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Ok, this was my first PFS character. I haven’t been very satisfied with him lately, but I don’t really want to just abandon him if not necessary. So I’m looking for some assistance on what I can do with him.
When I made him it was before I knew about the summoner in the APG. So I was really making a poor version of that. He was intended to mostly summon monsters for combat with some utility and control spells on the side.
Half-Elf, Chaotic Good, Andoran faction, Level 5 Sorcerer of the Celestial bloodline
S 8, D 12, Co 14, I 12, W 10, Ch 20
Traits: Focused Mind and Indomitable
Feats: Skill Focus (knowledge dungeoneering), Spell Focus (conjuration), Augment Summoning, Eldritch Heritage (earth)
Skills: appraise +5, bluff +10, diplomacy +6, handle animal +6, heal +4, intimidate +10, knowledge arcane +5, knowledge dungeoneering +5, linguistics +2, spellcraft +5, use magic device +13
Languages: common, celestial, draconic, elven
Spells Known:
0/- acid splash, mage hand, prestidigitation, ghost sound, detect magic, dancing lights
1/8 mage armor, bless, grease, burning hands, polypurpose panacea
2/5 summon monster II, resist energy, glitterdust
Tremor sorc ability
Heavenly fire sorc ability
Special/magic gear:
potion of cure light wounds, ring of feather falling, ring of sustenance, scroll magic aura, scroll invisibility, scroll disguise self, scroll levitate, wand cure light wounds (ch 27), wand of speak with animals (ch 50)
Current wealth: 2101 gps (kinda poor due to a mission fail and a death)
At each even numbered level take the highest level summon monster and switch out the lower level one for something else.
Learn all 4 elemental languages so I can give detailed orders to summoned elementals
Improved spell focus conjuration, spell penetration, greater spell penetration, improved eldritch heritage
Just hasn’t been very effective. The summoned monsters just don’t seem to be worth the effort. Almost everything makes the save vs the grease and the glitterdust. Tremor has not worked once and is pretty similar to grease anyway. He really wasn’t built for getting close enough to use the burning hands and it isn’t from the school I’m focusing on. He has been most useful for his high social skills which isn't really what I was looking for.
So:
Is he save able? Can I chose different feats and spells in the rest of his career to be more useful? Which specific purchases should I be planning to help him out?
OR
Am I just at a rough level for this style of build? Will the 3rd level summoned creatures start being useful? Have I just been unlucky and my save DC’s are high enough to be worth casting offensively?
OR
Is this just wasted effort and I should just drop him from the roster?
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A few things. I have a 6th level wizard who is also a pseudo-summoner. :P
1. 3rd level summons are vastly, and I mean VASTLY superior to 2nd level summons. I went rooting around for something that wasn't garbage in the 2nd level summons, almost bending the rules in the process, just because they were that bad. I honestly think d3 augmented eagles is better. Say what you want about the eagles, a full attack did decent damage levels 1-3.
But at 3rd level one of your primary damage dealers has pounce and grab on primary, one has a fantastic bite->trip and can run anything down. And the Wolverine...23 strength on a summon at 5th-6th level is just awesome okay. It just is.
The Dire Boar actually now that I'm looking at it seems great as an alternative to the Wolverine. 27 STR means its average damage will be something like 18 a round without haste, which seems good. Also pretty tough. Not as control oriented as the Leopard or Cheetah, but for dishing out damage it seems good.
EDIT: 3rd and 4th level spells are also just a lot more powerful than 2nd or 1st. I'd weather the storm, pick up a metmagic rod or two, and see how things go into level 6-8.
Also on my Wizard a spell that was effective at low levels at least, although by the time you hit 6 you may want to drop it, was stone call. Spamming stone call does not seem the worst.
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.... I'd weather the storm, pick up a metmagic rod or two, and see how things go into level 6-8.
Also on my Wizard a spell that was effective at low levels at least, although by the time you hit 6 you may want to drop it, was stone call. Spamming stone call does not seem the worst.
Which rods would you suggest? I guess since I don't have the summoner min/lv I was thinking lesser extend.
But I'm not sure if maybe I should buy some protective items first. Like amulet of natural armor and/or closk of resistance. Of course I will also want of headband of alluring charisma. Decision...
Not sure why, I always though stone call was a ranger only spell. But since I can't get it until about the time you recommend dropping it, I don't think I will.
I'd also wonder why your Grease and Glitterdust spells are not doing better. I wonder if you are picking your targets correctly.
Glitterdust (DC 18) - Target foes with poor will save
Grease (DC 17) - Target foes with poor reflex save
Tremor (+10 Trip) - Target foes with poor CMD
It's not a bad toolbox. I might throw in Blindness/Deafness or something to target a fort save.
