Elder Eidolon

[PraxisVetli]

So, I'm looking at this Elder Eidolon template in Lords of Madness, and maybe I'm wrong, but is there ever a time when this template is a good idea?
Is it really just to give things Immunity to Magic? Or is it the Construct type, but surely there are easier ways to do that right?
What am I missing here?

[chaos_redefined]

While it isn't the be-all-and-end-all, magic immunity does stop a fair bit of what a caster can do to it. Tack on the ability to heal it fully, either by fast healing or the appropriate transmute spell, and it is a self-contained beat-stick.

However, if you are looking at making a non-magic-immune pet to order around, try the effigy template from Complete Arcane. Similar kind of deal, but no magic immunity, a bunch of other abilities get wiped, and it costs less.

[Segev]

From a DM perspective, it is a highly distinct flavor from the base monsters from which they're made, and it fits certain settings (not game settings, but "episode" settings) better than monsters of that sort might.

From a player perspective, if you're crafting these things, it's a good way to make an arbitrary physically-impressive critter (e.g. a hydra) into a construct you own. Assuming your DM lets you build the things.

[PraxisVetli]

So it seems like, from a DM standpoint, it's really only good for flavor? Because stripping all the abilities out doesn't seem worth nulling the caster.
Trading most of your offense for a decent, but not guaranteed defense seems inefficient.

[Eldaran]

For a DM not every choice is about power, sometimes you just want to make a monster different, and sometimes you even want to make it worse. Flavor should always be a concern.

[PraxisVetli]

For a DM not every choice is about power, sometimes you just want to make a monster different, and sometimes you even want to make it worse. Flavor should always be a concern.

Well of course!! That's not at all what I meant. If it exists to occasionally switch power for flavor, then that's fine, I'm just trying to figure that out.

[PraxisVetli]

For the sake of the argument, however, are there any situations where applying this template would be and overall improvement?

[Segev]

For the sake of the argument, however, are there any situations where applying this template would be and overall improvement?

Basically anything that doesn't rely on special abilities for its CR. Obviously not a good one for Beholders or the like, but a kobold elder eidolon, while not exactly the most impressive thing out there, is still better than a regular kobold. A magic-immune hydra would be pretty frightening, too.

[PraxisVetli]

So, would the Fiend Folio's Steel Predator work?
Kinda thematic in a way, and not terrible for mechanics, yeah?