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Heavy drinking and an ill-advised bet.
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The rulebooks have yet to give a fluff answer to why this is.
My personal speculation is that it identifies linked spirits / souls. It may explain why the marks are identical. Note that the glowing rune is only active if Summoner and Eidolon are on the same plane.
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Considering you can disguise it by just wearing a hat or growing your hair long, I think it's just a flavour thing, and you can change flavour however you please. :)
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My guess is, to make the connection obvious.
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Probably so when an enemy is being mauled by the demon-moster, they can single out the source and put the summoner to an unpleasant death.
This was always my assumption. Also it lets you know what sort of creature you are fighting. It would have to be a low knowledge arcana check to realize an Eidolon is an Eidolon and not a dragon or a big cat or a werewolf
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Hmmmm that was what I thought were the likelier explanations for it. Flavour text I have no problem tossing out the window and I can work with the otherone. I'm already modifying the deal with an outsider flavour text and giving anyone who wants to play a summoner the option of having the eidolon be either a manifestation of their own power/mind, a deal with an outsider (as per book) or an outsider interested in them for its own reasons. Doesn't affect anything mechanically but allows a greater range of character concepts. Hmmmm maybe a DC 15 spellcraft to identify it as an eidolon, well I'll think about it. Either way that glowing rune is getting turfed.
Thanks for the replies.
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It's a balancing bit, so that the link to a potential monstrosity is evident.
It's a balancing bit, so that the link to a potential monstrosity is evident.
I second this.
But it is a very weak balancing bit, because hats. I'm not sure what would be minor enough to take away from the summoner to make up for the difference.
Ive always thought of it as representing the contract between the summoner and the Eidolon
Ive always thought of it as representing the contract between the summoner and the Eidolon
That's basically the flavor of it. It's like matching wedding rings. Sure I could wear a glove over my ring, but I'm still wearing my ring.
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It's a bit of a balancing bit, to make it obvious that they're connected.
It's mostly flavor, but I would hesitate to wholesale get rid of it. But replacing the rune with some other obvious thing that indicates the link would serve just as well.
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But it is a very weak balancing bit, because hats. I'm not sure what would be minor enough to take away from the summoner to make up for the difference.
Covering it up with a hat would work, but IMO that would constitute a Disguise check, and folks would have the opportunity to make Perception checks to notice you're covering up something on your head.
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Balancing bit.
It's to keep a Summoner from having his Eidolon wreak havoc on a town and act as if he had nothing to do with it.
"No, no! That's not MY creature!" he says with a glowing rune in the shape of an L on his forehead. (Nod to BigNorseWolf)
Officer: (noting the same glowing L on the Eidolon's forehead) "Uh huh. You're coming with me!"
BTW: in my RotRL game, I'm having the glowing rune hover away from the Summoner's forehead so it CAN'T be covered by a hat or hair. I want people to be able to identify who the creature is tied to.
Doesn't the shadow caller (fetchling summoner archetype) specifically drop that detail and change it to the summoner no longer casting a shadow while his eidolon is active?
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It's mostly an art thing, so that you can see in art that any one character is tied to any one eidolon.
It's also an in-game thing, since eidolons can literally look like ANYTHING. That means that they can look identical to, say, a wolf or a minotaur or a vrock, or like something completely unique, such as the iconic's eidolon. Yet there still needs to be a way, in world, for characters to identify the fact that the creature is an eidelon and not a wolf or a minotaur or a vrock or some new monster. The rune is that way.
Take the rune away and there's no way to tell that something's an eidolon. Since that's pretty much the ONLY thing that an eidolon is guaranteed to have.
Whether or not the inability to recognize an eidolon for what it is is a good thing or a bad thing in your game should inform whether or not you want them to share runes with their summoners. The rune doesn't need to appear on the eidolon's head, though.
Obviously, for us, we feel that it's important that the rune DOES appear on the eidolon. How you rule in your games is up to you.
