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First there was the idea, then the rough draft, then messaging Maxximilius, now I have Version 0.5 of the Living Weapon Summoner.
Behold! and of course, any criticism will be appreciated and considered in the next rewrite.
Living Weapon
Summoner Archetype.
The summoner loses all armor proficiencies and the twin eidolon 20th level ability.
Living weapon: Instead of calling a powerful outsider that he shapes with his will, the summoner compresses the energy into a weapon, called a living weapon. He chooses a base form (1-handed, 2-handed, or light) and may shape it how he chooses. The living weapon bestows a number of benefits on the summoner that end if the weapon is disarmed or sundered. The living weapon gains a hardness equal to an eidolon's normal armor bonus and hit points as a normal eidolon. The living weapon gains a bonus to its CMD equal to half its hardness against sunder and disarm checks.
The weapon acts in all ways like an eidolon only it must be wielded. It has all the same mental stats of the eidolon and may telepathically interact with the summoner as long as he within 10,000 feet. Any evolution that would normally affect the eidolon's body or give the eidolon any additional abilities instead affects the summoner while the living weapon is wielded. For instance, if the summoner had spent evolution points on the wings evolution or the breath weapon evolution, he would grow wings and have access to the breath weapon ability as long as he wields or holds his living weapon.
The summoner cannot choose any evolution that would grant his living weapon any natural attacks, like bite or claws. Anything that affects the strikes of the eidolon instead affects the weapon. For instance, if the summoner chooses the magic attacks evolution, it applies to his weapon. The living weapon is treated as masterwork at level 1 and gains an enhancement bonus on attacks using the black blade progression on page 47 of Ultimate Magic. The living weapon is affected by feats such as weapon focus but you must still choose a specific weapon for weapon focus, like weapon focus (greataxe).
The living weapon does not give the summoner any ability score increases gained through it, though the summoner still gets bonuses through leveling up. Any natural armor bonuses gained through the living weapon applies to the summoner, hardening his skin as the weapon becomes part of him. This modifies the Eidolon class feature.
Hidden Weapon: At 8th level, the summoner can shrink his eidolon and store it away as if using a glove of storing. When stored this way, the summoner still gains the benefits of having his living weapon held or wielded. This replaces transposition.
Perfect form: At 20th level, the living weapon may not be disarmed and its hardness is doubled. In addition, the living weapon can be summoned as a standard action, instead of the 1 minute summoning ritual. The summoner may redistribute all evolution points spent on the living weapon once per day and may choose a new base form once per month when redistributing points.
Base forms:
The living weapon eidolon takes a base form. Each base form has the damage listed regardless of size. The summoner chooses whether it deals B, P, or S damage and the general shape of the living weapon. The base forms are always melee weapons. Once a base form has been chosen, it may not be changed, but the individual weapon created may be changed.
Light
Base damage 1d4. Critical range 20, critical modifier x2
1-handed
Base damage 1d8. Critical range 20, critical modifier x2
2-handed
Base damage 1d10. Critical range 20, critical modifier x2
New evolutions:
1 point
Critical range: The living weapon's critical range increases by 1. For example 20 becomes 19-20, 19-20 becomes 18-20. This can be taken a maximum 2 of times.
Material: The living weapon takes on all qualities, except cost, of a special material that can be used to create weapons, like mithril or adamantine.
Range weapon: The summoner shapes his weapon into a ranged weapon. He may not choose a thrown weapon except for a sling. If he forms his living weapon into a composite longbow, he must spend one additional evolution point per point of strength rating.
2 point
Dual form: The summoner splits his eidolon into two weapons. They must both be the same base form but may take different weapon shapes and must spend his evolution points on each weapon. Individually. The living weapons hit points are split evenly between the two weapons.
3 point
Critical modifier: The living weapon's critical modifier increases by 1. This can be taken a maximum of 2 times.
Variable:
Enchanted: The summoner imbues the weapon with a weapon enchantment. This evolution takes a number of points equal to the cost of the enchantment chosen. The summoner cannot spend more than 5 evolution points on this evolution. The summoner must be 4th level before selecting this evolution.
I want to start out by saying I love the concept. I would go so far as to say it is a brilliant use of the evolution pool/eidolon concept.
Dotting for later reference (I'm actually working on a similar archetype, but for fighters).
I'm curious as to why the summoner looses armor proficiencies. Wouldn't it make more sense to loose weapon proficiencies?
But I really dig were this is going.
The armor bonus given by the living weapon will end up being +8 at 10th level which could all be distributed as natural armor and stack with any armor worn by the summoner. That's giving near full plate with no max dex or ACP on top of a breastplate that could be enchanted. +16 at 20th which is higher than even the best enchanted full plate. Not to mention any additional natural armor from the natural armor evolution. It'll be a little too much
Kept editing the post because I kept forgetting things.
President, Silver Crescent Publishing
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I like the concept. It allows the summoner to take a more directly combative role. I might also suggest you take a look at the Soulknife class in Psionics Unleashed by Dreamscarred Press for other possible ideas regarding weapon based evolution possibilities.
