[3.P] What spell is best for creating "water clones"?

[ImperatorK]

One of the favorite combat abilities of a water themed character I'm making is supposed to be creating a sort of "water clones" to help him in combat. They can be anything that can be refluffed to look like a water version of the character creating them, but they have to be medium sized, posses some kind of "water powers" and be summonable/creatable in groups and quickly, within one round if possible. The character is 20th level.
My own idea was to use either Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally to summon a few medium water elementals, but they are kinda weak and the duration on the spell is too short for my liking.

[sirpercival]

If the character himself has water powers, use Body Outside Body.

[ImperatorK]

The duplicates can't cast spells.
By water powers I mean breathing underwater, fairly fast swimming, being made out of water, etc. Basically something like a water elemental.

[littha]

Simulacrums are made of snow/ice and can cast spells but dont otherwise have water powers. Bonus is they melt into a puddle when killed.

[ImperatorK]

12 hour casting time... per duplicate... and they're not made of water.

Maybe lets try something a little different. What could I do to make the medium elementals summoned with Summon Nature's Ally/Summon Monster at least a little tougher/capable in combat? The duration I can just Extend, but medium elementals, even if there's 3-4 of them, are still weak.

[littha]

Druid Handbook: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=940
Summoning Handbook: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=11186

[kitep]

There's Mephit Mob in Sandstorm which would let you summon 2d6 water mephits (or steam mephits, or ooze mephits, or any other kind of mephit).  It's long lasting, though I doubt water mephits are any more powerful than water elementals.

There's also the Conjure Ice Beast 1 and 2-9 line of spells (also in Frostburn).  Summons from the summon monster and nature's ally list, but they're made of ice.

You may want to check a summon monster handbook, and see if it lists something that strikes your fancy, or at least how to pump up the creatures your summon.

I know Augment Summoning feat lets you pump up some stats, and there's another feat that lets you summon them with an active (low-level) spell on them (or maybe it's a class feature - I don't remember)

[rot42]

I know Augment Summoning feat lets you pump up some stats, and there's another feat that lets you summon them with an active (low-level) spell on them (or maybe it's a class feature - I don't remember)

Imbued Summoning, Player's Handbook II page 92.

[SorO_Lost]

Worldmeet Glade (CM) is a must once have Magical Location once you can afford it, +2 HP per HD and +2 to Saves, Skills, Checks, Attack, and Damage. And if you worship Ehlonna, or simply reflavor it, Ehlonna's Brooch out of Complete Champion is pennies on the dollar and gives +1HP per HD.

If you're willing to use SNA over SM, you can really go the distance in warrior type summons. Beckon the Frozen adds the [Cold] Subtype and +1d6 cold damage per hit, mostly for your water flavor and Greenbound Summoning upgrades any animal into a force to be reckoned with. Consider them all combined.

(click to show/hide)

Beckon the Frozen Greenbound Summoned Wolf (with augment summoning, wordlmeet glade, ehlonna's brooch, & imbued summoning(heroism) )
Medium Plant [Cold]
Hit Dice: 2d8+18 (27 hp)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+15
Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6+8, +1d6 cold)
Full Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d6+8, +1d6 cold)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip, 1/encounter steel wind (two attacks at once).
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, dr 10/magic & slashing, fast healing 3, resistance to electricity 10, tremor sense 60ft.
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con 23, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +5, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4, Survival +3*
Feats: Track, Weapon Focus (bite), Martial Study (steel wind)
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (7–16)
Challenge Rating: 0! (totally a summon, no CR at all right? )
I think I got everything tweaked right, not bad for a 1st level spell slot eh?

[Cagemarrow]

I like that one. There's an interesting flavor for it that can easily be water based. It's formed from a mass of frozen water and plant material (algae and weeds or seaweed) that at the end of it's duration collapses back into its composite parts.

[ImperatorK]

I want water, not frozen water.

[caelic]

You might have to go with homebrew on this one; maybe find a template less powerful (but more thematically appropriate) than Greenbound and work with your DM to come up with "Waterbound Summoning?"

Greenbound Summoning is overpowered, so you should be able to make some concessions on power level and still have a nice viable feat.

