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ideasmith
2011-09-09, 11:04 AM
Summoner

This class is intended to be a specialized sorcerer, in much the same way that conjurer is a specialized wizard, though with somewhat different specializations and (I hope) more flavor.
Hit Die: d4
Alignment: Any.

Class Skills
Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Speak Language (none) Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

SUMMONER
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th| 9th

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2| Knack, summoner’s horn |3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| Announce, augment summoning, stormhawk |4|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| |4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| |4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| Special mount |4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-|-

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |4|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-|-

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| |4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-|-

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6| |4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-|-

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| Winged steed |4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-|-

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| |4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-|-

12th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8| |4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-|-

13th|
+6|
+4|
+4|
+8| |4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-|-


14th|
+7|
+4|
+4|
+9| |4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-|-

15th|
+7|
+5|
+5|
+9| Suggestive announcement |4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1|-

16th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10| |4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2|-

17th|
+8|
+5|
+5|
+10| |4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|1

18th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11| |4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3|2

19th|
+9|
+6|
+6|
+11|Extend Summoning |4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|3

20th|
+10|
+6|
+6|
+12| Contingent Conjuration |4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4|4 [/table]

{table=head]Spells Known1
{table=head]Level | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
1st | 4+5 | 2+2 - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2nd | 5+5 | 2+3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
3rd | 5+5 | 3+3 | 0+1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
4th | 6+5 | 3+4 | 1+2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
5th | 6+5 | 4+4 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
6th | 7+5 | 4+5 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
7th | 7+5 | 5+5 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - | - | - | - | - |
8th | 8+5 | 5+5 | 3+4 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - | - | - | - | - |
9th | 8+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - | - | - | - |
10th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 4+5 | 3+4 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - | - | - | - |
11th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - | - | - |
12th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 |3+4 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - | - | - |
13th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - | - |
14th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+4 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - | - |
15th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 | - |
16th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 2+3 | 1+2 | - |
17th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 2+2 | 0+1 |
18th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 2+3 | 1+2 |
19th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 2+3 |
20th | 9+5 | 5+5 | 5+5 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 4+4 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 3+3 | 3+3 |
[/table][/table] 1 In addition to the stated number of spells known for 1st- through 9th-level spells, a summoner learns knack spells for each spell level, starting at 1st. The “+x” in the entries on this table represents these spells. They are learned from a different list than the summoner’s general spells.


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the summoner PC class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A summoner is proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a summoner’s gestures, which can cause his spells with somatic components to fail.

Spells: A summoner casts arcane spells which are drawn largely from the sorcerer spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a summoner must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a summoner’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the summoner’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a summoner can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The summoner. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
A summoner’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A summoner begins play knowing five 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new summoner level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: summoner Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a summoner knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: summoner Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the summoner has gained some understanding of by study. The summoner can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however.
Upon reaching 3rd level, and at every odd-numbered summoner level after that (5th, 7th, and so on), a summoner can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the summoner “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level summoner spell the summoner can cast. A summoner may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a summoner need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
Knack (Conjuration (calling), Conjuration (summoning), and Conjuration (teleportation) subschools and air, electricity, sonic, and water descriptors): Summoners have a knack for spells of the Conjuration (calling), Conjuration (summoning) and Conjuration (teleportation) subschools and spells with the air, electricity sonic &/or water descriptor. A knack provides a +2 competence bonus to any Concentration check while casting or maintaining spells which the caster has a knack for, a +2 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks to identify a spell which to caster has the knack for, or to identify the effect of a spell which the caster has a knack for, and a +2 competence bonus to Use Magic Device checks to use an item built from a spell which the user has a knack for, or to use an item built from multiple spells, all of which the user has a knack for.
Knack Spells: In addition to his normal spells known, a summoner learns bonus knack spells as shown on the spells known table. Each knack spell must be of the school or descriptor which benefits from his knack, but otherwise may be chosen freely from the cleric, druid, and sorcerer spell lists. The summoner may choose spells that qualify due to energy substitution, but in that case only know the substituted form. If the spell’s components include DF, the spell instead requires a summoner’s horn as a focus.
Summoner’s Horn: A summoner can create a summoner’s horn using the magic item creation rules.

