Renlar's page

Looking for feedback on a 1e Gloomblade build

My group will be starting Tyrant’s Grasp in the near future, and I was hoping to get some feedback on my build. I’ll be the only melee in a 4-person party, and this is my first time playing a full martial (I’ve played my share of Magus, Summoner, and Oracle). Looking for help either optimizing the dips I’m using to cover feats, or any ideas that might result in fun interesting playstyles that take advantage of the Gloomblade’s Shadow Weapon.

No spoilers for TG please, but feel free to reference the Tyrant’s Grasp Player’s Guide content.

Party Composition
- Spirit Guide Oracle of Pharasma
- Twilight Sage Arcanist
- Bolt Ace Gunslinger / Inquisitor

Primary Success Criteria
- Solo-melee tank
- Trap finder
- Manifesting a weapon of pure awesomeness (Mini link)

Rules
- 25 pt buy (no dump stats)
- Two traits, one must be Tyrant's Grasp specific
- Background skills
- Non-int classes have a minimum of 4+int skill ranks / level
- “Anything Paizo” (no leadership, more RAI than RAW)
- Free Weapon Finesse (not planning on using it, but it is an option)
- Advanced Weapon Training is ok, so long as it does not apply to a specific weapon group (example: Fighter’s Tactics is ok, Versatile Training is not)

The Build
Divine Tracker/Trapper Ranger 1, Green Knight Cavalier 1, Gloomblade Fighter+
Human – Dimdweller (60ft. Darkvision)
Str 16(18), Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10
Traits: Aldori Caution, The Reclaimer

L1 Fighter – Dodge, Mobility, Power Attack
Medium armor and no shield proficiency means early game is going to be tough. Picking up Dodge and P.A. early helps with focus firing targets before they kill me.
L2 Ranger – Improved Unarmed Strike, Trap Finding, Favored Enemy +2 (Undead)
We need IUS [Lythertida] to qualify for Crane, snag Trap Finding, and Favored enemy (Undead) is icing on the cake.
L3 Fighter – Combat Expertise, Crane Style
We need C.E. for Whirlwind, and we leverage Crane for Stalwart.
L4 Fighter
Nothing of note.
L5 Cavalier – Endurance, Diehard, Stalwart, Intercept Charge
Green Knight gets us two feats needed for Stalwart, as well as an anti-undead oath. Intercept Charge is a bonus pick up here for tanking, and we take Stalwart as our 5th level feat. Fighting defensively we are now DR 5/-
L6 Fighter – Spring Attack
Needed for Whirlwind
L7 Fighter – Whirlwind Attack
With a reach weapon, we threaten 5ft.(I.U.S.) and 10ft.
L8 Fighter – Lunge
Now we threaten 15ft.
L9 Fighter – Advanced Weapon Training: Fighter’s Tactics
We can now use Intercept Charge on anyone in the party
L10 Fighter – Gloomstorm
We can swap weapons as a free action if needed. Allows for full attack throwing javelins
L11 Fighter – Improved Stalwart
We are now DR 10/-, and our Gloomblade reach is now +5 (20ft/with lunge and reach weapon)
L12 Fighter – Crane Wing
We can choose to stick with AC rather than DR if we want the deflect
L13 Fighter – Crane Riposte
Fighting defensively is now only a -1
L14 ???
L15 ???
L16 ???
L17 ???

Closing Thoughts
Going back to our goals, we have a Low AC tank "easy target" with DR 10/- that can threaten a 20ft. radius. We threaten with IUS, so we can wield a Greatsword to hit things hard, then hold it in one-hand to threaten with unarmed and keep Crane Style benefits. Because our base Will save is pretty bad, I was thinking the remaining feats could be something like Combat Reflexes, Cut From the Air, Spellcut, Smash from the Air.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear any and all feedback around the build/concept.

I've been working on a Magus Archetype based around a switch-hitting starknife character. If you have the time, I would greatly appreciate a read through and any feedback that you have. I've added a "Design Overview" section to the bottom of the page to explain my approach to each of the decisions and abilities.

Arcane Star (Magus Archetype)

Thank you for your time!

