[Facemage]

I tested a summoner concept. A mage, who can summon quite safely F7 spirits after char gen. After 16 karma and spirit whisperer quality: F8 spirits. What do you think? Can spirit whisperer + exceptional attribute magic combo works? Or is it too expensive?

Summoner
A: Magic (charisma tradition)
C: Skills
E: Resources
D: Human
B: Attributes

Bod: 3
Agi: 2
Str: 1
Rea: 5
Int: 5
Cha: 6
Will: 5
Log: 1
Edge: 4
Magic: 7

Skills:
Spellcasting: 6
Summoning: 6 (+2 specialization)
Counterspelling 6 (+2 combat)
Binding 6 (+2 specialization)
Stealth skill Group: 2
Perception 5
Automatics 5 (+2 submachine guns)

Qualities :
Exceptional attribute Magic
Mentor spirit which gives bonuses to summoning
Focused concentration 1
Joat
25 points to nq
25 karma remaining

Spells:
Heal
Clout
Stun bolt
Hot potato
Improved reflexes
Increase charisma
Increase willpower
Improved invisibility

[Beta]

I approve of these efforts

If anything, it is the drain that will be your big problem, I think.  A force 8 spirit will frequently roll 3 successes, resulting in the summoner facing 6 drain, and I don't see focused concentration of 1 boosting your drain stats high enough to reliably soak that.  And you can expect that they'll roll four successes occasionally, and 8 drain is a doozy.  Yes this build has enough edge to help deal with those, if he/she holds edge back for that purpose.

Maybe I'm missing something?

Don't get me wrong, force 8 spirits are wrecking balls, but you have to assume that the GM will bring appropriate countermeasures into place, so that your spirits will not be allowed to romp unopposed, meaning that you will have to re-summon periodically or else be relying on almost non-existent skills.  (yes, can have multiple spirits up due to binding, but I really doubt you are binding force 8 spirits?  And then there is the economic cost of each service used .... )

[Facemage]

The build have both increase drain stat spells. But he has not the ability to sustain them both. Mysad with heightened concern and/or sustaining focus is maybe needed. I think that one sustaining penalty is possible (the summoning pool is 17, it is still much more than 8 dices).

[gradivus]

The build have both increase drain stat spells. But he has not the ability to sustain them both. Mysad with heightened concern and/or sustaining focus is maybe needed. I think that one sustaining penalty is possible (the summoning pool is 17, it is still much more than 8 dices).
[/quote

two force 1 sustaining foci and your focused con 1 allows you to improve the drain stats and initiative.

might want to consider Int based tradition so CHA can be lowered to improve INT to 6 and Improve BOD to 5.

[Halinn]

two force 1 sustaining foci and your focused con 1 allows you to improve the drain stats and initiative.

might want to consider Int based tradition so CHA can be lowered to improve INT to 6 and Improve BOD to 5.

How are you supposed to sustain a F6 and F5 spell with R1 foci?

[falar]

How are you supposed to sustain a F6 and F5 spell with R1 foci?

Misunderstood cheese. You can't. I'm pretty sure gradivus forgot that you have to cast Increase [Attribute] at a force greater than or equal to the attribute being increased.

[gradivus]

actually, call it ignorance.

never actually used the spell and thought it was like improved reflexes that you could use reagents wit a F1 casting...

mia culp, mia culpa for assuming... and we all know what happens when we assume.

[drakir]

The big problem with summoning (and especially binding) is drain.
Here is my  character Eiffel. (Using sum2ten which I don't know if you are allowed to). Almost exactly the same concept. Being an elf gives you better drain stats (downside fewer skillpoints but that's what you have JoaT for). My wakyambi uses Intuition tradition but an ordinary elf with Charisma tradition would give even better drain stats.
Wakyambi elf Sioux Tradition "Eiffel" :
Priorities: Meta: B, Attributes: B, Magic: A, Skills: E, Resources: E (Sum2ten)
Attributes: Bod 3, Agi 3, Rea 5, Str 1, Cha 5, Int 7, Log 2 (karma), Wil 5, Edge 7, Magic 7, Init 12+1D6
Qualities: Mentor Spirit (Eagle), Focused Concentration (rat 1), Excep Attr Magic, Jack of all, In debt IV, Phobia Unc Mild, Prejudiced Spec biased, Weak immune system. 
Skills:
13(15) Spellcasting 6+2 (Combat)
13(15) Summoning 6+2 (Guardian Spirits) (Also 15 dice Air Spirits with bonus from Eagle)
8(10)   Assensing 1+2 (Signatures)
12        Counterspelling 5
10        Perception 1  karma (+2 from Eagle)
13(15) Binding 6+2 (Air spirits)

Spells: Lightning Bolt, Stunbolt, Detox, Heal, Inc Reflexes, Clairvoyance, Combat Sense, Trid Phantasm, Levitate,
Gear:  Lodge rating 6, Yamaha Growler, Fake SIN rat 4, Low lifestyle, Armor Jacket, Renraku Sensei, Some reagents
Contacts: 3/2 Talismonger, 5/2 Triad Incense Master, 2/1 Hermetic Academic.
Karma spent: 10 Logic, 25 pos qualities, 2 perception, 12 metatype

I'm dodging as good (or better) as most samurai. Magic 7 is nice for summoning (and the extra die for everything else). With my Edge I can even try to bind F6 spirits. F7 requires a better lodge. Jack of all trades will make it fairly easy to buy some skills I want to have. (Etiquette, Sneaking, Ritual Magic)
If you are planning to sustain a lot of spells, it might be worth it to get 17 dice in one sort of spirit (Air in my case). Otherwise 15 is plenty enough even for F7 spirits. Again, the problem is drain.

