Character(s) for Conjurer's Chess - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tashalar Jun 15, 2008 8:27:52	Two things I'm after with this post. I'm curious to see what builds people can come up with and I'm furthermore hopeful that some of you might get interested to 'join the cause', so to speak. Conjurer's Chess is just that... two summoners on opposing sides of a chess board summon monsters for a preset number of rounds. Those monsters then fight each other and whoever has more squares occupied with his monsters when the match is over, wins. Summon Monster, Summon Nature's Ally, Summon Desert Ally, Summon Undead, Conjure Ice Beast - all these spells and more are options. Currently I am playing a level 6 cleric, but we'll be leveling to 8th at some point in the (near) future. Here are the rules (warning - longish): http://www.dragonavenue.com/forums/viewthread/545/ Books allowed and character creation (excerpt from the rules): 6) Summoners are to be 6th level (including LA), are created using 32 point buy, and may be drawn from the following sourcebooks: Core 3 All “Complete” books and all “Races of” books The “environment” books of Stormwrack, Frostburn and Sandstorm The Planar Handbook Libris Mortis, the Draconomicon, and Lords of Madness (note that the Pseudonatural Template for the Alienist (CA) will be drawn from Lords of Madness) Magic of Incarnum The Fiend Folio and the Monster Manual 3 and 4.
#2 roku Jun 15, 2008 16:09:43	You want a Malconvoker. See here. Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs.
#3 tashalar Jun 17, 2008 3:45:41	Looking into it - thanks! bumpity-bump
#4 akal-saris Jun 17, 2008 3:49:52	That looks like an absolute blast to play, though the solid book of rules gave me a headache. A malconvoker would probably do extremely well from level 10+. Level 6-9, he'll be at a disadvantage since he'll be one level of SM behind, which could cost him the game if the dice roll high on the summons for the round one or two times. If I understand the rules correctly, anyhow.
#5 tashalar Jun 17, 2008 9:06:56	Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs. Yeah - sadly, it's difficult to handle psionics. So far we haven't found a balanced solution to this. That looks like an absolute blast to play, though the solid book of rules gave me a headache. Hehe, you are right about that. But those rules are necessary to get a solid game of conjurer’s chess going. Trust me, after the first match, you’ll know them all (one learns best by making mistakes ;) ). A malconvoker would probably do extremely well from level 10+. Level 6-9, he'll be at a disadvantage since he'll be one level of SM behind, which could cost him the game if the dice roll high on the summons for the round one or two times. If I understand the rules correctly, anyhow. You do! The malconvoker and some other classes will mean losing out on one level of spell progression, true. Therefore those classes are only options for wizards, clerics and druids and not for sorcerers or favoured souls. Still – the trade-off is quite good in many cases... We have a druid with one level of wu jen (no idea why he took that – but he has plans) and he cast control temperature (3rd level spell) to benefit from his icy calling feat. Having only one 3rd level spell left, he lost one match due to bad luck... IIRC, the d4 die roll came up with a ‘3’ three times out of six. He couldn’t summon anything twice and lost to the favoured soul. I’m still undecided if I’ll stick to my cleric once we level to 8th or try a malconvoker, master specialist or something else entirely... Akal-Saris – if you feel like playing, come on over and post in the discussion thread here: http://www.dragonavenue.com/forums/viewthread/548/P315/#10719 Or just go ahead and post a character like Roku did.
#6 surreal Jun 17, 2008 13:11:22	I haven't read all the rules, but... Human Cleric 2/Bard 1/Master of Shrounds 3 feats: augment summoning, spell focus (conjuring), requiem, free feat Enemy summons at this level will have a very hard time dealing with shadows, especially if they're dealing pumped up str damage thanks to inspire courage. Being incorporeal, they could even take up the same space as the enemy summons.
#7 roku Jun 18, 2008 19:23:14	You lose 3rd level spells with Cleric 2 /Bard 1 /Master of Shrouds 3. And You'd only get one shadow. And I don't think "Class Ability" comes up on the die roll of 1d4 :P
#8 tashalar Jun 20, 2008 9:51:14	Oh, the master of shrouds does work - Andorax, the DM, made up some rules for that (they are in the rules thread somewhere - the second post, I think). But Roku is right that the character would not have a 3rd level spells - or whatever the highest level spell is later on. That really hurts.
#9 tashalar Jun 22, 2008 6:31:30	Sunday bump
#10 jondera Jun 22, 2008 14:10:51	At sixth level, it seems to me that a Warlock would be passing good, with Summon Swarm and Hungry Darkness invocations... Rat and Bat swarms (with continual darkness effects attached) would wreak havoc with most lower-level summons...
#11 tashalar Jun 23, 2008 1:40:35	Looks quite good indeed - but that only works in the venues which offer 10' squares, really. Oh, our druid used a swarm on a board with 5' squares (the problem is that creatures are not allowed to straddle several squares at once, normally), but had to try and keep control of it. Ie: the swarm is not allowed to move more than two squares. That's a very difficult undertaking.
#12 tashalar Jun 25, 2008 1:27:08	humpty-dumpty-bump!
#13 Treantmonklvl20 Jun 28, 2008 6:53:13	You want a Malconvoker. See here. Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs. Level 6 is the Malconvoker's worst level, also, a Malconvoker has more versatile summoning options than a SNA build - but isn't better in a straight fight - so I don't think so. I think Spirit Shaman has got to be the best choice for this level.
#14 roku Jun 28, 2008 11:23:16	Level 6 is the Malconvoker's worst level, also, a Malconvoker has more versatile summoning options than a SNA build - but isn't better in a straight fight - so I don't think so. I think Spirit Shaman has got to be the best choice for this level. I agree about the level 6 thing, but in the first post, you'll notice he's looking for a build for when they all get leveled to 8, at which point Malconvoker has some perks. Then at 10 it will just get silly. Sidenote: Love your God Guide. Referred a wizard in my last party to it and he loved it as well. I'm playing a Focused Transmuter in one of my current campaigns, and loving it.
#15 tashalar Jul 09, 2008 6:36:00	bumpity-bump

