Tyvent's page

Here's where things start getting a little metaphysical. Verbal components are probably fine, and material components are right out. Somatic components, though... I couldn't really say. Perhaps it's more about making those magicky movements with your limbs and/or digits in space than the actual tangibility of whatever hand or wing or sword or tentacle you're using to provide the material components for a spell. It definitely merits a Weird Rules section, and opens up a lot of interesting doors if your GM rules your phased-out eidolon can spellcast.

Then it comes down to whether somatic spell components require a physical body because the spells your eidolon gets from feats are 'innate spells' and therefore don't require material components.

I went to the bestiary at Archives of Nethys and tried looking up ghostly undead that could cast innate spells. I was using options just off the top of my head (banshee, specter, ghost), so while I found only one ghostly spellcaster (the Ghost Mage), I bet there're more. Also, it basically has Phase Out but better when you look at its defenses (defualt 10 resistance v. all damage with some exceptions). Given that, the only question I'd have left is just how much weaker Phase Out was meant to be compared to its bestiary counterparts. Clearly, it's supposed to be more problematic, but circumstantial evidence (not clearly forbidding spellcasting; ghosts can cast innate spells) suggests at least a GM judgment call.

EDIT: Duh, I just sorted monsters by the 'incorporeal' tag. Other incorporeal innate spellcasters include: Abandoned Zealot, Animate Dream, Cunning Guide, Dybbuk, Elder Wyrmwraith . . . yeah, safe to say there're plenty.

First: phantom dad! The jokes. The shoe. Just wow.

Now for the substance.

I've read through the official summoner rules several times, and the only reference I saw to an eidolon's default skill proficiencies was on page 58: "[Your eidolon] shares your skill proficiencies. Certain class features increase your eidolon's proficiencies."

Assuming I didn't miss something (which has happened before . . .), I think they need to clarify how eidolon skills and progression work since I could argue they mean 1. your eidolon normally shares all your proficiencies and their levels, but certain features (like dual studies) can alter this 1:1 ratio, or 2. your eidolon is trained in all the skills you start with at 1st level, but you need to use skill increases or other features to specifically up eidolon proficiencies.

I think 1. is reasonable and thought that was your take too since you mention a few times early on that the summoner and eidolon share skills. But then, under Skills and Skill Increases, you say you have to split increases between your summoner and eidolon, which would be 2. Which one is right? (Or is it #3.?)

And regarding the Phase Out evolution, lemme make an argument for why it's sometimes yellow or green instead of red.

Yes, if your phantom's offense entirely relies on striking, just say no to Phase Out. If you're often caught with your pants down at the start of combat (i.e. you'd have to spend round 1 Phasing Out or, even worse, rounds 1 and 2 to manifest your eidolon and Phase it Out), forget about Phase Out.

But . . .

If your eidolon reaches a critical mass of certain cantrips, spells, and focus magic via class feats, Phase Out can be kinda nice, especially if you can get the drop on your enemies. For example, your summoner could cast Thundering Dominance, then hang way back while your pre-manifested, pre-phased eidolon moves into combat (or lets the combat move to it). It can drop a couple of Eidolon's Wraths while the summoner performs some one-actions (ranged attacks, one-action spells (MM)). Then the eidolon could cast Animated Assault while the summoner, say, uses a wand with one action. Then in the next round, the eidolon could maintain Animated Assault for one action and use Thundering Roar for another while your summoner casts a 2-action spell. Etc. and so forth. If determined to keep this scheme going once the magic is spent, the eidolon could resort to cantrips (Haunting Hymn, Daze, TK Projectile, etc.) while the summoner takes up more one-actions, but it may be better at that point to just drop Phase Out with one action and move on to melee.

Obviously, this tanky landmine strategy can't be used whenever you want since it draws on your magical resources heavily and you can't always control the start of engagements. One would also have to plan extra carefully to use AoEs effectively with allies around (though some spellcasting allies could also add some useful buffs to a phased-out phantom that add extra defense or magical offense, making them even more of a tanky landmine).

So in summation, I'd say that if you're investing in a summoner and eidolon's magical resources, Phase-Out can be fun and a feat well spent situationally.

But if it's official somewhere that Phase-Out and eidolon spellcasting are incompatible due to the physical form restriction, nevermind :)

That's quite the change, sorcerers having four options for types of magic. And *primal* magic? Haven't seen that before. I'm intrigued.

I was (still am) hoping that the Oracle class remained an option in a future release, if not core, but a divine sorcerer overlaps so much mechanically with what Oracle was that I have to wonder if they have a future.

Hi folks,

Over on the pfsrd, I found a great page of community rules on conducting a foot race, some of which I incorporated into my own house rules. There's a chance I may post my house rules in the future, and though I'd expect this homebrew stuff doesn't demand citations the way academic and professional works would, I still want to be thorough and give credit. The problem is I didn't save the page address and haven't been able to find it again.

Therefore, I was wondering if someone has seen the rules on pfsrd before and could point me to the right page.

Again, it was from community generated rules. The key mechanic I incorporated from it was that if the participants didn't all share the same base speed, then those with base speeds higher than the slowest base speed got a +4 bonus on their upcoming die roll for every 5' their base speed exceeded the lowest base speed.