Summoner (v0.5)
The art of contacting beings beyond the pale is a magic as old as time itself. Long before wizards recorded spells in books or clerics bowed before far-off deities, enterprising mages pulled at the fabric of the universe to summon entities beyond their control, negotiating for power with the wit of their tongues and the skin of their teeth.
The ambition and means of summoners are many. Some summoners deal only in fairies and local spirits, asking for favors such as cleaning their houses or spying on a lover in return for food or drink. Others test themselves by contacting aberrations and archdevils, sometimes finding themselves wrapped up in bargains beyond their means.
Creating a Summoner
To create a summoner, consult the following subsections, which give you hit points, proficiencies, and starting equipment. Then look at the Summoner table to see which features you get at each level. The descriptions of those features appear in the “Summoner Features” section.
Quick Build
You can make a summoner quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Wisdom, followed by Constitution or Charisma. Second, choose the acolyte background.
The Summoner
| Level | Proficiency Bonus |
Features | Spells Known |
—Spell 1st |
Slots 2nd |
per 3rd |
Spell 4th |
Level— 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Book of Names, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Assisted Attack | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Summoner Specialization | 3 | 3 | ─ | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 3 | 3 | ─ | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Manifest Companion, Summoner Specialization feature | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Sanctity of Mind, Mystic Communication | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Spirits Abound | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Summoner Specialization feature | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Dominate Will | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
Class Features
As a summoner, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d8 per summoner level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per summoner level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor
- Weapons: Simple weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- Any simple weapon of your choice
- A summoner's focus*
- Your choice of a priest's pack or a scholar's pack
*A summoner's focus is a journal, scroll, codex, or other sort of written record used for recording the true names of creatures that you can summon.
If you forgo this starting equipment, as well as the items offered by your background, you start with 4d4 × 10 gp to buy your equipment.
Book of Names
1st-level summoner feature
Your journey to becoming a summoner begins when you record your first true name of a creature. This first true name can be that of a creature that isn't native to the Material Plane whose Challenge Rating is 1 or less.
If you spend 1 minute drawing a circle on the ground using chalk, or a similar tool (such as a chisel on stone) or visual medium (such as ink or blood), you can use an action to speak the true name of a creature you know and summon it into the circle. The creature acts of its own volition, but can't leave the circle. If you summon a creature with a Challenge Rating higher than your summoner level, the creature can make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC when it's summoned. On a successful save, the creature destroys the circle and acts in whatever manner it chooses for 1d6 minutes as long as it still has hit points, then it
disappears. On a failed save, the creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
Generally, summoners barter with the creatures they summon by presenting physical offerings, sharing desirable information, or making deals. In return, the creature typically offers information or agrees to do favors for the summoner. The temperament of the summoned creature depends on its personal attributes and is at the GM's discretion, though you do know its general nature before summoning it.
When you gain a level in this class, you learn one additional true name of a creature that isn't native to the Material Plane. The learning of new true names can be explained in a number of ways, such as being gleaned from study or being given as trade from a summoned creature. A creature whose true name you learn in this way can't be of a Challenge Rating higher than your summoner level.
You can also learn new true names while adventuring and exploring—including those of creatures whose Challenge Rating exceeds your summoner level. As such, there's nothing stopping you from attempting to summon particularly powerful entities if you happen to learn their true names, but they might prove too much for you to handle...
Spellcasting
1st-level summoner feature
Your connection to powerful entities has taught you how to manipulate otherworldly magic. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells.
Spell Slots
The Summoner table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your summoner 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 protection from evil and good and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast protection from evil and good using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the summoner spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Summoner table shows when you learn more summoner spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the summoner spells you know and replace it with another spell from the summoner spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your summoner spells, since your magic draws on your connection to the otherworldly. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a summoner spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Ritual Casting
You can cast any summoner spell you know as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a summoner focus (a journal, scroll, codex, or other sort of written record) as a spellcasting focus for your sorcerer spells.
Summoner Spell List
Here’s the list of spells you consult when you learn a summoner spell. The list is organized by spell level, not character level. If a spell can be cast as a ritual, the tag "(R)" appears after the spell’s name.
1st Level
| absorb elements | mage armor | mage armor |
| bless | detect evil and good |
protection from evil and good |
| ceremony | detect magic | sanctuary |
| charm person |
false life | shield of faith |
| command | find familiar | speak with animals |
| comprehend languages |
healing word | unseen servant |
| create or destroy water |
inflict wounds |
2nd Level
| alter self | crown of madness | locate object |
| animal messenger (R) |
detect thoughts | phantasmal force |
| arcanist's magic aura |
dragon's breath | rope trick |
| augury (R) | dust devil | shadow blade |
| beast sense | flock of familiars | warding bond |
| borrowed knowledge |
healing spirit | web |
| calm emotions |
locate animals or plants |
zone of truth |
3rd Level
| animate dead | mass healing word | summon fey |
| aura of vitality | nondetection | summon lesser demons |
| conjure animals | phantom steed | summon shadowspawn |
| create food and water | protection from energy | summon undead |
| Galder's tower | speak with dead | tiny hut (R) |
| glyph of warding | speak with plants | tiny servant |
| hunger of Hadar | spirit guardians | |
| magic circle | spirit shroud |
4th Level
| arcane eye | divination (R) | guardian of nature |
| aura of life | dominate beast | private sanctum |
| aura of purity | faithful hound | summon aberration |
| banishment | find greater steed | summon construct |
| charm monster | fire shield | summon elemental |
| conjure minor elemental |
Galder's speedy courier | summon greater demon |
| conjure woodland beings | guardian of faith |
5th Level
| animate objects |
contact other plane (R) | planar binding |
| antilife shell | dispel evil and good | scrying (R) |
| arcane hand | hallow | summon celestial |
| circle of power |
hold monster | summon draconic spirit |
| commune (R) | infernal calling | telepathic bond (R) |
| commune with nature |
insect plague | teleportation circle |
| conjure elemental |
passwall |
Assisted Attack
2nd-level summoner feature
You learn to fuel your attacks with the energy of summoned creatures. As an action, you can speak the true name of a creature, then make a ranged spell attack against a different creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. When you make this attack, choose a damage type that the creature whose true name you spoke is capable of dealing, whether with natural weapons, innate abilities, or innate spellcasting. On a hit, the target takes damage of the chosen type equal to 1d4 + your Wisdom modifier.
