As a summoner gains experience, he learns a number of talents that assist him in manipulating spells and other forms of magic. At 2nd level and every two summoner levels thereafter, a summoner gains one summon talent. A summoner cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a summoner’s spellcasting ability. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual spell and the decision must be made before the spell is cast.
Table: Summon Talents
| Summon Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Monster (Su) | Summon Monster class feature or spell | The summoner summons an additional monster from his summon monster class feature or from spell. This talent stacks with Superior Summoning if the spell is being used to summon 1d3 or 1d4+1 number of lower monsters. When using this talent on a spell, increase the MP cost by ½ of the spell level, this does not increase the spell level (For example, Summoner 3 can use this with Summon Monster II). When used with the summon monster class feature, spend an additional use of the ability. |
| Arcane Fighter (Ex) | — | The summoner's levels stack with any warrior levels he possesses for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites for feats that specifically select his spells, such as Weapon Specialization (ray). The summoner treats his spells as weapons for the purposes of taking feats like Improved Critical, or using feats like Arcane Strike. |
| Arcane Pool (Su) | Must not have an Arcane Pool | The summoner gains an arcane pool, as if he was a red mage of the same level as his summoner level. The summoner does not naturally gain any ruby arcana, but may select extra ruby arcana feat. The summoner treats his summoner level as his red mage level for all ruby arcana, and must meet their prerequisites. The summoner does not gain any other red mage class feature (such as spell combat, spellstrike, or spell recall), and cannot select ruby arcana that affect or depend on these abilities. |
| Augment Avatar (Su) | Augment Summoning feat | The summoner’s avatar gains the benefit of the Augment Summoning feat. |
| Avatar Focus (Su) | — | The summoner adds +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against abilities from his avatar's abilities. |
| Avatar Magic (Su) | — | The summoner's avatar gains bonus MP equal to 50% of what the summoner gains from having high Charisma (Spell Level 5 with 18 Charisma would grant 5 MP to this pool). This extra MP can only be used by the avatar for using its abilities. This bonus MP refreshes when the summoner gains his MP back after resting for the day. If the summoner has the Yojimbo avatar, this MP can be used as gil at a rate of 1 MP per 10 gil needed. |
| Concentrate (Ex) | — | The summoner can reroll any concentration check he has just made with a +4 bonus. He must use this ability after the roll is made, but before the roll’s outcome is determined. The summoner must take the second roll, even if it is worse. The summoner can use this ability once per day. |
| Creative Destruction (Su)* | — | The summoner has learned how to use destructive energy to empower himself. When he casts an elemental spell that deals damage, he gains a number of temporary hit points equal to the total number of dice used to determine the damage caused by the spell. Temporary hit points gained from this talent disappear after 1 hour. |
| Dazzling Spell (Su)* | — | As a free action, the summoner adds an element of bright energy to a spell he is casting. Any target that fails its save against the spell is dazzled for 1 round per level of the spell. The summoner may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. |
| Diehard Bonds (Ex) | — | The summoner's avatar gains the Diehard feat as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. |
| Empowered Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Empower Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Extended Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Extended Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Familiar (Ex) | Caster Level 2nd. Must be chosen at 2nd level. | The summoner who selects this talent gains the Familiar feat. |
| Flexible Augmentation (Su) | Augment Summoning feat | When casting any Summon Monster spell, the summoner can choose to change one ability score to receive the bonus granted by Augment Summoning to another ability score (STR/CON can change into DEX/CON). This choice applies to all creatures summoned by the spell. A summoner with the augment avatar summon talent may apply the effects of this summon talent to his avatar upon performing the summoning ritual. Choosing this talent again allows the summoner to change both bonuses. |
| Focused Avatar Ability (Su) | — | The recharge timer on a single ability of your avatar hastens to 1d3 rounds instead of 1d4+1. Each time this talent is selected you may choose another ability to reduce the timer. |
| Greater Avatar Focus (Su) | Avatar Focus summon talent | The summoner adds +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against abilities from his avatar's abilities. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Avatar Focus. |
| Guardian Pact (Su) | Blood Pact class feature | The summoner chooses a Knight Talent that his avatar qualifies for, using their HD as their knight level (It qualifies for advanced talents when its HD is 12 or higher). His avatar gains access to this knight talent when in ward from his blood pact. His avatar is considered to be in Defensive Stance, but does not gain any of its bonuses or penalities, while in ward, and is also considered to have it as a class feature for prerequisites. Talents that expend rounds of defensive stance instead cost the avatar an equivalent amount of HP. This talent may be selected multiple times. |
| Improved Shield Ally (Ex) | Shield Ally class feature | The summoner’s shield ally ability now extends out to 15 feet from the avatar. |
| Increased Avatar Range (Su) | — | The summoner’s avatar can go further than normal before its health decreases. The avatar can move 100 additional feet further away from the summoner. This talent can be selected more than once. |
| Independent Action (Su) | — | The summoner’s avatar is no longer unsummoned if the summoner dies or falls unconscious, and it may remain summoned for up to one minute before disappearing. Avatars may pick this talent as a feat. This talent may be selected multiple times. Each time, the amount of time the avatar may remain summoned doubles. |
| Metamagic Avatar (Su) | — | Whenever the summoner would spend MP on an avatar's abilities, he may apply metamagic feats he knows as if they were spells. |
| Rage Pact (Su) | Blood Pact class feature | The summoner chooses a Rage Power that his avatar qualifies for, using their HD as their berserker level. His avatar gains access to this rage power when in rage from his blood pact. Rage Powers that expend rounds of rage instead cost the avatar an equivalent amount of HP. This talent may be selected multiple times. |
| Reach Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Reach Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Silent Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Silent Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Spell Lore (Ex) | — | The summoner adds his level to all Spellcraft checks made to identify a spell being cast. (This is most often useful when attempting to counterspell.) |
| Spell Restraint (Ex)* | — | Whenever the summoner cast a spell with an area described as a radius, he may decide to make the radius smaller. He may reduce the radius down by any number of 5-foot increments, to a minimum of a 5-foot-radius. |
| Spell Sage (Ex) | — | When the summoner attempts a Use Magic Device check to cast a spell from a materia, he gains a +4 competence bonus to the check. |
| Still Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast two spells per day as if they were modified by the Still Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Summoner Training | — | The summoner may select an item creation or metamagic feat. The summoner must still meet all prerequisites for a bonus feat, including caster level minimums. This talent may be taken more than once. Each time, a different feat must be selected. |
| Swift Summons (Su) | — | Twice per day, the summoner can select any full-round summoning school spell to cast as a standard action, or a Summon Monster line spell into a full-round action. |
| Tactical Summon (Su)* | — | Whenever the summoner casts a summoning spell with an area that originates from his square, he may have it originate from an empty square within 20 ft. instead. |
Advanced Summon Talents (Ex or Su)
At 12th, and every two summoner levels thereafter, a summoner learns further talents to assist him in manipulating spells and other forms of magic. He may choose one of the following advanced summon talents in place of a summon talent. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to a summoner’s spellcasting ability. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual spell and the decision must be made before the spell is cast.
