Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - Help/Tips/Tricks Summoning and You

Ah yes, the Geo/Aero thing is brought up once again! For a summoner I specified those two because of 3 reasons. Pyroclastic Eruption and Thunderstorm are the two highest damaging spells in the game. Period. They just eat a turn. Pyroclastic(geo) is all alpha damage, and requires good positioning, something that hailstorm and meteor dont. Furthermore, it only applies a slow while hail storm freezes and meteor burns the shit out of someone. And even further, meteor and hailstorm are more concentrated, while pyroclastic truly shines when enemies are in many clumps of two or three instead of one huge clump (Still shreks them though). Thunderstorm is damage over time and air has few enemies resistant to it, and applies Stun. Through its entire duration, it does more damage than any other spell bar none. But as I mentioned earlier in the thread, its a personal choice.

Second reason: Geo gives access to three things. Oil, Poison, and Fortify. Thats two infusions and one of the only mandatory spells in the game. Aero gives access to a truck load of utility and the ability to buff your entire team repeatedly (Blessed smoke, teleport, uncanny evasion, evasion aura, pressure spike, tornado, evaporate, vacuum (and its aura), nether swap, etc.) Plus dazzling bolt is an insanely good spell.

Third, those two elements dont synergize with each other at all, they just synergize with literally anything else, even your opponents. Most encounters are near a source of fire, or water. In fact, almost ALL encounters do. For the ones that don't, a flame wand fulfills the void. If there is water or blood (there WILL be blood barring the undead) then aero can be used to stun, chain stun, group stun, or cut off avenues of approach. Again, its all personal preference, but I find that those two elements help mid to late game mroe than pyro or hydro do, especially since just about everything above, below, and in the ground seems to be resistant to fire and hydro just doesnt have enough going for it beyond heals and a couple DPS spells.

As for your party (the lvl 8 query) I would have to agree with Elidan, positioning is key. Sebille summoner is great because the instant access to blood, the extra AP (Dump one point into scoundrel for the adrenaline, totally worth it) and the free spells (nummy nummy dead people parts), but I went with fane because play dead is just so damned useful. The stereotype is for summoners to drop their incarnates and flee for their lives while it does everything for them. This isn't exactly wrong! Part of flesh sacrifice is the 10% damage increase, which is kinda wasted on a summoner since the incarnate (or other summons) wont benefit from it. So, once more, positioning becomes key. Another issue is that you have to summon the incarnate on top of yourself instead of in the thick of the fight where it would get two free attacks instead of one ranged attack or spell cast. 11 points into summon is fantastic. 13 pretty much cements your place as a summoner and says "Yep, I'm done here." So don't spec any more into it with either points OR gear. Runes. Runes are important. Sometimes crappy gear with 2 rune slots makes up for the fact that its crappy gear. Venom runes on armor gives 1 summoning, so that cloak you picked up from that festering sack of flesh we call Alexander? Yeah. That's +2 summoning. those two rings you got? They got summoning on them im guessing, thats 4 now. Spec into other things to keep your summoner alive for at LEAST 7 turns. Turn 1 incarnate, buff, etc, turn 2-6 survive and aid the team as best you can. Due to the nature of what you are, your damage will not match your party's... YET! Turn 7, you can resummon the incarnate as a new one and re-buff it if you need to. Blood is great for taking on mages and rangers, but fire and poison will rofl-stomp on warriors due to how armor and class stereotypes are set up. Aero-summons will hold their own, but they are pathetic compared to their evolved cursed brothers. Oil summons are great if nothing is on fire yet. Water summon? Are you dying? Do you need healing? Is there an undead schmuck running around? Then do it. If you have a plain incarnate on the field, You. Are. Wrong. Stahp. Please. try the fight again, but mind your positioning, and remember, huntsman affects spells too. The lady vengeance has a very nice sniper point if I recall correctly :P

Edit: If at ANY point in time you want to try and get with me on the topic of summoning, don't hesitate to inbox me either, I'm on here regularly and would be happy to talk via steam/other mediums to answer questions when possible!)