You may also want to mention in the evolution that allows you to split the weapon, that it can at that point be molded into a double weapon instead, because I'm sure someone will come up with the idea of saying they'll make a 2-bladed sword as a 1-H weapon because they'll only use a single end.
Ah! Yeah forgot about those. Thank you.
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What about shields? I can see a defensive player wanting to create a teamwork bodyguard type character and I'm trying to envision it using this. Would the base form count for shields as well? Or should I use an evolution for it?
Great work, Brewhammer! I will be posting my new Electus Class very shortly. It is similar to this.
Here's a refined list of the new evolutions:
New evolutions:
1 point
Critical range: The living weapon's critical range increases by 1. For example 20 becomes 19-20, 19-20 becomes 18-20. This can be taken a maximum 2 of times.
Material: The living weapon takes on all qualities, except cost, of a special material that can be used to create weapons, like mithril or adamantine.
Range weapon: The summoner shapes his weapon into a ranged weapon. He may not choose a thrown weapon except for a sling. If he forms his living weapon into a composite longbow, he must spend one additional evolution point per point of strength rating. The weapon does not create its own ammunition.
Specialized: The living weapon gains features that aid it in one type of combat maneuver. Choose trip, disarm, bull rush, steal, feint, or dirty trick. The living weapons gains that weapon quality and gives an additional +3 bonus on the chosen combat maneuver
2 point
Dual form: The summoner splits his eidolon into two weapons or a double weapon. They must both be the same base form but may take different weapon shapes and must spend his evolution points on each weapon or both ends of a double weapon individually. The living weapons hit points are split evenly between the two weapons.
3 point
Critical modifier: The living weapon's critical modifier increases by 1. This can be taken a maximum of 2 times.
Variable:
Enchanted: The summoner imbues the weapon with a weapon enchantment. This evolution takes a number of points equal to the cost of the enchantment chosen. The summoner cannot spend more than 5 evolution points on this evolution. The summoner must be 4th level before selecting this evolution.
Dotting due to awesomeness.
What about shields? I can see a defensive player wanting to create a teamwork bodyguard type character and I'm trying to envision it using this. Would the base form count for shields as well? Or should I use an evolution for it?
If I understand what you're saying, I might be inclined to make that a separate archetype.
I like the concept of using this with a shield. You could make it a new archetype, or just allow shields to use weapon and armor enchants.
I like the concept of using this with a shield. You could make it a new archetype, or just allow shields to use weapon and armor enchants.
Well the question is should making a shield (and thus enhancements) be an evolution because the base forms assume weapons?
Just posted some thoughts in Arcanemuses Electus thread. Including a call for armor and shield variants.
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President, Silver Crescent Publishing
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What about shields?
Personally I would say no, stick to weapons for this particular variation. The eidolon would either be sought out for offense or defense when summoned. Allowing both a sword and a shield would twist that and make them not as effective at either one I would think.
I like the concept of using this with a shield. You could make it a new archetype, or just allow shields to use weapon and armor enchants.Well the question is should making a shield (and thus enhancements) be an evolution because the base forms assume weapons?
Shields would be an entirely different base form set, I would think, i.e. I'd save it for a second archetype. I agree with Daniel.
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What about shields? I can see a defensive player wanting to create a teamwork bodyguard type character and I'm trying to envision it using this. Would the base form count for shields as well? Or should I use an evolution for it?
If this was a base class I'd say make an archetype. As it is, I'd go with either a separate base form, or as Da'ath suggested, another archetype - after all, I guess armor and shield concepts here aren't tecnically living "weapons". And maybe armor is a bit too synthesist summoner. But maybe not. As I said of Arcanemuses Electus, I look forward to more variants...
Dual form: The summoner splits his eidolon into two weapons or a double weapon. They must both be the same base form but may take different weapon shapes and must spend his evolution points on each weapon or both ends of a double weapon individually. The living weapons hit points are split evenly between the two weapons.
This is my favorite so far.
dot
Can't wait to see more. Dot.
So after the first day of testing, we found that for an unprepared GM it's terrible. There was an unhittbale paladin in the party taking all the hits and I was the striker. Together, we were like one supercharacter. We locked down a fight of 2 minotaurs and one half-fiend minotaur almost by ourselves. I fought the half fiend in an aerial battle which ended in me critting him into a crater and the paladin locking down the other two minotaurs while giving our squishy casters a +5 shield bonus the whole time.
Personally I would rather remove the natural armor from the eidolon than remove armor proficiency; in my opinion in matches the concept better. I do really like this concept, though.
So, the thing I'd like to bring up, is that the Summoner is still a spellcaster, perhaps you could take a page out of the Magus and let them cast spells whilst wielding the weapon with something like Spell Combat.
I love the idea btw.
This is a five year old thread, dude.
yeah, but it's a cool 5 year old thread.
I love these forums.