The rules are clear about what happens when an Eidolon is reduced to -Con hit points. It goes poof and the Summoner has to wait 24 hours to summon it back, at which point it will be at 1/2 maximum hit points.
However, hit point damage isn't the only way to kill something. This actually came up in our game last night:
Eidolon was fighting a Charisma-draining (not damage) Spawn-creating undead. Eidolon was reduced to 0 Charisma by said undead. According to that undead's rules, Eidolon dies. However, there's no provision in the Summoner/Eidolon rules for Eidolons dieing through any means other than hit point damage.
This can also come up through ability damage to Constitution, failing a Massive Damage save, failing a coup de grace save, negative levels, drowning, and probably some other methods that I'm just not thinking of right now.
I adjudicated that the Eidolon acted as if it had been killed by hp damage and would come back (in 24 hours) with 1 Charisma. However, I'd like to see that the final version of the rules doesn't have a loophole in this area.
I would rule any death to allow it to come back, but petrification is another thing altogether.
Good catch, this definitely needs to be clarified by Jason.
I really don't see why they exact circumstances of death would change what happens much . . . it seems like it should just come back as if it had died in any other manner. I think specifying things like this just overcomplicates the rules, but maybe that's just me.
I really don't see why they exact circumstances of death would change what happens much . . . it seems like it should just come back as if it had died in any other manner. I think specifying things like this just overcomplicates the rules, but maybe that's just me.
Think about it. The rules tell you that an Eidolon who dies from hit point damage comes back 24 hours later when re-summoned with half hit points. The rules are utterly silent on what else changes, leading to the inevitable conclusion that everything else except for hit points is the same as when it was unsummoned.
What about an Eidolon that dies from being reduced to 0 hit dice from negative levels? The rules don't tell you to restore negative levels after 24 hours. By the rules as written, you have a very strong argument for the Eidolon being instantly unsummoned every time you resummon it.
Remember, the Eidolon does not exist in its Summoned state as a separate entity. It is only an aspect of another creature. When it isn't in the vicinity of its Summoner, it doesn't exist. Thus, the fact that hit point losses persist without changing between Summonings leads to the direct and obvious implication that every other status change does as well. Only hit points are restored upon death, nothing else is as written.
A fix doesn't need to be complicated. "An Eidolon that has died can be resummoned after 24 hours. Its hit points are at half maximum but it is otherwise in perfect health." solves it without question and without complication. Actually, it REDUCES complication.
Well, I did think about it. My thoughts led me to think that no matter how the Eidolon dies, it comes back exactly as it was before, except starting out a half hit points. Maybe that's just me.
Well, I did think about it. My thoughts led me to think that no matter how the Eidolon dies, it comes back exactly as it was before, except starting out a half hit points. Maybe that's just me.
In that case, any death other than hit point loss is permanent and irreversible. That's a really, really bad design choice.
By, "exactly as before" I meant that the thing only comes back with 50% of hits hits points gone compared to his base hit dice. I probably just need to quit reading rules, because I don't read them like other people.
By, "exactly as before" I meant that the thing only comes back with 50% of hits hits points gone compared to his base hit dice. I probably just need to quit reading rules, because I don't read them like other people.
I knew what you meant. An Eidolon with 5 hit dice and (say) 30 maximum hit points that gets level drained 5 times, according to your interpretation, would be re-summoned after 24 hours with 2 hit points (30 max - 25 from negative levels = 5 max, divided by 2 rounded down is 2) and would be instantly unsummoned because it still has 5 negative levels and is thus still dead.