Please critique! Summoner (Archetype)

[RiskyJubles]

Hi,

I made this archetype for a player in my game that wants his eidolon to be more of a real character. Both personality-wise and in combat.

Although I think it's interesting and solves his problem, I'm worried that it's not very balanced. Any help you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I can't, for the life of me, think up a cool name for the archetypes core ability (The one that grants class features). Any suggestions?

Unbound (Archetype)

Some summoners use their eidolons as extensions of themselves. But others free their eidolon, losing the magic link and much of its power, but forming a link of trust instead. In exchange, the eidolon becomes free to seek its own path, gaining powerful abilities,

Trust Link (Su): After a summoner frees their eidolon, it becomes extremely protective of their friend. Whenever the summoner takes
enough damage to reduce it the 0 hit points or less, the eidolon can, as a free action, sacrifice any number of hit points. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the summoner. This can prevent the summoner from falling unconscious.
In addition, the eidolon is freed and can travel any distance from the summoner without suffering any negative effects. This ability replaces Life Link and Bond Senses.

???Can't think up a good for this??? (Ex): The increased independace a unbound summoner offers their eidolon allows it to become for powerful and learn abilities outside of its normal range. The eidolon now has hit dice equal to their summoner, gaining all HP, base attack bonus, saves, skills and feats granted by the hit dice.
Starting at 3rd level, the eidolon may gain the abilities of a class. It picks a single base class and from that point on, it has access to the class features and/or spells as if it had levels in the class equal to half its hit dice. In addition, the ediolon uses its chosen classes HP and save progression. The eidolon is not eligible to gain archetypes. This ability replaces casting summon monster as a spell-like ability.

Eidolon's Watch (Su): At 6th level, if the summoner is unconscious or asleep, the eidolon is no longer immediately banished. This replaces Maker’s Call and Transposition.

Trust Bond (Su): At 14th level, as long as the summoner has 1 or more hit points, the eidolon cannot be killed. Damage in excess of that which would dismiss the eidolon is instead transferred to the summoner. This damage is transferred 1 point at a time, meaning that as soon as the summoner is reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to its Constitution score, all excess damage remains with the eidolon, dismissing it. Effects that cause death but not damage are unaffected by this ability. This ability does not affect spells like baleful polymorph, flesh to stone, or imprisonment, or other spells that do not cause actual damage. This ability replaces Life Bond.

Free to Act (Ex): At 16th level, as a full-round action, a summoner can grant their eidolon a standard action to take on the summoner's initiative. At 20th level, the summoner can grant a full-round action. This ability replaces Merge Forms and Twin Eidolon.

[pipedreamsam]

Wow so I get the point of the archetype which is to separate the eidolon and the summoner a little more than they already are. The problem is that the eidolon becomes the primary PC and the summoner more or less becomes the "animal companion" of the two but instead of being a combat companion (like a druid's animal companion) it becomes a really terrible caster/fighter hybrid. It seems a little overpowered as the eidolon gets an ability that usually takes a spell, but you do pay a pretty high price for it. I would say that the eidolon gets a range limit at its 6th level ability when the summoner loses consciousness and still has to return to its home plane when the summoner sleeps or he will be unable to get a full 8hrs of rest and will be fatigued the following day. I feel that the ability that you couldn't come up with a name for is extremely overpowered and is really just changing the class entirely, but a name for it might be something like "independent leveling" or something of the sort.

[RiskyJubles]

Thanks for the feedback Sam,

Turning the eidolon into the PC is the goal, more or less, so that's ok, but what changes do you think I should make to make it less "extremely overpowered"?

Summoner casting already sucks so losing much else is a big cost.

While I don't think it needs limited range, I do think the main power should be nerfed.

Independent Eidolon (Ex): The increased independace a unbound summoner offers their eidolon allows it to become for powerful and learn abilities outside of its normal range. The eidolon now has hit dice equal to their summoner, gaining all HP, base attack bonus, saves, skills and feats granted by the hit dice.
Starting at 3rd level, the eidolon may gain the abilities of a class, on a temporary basis. It picks a single base class and from that point on, it can fill itself with power as a standard action and gain access to the class features and/or spells as if it had levels in the class equal to half its hit dice. One this choice is made, it cannot be changed. This power lasts for 1 min/Summoner's caster level and can be used a number of days equal to 3+the summoner's charisma modifier. The eidolon is not eligible to gain archetypes.
At 10th level, this power lasts for 1 hour/summoner's caster level.
This ability replaces casting summon monster as a spell-like ability.

[wraithstrike]

If the summoner gets class levels then it should lose the evolutions. If it gets both it is too much.
If you put that into the archetype then I overlooked it.

[LoreKeeper]

The eidolon gets too many goodies and bonuses. The summoner is not the point of the class anymore, but instead a custom-Leadership-based-cohort. It is a way to work around the limitations on races you can play and at the same time too powerful as the increasing evolution and class powers allow you to custom craft the eidolon into the stratosphere.

I honestly appreciate the intention here, but I also really think that a mechanism to give an eidolon class-levels is bad. It might be balanceable if you remove evolution points, but then you really end up with "Leadership" the feat as a class archetype.

[RiskyJubles]

Ok, round three...FIGHT!

I took the advice to heart and dropped the class levels. It was too much, but in return, I've given everything from the extra hit dice (This should be enough to make the eidolon a powerhouse) and given it the ability to use armor and magic items.

Thoughts?

Independent Eidolon (Ex): The increased independace a unbound summoner offers their eidolon allows it to become more powerful than a average eidolon. The eidolon now has hit dice equal to their summoner, gaining all associated features and abilities.
In addition, the eidolon may now use armor and magic items. The eidolon must possess the appropriate appendages to utilize a magic item. This ability replaces casting summon monster as a spell-like ability.

[RiskyJubles]

On second thought, the class levels really help accomplish the goals of the archetype, so I'll add a Leadership (feat) clause that can help grant them. If leadership is allowed, then this would be much more balanced, because anyone could have a cohord. In the summoner's case, their cohort/eidolon will be a rock star.

(Added to) Independent Eidolon (Ex): If the summoner has the leadership feat or similar ability, they must choose their eidolon as their cohort. The eidolon may replace their hit dice with a number of class levels determined by the summoner's leadership score.

[Epic Meepo]

Why not just play a synthesist (at the bottom of the linked page)? Then the summoner is the eidolon.

Maybe make a mystic-theurge-style prestige class if you want to advance the fused eidolon while picking up abilities from another class.

[wraithstrike]

Why would I take the leadership feat though if the eidolon can get HD equal to the summoner. Taking leadership might be nerf unless the eidolon becomes a caster, and if the leadership feat is taken does the eidolon suddenly lose its powers and somehow gain a class? Classes takes years to training.