I have actually two questions here:
1) Dhampirs and Synthesist Summoners: Dhampirs have the ability negative energy affinity, causing them to be affected by positive and negative energy as if they were undead (what exactly that is is a separate question that can be found in at least one other thread). So what happens when a Dhampir becomes a synthesist summoner and has an eidolon that is affected by positive and negative energy as normal? Are both healed and damaged by positive and negative energy, or do they mutually protect eachother?
2) Shuang Dao swords (twin broadswords, or, for Avatar fans: Zuko's swords). This is a REALLY cool set of weapons in my opinion: a curved blade in each hand, and both blades go to the same sheath. In some cases, the blades even hook together! Unfortunately, I can find no equivalent to this in the pathfinder weapons. Closest I can come is a double staff katana or two wakizashi's. Do I just fluff certain aspects, or should there be another weapon to represent this?
Use any kind of sword you want to use. Say they both go in the same sheath. Done.
2) Fluff out Sawtooth Sabres, settle for the double staff katana (don't, it's dumb and silly and I don't like it). But I do think you have pointed out a weapon that does pave the way for a potentially previously unlisted weapon. Something like an Eastern Version of the Sawtooth Sabres. I would say make it have more damage but a worse crit, except Sawtooth Sabres have the basic crit for any slashing weapon, and a worse crit than that would be needless punishment. Further, since they are broadswords, it doesn't make any sense that they'd do less damage than the standard 1D8 either. So no 1D6 18-20/x2.Maybe 2D4 19-20/x2 and one pound heavier? Don't know if that's a suitable punishment for giving the weapon a significantly improved average damage though.
If you look at the swords, they are the same shape as scimitar/cutlass. Most eastern weapons focused on sharper and lighter blade. Id say just the 1d6 18-20/x2 with the ability to dual-wield them like light weapons.
Well, the butterfly sword (húdié shuāng dāo) has a similar style and background as the swords you are describing.
The only real complaint you can find with them thematically is that they are slightly short dao. It has the advantage of actually being in the system though.
Mechanically, a lot of people here seems to be attracted to the highly powerful 18-20/x2 swords. You may compromise the vision of your idea for more power if you want. I cannot (openly) judge you for it.
I have actually two questions here:
1) Dhampirs and Synthesist Summoners: Dhampirs have the ability negative energy affinity, causing them to be affected by positive and negative energy as if they were undead (what exactly that is is a separate question that can be found in at least one other thread). So what happens when a Dhampir becomes a synthesist summoner and has an eidolon that is affected by positive and negative energy as normal? Are both healed and damaged by positive and negative energy, or do they mutually protect eachother?
In Pathfinder channeling energy does one thing or the other (either used to heal or damage), so the issue you are concerned with doesn't actually occur. If we had an eidolon that was healed with positive energy and a dhampir who is harmed by positive energy, only one of them would be hit by the effects of a channel regardless. If positive energy were used to heal, the eidolon would heal and nothing would happen to the dhampir. If positive energy was used to damage, nothing would happen to the eidolon and the dhampir would roll the save and take appropriate damage. The archtype actually answers your question as well.
A synth counts as both themself and an outsider, whichever is worse for the synth as per the archtype write up under Fused Eidolon. Worst case comes into play, if channel positive energy is used to heal, you don't get healed. If channel positive energy is used to harm, you take the damage. If channel negative energy is used to heal, you don't get healed, if it is used to harm, you take damage. If it is problematic for the build, you can take the undead appearance evolution so you can at least get some healing from the channel negative energy uesd to heal.
If I may butt in here as per the way Synthesist Summoner is written "The synthesist gains the eidolon’s hit points as temporary hit points." and "The eidolon’s temporary hit points can be restored with the rejuvenate eidolon spell" I would assume they act as normal temporary hit poits do, and can not be healed back (with the exception of "rejuvenate eidolon" as described in the Synthisist Summoners "Fused Ediolon Ability")
Edit: Also later in the ability it states "Neither the synthesist nor his eidolon can be targeted separately, as they are fused into one creature." so you can't target them as separate creatures, you would only be healed by Negative Energy (gained from the Racial Trait) used to heal you. The Ediloins Hit Points are still treated as Temporary Hit Points for the Summoner and as normal.
They absolutely act as a temporary hp, read the FAQ (read Nerf) about it.
Unfortunately, the Dhampir Synth while using Fused Eidolon is both a creature who takes damage from channeled positive energy AND an outsider. This is completely different from an undead augmented outsider (or vice versa). It is both a "living" outsider (the norm) AND the dhampir, and the write up of the ability Fused Eidolon (2nd paragraph) states it counts as whichever is worse for the synth when determining effects. They may not be able to be targets separately, but it still counts as both the summoner and the outsider.
I definitely see your point here, tho as per the racial trait it alters how the living creature reacts to Positive and Negative Energy, Normally Positive heals but when fused it could be argued that the Racial ability trumps normal healing through positive/negative energy in this case.
