What is your favorite eidolon build and why?
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I generally like either Quadraped + Dragon Stance (pounce through ally squares) and wings or Biped with reach on its neck and Trip ability on a bite. I don't really do "fun" builds for summoners; since when I'm playing a summoner I am in the mood to control the world. Utility Eidilons just don't make the game "more fun" anyway.
I was curious why many players don't seem to choose serpentine for? Especially with magic fly or even wings. Also, I feel like serpentine form oughndt to hyave a tail trip ability. Is quadraped the favorite. ( thanks for responding to original post)
Serpentine take longer to get going if you are playing from 1, and aren't damage dealers since they favor dex over Strength. Can be amazing combat maneuver attackers if you put the feats/evolutions into it.
Quads are favored by many due to getting pounce and a bunch of decent attacks.
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Hi
Prefer the Synthesist Archetype
I've always been drawn to Fighter Mages ever since 2nd Ed,. Currently got a Synthesist/Paladin (Hospitaler) mix going,and is doing well.
Currently Synth 2/Hosp 3, but not sure if next level is going to be Hsopitaler, (then go pure Synth rest of way), or take Synth, taking last level of Hospitaler later.
Thanks
Paul H
Thanks everyone and thanks Attrition for the handbook rec, really helpful. I am new to summoners, but I think that they could be alot of fun.
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They are. My favorite form thus far is the Quadraped. Favorite build is to get claws, energy attacks, pounce, trip, grab, and finally, large and swallow whole. Eat casters, take out the battlefield controllers, and then tear the fighters a new one...and i still get to cast spells as my primary character ;)
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That's exactly it; small serpent can be versitile and powerful, but you really need an Amulet of Agility to pull that off. And you don't get those till around 5, and never if your GM doesn't allow them (they put dex into damage). Beyond that, summoners can make the most powerful "tanks/damage dealers" in the game; but serpent does not replace a rogue (unless you get aformentioned amulet, then you can get a sneaky high-damage dealer).
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Funny thing about Summoners and their Eidolons: Almost never do you have a non-natural Eidolon. I thought of 2 for the Serpantine that are hilarious to play as and watch on the battle field, and 1 Quadraped that is made for a Gnome or some Pyrotechnic. I will be kind and put them up so that many can use them!
Gore
Reach: Gore
The little pirates on the Jolly Roger shoot little guns for Bite(Pierce), attempt a boarding action(Tail Slap) and move at Ramming Speed(Gore)
Tentacle Attack
Acid: Tentacle
The bite is a Jewelry Box that pops out at the opponent, the Tail Slap is a Pearl Necklace, the Tentacle attack is a Goblet(splashes liquid on the unfortunate person) and the bag hops after people.
Reach: Bite
Fire: Bite
The bite is flavored as a small blast of flames that surround the opponent. You could add Improved Natural Armor to make it an armored vehicle.
I like making a Cerebus. I just do. Of course, I also like getting 1 1/2 Str damage on 3 bites during a pounce. Takes a while to get there, but I sure like it when you do.
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Currently playing a synthesist summoner whose eidolon appears as a mechanical suit of armor around her. Something like a steampunk iron man.
I do slightly less damage than a fighter or barbarian but I also have a lot more versatility with my spells, particularly Evolution Surge, which gives me flying, swimming, climbing, extra land speed or anything else I can think of when I need it.
Overall I am enjoying it.
A dragon or an angel. Or either a nymph.
Once I made a young copper dragon NPC with levels in summoner/first-worlder synthetist who disguised herself as a nymph to mingle with humans. ^_^
We're running RotRL and I've got an evolutionist summoner thats working out pretty well...
Vincent Takeda
Evolutionist Summoner: Level 15
BAB 11 Fort 13 Ref 13 Will 24 AC 17 Hit Points 92
S 10
D 15
C 14
I 10
W 20
C 27
Spellcraft 34, UMD 38
Traits: Fates Favored / Favored son of sandpoint
Feats Sillfocus umd, defiant luck, inexplicable luck, magical aptitude, bestow luck, extra evolution twice, craft wondrous items, skillfocus spellcraft.
Zhidurievdriotchka
Biped Eidolon with 12 hit dice and 2 claw attacks only
BAB21 Fort 24 Ref 12 Will 13 AC 26 HP 201
S 28
D 17
C 32
I 7
W 10
C 11
Perform sing: 26, UMD 19,
Feats are Combat reflexes, Skillfocus perform sing, Fleet, Rending Fury, Improved rending fury, skillfocus UMD.
Evolutions are typically improved damage, magical attack, con+2, Rend, Con+2, DR10/lawful, con+2, Fast Healing 1, Sacrifice
She has iridescent eyes, her hair and eyes change color, has unnaturally long leg to torso ratio, weighs half as much as she should for her size, smells of wintergreen. She used to refer to everyone as 'it' even when speaking to them directly but she's grown out of it.
