"What does Marcellus Wallace look like?"
The "always appears as some sort of fantastical creature" bit precludes it as passing for a human or anything remotely normal. It's clearly something strange and not normal. It's not a horse. It's not a dog. It's not a fluffy bunny. People who look at it will not mistake it for anything ordinary.
Biped form covered by a cloak and hood would pass for just another human, just like a any humanoid can pass for a different race if he disguises the parts of himself that would make him stand out.
Ok, I know what the book says:
"The eidolon’s physical appearance is up to the summoner, but it always appears as some sort of fantastical creature."I've read lots of posts - most deal in a general way with a strange appearance.
I've got only a little experience with dealing with summoners (mostly in PFS - so it is only in passing at the table). So other than the rule book, my mental picture is fuzzy.
But can it look human? enough to pass for human? Put it in a dress, take it to the ball kind of human? Sit it at the table at the Dukes party?
What kind of reaction does an eidolon get "in public", walking down the street?
Important to remember the glowing symbol in the middle of its (and the summoner's foreheads). Those will always be openly visible, whatever form it takes.
So theoretically, anyone with knowledge of such things (Arcana?), might figure it out pretty quick, no matter what it looked like.
if you keep a bucket of black paint on hand you can slap a big black spot over the rune and it's completely concealed by mundane means.
a knowledge arcana check would not be able to identify via the rune if the rune is not visible and not being hidden by magical means. of course there could be other telltale signs that its an eidolon. the more outsider traits you can conceal the harder your making the DC to ID your eidolon
But can it look human? enough to pass for human? Put it in a dress, take it to the ball kind of human? Sit it at the table at the Dukes party?
I have a mental picture of an eidolon that look like a beautiful woman until it attacks. :)
If it can ever pass for normal I think is up to the summoner and the GM.
I would say it would only pass as a normal creature with a successful disguise check.
Is there an official ruling somewhere?
Just trying to understand how it works...I will bless the fair virgins first. Bring them to my chambers." yadda yadda.
how many evo points did he spend on extra appendages ?
As far as the mark on the forehead..guys hats and bandanna's solve that nicely. Other none human features could be hidden and some humanoids could use disguise.
My eidolon is a giant squirrel. But for some reason most folks don't like giant squirrels. So when I'm not dungeon crawling I let him hang out in his giant extradimensional tree and just spend a minute to bring him back when I need him.
But how do people in general feel about Eilodons? Would the Summoner want to conceal it's nature? (risking the "Hellspawn" label). By the same token, would a Tiefling want to disguise itself as a Eilodon?
Funnily enough, in our campaign we're sneaking into Cheliax, so I changed my eidolon into a fiendish looking giant squirrel to fit in better.
...Just to be clear, Gnome Summoner.
But how do people in general feel about Eilodons? Would the Summoner want to conceal it's nature? (risking the "Hellspawn" label). By the same token, would a Tiefling want to disguise itself as a Eilodon?
In my games how the general populace feels about Eidolons differs depending where you are and who you talk to. But there is a common thread of distrust in all but the most open societies. Even Varisians distrust summoners in my games.
So the summoner in my game doesn't have her eidolon out all the time. In fact he's put away most of the time. If my summoner has to bring out her eidolon around other people then things have gone wrong enough that other people's opinions is the least of her worries. If that means people think she's crazy for talking to herself because her eidolon hides in a pocket plane whenever anyone opens the inn-room door then so be it.
Summoners in my games are likely going to be seen as kinda loopy. Like sorcerers, there's something unnatural about them. This isn't always a bad thing but it's rarely a good thing.
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Important to remember the glowing symbol in the middle of its (and the summoner's foreheads). Those will always be openly visible, whatever form it takes.
So theoretically, anyone with knowledge of such things (Arcana?), might figure it out pretty quick, no matter what it looked like.
[Blackadder voice]So...some sort of...'hat'?....would be in order?[/Blackadder voice]
There's always the 'Star Trek' approach;
Al Capone (at Spock): "What's wid dis goy?"
