Summon Monster and reserve feats?

[Theroc]

Quick Question: Many reserve feats in Complete Mage refer to preparing or having a slot available to cast a specific level of spell with things such as "the Fire type" or the like.

If I had such a feat and had access to Summon Monster (Insert appropriate level here) where I could summon a creature like a fire elemental, would I gain the benefit of that feat? Also; Could that apply to multiple feats of elemental types? Since you can summon various elements from a single summoning spell?

 

[radmod]

It depends on your DM actually. Under Summon Monster:

When you use a summoning spell to summon an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it is a spell of that type.

so as you suspected when you summon a Fire Elemental it becomes a spell of fire type.
However, the Reserve feats usually require you to have a spell of that type still available to cast. Summon monster is untyped, until you cast it.

You choose which kind of creature to summon, and you can change that choice each time you cast the spell.

So before casting it, it does not have the appropriate type. However, your DM may allow you to have a Summon Fire Elemental spell in that day instead of a generic Summon Monster and thereby treat it as a fire type.

 

[Theroc]

Ah, thanks. That's not quite as useful to me. But I suspected it would be a 'Duh' choice for casters using reserve feats to slot, as it would apply to various types of feats.

 

[Jack Simth]

Ah, thanks. That's not quite as useful to me. But I suspected it would be a 'Duh' choice for casters using reserve feats to slot, as it would apply to various types of feats.

Check the Complete Mage Reserve feat header.

You don't get the primary benefit for spells that only take on a descriptor when they're cast (so Fiery Burst doesn't work off of Summon Monster VI), but when you're casting them, the secondary benefit does apply (so if you've got Fiery Burst, you've got a +1 caster level when you use Summon Monster VI to summon a Fire elemental). If that makes sense.

 

[Theroc]

Check the Complete Mage Reserve feat header.

You don't get the primary benefit for spells that only take on a descriptor when they're cast (so Fiery Burst doesn't work off of Summon Monster VI), but when you're casting them, the secondary benefit does apply (so if you've got Fiery Burst, you've got a +1 caster level when you use Summon Monster VI to summon a Fire elemental). If that makes sense.

Gotcha, been awhile since I read over the reserve feats. I don't regularly play Vancian casters(more Incarnum or Warlock-type stuff).

I love the idea of them though.