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Sanosuke
2007-07-26, 02:04 PM
My current group wants me to go cleric, but I don't like the thought that they want me to live vicariously through them and just heal damage. I saw that the Spell Compendium has a Summoning domain that lets me cast conjuration (summoning) spells at +2 caster levels and have most of the Summon Monster spells as domain spells. Is this worth pursuing? What else should I do to make this character at least capable at healing while being a powerful summoner?

MeklorIlavator
2007-07-26, 02:13 PM
To make someone competent at healing, going Cleric 1-20 would work fine. If you really want to be a summoner, however, I would suggest Druid, as their summon spells are superior to the Summon Monster spells. This will mean that you have to prepare healing spells, but its not that hard to do at low levels, and at higher ones you should have wands, so no biggie. One word of advice about healing, though. In combat healing is generally not worthwhile until you get Heal, or the person is almost dying. Instead, concentrate on taking the Bad guy down, to minimize overall damage.

Everyman
2007-07-26, 02:19 PM
I agree with Meklor. Being a druid summoner is far more efficient than a Cleric one. Since you don't want to be the band-aid of the group but may need to have some healing powers, it's up to you about which class to take...

Go cleric and you'll be a healer who summons on the side.
Go druid and you'll be a summoner who heals on the side.

Frankly, it sounds like you'd be happier as a druid.

As far as feats, I would recommend Augment Summoning (THE summoning feat), Rapid Spell, and Imbued Summoning...which I think is in PHBII. In a nutshell, Rapid Spell a metamagic feat that reduces the casting time of long spells. For you, that means you can prepare some Rapid Summon spells that only take a standard action to cast. Nothing like throwing extra allies into combat to give you some cover while bringing in the big boys.

Imbued Summoning causes your summons to appear in battle with a 3rd level or lower spell attached to them.

Darrin
2007-07-26, 02:37 PM
I agree with Meklor. Being a druid summoner is far more efficient than a Cleric one. Since you don't want to be the band-aid of the group but may need to have some healing powers, it's up to you about which class to take...

Go cleric and you'll be a healer who summons on the side.
Go druid and you'll be a summoner who heals on the side.


If you need spontaneous cure spells as a druid, the Spontaneous Healer feat from Complete Divine would allow that (#/day = Wis bonus).

There's a similar feat that might allow a Cleric to cast Summon Nature's Ally spontaneously, but getting those spells on your spell list can be problematic.

While Augment Summoning is fun for druids, it requires Spell Focus: Conjuring, which is pretty much useless for druids, since none of their other core conjuration spells require saves. If you happen to be playing in a Forgotten Realms game, then pick up Initiate of Malar instead. This grants the same benefits of Augment Summoning, but doesn't require the useless prereq feat.

Druids also get Goodberry, and if you're using Complete Divine then also the Vigor spells (which Extend very nicely at lower levels), which give a little more flexibility when you're healing the party during down-time.

The Mormegil
2007-07-26, 02:59 PM
Yeah, of course, druids. But what about Divine Metamagic with Persistent Spell to have your little army of creatures? Go Cloistered Cleric and use extra skill points to learn languages and communicate with your servants. Take elemental domains to multiply your turn/rebuke attempts and/or Planning domain, that grants you Extend Spell. Take two flaws and be human. Go Thaumaturge (DMG). It's Extend Spell (domain), Persistent Spell (flaw), Quicken Spell (flaw), Rapid Spell (human), Divine Metamagic (1st level); Spell Focus (conjuration) (3rd level); Augment Summoning (Thaumaturge), Imbued Summoning (6th level); Extra Turnings now on.