Advice on Making Dragon Rider and Multi-classing a Summoner

[lrichter]

I am planning on making a Summoner for Pathfinder Society (so there are only 12 levels to play with), as the subject line reveals, I want to make my summoner a dragon rider. Basically the summoner bonds with the fetal spirit of a doomed dragon egg and then must raise and train the spirit of the dragon in the form of the summoner's "pet" and so on and so forth.

The obvious problem is summoner does not have proficiency with martial weapons, specifically a lance, or with medium and heavy armor (not as big of a deal). I could go an archer route with the half-elf or elf and that would be fine but I would prefer to focus on the more classic idea of a dragon rider - like right out of an Elmore illustration - with lance and armor.

The quickest solution I can think of is to simply take a level of something martial or even dip into a martial prestige class which could provide such. Ideally it would be great to take three levels of fighter using the "two-hander" rules from the APG so that the power-attack, spirited charge is through the roof. But I am concerned that even as a half-elf with 1/4 bonus evolution points, the "dragon" would fall too far behind by missing those three levels and it would make the whole idea crumble.

I am open to whatever advice people might have.

Thanks in advance.

[Phasics]

1 level dip is the most you can really afford, and the choice would have to be fighter for the bonus feat, maybe caviler....

but no more than 1 level.

be aware your BAB is going to behind the curve for hitting things and your eldion needs to be in melee so having you ranged is not very useful.

also keep in mind you'll be spending most of your feats making this work

but ride is a class skill for a reason so its quite possible and I think it could be alot of fun.

[james maissen]

lrichter wrote:

The quickest solution I can think of is to simply take a level of something martial or even dip into a martial prestige class which could provide such.

I am open to whatever advice people might have.

Thanks in advance.

Plan out the feats that you want for this PC.

Lance prof, power attack, mounted combat, ride by attack, spirited charge, furious smash (or whatever it's called).

Be a 1/2 elf, take ancestral arms racial feature to get the lance prof. The other feats you can have online by 9th level without losing a single level of summoner and putting all of your favored class into summoner (might as well go for arcane training while you're at it as you're only going to have one class).

My advice for the 11th level feat would be to pick up two more 3rd level spells known, but that's just me.

-James

[lrichter]

The more I think about it and read your posts I guess the more I realize that this character will have to be filled with compromise. When I came up with the idea I sort of assumed a multi-class option like I did in in Living Greyhawk with my mounted druid. I am happy that it is harder to do, but it does require me to be a little bit more realistic on how the character will come together. Again with the compromises.

Here is what I have so far:

Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Chr 14

Obviously this is not an optimized caster and was initially meant for full plate and a half-elf's adaptability to give him Skill Focus: Ride

EIDOLON:
Feats: Toughness, Power Attack, Light Armor Proficiency, Wing Over, Unknown.

Eidolon progression w/ 9 levels(the #'s represent the evolution pts): Quadruped

1. 3pt: claws1, mount1 (reduce person is 1st level spell), tail1 = 3
2. 4pt: SAME3 + pounce1 = 4
3. 5pt: SAME4 + improved natural armor1 = 5
4. 7+1pt: SAME5 + Tail Slap1 + Energy Immunity2 = 8
5. 9pt: SAME as 1st3 + Flight (Wings)2 + Tail Slap1 + Energy Immunity2 + Pounce1 = 9
6. 10pt: SAME 5th9 + improved NA1
7. 11pt: SAME10 + second bite1 = 11
8. 12+1pt: SAME 5th9 + Large4 = 13
9. 15pt: SAME13 minus tail slap add wing buffet + second bite1 + Improved NA1 = 15

Obviously we are missing the Breath weapon AND Blind Sense. I actually can't believe the breath weapon is so expensive but so it goes. I thought taking breath weapon instead of large and then use the 3rd level Evolution spell to make the creature large when I need him large.

The character will definitely take wheeling charge out of the Cities of Golarion book which is PFS legal (change directions during a charge - makes ride-by useful again and w/ pounce - WOW) and I would like to pick up indomitable mount (use ride check for mount saves). But now it is clear this will require at least one fighter level and that run the eidolon into trouble b/c even if I put all the bonus points into con, it will not have a lot of HPs.

Thanks again for input.