Typical evolutionist switches are
Trading fast healing for +6 armor class
Trade magical attack for 15 resist to one element
Trading fast healing and magical attack for 15 resistance to a all elements
Trade all evolution points for swim speed or winged fly speed
Occasionally will make her huge with rend and 43 strength.
Occasionally will use 8 bonus from skill evolution to jack up singing to 34... could ostensibly roll a 54 sing check... Then if he hasn't used it yet he can drop on another +8 from bestow inexplicable luck... 62 maximum possible singing skillcheck? yeah. We're fun at parties.
Takedas got boots of striding and springing, Headband of cha/wis +6, ring of sustenance, luckstone, invisibility ring, shadow falconers glove, decanter of endless water, boundary chalk, robe of archmagi, ...
Dree is currently has Handy haversack, folding boat, bracers of the glib entertainer, resistance cloak, str/con belt +6, amulet of mighty fist +0/Holy.
We've got a demiplane thats a somei yoshino cherry tree garden with a waterfall and a 30 foot deep pool. Plane is bountiful, seasonal and time flows there at half speed. (1 day prime plane=2 days in the garden)
He's never summoned anything but the eidolon. Her damage output is pretty tame compared to our fighter.
Most common evolution surge is typically wings....
Ah yes. Why its my favorite...
1. clearly not as badass as it could be crunchywise
2. thematically chique
3. evolutionist lets me make her any visual biped that suits my fancy for the day... Huge clockwork today? Dryad tomorrow? Harpy? Erinyes? Succubus? Ghaele? Christopher Walken? Iron golem? Ogre? T-rex? Dranae? 30 foot tall copy of a naruni repobot? Fezzik from princess bride? Any old biped that suits my fancy on a given day. Artistic freedom is king. You never know who's coming to dinner.
4. 62 singing skillcheck? Useful? Rarely. Awesome? Hell yeah. 62 singing skill coming from a t-rex? Hillarious. Thats right. My t-rex can outsing archangels, sirens, diva Plavalaguna and Belldandy... She can sing a better dwarven dirge than a whole room full of forgemasters. She could look like an 80 pound nymph and still rock the contrabass at the same time. She will bend your mind.
I've only ever made a couple eidolons, and look forward to getting more of the class. But I love all three. So guess I'll go by list.
This ones from a Half-Elf(Drow) Summoner who has a grudge against Nocticula, so as a follower of Sifkesh, her chosen form of heresy is to "ressurect" the demon lord she murdered for control of shadows, Vyriavraxus.
The goal was to make it as close to a shadow demon as I could. Sadly many of the more prominant abilities of the Shadow Demon are not available, or offlimits in quadruped land. As this was a Skull and Shackles character, the demon lord was mysteriously skilled in ship piloting. Maybe it was a hobby. Sadly the builds on a sheet elsewhere so I'll have to edit in the overall build later, but what it lacked in sheer output it compensated in the ease of which you can abuse Shadow Blending for defense.
Now for ones I have on hand.
These will be more... Unusual than a shadow demon copy to say the least and were made with such in mind. I'll start with one I built for a friends summoner, a theoretical one at level 20. These assumed max ranks in Extra Evolution and putting her FC bonus into Evo points mind you. I realised later it's not legal for her to have Major Magic and will fix that in later versions.
The Veiled Maiden is in her more idle state, basically an Iron Maiden of ridiculous size with an impassive female gaze. However the face is in fact capable of facial features, and it is all a ruse.
When in combat or active forms, the creatures unfurls it's iron maiden doors to act as wings, animated chains (Tentacle evolution) and stiff manacles (Pincers) unfurling from the armored grey humanoid body within. Having four legs, each is place in a quadrotor esque position to her hips, giving a strange spider like gait.
The Veiled Maiden is foremost a warden and a mancatcher. While fully capable of brute force, live capture is more her specialty.
