A Man and his Monster-- Summoner Base Class

[Grod_The_Giant]

Summoner

HIT POINTS:
Hit Dice: 1d6 per Summoner level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Scholar level

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, and Religion

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

a light crossbow or (b) any simple weapon
a scholar’s pack or (b) an priest’s pack
One set of artisan's tools.
Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers

Alternatively, you can ignore the equipment here and in your background, and buy 5d4 × 10 gp worth of equipment from chapter 5 in the Player’s Handbook.



Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Cantrips Known
Spells Known
1st
2nd
3rd
4th


1st
+2
Bind Servitor, Servitor’s Bond,
--
--
--
--
--
--


2nd
+2
Planar Alignment, Planar Mastery
--
--
--
--
--
--


3rd
+2
Spellcasting, Improved Bind Servitor
3
3
2
--
--
--


4th
+2
Ability Score Improvement
3
4
3
--
--
--


5th
+3
Improved Bind Servitor
3
4
4
--
--
--


6th
+3
Coordinated Attack
3
4
4
--
--
--


7th
+3
Deny Service
3
5
4
2
--
--


8th
+3
Ability Score Improvement, Improved Bind Servitor
3
6
4
2
--
--


9th
+4
Alignment Ability
3
6
4
3
--
--


10th
+4
Coerce Service
4
7
4
3
--
--


11th
+4
Improved Bind Servitor
4
8
4
3
--
--


12th
+4
Ability Score Improvement
4
8
4
3
--
--


13th
+5
Ride the Astral
4
9
4
3
2
--


14th
+5
Improved Spell Link
4
10
4
3
2
--


15th
+5
Improved Bind Servitor
4
10
4
3
3
--


16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
4
11
4
3
3
--


17th
+6
Alignment Ability
4
11
4
3
3
--


18th
+6
Improved Bind Servitor
4
11
4
3
3
1


19th
+6
Ability Score Improvement
4
12
4
3
3
1


20th
+6
Genesis
4
13
4
3
3
1



Bind Servitor: With a two-hour ritual, which may be conducted as part of a long rest. you may summon forth an extradimensional spirit and bind it to your service. All Summoners have access to the servitors listed below. At the end of the two hours, the creature known as your Servitor appears and gains all the benefits of your Servitor’s Bond ability. You can have only one Servitor at a time. If you repeat this ritual while you already have a Servitor bound, your original Servitor vanishes and the new one takes its place.

If your Servitor's stat block has it wielding weapons, it is proficient in all simple and martial weapons. If it its presented as wearing armor, it is proficient with all armor of that type and lighter. If it is presented as using a shield or heavy armor, it is also proficient with shields. However, Servitors do not appear with equipment-- you must provide any weapons or armor your Servitor uses.

Once your Servitor has been bound, you may use your action to temporarily return your Servitor to its native plane, where it awaits your summon. As an action, you may return it to the material plane in any unoccupied space within 30ft of you.

Your Servitor is compelled to be loyal to you as part of the terms of its summoning, and will not knowingly disobey an order or cause you harm. If you are incapacitated, they will do their best to protect you. However, they do have their own minds, and within the terms of their loyalty they will act according to their natures.

At 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 15th, and 18th level, you gain access to more powerful spirits. Beginning at 2nd level, your Planar Alignment grants additional options for your Servitor.



Level 1: Giant Rat, Monodrone, Pony
Level 2: Constrictor Snake, Duodrone, Wolf
Level 3: Ape, Tridrone, Warhorse
Level 5: Animated Armor, Quadrone, Giant Strider
Level 8: Ankheg, Pentadrone, Ettercap
Level 11: Phase Spider, Manticore
Level 15: Girallon, Lamia
Level 18: Banderhobb, Gorgon, Umber Hulk

Your Servitor uses the statistics of the chosen creature.




Servitor’s Bond: Your Servitor gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.

The Servitor obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.
Your Servitor adds your proficiency bonus to its AC, attack rolls, save DCs, and to its damage rolls.
Your Servitor has a number of hit dice equal to your Summoner level, of whatever type the base creature possesses. It gains bonus hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Your Servitor gains proficiency in two skills of your choice, and with all saving throws.
While your Servitor is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your Servitor’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that it has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.


Planar Alignment: Beginning at 2nd level, Summoners must pick one variety of outsider to specialize in summoning: Celestials, Elementals, Fey, or Fiends. Your choice determines grants additional options for your Servitor, and grants you features at 2nd, 9th, and 17th levels.

Planar Mastery: Beginning at 2nd level, you can attune your senses to determine if any extraplanar creatures lurk nearby. By spending 1 uninterrupted minute in concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you can sense whether any creatures not native to the material plane are present within 5 miles of you. This feature reveals their types of any eligible creatures within range, their numbers, and the creatures' general direction and distance (in miles) from you. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Spell Link: Beginning at 3nd level, when you cast a spell with a range of Self or Touch, you may cause it to target your Servitor instead of you, so long as your Servitor is within 100ft.

