A Summoner Class [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Summoner Class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
They_banned_my_old_name
06-29-06, 12:52 AM One of my potential PCs, if i am able to start DMing, wants to be a summoner in the Final Fantasy 10 way. Maybe Tales of Symphonia if you need a newer example. I'm looking for some ideas on how to go about that.

Obviously the current Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally spells aren't going to cut it for summoning Ifrit and Shiva. I don't have the book with Pact Magic so i don't know if that's an alternative. And i'm not sure if i want to force a story prerequisite on the main ability of what would be a new class, if that's the route i have to take. She'd play a Druid or Sorceress with the standard summoning spells if she had to, but what she really wants is to summon Final Fantasy things.

Nothing is set in stone, i have no required story/campaign to force your ideas into, i just want any and all ideas on how to handle this situation. Thanks in advance for the input.
Rerecros
06-29-06, 01:36 AM There no need, to make him a custom class, just make him play a cleric (prestige into thaumaturgist).
Giving a character control of entities well beyond his level is a good way to break the game.
Of corse Summon Monster I won't cut it, so he just has to do some leveling to get Summon Monster IX.

If he wants to summon Ixion or whatever, just stat the monsters that he wants, and have him wait until he's strong enough to call it.

He can be a cleric of the fayth, or yevon.
You can give him summoning spells for his domain spells.
They_banned_my_old_name
06-29-06, 02:38 PM Well, thank you for your input, but she's not interested in waiting to summon anything good, and i'm not interested in starting a high-level game just to include high enough spells. I'm not too worried about breaking the game, i feel confident that i could (for example) give my players 20s in all their stats and they'd still roleplay the same as they would with 10s in all their stats.

Just mentioning statting out the monsters gave me an idea though. Maybe they could be statted out in a way to make them work with the lesser spells and get stronger if she summons them with higher spells. Maybe even make new monsters available at each summon spell, like the weakest version of Bahamut being Monster Summoning V or something. The only weird thing with that idea is why she'd still be able to summon a weaker version of a monster that has apparently gotten stronger.

Well, keep giving ideas/suggestions.
SoldierOfFortune187
06-29-06, 02:48 PM Though it may seem a little bizarre, check out the rules for the psionic ability Astral Construct. It may be just what you are looking for. A single power that allows you to steadily use more and more power points in to create a stronger creature.

The guidelines for what each 'level' of construct might be a good template for what each level of summoned creature can do. Appropriate powers, things like armor class and movement, even a reasonable challenge rating.
They_banned_my_old_name
06-29-06, 08:18 PM The problem there is that i don't have any books dealing with psionics. Mostly because i hate them in D&D, always have. :P Maybe people who hate the arcane/divine thing like the system better, but i've avoided it because it feels more like something in a futuristic cyberpunk type setting. That one power might be a good example of how to do what i'd like but i know nothing of psionics to make use of it. Thanks for trying though. :)
wolfie-kun
06-29-06, 08:24 PM A: You're in the wrong board. This should be in the classes board.

B: If you really want me to, I took a very long time to make a class that would reflect the FF X summoner, and I'll post it up in the Classes board and PM you with a link.
The reason it isn't up yet is because of how amazingly complex it is (letting you create your own summons).
Ishmayl
06-29-06, 09:03 PM Just so you know, the "Binder" class, which uses Pact Magic (all detailed in the Tome of Magic) is extremely reminescent (sp?) of the Final Fantasy 10 Summoner. You should check that out before detailing a new class.
GhostStepper
06-29-06, 09:08 PM Just so you know, the "Binder" class, which uses Pact Magic (all detailed in the Tome of Magic) is extremely reminescent (sp?) of the Final Fantasy 10 Summoner. You should check that out before detailing a new class.

I was thinking of making a summoner class based on vestiges actually. The class would have some way of providing a physical form for various vestiges for short periods of time on the material plane in return for the vestige doing what ever it does, be it combat, healing or buffing.
wolfie-kun
06-29-06, 10:19 PM I was thinking of making a summoner class based on vestiges actually. The class would have some way of providing a physical form for various vestiges for short periods of time on the material plane in return for the vestige doing what ever it does, be it combat, healing or buffing.

That sounds a lot more like the GFs from FF VIII than the aeons of FF X, actually. It would still be freaking awesome though.

