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Author Topic: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner  (Read 1910 times)

Ken14

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Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« on: August 13, 2019, 10:21:50 AM »
I've always been a fan of the summoner type classes : mages who call up powerful beasts. Mighty necromancers who summon hordes of the dead. And while I can see why the developers don't like to focus on summoning due to soloing potential, I do believe that the Elemental Summoner Prestige class, with some tweaks, could be a worthwile and fresh new addition to the server, which builds on existing conjuration feats.

The following is just my take on how it could work, working from the homebrew 3.5 edition prestige class [https://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Elemental_Summoner_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)] that caught my attention. Feel free to add your own thoughts and adjustments!



Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner:

You are one with the elements.

Given the power to summon fearsome elementals, and eventually bond with them, the Elemental Summoner specializes in conjuration and elemental magic.
Your Red Wizards think themselves fierce, the Thaurmaturgists believe they know it all when it comes to summoning. But the Elemental Summoner reaches into the Elemental Planes and calls forth fearsome and terrifying elementals to fight alongside them. From the smallest water elemental to be a familiar up to the largest and most powerful of earth elementals to crush their enemies, the Elemental Summoner trades with them all.


Requirements:
Alignment: Any Neutral
Skills: Lore 10, Spellcraft 10
Feats: Spell Focus (Conjuration)
Spellcasting : 3rd level or higher

Class Features

Hit Die : D4
Base Attack Bonus: +1 / 2 Levels.
Primary Saving Throws: Will
Proficiencies: No additional ones
Skill points : 2 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Concentration, Lore, Spellcraft

Class Abilities

1: Enhanced Specialisation :  Upon becoming an Elemental Summoner, the character increases their devotion to conjuration, choosing another school that they are prohibited from casting. If the character was a wizard before this, this stacks on top of the schools they are already prohibited from, but they may not choose the same school twice. They may cast spells they already know from this new prohibited school, but not learn any more. For Example, you know two Abjuration spells before becoming an Elemental Summoner and have chosen Abjuration as the new prohibition. You may still cast the spells you have learned knows, but never learn new ones of that school. In return for this devotion, you get an additional spell slot per spell level.


1 : Augment Summoning : The Elemental Summoner gets this feat for free.


2 : Specialist Defense (conjuration) : The Elemental Summoner gets the feat Arcane Defense (Conjuration) for free.

2 : Elemental Familiar : at the second level, the Elemental Summoner gains the ability to summon either an earth, fire, water or air elemental as a familiar. It's level is determined by the amount of Elemental Summoner class levels + 5. However…...Your link with said familiar is far more entwined than with a regular familiar : if it dies, you will take 5d6 magical damage of backlash.


4 : Advanced Summoning : When-ever the elemental summoner calls forth a summon, it is treated as being cast as one level higher.

5: Improved Familiar : Your elemental familiar becomes a huge elemental. Furthermore, it's level is now determined by the amount of Elemental Summoner class levels + 7. If it dies, you will take 10d6 magical damage of backlash.

6 : Augmented Familiar : Your familiar now gains the effects from the feats Augmented Summoning, Beckon the Frozen and (Greater) Augment Elemental.

7 : Extended Summonings : At 7th level, all Summon spells the Elemental Summoner casts have their durations doubled, as if by the Extend Spell feat. The level of the spell does not change however. This ability stacks with the Extend Spell feat.

9 : Ultimate Familiar : Your elemental familiar becomes an elder elemental. Furthermore, it's level is now determined by the amount of Elemental Summoner class levels + 10. If it dies, you will take 20d6 magical damage of backlash.

10 : Elemental Transcendence : The elemental summoner gets to pick between the feat 'Greater Augment Elemental' or 'Dread Attunement'

10A : Greater Augment Elemental :  Each elemental the elemental summoner conjures with a summon spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls, and temporary hit points equal to four times its Hit Dice. This replaces the effects of Augment Elemental.

10B : Dread Attunement : Whether through your close bond with the elemental forces or through brute force, the elemental summoner is able to make dread elementals listen to commands. When your summon spell calls up a Dread Elemental, it will act as a regular elemental.


