The title says it all for the most part. What do you guys think a theoretically optimized summoner type character looks like. Some options I thought of off the top of my head might include:
Master Summoner // Bard or Skald
Herald Caller Cleric // ???
Acadamae Graduate Conjurer // ??? (This one seems like it could potentially be weaker because it has no way to spontaneously cast summon spells)
While I want summoning to be the primary thing the character does, I would also like to not be totally useless outside of combat (unlikely though since most builds have at minimum one 6th level vaster)
Monster Tactician Inquisitor (for the summon SLA, messing around with teamwork feats, and decent stats and spells for when not summoning) on one side, Evangelist Cleric (9-level casting including more summons if desired, bardic performance, also Wis-based) on the other could work.
Evangelist Cleric for 9th level casting + Channel Energy Feats + Domains (Heroism especially) + Inspire Courage is probably the best at boosting summons, bar none.
Barring that, I'd go with the Skald, all the way. This is mainly because a ton of your summoned monster DCs are going to be either STR or CON based, so Inspire Rage not only improves your beatsticks, it also makes them harder to resist. Plus you can grant your summons a ton of useful rage powers that real teammates may not fully appreciate, like Reckless Abandon. Skalds can also improve the STR & CON bonus they give their summons by being a Half Orc, taking the Battle Song of the People's Revolt Masterpiece, and using it to share the effect of the Amplified Rage Teamwork Feat. Between Amplified Rage and Reckless Abandon, it's entirely possible to get numbers that exceed those of the Evangelist Cleric.
As for which summoner to go for, consider asking your GM to allow a third party Summoner archetype called the "Celestial Commander." It gets rid of the Eidolon to focus entirely on boosting their Summon Monster SLA. That + Skald has served me incredibly well in the past. If it's not allowed though, then Inquisitor + Evangelist Cleric is still really good.
Nice suggestion on the Monster Tactician. I wonder if Herald Caller might be a better pairing though. Effectively gets 3 free feats, the ability to communicate with all summoned monsters, and can spontaneously convert spells to summons as well as cures (The evangelist can't spontaneous cure). Also doesn't lose channel progression and can hit her summons with channel even outside range.
Overall I feel like while the inspire courage is nice, the Herald Caller gets more value and trades off less stuff.
Life Oracle imo. You’re going to be summoning primarily, so why not be the ace in the hole with 9th lvl spontaneous casting, channel positive energy, Summon Monster I-IX, Miracle and a metric butt-ton of healing.
Ryze, Life Oracle // Master Summoner?
Ryze, Life Oracle // Master Summoner?
Yeah, sounds pretty good imo ;)
Master Summoners can field anywhere from 5-10 mobs per encounter. If you have a particularly taxing day in terms of combat, as a Life Oracle with Summon Monster I-IX, you'll never run out even on the taxing days. You can heal and assist the group with a massive amount of Cha-based spontaneous spells, as well as the spell-casting you get from Summoner as a 2/3rds caster.
You get Augment Summoning for free as a Master Summoner, so you'll be a powerhouse of summoning even at levels 1-5.
You don't need to worry about ability scores either. Neither Summoner or Oracle is particularly MAD when going the spellcasting-focus versions of these classes (obviously if you want to play more melee focused, you become MAD in a hurry). So just pump Cha and pwn.
Buff your summons with Bear's Endurance, Mass & Bull's Strength, Mass at lvl 6 spells (lvl 11).
If you go Half Elf as a race, and get Paragon Surge spell, Mnemonic Vestment robe, Dreamed Secrets feat, you just broke the whole game.
I think it's great :)
Yeah, I've never been hugely impressed by channeling and summoned monsters that need healing seem wrong. Inquisitor casting is all spontaneous and includes free cures. Edit: misremembered that. You can learn a cure or two and cast those spontaneously as an inquisitor though.
The free feats are definitely good though; it's just whether you like those or bardic performance more.
If Psionics are allowed in this theoretical example, I'd recommend Synthesist Summoner / Brutal Disruptor Cryptic.
Get as many arms as you can, and wait til level 6 when you get Channeled Disruption.
Channeled Disruption
A 6th level brutal disruptor has learned to channel her disrupt pattern ability into her melee attacks. The brutal disruptor may use her disrupt pattern ability as part of any or all melee attacks she makes. This is an exception to the rule that disrupt pattern may only be used once per round. The brutal disruptor cannot use her disrupt pattern ability as a ranged attack in the same round that she has used it as part of a melee attack.
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This is what Disrupt Pattern normally does (and it gets up to 9d6 at lvl 19, it's like sneak attack damage but it's keyed to a specific type of mob, and you have to redo your Psi Focus to key it to another type of mob - but that's only a move action to Re-Psi Focus):
Disrupt Pattern (Su)
All cryptics are able to disrupt the patterns they can perceive, although the potency of this disruption is based on the cryptic’s focus. When a cryptic gains psionic focus, she selects one creature type as her active type (she does not need to select a subtype). As a standard action, the cryptic can make a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 feet, firing a ray of black energy at the target. If the attack is successful, the cryptic deals 1d6 points of damage + additional damage equal to the cryptic’s Intelligence modifier. This attack deals half damage if the target’s type is not of the cryptic’s active type. Like some other rays, if the attack roll of this ability would indicate a critical hit, the damage is doubled. This ability can only be used once per round, even if an item or other effect would duplicate it.
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Basically, get 6-8 arms, boost your Hit through the roof, and deal xd6+IntMod dmg from Brutal Disruptor with every hit.
Your DM will flip the table :)