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

tashalar

Jun 15, 2008 8:27:52

Two things I'm after with this post. I'm curious to see what builds people can come up with and I'm furthermore hopeful that some of you might get interested to 'join the cause', so to speak.

Conjurer's Chess is just that... two summoners on opposing sides of a chess board summon monsters for a preset number of rounds. Those monsters then fight each other and whoever has more squares occupied with his monsters when the match is over, wins.

Summon Monster, Summon Nature's Ally, Summon Desert Ally, Summon Undead, Conjure Ice Beast - all these spells and more are options.

Currently I am playing a level 6 cleric, but we'll be leveling to 8th at some point in the (near) future.

Here are the rules (warning - longish):
http://www.dragonavenue.com/forums/viewthread/545/

Books allowed and character creation (excerpt from the rules):

6) Summoners are to be 6th level (including LA), are created using 32 point buy, and may be drawn from the following sourcebooks:
Core 3
All “Complete” books and all “Races of” books
The “environment” books of Stormwrack, Frostburn and Sandstorm
The Planar Handbook
Libris Mortis, the Draconomicon, and Lords of Madness (note that the Pseudonatural Template for the Alienist (CA) will be drawn from Lords of Madness)
Magic of Incarnum
The Fiend Folio and the Monster Manual 3 and 4.

roku

Jun 15, 2008 16:09:43

You want a Malconvoker.

See here.

Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs.

tashalar

Jun 17, 2008 3:45:41

Looking into it - thanks!

*bumpity-bump*

akal-saris

Jun 17, 2008 3:49:52

That looks like an absolute blast to play, though the solid book of rules gave me a headache.

A malconvoker would probably do extremely well from level 10+. Level 6-9, he'll be at a disadvantage since he'll be one level of SM behind, which could cost him the game if the dice roll high on the summons for the round one or two times. If I understand the rules correctly, anyhow.

tashalar

Jun 17, 2008 9:06:56

Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs.

Yeah - sadly, it's difficult to handle psionics. So far we haven't found a balanced solution to this.

That looks like an absolute blast to play, though the solid book of rules gave me a headache.