Spellcasting: When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells.


Cantrips: You learn three cantrips of your choice from the list of Summoner Spells. You lean one additional cantrip at 10th level. Intelligence is your casting ability.

Spell Slots: The Summoner table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell shield and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast shield using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher: You know three 1st-level Summoner spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the abjuration and evocation spells on the wizard spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Summoner table shows when you learn more Summoner spells of 1st level or higher.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the Summoner spells you know with another spell of your choice from the Summoner spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Summoner spells, since you learn your spells through study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier



Coordinated Bond: Beginning at 5th level, when use your action to attack or cast a spell, if your Servitor can see you, it can use its reaction to make a melee attack against any creature within range.

Deny Service: Beginning at 7th level, you may cast Banishment as though from a 4th level slot, without providing a material component, targeting only creatures native to different planes of existence. Once you have done so, you cannot use this ability again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Coerce Service: Beginning at 13th level, you may cast Planar Binding as though from a 5th level slot, without providing a material component. Once you have done so, you cannot use this ability again until you have completed a long rest.

Ride the Astral: Beginning at 10th level, you may cast Plane Shift as a ritual, targeting only willing targets. Once you have done so, you cannot use this ability again until you have completed a short or long rest.

Improved Spell Link: Beginning at 14th level, your Servitor learns two cantrips and two spells of up to 3rd level. These choices are made at the time your Servitor is first bound; if you bind a new Servitor, you may select new spells. However, your Servitor does not have its own spell slots--instead, when it takes the Cast a Spell action, it must expend one of your spell slots. It uses your Intelligence as its casting ability. If the spell requires Concentration, you must maintain it, rather than your Servitor.

The spells must come from a list based on your Planar Alignment: Celestial Servitors learn spells from the Cleric list, Elementalists from the Druid list, Fey from the Bard list, and Fiends from the Warlock list. Whenever you gain a level of this class, you may replace one of the spells it knows with another spell of your choice from the appropriate list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Genesis: By 20th level, a Summoner's understanding of the planes rivals that of the gods. He may perform a special once-in-a-lifetime ritual to create his own demiplane. Doing so takes one week.

Demiplanes created by this power are very small, very minor planes. This power works best when manifested while you are on the Astral Plane. Manifestation of this power creates a local density fluctuation that precipitates the creation of a demiplane, one square mile in diameter. Once the new demiplane reaches its maximum size, it doesn’t really stop growing, but its growth rate decreases to only 1 foot per week (approximately a 50-foot increase in radius per year). Once your demiplane is created, you can travel to it using Plane Shift.

You determine the environment within the demiplane when you manifest genesis, reflecting most any desire you can visualize. You determine factors such as atmosphere, water, temperature, and the general shape of the terrain. You can’t create lingering magical effects on your demiplane. Similarly, you can’t create a demiplane out of esoteric material, such as silver or uranium; you’re limited to stone and dirt. You can’t manipulate the time trait on your demiplane; its time trait is as the Material Plane. Once your demiplane reaches 180 feet in radius, you can manifest this power again to gradually add another 180 feet of radius to it, and so on.

You may decorate your demiplane with vegetation and simple constructions, such as buildings, roads, and wells. Additionally, the plane forms with 100 inhabitants, drawn from the list of creatures available to serve as your Servitor. These inhabitants are real and persistent—they live and die as normal creatures of their type, though they are fanatically loyal to you and cannot exist outside the demiplane. If any are slain, the plane creates replacements at a rate of one per day.

----------------------------------------------


Alignments
Servitors: A Celestial Summoner can choose from the following servitors, based on their class level:

Level 2: Blink Dog, Lantern Archon*, Blink Dog, Pseudodragon
Level 3: Celestial Black Bear, Hound Archon*, Musteval*
Level 5: Asura*, Celestial Lion, Giant Eagle
Level 8: Bariaur*, Pegasus, Warden Archon*
Level 11: Bralani*, Hound Archon Hero*
Level 15: Bondfire Archon*, Couatl
Level 18: Movanic Deva*, Sword Archon*, Ursinal*

Any Servitor you summon has the Celestial creature type and a good alignment.

Celestial Light: Your connection to the Good-aligned planes grants you the Light cantrip. You may also cast Sanctuary as an action; once you have done so, you may not cast it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Life Bond: Beginning at 9th level, your Servitor forms a permanent Warding Bond with you. This functions as the spell, except that you may choose whether or not to activate the resistance and damage sharing effects every time you are damaged.

Summon Soul: Beginning at 17th level, you may attempt to call back the soul of any good-aligned creature who died recently. As an action, you may cast Revivify without providing a material component, or True Resurrection while providing the material component. Once you have done so, you may not use this ability again until you have completed a long rest.

