Augment Summoning is terrible?

[Blave]

What's up with the Conjurer's level 1 focus power?

I summon something using all my actions on turn 1. And on the next turn I spend one action to sustain the Summon spell and one action to buff my summoned creature, leaving me with one (fo a caster mostly useless) action remaining?

Shouldn't Augment Summoning at least include Sustaining the spell or something?

[Tim Schneider 908]

From a rules question stance I think it's pretty clear it works how you're saying.

From a gameplay perspective... I played in a game the other day & I didn't find that last action useless. I used it for a Recall Knowledge check on the monster we were fighting or for repositioning. I imagine I'll find more uses for it as I level up.

[Deadmanwalking]

Yeah, seems fine to me. It's a one action buff spell for your monster, and a pretty good one.

[Blave]

Ok, with summoned monsters lagging behind in level, it might not be "terrible" to close the gap a bit but I'm probably still more effective spending that second round casting any spell (probably including a cantrip) rather than helping my summon try to catch up.

Still, it's nice to have something to do when I need to move while sustaining the spell, I guess? I doubt I'd use it all that often, at least not before Effordless Concentration is available.

[Xenocrat]

Isn’t it one of the free action powers?

[Blave]

Xenocrat wrote:

Isn’t it one of the free action powers?

It was in the playtest. Now it costs one action.

[Saros Palanthios]

the buff to your summoned creature is +1 to all checks (including to-hit, saves, and AC), and lasts "for the duration of its summoning". that's a really good buff-- remember that the 2e math makes +1 bonuses worth more than they were in 1e. it's worth at least as much as casting another spell imo.