[Facemage]

Yeah, it seems that F8 spirits are not possible just after char gen because of drain. However, here is a mysad, who can summon them after 35 karma. After 15 with one service and after 35 with 2 services.

Summoner
A: Mysad (charisma tradition)
C: Skills
E: Resources
C: Elf
C: Attributes

Bod: 3
Agi: 3
Str: 1
Rea: 1 (5)
Int: 5
Cha: 7
Will: 6
Log: 1
Edge: 4
Magic: 7
Dodge: 11
Initiative: 10+4d6

Skills:
Spellcasting: 6 (+2 illusion)
Summoning: 6 (+2 specialization)
Counterspelling 6 (+2 combat)
Binding 6 (+2 specialization)
Stealth skill Group: 2
Perception 4
Automatics 5 (+2 submachine guns)

Qualities :
Exceptional attribute Magic
35 to power points
1 karma remaining

Spells:
Heal
Clout
Stun bolt
Hot potato
Trid phantasm
Increase charisma
Increase willpower
Improved invisibility
Levitate
Blast

Adept Powers:
Astral perception
Improved reflexes 3
Combat sense 1
Improved physical rea 1
Motion sense
Heightened concern

Karma:
First 16 to spirit whisperer
Next 20 to spiritual Way

How to do it:
Cast F6 increase willpower and use heightened concern.
Cast F7 increase charisma and use heightened concern.
Summon F8 spirit. Your summoning pool is 18-2 (sustaining penalty)=16 (after 15 karma it is only 13 dices). It is enough vs. 8 dices to get on average 1-2 services. Against drain your pool is 21, which is enough.

[falar]

You asked for something to increase your drain and I've got one word for you - Loco.

Loco is a speedball of Psyche (+1 Logic, +1 Intuition, -1 to the penalty for sustaining) and Red Mescaline (+1 Charisma, +1 Willpower, +2 Perception, -2 Reaction, Disorientation). Rock a Detox spell to get rid of the Disorientation side effect and you're looking at +2 to your drain.

Grab a Narco genetech treatment and the speedball starts looking much more awesome. You'd be getting +2 Logic, +2 Intuition, +2 Charisma, +2 Willpower, so +4 on your drain stats. Since you grabbed that genetech treatment, you might as well also grab some Cerebellum Boosters if you're an Intuition Tradition drain or Cerebral Boosters if you're a Logic Tradition.

EDITED TO ADD: Potential Drugs include:

Novacoke - +1 Willpower
Psyche - +1 Intuition, +1 Logic
Betameth - +1 Intuition
Cereprax - +2 Intution, +3 Logic
Ex - +1 Charisma, -1 Willpower, only use if you have Narco
Hurlg - +1 Willpower, -1 Logic
Red Mescaline - +1 Charisma, +1 Willpower
Trance - +1 Intuition

Potential BTLs include:

Downer: +1 Intuition

[Whiskeyjack]

May as well just use the drugs and not bother with booster spells. Easier, for less actions, and no high-Force drain. Save your Heightened Concern for sustaining illusion debuffs.

[falar]

To those wondering about custom drugs - custom drugs aren't really viable for binding tests because they only last 4d6*10 minutes and binding is on the order of hours. That's why some other drugs that do increase drain stats were not included. Kamikaze and K-10 give you Willpower, but only for a matter of minutes.

[Facemage]

Yeah, I forgot drugs. In our table we have no free lunches. Technically it's possible to use e.g. psyche without addiction risks. But because of game balances, free bonuses unbalances the game. All other methods to rise stats have drawbacks (spell glows in astral, cyberware cost essence and money and so on). If you as a gm allow use of psyche without any penalties, the other methods to rise stats are weaker. In our table use of drugs leads to addiction tests sooner or later. And these tests are nasty. That's why my characters do not use them. YMMW

But true, it is possible to rise drain stats with drugs. Thanks, falar! For the concept character in this thread the drugs are too weak. Yes you can get +4 to your drain stat. But it is possible also with a single increase willpower spell. But it's not still enough. With really bad luck F8 spirit can give you 10 damage boxes to resist. Every drain dice is needed, 17 is not enough, I think that even 21 is sometimes too little pool.

Cerebral booster and other ware lower your magic value. Sometimes it is fine for the concept, for this concept in this thread they don't work. I think that it's quite weak strategy to buy exceptional attribute magic 7 and then lower your essence.

[falar]

Drugs come with a built in penalty though. You become addicted and then they jack up your monthly costs. Cyberware may cost essence and money, but once you spend it, it's done. Drugs are the gift that keeps on taking. If you get Reaction Enhancers, your reaction is permanently increased. With drugs, you have to take a hit anytime you want it.

That's not to say it fits your concept, but I strongly disagree with drugs being a free lunch. They're a lunch you have to buy whenever you want to be effective and if you don't have them, you're screwed.

[Facemage]

You can use psyche every third week without any penalties. Which means one shadowrun and after that two weeks downtime. Easily doable. Even serie of longer runs is not a problem because you can use it safely 3 subsequent weeks. Moreover, for example for hermetic mage the addiction test is too easy. The duration is long (for typical mage 9 hours) => only one dose per day is needed. The cost is 100 nuyen => which is nothing. If you have to escape from a prison, you maybe cannot use it before you find your gear. This is possible, but I think that much more often you start the run from your home with your gear. And those doses. Because the duration is long, you can eat it before you go out.

Much easier than e.g. alchemy preps, adept attribute boost, increase attribute spells or cyberware. The bonus of the ware is permanent but to get it, you have to rise your resource priority in char gen => your other priorities are lower.