Help with Summoner conversion!

[JudasKilled]

I have never played a summoner and have heard how broken they are or can be. I am playing in a good game where I dont wanna be too overpowered. I do however wish that the summoner had a alternate that didnt have spellcasting/summon monster etc.

Im looking to use my eidolan as a cool and interesting mount for a warrior esk charecter.

Any suggestions on how to convert the summoner to something more like a fighter and less like a spellcaster?> Anyone know of any other classes that had similar casting progressions etc and were subbed out for martial skills?

[YuenglingDragon]

Hmm. Well, I think that the Paladin or Cavalier is a good start too look at for this. They both get mounts, one at level 5 and one from the start. Presumably, you want a class that could use the eidolon mount even if Medium. I think what you'd ideally want is to start the Eidolon with Large size (medium if small) and the Mount evolution. Medium Eidolons would also get a free trip or gore evolution. This would place the Eidolon somewhere around horse or riding dog.

Now there is there's a question as to the rest. A more fighter-type class should have a full BAB like the Cavalier or Paladin and maybe a good Fort save, too. At least medium armor proficiency and maybe heavy. I guess the real question is if you take the Cavalier and remove every class ability other than proficiencies, is it worth an Eidolon? Maybe. I might also decrease the number of evolution points by one. Possibly stricter max attack limits and certainly a slight change in the Large evolution to keep it closer to Horse stats would be appropriate.

[Rocket Surgeon]

Go for a tough, mean looking mount, avoiding too many attacks (self-gimp ;).

I'd say something along the lines of a hellhound, unicorn, or gryphon. Especially the gryphon eidolon would be easy to limit, while not becomming underpowered either. Look up the gryphon in the bestiary to get an idea of it's basic shape, attacks and such and fill excess evolution points with DR, Energy resistance/immunity and fast healing. Perhaps spice it up a bit with some ability increases.

Then make it out of glass, or green jade, or any such nifty thing. And you have a nicely balanced Eidolon that will live longer, depress less, and look awesome as you charge into combat astride it's mighty back, or somesuch.

You might want to buff yourself a bit with a fighter level, just to get "free" access to lances and a bonus feat, but that's a later concern :)

[Liporteryu]

if you want to avoid the mount / summon in breaking combat kalliban raises a good point, disabling attacking in combat with it is perfect.

use a cursed sadle of traverlers mount, tie this into the character story to explain how the mount is in your control and has no choice but to follow you in combat.