*New creature described below

Servitors: An Elemental Summoner can choose from the following servitors, based on their class level:

Level 2: Mud Mephit, Smoke Mephit, Steam Mephit
Level 3: Dust Mephit, Ice Mephit, Magma Mephit
Level 5: Fire Snake, Ice Toad, Sea Spawn
Level 8: Azer, Gargoyle, Neriad
Level 11: Flail Snail, Winter Wolf
Level 15: Black Pudding, Stonemelder
Level 18: Air Elemental, Earth Elemental, Fire Elemental, Water Elemental

Any Servitor you summon has the Elemental creature type and a neutral alignment.

Stir the Elements: Your connection to the elemental planes grants you the Control Flames, Gust, Mold Earth, and Shape Water cantrips.

Elemental Link: Beginning at 9th level your Servitor is present, you share any resistance, immunity, or vulnerability it has to acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage.

Wake the Earth: Beginning at 17th level, you may use an action to target a natural source of air, earth, fire, or water of at least Gargantuan size, summoning an Elder Elemental* of the matching type. Otherwise, this functions as a Conjure Elemental spell. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you have completed a long rest.

*New creature described below

Servitors: A Fey Summoner can choose from the following servitors, based on their class level:

Level 2: Pseudodragon, Needle Blight, Sprite
Level 3: Darkling, Satyr, Vine Blight
Level 5: Dryad, Faerie Dragon (Orange, Red, or Yellow), Quickling
Level 8: Darkling Elder, Faerie Dragon (Blue, Green, Indigo, or Violet), Neriad
Level 11: Redcap, Yeti
Level 15: Yeth Hound, Etting
Level 18: Shambling Mound, Unicorn, Wood Woad

Any Servitor you summon has the Fey creature type and a neutral alignment.

Fey Connection: Your connection to the spirits of nature grants you the Druidcraft cantrip. You may also cast Hunter’s Mark from a 1st level spell slot as an action, with both you and your Servitor receiving the benefits of the spell. Once you have done so, you may not cast it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Fairy Trick: Beginning at 9th level, when you or your Servitor are targeted by an attack and your Servitor is within 60ft, you may use your reaction to trade places with it before the attack hits, changing the target.

Call the Wyld: Beginning at 17th level, you may take an action to superimpose part of the Feywild over the real world, an effect which functions as the spell Mirage Arcane. While in the altered area, you and your Servitor may cast Invisibility on yourselves as a bonus action. Once you have used this ability, you may not do so again until you have finished a long rest.

Servitors: A Fiendish Summoner can choose from the following servitors, based on their class level:

Level 2: Dretch, Giant Poisonous Snake, Slaad Tadpole
Level 3: Worg, Fire Bat*, Lesser Chasme*
Level 5: Palrethee*, Imp, Maw Demon
Level 8: Meenlock, Shadow Mastiff, Spined Devil
Level 11: Bearded Devil, Hell Hound
Level 15: Babu, Barghest
Level 18: Barbed Devil, Barlgura, Mezzoloth

Any Servitor you summon has the Fiend creature type and an evil alignment.

Fire of Hell: Your closeness to the infernal flames grants you the Produce Flame cantrip. You may also cast Hex from a 1st level spell slot as an action, with both you and your Servitor receiving the benefits of the spell. Once you have done so, you may not cast it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

Faustian Bargain: Beginning at 9th level, you learn to strike a bargain with your demonic Servitor. As long as it is present, you do not age. If you would be affected by a condition such as being blinded or poisoned, you may use a reaction to transfer the condition to your Servitor instead.

Damn to Hell: Beginning at 17th level, you may attempt to banish a creature to the nether planes. As an action, you may force one creature within 100ft to make a Charisma save. On a failure, it is transported to a location of your choice on a fiendish plane of your choice for as long as you maintain concentration, as on a spell. If you successfully concentrate for three rounds, the banishment becomes permanent. Once you have used this ability, you may not use it again until you have finished a short or long rest.

*New creature described below

----------------------------------------------


Spell List

Cantrips
Blade Ward
Guidance
Light
Message
Resistance
Spare the Dying
True Strike

1st Level Spells
Bless
Command
Comprehend Languages
Cure Wounds
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Disguise Self
Divine Favor
Healing Word
Identify
Mage Armor
Sanctuary

2nd Level Spells
Alter Self
Barkskin
Blur
Enhance Ability
Enlarge/Reduce
Hold Person
Invisibility
Magic Fang (as Magic Weapon, but for unarmed strikes)
Rope Trick
Warding Wind

3rd Level Spells
Blink
Conjure Animals
Conjure Barrage
Elemental Weapon
Fly
Life Transference
Magic Circle
Nondetection
Protection from Energy
Sending
Summon Lesser Demons
Tongues

4th Level Spells
Arcane Eye
Banishment
Conjure Minor Elementals
Conjure Woodland Beings
Dimension Door
Freedom of Movement
Greater Invisibility
Leomund’s Secret Chest
Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound
Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum
Stoneskin
Summon Greater Demon



New Servitors

I'll have more detailed information, like I have for the Lantern Archon-- and maybe even statblocks, we'll see-- up soon; for now, assume only minor tweaks from the listed creatures
Asura
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/7/76/Asura3e.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/350?cb=20180104201914
Asura are messenger spirits in service to deities, symbols of goodness and light. Use the statistics of a Harpy, but increase their Dexterity to 14, and their Intelligence to 10. They may cast Zone of Truth once per day.

