I'm just curious as to how anyone has worked the class into the Eberron setting. I haven't done much with the class personally, but a friend in an upcoming game was thinking about going with one using the Master Summmoner archetype. We had brainstormed for a bit, I brought up the Manifest Legion*, he brought up the gnomes in Zilargo and their elemental summonings and bindings. Not sure which way he will go, but I thought I could pick brains here, since now I'm thinking about it. So where do you fit summoners into Eberron?
* The Manifest Legion is lightly covered in FoW, they are a mercanary company that focuses on using summoned creatures to disrupt and confuse the enemy. In the book they are obviously portrayed mostly by conjurers and sorcerers. The Summoner class kind of calls to this, especially the Master Summoner. but my only reservation regards the eidolons themselves. Now like I said, I have no personal or game experience with the class, but after reading Faithful Servants by James L. Sutter, I figured that eidolons, while bound to their masters, are still rational thinking beings. Would they be happy with mercenary service?
So now as I'm typing this, lets add another question.
How do you play your eidolons? Are they just mindless forces/creatures you summon that exist only to do your bidding? Or is it a partnership? Do you have a personal bond with them, like your family has a history of being hitched to odd spirits, and you've known your eidolon since childhood? Started out as an imaginary friend? I'm just rambling here, I would love to here anyone else's opinions on the matter
In our Eberron campaign we treated Summoners as basically more exotic Sorcerers, fitting into any organization/civilization that traditionally had the latter, though being even rarer.
I also elaborated a bit on where the eidolon's came from for our campaign, making them physical manifestations of the Draconic Prophecy (the symbols they share with their Summoners actually being infinitesimal pieces of the Prophecy). That helped bind them into the setting a bit more and actually made them a bit more mysterious, since each Eidolon is motivated by whatever portion of the prophecy gave rise to it. So your Summoners are all directly empowered/guided by the Draconic Prophecy, though they may not actually understand the role they and their Eidolon are meant to play.
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In our Eberron Kingmaker Campaign (super fun, based in Qbarra and the Half Fiend black dragon trapped out there became our BBEG), Summoners tapped into Del Quar the plane of Dreams and manifested a portion of their dreams. That led us to an idea of a Kalishtar summoner who "summoned" their Quaori spirit into exsistance. Was a coll thought but we haven't fleshed it out all the way yet
Olav wrote: In our Eberron Kingmaker Campaign (super fun, based in Qbarra and the Half Fiend black dragon trapped out there became our BBEG), Summoners tapped into Dal Quor the plane of Dreams and manifested a portion of their dreams. That led us to an idea of a Kalashtar summoner who "summoned" their Quori spirit into existence. Was a cool thought but we haven't fleshed it out all the way yet That's a pretty great idea. Think about the implications: could it be a way for Quori to enter the Material Plane? Is it really the Kalashtar's quori spirit? Who's controlling who? How do the Inspired react to it? Do they use the method themselves?
I think the Zilargo gnomes are a good fit. Just imagine Dhakaani patrols set upon by eidolons, not knowing which of them are real, and which are illusions.
House Vadalis might be another factions producing Summoners. They could use the eidolons as "test beds" to find out if certain creature types work. It might also be a way of dealing with dangerous/out of control critters. Instead of risking your own life, send the eidolon in.
@Ssalarn, so are all your eidolons consciously aware that they have some connection to the Prophecy? Or are they kind of like psycrystals where they are based off of one core concept/feeling? Or is it just general campaign knowledge that every so often a child is born connected to that particular fragment? I like the the bit with the runes.
@Olav, I had read about the kalshtar and the Quori spirits, it just seemed a little off to me personally. For the kalashtar, their Quori spirit is already what it is. Its a kind of genetic memory, spread across however many individual kalashtar. I don't see there really being a whole "spirit". And if there was, the thought of one being able to, for lack of a better word, mutate the spirit into whatever form they wanted/needed, just seems off. That's just me though, I get hung up on little stuff like that.
As far as a race that dreams pulling something to manifest from Dal Quor, I could see that. Also makes sense how it would shift and change evolutions. For a more disturbing angle, same with Xoriat. I'm thinking tentacles /shudder. Also random thought, a human that connected with Taratai, or fragments of, and has the potential to start a new line of kalashtar.
House Vadalis I had not thought of. Can tie into Sslaran's thing with eidolons being parts of the Prophecy, the dragonmarks are suppose to be a part as well.
The implications were exactly why i went this rout with the idea, we had a Kalishtar Psion in our group who was founding an anti-dreaming dark city/safe haven for the Kalishtar. The summoner in question was the cohort/queen of the king, a human fighter. Long story short, she had a difficult pregnancy, the edelion sort of "took" the baby (prince) with a reverses life tap a fled into the many planes, seeking to flee the king, who she saw as a threat to "her" child. That led the king on a wild cross planer romp to try to locate the child, all the while the Kalishtar psion was torn by trying to save the prince or destroy it, in fear that it could be used by the inspired. Made for a great side story
I had planned (but sadly never played) a Kalishtar summoner whose Eidolon was going to be the physical manifestation of his Quori soul. So, over time, I would have taken evolutions to make it look more and more like a Quori (though I forget which type).
Bearlock wrote: @Ssalarn, so are all your eidolons consciously aware that they have some connection to the Prophecy? Or are they kind of like psycrystals where they are based off of one core concept/feeling? Or is it just general campaign knowledge that every so often a child is born connected to that particular fragment? I like the the bit with the runes.
We treated the Eidolons as knowing they were part of the prophecy and having a role to play, but that knowledge is more instinctual, and not necessarily something where they know what goal they're working towards. This made for a useful campaign tool as well, since I could have the Eidolon recite fragmented portions of the part of the prophecy it's connected to as little hints and hooks for the party. The Summoners themselves are rare enough that people in general have little idea of how they do what they do, but dragons who study the prophecy are both intrigued and concerned by their ability to give the prophecy a physical form and outlet.
Thanks Ssalarn, I will definitely pass this along to my friend, I really appreciate it.
Bearlock wrote: Thanks Ssalarn, I will definitely pass this along to my friend, I really appreciate it. No problem. I love the Eberron setting and it's always fun to talk about my take on it, and see what other people like/dislike about it.
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