Eidolon's Spell-like Ability power *not broken*


Round 2: Summoner and Witch

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32

I'm still unsure if the Eidolon is broken-I think the class needs reivision in it's current state, but I've been reading a lot of threads here where critics claim that the Eidolon's spell-like ability evolution was broken.

According to the ability, to use a spell-like ability, the Eidolon must have Charisma equal to 10 + the spell level to cast it. Combined with the fact that it starts with 11 Cha, a Summoner needs to be using all their ability score level up's and evolution increases if they want it to use a powerful spell-like ability. Most of the spells an Eidolon could cast would have low spell DC's, etc...I was statting up a couple of sample Eidolons, including a Basilisk with Flesh to Stone 3/day and that ability would take more than 1/2 the evolution points by the time you could get it (no sooner than 12th level due to the other clause, that the spell must be 1/2 the level of the summoner).

All in all, I think the SLA ability is balanced, if not a bit weak due to the low DC's. I still would like to playtest the class personally to get a better feel, but felt that this issue should be brought to attention for all those who criticized the Eidolon as overpowered for SLA's alone. (XP costs should probably be paid for the summoner, to limit problems such as Limited Wish/Wish, but that'd be my only concern).


Sollir wrote:

I'm still unsure if the Eidolon is broken-I think the class needs reivision in it's current state, but I've been reading a lot of threads here where critics claim that the Eidolon's spell-like ability evolution was broken.

According to the ability, to use a spell-like ability, the Eidolon must have Charisma equal to 10 + the spell level to cast it. Combined with the fact that it starts with 11 Cha, a Summoner needs to be using all their ability score level up's and evolution increases if they want it to use a powerful spell-like ability. Most of the spells an Eidolon could cast would have low spell DC's, etc...I was statting up a couple of sample Eidolons, including a Basilisk with Flesh to Stone 3/day and that ability would take more than 1/2 the evolution points by the time you could get it (no sooner than 12th level due to the other clause, that the spell must be 1/2 the level of the summoner).

All in all, I think the SLA ability is balanced, if not a bit weak due to the low DC's. I still would like to playtest the class personally to get a better feel, but felt that this issue should be brought to attention for all those who criticized the Eidolon as overpowered for SLA's alone. (XP costs should probably be paid for the summoner, to limit problems such as Limited Wish/Wish, but that'd be my only concern).

I don't think the Eidolon or the summoner is broken, but it is a powerful combo. One of my lesser players, as far as building goes, is about to make one. If he can give me trouble with it, I might have to complain, because anything else he makes would not be an issue.


Looking at the spell-like ability evolution, I did have a question... what level is the eidolon effectively casting its spell-like ability at? As a wizard of level equal to its number of hit dice?

Dark Archive

+1 all of what you've said. I think some people aren't reading the rules correctly.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've heard the caster level is equal to the summoner's caster level.

Can you give an eidolon a high level spell-like ability if its base Charisma is NOT high enough, but then becomes high enough due to a headband of alluring Charisma or similar item?

Dark Archive

Ravingdork wrote:

I've heard the caster level is equal to the summoner's caster level.

Can you give an eidolon a high level spell-like ability if its base Charisma is NOT high enough, but then becomes high enough due to a headband of alluring Charisma or similar item?

Doing it that way? No.

Putting it on before the morph THEN adding the SLA? Yes.

Difference is, one has to prepare ahead of time as opposed to creating currently, then making it retroactively legal. If the headband goes away then the SLA would probably be unusable till such time that he could again.

SO with that, its feasible to have someone create an eidolon, only give two stats to cha, making it a 13, pay 36k for a +6 cha headband, then give it wish 3/day.

Then at 20th level make themselves into a duplicate of the eidolon and cast wish five times rapidly to get +5 to all his stats.

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