Binder - worth using my second bind for Ipos if my Primary is Zceryll?

[Cagemarrow]

We're about to reach level 11 in my current game and my Binder has become the defacto healer and battlefield controller for the party, with the occasional foray into party tank when the druid is absent. My character is a Binder 6, Knight of the Sacred Seal 2, Intermediate Bloodline (Fey) 2 with an Effective Binder Level of 12 at the moment, next level will up it to 13. The common vestiges I use are Naberious, Haures, Dhalver-Nar, and Zceryll.

My question therefore is, would it be worth it to use the vestige Ipos to up my EBL for Zceryll to 14 so I could increase my summons to Summon Monster VII or would I be better off using a different second vestige and sticking with Summon Monster VI?

Having access to the Avoral, Djinn, and the Movadiac Deva are very tempting I will have to admit, but the limit of how often I can summon replacements makes me reluctant to do this. At level 12 it won't be necessary and I'll have a third vestige to bind to expand my options even further, though then I may be tempted to take the Favored Vestige feat for Zceryll and be in the same situation, where binding Ipos would give me access to the next level of Summon Monster.

[Cagemarrow]

If higher level Summon Monsters is worth it there may be some additional things I can try to get even more faster. It would work something like this I think.

11th Level - EBL 13, use Ipos to gain EBL 14 for Zceryll and gain access to Summon Monster VII
12th Level - EBL 14, take feat Favored Vestige Zceryll to gain EBL 15 for Zceryll, use Ipos to gain EBL 16 for Zceryll and gain access to Summon Monster VIII
14th Level - EBL 16, gain +2 EBL for Zceryl from Ipos and FV for EBL 18 and gain access to Summon Monster IX


This will effectively give me access to a 9th level spell once every 5 rounds. . .its a bit unreal.

[Shadowhunter]

Ipos. Summon monster VII have the Arrow Demon. 
That is all.

Also, the True Seeing is welcome. The Cold Iron claws aren't that impressive, but who needs those?
You have Arrow Demons.


Damn, Zceryll is really ridiculous. 100 Mindsight and summons. Zceryll alone makes it hard for me to argue that Binders remain Tier 3. For some reason I thought SMVII was the highest level they could achieve.. but they can manage SMIX.

Can you notice I like Arrow Demons?

[Cagemarrow]

Ooh, that's really mean. Do you know if they get two extra attacks from Rapid shot? It has the feat but is not listed as a Full Attack option.

[Shadowhunter]

As I interpret it, the full attack line given in MM3 does not use Rapid Shot.
That would change the pattern to two more attacks and all attacks would be at 2 less.
Normally, if a monster uses a feat when fighting, it says so somewhere. Usually with an asterix * and a little text.
There's plenty of monsters that have Power Attack, but they obviously don't use those (Ettin, Titan) in their normal attack pattern. But I don't see why a monster wouldn't be able to use a feat they have if they so choose to.

So, arrow demons should be able to shoot 2 more arrows.

[Cagemarrow]

It's too bad they're an evil summon, my character is trying very hard to convince the world that he's a good guy.

[Shadowhunter]

Right, now I remember. You're the Red Hand of Doom guy with the memphits and the soften eart to mud idea!
I loved that idea.
IIRC, there's some Paladins or other stuck-up do-good'ers in your group.
Hrrm. Something a little less evil.

...aren't you also the guy behind "Party perception of my character?" or somesuch?
Your group doesn't strike me as the funniest to play with, but I'm sure they have their good moments


Anyway, something a little less evil. Failing that, something that doesn't look Evil.
I know, if you want to get on their good side (pun intended) why not summon a Justice Archon from MM4?
Their Justice Strike is nasty against bruisers, since it deals damage equal to their own primary weapon. The harder their attack, the more it's going to hurt themselves.
Justice Archons themselves are thematically very good and respectable, so...

[Cagemarrow]

Yep, that's me. The plan worked perfectly for taking out the bridge. The wizard and myself blasted the dragon with fireballs while the ninja took out the hell hounds as they came across the bridge and the cleric summoned the mephits to take out the bridges supporting cliff face. Earned myself a lifelong enemy that day when I hit the Green Dragon with Vile Fireballs. He wasn't able to find a cleric on consecrated ground to heal him so he's scarred for life now.

The Paladin that was instigating most of the drama has dropped out of the group, his girlfriend's only day off happens to be the only day the rest of us can play.

I'll have to look at the Justice Archon, sounds neat, but also might pose a bit of a thematic problem for my PC. His father is a Deacon from the Church of St Cuthbert and he's seen the kind of havoc that Law for Law's sake can cause. He was on the run from his father after he found out that my character was a Binder. Though in story that might be clearing up soon, he just rescued his father from the hands of a torturing devil that the Horde was employing, so maybe just maybe he can convince his dad that not all Binders are evil incarnate. Of course with my luck his father will think it was all part of his evil plan to trick him into letting the binder live.

[Shadowhunter]

Well, the Justice Archon is summoned, so it should follow your commands. If it doesn't, SMI-IX are all (D), as in dismissible.
It just is a nice card to have. I mean:

"I just summoned a Justice Archon dad. Justice as in the Law.
Justice as in the Retribution that follows when you break The Law.
You know, St. Cuthberts credo?
How can I be a evil man if a Justice Archon heeds my call?"

*insert Naberious-bound bluff check *

(Just make sure you don't have it portraying any tentacles, then the shit will probably hit the fan).

[Cagemarrow]

I see that Monadic Deva's are rather ridiculous. To start they get Prayer, Protection from Arrows, and Death ward at will, as well as Cure Serious Wounds, Divination, and Atonement 3/day, and Raise Dead 1/day all as Spell like abilities. To top it off it gets a double strength protection from evil and lesser globe of invulnerability with a 20ft radius.

My initial plan may well be worth it for this summon alone, not to mention the fact that it will let me summon as many evil creatures as I want and as long as I summon one of these at the end of the day to atone for using such evil creatures. Of course that will only affect my own alignment I'll still have to deal with the PR of summoning evil creatures.