Summoner Idea, or How I would like to see the summoner :)

[Khorus]

Get rid of BIG E, give evolution points to the Summoner, remove the armor profeciency, the SLA, and Weapon Proficiency evolutions. Make the summons 1min/level but only 1 summon out at a time. The makes a melee, summoner or just a stay out of combat summoner, still alot of versatility. Also maybe make mandatory deformaties as a result of dabbling in the dark arts. and a capstone ability of creating a True Eidolen ( astral double ) the Thing being what parts of you were altered went to the other plane and made this thing.

Fluff:
"I draw astral beings to this plane, siphoning their power as their essence flows through me, behold the gifts I've taken!"
*cloak falls to the floor as wings unflurl and 8 arms draw hand crossbows*

A summoner is a person who has dedicated themselves to binding outsiders to his will. He can summon beings to this plane of existence by sheer willpower using his body as a gateway to other planes. The price of this awesome power is that he is slowly tainted by the otherwordly energies. (Think geomancer 3.5) The summoner's curse is also a great boon, as his body is warped by these energies he becomes more dangerous, gaining extra attacks which mimic the creatures he pulls into existence.

Pros:
Flavor of Summoner is intact
Leaves it open as to how you play your summoner still(frontliner, back ground support)
Balances which evolutions you can take, If you look like a hideous pit beast it makes it hard to go into town and do your shopping.

Cons:
Steps on wildshape a little bit (I disagree with this but someone thought it did, my reason for saying no is that it is permanent, see my last pro)
No Big E to eat it in the face and go away with no bad consequences.

Summoner
Weapon Proficiency: Simple
Armor Proficiency: Light or none (leaves bracers of armor open though), no Spell Failure
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Cantrips, Aspect +1, Natural Armor +1, summon monster I
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Aspect +2, Natural Armor +1
3rd +2 +1 +1 +3 Summon monster II
4th +3 +1 +1 +4 Shield ally
5th +3 +1 +1 +4 Summon monster III
6th +4 +2 +2 +5 Aspect +4, Natural Armor +1
7th +5 +2 +2 +5 Summon monster IV
8th +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 Aspect +4, Natural Armor +1
9th +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 Summon monster V
10th +7/+2 +3 +3 +7 Aspect +4,Natural Armor +1
11th +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Summon monster VI
12th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Greater Shield Ally
13th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Summon monster VII
14th +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 Aspect +4, Natural Armor +1
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Summon monster VIII
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Aspect +4, Natural Armor +1
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Summon monster IX
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Greater aspect (Something super special)
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Gate
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Eidolon (Like Old Psion power to split self.)

Aspect = Evolution Points. They are Cumulitave
Make Serpentine and Quad evolutions available at a high cost to make summoners purchase them. Make a cumulitave cost for purchasing the same Evo's like limbs cost keeps doubling. Remove Pounce, and huge evo.

Greater aspect: Maybe Shapeshift? as a SLA

Either remove spells and give figher BAB, or leave as is. (I see summoners taking craft construct)

[Khorus]

Could make this a class alt like the bonds for Pally and Ranger. This could be a fun class though, especially since players still get the bang of BIG E but dm's have an object to direct their hate at.

Leave any feed back you guys want.

Thanks for Reading

[Kraven Evilfart]

cool concept, reminds me a lot of a class i found in a demonologist book from mongoose publishing. You would summon demons and trade part of your soul to gain abilities from them.

But if he uses his body as a gateway, then why give him the SM sla.

And lastly, does the summoner always look like what form he evolves into, or does he have to do something to become it.

[Khorus]

Kraven Evilfart wrote:

cool concept, reminds me a lot of a class i found in a demonologist book from mongoose publishing. You would summon demons and trade part of your soul to gain abilities from them.

But if he uses his body as a gateway, then why give him the SM sla.

And lastly, does the summoner always look like what form he evolves into, or does he have to do something to become it.

He would be warped and would have to find a very very understanding town or wear a cloak, that idea being this is the trade off for his new power. The part about the gateway is just fluff for the sm sla. Since sla's don't require components, xp or gold.

[Zurai]

I'm happy to say that I think the chance of this happening in any remotely recognizable form is 0%. It doesn't fit the niche the Summoner is looking to fill (character with a powerful extraplanar servitor). It does fit a niche that is already filled (wild shaping/self-polymorphing).

[Tobiesmoon]

I have been looking at this class and I have come to the conlusion that this class is trying to do to much and in adding to many abilities it is becoming over powered and yet lossing the direction that it really needs to make it cool. The class would be great if it focused on summoning monsters and the Eidolon. The Eidolon it self needs a small amount of revision however that is small my main thought is that the spell should be removed with the exception of the summon monster the one minute per level should be in affect and the abilities should focus on summoning either better monsters then what are on the current summon monster lists that would make the class seperate or having level based features to power up the summons. These powers need not affect the Eidolon. Like augment summoning maybe a ability to give a summon fast healing or increase natural armor increase attack ability the spells seem like they balance the class however they are directionless so focused abilities would be more helpfull and allow the class to be a summoner instead of a wizard that has figured out how to summon one big friend and has some spells.

[Grey Lensman]

One thing I would like to see for the summoner is the SLA they have for summoning be able to use a summon nature's ally or a summon monster of the proper level. They ARE supposed to be the masters of summoning, and what better way to reflect that than to give them access to both summoning lines?