[PF] The Eidolon Pseudo-PC

[urdjur]

I've just begun familiarizing myself with PF after a long 3.5 hiatus. As soon as I saw the Summoner class, I was hooked. I've been reading up on guides and builds for a while but there is one fundamental fact that I'm missing in the optimization: a discussion on how to take the Summoner out of the equation.

I like to think of the Eidolon as a lich and the Summoner as its phylactery and spell reservoir. As long as the "phylactery" is kept safe, the Eidolon will reincarnate every day at 50% hp even if slain. As long as you can accept a phylactery of flesh, you can play a "lich" from level 1!

Imagine not actually role-playing your Summoner very much at all. Instead of trying to make your Eidolon into a melee monster a.s.a.p, you treat the Eidolon as a rules platform to design your pseudo-PCs race and class features to taste. Some features are set, such as Dex and Str increments (lending itself well to archery for instance), some you select only once (like feats and skills) and some can be changed every level (your evolutions). Thanks to the Share Spells and Link features (which work at any distance - so does the dismissal), the Eidolon even becomes a pseudo-gish. Any party can benefit from an Eidolon pseudo-PC, because it can fill almost any role in a party depending on how you build it (and your Summoner).

The Summoner is built to avoid interacting with the game world as much as possible. Stealth skill maximization and heavy use of Unfetter (to Just Not Be There) is a start. I'm still looking for a way to get consistent access to the Keep Watch spell, so the Eidolon is always around. You can always fall back on your summons if the Eidolon is gone for the day and monsters get the drop on you for some reason. Apart from that, the Summoner will mostly "boldly" go where everone has already gone before (and cleared out traps and monsters), following the Eidolon's (and the rest of the party's) footsteps to keep within that pesky Life Link range, and generally use Stealth, Invisibility and Dimension Door to avoid encounters that could not be anticipated.

What do you think about the concept? Any and all ideas you have for such a build (feats, traits, spell selection) etc. is very much appreciated.

[Dissonance]

Focusing on the summoner first. Unfetter is ok, but there are better options. In combat he could act like a spell turret of sorts, or just an Buff turret. To really focus on the whole "he isn't important" idea. Make sure to take invisibility, extend spell, and the trait that lets you reduce metamagic cost by 1 for a spell. You will now have access to a insanely long invis summoner. which is always a good thing. Another idea could be to make the character a synthesis summoner. and refluff it as the summoner is possessed by the Eidolon 24/7.

Onto the eidolon, In UM there are details on how to basically make an undead Eidolon. The lich theme might be problematic considering the limited spells you have access to. Not that it's impossible, just is going to be very taxing on the evolution points. Here is a test build that I thought of


21 points: Base Form biped; Primary Evolutions: undead appearance, basic magic; Secondary Evolutions: unnatural aura, minor magic, major magic, ultimate magic, no breath.

extra 4 points come from investing more into undead appearance

Feel free to change it as you see fit. Note that it is more for flavor and not optimization.

[the clumsy bard]

This (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/classes/base-classes/summoner/archetypes/paizo---summoner-archetypes/synthesist)

Seriously.

It takes the summoner "out" in a sense.

[urdjur]

Thanks for the input. :smallsmile:
@Dissonance: I didn't actually intend for the Eidolon to appear as a lich - that was just a simile. In fact, I desire the opposite - the Eidolon should appear as much as a run-of-the-mill PC as possible, but without being obviously disguised. For example, it could pass itself off as an Aasimar Magus or something. The Summoner on the other hand, should not appear at all. A "spell turret" is still too much direct participation in the encounter for my tastes. Ideally, enemies should never have line of sight or effect to the Summoner. Spells cast in combat would be limited to target:you spells channeled through the Eidolon by means of the Share Spells (Ex) ability.

Also, I prefer a lesser metamagic extend rod over feats/traits.

@The_Clumsy_Bard: I see what you're saying, but I'm kinda looking for the opposite. The synthecist still puts the controller in harm's way. If the fused being fails a save against a [death] effect, the Summoner still dies. I'm looking at ways of never being subject to attacks at all, while still being able to affect the game environment.

Hope that clears it up! The two big things this build wants is:
1) Permanent unfettering
2) No need for the summoner to sleep

Then the summoner could go pursue a career in animal husbandry while the eidolon adventures with a party, using the summoner merely for life insurance and spell services. Kind of like a dryad that's tied to a tree.

Item 1) isn't really a problem with the RAW since the ability to summon an eidolon isn't limited by range. So when the duration is running out on your unfetter spell, just dismiss the Eidolon and summon it to your side again. Then unfetter it again, dismiss it and resummon it to wherever it was when you did your extraction thing (even if that was like 10 miles away from the cosy tavern you're staying in).

Item 2) isn't really necessary either. So your Eidolon disappears when you sleep? Well, it's not like you're in harm's way anyway + you can always summon monsters to help you if you're ambushed in the tavern. It's really no different from a wizard who likes to climb into a Rope Trick and sleep every night.

[AttilaTheGeek]

Note: If your GM doesn't like houserules, ignore this post.

If you were to "point buy" the Eidolon's base stats for each form, the Quadruped is out of 10, and the Biped, Aquatic and Serpentine are both out of 12. See if you can get him/her to let you "point buy" your own Eidolon's stats at 12 or, more likely, 10, to try and go for what you want. There are also evolutions (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spellcastingClassOptions/summoner.html)to let the Eidolon cast spells up to 3rd level as SLAs, so you could have a caster/blaster Eidolon, a two- or four-weapon fighting Eidolon, or a tank Eidolon who can take more than the party fighter. And this is why Summoners are fantastic (http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lbaq?My-Eidolon-Can-Beat-Up-Your-Magus).

[the clumsy bard]

This is not a houserule.

Check with your dm is ok with custom made magic items.

Using the rules here (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/magic-items#Table-Estimating-Magic-Item-Gold-Piece-Values)

You are looking for an item that gives you unfetter?

Let us calculate the cost!

You need craft woundrous item or at least creator does, so you need caster level minimum 3.

so let's look at unfetter (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/magic/all-spells/u/unfetter)

so the calculation should be:

Use-activated or continuous: Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp

So

Spell level = 1st level (unfetter)
Caster level = 3rd level (minimum requirement for craft wondrous item)

1 x 3 x 2000 = 6000

Now the choice is yours on what you want to call it, but you can make them gloves, boots, a belt, an amulet, a cloak etc...

Make sure it walks around with it all the time and you are ok. Only issue being that if ever the item is removed by someone it might send your eidolon flying back to you.

My 2 cents.

[Slipperychicken]

Then the summoner could go pursue a career in animal husbandry while the eidolon adventures with a party, using the summoner merely for life insurance and spell services. Kind of like a dryad that's tied to a tree.


If the Summoner neither needs to eat or breathe, it can jump into a Bag of Holding, then rupture it. The Summoner is "lost forever" (effectively unreachable), but can still summon the Eidolon if it's slain, and then cast Plane Shift or something to return it to the Material Plane.

In any case, you'll have a great time convincing the DM that your Summoner should be gaining xp or leveling up.