Please check in the character you will be playing along with the usual key stats:

Character: Character Name
PFS #: 123456-1
Day Job: Craft (Snake Oil): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Initiative: +0
Perception: +0

A few days ago an eccentric gnome approached you with summons to Lastwall. You have been called by Venture-Captain Shevar Besnik to the Ace of Dreams, a gambling house in Vellumis that also serves as the Pathfinder Society's Uscalin Lodge.

I'm looking for feedback on the character I have built for Hell's Rebels. This character will be starting at level 4, and along with the build I'd be happy to hear any ideas you have for magic items that I should be pursuing.

Our party has a dedicated Life Oracle healer, buff Bard, Swashbuckler, Warpriest, and a Wizard. I volunteered to be the party trap finder, while contributing to damage from range. I decided to go with a Starknife build because I thought it would be a lot of fun, and had a lot of utility in terms of switch-hitting.

It occurred to me that someone here might know more than I do about the update cadence. I'm looking forward to playing a new GM credit character, but I'm getting a backlog of concepts that are dependent on new material.

Have any of you heard anything about when the next update to the Additional Resources will be? The last update was on April 4th. It makes sense that they would hold off changes until after PaizoCon, but now that we are past the major convention I'm itching to get at those new books.

I know it is a long shot, but maybe someone here has some details or perhaps heard something at PaizoCon?

I've been talking over a Starknife build with some friends and the following question was raised:

"If Startoss Comet triggers after a successful hit but Ricohet Toss states that the weapon returns immediately after an attack is resolved, is it possible to use the two together?"

As a standard action, you can make a single ranged thrown weapon attack at your full attack bonus with the chosen weapon. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make a second attack (at your full attack bonus) against a target within one range increment of the first. You determine cover for this attack from the first target's space instead of your space.

When you make a ranged attack with an appropriate thrown weapon, the weapon returns to your hand immediately after the attack is resolved.

The alchemist discovery "Tumor Familiar" states the following:

Tumor Familiar (Ex): The alchemist creates a Diminutive or Tiny tumor on his body, usually on his back or stomach. As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar (bat, cat, and so on) and move about as if it were an independent creature. The tumor can reattach itself to the alchemist as a standard action. The tumor has all the abilities of the animal it resembles (for example, a batlike tumor can fly) and familiar abilities based on the alchemist's caster level (though some familiar abilities may be useless to an alchemist). The tumor acts as the alchemist's familiar whether attached or separated (providing a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and so on). When attached to the alchemist, the tumor has fast healing 5. An alchemist's extracts and mutagens are considered spells for the purposes of familiar abilities like share spells and deliver touch spells. If a tumor familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later through a specialized procedure that costs 200 gp per alchemist level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

My interpretation is that the standard action to detach the tumor makes it a target, is this correct?

Disclaimer: Based on this post by John Compton, I decided to attempt an argument for why the Eldritch Archer should be added to the Additional Resources in Pathfinder Society. As someone who plays more than one Magus in PFS as well as a ranged Eldritch Knight, this post should be contextualized as having a significant bias. In fact, my intent is to play an Eldritch Archer in PFS were it to be allowed, so please understand that by reading my feedback and analyzing my perspective I am not entirely sure I meet the requirements of making a reason argument “in good faith.” That being said, I welcome any and all constructive feedback and discussion surround the Eldritch Archer and PFS.

---

What is the Eldritch Archer Archetype?
The Eldritch Archer is an archetype for the Magus class that trades its melee focused abilities for abilities centered around ranged combat. The following is a summary of the changes that the Eldritch Archer archetype makes to the base Magus Class

• Gains Perception as a class skill, but loses Use Magic Device as a class skill

• Using their Arcane Pool, they can add Distance, Nimble Shot, and Returning as weapon properties but they lose the ability to add Dancing, Keen, or Vorpal.

• They gain an Arcane Bond, however it cannot be used to cast a spell once per day and it must be a ranged weapon. Additionally, holding the arcane bond does not prevent them from providing somatic components for spells.

• They gain the ability to perform Spell Combat with ranged weapons, but they lose the ability to perform Spell Combat with melee weapons. However, an Eldritch Archer loses the ability to take a penalty on their attacks in order to gain a bonus on concentration checks to cast defensively.

• They gain Ranged Spellstrike, which allows them to make a ranged weapon attack whenever they cast a spell that call for a ranged attack roll.