Summoner’s Horn: A summoner’s horn acts as a focus for arcane spells with the DF component, provided the spell in question has the Conjuration (calling), Conjuration (summoning), or Conjuration (teleportation) subschool or has the air, electricity, sonic or water descriptor.
Moderate Conjuration; CL 1st; summoner; Price 30 gp; Weight 3 lb.
Announce (Sp): Once per day per summoner level, a summoner of 2nd level or higher can announce another character.
Announcing another character is a standard action. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf summoner has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use announce. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit.
One or more creatures become fascinated with the announced. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the both the summoner and the announced character, and able to pay attention to them. The summoner must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other danger prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a summoner attains beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.
To use the ability, a summoner makes a level check (d20 + summoner level + Charisma bonus). His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the summoner cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the announced character’s speech, taking no other actions, for 1 round per summoner level. While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the summoner to make another level check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new level check result.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Announce is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
Augment Summoning: At 2nd level, a summoner gains the Augment Summoning feat.
Stormhawk (Sp): Upon reaching 2nd level, a summoner gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal hawk to serve her (see below). While present, this hawk is treated as a hawk familiar (see sorcerer).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a summoner may magically call her hawk from the realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the summoner’s level. The hawk immediately appears adjacent to the summoner and remains for 2 hours per summoner level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The hawk is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the summoner may release a particular hawk from service.
Each time the hawk is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The hawk also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a hawk is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the summoner’s hawk die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The summoner may not summon another hawk for thirty days or until she gains a summoner level, whichever comes first, even if the hawk is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the summoner takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a summoner gains the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve her (see below). This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium summoner) or a warpony (for a Small summoner).
Once per day, as a full-round action, a summoner may magically call her mount from the realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third the summoner’s level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to the summoner and remains for 2 hours per summoner level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the summoner may release a particular mount from service.
Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.
Should the summoner’s mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. The summoner may not summon another mount for thirty days or until she gains a summoner level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, the summoner takes a –1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Winged Steed: When a 10th level summoner calls her special mount, it appears with wings. The mount can fly at a speed equal to its normal land speed, with average maneuverability.
Suggestive Announcement (Sp): A summoner of 15th level or higher can make one announcement (see above) per day suggestive. This gives the announced character the ability to cast mass suggestion once during the speech.
Extended Summoning: At 19rd level and higher, all spells from the summoning subschool that the summoner casts have their durations doubled, as if the Extend Spell feat had been applied to them. The levels of the summoning spells don’t change, however. This ability stacks with the effect of the Extend Spell feat, which does change the spell’s level.
Contingent Conjuration: A 20th-level summoner can prepare a summoning or calling spell ahead of time to be triggered by some other event. This functions as described for the contingency spell, including having the summoner cast the summoning or calling spell beforehand. The spell is cast instantly when the trigger event occurs.
The conditions needed to bring the spell into effect must be clear, although they can be general. If complicated or convoluted condition as are prescribed, the contingent conjuration may fail when triggered. The conjuration spell occurs based solely on the stated conditions, regardless of whether the summoner wants it to, although most conjurations can be dismissed normally. A summoner can have only one contingent conjuration active at a time.


Spell Lists
Summoners choose their spell’s known from two lists, their general list and their knack list. Both lists count as the summoners spell list for such purposes as magic item use. When reading the spells known table, the number before the ‘+’ sign is the number of spells known from the general list, and the number after the ‘+’ sign is the number of spells known from the knack list.
The summoners general list consists of:

All sorcerer spells.
The summoners knack list consists of:

All cleric, druid, and sorcerer spells of the calling, summoning and teleport subschools.
All cleric, druid, and sorcerer spells with the air, electricity, sonic and/or water descriptors.