While fused, the synthesist loses the benefits of his armor. He counts as both his original type and as an outsider for any effect related to type, whichever is worse for the synthesist. Spells such as banishment or dismissal work normally on the eidolon, but the synthesist is unaffected. Neither the synthesist nor his eidolon can be targeted separately, as they are fused into one creature. The synthesist and eidolon cannot take separate actions. While fused with his eidolon, the synthesist can use all of his own abilities and gear, except for his armor. In all other cases, this ability functions as the summoner’s normal eidolon ability (for example, the synthesist cannot use his summon monster ability while the eidolon is present).
The closest thing I can see is gaining the Outsider Type, but that in it self doesn’t inherently grant healing with positive energy.
Also it says a Summoner can use all his abilitys (I’m asuming racial abilitys would come in at this point as well?)
I normally don't post in Synth threads but someone asked me to. Here are the points as I see them:
1) Positive Energy heals living creatures. Outsiders are (usually) alive since they (usually) have a Con score.
2) Negative Energy (usually) harms living creatures.
3) Synthesist merged Eidolons (hereafter called the "Unit") have temporary HP not real hp. The temp hp cannot be healed by Positive Energy.
4) The Unit can be harmed by negative energy to harm the living.
4) The Unit takes the worst effect for effects related to "type".
5) Channel Positive/Negative Energy may be related to "type" (namely, "undead"). But, "living creatures" is not a type so I am not certain this is intended.
6a) IF you believe that CPE/CNE is type related then the following happens to the merged unit:
CPE damages the Unit when used to harm undead.
CNE damages the Unit when used to harm the living.
CPE cannot be used to heal the Dhampir (Dhampir is 'undead')
CNE can be used to heal the Dhampir (Dhampir is 'undead')
6b) If you believe that CPE/CNE is not type related then the question needs to be answered:
Does the Unit count as having Negative Energy Affinity?
If the answer is yes then the problem is solved.
If the answer is no then you have an unresolvable problem.
Personally, Im not sure which answer is ultimately 'correct'. Assuming I allowed Synthesists in my games (I don't) I would probably rule in favor of 6a. However, the RAW is unclear on this.
- Gauss
For the second question, it looks like fluffing out will be just fine for now, except in cases where the swords can attach to each other and be used for combat in that manner. That would have to be a new weapon... maybe we can get a developer in here to take a look at adding something like that.
Speaking of developers/designers, I think we may need one in here. It looks like opinions about how a synthesist dhampir reacts to positive and negative energy are very split and diverse. We've got "Neither Affects", "Both Count", "Whatever is worse", and a couple others; most with fairly good logic behind them. Even the reasoning that they are both undead and outsiders by the rules doesn't work, because outsiders are inherently living by the rules in the beastiary!
When it says you count as "both an outsider and 'yourself'", it's referring to type. It can't make presumptions about 'yourself' because you could be anything from another outsider to a humanoid to a magical creature to any other type. This means that, as a Humanoid Summoner, even while fused, you can be targeted by Hold Person since it targets Humanoids even though the Outsider Eidolon wouldn't normally be affected by it. Likewise, Bane vs Outsider(Native) would also affect you since you are an Outsider(Native) in addition to being a Humanoid. But neither type has anything to do with changing how positive/negative energy affects you, thus neither changes anything. NEA is a completely different animal and the only thing in play here. Negative Energy to Heal will heal you because you count as undead. Positive Energy to Harm will harm you because you count as undead. Neither Negative Energy to Harm nor Positive Energy to Heal will affect you. No muss, no fuss, end of story.
You are over simplifying. The synth while fused is two different creatures, neither of which can be targeted separately. You are the eidolon AND you are the dhampir. It isn't *just* outsider type being tagged onto another type in the typical augmented fashion. You have two creatures occupying the same form which is completely different from becoming an outsider (like a monk, or template or any number of established options). It doesn't use the wording previous options use for gaining outsider type. It actually says you count as both the summoner and outsider, take the worst case when effects are applied.
Speaking of developers/designers, I think we may need one in here. It looks like opinions about how a synthesist dhampir reacts to positive and negative energy are very split and diverse. We've got "Neither Affects", "Both Count", "Whatever is worse", and a couple others; most with fairly good logic behind them. Even the reasoning that they are both undead and outsiders by the rules doesn't work, because outsiders are inherently living by the rules in the beastiary!
There are a few undead outsiders (as well as constructs), that is what the "augmented" type is used for.
As for a dev/designer chiming in, it would be nice but I doubt a FAQ is likely any time soon (if ever). The synth is one of those "prickly" subjects, people either loved it or hated it, and some of the FAQs for it essentially required more FAQs because of the complexity of the archtype. Toss in that is no longer available in PFS and the need to clarify it further than the table its being played at, just doesn't exist.