Practical Demonkeeping (A Summoner's Guide to the Lower Planes)

[bearsarebrown]

Interesting. Might make a Wizard 3 / Psion 3 / Cerebremancer (or Mind Mage) 9 / Malconvoker 5 build a unique take on the archetype. Not as effective (poor, poor, pitiful dual progression), but certainly a new way of looking at it, though you're going to give up 9th level spells to do so without early entry tricks. Some of those special qualities are a bit expensive in terms of PP, though. I do like giving Pounce and/or flight to things whenever I can. As a DM, I would rule that the feat can apply to multiple summons as long as you pay the PP cost for each one.

Wizard 1/ Ardent 2/Cerebremancer XX can do it without losing 9th level spells. So can Anima Mages (as pointed out above)

[KellKheraptis]

My is it ever a bad thing when Kell reads through stuff like this, especially after a little gem called Nybor's psychic imprint...I wonder how my current Incantatrix/Metaphysical Spellshaper will enjoy his non-dispellable Black Ethergaunt base Int of 30 and body of a cloned (still on the fence here).  Not to mention the uses in creating loyal minions, without the power lag of simulacrums.  Bravo!

[Archmage Joda]

So where is this Nybor's Psychic Imprint found?

[KellKheraptis]

So where is this Nybor's Psychic Imprint found?

The latest page of the Free DnD thread

[Archmage Joda]

First, I want to second the mention of the Necrotic Cyst line of spells gained from the Mother Cyst feat for when you want more permanent servitude from planar binds. Just debuff, cyst, and necrotic tumor them. However, this method has a bit of a problem: Ethergaunts have immunity to 2nd level arcane spells, so unless you can somehow  convince one to let you put zombie cancer into it, you need some way to get it as a divine spell or a spell higher than what the corresponding ethergaunt can ignore (6th lvl for Black). Would Heightening the cyst work? or Southern Magician?

Also, since the "Favorite Summons" list is still littered with RAW summons, what would be the most advised list of extras to take with Fiendish Summoning Specialist?

[PhaedrusXY]

First, I want to second the mention of the Necrotic Cyst line of spells gained from the Mother Cyst feat for when you want more permanent servitude from planar binds. Just debuff, cyst, and necrotic tumor them. However, this method has a bit of a problem: Ethergaunts have immunity to 2nd level arcane spells, so unless you can somehow  convince one to let you put zombie cancer into it, you need some way to get it as a divine spell or a spell higher than what the corresponding ethergaunt can ignore (6th lvl for Black). Would Heightening the cyst work? or Southern Magician?

Also, since the "Favorite Summons" list is still littered with RAW summons, what would be the most advised list of extras to take with Fiendish Summoning Specialist?

Heighten should work just fine. So would casting it as a cleric. I have Mother Cyst on an Ur-Priest of mine...

[CantripN]

First, I want to second the mention of the Necrotic Cyst line of spells gained from the Mother Cyst feat for when you want more permanent servitude from planar binds. Just debuff, cyst, and necrotic tumor them. However, this method has a bit of a problem: Ethergaunts have immunity to 2nd level arcane spells, so unless you can somehow  convince one to let you put zombie cancer into it, you need some way to get it as a divine spell or a spell higher than what the corresponding ethergaunt can ignore (6th lvl for Black). Would Heightening the cyst work? or Southern Magician?

Yes, those two should work, but I'd rather try and use Trait Removal to suppress their Immunity to Spells.

[Archmage Joda]

Well, that works fine for Red and White Ethergaunts, but Black ones have the immunity to spells of 6th level or lower, and Trait Removal is a 5th level spell.

Edit: Although Ability Rip, in the same book, is a 7th level spell that works because the immunity is supernatural, although you may not want to transfer the ability to yourself, since it costs either another supernatural ability in return, or 2 class levels/HD if you don't have any (Su) abilities to give up.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Knowledge affiliation.

