Hello, I'd like some help and opinions on selecting a weapon for my Eidolon. I plan on using the Exotic or Martial WP feat so she'll only be able to use one weapon type.
At the moment, I'm leaning towards using Elven Curve Swords. She'll have ten arms, wielding five of these swords at once. I figured I could pick up Improved Critical on them to have 2d8 (Large size Eidolon) and critting on 16-20. Is this a good choice?
Would it make more sense to pick a 1H weapon and wield 10 weapons at once? I figured the damage bonus from getting Full strength on the two-handed offhands (rather than 1.5 or .5 because its two-handed offhand) would be stronger than an extra 5 attacks with only a .5 strength bonus. Her strength would be at ~30 by level 10 (+10 bonus).
Also, is picking up Weapon Focus due to the low hit of Eidolon's a good choice? Or would it make more sense to pick up Power Attack? Or both and drop the Imp. Critical?
Improved Unarmed Strike. Add a Monk's Robe and an Amulet of Mighty Fists and it becomes a lot more cost efficient than five weapons.
Otherwise, I'd say falcata.
Multiweapon Fighting works like Two-Weapon Fighting with regards to the rules governing the penalties. Therefore, one arm has a one-handed weapon, and all the others need a light weapon, or else there's an additional -2 penalty to all attacks.
If you wish to minimize the -2 penalty, then Weapon Focus is a good choice, and you'll want to use a light weapon in all hands. If you're planning to use the criticals, then I'd recommend the kukri.
The feats involved are MWP: Kukri, WF: Kukri, Multiweapon fighting, Improved Critical. A bipedal eidolon is best, of course, with the highest base strength and a pair of arms to start. That's 10 attacks at full bonus -1, as opposed to 5 attacks at full bonus -3 with the curve blade. At this point, you're looking more for all the +1 damage you can, instead of the larger die (although you'll want to be Large when you can).
No advice, but doesn't any equipment that the eidolon is using not travel back with him when he is dismissed? How will you carry 5 giant blades?
The party is part of a military group, we have a swarm of wagons. Plus I'll have leadership and a miniature crew of specialists to help carry gear.
@Jadeite: 1d8 (boosted to 1d10 when Large) pummeling is less exciting than a barrage of swords, but I'll probably work out numbers just to see how MUCH better it is. I figure the weapons won't be cost effective but with a Wizard crafting cohort, the cost will be diminished somewhat.
I asked about the multi-weapon fighting bit over in the rules forum and no one really had an answer. I'll be asking the DM how he'd rule it. I have a feeling I can convince him that they'll use 1.0 Str modifier on the arms.
However, it looks like everyone is saying that its much more useful to just pick up more attacks over the two-handed weapon array. I know its another five attacks, but those five attacks will all only be at +5 damage versus +10 damage.
Also, I wonder what's better. Critting x2 on 16-20 or critting x3 on 18-20. [Falcata versus Kukri] The advantage of the kukri is that there'd be a lower penalty to hit, only -2 instead of -4..Damn. I'll have to run numbers to see. I like the idea of the summon having this whirling cyclone of blades spring out around them.
Likely using gauntlets or unarmed strike is likely the best way to go for a multi-weapon fighting eidolon.
Otherwise, double weapons just do not work with multi-weapon fighting. They count as if you are wielding a one-handed weapon and an light weapon which means wielding 5 double weapons in 10 arms is like wielding 5 one-handed weapons and 5 light weapons. which means that 4 of your off hand attacks are made at a -4 penalty instead of a -2.
Otherwise, if your dm is not ok with the gauntlets/unarmed strike trick with the amulet of might fists, then I would advise you to pick the best light weapon you can find. our other best option is to go with EWP- sawtooth sabre. It counts as a light weapon for the purposes of multiweapon fighting and its stats are the same as a longsword(d8 19-20/x2). kukri's might be better later on when you have imp crit but feats can be tight in eidolon builds.
I was going to go with a quadruped so I could pick up Pounce. The mobility it offers really appeals to me and if our games stay the way they are now (only level 2,but DM is offering the choice to re-build characters at the moment) then the ability to get that distance + full attack is going to be very useful. There tends to be a fair amount of space between us and the enemy.