• They also gain Focusing Spellstrike, but as a level 16th ability it should have no impact on Pathfinder Society play.
  

How does the Eldritch Archer differ from a normal Magus in typical play?

• In my opinion, the largest change in playstyle will come from when the Eldritch Archer chooses to cast their spells. A standard Magus typically casts their touch spells without fear of wasting them as missed attack results in a held charge. However, the Eldritch Archer throws away their spells on a missed attack, meaning that the decision to use a spell slot should hold significantly more weight (the only exceptions to this are cantrips, more on that later).

• As ranged combat tends to be feat intensive, the Eldritch Archer will tend to focus on many of the standard archery feats, these include Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, Clustered Shots, Rapid Shot, and Many Shot. In PFS, a standard non-human Magus will have access to 7 feats (1st, 3rd, 5th, 5th*, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 11th*).

• The Eldritch Archer does have an advantage over other archers in that they can use Spell Combat as a stand-in for Rapid Shot. By using Spell Combat with a canrip (Acid Splash or Ray of Frost) the Eldritch Archer can gain the extra attack that would normally be given by Rapid Shot at the same -2 penalty (with a bonus ~1.5 damage!). Whether or not this is a benefit for the Eldritch Archers is debatable, as Rapid Shot is still a prerequisite for Manyshot and Snap Shot. Many players focused on damage will try and get Manyshot as soon as possible, but because the Magus is 3/4 BAB the earliest an Eldritch Magus in PFS could take Manyshot would be 9th level (or 8th level through retraining), and even then it competes with the Clustered Shots feat. In my conversations with other players, we predict that many players will avoid Rapid Shot (or take it at 11th) and keep the feat slot open for a metamagic feat, Spell Penetration, Improved Initiative, or some other utility feat.

• In terms of attribute allocation, the Eldritch Archer will not typically differ much from a Dex Magus. Dexterity is still the primary attribute, however an Eldritch Archer will never get access to adding their Dexterity to damage, thus I predict many Eldritch Archers will have 12-14 Strength in order to take advantage of a composite bow (similar to any DEX Magus that leverages Power Attack). There is an argument that Con could be lowered due to no longer being a frontline fighter, however I don’t think there would be too much of a difference due to much of the Magus’ survivability coming from spells anyways (shield, mirror image, etc.).
  

How does the Eldritch Archer compare to other common PFS archers?

• While the Magus is a ¾ BAB class, they do have the ability to increase the enhancement of their weapon through their arcane pool which in theory makes this a non-issue. I use the word “theory” because I have not yet played an Eldritch Archer, and it is entirely possible that they are forced to use Spell Recall more often due to wasted spells.

• In terms of the closest match in PFS play, I believe that the Zen Archer is probably the closest comparison. The Zen Archer has Flurry of Blows to compete with Spell Combat, their ki pool can be used for bonus attacks (in the same vein as Arcane Pool bonus weapon damage), and they receive a series of bonus feats to complement their ranged combat ability. There are many unique aspects to the Zen Archer, however I believe that between Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Perfect Strike, and Ki Arrows they are able to make up much of the damage that the Eldritch Archer has access to through spells albeit in a much more steady format rather than in directed bursts.
  

What are some reasons for why the Eldritch Archer should not be allowed in PFS?

• If accept Intensified Shocking Grasp as the standard Magus build, then there is a pretty good chance that Intensified Snowball would be a prevailing Eldritch Archer build. By starting combat with Spell Combat and a 10d6+1d8+STR ranged attack in addition to standard arrows sounds pretty scary. However, when you compare this to a Bladed Dash full round attack with by Keen Scimitar, I don’t think the numbers are going to be that far off, especially when the standard Magus can follow up with an Intensified Shocking Grasp the following round that can be doubled by rolling 15-20.

• I have heard that stacking the Eldritch Archer archetype with currently accessible Magus archetypes can be problematic, specifically the Hexcrafter, Kensai, and the Mymidarch.
  Hexcrafter: Gaining the ability to cast hexes from range in addition to using a bow could become problematic. While I believe that it will be easier to create a successful Hexcrafter with the Eldritch Archer archetype due to the nature of remaining further away from enemies with using hexes, since casting a hex uses a standard action I believe that using Spell Combat will typically be more favorable than losing a turn to debuff an enemy. Again, this is my belief and I am sure that there are many who disagree. For those individuals who would chose to overlap both, I see little reason to prevent tem from doing so, especially since they will be trading Spell Recall (their primary method for recovering those missed spells) to do so.

