Armor spell (+4 AC). [B]Army of Allies (Ex):[/B] A 10th level Master Summoner is so proficient in his summoning skills that all Summon Monster spells summon twice the number of creatures as usual. This ability combines with the Extra Allies ability. This ability does work on summoning creatures of the highest level list, so a Summon Monster VI spell would summon two creatures from the 6th level list (and they do not have to be the same kind). [/QUOTE]

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