Hehe, you are right about that. But those rules are necessary to get a solid game of conjurer’s chess going. Trust me, after the first match, you’ll know them all (one learns best by making mistakes ;) ).

A malconvoker would probably do extremely well from level 10+. Level 6-9, he'll be at a disadvantage since he'll be one level of SM behind, which could cost him the game if the dice roll high on the summons for the round one or two times. If I understand the rules correctly, anyhow.

You do! The malconvoker and some other classes will mean losing out on one level of spell progression, true. Therefore those classes are only options for wizards, clerics and druids and not for sorcerers or favoured souls. Still – the trade-off is quite good in many cases...

We have a druid with one level of wu jen (no idea why he took that – but he has plans) and he cast control temperature (3rd level spell) to benefit from his icy calling feat. Having only one 3rd level spell left, he lost one match due to bad luck... IIRC, the d4 die roll came up with a ‘3’ three times out of six. He couldn’t summon anything twice and lost to the favoured soul.

I’m still undecided if I’ll stick to my cleric once we level to 8th or try a malconvoker, master specialist or something else entirely...

Akal-Saris – if you feel like playing, come on over and post in the discussion thread here:
http://www.dragonavenue.com/forums/viewthread/548/P315/#10719

Or just go ahead and post a character like Roku did.

surreal

Jun 17, 2008 13:11:22

I haven't read all the rules, but... Human Cleric 2/Bard 1/Master of Shrounds 3
feats: augment summoning, spell focus (conjuring), requiem, free feat

Enemy summons at this level will have a very hard time dealing with shadows, especially if they're dealing pumped up str damage thanks to inspire courage. Being incorporeal, they could even take up the same space as the enemy summons.

roku

Jun 18, 2008 19:23:14

You lose 3rd level spells with Cleric 2 /Bard 1 /Master of Shrouds 3. And You'd only get one shadow. And I don't think "Class Ability" comes up on the die roll of 1d4 :P

tashalar

Jun 20, 2008 9:51:14

Oh, the master of shrouds does work - Andorax, the DM, made up some rules for that (they are in the rules thread somewhere - the second post, I think). But Roku is right that the character would not have a 3rd level spells - or whatever the highest level spell is later on. That really hurts.

tashalar

Jun 22, 2008 6:31:30

*Sunday bump*

#10

jondera

Jun 22, 2008 14:10:51

At sixth level, it seems to me that a Warlock would be passing good, with Summon Swarm and Hungry Darkness invocations... Rat and Bat swarms (with continual darkness effects attached) would wreak havoc with most lower-level summons...

#11

tashalar

Jun 23, 2008 1:40:35

Looks quite good indeed - but that only works in the venues which offer 10' squares, really.

Oh, our druid used a swarm on a board with 5' squares (the problem is that creatures are not allowed to straddle several squares at once, normally), but had to try and keep control of it. Ie: the swarm is not allowed to move more than two squares. That's a very difficult undertaking.

#12

tashalar

Jun 25, 2008 1:27:08

*humpty-dumpty-bump!*

#13

Treantmonklvl20

Jun 28, 2008 6:53:13

You want a Malconvoker.

See here.

Although it would be interesting to see how a Psion:Shaper fared with Astral Constructs.

Level 6 is the Malconvoker's worst level, also, a Malconvoker has more versatile summoning options than a SNA build - but isn't better in a straight fight - so I don't think so.

I think Spirit Shaman has got to be the best choice for this level.

#14

roku

Jun 28, 2008 11:23:16

Level 6 is the Malconvoker's worst level, also, a Malconvoker has more versatile summoning options than a SNA build - but isn't better in a straight fight - so I don't think so.

I think Spirit Shaman has got to be the best choice for this level.

I agree about the level 6 thing, but in the first post, you'll notice he's looking for a build for when they all get leveled to 8, at which point Malconvoker has some perks. Then at 10 it will just get silly.

Sidenote: Love your God Guide. Referred a wizard in my last party to it and he loved it as well. I'm playing a Focused Transmuter in one of my current campaigns, and loving it.

#15

tashalar

Jul 09, 2008 6:36:00

*bumpity-bump*