  Kensai: I think the main draw for those looking to combine the Kensai with the Eldritch Archer is the fact that their loss of armor is hardly a penalty to a ranged character. In fact, gaining access to Fighter feats as well as Weapon Focus is highly compelling. However, the Kensai has diminished spellcasting and loses Spell Recall which is incredibly penalizing for the Eldritch Archer. In my opinion these penalties far outweigh the gains from Kensai, as access to Fighter feats is hardly broken especially when so many feats have already been allocated to the archery tree.

  Myrmidarch: Given that the Eldritch Archer already has access to Ranged Spellstrike, the Myrmidarch provides increased static damage through Weapon Training, access to increased survivability through Armor Training, access to fighter feats, and the ability to cast touch spells from range without new Arcana. All of this comes at the cost of Spell Recall and Diminished Spellcasting. I think it is fair to say that this could be a significant increase in static damage, but I think that the build ends up looking a lot like a Fighter archer with an Arcane Pool and less feats. Additionally, I believe that the Eldritch Archer was intended to replace Greater Spell combat as it states "Whenever he uses the spell combat ability, his concentration check bonus equals double the amount of the attack penalty taken." and since the Eldritch Archer is incapable of taking a penalty to their attack roll in favor of a bonus on their concentration check, I suspect we may see errata around this ability(thus preventing Myrmidarch/Eldritch Archer stacking) in the near future.
  

Why should the Eldritch Archer be allowed in PFS?

• An Eldritch Archer has a much lower critical threat range. Many Magi tend to favor the Scimitar or the Rapier because they start at 18-20 and can be made Keen. While Crossbows are available as 19-20s, they are incapable of being made keen. Longbows do have a x3 modifier, but the main source of damage from a Magus critical strike comes from his spells (of which damage can only ever be doubled).

• As mentioned before, the Eldritch Archer will throw away more spells than a standard Magus due to their inability to hold a charge on a miss. This is a fairly significant loss in power from the standard Magus.

• The Eldritch Archer fills a slot that has been long sought after, the Arcane Archer. While there is an archetype called exactly that currently accessible in PFS, it is not accessible until 8th level and even then it is very restrictive. I personally have a fantasy of using my Arcane Pool to weave fire and lightning into my arrows and follow up my attacks by firing Elemental Rays from a magic bow. As archery is mostly comprised from a set of core feats, it can be applied to most classes quite easily, however because Spellstrike and Spell Combat specify melee weapons, the fantasy of the ranged Magus (the class designed to blend martial prowess and arcane sorcery) remains unattainable.
  

Summary

• The Eldritch Archer is just a Magus that doesn’t need to move around as much, has a much lower critical range, and will throw away more spells per day due to missed attacks. While the class can definitely be powerful, it is no more powerful than a standard Magus, however it does manage to deliver a very different fantasy.
  

If you have made it this far, then I thank you for taking the time to read this post. Please feel free to post your thoughts and/or any feedback that you have for me.

EDIT: Added a section for Archetype stacking, split up some of the reasons it should be allowed, and added a summary.

I know you can allow yourself to be touched by an ally, but can you allow yourself to be attacked?

I ask because I would like to use an Injection Spear as an emergency potion for my allies, but my healer has almost no chance of hitting their AC.

Edit: Injection Spear

I would like to know if the Esoteric Magus ability Ki Arcana counts as "gaining a ki pool as a class feature" in order to determine if I can take Monk Vows with a 1 level dip.

I have a mounted summoner and I am looking at ways to avoid difficult terrain for my eidolon.

I came across Feather Step Slippers from Ultimate Equipment, but a friend of mind asked if my eidolon had the appropriate "feet" to wear them.

I know summoners and their eidolon's share slots, but are their any other rules I need to be aware of that would prevent me from buying my eidolon mount a pair of slippers?

Assuming I have a Magus with "Flamboyant Arcana", can I take "Arcane Deed" for "Precise Stike"?

