Keep in mind we play gestalt rules and use the rule of cool as much as possible.
A player at my table (Im Gming) wants to play an elemental monster summoner. He wants to be able to summon 4 distinct monsters, one at a time as needed. One monster representing each element (Fire, Earth, Air, Water). The idea as it stands right now is that he will be a summoner with 4 eidolons he can summon and to have each one take levels in kineticist. So, basically the gestalt side will be the Eidolons picking up the second class rather than the player's character.
Thoughts?
I would say... not allowed.
Interesting idea, but in the end it doesn't really work out well. But, I can't give too much because I actually ban Summoners from my game because of the amount of complication. My players find it hard to keep up with their own numbers.
But, gestalt designed to affect the player, not the players things. So what you would be really dealing with is 5 players being controlled by 1 player.
Even the rule of cool would be shaking his head in this context.
Isn't there a Druid archetype that exchanges its companion for 4 elementals?
Also a feat that allows you to apply elemental templates to summoned creatures.
Right you are Daw. Elemental Ally druid archetype. As for giving his Eidelons class levels no. Perhaps with planar binding. Do note that individual outsiders can have class levels or extra templates. If he knows specific outsiders that already exist that meets his requirements he can choose to call them. Perhaps he meets them while adventuring. Perhaps he discover's a name while researching the the arcane library of the lich the party just beat. I would advise him to build a wizard + Elemental Ally Druid. Let each of the Eidelon's represent a portion of a particular powerful elemental outsider. Over the course of adventuring let him pick up their names/truenames via truename discovery/research/plot/rewards so he can planar bind them. Perhaps with a special restriction of he can only "control" 1 of these powerful elements at a time or never have opposition elements at the same time.
I usually GM pretty high powered games, so this isn't something I would dismiss out of hand, but the amount of paperwork it would require would be staggering.
Only big mechanical problem I can see is Burn. Perhaps have them all be Overwhelming Souls?
I like to try to give some kind of flavor bonus that mixes the two classes anyways. For example the barbarian/Druid's animal companion rages when he does.
From what we were talking about he wants the eidolons to be able to use kinetic blasts and have the respective defense talents.
The earth elemental wants to be a tank with one strong melee hit.
The air elemental would be a flier (eventually) with utilizing lightning strikes from the sky.
The Fire elemental could possibly be some kind of grappler or a multi attacker using kineticfists.
The water could be a battlefield controller.
Adding a second element at 7 seemed fun too, with no overlapping elements allowed.
He would only control one at a time having to spend a turn to switch if needed. I'm not worried about the paperwork for this player.
Burn is an interesting point, I hadn't considered. It would seem I still need the players character to take the burn itself?
For your barbarian/druid
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo-bar barian-archetypes/mad-dog/
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/rage-powers/paizo-ra ge-powers/ferocious-beast-ex/
What about using Elemental Ally Druid or a similiar homebrew Summoner archetype then making some more homebrew evolutions to add to them? The objectionable parts are adding class levels to Eidelons/Companions and trading away his own Gestalt for it. Eidelons/Companions already have their own advancement methods and it would be practically impossible to compute an equivalence compared to class levels. Meanwhile trading Gestalt away seems like a dramatic step to take as compared other, easier to implement methods of doing what he wants. Also it makes it difficult to balance his durability with his party members due to their gestalt
What I'm think at this point is to just have him be a kin/sum. Somehow give his eidolons the defense abilities associated with their element: a feat perhaps. Also give them the ability to use his kinetic blast for the turn.
Your idea already exists as an archetype, as Daw mentioned. Elemental Ally is actually quite interesting, but a bit limited. If you are fine with allowing someone to completely stomp all over the established limitations, just let them build each of the elemental eidolons as though there were full Eidolons as the class feature in the Summoner class.
Warning: Your table will slow down IMMENSELY when you allow for fully customizable extra party members in this way. It's the same reason I generally find that Leadership is banned. It's not that it's incredibly overpowered (though it kinda is), it's that the table slows down when one person is deciding the actions of 2 characters, each with a full PCs loadout of abilities.
How would the table slow down from giving the Eidolons a Kinetic Blast?
The archetype is cool as a place to start. The fee (no evolution points) they give the archetype seems pretty steep, and kinda eliminates the point (different *pets*). Also the main desire is to have some pets with ranged elemental attacks.
I think that's where we are headed Lady-J. I proposed feats, but the same concept.