Bariaur
https://1d4chan.org/images/thumb/8/85/Bariaur_%28PlaHB%29.jpg/300px-Bariaur_%28PlaHB%29.jpg
Bariaur are fierce, wild inhabitants of the plane of Ysgard. Use the statistics of a Centaur, but increase their Charisma to 14 and allow their Charge ability to work with all melee weapon attacks.

Bondfire Archon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5pbz-Kn_k60/VYJRgRpdv6I/AAAAAAAAABE/4s5fddRMUx8/w530-h530-n/LanternArchon1.jpg
More powerful cousins of lantern archons, Bondfire Archons are charged with the protection of the recently deceased from all manner of astral and demonic predators. Use the statistics of a Flameskull, but with necrotic immunity instead of cold immunity, with its Fire Ray ability dealing radiant damage, and with Guiding Bolt prepared in place of Magic Missile.

Bralani
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2Zpxu2jC6M/W6iXlv4opaI/AAAAAAAABWE/MwpNMh4S0xsoK00qIBOLOeteMwqvZsd7wCLcBGAs/s200/bralani.jpg
The fiercest and wildest of all celestials, Bralani Eladrin love to compete with others in challenges of physical and mental skill. Use the statistics of a Skyweaver (Elemental Evil), but with a Strength score of 16 and proficiency in Athletics.

Elder Elemental
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/eberron/images/9/96/Paraelementals.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120209085349
Exceptionally large and powerful elementals, Elder Elemental are the ultimate expression of their kind. Use the stats of a Cloud Giant, but of Gargantuan size. They do not have a Wind Aura, their Morningstar attack is a slam, and their Rock attack is instead a ranged spell attack dealing damage of the appropriate element type. They also gain the resistances, immunities, and special abilities of the appropriate Air/Earth/Fire/Water Elemental.

Firebat
https://bravenewdungeon.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/firebat.jpg
Feral creatures that darken the skies of the Abyss, Firebats will devour anything in their path. Use the statistics of a Firenewt Warrior (Volo's), but without no armor, a 10ft land speed and a 40ft fly speed. They lose the Amphibious and Multiattack abilities, and their scimitar attack is replaced with a talon attack dealing 2 slashing and 1d4 fire damage, but they may use their Spit Fire ability with no recharge time.

Hound Archon
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/8/85/Hound_Archon.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110621182243
The soldiers and servants of Celestia, Hound Archons are skilled and loyal warriors. Normal Hound Archons use the statistics of Hobgoblins, but with 12 Charisma and a bite attack dealing 1d4+Str damage. Hound Archon Heroes, the captains of Celestia, use the statistics of Knights, but with a bite attack dealing 1d4 damage.

Lantern Archon
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/rythiae/images/1/19/Lantern_Archon.png/revision/latest?cb=20150420203210
Appearing as nothing but a floating ball of light, Lantern Archons serve as guides to the souls of the newly dead upon their arrival in the heavens. Use the statistics of a Smoke Mephit, but with proficiency in Persuasion instead of Stealth, immunity to Radiant instead of fire, and no Death Burst ability, and they continuously emit light as a torch. Their Cinder Breath is instead a blinding burst of light with a 10ft radius, and their Claws are replaced with Light Rays (+4 to hit, range 60ft, hit 1d8 radiant damage).

Lesser Chasme
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e6/Chasme.JPG/200px-Chasme.JPG
Chasme hatch in great swarms, and not all grow to full size. Use the statistics of a Giant Wasp, but with Intelligence 8, and dealing necrotic damage instead of poison.

Movanic Deva
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/4/4e/Movanic_deva.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/322?cb=20180114112928
The least and most numerous of the devas, Movanic Devas serve as infantry in battles with the forces of darkness. Use the statistics of a Gladiator, but with a 40ft fly speed and the ability to transform into a mortal form as an action. The extra damage from their Brute ability is fire damage, rather than weapon.

Musteval
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gamelore/images/7/73/Musteval.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150720021621
The smallest of the guardinals, Mustevals are celestial spies and saboteurs. Use the statistics of a Scout, but with Small size and a 30ft climb speed.