I suspect that a strict interpretation would be that because Precise Strike specifies "Swashbuckler level" that the answer is 'no'.

Thoughts?

Basically as the subject says:

1. Do these SLAs qualify for Arcane Strike?
2. Would an elf fighter with envoy receive full Arcane strike progression?

I've never played a class with a familiar before, and now that I have one (rabbit) I'm kinda paranoid about him dying.

I want to keep the benefits of having him close, but I'm afraid he is going to die to a fireball or something.

How do you guys keep your familiars safe? What do you do when you enter combat?

You cannot receive more that 1 player Chronicle and 1 GM Chronicle for the same scenario, regardless of how many times you GM or play the scenario.

I played chapter one of Rise of the Runelords a while ago but the group didn't pan out. When I finally finished GMing chapter 1 with me new group, the events page didn't give me credit.

Player has already played scenario at session # 1 of event # 39665 RotR: Burnt Offerings on February 16, 2014.

GM ranking: +2

Is this correct? Or should I receive credit for playing once, and GMing once?

I can't seem to find any errata that says changing a spell's damage type changes it's spell descriptor.

Benefit: The frost of your cold spell clings to the target, impeding it for a short time. A rime spell causes creatures that takes cold damage from the spell to become entangled for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell.

This feat only affects spells with the cold descriptor. A rime spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Benefit: Choose one energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. You may replace a spell's normal damage with that energy type or split the spell's damage, so that half is of that energy type and half is of its normal type. An elemental spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

I was told that I could build a completely different character before I hit level 2 and that I should change my faction. My first session I was Grand Lodge(didn't know what I was doing) and my second session I was Taldor(saw something I liked but didn't understand). Can I condense these points into whatever faction I chose to stick with at 2nd level?

Or am I stuck with 2 & 2 because that is what was reported on my chronicle sheet?

Some friends and I just finished "Burnt Offerings" from RotR, but our PFS characters are still level one.

From what I understand, I can "apply" the chronicle sheet to my character once I reach level 3, but I'm not sure on the specifics as to how that works.

For example, "Starting Experience". Do I cross this out? Or do I put "9"(the XP I will be at when I apply it)?

Is there anything else special I need to do for a chronicle sheet that I can't use yet?

I have several questions about PFS that I hope you guys can provide:

1. Do you have to decide whether or not an adventure path will be sanctioned before you begin playing?
2. I just finished playing through chapter one of Rise of the Runelords with some friends. Can my GM fill out my chronicle sheet if we kept track of my XP and gold gains throughout the campaign?
3. I am planning to GM Rise of the Runelords with a different group of friends, what do I have to do to "sanction" the event in order to get GM credit?
4. If GM the adventure path for RotS, do all of the players have to sign-up? Or can I give myself a chronicle sheet?

Any and all input/advice is greatly appreciated!

Title pretty much sums it up.

Since the Hexcrafter loses Spell recall, do they get Improved Spell Recall at level 11? Or do they just get the normal version?

I'm sorry if this has been answered somewhere else, but I was looking through some threads and I came across this ruling:

Half-Elf or Half-Orc: Can a character of either of these races select human racial favored class options?

Yes. Half-elves and half-orcs may select racial favored class options, archetypes, traits, and so on, as if they were a full member of both races (a half-elf can select elf and human rules elements, a half-orc can select human and orc rules elements).

Edit 9/26/13: This is a reversal of an earlier ruling. This resolves a discrepancy between this FAQ, another APG FAQ, and a Core Rulebook FAQ.

—Pathfinder Design Team, 09/26/13

I've looked through a lot of old threads and I can't seem to find out whether or not this ruling applies to things like Racial Heritage or granted subtypes like the Orc bloodline.

Does anyone know if this ruling is only specific to these two races? Or can a human sorcerer with the Orc bloodline take the bonus fire damage favored class bonus?

Can a Titan Mauler(2)/Two-handed Fighter(7) apply the benefits of Backswing when dual-wielding greatswords thanks to Jotungrip?

At 7th level, when a two-handed fighter makes a full-attack with a two-handed weapon, he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for all attacks after the first.

Does a 13th level Synthesist summoner qualify for the "Dimension Door" evolution if they have at least 14 Charisma? Or would they have to take evolutions to boost the "eidolon"'s charisma before being able to take the evolution?