Bonus Spells
Upon reaching level 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in his caster class and his caster level in that class increases accordingly.










 
« Last Edit: August 13, 2019, 11:06:32 AM by Ken14 »

MAB77

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2019, 10:50:57 PM »
Thank you for your submission. Note however that while we are always willing to consider new prestige classes they must come from published and official D20 sourcebooks or magazines. This is done for a number of reasons that I won't all list here, but among the principal ones consider game balance issues and the fact that if we open the floodgate to custom made content, we'd end up receiving submissions for countless different versions of a same prestige class. A line has to be drawn somewhere. Given our mandate to replicate the 3rd edition D&D game setting as best as possible, it was long ago decided that for PrC, spells and feats we'd limit ourselves only to published material that can be replicated by NWN limited game engine capacities.

Beside, it is precisely with summoners in mind that we implemented feats to strengthen their summons in numerous ways. Considering the already potent might of our spellcasting classes, we'd rather act through feats over implementing specific prestige classes that would make these classes even stronger.

Best Regards!
MAB

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1 Castle Road, Castle Ravenloft, Village of Barovia.

Ken14

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2019, 11:25:18 PM »
Thank you for your submission. Note however that while we are always willing to consider new prestige classes they must come from published and official D20 sourcebooks or magazines. This is done for a number of reasons that I won't all list here, but among the principal ones consider game balance issues and the fact that if we open the floodgate to custom made content, we'd end up receiving submissions for countless different versions of a same prestige class. A line has to be drawn somewhere. Given our mandate to replicate the 3rd edition D&D game setting as best as possible, it was long ago decided that for PrC, spells and feats we'd limit ourselves only to published material that can be replicated by NWN limited game engine capacities.

Beside, it is precisely with summoners in mind that we implemented feats to strengthen their summons in numerous ways. Considering the already potent might of our spellcasting classes, we'd rather act through feats over implementing specific prestige classes that would make these classes even stronger.


That's a fair point. Allright, I'll be on the lookout for official feats that might work with making someone into a summoner type. Or other feats for other purposes, I'm sure there's loads to go over.

Question though: If I find official feats, can certain adjustments be suggested to make it more viable for Ravenloft? Like possible drawbacks and stuff.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2019, 11:30:49 PM by Ken14 »

MAB77

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2019, 07:44:48 AM »
As best as possible we prefer things that can be implemented straightly without modifications, but we did adjust some for balance issues in the past. Be mindful to suggest things that would fit a gothic horror setting and to avoid anything that would make the powerful classes even more powerful.
Best Regards!
MAB

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1 Castle Road, Castle Ravenloft, Village of Barovia.

Ercvadasz

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2019, 08:56:53 AM »
A nice idea Ken, but i think that this class you suggested would also feel quite OP. Especially since the requirements are quite low.
10 spellcraft and 10 lore means basicly level 7 or so.
On level 16 most of the wizards and sorcerers are already quite powerful. And now with this PRC basicly they would gain for themselves a long lasting elder elemental to serve their needs. Making them even more powerful and even less needing others to assist them.  Not to mention on level 14 already would be enough to last double the time then before.
Also on later levels they could also just simply extend the elemental, so they would be summoning an elder elemental that likely would be lasting long enough for a whole dungeon. (It is why many of the summons have reduced lasting time to my knowledge.)

Mechanicly i would say this PRC is too powerful. It not just has nearly all the bonuses of the caster class but already adds more so. And if you compare it to the already quite powerful Palemasters, I would not be sure if your suggestion does not even top that mechanically speaking.
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zDark Shadowz

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #5 on: August 14, 2019, 04:44:00 PM »
Theres a prestige class called Elemental Savant in the same book that palemaster comes from in 3.0 (Tome of Blood) but its more about tuning the caster into an elemental than improving summoning of one.

Ken14

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Re: Prestige Class : Elemental Summoner
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2019, 01:50:43 AM »
Yeah, in hindsight, this would be way too powerful. Maybe with just the super familiar and and some minor spell progression….But as Mab said, they don't really consider homebrew. I actually had a better idea that conforms to dnd source material. And I'mma look up feats. Might find some obscure fun ones!