Palrethee
http://cracksmacker.com/rpg/savagetide/files/creature-palrethee.jpg
Demons who failed at their attempt to become Balors and were plunged into bitterness, Palrethee would burn the world if given the excuse. Use the statistics of a Firenewt Warlock of Imix (Volo's), but without the amphibious quality, and with claws dealing d4+1 piercing damage and 1d4 fire damage.

Sword Archon
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/2/2b/Sword_Archon_3e.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/301?cb=20180109175351
Princes of heaven, Sword Archons rule their cities with justice and generosity for all. Use the statistics for a Half Red Dragon Veteran, but with wings granting them a 30ft fly speed. They lose the Fire Breath ability, but may transform their arms into burning longswords, making three attacks each dealing 1d8+3 slashing damage and 1d6 fire damage.

Ursinal
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gamelore/images/1/1c/Ursinal.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20150720021720
The scholars and philosophers of Elysium, Ursinals are nevertheless devastating warriors when pushed. Use the statistics for a Werebear who cannot assume humanoid form, but with Intelligence and Wisdom 16 and proficiency in History. They also can cast spells as a 3rd level spellcaster, with the following list: Mending, True Strike, Alarm, Magic Missile, Identify, Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, and Suggestion. They use Int as their casting stat.

Warden Archon: Cave Bear
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/a/a8/Warden_Archon_3e.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/323?cb=20180109181713
The ever-vigilant guardians of Celestia, Warden Archons are gentle by nature but deadly when roused. Use the statistics of a Cave Bear, but with 12 Intelligence and Keen Sight instead of Keen Smell.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Phew! Updated with a complete list of new Servitor types. Rassum frassum lack of statted out celestials...

[The Cats]

I was going to talk about how the class itself doesn't have a lot of features in the early level, basically meaning you're playing as the servitor with an extra vanilla action, but looking at the servitors I think this is the right way to make a class like this. Lots of fantastical options with fantastical abilities.

Skills: no animal handling?

Bind Servitor I think "bounded" and "bound" are synonymous, but "bounded" sounds goofy. Could use a bit about what happens to your current servitor when you summon a new one.

Servitor's Bond If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own. Does it try to protect you or anything? You say earlier they have their own minds, so once you're knocked out would a barghest be like "Welp I'm just gonna take off and try to find some goblins to rule. Good luck!"

Spell Link appears on both levels 2 and 3 on the table

Ride the Astral You're granting a 7th level spell at character level 10 without needing components, and recharging on a short rest.

Improved Spell Link This is where I start thinking the later levels are overtuned. The servitors already have a bunch of cool abilities, now they can cast spells from different classes that are as powerful as any spell you can cast. Major boost in power level and utility, and makes any cleric/druid/bard/warlock in the party feel a little less special.

Genesis Badaaaaaassssss! However with your short-rest Plane Shift you could pop a small army of your planes inhabitants over to the material pretty easily.

Elemental Alignment, Wake the Earth You don't have Elder Elemental statted.

Fey Alignment, Call the Wyld A mile-wide, actually real Hallucinatory Terrain is essentially Mirage Arcane.

The three level 17 abilities for Elemental, Fey and Fiend feel like they're capstone-level powerful (and beyond).

Elemental: Depends on the stats of Elder elemental, but regardless, a gargantuan dude made of bits of the local area can decimate an ecology. Destroy an entire dungeon in one go. Maybe wipe out an island or small city with a few castings. And it only takes an action. Since you're using Conjure Elemental the elemental doesn't go away when you lose concentration, you just lose control, so the baddies have to deal with this huge thing regardless of whether you stick around or not, and the local terrain never recovers.

Fey: Unlimited advantage and teleportation for an hour, and a 7th level spell for the low low price of one action.

Fiend: Save or die OHKO on anything ever. (EDIT: Just remembered that the monk's five-point-palm-exploding-heart-technique is a thing so... meh)

Probably the best (read: coolest) pet class homebrew I've seen. Usual problem is they look boring: You're just playing the pet. But the pets here are varied and all have interesting abilities that'll give them different roles, and there's no real penalty I can see to switching them up whenever you want. Hard to suss the balance with all those beasties to look through. Early levels look good from my perspective. Later levels need some toning down.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I was going to talk about how the class itself doesn't have a lot of features in the early level, basically meaning you're playing as the servitor with an extra vanilla action, but looking at the servitors I think this is the right way to make a class like this. Lots of fantastical options with fantastical abilities.
Yeah, I definitely did not want your summon to be an amorphous blob, but having it be combat capable doesn't leave a lot of room for features on your "main" character.


Skills: no animal handling?
Good idea.


Bind Servitor I think "bounded" and "bound" are synonymous, but "bounded" sounds goofy. Could use a bit about what happens to your current servitor when you summon a new one.
Typo. Also yes, good idea.


Servitor's Bond If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own. Does it try to protect you or anything? You say earlier they have their own minds, so once you're knocked out would a barghest be like "Welp I'm just gonna take off and try to find some goblins to rule. Good luck!"
I'll add some clarification.


