Summoner class questions


Advice


(a lot of rambling here, feel free to skip to questions if you don't feel like reading it, questions start below +-+-+ line)

I will pre-note, I have not yet played any game of Pathfinder, and what I do know is from hearsay and some browsing of the Pathfinder SRD. I started with D&D 4e about 3 years ago, and 4e is currently my only TTRPG experience, and I'm starting to look into related games and heard a lot about this one. After browsing the SRD, the Summoner is admittedly the first class that really jumped out at me as a "Holy censored, I HAVE to play this class!", partially from my love of summoning classes and from being really intrigued by the Eidolon mechanics, the evolution stuff in general.

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I did do some reading on the SRD, however, there are a number of things I don't quite get. Some might be better suited for Rules Questions, though I'd prefer to have to check as few topics as possible.

1. On the Merge Forms power, it says "All effects and spells currently targeting the summoner are suspended until the summoner emerges from the eidolon (although durations continue to expire)." This means for anything that lasts...say 3 rounds, if I stayed merged with the Eidolon for 3 rounds, the status has zero effect and still wears off three rounds later?

2. On the Twin Eidolon feature, when I assume my Eidolon's STR, DEX, and more importantly CON stats, do my maximum hit points go up to adjust to my new CON score? This question also applies to when thr Synthesist "summons" his own Eidolon "armor" and the Synthesist gets it's CON.
2a. Also, on the Synthesist archetype, I noticed Twin Eidolon doesn't get replaced. I assume this means it's unchanged from the base class?

3. My main draw to the Summoner was the Synthesist archetype. However, I noticed it's banned from organized play according to the SRD. I'm curious on the reason behind this.

4. When I use Evolution Surge spells to add evolutions to my Eidolon, can I use multiple ES spells to add multiple evolutions, or do they not stack?
4a. Are points the Eidolon gains in this manner available to "borrow" with the Aspect and Greater Aspect features?

5. While not a good idea, am I allowed to leave Evolution points unspent to take with the Aspect feature?

6. I noticed the Eidolon gets the multi-attack feat for free when he reaches 3 Natural Attacks. The claw is listed as having "+x/+x" on it's attack bonus. Does this mean it counts for 2 natural attacks for the purpose of the free multi-attack feat, or just one?

7. And finally, on the subject of Natural Attacks, I read on the Summoner Class guide that Primary attacks should always be taken over Secondary attacks unless I'm making a weapon-using Eidolon. Why is that?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any answers given. I apologize if some seem obvious or are on the SRD, but as I said, I have zero non-D&D4e experience and only did some SRD reading.


Idon't know all of them but i'll throw what I think I know
if I'm wrong someone will correct me haha.

1) I'm not positive on this one.. but I think from what you quoted, if you had a buff on that lasted 6 rounds nxt round you merged(at this round you have 5 rounds left) for 3 rounds at the end when you de-merge you would have 2 rounds of that buff left.
6) When you get claws, you get one for each hand. hence the / thing.Its two natural attacks.
7) Primary attacks get 1.5 str and secondary attacks get .5 str; added to damage I mean. So Primary attacks do more damage in general (baring circumstances). If you use natural with a manufactured weapon the weapon is primary so anything after is treated lesser (.5str to damage) I believe


Secondary attacks also take a -5 penalty to-hit.

But if you're using weapons, all your primary attacks are treated as secondaries anyway, so if you do that you may as well take secondary attacks to begin with.


Ok, those help quite a bit. Thanks :)


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

If you plan on organized play, there is an extended list of what is allowed and not.

If it's a home game, then don't worry about it.

There's a couple of well-written guides here (see Advice->Guide to the Class Guides). I'd recommend skimming over them.

Also there are many many threads on summoners in the Rules Questions forums. I read through several of them when I considered a summoner for Society (organized) play.

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