The Veiled Maiden
15 HD Huge Biped Eidolon
Hp 190 (15d10+75)
Init +4
Senses: Darkvision 60
Speed 40, Fly 40 (Perfect)
AC: 27 (10+1 Dex +18 Nat -2 Size) Tch 9, FF 26
BAB: +15
CMB: +33 (41[+2 Pincers]Grp)
CMD: 34
Reach: 15 (20 Tentacles)
Str: 42
Dex: 13
Con: 21
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 11
Saves: Fort: +14 Ref: +5 Will: +8
Attacks:
Claws (2): +29/27 1d8+16(8)
Pincers (2): +27 2d6+8 (Grab)
Tentacles (3): +27 1d8+8 (Pull)
Skills: Intimidate: 15+0+3, Fly: 15+1+3-4, Perception: 15+0+3, Acrobatics: 15+1+3, Sense Motive: 15+0+3, Bluff: 15+0+3
Feats: Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Greater Grapple, Rapid Grappler, Chokehold, Body Shield, Power Attack
Special Qualities: Outsider Traits, Link, Share Spells, Improved Evasion, Devotion, Multi Attack, Magic Attacks, Shadow Blend, Gills
Spell Like Abilities: 1/d See Invisibility
Evolutions: (36) Limbs x3 [Legs/Arms(Free) Arms 2 Legs 2], Claws (Free), Huge (10) Tentacle x3 (3) Grab: Pincers (2), Flight (4), Major Magic: See Invisibility (3), Ability Increase: Int +2 (2), Pincers(1), Magic attacks (1), Shadow Blend (2), Reach: Tentacles (1),
Pull: Tentacles (1), Gills (1), Improved Natural Armor (1)
Now this ones for my own use and amusement really. Eidolons by requirement must be the same alignment as their summoners. This becomes a bit of chicken egg scenario. Do the summoners only summon eidolons from places matching their alignment? Do only eidolons of that place get attracted to summoners of that alignment? Or does the eidolon get made by the summoner in that sense? In the end, I do nothing to clarify this because the answer is amusing either way.
Same build assumption as above.
Stella (Okay get it out of your system now.) is a CG "Erinyes" "Knight" in the form of an heavily armored winged angel of obvious diabolic origin. While she attempts to claim to be a devil through and through, as well as a knight, her attempts to be evil, as well as knightly, tend to fall rather flat instead.
Her code is, in her words, an overly complex thing of diabolic litigation three miles and two inches long, give or take three millimetres. Which is code for she can make up whatever the code says she must do to whatever she thinks is most convenient. She's also crass, unchivalrous and often makes terrible suggestions that she figures sounds evil, but somehow never follows through when pressed on it.
Stella never leaves her armor, looking to be an crimson and black armored figure of androgynous appearence with crimson angel wings. There is nothing actually in the armor, she is the armor really.
Stella accompanies her summoner, a do-gooder who believes setting evil against evil towards mutual destruction is simply more cost effective since the forces of good can concentrate on one less issue for the time being. Stella and her summoner argue incessently, even as they cooperate.
Stella
15 HD Medium Biped Eidolon
HP 135 (15d10+15+10)
Init: +5
Senses: Darkvision 60
Defenses: No Breath, Fast Healing 1, SR 26, Immunities
Speed: 30, Fly 70 (Good)
AC: 36 (10 +5 Dex +18 Nat +3 Shield) Tch 15 FF 31
BAB: +15
CMB: +23
CMD: 28
Reach: 5
Str: 30
Dex: 20
Con: 13
Int: 10
Wis: 10
Cha: 14
Saves: Fort: +9 Ref: +10 Will: +8
Attacks:
+3 Holy Composite Longbow: +23/18/13 1d8+13(+2d6) X3
+5 Holy Speed Bastard Sword: +29/29/24/19 1d10+20(+2d6) 17-20 X2
Claws(2): +21(19) 1d6+7(3)
Wing Buffet (2) +19 1d4+3
Skills: Intimidate: 15+2+3, Fly: 15+5+3, Perception: 15+0+3,
Knowledge Nobility and Royalty: 15+0+3, Sense Motive: 15+0+3, Diplomacy: 15+2+3
Feats: Power Attack, Improved Critical: Bastard Sword, Fly-by Attack, Furious Focus, Shield Proficiency, Deadly Aim, Toughness,
Quicken Spell-Like Ability: Detect Magic
Special Qualities: Outsider Traits, Link, Share Spells,
Improved Evasion, Devotion, Multi Attack, Fast Healing 1, Magic Attacks, No Breath, SR 26, Immune to Disease, Petrification, Poison, Electricity
Spell Like Abilities: 1/d Quickened Detect Magic, 1/d Dimension Door
Evolutions: (36) Limbs x2 [Legs/Arms(Free)], Claws (Free), Flight (4), Magic Attacks (1), Wing Buffet (1), Celestial Appearence (7),
Dimension Door (4), Fast Healing 1 (4), No Breath (4),
Basic Magic: Detect Magic (1), Ability Increase Int (2), Ability Increase Str (6), Weapon Training (3),
Equipment: Hellraiser (+3 Holy Composite Longbow),
Nessus' Fang (+5 Holy Speed Bastard Sword),
Whore Queen's Eye (+2 Arrow Deflecting Darkwood Buckler)
So yeah those are the ones I've built thus far. Potentially full of errors but yeah. Lotsa fiddly parts.
I'm working on a Shadowcaller summoner for an upcoming game. For his eidolon, I'm thinking of a shadowy bat creature with grappling, since the shadowform evolution cuts its damage output in half against corporeal creatures. At level 5 I'm thinking:
Serpentine (gains tailslap, bite w/ reach), Shadow Blend, Shadow Form, ...would Energy Attacks damage be halved as well? That's as far as I got so far
INDECISION!