EDIT: Do reach weapons provide threatening reach on a Large size, quadruped Eidolon? If not, is reach still even useful when you take into account the drop from either crit-range or damage?
I had read Tarantula's summoner build in the DPS olympics thread but the idea of mounting as a quadruped doesn't appeal to me. I am going to see if the DM will allow me to get the bonus damage from lances when charging as a quadruped though, it makes some thematic sense to me at least.
EDIT2: Puregamer, I do like the sawtooth sword idea! Both a pretty cool sounding weapon and optimized to be good. I'll have to see if I could switch weapons later on..I'm so used to 4e's retraining rules that its hard to decide on something that will last for 20 levels!
No advice, but doesn't any equipment that the eidolon is using not travel back with him when he is dismissed? How will you carry 5 giant blades?
OT question, but I wonder if it would be legal to make a eidolon-only feat that would allow them to retain at least a few pieces of gear when they are dismissd and recalled?
No advice, but doesn't any equipment that the eidolon is using not travel back with him when he is dismissed? How will you carry 5 giant blades?
OT question, but I wonder if it would be legal to make a eidolon-only feat that would allow them to retain at least a few pieces of gear when they are dismissd and recalled?
Its a homebrew feat idea, so of course its legal. That said, if I didn't already have a wagon and didn't plan to get leadership I'd just ask my DM if the gear could be kept on the Eidolon. It makes more sense to me that it keeps its gear anyway.
As an aside, I started to run the numbers using the DPR formula in the DPR Olympics.
Assuming the same Eidolon build for each go, not paying attention to items outside of +1 weapon and +2 belt of strength, and ignoring all buffs (+2 from charge, likelihood of having Heroism and possibly Bull's Strength or an Enlarge Person for size Huge), the Sawtooth Sabres come out WAY ahead of 5 Elven Curve blades. [I ran the Elven Curve swords with the wrong bonus and they ended up being at nearly exactly the same as the sawtooth sabres. I didn't bother to re-do all of it since lowering the attack bonus by nearly 4 really ruins it for being anywhere near comparison)
I haven't looked at the Falcata or Kukri's using Imp. Critical instead of Power Attack yet. I'll post those numbers after!
Current Winner: 10x Sawtooth Sabres @ 126.62 [Excluding all buffs]
Edit 1: Kukri with Weapon Focus & Imp.Critical: 102.33
Kukri with Power Attack & Imp.Critical: 112.27
Edit2: Falcata with Wep. focus & Imp. Critical: 105.43
5x Elven Curve Blade with Imp. Critical: 102.3
Skeleton of the Eidolon Build:
Eidolon
Level 10
Evolution Points: 18 (+2 from Half-Elf, +2 from Extra Evolution taken twice)
HP: 72* [Dm lets us use 1/2+1 instead of just 1/2 or role]
AC: 23 (10+2base+8natural+2Imp.natural-1size+1deflection+1natural)
Fort: 12, Ref: 12, Will: 5
Feats: Depends on weapon build but..
Weapon Proficiency [Falcata, Kukri, Sabretooth Sabre, Elven Curve Blade]
Multi-weapon fighting
And two of the following
Improved Critical
Power attack
Weapon focus
Items:
10 (or 5) +1 magic weapons
+1 amulet of natural armor
+1 ring of protection
Belt of Giant's Strength +2
+3 Cloak of Resistance
In principle off hand weapons with multiweapon fighting always get 1/2 strength ... there are no rules for two handed off hand weapons.
So you're best off wielding one 2 hander for your main hand weapon and lots of light off hand weapons. I'd go for a Scythe for the main hand and light picks for the off hand if you're just going for damage. Although with the Bullrush Strike feat a Falchion with off hand Kukris and Improved Crit for the Kukris could be funny.
PS. oops didn't notice you're getting proficiency from feat, in that case all light picks or all kukris are the way to go.
PPS. average damage wise 4x is the same as 18-20/x2, just requires less rolling.