Spell Link appears on both levels 2 and 3 on the table
That was a last minute change...I was pretty indecisive about where to put it. I want to say grant it and cantrips at 2, when classes generally get their second defining feature, but that would mean breaking the 1/3 casting template...


Ride the Astral You're granting a 7th level spell at character level 10 without needing components, and recharging on a short rest.
I took out the offensive element, making it more of an adventure-unlocking ability. Maybe switch it with Coerce Service?


Improved Spell Link This is where I start thinking the later levels are overtuned. The servitors already have a bunch of cool abilities, now they can cast spells from different classes that are as powerful as any spell you can cast. Major boost in power level and utility, and makes any cleric/druid/bard/warlock in the party feel a little less special.
Yeah, agreed. Go back to letting it share your spell pool, maybe?


Genesis Badaaaaaassssss! However with your short-rest Plane Shift you could pop a small army of your planes inhabitants over to the material pretty easily.
I'll make it so they can't leave the plane, perhaps.


Elemental Alignment, Wake the Earth You don't have Elder Elemental statted.
Whoops.


Fey Alignment, Call the Wyld A mile-wide, actually real Hallucinatory Terrain is essentially Mirage Arcane.
...you are correct, though Mirage Arcane lasts for 10 days with a single casting.


The three level 17 abilities for Elemental, Fey and Fiend feel like they're capstone-level powerful (and beyond).
I was going for "9th level spell," which are also crazy powerful 1/day abilities. I might have overshot, though.


Elemental: Depends on the stats of Elder elemental, but regardless, a gargantuan dude made of bits of the local area can decimate an ecology. Destroy an entire dungeon in one go. Maybe wipe out an island or small city with a few castings. And it only takes an action. Since you're using Conjure Elemental the elemental doesn't go away when you lose concentration, you just lose control, so the baddies have to deal with this huge thing regardless of whether you stick around or not, and the local terrain never recovers.
Whoops. It was going to be keyed off the Cloud Giant as a big CR ~9 melee brute. How 'bout if it's not literally moving a chunk of the world around, and just summoning a big bruiser for an hour?


Fey: Unlimited advantage and teleportation for an hour, and a 7th level spell for the low low price of one action.
I'll tune it down.


Fiend: Save or die OHKO on anything ever. (EDIT: Just remembered that the monk's five-point-palm-exploding-heart-technique is a thing so... meh)
I was aiming for 9th level spell equivalent; this is pretty similar to Imprisonment (save-or-lose).


Probably the best (read: coolest) pet class homebrew I've seen. Usual problem is they look boring: You're just playing the pet. But the pets here are varied and all have interesting abilities that'll give them different roles, and there's no real penalty I can see to switching them up whenever you want. Hard to suss the balance with all those beasties to look through. Early levels look good from my perspective. Later levels need some toning down.
Thanks!

[The Cats]

I took out the offensive element, making it more of an adventure-unlocking ability. Maybe switch it with Coerce Service?
Oh I missed that you took out the banishing. Looks more reasonable. Could think about upping the casting time to ten minutes so it's not a short rest get-out-of-jail-free card too. Removes any combat capabilities but keeps it as a very useful ribbon.



Yeah, agreed. Go back to letting it share your spell pool, maybe?
As in your pet can cast your spells for you using your spell slots? Or would they have their own slots? Kinda hard to figure which would hit the spot without a lot of playtesting I guess. Granted I think this class would need a butt-ton of playtesting regardless for real fine-tuning XD.




Whoops. It was going to be keyed off the Cloud Giant as a big CR ~9 melee brute. How 'bout if it's not literally moving a chunk of the world around, and just summoning a big bruiser for an hour?
Yeah, just making it a summon-from-another-plane deals with it pretty well I think.


I'd let one of my players be this class if they wanted to. Granted I'd be standing ready with a nerf-hammer just in case the stuff that looks reasonable in theory turns out to not be. But that's always the risk (and the fun) of exploring design space that hasn't really been touched by official materials at all.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Oh I missed that you took out the banishing. Looks more reasonable. Could think about upping the casting time to ten minutes so it's not a short rest get-out-of-jail-free card too. Removes any combat capabilities but keeps it as a very useful ribbon.
Ooh, ritual timing is a good idea. Should I also drop it to long rest as well, do you think?


As in your pet can cast your spells for you using your spell slots? Or would they have their own slots? Kinda hard to figure which would hit the spot without a lot of playtesting I guess. Granted I think this class would need a butt-ton of playtesting regardless for real fine-tuning XD.
Using your spell slots, yeah... Or maybe just demote it to long rest casting? 3rd level spells at 14th level are pretty far behind the curve. Outsiders in previous editions have had big lists of spell-like abilities that just don't appear in 5e, and feel missing...


