| Estrosiath |
Hi, I just wanted to thank the Paizo team for the great amount of work they have been doing. The summoner is a great class. I think it needs a bit of work, and I suggest the following things, based on playtesting experience:
- The SM SLA is fine appropriate as "updated" by Jason at lower levels, but at higher levels summons need to be buffed prior to an encounter if they want to survive and influence the fight. Either that, or the summoner must carry a LOT of rods of least quicken spell. I personally suggest a full-time casting but a one-minute duration per level.
- The eidolon is too good at fighting (can really steal the spotlight for melees), and too weak at using magic. The amount of additional attacks you can add is just out of this world.
- The eidolon, at lower levels (read: when the summoner does not have access to extend metamagic rods) has a really low AC, unless you take a serpentine eidolon with improved natural ac AND improved dex. Mage armor lasts one hour per level, maybe enough for two encounters if you are lucky. And the summoner doesn't really have that many spells to waste to begin with.
I suggest:
- 1/2 BAB
- SLAs with a full-round casting time, a duration of one round, and NO limit to how many you can have out at a time (otherwise you discourage people from actually maxing their main casting statistic... and at the end of the day the summoner has a lot of SLAs left).
- Raise the cost of extra attacks available to the eidolon, OR put a soft limit to how many arms/tentacles/claws he can have
- Reduce the evolution point cost for spell-like abilities for the eidolon, and improve his charisma/wisdom. Otherwise he remains limited to spells with no saves or utility spells, and if you use your eidolon for that you are gimping yourself.
- Consider banning spells like wish/miracle, etc... for SLAs for Eidolons.