My summoners have real weapons, but you get the idea
I haven’t posted a build in quite a while, and I realized I’ve never done a build for those who want to build summoners. There are a couple of viable classes: the Inquisitor/Monster Tactician and the Bard/Beast Tamer. Both get free access to the Summon Monster/Summon Nature’s Ally line of spells, and far more importantly the summons last for ten times longer than normal. There are other ways to get long summons, but I focus on builds that are viable and do what we want as early as possible. Inquisitors can also pick the animal domain for a pet, they get the Summon Tactics ability, and since we’re going Aeon mythic path the bane abilities stack. Beast Tamers get great synergy with the Azata mythic path, and by chapter 3 you’ll be able to summon seven Treants at a time and slaughter stuff–lots of fun. We’ll start with the inquisitor, which is great if you want an evil play through.
Build Progression (Inquisitor)
- We go with Human which is important because we don’t really get bonus feats with this build. For background you can go with the classic Pickpocket, or if you want to build for the Gravesinger Greataxe go ahead and pick Lumberjack. I recommend going for fauchards due to their useful reach property, and high critical range means more free attacks for your summons
- Str 19 Dex 13-14 Con 12-14 Int 10 Wis 14 Cha 7+ (dumpable).
- Skills: Athletics, Perception, Persuasion, UMD
- Feats: Sp. Focus Conjuration, Augment Summoning
- Alignment: Lawful Neutral
- Deity: Put some thought into this. We need Animal domain, but the evil summons are by far the best, so pick Gozreh and make evil choices such that your alignment moves to lawful evil by level 11. This is definitely doable
- Spells: I take Cure Light Wounds and Bless
2. Not much. I like Shield of Faith here.
3. Feat: Superior Summoning, Precise Strike. Spell: Divine Favor
4. Increase Str every time.
- Pet: dog, leopard, monitor lizard and wolf are all great because they trip
- Spells: Lesser Restoration, Protect from Evil Communal
5. Feat: Boon Companion. Spell: Aid
6. Feat: Outflank is great here. Spell: Cure Moderate Wounds
7. Feat: Exotic Wpn Proficiency: Fauchards unless you’re really interested in another weapon, then take whatever feat you want. The idea here is to attack from behind your summons and pets and fauchards have a great critical range, which means a higher rate of granting attacks to others
- Spell: True Strike, Prayer, Gr. Magic Wpn (great buff for summons)
8. Spell: Magic Vestment or Heroism, but I usually have a Skald for that
9. Feat: Lunge, Shake It Off. Extra reach is better, especially if you chose a non-reach weapon
- Spell: Remove Curse
10. Spell: Find Traps is one I like, and it’s time for Crusader’s Edge, and Restoration
11. Feat: Improved Critical (your weapon). Spells: Freedom of Mvmt, Gr Invis or Death Ward
12. Feat: Back to Back, can increase your summons’ AC, remember they all have it now
- Spell: Divine Power of course.
13. Feat: it depends. Building toward Shatter Defenses by taking WF here can be great if you want, I prefer Power Atk
- Spell: whatever you like, the Litany’s are nice as they are swift actions I like Resounding Blow, Communal Stoneskin
14. Spells: whatever you like
15. Feat: Combat Reflexes and whatever teamwork feat you want–Allied Spellcaster is fine
16. Spells: I like Burst of Glory, Communal Protect from Energy. Get Heal
17. Feat: Improved Init if you want, whatever spells you want too. Inspiring Recovery is fine
18. We’ve got everything we need, from here on you can multiclass if you want: Ranger/Demonslayer, Alchemist/Vivisectionist, Fighter/Mutation Warrior all work well, but you can also continue with Inquisitor, which I will
- Feat: Coordinated Defense
- Spells: anything
19. Feat: whatever you want… WF Fauchard I guess
20. Whatever you want
Build Progression (Beast Tamer)
1. I do recommend human here if you want maximum ability to contribute to the party, even if all your summons die. You don’t have to be of course, practically any race is viable (many have innate resistances), but if you want an early game boost the extra feat helps. Background is Pickpocket
- Str 19 Dex 12 Con 12 Int 10 Wis 8 Cha 16
- Skills: All Knowledge and Lore skills, then UMD, Persuasion, or whatever you want
- Feats: Lingering Performance of course; Martial Weapon Prof gives you access to any line of weapons you want–summoners benefit from reach weapons but it doesn’t have to be. If you don’t want to be human don’t worry about it, and use longspears or something
- Use lingering performance in battle by activating it, then deactivate it immediately. Most combats don’t go longer than 3 rounds anyway
- Alignment: Chaotic Good
- Deity: Desna is perfect
- Spells: Grease is awesome, Cure Light Wounds
2. Spells: Remove Fear or use scrolls
3. Feat: Superior Summoning. Spells: Unbreakable Heart, Hideous Laughter
4. Increase Str every time. Spells: Heroism is great, and Blur or Mirror Image
5. Feat: Combat Reflexes. Spell: Glitterdust is good
- Combat Trick: Outflank–remember you’ll share this with your summons later
6. Spells: Cure Moderate, Sense Vitals, Rage are all good options
7. Feat: Power Attack or Improved Initiative, PA is where I lean because you’ll be getting buffs to offset any penalty from using it
- Spells: Good Hope, Haste, Displacement is great too
8. Spells: whichever you didn’t pick from lvl 7
9. Feat: Lunge is perfect if you have any two-handed weapon. Spells: Remove Curse,
10: Spells: Sense Vitals, Cure Critical, Echolocation, Freedom of Movement are all great
11: Feat: Improved Critical would be my choice. Spells: Gr. Invisibility
12: Spells: Dimension Door to help with some areas in ch 4
13: Feat: we will build toward Shatter Defenses, so Wpn Focus here. Spells: Gr. Heroism, Gr Dispel Magic
14: Combat Trick: Dazzling Display. Spells: whatever you want
15: Feat: Shatter Defenses, we got it! Anyone with Frightful Aspect will set you up beautifully
- We don’t want to go past lvl 15 as a Beast Master, because at lvl 17 you get SNA IX, don’t have a choice about it. Your summon options with SNA IX are all inferior choices–for instance the Mastodons are so big and wide they get in the way of everything. Keep SNA VIII for the Smilodons
16: I multiclass into Fighter: Mutation Warrior. You could also go into Eldritch Knight or Dragon Disciple if you want.
