Which PrC?

[Deset Gled]

Oh yeah, and what does increasing the DC for summoning spells do? Does it do anything at all?

Raising the DC changes nothing, since summoning spells don't allow a save. Raising caster level, though, will give you a longer duration and range.

 

[Spatzimaus]

While this won't help you now, to really become a creator, its all about being a psionic shaper. They get spells like minor creation as a 1st level power!! Astral constructs rock, and with int as your prime stat, you can pump out the craft.

To make things even better, if you go the Psion(Shaper) route, the Constructor PrC (Mind's Eye) is incredibly fun, and maybe a little powerful. I've played one, and it's great to see the look on the DM's face when he realizes how many constructs you can have going at once (I had about 50 at one point, each about as powerful as my cohort).

You could always try designing a customized PrC with your DM's help. Make up a summoning specialist.

 

[Ketjak]

If you're willing to go the cleric route, I would recommend Contemplative with the Summoning Domain as your first prestige domain. [snip]

Contemplative requires 13 ranks of Knowledge (Religion). He's got to wait 2 levels to take that. I'm not saying it's not worth it, just that it's something he's got to wait for.

The Summoner PrC from Relics & Rituals is quite tasty. Its requirements are met by a WIZ 5: 3 different summoning spells of the same type (arcane or divine), 8 ranks of Knowledge (CHOOSE, based on Patron with whom you make a pact for power), Skill Focus (knowledge (same)), and the pact itself.

Each level is a d4 hit die, earns good Will saves, spells are +1 level of existing class, and a bonus class feat alternating between:

Metamagic feat on odd levels - summoning spells only, no increase in level, can't stack these feats with each other on the same spell;
Summoning spell on even levels - gain bonus spell equal to highest-level summoning spell +1 level (a Summon Monster IV acts as Summon Monster V...) and only summons critters of the Patron's type. Summon Monster IX yields 1d3 critters, 1d4+1 VIII critters, or the Patron...

Add summoning augmentation feats to taste.

Make sure your Patron is your deity or a servant of your deity and uses Knowledge (Religion) so you can add a single level of contemplative when you reach 10th.

- Ket

 

[Ketjak]

Sample character with a Wizard conjuration specialist:

1: Wizard 1, (FEAT; if 3.5 Augmented Summoning, this should be Spell Focus: Conjuration) Scribe Scroll, familiar
2: Wizard 2,
3: Wizard 3, (Skill focus: Knowledge (CHOICE))
4: Wizard 4,
5: Wizard 5, Craft Wand (critters on, er in a stick)
6: Summoner 1, (Augmented Summoning), summoning spell meta (repeat spell)
7: Summoner 2, bonus Summon Monster IV-as-V
8: Summoner 3, summoning spell meta (maximize spell)
9: Summoner 4, (Leadership), Bonus Summon Monster V-as-VI
10: Contemplative 1, Summoning prestige domain

Leadership: take a cohort that matches the flavor of your pact. You've earned it.

By 8th level you're going to be awesome. Sure, you're probably not lobbing fireballs into a crowd, but every rogue is getting sneak attacks and every other warrior is getting flanking bonuses. You choose to summon the maximum number of critters or gamble for even more by repeating the spell the following round.

If Leadership (which is a great feat) isn't your style, take empower spell for even more critters, stackable with your virtual metas.

If you wish, try this with a druid. I haven't made a build with it, as the drawbacks are tough to overcome (finding a way to make the knowledge skill requirements work).

Clerics work well as summoners, too, but they don't get Summon Swarm as a fallback like WIZ and DRDs do.