Eidolon's primary attack issue


Round 2: Summoner and Witch


it seems that many of the evolutions for eidolons are categorized as "primary attacks" with that said it raises the question, Can my eidolon have multiple primary attacks?

e.g. giving a serpentine based Eidolon the limbs(arms)evolution and giving it a slam attack when it already has bite listed as primary attack

if you can, sweet,if not then there is a problem with many potential builds; in which case you couldn't technically give your eidolon multiple slams although the evolution says you can have a number of slams equal the the number of arm pairs you have


Azhagal wrote:

it seems that many of the evolutions for eidolons are categorized as "primary attacks" with that said it raises the question, Can my eidolon have multiple primary attacks?

e.g. giving a serpentine based Eidolon the limbs(arms)evolution and giving it a slam attack when it already has bite listed as primary attack

if you can, sweet,if not then there is a problem with many potential builds; in which case you couldn't technically give your eidolon multiple slams although the evolution says you can have a number of slams equal the the number of arm pairs you have

If I am reading your question right, then you CAN have multiple primary attacks. I read a lot of official posts about animal companions that confirm this and expand upon it (for example a Tiger has a primary bite and two primary claws, all of which at your full base attack bonus).

So yes you can have multiple primary attacks if that's your question.


thelemonache wrote:

If I am reading your question right, then you CAN have multiple primary attacks. I read a lot of official posts about animal companions that confirm this and expand upon it (for example a Tiger has a primary bite and two primary claws, all of which at your full base attack bonus).

So yes you can have multiple primary attacks if that's your question.

thanks for the clarification :)

Liberty's Edge

This is defined in the Bestiary, p302.

"Most creatures possess one or more
natural attacks (attacks made without a weapon). These
attacks fall into one of two categories, primary and
secondary attacks. Primary attacks are made using the
creature’s full base attack bonus and add the creature’s
full Strength bonus on damage rolls. Secondary attacks
are made using the creature’s base attack bonus –5 and
add only 1/2 the creature’s Strength bonus on damage
rolls. If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always
made using the creature’s full base attack bonus and adds
1-1/2 the creature’s Strength bonus on attack rolls. This
increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks
but only takes one. If a creature has only one type of attack,
but has multiple attacks per round, that attack is treated
as a primary attack, regardless of its type. Table 3–1 lists
some of the most common types of natural attacks and
their classifications."

Incidentally, primary attacks are Bite, Claw, Gore, Slam, Sting, and Talons; secondary attacks are Hoof, Tentacle, Wing, Pincers, Tail Slap and Other.

Grand Lodge

Alice Margatroid wrote:
Incidentally, primary attacks are Bite, Claw, Gore, Slam, Sting, and Talons; secondary attacks are Hoof, Tentacle, Wing, Pincers, Tail Slap and Other.

I'm confused, though, because for eidolons, the claws evolution states that the two claw attacks are secondary attacks.

Also, on a slightly related note, based on the way the rules are worded on page. 302 ("Primary attacks are made using the creature's full base attack bonus and add the creature's full Strength bonus on damage rolls.") it sounds like you only add BAB to attack, but not strength. Even though I'm pretty sure you do add strength to (certain) natural attacks? Which natural attacks do you apply strength bonuses to?

Lantern Lodge

Hsuperman wrote:
Alice Margatroid wrote:
Incidentally, primary attacks are Bite, Claw, Gore, Slam, Sting, and Talons; secondary attacks are Hoof, Tentacle, Wing, Pincers, Tail Slap and Other.

I'm confused, though, because for eidolons, the claws evolution states that the two claw attacks are secondary attacks.

Also, on a slightly related note, based on the way the rules are worded on page. 302 ("Primary attacks are made using the creature's full base attack bonus and add the creature's full Strength bonus on damage rolls.") it sounds like you only add BAB to attack, but not strength. Even though I'm pretty sure you do add strength to (certain) natural attacks? Which natural attacks do you apply strength bonuses to?

This I think is because the penalties you take for using a secondary weapon are applied to your base attack bonus not bonuses from anything else. So the wording makes it sound like you only use base attack, but it is saying that you use a non penalized base attack rather than a base attack -5, as is the case with secondary attacks.


Hsuperman wrote:

I'm confused, though, because for eidolons, the claws evolution states that the two claw attacks are secondary attacks.

Also, on a slightly related note, based on the way the rules are worded on page. 302 ("Primary attacks are made using the creature's full base attack bonus and add the creature's full Strength bonus on damage rolls.") it sounds like you only add BAB to attack, but not strength. Even though I'm pretty sure you do add strength to (certain) natural attacks? Which natural attacks do you apply strength bonuses to?

The issue with the claw evolution was corrected by Jason in another thread.

Grand Lodge

Ah, I found the thread I think you were referring to:

Jason Bulmahn wrote:

The claws are primary attacks, not secondary. That is an error. Thanks for the catch, I will make sure it is fixed.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Thanks!

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