Table: Advanced Summon Talents
| Advanced Mage Talent | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Augment Spell (Ex)* | — | Any spell the summoner knows that has a variable that increases by caster level which has a maximum, that maximum is increased by the equivalent of one additional caster level. Thus, a summoner with this talent deals a maximum of 6d6 non-elemental damage with energy beam. |
| Divine Judgement (Su) | Must have Alexander as an avatar | Whenever Alexander uses his Holy Judgement limit break, it does x1.5 times the normal damage. |
| Energetic Recharge (Su) | — | Once per day, as an immediate action, when the summoner would take damage from earth, fire, ice, lightning, water, or wind damage, he can convert the damage into MP, at a rate of 1 MP per 10 damage. He suffers none of the converted damage, but may not gain more than half his caster level in MP. For example, if a 14th level summoner suffers 80 points of ice damage, he may convert up to 70 points of that damage into 7 MP. He takes the remaining 10 points of ice damage as normal. |
| Final Sacrifice (Su) | Must have Phoenix as an avatar | If the summoner's hit points fall to 0 or lower, he may activate Phoenix's Flames of Healing limit break as an immediate action. If he does so, Phoenix is dismissed for 1d6 rounds, after which the summoner must summon Phoenix again. |
| Flames of Rebirth (Su) | Must have Phoenix as an avatar | Whenever the Phoenix uses his Flames of Healing limit break, any enemies within 30 feet of the avatar are dealt 1d4 points of damage per summoner level (half fire, half holy). A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + half of the summoner's level + Phoenix's Constitution modifier) halves the damage. If the summoner has the Improved Limit Break summon talent, the Phoenix instead deals 1d6 points of damage per summoner level (half fire, half holy) to all enemies in range instead. |
| Gigaflare (Su) | Must have Bahamut as an avatar | Whenever Bahamut uses his Megaflare limit break, enemies within the are of effect take 1d8 points of non-elemental damage per summoner level instead of 1d6. If the summoner has the Improved Limit Break summon talent, increase the damage to 1d10 points of non-elemental damage. |
| Improved Life Bond (Su) | Life Bond class feature | Effects from spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities that causes status effects now affect the avatar instead of the summoner. |
| Improved Limit Break (Su) | — | Increase the damage or healing die of the avatar's limit break by one step (Example: from 1d6 to 1d8). |
| Improved Weaken Summons (Su) | Weaken Summons class feature | The penalty for the summoner's weaken summons ability changes to –4. |
| Maximized Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Maximize Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Natural Weapon Specialization (Ex)* | Must have an avatar with a natural attack | Select one natural attack that the summoner's avatar possesses. That natural attack deals an extra +2 competence bonus on damage rolls. |
| Quickened Magic (Su) | — | The summoner can cast one spell per day as if it were modified by the Quicken Spell feat. This does not increase the MP cost or the level of the spell. |
| Shin-Zantetsuken (Su) | Must have Odin as an avatar | Whenever Odin uses his Zantetsuken limit break, he adds a +2 bonus to the save DC. |
| Spell Diligence (Su)* | — | As a free action, the summoner may focus all his attention on casting a single spell. Only spells with a casting time of 1 standard action and a range of personal or touch may be cast in this way. The summoner adds his level to any concentration check made to cast a spell when using spell diligence. The summoner may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. |
| Staff-Like Wand (Ex) | Craft Staff feat | The summoner’s research has unlocked a new power in conjunction with using a wand. Similar to using a magic staff, he uses his own Charisma score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against spells he casts from a wand, and he can use his caster level when activating the power of a wand if it’s higher than the caster level of the wand. |
| Summon Focus (Su)* | — | When the summoner casts a spell with an area, as a free action he may choose to focus the entire might of the spell on a single target. The spell’s save DC is increased by +2, but only one target is affected by the spell. He may do this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. |
| Twincast (Ex)* | — | Once per day, the summoner may simultaneously cast two spells as a full-round action. The combined MP cost cannot exceed his caster level, and the two spells must have the same casting time and must be full-round to cast or less. |