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This thread, the third in a series, is to list the summoning options of the new Summon X spells in the Bestiary and discuss their relative merits. This time, Summon Construct, available only to Arcane tradition casters.
Summon Construct (Level 1+):
Level 1: Animated Broom(-1)
Level 2: Homunculus(0)
Level 3: Animated Armor(2), Soulbound Doll(2)
Level 4: Animated Statute(3)
Level 5: NONE
Level 6: Giant Animated Statute(7)
Level 7: NONE
Level 8: NONE
Level 9: NONE
Level 10: NONE
Not much here yet, as many of the Bestiary classics are uncommon or rare.
Spell Level 1 options
Animated Broom(-1): Slow, but slightly tougher than usual and with a DC 15 Fort save for a target to lose an action on hit. Not a bad flanking buddy for your allies.
Spell Level 2 options
Homunculus(0): Plenty more HP than the animated broom, offense isn't much better, but it does have a poison bite. With fly, some stealth, and a telepathic link I guess it could be a very short lived scout mentally telling you what it sees around some corners, but the backlash is going to be nasty if it gets killed.
Spell Level 3 options
Animated Armor(2): Hardness 9, some ok offense, but it's 3 levels behind you. Ok to soak up some hits if you place it in a chokepoint.
Soulbound Doll(2): Bad. It has an innate 3rd level spell that the summoning rules prevent you from using, the base combat stats are not great.
Spell Level 4 options
Animated Statute(3): It's got grab, but it's four levels behind you and doesn't stand out. It's attack bonus is quite bad, the same as the Animated Armor you could summon two levels ago.
Spell Level 6 options
Giant Animated Statute(7): Huge and tough, a reasonable stony flesh wall. Has a reasonable attack for its level (but not yours), grab, can do some ranged fire damage and fire/persistent fire to someone it has grabbed. Maybe use it to block a 15' corridor or the entrance to a door?
Overall: Not exciting, a Wizard might pick this up early and drop if later, a Sorcerer is going to want to retain out of it.
For now until Bestiary 2, better off doing elite adjustments on constructs.
Giant statue elite +1, +2, +3, +4
it's not super exciting or anything fantastic but this will do until better options are available.
I guess, but it would be a GM-approved houserule to let you do that.
I picked it up as 4th level spell on my sorcerer. Wasn't too impressed with it but I wanted something that our druid can't summon and this was the only option. Will substitute for summon dragon once I get level 5 spells.
I can "summon" pretty much anything with illusory creature, of course, so there's that. It's less effective and "dies" in one hit but at least its stats scale with me level and proficiency.
I was expecting to see Flesh, Alchemical Golem (etc), man that "Common" stipulation subtly nerfs summon spells. Sneaky feeling that Bestiary 2+ monsters will tend to be Uncommon and won't help flesh these lists out much :( Hope I'm wrong.
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I was expecting to see Flesh, Alchemical Golem (etc), man that "Common" stipulation subtly nerfs summon spells. Sneaky feeling that Bestiary 2+ monsters will tend to be Uncommon and won't help flesh these lists out much :( Hope I'm wrong.
Part of the reveal for Bestiary 2 claimed that it will fill in the missing slots for every single summon spell, so you should have at least one option at every spell level next spring.
Part of the reveal for Bestiary 2 claimed that it will fill in the missing slots for every single summon spell, so you should have at least one option at every spell level next spring.
Ah super! Fingers crossed!