Yeah, just making it a summon-from-another-plane deals with it pretty well I think.
Roger.


I'd let one of my players be this class if they wanted to. Granted I'd be standing ready with a nerf-hammer just in case the stuff that looks reasonable in theory turns out to not be. But that's always the risk (and the fun) of exploring design space that hasn't really been touched by official materials at all.
Truth-- and anything that lets players open the monster manual is doubly so (coughPixiescough). I based the CR progression off the xp budget for an easy encounter for 1 pc, and I tried to filter for dangerous abilities, but... Still, I'd rather have it be fun and a bit wonky than totally clean but flavorless.

[The Cats]

Ooh, ritual timing is a good idea. Should I also drop it to long rest as well, do you think?

I dunno, now that it's just a ribbon I like the idea of short rest planeshift. "Oooh I want to make some tasty pies but I'm all out of apples. Welp, I'll just pop over to Elysium for a bit. brb!"



Using your spell slots, yeah... Or maybe just demote it to long rest casting? 3rd level spells at 14th level are pretty far behind the curve. Outsiders in previous editions have had big lists of spell-like abilities that just don't appear in 5e, and feel missing...
Just spitballing here: When you summon a servitor you can choose X spells from [planar alignment spell list? Or I guess you could use cleric/druid/bard/warlock] the servitor can cast each spell once per day using your spellcasting ability mods. You can choose one additional spell at Y and Z levels or whatever.

... which isn't much different from what you had originally when I think about it. I dunno man. This is essentially letting you cast and concentrate on two spells per turn however you do it, which is generally accepted as OPOP. But then, it's only 3rd level spells... yeah it's tricky. Restricting it to "Celestials learn spells A B and C, fiends learn spells D E and F" would let you mitigate that, but also removes customization and increases the word count.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I dunno, now that it's just a ribbon I like the idea of short rest planeshift. "Oooh I want to make some tasty pies but I'm all out of apples. Welp, I'll just pop over to Elysium for a bit. brb!"
I decided to stick with short rest, but bring back the material component and force you into ritual time.


Just spitballing here: When you summon a servitor you can choose X spells from [planar alignment spell list? Or I guess you could use cleric/druid/bard/warlock] the servitor can cast each spell once per day using your spellcasting ability mods. You can choose one additional spell at Y and Z levels or whatever.

... which isn't much different from what you had originally when I think about it. I dunno man. This is essentially letting you cast and concentrate on two spells per turn however you do it, which is generally accepted as OPOP. But then, it's only 3rd level spells... yeah it's tricky. Restricting it to "Celestials learn spells A B and C, fiends learn spells D E and F" would let you mitigate that, but also removes customization and increases the word count.
I cut it back to 2 spells and 2 cantrips, using your spell slots and making you provide any concentration that might be required. How's it look now?

Also made a bunch of other changes we discussed.

[The Cats]

Cool. Keeps the nice action economy boost of 2 spells in one turn but you can't do it a ton and no concentration shenanigans.

Does the invisibility of Call the Wyld take a spell slot? Does the Mirage Arcane last the whole ten days? As written you could make a 9-mile by 9-mile chunk of land feywild before any of it starts fading, which I think is great but dunno if it was intended.

[Kane0]

Looks solid! I can't speak for the balance of the creatures and features that impact them in play (like level 5 granting reaction attack on top of the normal Bind Servitor CR progression) so i've really only got nitpicks to offer.

- Why split the Bind Servitor and Servitor's Bond features? The level splits also seem just a bit off, comparing to big jumps in casting power (MFoV happen to elucidate this much more clearly than me a few entries ago in regards to their decisionmaking process for Binder Vestiges)
- Are cantrips supposed to come online one level before the rest of the EK/AT progression casting?
- Planar Mastery can be spammed, not a balance concern but could annoy DMs
- For Coerce Service, it appears you are missing Magic Circle on the spell list for use with it. Was that intentional?
- Ride the Astral seems (feeling, not fact) usable a bit too often for the level you get it, perhaps impose some sort of drawback on repeated use ala Evoker Overchannel (maybe exhaustion?)
- Improved Spell Link, why not just use your casting stat if they are otherwise just casting spells for you from a bigger list? Would make sense seeing as they are using your slots and concentration.
- Also on Improved Spell Link, why not roll the feature into an Alignment feature at the same level? Base class features generally don't reference subclass ones and it opens you up for adding additional Alignments in the future without having to update ISL to include the spell lists
- Genesis, neat capstone but at face value appears to lack use in the combat pillar. Which I personally have no strong feelings one way or the other, just pointing it out as breaking the mold of other classes. Could probably be simplified a bit too, but that's neither here nor there.
- Servitor choices: I can see why you didn't open up to CR + Type, in preparation for future content presumably. Still, some variety to choose between more than 2-3 at each tier would be nice. I don't currently have any ideas on how to strike a balance here i'm afraid. You also specify the level breaks in both the Level 1 ability and the Subclass features so may be a double up on text there.
- Spell list and new critters seem solid at first glance, will have to take a closer look when I have some more time sorry

Hope this helps!

