Tell me about the viability of a Summoner / Wizard multiclass.

[mrlost]

So I've recently joined a roll20 Way of the Wicked campaign. I'm in the process of building my Summoner character and mentioned in passing to the other players that I want to eventually get an Imp familiar which probably will mean having to multiclass as wizard. I'm not all that interested in the Eidolon, I mostly just want to summon up monsters, and partly because its an Evil game I want to have an Imp familiar (mostly because its cool).

Assuming that I almost never will use the Eidolon.

Tell me just how terrible an idea is this?

Oh and PS this is my character as it currently stands...

Ability Scores
STR 12
DEX 16
CON 18
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 14

AC 14, touch 14
Hit Points 13 (8 base + 4 con mod + 1 favored class)
BAB +0
Fortitude +4, Reflex +3, Will +2
CMB +1
CMD +4?

Favored Class: Summoner +1 hp/level

Feats: Augment Summoning: Each creature you conjure with any ​summon spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution for the duration of the spell that summoned it, and Spell Focus (Conjuration).

Flaws: Inattentive: You take a -4 penalty on Listen checks and Spot checks

Skills: Diplomacy (Cha) 1 rank (Cross Class), Linguistics (Int) 1 rank, Knowledge: The Planes (Int) 1 rank, Use Magic Device (Cha) 1 rank

Spells: 0-th level: Detect Magic, Guidance, Message, Resistance
1st level: Grease, Infernal Healing

Traits: Consorting with the Dark Powers (Witchcraft) and Diabolical Dabbler

[kestral287]

The honest answer is "very".

The new Familiar Folio introduced feats that can give anyone a familiar. Perhaps look that way?

[Quatar]

It should be mentioned that he's talking about a single level dip into Wizard.

[chaoseffect]

You do not want to cross Wizard and Summoner, especially as you only want to do so for a class feature you can get easily (...well it can be a bit costly) via other means. It is a terrible idea. An incredibly terrible idea, since you asked how terrible :p

You can get an Imp familiar as a Summoner 1 of 2 ways (that I'm aware of):

1. Skill Focus (Pick a Knowledge) -> Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) -> Improved Familiar (Imp).

2. Iron Will -> Familiar Bond -> Improved Familiar, with an optional Improved Familiar Bond if you really want some of the familiar features that Familiar Bond doesn't get, but a few of them are meaningless for an Improved Familiar anyway.

Number 2 would be the option I'd suggest for you as Iron Will is generally a more useful feat overall than Skill Focus, but if you are a Human you can take an alternate racial Focused Study which nets you 3 Skill Focus feats overall (at 1st, 8th, and 16th level) in exchange for your human bonus feat.

A couple other general things:

1. As a Summoner charisma is super important as it gives you more bonus spells, increases your spell DCs, and, most importantly, gives you more uses of Summon Monster; make that higher. Con is always good, but you aren't going to be going toe to toe yourself are you? I'd make it a 14 at most.

2. If you aren't going to use your Eidolon then be a Master Summoner; it nerfs the eidolon hard, but makes your actual summoning much, much better.

3. If you are evil, I'd suggest the feat Summon Evil Monster; it gives you access to Pugwampi's, which are awesome.

[Third Mind]

All you really need as a summoner to get a familiar is a CHA of at least 13 (which you have), the Skill Focus (Knowledge: Any... maybe Planes or Arcana since you're a summoner) and then the Eldritch Heritage feat selecting the Arcane Bloodline, choosing a familiar. Then of course you'd need the improved Familiar to get the Imp, which you'd need even if you dipped into wizard.

Granted that is 3 feats, but you would get to keep yourself a full summoner which is good.

Also there is Iron Will Feat (Almost always good), Familiar Bond Feat and then Improved Familiar to get Imp. Again 3 feats. But they're options.

That being said, you could just define your eidolon as an imp and build around that. Make it small, stealthy and you could jack it's skills up. However, that doesn't seem to be what you're looking for.

To answer your question, I suppose it is viable to dip into wizard. You would get some spells, a spell book, familiar and the ability to make scrolls. I will say if you're planning on going largely summoner, your INT and CHA could probably be switched. While it's viable, I wouldn't personally recommend it. I'd honestly just mold the eidolon into a better imp.

Edit: Ninja'd. What I get for writing too much haha.