RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
|
I'm not sure if the reasoning was ever revealed to the public, but I can't help thinking it had something to do with the fact that 9/10 people didn't really understand how they worked (including people playing them) so it was a pain to try and adjudicate, audit, and often correct those builds.
The official/public reason was because it did not fit the flavor of the campaign. It would seem that they're giving an especially close look at all current and future summoner archetypes to make sure they fit the flavor of the campaign, as all but one summoner archetype from ARG was not allowed.
|
It seems less powerful than even the base Summoner... It cuts out the main problem that many pet classes have of having multiple actions and the ability to just buff up you pet and then get your own attacks while your beefy pet charges in and takes the brunt of the attacks.
However, it allows for having a summoner with 7 STR, 7 DEX and 7 CON with massive mental stats, and an eidolon with massive physical stats, giving you effectively close to a 50-point buy character.
Add in two levels of Paladin for Divine Grace...
|
|
The Synth Archetype could be modified slightly so that its not a min-max monster by not allowing the physical stat addition.
Instead when merging the forms they should get something like this:
Quadruped: +2 Dex, -2 Con
Biped: +2 Str, -2 Dex
Serpentine: +2 Dex, -2 Str
This could be altered on the next printing of the UM and on the pdf's.
This is a suggestion, and has been brought up before.
I also agree that some of this is brought upon by a lack of knowledge on how the Summoner/eidolon is used and what stacks with it.
|
It seems less powerful than even the base Summoner... It cuts out the main problem that many pet classes have of having multiple actions and the ability to just buff up you pet and then get your own attacks while your beefy pet charges in and takes the brunt of the attacks.However, it allows for having a summoner with 7 STR, 7 DEX and 7 CON with massive mental stats, and an eidolon with massive physical stats, giving you effectively close to a 50-point buy character.
Add in two levels of Paladin for Divine Grace...
Indeed. In the first months of 2012 there was a huge boom in Synthoracaladins who were Noble Scions of War. All you had to do was boost your charisma. +Charisma to AC, CMD, initiative, and all saves. I remember GMing a 5-9 game with three synthesists built like this. Even though they only had four-five levels of summoner each they could outdamage a full-level fighter and couldn't be touched when it came to defenses.
From a non "power creep" perspective, I would say that the synthesist just didn't fit in. It's a problem with the nature of organized play. If you tell a ranger that his animal companion isn't welcome inside the manor of the noble you are visiting, most say "OK." But more than once I saw a synthesist threaten to leave the table if he wasn't allowed to wear his "eidolon suit" at all times.
I can't entirely say I disagree. A ranger, druid. . . Even a cavalier can still be effective without its animal companion. But a summoner without an eidolon is just a poor spellcaster.
|
Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It does not fit the theme of Golarion and is unbalancing in the campaign. This has been discussed ad nauseum and a search can find numerous, lengthy debate on the topic if you want to read the arguments on both sides of the debate. We aren't going to start another lengthy debate on this topic.