Edit: Wait i did have one idea, how about adding in the option for some lower power generic summon options for all summoners, like beasts, so they arent locked into just one creature type to choose from.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Looks solid! I can't speak for the balance of the creatures and features that impact them in play (like level 5 granting reaction attack on top of the normal Bind Servitor CR progression) so i've really only got nitpicks to offer.
- Why split the Bind Servitor and Servitor's Bond features?
Thanks! I pretty much stole the revised ranger Beastmaster mechanics (which is also why the bind/bond features are split), so... hopefully good?


The level splits also seem just a bit off, comparing to big jumps in casting power (MFoV happen to elucidate this much more clearly than me a few entries ago in regards to their decisionmaking process for Binder Vestiges)
To figure out Servitor power, I looked at the XP budget for an easy encounter of a single character, then matched that with CR. And then, uh... adjusted it slightly, for reasons I no longer remember, but probably relate to spacing out features. The original math looks like this, which is a little weird because of how steep the low-level XP curve is.

1st cr 1/8
2nd cr 1/4
4th cr 1/2
5th cr 1
8th cr 2
11th cr 3
13th cr 4
17th cr 5


- Are cantrips supposed to come online one level before the rest of the EK/AT progression casting?
Yeah. I wanted to keep the usual template of significant abilities at each of the first three levels; otherwise, 2nd was depressingly dead. I guess I could shift cantrips and Planar Link back and move the alignment SLAs to 2nd?


- Planar Mastery can be spammed, not a balance concern but could annoy DMs
Stolen from the revised ranger again. Maybe 1/short rest?


- For Coerce Service, it appears you are missing Magic Circle on the spell list for use with it. Was that intentional?
Nope; I'll add it.


- Ride the Astral seems (feeling, not fact) usable a bit too often for the level you get it, perhaps impose some sort of drawback on repeated use ala Evoker Overchannel (maybe exhaustion?)
Hmm... it's a ritual, meaning it won't help you in combat, and it's once/short rest, meaning you'll have to spend at least some time in the new plane. I think that's enough of a limit?


- Improved Spell Link, why not just use your casting stat if they are otherwise just casting spells for you from a bigger list? Would make sense seeing as they are using your slots and concentration.
Sure. That's probably simpler.


- Also on Improved Spell Link, why not roll the feature into an Alignment feature at the same level? Base class features generally don't reference subclass ones and it opens you up for adding additional Alignments in the future without having to update ISL to include the spell lists
I went back and forth on it. I wound up sticking it in the main class because it felt repetitive otherwise.


- Genesis, neat capstone but at face value appears to lack use in the combat pillar. Which I personally have no strong feelings one way or the other, just pointing it out as breaking the mold of other classes. Could probably be simplified a bit too, but that's neither here nor there.
I feel like the 17th level subclass features are the "real" capstones; those give you devastating combat power. This at least satisfies the "seriously cool" standard.


- Servitor choices: I can see why you didn't open up to CR + Type, in preparation for future content presumably. Still, some variety to choose between more than 2-3 at each tier would be nice. I don't currently have any ideas on how to strike a balance here i'm afraid. You also specify the level breaks in both the Level 1 ability and the Subclass features so may be a double up on text there.
Oh gods, the Servitor choices. I spent ages pouring though monster lists; the fundamental problem is even mining classic D&D monster manuals for ideas, there just... aren't that many low level extraplanar creatures. I wanted to have a generic list but couldn't find enough options to flesh it out. 3.5 taught me to be leery of abilities that are too open-ended. Heck, there are already problems-- I don't want anyone binding a Pixie at level 1.


Hope this helps!
Very much, thanks.

[Kane0]

Oh, on pixies and such.
You could try something like letting servitors cast your spells for you starting when you get them at level 3, but when summoned any spellcasting capability they had themselves is lost (from level 1). Then you can give them back their innate casting abilities for Improved Spell Link.
Just a thought

[Grod_The_Giant]

Edit: Wait i did have one idea, how about adding in the option for some lower power generic summon options for all summoners, like beasts, so they arent locked into just one creature type to choose from.
That's not a bad idea at all. I've restructured things so that you get generic summons at 1st, your subclass at 2nd, and casting at 3rd-- that should work out alright.


Oh, on pixies and such.
You could try something like letting servitors cast your spells for you starting when you get them at level 3, but when summoned any spellcasting capability they had themselves is lost (from level 1). Then you can give them back their innate casting abilities for Improved Spell Link.
Just a thought
The problem with that approach is that it largely limits you to melee brutes. The pixie is inappropriate for level 1, but the flameskull/bondfire archon is fun for level 18...