[Ed-Zero]

Is it just me or does the Fiendbinder's class abilities not really work with any of the monsters you suggest? I'm saying this because it seems like the monsters they get to summon are from a specific list..

[Gnorman]

First, I want to second the mention of the Necrotic Cyst line of spells gained from the Mother Cyst feat for when you want more permanent servitude from planar binds. Just debuff, cyst, and necrotic tumor them. However, this method has a bit of a problem: Ethergaunts have immunity to 2nd level arcane spells, so unless you can somehow  convince one to let you put zombie cancer into it, you need some way to get it as a divine spell or a spell higher than what the corresponding ethergaunt can ignore (6th lvl for Black). Would Heightening the cyst work? or Southern Magician?

Also, since the "Favorite Summons" list is still littered with RAW summons, what would be the most advised list of extras to take with Fiendish Summoning Specialist?

Top two or three choices follow:

I: Tiefling or skiruid, simply because you have so few other options.
II: Frost dwarf & kython broodling.
III: Abyssal maw & tanarruk (this is a very sparse level non-RAW, most of your RAW choices will suffice)
IV: Voor voor voor voor voor (okay, still RAW but seriously) also maybe stone flyer, advespa or legion devil
V: Bar-lgura & canoloth, maybe jovoc
VI: Kocrachon, naityan rakshasa, & tsucora quori
VII: Succubus, zaikya rakshasa, & akleu
VIII: Carnevus, mavawhan, & dreadful lasher voor if possible (Aspect of Yeenoghu if not)
IX: Earth glider, abyssal giant, & vathugu/aspect of Asmodeus (Aspect of Sekolah if aquatic)

Is it just me or does the Fiendbinder's class abilities not really work with any of the monsters you suggest? I'm saying this because it seems like the monsters they get to summon are from a specific list..

Yes, very specific: the best advice I can give is to just not take Fiendbinder. It requires Truenaming, after all - if that doesn't turn you off, I don't know what to tell you in order to dissuade you. Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea. Succubus harems are overrated, and it's pretty much a waste of actions to command a subpar minion. Malconvoker does it a million times better, with almost the same flavor.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Fey'ri can be better than generic tieflings.

[Gnorman]

Fey'ri can be better than generic tieflings.

True, but they're not summonable at level 1. Tieflings, by virtue of being CR 1/2, are.

[Sinfire Titan]

skiruid

...


Oh god, we can actually summon them can't we? Whelp, I now know what I'm throwing at my IRL players next level.

[Gnorman]

skiruid

...


Oh god, we can actually summon them can't we? Whelp, I now know what I'm throwing at my IRL players next level.

Not by RAW, though.

[Akalsaris]

It's too bad that summoning them isn't raw, given that they even have a "For PCs bar" in the monster description.  I'd love to use my SM I slots on critters that can do an aoe darkness + 1d6 dmg + 1 str dmg, and when the opponents die they turn into walnuts that buff my spells.  Who wouldn't want that?

[Endarire]

The pink text from Other Fiendish Creatures, Part III is nearly invisible on a white background.

[Gnorman]

The pink text from Other Fiendish Creatures, Part III is nearly invisible on a white background.

Changed it to maroon.

[bearsarebrown]

Kezef the Chaos Hound from Champions of Ruin page 144 has 28HD, so it's a hard summon, but he takes 20 on initiative, has a racial +10, and is immune to surprise. and the good part, "...never fail to lose a creatures trail..." and "...impossible to hide from..." while moving at the speed of teleport.

[Gnorman]

Kezef the Chaos Hound from Champions of Ruin page 144 has 28HD, so it's a hard summon, but he takes 20 on initiative, has a racial +10, and is immune to surprise. and the good part, "...never fail to lose a creatures trail..." and "...impossible to hide from..." while moving at the speed of teleport.

Good catch. I'll throw it and Bazim-Gorag in the Lords of the Lower Planes section.