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• PC/Mac: EU megaserver for maintenance – September 9, 22:00 UTC (6:00PM EDT) - September 10, 16:00 UTC (12:00PM EDT) https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/682784
Summoner’s soulcry: a set concept that finally empowers pets
Dovaal
Soul Shriven
Hello, dear Summoners. This one might hit close to home...
As I mentioned in my mod for Baldur’s Gate 3, I’ve been playing summoners since the early 2000s — practically my whole life. I know this archetype inside and out. And as a modder who’s created summoner classes for different games, I also know one thing for certain: the summoner playstyle can be done well in any game — even MMOs — if the developers care enough to do it justice.
Sadly, ESO is just another game where the devs have completely neglected this iconic archetype. In fact, it feels like they went out of their way to make it one of the weakest roles in the game, with a sort of casual cynicism that’s honestly infuriating.
I get it — the devs behind this project don't really care about TES lore, established gameplay patterns, or even community feedback. Almost since launch — nearly a decade now — Sorcerers have been begging the developers to add the iconic summon of every summoner: the Flame Atronach. But all in vain. Remember that little girl? She can summon a Flame Atronach — but somehow, the mighty Sorcerer who defeated Mannimarco, Molag Bal, and a dozen other overpowered enemies... can't.
I can't help but be angry about it (even though I know it's pointless to get mad over things you can't change). There’s nothing stopping them from making the summoner even slightly competitive. And yet... here we are. That’s why everything I’m about to describe — this armor set idea — can be seen as a kind of personal outcry. Or maybe just a fun thought experiment about what could have been, if just one developer had ever truly loved the summoner archetype enough to represent it properly in ESO.
Fun fact: the last game in over a decade that actually did summoners justice wasn’t even an RPG. It was Devil May Cry 5, of all things, with the brilliantly designed character V — the perfect embodiment of what a summoner should feel like to play.
To me, a summoner is a character whose primary (if not only) damage output comes from their pets. In ESO, that’s basically impossible — especially in a combat system where heavy attacks are needed just to restore resources. So, keeping ESO’s mechanics in mind, here’s a set I’d love to see in the game — one that finally makes pets feel strong and impactful. Because, let’s be honest: if your pets are doing only 10–15% of your total DPS, you’re not really a summoner. You’re just a DPS player with some floating cosmetics.
Set Name: Bond of the Master
(2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka. You transfer a portion of your eldritch power to your summoned pets. Your own damage is reduced by 50% — all your attacks and skills deal only 50% damage. In return, whenever your pets deal damage to an enemy, they also deal additional Magic Damage equal to 10% of your Maximum Magicka.
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance. When you deal a critical hit with a fully charged heavy attack, the enemy is afflicted with 3 Daedric Marks for 5 seconds. When your pets hit a marked enemy, they consume one mark, dealing Oblivion Damage equal to your Spell Damage, and healing themselves for the same amount.
This set would finally solve a few long-standing problems with summoners in ESO:
- Pets deal pathetic damage? Fixed.
- Pets have no self-healing? Solved.
- Summoner doesn’t feel like a summoner? Not anymore.
Plus, it opens up build flexibility. A player who prefers fewer, stronger pets could pair this set with Crafty Alfiq, since the bonus damage scales with Max Magicka. Another player who enjoys swarming enemies with multiple pets might run this alongside Morkuldin, which — let’s be real — is pretty much useless in its current state.
Well, that’s everything. Had to let it out
I know this is all hypothetical, but hey — maybe one day, summoners will get the love they deserve in ESO.
As I mentioned in my mod for Baldur’s Gate 3, I’ve been playing summoners since the early 2000s — practically my whole life. I know this archetype inside and out. And as a modder who’s created summoner classes for different games, I also know one thing for certain: the summoner playstyle can be done well in any game — even MMOs — if the developers care enough to do it justice.
Sadly, ESO is just another game where the devs have completely neglected this iconic archetype. In fact, it feels like they went out of their way to make it one of the weakest roles in the game, with a sort of casual cynicism that’s honestly infuriating.
I get it — the devs behind this project don't really care about TES lore, established gameplay patterns, or even community feedback. Almost since launch — nearly a decade now — Sorcerers have been begging the developers to add the iconic summon of every summoner: the Flame Atronach. But all in vain. Remember that little girl? She can summon a Flame Atronach — but somehow, the mighty Sorcerer who defeated Mannimarco, Molag Bal, and a dozen other overpowered enemies... can't.
I can't help but be angry about it (even though I know it's pointless to get mad over things you can't change). There’s nothing stopping them from making the summoner even slightly competitive. And yet... here we are. That’s why everything I’m about to describe — this armor set idea — can be seen as a kind of personal outcry. Or maybe just a fun thought experiment about what could have been, if just one developer had ever truly loved the summoner archetype enough to represent it properly in ESO.
Fun fact: the last game in over a decade that actually did summoners justice wasn’t even an RPG. It was Devil May Cry 5, of all things, with the brilliantly designed character V — the perfect embodiment of what a summoner should feel like to play.
To me, a summoner is a character whose primary (if not only) damage output comes from their pets. In ESO, that’s basically impossible — especially in a combat system where heavy attacks are needed just to restore resources. So, keeping ESO’s mechanics in mind, here’s a set I’d love to see in the game — one that finally makes pets feel strong and impactful. Because, let’s be honest: if your pets are doing only 10–15% of your total DPS, you’re not really a summoner. You’re just a DPS player with some floating cosmetics.
Set Name: Bond of the Master
(2 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka
(3 items) Adds 1096 Maximum Magicka. You transfer a portion of your eldritch power to your summoned pets. Your own damage is reduced by 50% — all your attacks and skills deal only 50% damage. In return, whenever your pets deal damage to an enemy, they also deal additional Magic Damage equal to 10% of your Maximum Magicka.
(4 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance
(5 items) Adds 657 Critical Chance. When you deal a critical hit with a fully charged heavy attack, the enemy is afflicted with 3 Daedric Marks for 5 seconds. When your pets hit a marked enemy, they consume one mark, dealing Oblivion Damage equal to your Spell Damage, and healing themselves for the same amount.
This set would finally solve a few long-standing problems with summoners in ESO:
- Pets deal pathetic damage? Fixed.
- Pets have no self-healing? Solved.
- Summoner doesn’t feel like a summoner? Not anymore.
Plus, it opens up build flexibility. A player who prefers fewer, stronger pets could pair this set with Crafty Alfiq, since the bonus damage scales with Max Magicka. Another player who enjoys swarming enemies with multiple pets might run this alongside Morkuldin, which — let’s be real — is pretty much useless in its current state.
Well, that’s everything. Had to let it out
I know this is all hypothetical, but hey — maybe one day, summoners will get the love they deserve in ESO.0