An eidolon learns to cast dimension door as a spell-like ability once per day. The caster level for this evolution is equal to the eidolon's Hit Dice. The save DC for this spell is 10 + 1/2 the eidolon's HD + the eidolon's Charisma modifier. The eidolon must have a Charisma score of at least 14 to take this evolution. The summoner must be at least 13th level before selecting this evolution.

Does this mean that a mounted character could use this ability to teleport charge into combat with a lance?

I have a +1 Called Cold Iron Greatsword, but now that I no longer need the enchantment I would like to remove it and bump the bonus to a +2 with the gold that my character has now.

Is there a way to remove an enchantment from a weapon?

Is it cheaper to break and repair the weapon, than it is to sell it or start from scratch?

Hey guys,

Last night I played my first session with my new level 7 summoner(previous character died). Long story short, my eidolon annihilated three giants over the course of three turns.

My concern is that either my math is incorrect, or I need to nerf my build to bring it inline with the other party members. I have approval from my GM to reassign evolution points, feats, and skills as needed before the next session.

Can you guys help me get answers to the following questions?

Pounce (Ex): An eidolon gains quick reflexes, allowing it to make a full attack after a charge. This evolution is only available to eidolons of the quadruped base form.

1. If I have the charge evolution, can I charge while flying?

Rend (Ex): An eidolon learns to rip and tear the flesh of those it attacks with its claws, gaining the rend ability. Whenever the eidolon makes two successful claw attacks against the same target in 1 round, its claws latch onto the flesh and deal extra damage. This damage is equal to the damage dealt by one claw attack plus 1-1/2 times the eidolon's Strength modifier. The eidolon must possess the claws evolution to select this evolution. The summoner must be at least 6th level before selecting this evolution.

Rending Fury (Combat)
You easily tear your enemies limb from limb with your natural attacks.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, rend special attack.
Benefit: You deal rend damage if you hit with half the normal natural attacks your rend requires.

3. Does the "Rend" evolution count against one of the eidolon's natural attacks?

Context:

Our party was under attack by several giants who were throwing boulders at us. As they were high on a hill and we were trying to wait until they ran out of boulders, we took cover and buffed up.

Eidolon Buffs:
Mage Armor, Shield, Heroism, Evolution Surge(Lesser):Energy Attacks(Fire), Enlarge Person, Haste

Charge Attack
Armor Class(30) = 10 + 12:Natural + 4:Armor + 4:Shield + 2:Dexterity + 1:Dodge - 1:Size - 2:Charge
Attack Bonus(+18) = +6:BAB, +7:Str, +2:Heroism, +2:Charge, +1:Haste

Bite: +18, 1d8+1d6+8
Claw: +18, 1d8+1d6+8
Claw: +18, 1d8+1d6+8
Gore: +18, 1d8+1d6+8
Rend: (Requires Claw hit), 1d8+11

6. Is my math correct?

EDIT: Inserted another question about Rend.

I'm having a hard time balancing encumbrance on my summoner, and I was wondering if it is possible to put saddlebags or a pack saddle on a summoner's quadruped eidolon so that it can carry additional gear.

I have several questions concerning the actions I am able to take as a Summoner.

1. When initiative is rolled, do I make a separate roll for my Eidolon?
2. If my Eidolon goes first, is he able to attack? Or do I need to give him a command first?
3. When I summon a creature, do I have to add it to the initiative by making a new role?
4. When does a summoned creature take it's first turn?

Thank you

What square does an eidolon move to on a charge if it has one or more natural weapons with reach?

Example: Eidolon has reach(bite), claws, gore, and pounce. If the eidolon charges, is it forced into the closest square that the bite can reach therefore wasting the pounce evolution?

I love the concept of a customizable pet class, but I'm not at all interested in the summon monster SLA aspect of the Summoner class. With that said, I've decided that I am definately going with a Blood God Disciple.

Our current campaign is at level 8, and I am allowed to select 9.5k worth of gear and stats are 25 point buy.

This is my current thought for the direction of the character, all comments are welcome.