The damage die for this feature changes when you reach certain levels in this class, becoming a d6 at 5th level, a d8 at 9th level, a d10 at 13th level, and a d12 at 17th level.
Summoner Specialization
3rd-level summoner feature
Choose the type of summoning you specialize in: Fiend Specialist, detailed at the end of the class description, or ones that will be available at future dates. Your choice grants you features at 5th level and again at 9th and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
4th-level summoner feature
When you reach 4th, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Manifest Companion
5th-level summoner feature
You learn how to summon a creature to assist you in combat. As an action, you can speak the true name of a creature to summon that creature to an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you. The DM will give you the appropriate stat block for the creature you summon.
In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. The creature acts of its own volition, but you can direct its actions with verbal commands if the creature agrees to follow your commands (no action required by you).
Once you summmon a creature in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest or until you expend a spell slot to summon another creature. You can have only one creature summoned in this way at a time and can’t summon another creature in this way while one is already summoned.
Sanctity of Mind
6th-level summoner feature
The clarity awarded to you by opening up your energies to otherworldly forces has left your mental faculties especially resilient. You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or end the charmed or frightened conditions on yourself.
Mystic Communication
6th-level summoner feature
When you speak with a creature that isn't native to the Material Plane, the creature can understand what you say even if it doesn't speak the language you spoke. Likewise, if a creature that isn't native to the Material Plane speaks to you, you can understand what it says even if you don't speak the language it spoke.
Spirits Abound
7th-level summoner feature
Nameless, formless spirits attracted to your energy swarm around you, which you can draw upon to defend yourself from harm. When you make a saving throw, after you learn if you succeed or fail, you can use your reaction to roll a d4 and add the result to your roll, potentially changing the result of the saving throw.
In addition, when a creature makes an attack roll against you, after you learn if the attack would hit you, you can use your reaction to roll a d4 and subtract the result from that attack roll, potentially turning the hit into a miss.
Dominate Will
10th-level summoner feature
Your will is able to override those of lesser creatures when you summon them to fight for you. When you use your Manifest Companion feature to summon a creature with a Challenge Rating less than or equal to your summoner level, you can verbally direct its actions even if it hasn't agreed to follow your commands.
Fiend Specialist
Deals with the devil are a fine line to walk, and this is no less true for summoners who specialize in the summoning of fiends. Reasons for becoming a Fiend Specialist vary from one summoner to the next, with some desiring the power fiends possess and others considering the varied forms of fiends as a useful tool. Whatever the summoner's reasoning, fiends are rarely happy to be summoned, though the occasional fiend might express interest in forging a pact with its summoner ... for the right price.
Fiend Spells
3rd-level Fiend Specialist feature
You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Fiend Spells table. These spells count as summoner spells for you, but they don't count against the number of summoner spells you know.
Fiend Spells
| Summoner Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3th | hellish rebuke, false life |
| 5th | crown of madness, suggestion |
| 9th | enemies abound, summon lesser demons |
Tongues of the Abyss
3rd-level Fiend Specialist feature
You learn to speak, read, and write Abyssal and Infernal, or up to two other languages of your choice if you already know one or both of them. In addition, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when interacting with Fiends.
Fiendish Power
5th-level Fiend Specialist feature
Your raw willpower is able to fuel additional fury into the attacks of Fiends. While you have a Fiend summoned by your Manifest Companion feature, its attacks deal additional damage equal to your Charisma modifier.
Fiendish Form
9th-level Fiend Specialist feature
As an action, you can channel fiendish power into your body, transforming your appearance for 1 minute. You determine the appearance of your Fiendish Form, but it can't change your size or number of limbs, and its always alters you into something terrifying. When you transform into your Fiendish Form, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice your summoner level for the duration of the transformation.
While you're in your Fiendish Form, you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks and disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Bonus Content
- Want more fiendish summon options? Visit our Patreon at patreon.com/livingstonelibrary to check out two low CR fiend stat blocks—a demonic cat and a devilish secretary!
Credits
- Created by Reddit user /u/livingstone_library
- Version 0.5 (up to level 10)
- This document was created using GM Binder
- Cover Art: "Infernal Calling," ©Wizards of the Coast LLC
Special Thanks
- We'd like to especially thank our "Hero" tier patrons on patreon.com/livingstonelibrary: Harrison Miller, Ryan Willey, Charlie, and more!
"Summoner" is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.