And on that note, too late, I already put 20+ hours into the class >.>
They_banned_my_old_name
06-29-06, 11:07 PM Wolfie-kun, there's a bunch of boards to post on and my original thought was to post this on the DM board, but in the end i decided i wanted ideas from people who liked magic and making new magic and playing magic-users. I didn't get a PM from you but i'll keep an eye out on the classes board for your post. And any FF type summons would be good, 7/8/10/11 (or earlier, magicite style) doesn't matter for this.

Ishmayl/Ghoststepper, that's one thing i really wanted to know about, if Pact magic already has a class to cover this. I wasn't impressed by the book but if it has almost exactly what i'm looking for then i'd blow another $30 for it.
wolfie-kun
06-29-06, 11:26 PM Wolfie-kun, there's a bunch of boards to post on and my original thought was to post this on the DM board, but in the end i decided i wanted ideas from people who liked magic and making new magic and playing magic-users. I didn't get a PM from you but i'll keep an eye out on the classes board for your post. And any FF type summons would be good, 7/8/10/11 (or earlier, magicite style) doesn't matter for this.

Ishmayl/Ghoststepper, that's one thing i really wanted to know about, if Pact magic already has a class to cover this. I wasn't impressed by the book but if it has almost exactly what i'm looking for then i'd blow another $30 for it.

I'll put it up now, I was originally asking if you wanted me to.
Rerecros
06-30-06, 12:07 AM If you are so willing to give into the PC's irrational demands, the easiest thing for you to do would just let him play as a monster, and treat the summoner like a familiar.

Since he obviously cares nothing about stats, when he wants to summon a different monster, just keep the monster he has, switch it's subtype and call it something else.

For example, Going from Ifrit to Shiva, change subtype and energy damage from fire to cold, and say that his flaming minotaur dives into the earth (lensflare) it snows, forms into a snowman, and out pops an 18' tall blue chick, oh and the summoner is there too. :P
They_banned_my_old_name
06-30-06, 11:46 PM Okay, wolfie-kun does have his class posted on the Classes board. Still looking at that and open for other ideas too.