Kirk: "He...had an accident. With a...threshing machine. When he was a child. It...caught him...by the ears. And...stamped a glowing rune on his forehead."
Al Capone: "Ya don' say."
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But can it look human? enough to pass for human? Put it in a dress, take it to the ball kind of human? Sit it at the table at the Dukes party?
There is precedent in Paizo adventures, for an eidolon who resembles a human.
Admittedly (without giving away spoilers), the adventure I'm thinking of is a bit of a goofy adventure, but the precedent is there.Given the ability to reskin at every levelup, the potential for abuse is quite high. Get halfway through an adventure, level up, redesign your eidolon to match the BBEG, and walk through the minions in the second half. "These guys are with me. Tell the next guard roster they can have the night off, and bring me all the prisoners from the cells."
While you do have to give the player credit for a cool idea, in the end, it would wreck the game, if it were allowed free reign.
The intent is certainly that you can't have such control over it that you can impersonate a specific person.
You can come close, but you'll never be a perfect copy. Not without investing in Disguise ranks just like everybody else.
And I'm fine with that, even as a guy who plays with a bipedal eidolon.
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I do agree with those last few pictures, AntiElite- a bipedal eidolon should look "off," like a Persona (though I'd prefer to have mine look like Persona 4's Izanagi.)
As for the reaction they should draw from the general public, Final Fantasy XII has the perfect quote for that-
Shopkeeper: Umm, sir? Can you please leave that... thing outside? It's scaring away the customers.
I do agree with those last few pictures, AntiElite- a bipedal eidolon should look "off," like a Persona (though I'd prefer to have mine look like Persona 4's Izanagi.)
As for the reaction they should draw from the general public, Final Fantasy XII has the perfect quote for that-
Shopkeeper: Umm, sir? Can you please leave that... thing outside? It's scaring away the customers.
I've always been more about the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure perspective when it comes to Eidolons.
Stands in the place where you live.
(now face North)
Think about your Eid'lon, wonder why you haven't before.
You could try putting a Hat of Disguise or a Robe of Blending on your eidolon. The former will let your eidolon look like any outsider of the same size category (so select Aasimar for a Medium eidolon), while the latter will let your eidolon actually take the form of any Small or Medium humanoid. If you do not need for the disguise to hold up for more than a few minutes, an Alter Self spell would do the trick.
You could try putting a Hat of Disguise or a Robe of Blending on your eidolon. The former will let your eidolon look like any outsider of the same size category (so select Aasimar for a Medium eidolon), while the latter will let your eidolon actually take the form of any Small or Medium humanoid. If you do not need for the disguise to hold up for more than a few minutes, an Alter Self spell would do the trick.
Yes. With a glowing rune on it's forehead matching the one on yoru forehead.
but will anyone know it is something besides just a silly fashion that has started up in the big city? Do people recognize it for what it is? or do you have to do a Knowledge (Arcane) check DC15?Yes. With a glowing rune on it's forehead matching the one on yoru forehead.You could try putting a Hat of Disguise or a Robe of Blending on your eidolon. The former will let your eidolon look like any outsider of the same size category (so select Aasimar for a Medium eidolon), while the latter will let your eidolon actually take the form of any Small or Medium humanoid. If you do not need for the disguise to hold up for more than a few minutes, an Alter Self spell would do the trick.
They don't have to know exactly what it is to realize that matching glowing forehead runes mean "something is up."
It's not a fluffy bunny.
It's not a fluffy bunny.Why not? (Link)
Literally laughed out loud. Well done, sir.
They don't have to know exactly what it is to realize that matching glowing forehead runes mean "something is up."Guess thats why almost every summoner Ive seen either wears bowlers, bandanas, cowboy hats, or just has really shaggy Harry Potter/Bieber hair.
Even the iconic summoner, Balazar, wears a hat.
And that is why my summoner fell in love with the fashions of an Arab-like culture in our game world -- covering up the forehead is normal there. I didn't worry about it until I had the items that let my summoner's eidolon put in appearances in polite company -- until that point I assumed that the behavior of the summoner and the eidolon would give us away even if the glowing rune on the forehead didn't.