- Feat: Improved Init
17. Feat: Cleave, Cleaving Finish
19. Feat: Wpn Specialization, and whatever else you want
20. Weapon Training into your weapon type
Mythic Progression (Inquisitor)
1. Close to the Abyss if you’re going axes, otherwise Bit of Fun or Close to the Heavens. Ascendant Summons!
2. Extra Ability: either Leading Strike or Mythical Beast, both have advantages, take the other one at 5
3. Ever Ready, no question; Enforcing Gaze, Attack which will be your main gaze until mythic 6
4. Improved Critical Mythic; Enforcing Gaze, AoO’s
5. Leading Strike or Mythical Beast; Enforcing Gaze, Summoner’s Gaze
6. Power Attack Mythic, the other gazes don’t matter now so pick whatever you want. Now we can active both Attack and Summoner’s Gaze at once
7. You’ve got choices here. Taking an Impossible Domain is a good choice, or Mythic Charge or Abundant Bane
8. Improved Initiative Mythic
9. Anything you want, if you’re on Unfair I prefer Last Stand–not much need to take it earlier as this build isn’t in much danger of being hit by enemies that often
10. Whatever you want. Now you can use 3 gazes, I recommend: Attack, AoO and Summoner’s Gaze
Mythic Progression (Beast Tamer)
1. I prefer Bit of Fun as it helps all of your skills. Ascendant Summons!
2. You’ve got options: Mythic Power Atk or Extra Mythic: Abundant Casting or Master Shapeshifter, because you get access to all of the Aspect of the … spells. I prefer Shapeshifter for the big boost but it’s up to you
3. Ever Ready.
4. Mythic Improved Critical. Superpower: Life-Bonding Friendship (LBF): Precise Strike, and now we can share Teamwork Feats a bit like the Inquisitor
5. More options: Abundant Casting if you want, but if you have multiple spellcasters you may not need it. It might be more fun to pick Leading Strike
- LBF: Shake It Off
6. This is where I take Mythic Pwr Atk. Superpower: Incredible Might. Pair IM with the Ring of Triumphant Advance (if you have the DLC) to double your bonus here
7. Mythic Charge if someone can provide Pounce *cough Skald*, or Abundant Casting
8. Mythic Improved Init or Mythic Wpn Spec. Superpower: Zippy Magic helps a lot, especially with Believe in Yourself
9. Whatever you like here, if you’re on Unfair I’d go Last Stand here
10. Whichever ability you didn’t pick at mythic 8. Superpower: anything goes
Equipment/Gear
Weapon: Early game go for longspears for reach, and get the Stormcaller later–equip it, summon stuff, then switch it out. Later for fauchards, Imminent Demise; if axes, Grave Singer
Neck: Vellexia’s Magnifying Amulet (earlier the Amulet of Epic Songs–get from Nurah–for the Beast Master)
Chest/Armor: Chainmail of Comradery (chain shirts for BM)
Shirt: Source of Dividing Power, which is important because of the Holy/Unholy rider–awesome. Buy it from the merchant at Dresden from ch 3 on
Belt: Belt of the Last of the First Humans if you have the DLC. Before that, increase Str
Gloves: Jaws of the Jackal, outstanding synergy with evil summons–summon a ton of Frost Giants!. (Fencer’s Gift for BM, due to the fighter levels)
Boots: Ronneck’s Sacrifice–check YouTube for how to obtain it, or Boots of the Stampede if you charge
Helmet: +Wisdom are the way to go, and ultimately Hat of the Bitter End if you have the DLC. (+Charisma for BM, Hat of Heartening Song, later Darkness Caress)
Goggles/Eyes: Broken Trickster if you have the DLC. Since you’re an Aeon you can equip the Lenses of Prolonged Gaze too
Cloak: Bound of Possibility is outstanding for Aeons (Cloaks of Resistance for BM)
Rings: Ring of Summoning of course–remember it doesn’t have to be equipped on you to be effective; Ring of Triumphant Advance if you have the DLC; someone should wear the Clemency of Shadows ring (from The Fate of the Stone of Ghostly Pathways decree)–the falling unconscious part works if your summons die too!
Bracer: Bracers of Abrupt Onslaught–Sense Vitals gives you sneak attack. Can also go Lucky Bracers
Quick Slot: Book of Dreams which stacks with Superior Summoning, Brazen Whip which stacks with Haste, you can become immune to Slow or cast Freedom of Mvmt, your summons are doing much of the fighting anyway, Tankard of Free Spirit, Duality of Conjuration/Summoning if the risk if worth it, anything else you want
- BM’s recommended to take Triceratops statuette because unlike the inquisitor, we don’t get a pet for free
Alright, those the two best summoner builds I could find. What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments below, or give them a try in the game and tell me what your experience was like. I have a bunch more builds and info back at the main Wrath of the Righteous page.
Saga of the Jasonite 