Guy I know is not happy with his PFS summoner. He wants to fight along side the eidolon more in the manner of a ranger and animal companion. He doesn’t want to just sit there invisibly or plink with a crossbow from the back.
He doesn’t want the ranger because the animal companion can’t be the weird tentacle clawed mystical conglomeration he has in mind. He likes the buff spells the summoner has. The eidolon and the spells of the summoner match pretty perfectly with his mental image. (It is some fighting team from some anime thing I know nothing about.)
BUT, his summoner keeps getting curb stomped. Or spends the whole fight buffing. Which burns through all his spells and accomplishes nothing.
So he is considering a dip into something else.
Paladin for 2 levels would give him +4 hp, +2 BaB, great saves, martial weapons, heavy armor (folding plate)
Oracle would give medium armor and other stuff depending upon the revelation. Like charisma to AC, or summoned armor, martial weapons, etc… (could take another later with the additional revelations feat).
Bard would give some other options.
(Yes we know, giving up caster levels is bad. But getting killed is worse.)
Have you seen anyone actually try this? How did it work out? Other ideas?
Yes, I don't know what gear he bought the eidolon, but it wasn't much so far because he was still trying to survive and the eidolon is rarely hurt that bad. It just vanishes when he get knocked unconscious.
I believe he currently has a mithral chain shirt and was using a long spear rather than a buckler.
They did have at least 1 maybe 2 teamwork feats, but I don't remember which ones.
I don't know if the anime character ever rode the tentacle clawed thing; but if not, he probably won't either.
Taking levels in anything other than summoner is going to do more harm than good, given the loss of caster level and evolution points/eidolon level progression. Combat-oriented summoners need to be built that way from the start, with high Strength and the right feat/evolution choices for his eidolon.
Have him take a look at this guide, as it's got a lot more information on how to build a summoner tag team than I could easily condense.