Does the Summoner eidolon evolution Improved Damage and the feat from the Bestiary Improved Natural Attack stack thereby allowing one natural attack form to increase in damage by 2 steps?
I don't see why not.
By the rules yet, but its on of those things I don't care for too much.
By the rules yet, but its on of those things I don't care for too much.
It does cost a feat and an evolution point.
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By the rules yet, but its on of those things I don't care for too much.It does cost a feat and an evolution point.
Let's see, what's the worst case scenario here? That'd be... the slam attack. Assuming Huge Size, that's 2d8 base damage. Take Improved Natural Attack, that's 3d8 damage.
Now, the summoner can either choose to spend two points on "energy attack", which augments all attacks by 1d6, or 1 point to increase just this attack by 1d8.
But then, how many slam attacks can a summoner put on his eidolon? Four, six, eight? If every single one of the eidolon's attacks is a slam, then "Improved Damage" increase damage done for all attacks more than another power that is clearly meant to do the same.
The rules are fairly clear, in that they do not say anything about this, thus it is allowed. But it doesn't feel right. I would not let it stack any more than I would let a player apply "Improved Natural Attack" feat or "Improved Damage" more than once to the same attack.
In short, it's cheese. It's legal cheese, but still cheese. Don't do it.
How is slam the best damaging attack?
It does a max of 3d8 (min 3, avg 13.5, max 24) vs other natural attacks which can get up to 4d6 (min 4, avg 14, max 24).
EDIT: If you are making heavy use of the Vital Strike line, only then can I see the d8's being a better option.
EDIT 2: Actually, now that I am looking at it, wouldn't slam max out at 4d8 rather than 3d8?
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EDIT 2: Actually, now that I am looking at it, wouldn't slam max out at 4d8 rather than 3d8?
zot.
If the evolution and the feat stack, yes. So a one-point evolution increases damage more than a 2-point evolution.
I like the the flavor of the two-point evolution; it's clear from the design that you are "supposed" to have 1 bite and 2 claws/slams and 1 gore and 1 tail/sting and etc, in which scenario the 2-point is clearly better, and allowing both to stack is not even remotely game-breaking. In act, even with the stacking, such a mix of attacks makes it generally not worth doing.
But the optimized build leads to a one point evolution being better than a two point evolution.
To me, both because a "normal" eidolon wouldn't want to stack them and because an optimized eidolon would want to stack them, I have to say that they shouldn't stack.
But, strictly speaking, that would be a house rule as things stand now.
...it's clear from the design that you are "supposed" to have 1 bite and 2 claws/slams and 1 gore and 1 tail/sting and etc.
The way the text reads, it looks like if you give up your 2 base claw attacks, you only get 1 slam attack in return. Hardly a good trade considering you have to spend an evolution point to do it.
I have to say that they shouldn't stack. But, strictly speaking, that would be a house rule as things stand now.
Yes. Yes it would. I hope it stays that way too. Lord knows eidolons don't need more nerfs.