Summoner - Blood God Disciple
Human (Dual Talent)
Attributes
Str 18 (15 base, +1 level up, +2 racial)
Dex 14
Con 18 (15 base, +1 level up, +2 racial)
Int 8
Wis 8
Cha 16

Skills
Intimidate +8 (1 rank)
Ride +12 (7 ranks)

Weapon
Lance +10/+5 (1d8+6/x3)

Spells
3 (3/day) Heroism, Stoneskin, Rejuvenate Eidolon
2 (5/day) Evolution Surge, Lesser (DC 15), Bull's Strength, Restore Eidolon, Lesser (DC 15), Summon Eidolon
1 (5/day) Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser, Shield, Mage Armor, Enlarge Person (DC 14), Life Conduit
0 (at will) Resistance, Arcane Mark, Acid Splash, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Detect Magic

Traits
Bully
Heirloom Weapon (Proficiency) (Lance)

Feats
Death from Above Gain +5 bonus on attack rolls when charging from higher ground or flying
Mounted Combat (1/round) Once per round you can attempt to negate a hit to your mount in combat.
Racial Heritage (Half-Orc) You count as another race for the purpose of prerequisites.
Ride-by Attack You can move - attack - move when charging mounted.

--------------------
Eidolon - Quadruped
Str 26 (17 base, +1 level up, +8 Large Size)
Dex 15
Con 17 (13 base, +4 Large Size)
Int 7
Wis 10
Cha 11

Skills
Acrobatics +2
Climb +12
Fly +9
Perception +9
Sense Motive +9
Stealth +4
Survival +4
Swim +12

Weapon
Bite +14 (1d8+9/x2)
Claw +14 (1d8+9/x2)
Claw +14 (1d8+9/x2)

Feats
Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Flyby Attack You can take a standard action during your move action while flying.
Power Attack -2/+4 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.

Evolutions
Claws 1pt.
Flight (Wings) 2pts.
Improved Damage (Claws) 1pt.
Large Size 4pts.
Mount 1pt.
Pounce 1pt.
Reach Claw 1pt.

I'm running into a logic issue concerning Orcs and Half-orcs. I want to create a human Blood God Disciple summoner, but the Blood God Disciple is only available to half-orcs.

Initially I was going to use Racial Heritage(Half-orc) to cover the prerequisite, however Eldritch Heritage(Orc) sounds better on the surface and makes sense to me logically as it would give the Orc subtype to a human. Since both Eldritch Heritage and Racial Heritage have to deal with "some blood from a long time ago," a drop of orc blood vs. a drop of half-orc blood seem about the same to me.

Are there any rules that cover this sort of thing? Or am I forced Racial Heritage regardless?

TL;DR: Does a human that gains the "Orc" subtype count as a Half-orc?

The character in my current campaign has recently died in battle(tanky fighter), and I'm planning on creating a Summoner to replace him that will fill roughly the same role. I'd like to focus on the Eidolon aspect of the classed with little to no usage of the Summon Monster SLA.

Here are the guidelines:
Level 7, 25 point buy, 75% average character wealth (17,625gp), average health at new levels, any sourcebook that can be accessed through d20pfsrd.com, no third party books.

Right now I need to choose 2 more feats and spend the rest of my gold.

Here are my current thoughts:
Male Half-Elf Summoner 7
CN Medium Humanoid (elf, human)
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Statistics
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Str 8, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 22
Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 15
Feats Extra Evolution, Extra Evolution, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes])
Skills Knowledge (planes) +7, Linguistics +4, Perception +3, Ride +8, Spellcraft +10, Use Magic Device +10
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven
Other Gear Headband of alluring charisma +2(4,000), 13,625 GP
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Defense
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AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
hp 59 (7d8+21)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities Summon Monster IV (9/day)
Summoner Spells Known (CL 7):
3 (2/day) Rejuvenate Eidolon, Restore Eidolon (DC 19)
2 (5/day) Evolution Surge, Lesser (DC 18), Haste, Restore Eidolon, Lesser (DC 18), Summon Eidolon
1 (6/day) Rejuvenate Eidolon, Lesser, Shield, Mage Armor, Enlarge Person (DC 17), Life Conduit
0 (at will) Guidance, Acid Splash, Open/Close (DC 16), Read Magic, Detect Magic, Mending