If you want to trip a fighter you are much better going with Grease then Termor. The nimble but not very strong rogue you might be better tripping. Don't try Glitterdusting a caster.
If you are targeting your spells properly then you either have had a very bad luck streak or you have a DM nudging rolls to negate your 'save or suck' spells.
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I've been keeping track, every single attempt to use tremor I have rolled a 4 or less.
I haven't had glitterdust too long. The few times I've tried to use it, the target has had a great will save when I didn't think they did. (Thought it was a fighter, but was an oracle. Things like that.) Or they are already in melee with allies that I don't want to blind.
Grease hasn't been completely useless. I have made things drop their weapons a few times. But the acrobatics check to move through the area hasn't been that bad. Except for almost completely shutting down a golem one time. That was a prize.
I don't have any evidence of nudging, but I would really hope not since this is PFS and they are really not supposed to do that.
I'll think about blindness/deafness. I was leaning away from that because it seemed too similar to glitterdust. But your right that it would target the 3rd save instead. So maybe I will unless I can find another fort save spell that I like better.
it seems weird, I know, but if you take the celestial bloodline you are much better off summoning evil outsiders and fiendish creatures. this is because the DR/evil granted by your bloodline will not stack with the DR/evil the good outsiders and celestial creatures already have, but it will stack with the DR/good evil summons have. and I can't think of much that would bypass DR/good and evil, unless somebody's DM let them make a +1 holy unholy weapon.
unfortunately, I think the fact that you are good means you have to summon celestial creatures.
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.... I'd weather the storm, pick up a metmagic rod or two, and see how things go into level 6-8.
Also on my Wizard a spell that was effective at low levels at least, although by the time you hit 6 you may want to drop it, was stone call. Spamming stone call does not seem the worst.
Which rods would you suggest? I guess since I don't have the summoner min/lv I was thinking lesser extend.
But I'm not sure if maybe I should buy some protective items first. Like amulet of natural armor and/or closk of resistance. Of course I will also want of headband of alluring charisma. Decision...
Not sure why, I always though stone call was a ranger only spell. But since I can't get it until about the time you recommend dropping it, I don't think I will.
I've been using Lesser Extend for awhile now, and it has been absolutely fantastic. I got it as a freebie which made it better, but it is so worth the 3000g. Quicken is also obviously fantastic when you can front the cash, though its really expensive for society play. I haven't picked up the cloak yet, I don't think backliners tend to get hit with tons of stuff, although going into the 7-11 it's good to pick up probably. I was not impressed with the nat armor. Maybe at 9th-10th level you quickened shield and have mage armor all day and maybe a +2/+3 nat armor so you don't get hit by mooks, but the +1 without quickened shield was very disappointing.
The Headband is very important imo, that and the extend rod should be your first two pickups.
d20pfsrd Stone Call. It's not flashy, but it gets the job done against mooks.
Coming into Society I didn't have much RP experience, and my Wizard as my first character isn't fully optimized, like yours. But I think it will work out just fine. Although without optimization it does hurt to have the -1 spell level. I'd stick with it for a bit, besides, playing higher tier scenarios, even if you die, is a valuable experience. Even if this guy dies, you had fun and gained some insight on the kinds of things you should prep for the next time around.
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Well, actually he has already died once. I think I'd rather not play up anmore.
If he sold everything I'm not sure he can quite afford to pay for another raise dead. He doesn't have the prestige to pay for it that way.
I've got some other PC's just starting that are much better designed. My general intention is try and have 1 at each couple of levels so I can play something appropriate at any table.
Got a dwarf heavy armor THW inquisitor 2 that I only play on those rare occasions when my one friend goes so we can sit at the same table.
A half-orc magus 1 whip/tripper using a wand of true strike.
A nagagi naga aspirant built for high str melee with his snake companion.
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Well, actually he has already died once. I think I'd rather not play up anmore.
If he sold everything I'm not sure he can quite afford to pay for another raise dead. He doesn't have the prestige to pay for it that way.
I've got some other PC's just starting that are much better designed. My general intention is try and have 1 at each couple of levels so I can play something appropriate at any table.
Got a dwarf heavy armor THW inquisitor 2 that I only play on those rare occasions when my one friend goes so we can sit at the same table.
A half-orc magus 1 whip/tripper using a wand of true strike.
A nagagi naga aspirant built for high str melee with his snake companion.
I have as well. Got CdG'd by a heavy pick while paralyzed. Once you get 3rd level spells it gets great, particularly if you can pick up extend. 4th level is probably where you hit your sweet spot.
But if you find your level 1's more exciting, play them. I've got a 3 greatsword paladin that has been near invulnerable and a caster druid. I find them fun as well. Play whatever you think you'll enjoy more. Maybe try one of your 1 PC's and see how it goes.