Synthesists and Protection from Alignment spells


Rules Questions


I searched the forums but I didn't see much on this topic. While the eidolon class feature for summoners says

Summoner wrote:
In addition, due to its tie to its summoner, an eidolon can touch and attack creatures warded by protection from evil and similar effects that prevent contact with summoned creatures.

But for synthesists it says

Synthesist wrote:
He counts as both his original type and as an outsider for any effect related to type, whichever is worse for the synthesist.

Would an evil human synthesist fused with his eidolon be unable to use natural attacks to hit a creature warded with Protection from Evil, for example? In this case the synthesist would, as far as types go, count as outsider and human, I believe. Does this mean that because he's an outsider on the material plane, the outsider/eidolon counts as a summoned creature "type" and is therefore subject to the effects from protection from evil? Is "summoned" even a "type" of creature?


theobject314 wrote:

I searched the forums but I didn't see much on this topic. While the eidolon class feature for summoners says

Summoner wrote:
In addition, due to its tie to its summoner, an eidolon can touch and attack creatures warded by protection from evil and similar effects that prevent contact with summoned creatures.

But for synthesists it says

Synthesist wrote:
He counts as both his original type and as an outsider for any effect related to type, whichever is worse for the synthesist.
Would an evil human synthesist fused with his eidolon be unable to use natural attacks to hit a creature warded with Protection from Evil, for example? In this case the synthesist would, as far as types go, count as outsider and human, I believe. Does this mean that because he's an outsider on the material plane, the outsider/eidolon counts as a summoned creature "type" and is therefore subject to the effects from protection from evil? Is "summoned" even a "type" of creature?

He isn't warded against a Protection from Evil, the same way that his Eidolon wouldn't be if it wasn't fused. The "Treated as an Outsider too" part means spells like Holy Smite are worse when cast on a Synthesist.

Holy Smite wrote:
The spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d8) to each evil creature in the area (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level, maximum 10d6, to an evil outsider) and causes it to become blinded for 1 round. A successful Will saving throw reduces damage to half and negates the blinded effect.

So an Evil human synthesist would take more damage and have a chance of being blinded when he was fused with his Eidolon then he would if he was just some evil dude.


While the synthesist counts as an outsider, he is not a "summoned creature". And his eidolon arguably isn't a "summoned creature" either, as it isn't a creature by most meanings of the word.


Okay, that makes sense. Thank you both for the quick answers (it wasn't really a pressing need because I'm not playing a synthesist, and I probably never will, it was more of a curiosity question, but still).

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