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Reading both Summoner's Charm and Shadow Conjuration, I feel that it should not interact with each other.

Summoner's Charm (Su) states that:

Whenever you cast a conjuration (summoning) spell, increase the duration by a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum 1). This increase is not doubled by Extend Spell. At 20th level, you can change the duration of all summon monster spells to permanent. You can have no more than one summon monster spell made permanent in this way at one time. If you designate another summon monster spell as permanent, the previous spell immediately ends.

Shadow Conjuration is an Illusion (shadow) spell which states that:

You use material from the Plane of Shadow to shape quasi-real illusions of one or more creatures, objects, or forces. Shadow conjuration can mimic any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell of 3rd level or lower

Due to the fact that Summoner's Charm only interacts with Conjuration (summoning) spells and not Illusion spells, Shadow Conjuration would not work.

However, in Greater Shadow Conjuration, it is stated that:

This spell functions like shadow conjuration, except that it duplicates any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell of 6th level or lower.

Now instead of mimicking the spell, it duplicates it. The term "duplicates" confuses me in this situation. Does that mean that it is now an actually Conjuration (summoning) spell or is it still an illusion spell? Why is the term "duplicate" used instead of "mimic"? Or am I just reading it wrong?

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The Spell Remains an Illusion Spell

No matter what spell the caster chooses to copy with the spell shadow conjuration et al. the spell remains an Illusion spell as an Illusion spell is creating the effect. The supernatural ability summoner's charm does not apply to spells of the Illusion school.

The Word Duplicate and the Word Mimic

The game has used these interchangeably since Pathfinder's grandfather was published in 2000. The Player's Handbook (2000) for Dungeons and Dragons, 3rd Edition had identical mimic language for the spell shadow conjuration and duplicate language for greater shadow conjuration, as does the Dungeons and Dragon 3.5 SRD (q.v. the spell shadow conjuration and the spell greater shadow conjuration). I've never read any argument suggesting that mimic is somehow different from duplicate, and while it would be wonderful for RPG authors to use the same terms to describe the same effects, RPG design remains more art than science, and varying the language makes for a more entertaining read.

The words mimic and duplicate, for game purposes, are synonyms.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Technically, Mimic is different from mimic=duplicate \$\endgroup\$
    – MrLemon
    Aug 6, 2014 at 13:45
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MrLemon And you fail to mention the possibility of a dupli-cat, fearsome or otherwise? For shame. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 6, 2014 at 13:55

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