Rerecros, i didn't understand a word of your post, i think you were just replying to hear yourself talk. My player has no desire to play a subtype shifting monster. My player made no demands, and when you've got good players not much is irrational. Our group could play as wizards who can cast any spell in the game as a standard action at 1st level and things would work out fine because we enjoy the group storytelling of an RPG. We don't have some petty need to be all powerful, super cool game breakers/ruiners.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
They_banned_my_old_name 06-29-06, 12:52 AM	One of my potential PCs, if i am able to start DMing, wants to be a summoner in the Final Fantasy 10 way. Maybe Tales of Symphonia if you need a newer example. I'm looking for some ideas on how to go about that. Obviously the current Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally spells aren't going to cut it for summoning Ifrit and Shiva. I don't have the book with Pact Magic so i don't know if that's an alternative. And i'm not sure if i want to force a story prerequisite on the main ability of what would be a new class, if that's the route i have to take. She'd play a Druid or Sorceress with the standard summoning spells if she had to, but what she really wants is to summon Final Fantasy things. Nothing is set in stone, i have no required story/campaign to force your ideas into, i just want any and all ideas on how to handle this situation. Thanks in advance for the input.
Rerecros 06-29-06, 01:36 AM	There no need, to make him a custom class, just make him play a cleric (prestige into thaumaturgist). Giving a character control of entities well beyond his level is a good way to break the game. Of corse Summon Monster I won't cut it, so he just has to do some leveling to get Summon Monster IX. If he wants to summon Ixion or whatever, just stat the monsters that he wants, and have him wait until he's strong enough to call it. He can be a cleric of the fayth, or yevon. You can give him summoning spells for his domain spells.
They_banned_my_old_name 06-29-06, 02:38 PM	Well, thank you for your input, but she's not interested in waiting to summon anything good, and i'm not interested in starting a high-level game just to include high enough spells. I'm not too worried about breaking the game, i feel confident that i could (for example) give my players 20s in all their stats and they'd still roleplay the same as they would with 10s in all their stats. Just mentioning statting out the monsters gave me an idea though. Maybe they could be statted out in a way to make them work with the lesser spells and get stronger if she summons them with higher spells. Maybe even make new monsters available at each summon spell, like the weakest version of Bahamut being Monster Summoning V or something. The only weird thing with that idea is why she'd still be able to summon a weaker version of a monster that has apparently gotten stronger. Well, keep giving ideas/suggestions.
SoldierOfFortune187 06-29-06, 02:48 PM	Though it may seem a little bizarre, check out the rules for the psionic ability Astral Construct. It may be just what you are looking for. A single power that allows you to steadily use more and more power points in to create a stronger creature. The guidelines for what each 'level' of construct might be a good template for what each level of summoned creature can do. Appropriate powers, things like armor class and movement, even a reasonable challenge rating.
They_banned_my_old_name 06-29-06, 08:18 PM	The problem there is that i don't have any books dealing with psionics. Mostly because i hate them in D&D, always have. :P Maybe people who hate the arcane/divine thing like the system better, but i've avoided it because it feels more like something in a futuristic cyberpunk type setting. That one power might be a good example of how to do what i'd like but i know nothing of psionics to make use of it. Thanks for trying though. :)
wolfie-kun 06-29-06, 08:24 PM	A: You're in the wrong board. This should be in the classes board. B: If you really want me to, I took a very long time to make a class that would reflect the FF X summoner, and I'll post it up in the Classes board and PM you with a link. The reason it isn't up yet is because of how amazingly complex it is (letting you create your own summons).
Ishmayl 06-29-06, 09:03 PM	Just so you know, the "Binder" class, which uses Pact Magic (all detailed in the Tome of Magic) is extremely reminescent (sp?) of the Final Fantasy 10 Summoner. You should check that out before detailing a new class.
GhostStepper 06-29-06, 09:08 PM	Just so you know, the "Binder" class, which uses Pact Magic (all detailed in the Tome of Magic) is extremely reminescent (sp?) of the Final Fantasy 10 Summoner. You should check that out before detailing a new class. I was thinking of making a summoner class based on vestiges actually. The class would have some way of providing a physical form for various vestiges for short periods of time on the material plane in return for the vestige doing what ever it does, be it combat, healing or buffing.
wolfie-kun 06-29-06, 10:19 PM	I was thinking of making a summoner class based on vestiges actually. The class would have some way of providing a physical form for various vestiges for short periods of time on the material plane in return for the vestige doing what ever it does, be it combat, healing or buffing. That sounds a lot more like the GFs from FF VIII than the aeons of FF X, actually. It would still be freaking awesome though. And on that note, too late, I already put 20+ hours into the class >.>
They_banned_my_old_name 06-29-06, 11:07 PM	Wolfie-kun, there's a bunch of boards to post on and my original thought was to post this on the DM board, but in the end i decided i wanted ideas from people who liked magic and making new magic and playing magic-users. I didn't get a PM from you but i'll keep an eye out on the classes board for your post. And any FF type summons would be good, 7/8/10/11 (or earlier, magicite style) doesn't matter for this. Ishmayl/Ghoststepper, that's one thing i really wanted to know about, if Pact magic already has a class to cover this. I wasn't impressed by the book but if it has almost exactly what i'm looking for then i'd blow another $30 for it.
wolfie-kun 06-29-06, 11:26 PM	Wolfie-kun, there's a bunch of boards to post on and my original thought was to post this on the DM board, but in the end i decided i wanted ideas from people who liked magic and making new magic and playing magic-users. I didn't get a PM from you but i'll keep an eye out on the classes board for your post. And any FF type summons would be good, 7/8/10/11 (or earlier, magicite style) doesn't matter for this. Ishmayl/Ghoststepper, that's one thing i really wanted to know about, if Pact magic already has a class to cover this. I wasn't impressed by the book but if it has almost exactly what i'm looking for then i'd blow another $30 for it. I'll put it up now, I was originally asking if you wanted me to.
Rerecros 06-30-06, 12:07 AM	If you are so willing to give into the PC's irrational demands, the easiest thing for you to do would just let him play as a monster, and treat the summoner like a familiar. Since he obviously cares nothing about stats, when he wants to summon a different monster, just keep the monster he has, switch it's subtype and call it something else. For example, Going from Ifrit to Shiva, change subtype and energy damage from fire to cold, and say that his flaming minotaur dives into the earth (lensflare) it snows, forms into a snowman, and out pops an 18' tall blue chick, oh and the summoner is there too. :P
They_banned_my_old_name 06-30-06, 11:46 PM	Okay, wolfie-kun does have his class posted on the Classes board. Still looking at that and open for other ideas too. Rerecros, i didn't understand a word of your post, i think you were just replying to hear yourself talk. My player has no desire to play a subtype shifting monster. My player made no demands, and when you've got good players not much is irrational. Our group could play as wizards who can cast any spell in the game as a standard action at 1st level and things would work out fine because we enjoy the group storytelling of an RPG. We don't have some petty need to be all powerful, super cool game breakers/ruiners.