Eidolon
Quadruped
CN Medium Outsider
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Statistics
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Str 22, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11
Base Atk +6; CMB +12; CMD 25 (29 vs. Trip)
Feats Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round), Death from Above, Power Attack -2/+4
Skills Acrobatics +5 (+7 to balance, +9 jump), Climb +8, Escape Artist +5, Fly +16, Intimidate +2, Perception +4, Sense Motive +4, Swim +8
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[b]Defense
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AC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+3 Dex, +10 natural)
hp 45 (+12)
Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +2 (+4 morale bonus vs. Enchantment spells and effects)
Defensive Abilities evasion
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft., flight (40 feet, good)
Bite (Bite) +12 (1d6+6/x2)
Claw x2 (Claws) +12 x2 (1d6+6/x2)
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Evolutions - 13
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2 pts.Ability Increase, Constitution
4 pts.Ability Increase, Strength x2
1 pt. Claws
2 pts. Flight (Wings)
1 pt. Improved Damage, Claws
1 pt. Improved Natural Armor
1 pt. Pounce
1 pt. Tail

The "Tail" and "Wings" evolutions are for flavor, as I really want the Eidolon to resemble a dragon. I did not take Energy Attacks or any of the specific resistances, because it seems that I should save those for the Evolution Surge spell so that I can stay versatile. All other evolutions are debatable.

One thought that I had was to spending my remaining 2 feats for Eldritch Heritage(Arcane) and Improved Familiar. I would take a Sprite familiar, and have it ride the Eidolon so that I could cast my buff spells from a safe distance. I'm not sure how well this would work out, so any advice is welcome.

What I really want to know is how many of you have made Eidolon focused Summoner builds, and what did you focus on. Am I going in the right direction? Are their feats that I am obviously missing? Please let me know. Any and all advice is welcome.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I plan to take the Half-elf 1/4 evolution point favored class bonus at every level.

If I have a level 1 half-orc fighter with Razortusk, equipped with a shield and a sword, can I attack three times per full attack?

Separate question, if I have Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword, and a weapon cord, can I drop my shield as a free action, swing the sword with both hands, and then retrieve the shield as a swift action?

I'm playing in an 8 person campaign; Bard, Cleric(good), Cleric(Neutral/Madness), Psion, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and myself as a Fighter. We had another psuedo-tank who was a paladin, but it looks like he may not be able to play with us much longer.

As several people in our party have not played a tabletop RPG before, our DM is giving us the option to "respec" our characters now that we are level 4. This is the only chance we will have to do so, so I'd like to make it count. Also, we are restricted to CRB, APG, and AA.

My character's stats before the respec are as follows:
Human/Fighter
STR: 19
DEX: 17
CON: 13
INT: 8
WIS: 8
CHA: 8

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Shield Bash, Two-weapon Fighting, Shield Focus, and Step Up

Skills: Ride, Survival, and Swim trained

Gear: Longsword, Spiked Light Shield, Breastplate, Amulet of Natural Armor

I've run into some problems with not being able to hit things very often with dual-wield, and Step-up gets used very rarely. So here are my thoughts for level 4. I plan to take "Combat Patrol" at level 5

Human/Fighter
STR: 20 (Level 4 stat boost)
DEX: 17
CON: 13
INT: 8
WIS: 8
CHA: 8

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Mobility, Dodge, Shield Focus, Exotic Weapon Proficiency:Bastard Sword, and Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword

Skills: Ride, Survival, Swim, and Intimidate

Gear: Masterwork Bastard Sword, +1 Mithral Heavy Shield, Breastplate, Amulet of Natural Armor

The shield was a reward, so I'm planning on spending the 1k to get it upgraded to +1. I understand that Exotic Weapon Proficiency probably isn't worth it, but it's a feat I'm taking primarily for flavor.

Now that all of the context is out of the way, I'd like to know how much success you guys have had with a Combat Patrol build, is it worth taking? Should I try and stick to two-weapon fighting and focus on getting bonuses to hit? I've got 40 HP, but I really need this guy to pull threat and keep it, as I'm trying to mitigate for 7 other players as much as possible. Any thoughts or comments are welcome and greatly appreciated.

TL;DR Have you made an effective sword-and-board fighter? Have you used "Combat Patrol" to great effect? I'm a noob tank looking for advice in a fairly casual campaign(restricted to CRB, APG, and AA)