Change Log

Made Survival as a class skill. (Thank you jiriku.)
Removed extra characters from the second column header of table 1. (Thank you jiriku.)
Added missing column from spells known table. (Thank you jiriku.)
Removed inaccurate reference to wizards in spells section. (Thank you jiriku.)
Added list formatting to spell lists section. (Thank you jiriku.)
Fixed spells known. (Thank you jiriku.)
Fixed spells per day. (Thank you jiriku.)
Replaced storm-related features with summoning-related features. (Thank you Grod_The-Giant and jiriku.)
Moved suggestive announcement and winged steed to earlier level. (Thank you jiriku.)
Revised introductory paragraph. (Thank you Grod_The-Giant and jiriku.)
Changed class name from stormrider to summoner. (Thank you Grod_The-Giant and jiriku.)

jiriku
2011-09-09, 12:45 PM
Some stuff:

I would recommend Survival as an additional class skill, since that is the skill used to predict the weather and get along in severe weather conditions.
There are some extra characters in the second column header of table 1.
Table 2 is... wrong. I'm not sure quite what happened to it, but I think it's missing a column, and may have other formatting flaws.
Your "Spells" entry states that you learn sorcerer/wizard spells, but the "Spell Lists" entry states that you learn sorcerer spells. There are some wizard-only spells, so you should clarify this.
The special mount seems odd, and unrelated to the style of the class. Could you explain why stormriders get a special mount?
I'd suggest placing suggestive announcement at 18th level, to match the bard's mass suggestion at that same level. Or perhaps even earlier, since yours is usable only once per day.
Winged Steed is an ability that would be more appropriately placed at 10th level than 20th.
In general, the class doesn't quite hang together. Maybe if you wrote an introductory paragraph explaining the theme and intended role?

Grod_The_Giant
2011-09-09, 02:13 PM
An interesting idea. Right now, though, it seems like little more than a sorcerer variant, with a little less spellcasting power and a few abilities stolen from the bard and paladin. Like jiriku suggested, I recommend working on the flavor a bit. Try to add more abilities that tie into the central storm theme.

Some suggestions:
Storm Casting- +1 Caster Level in a natural thunderstorm, tornado, or other extreme weather condition.
Storm Calling- Gain a few uses of Control Weather as a spell-like ability, but restricted to creating storms.
Wings of the Storm- Gain a 60ft fly speed in high winds.
Storm Walker- become immune to the effects of wind, rain, and other bad weather.

Also, as another way to distinguish it from the sorcerer, and since you seem to have a good idea of what spells the class should use, why not whip up a class list for warmage/beguiler style spellcasting? If you're not familiar with the classes, they have a limited, specialized spell list, but they know all the spells on it and can cast all of them spontaneously.

Hope that helps.

ideasmith
2011-09-09, 09:20 PM
Some stuff:

I would recommend Survival as an additional class skill, since that is the skill used to predict the weather and get along in severe weather conditions.
There are some extra characters in the second column header of table 1.
Table 2 is... wrong. I'm not sure quite what happened to it, but I think it's missing a column, and may have other formatting flaws.
Your "Spells" entry states that you learn sorcerer/wizard spells, but the "Spell Lists" entry states that you learn sorcerer spells. There are some wizard-only spells, so you should clarify this.
Thanks for catching those. Fixed.

The special mount seems odd, and unrelated to the style of the class. Could you explain why stormriders get a special mount?
When I looked through the SRD for class features appropriate to a summoner/caller, the ability to call a creature once per day rather stood out.

I'd suggest placing suggestive announcement at 18th level, to match the bard's mass suggestion at that same level. Or perhaps even earlier, since yours is usable only once per day.
Winged Steed is an ability that would be more appropriately placed at 10th level than 20th.
Those exist because the ability gains at 19th and 20th level looked a bit sparse.

In general, the class doesn't quite hang together. Maybe if you wrote an introductory paragraph explaining the theme and intended role?

