[PF] Building a Combat Maneuver Eidolon

[The Awesome]

I'm building a 7th level Summoner for an upcoming PF game, and I'm having a bit of a rough go of it. I want his Eidolon to be able to lock down foes on the battlefield and be able to take significant hits. My first thought is to make him a large quadruped (because Charge is pretty sweet) But I also was thinking of purchasing extra Limbs (Arms) so he may wield a reach weapon. How effective would these options be? What evolutions or feats should I consider that would make an Eidolon effective in using Combat Maneuvers?

Thanks!

EDIT: I did indeed mean Pounce, not Charge.

[kestrel404]

First, look at the summoner's handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184592). It's very good.

Second, realize that a focused Eidolon is a powerful eidolon, while an unfocused eidolon (one with evolution points and feats spent to let it do all sorts of things) is pretty useless.

Taking up a reach weapon is going to require a set of arms and a feat (weapon proficiency). If you're going to put that much effort into using a weapon, make a Kali or Slugger style eidolon. Your feats and evolution points are both very limited resources.

If you're going to go for a battlefield control eidolon, then stick with natural weapons and make a Chomper (I particularly like to make a Chomper with Extra heads and additional bite attacks, because you can get a free Trip attack off of every bite!).

Also, note that there is a Reach enhancement for an eidolon's natural weapons - you don't need hands to get reach. Also remember that a Large creature automatically gets reach.

[The Awesome]

First, look at the summoner's handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184592). It's very good.

Thank you for that link and your advice overall. :smallbiggrin:

[Barstro]

Also remember that a Large creature automatically gets reach.

Sadly, that is wrong. A large Biped gets reach (see Large Evolution). Other Eidolons need to be huge to automatically get extended range.

The lockdown Eidolon I would build if I ever had the chance to play PF is a single bite attack quadruped with trip. All evolutions and feats focused on that trip (or attacks in general, in case you want to make it multi claws in the future). At L7 I would do; Trip(2), Reach(1), Armor(1), Energy Attack(2), Poison-Con(4). At L8 I would switch to Large(4), Trip(2), Reach(1), Armor (1), Energy(2), Damage(1)

Edit: forgot that I need Pounce in all of this.
L7 is same as above, but Pounce and Damage instead of Energy Attack
L8 is the same as L8 above, but with Pounce instead of Damage

For feats, my initial thought goes to; Combat Reflexes and possibly Power Attack for Great Cleave.

[Larpus]

As others have said, evolution points might look plenty, but if you don't maintain the build focused, you'll run out of them fast.

At higher levels, sure, you actually can have enough points to have a multi-armed, multi-headed, flying, skilled, waving seven greatswords and all that, but on the lower end, before level 10, it's focus or suck, especially if you want to take the most out of Pounce.

Anyway back on the maneuvers, the best option as mentioned is Trip, which is activated from Bite attacks, there is also the option for Bull Rush, but unless I'm missing something on the usage, they're never as useful as trips.