Only other way I can think of to do it fairly easily would be, say, Conjurer 7/Spellguard of Silverymoon 4, with Imbue Summoning and Heart of Water.  That would give your summons both the powers and flavor you want (since HoW gives them a swim speed and waterbreathing, and replaces part of their essence with water.)

[DonQuixote]

Elemental Swarm?

[Rebel7284]

So what again is the problem with body outside of body?  You DON'T want the duplicates to cast spells anyway, right?

[ariasderros]

In addition to the feats and Items that SorO_Lost mentioned, there are also Summon Elemental, Augment Elemental, Ring of Mighty Summons, Ring of the Beast, Summoner's Totem.

Also, Beckon the Frozen wouldn't make it frozen water. Just really cold. Like taking a dip in a lake when it's 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

Now, let's all yell "Dance, Water, Dance!"

[ImperatorK]

Elemental Swarm?

The elementals are too big and the casting time is too long. The spell is kinda suboptimal. Also, I don't want to use up my highest level spell slots for it. It's more like an ability for flavor rather then for real combat, because I doubt I'll manage to make the summons strong enough to matter in a fight with a level appropriate enemy. But at least I want them to be strong enough to be effective against mooks.

So what again is the problem with body outside of body?  You DON'T want the duplicates to cast spells anyway, right?

No problem, other than the fact that the duplicates won't be made of water and won't have water powers? I want the summoned creatures to be some kind of water monsters, like a water elemental or something similar, with water powers. Looking like the character who summoned them is only fluff, they don't have to be real duplicates.
And where did I say I don't want them to cast? Casting would be very useful.

[Unbeliever]

Dude, you're asking for something extremely specific and then shooting down anything vaguely in the vicinity.  If you want something that specific, then you should be willing to refluff for it.  That's just the way it is.  This can't be the first time it's ever come up. 

On a more constructive note, Wastriliths are aquatic and can be summoned with SM IX.  But, they aren't that tough and also aren't made out of water.  I thought the Beckon the Frozen plan was the best I've heard so far.  It gives you the most flexibility in what you want to choose and makes whatever base creature you pick resemble an elemental in a lot of ways. 

Failing that, I'd suggest just searching for creatures of the Aquatic subtype and seeing what you can find.  It also takes a fair bit of work to make summoned creatures viable circa level 20.  Without some sort of buffs I think they tend to be pretty weak. 

Constructive Suggestion the Second:  can Blackwater Tentacle (Stormwrack page 114) help you at all?  It's made of water and helps you out in combat and can be targeted with attacks.  Stormwrack also has the Caller from the Deep, but he's also pretty big.  I don't think there's a whole lot of high-CR elementals that are medium, short of templating one up (Paragon Medium Water Elemental?).  Which brings me back to the Beckon the Frozen suggestion.

[ImperatorK]

Dude, you're asking for something extremely specific and then shooting down anything vaguely in the vicinity.

I don't think so.

If you want something that specific, then you should be willing to refluff for it.

I was under the impression that I am.

On a more constructive note, Wastriliths are aquatic and can be summoned with SM IX.  But, they aren't that tough and also aren't made out of water.

And as I said I don't want to waste high level slots on flavor abilities. If I'm gonna use 9th level spells it will be to summon an Elemental Monolith.

Failing that, I'd suggest just searching for creatures of the Aquatic subtype and seeing what you can find.  It also takes a fair bit of work to make summoned creatures viable circa level 20.  Without some sort of buffs I think they tend to be pretty weak.

They need to b just strong enough to be viable against mooks.

Constructive Suggestion the Second:  can Blackwater Tentacle (Stormwrack page 114) help you at all?  It's made of water and helps you out in combat and can be targeted with attacks.  Stormwrack also has the Caller from the Deep, but he's also pretty big.

I already have this spells on my "list".

[SolEiji]

The only thing I can think of when I see this is DANCE WATER, DANCE!

[ariasderros]

The only thing I can think of when I see this is DANCE WATER, DANCE!

AHEM:

Now, let's all yell "Dance, Water, Dance!"