I clearly need to improve the introductory paragraph I already have.

An interesting idea. Right now, though, it seems like little more than a sorcerer variant, with a little less spellcasting power and a few abilities stolen from the bard and paladin. Like jiriku suggested, I recommend working on the flavor a bit.
That makes sense, since this class is intended to be a specialized sorcerer, in much the same way that conjurer is a specialized wizard, though with somewhat different specializations and (I hope) more flavor.

Try to add more abilities that tie into the central storm theme.

Some suggestions:
Storm Casting- +1 Caster Level in a natural thunderstorm, tornado, or other extreme weather condition.
Storm Calling- Gain a few uses of Control Weather as a spell-like ability, but restricted to creating storms.
Wings of the Storm- Gain a 60ft fly speed in high winds.
Storm Walker- become immune to the effects of wind, rain, and other bad weather.
The storm theme is secondary, not main. The main theme is summoning creatures.

Also, as another way to distinguish it from the sorcerer, and since you seem to have a good idea of what spells the class should use, why not whip up a class list for warmage/beguiler style spellcasting? If you're not familiar with the classes, they have a limited, specialized spell list, but they know all the spells on it and can cast all of them spontaneously.
A GM allowing this class will very probably also allow spells from books I don’t have access to. And those books will very probably include spells that ought to be on the list, however I flavor the list. I prefer using categories used by all SRD-compatible sources.

Hope that helps.
It made it clear that I need to clarify my intent.

jiriku
2011-09-09, 10:38 PM
Also, the 1st chart needs spells per day at 20th level.

ideasmith
2011-09-10, 10:51 AM
Also, the 1st chart needs spells per day at 20th level.

Thanks for catching that. Fixed.

I have also lower-leveled the old 19th/20th levels features, and made various clarify-the-intent changes, including the name.

jiriku
2011-09-11, 10:27 AM
I like the layout of class features much better - there's a relatively even progression of new features now, which begins to make it a tougher decision whether or not to leave the class for a prestige class.

Changing the class name totally changes my expectations for it - there's a lot in a name. However, it's now knack that stands out as the feature that doesn't fit. Why would a summoner have a knack for electricity and sonic spells, most of which are evocations (or are listed as conjuration but clearly should have been evocation)?

ideasmith
2011-09-11, 01:21 PM
I like the layout of class features much better - there's a relatively even progression of new features now, which begins to make it a tougher decision whether or not to leave the class for a prestige class.
Your advice was helpful there. Thank you.

Changing the class name totally changes my expectations for it - there's a lot in a name. However, it's now knack that stands out as the feature that doesn't fit. Why would a summoner have a knack for electricity and sonic spells, most of which are evocations (or are listed as conjuration but clearly should have been evocation)?
I don’t find the distinction between Evocation and creation relevant to this class. I am giving each of my sorcerer-specialist classes the descriptors that seem to fit best.

{table=head]Specialist | Knack Spells |
Dominator | Enchantment school, fear descriptor, mind-affecting descriptor |
Summoner | Conjuration calling subschool, Conjuration summoning subschool, Conjuration teleport subschool, air descriptor, electricity descriptor, sonic descriptor, water descriptor |
Smithmage | Evocation school, Conjuration (creation) subschool, acid descriptor, earth descriptor, fire descriptor |
Grim Harvester | Necromancy school, cold descriptor, darkness descriptor, death descriptor |
Seer | Divination school, language-dependant descriptor, light descriptor |
Guardian | Abjuration school, Conjuration (healing) subschool, force descriptor |
Trickster | Illusion school, Universal spells |
[/table]

jiriku
2011-09-12, 01:43 AM
You got a transmutation mage in the works?

ideasmith
2011-09-12, 10:17 AM
You got a transmutation mage in the works?

I do not have a transmutation mage in the works. The transmutation, like the conjuration school, lacks consistent 'feel'. Unlike the conjuration school, it is not split into subschools that have consistent 'feel'.