It is there so fellow adventurers can go looking for a different party when one shows up.
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Doesn't the shadow caller (fetchling summoner archetype) specifically drop that detail and change it to the summoner no longer casting a shadow while his eidolon is active?
Yep. I have a shadow caller. To be honest, they're both so unusual looking that it's a bit of a clue anyway. I loved the idea that the eidolon crept out of her shadow. It's fun.
Though I managed not to read the bit about glowing runes until level twelve, anyway.
Ah thanks for that clarification, in my game it's a bad thing due to other factors and I've a few ideas on ways to identify it besides that as well. So I think I'll remove the glowing rune.
Just out of curiosity, what's the reasons it wouldn't work for your game?
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Ah thanks for that clarification, in my game it's a bad thing due to other factors and I've a few ideas on ways to identify it besides that as well. So I think I'll remove the glowing rune.Just out of curiosity, what's the reasons it wouldn't work for your game?
The main one is in my home brewed world a mark on the body is used to represent a contract with a demon or devil (although they get to decide where on the body it's placed) and anyone bearing one is put to death. Even children born with suspiciously ordered birth marks (ones that look like things) bring in religious and state investigators to examine the state of the parents souls and whether they may have made a deal f the I'll give you my first born child variety. I admit if I were keeping the deal with an outsider strictly as is and not allowing for eidolons to be an expression of the summoners psyche it would fit thematically but it introduces a lot of difficulty in the do we kill the diaboloist or let the summoner go free?
Those who deal with demons are one of the most feared groups in the land because they can get anything in return strength, prosperity, vast magical powers,a guardian fantastical creature but the being they deal with always gets more. This doesn't even have to be a your soul, your first-born child deal since immortal evil outsiders with the power to make these deals have their eye on the bigger picture. If given you the item/ability you desire will cause others to fall or inflict chaos and suffering on a large part of the mortal world increasing the odds of others falling or dealing with them they may take it. Something smarter diabolists/demonolgists take advantage of.
Then there are places with a no spellcasting rule and unless your able to cast subtly your bring the town guard down on you and a glowing great rune makes that a bit difficult and can serve as a disguise tax on the wizards skillpoints, or the eidolons.
Finally as I mentioned I'm modifying the fluff to allow more options and while a glowing rune on the forehead makes sense for a summoner who made a pact with an outsider it doesn't for someone who's outwardly manifesting a portion of their own power or someone who's being pursued/haunted by outsiders without their consent.
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I'm tempted to say that you should really keep the mark as is then. Even without the mark, such a witch hunting populace will make having a fantastical creature around difficult.
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I'm tempted to say that you should really keep the mark as is then. Even without the mark, such a witch hunting populace will make having a fantastical creature around difficult.
Its not anti-magic it's antidemon, important difference and one of the things that really turned me off the merlin tv series. If he hadn't shown up and been an idiot that magic is evil society would have been crushed long ago. I digress though the reason some places (religious sites, govermment offices etc) have no spellcasting rules is because they know how dangerous it is (no one wants an unknown casting spells next to the cave where a powerful demon is sealed away) but they enforce the rule with their own casters both arcane and divine. What sets them off is someone making a deal with the devil more than castingand that can be identified by finding if someone has a mark on their body somewhere. Remember the deal may be profits from business not a fantastical creature or magical powers and the only way to find that (aside for the 14 virgin sacrifices every 20 years) is investigating the family on charge of the company that always comes out on top to see if they have a mark.
You could make the eidolon mark different based on alignment. If you are good the mark forms a halo that floats above your head. If you are evil the mark forms horns. Neutral can pick one.
It's mostly an art thing, so that you can see in art that any one character is tied to any one eidolon.
It's also an in-game thing, since eidolons can literally look like ANYTHING. That means that they can look identical to, say, a wolf or a minotaur or a vrock, or like something completely unique, such as the iconic's eidolon. Yet there still needs to be a way, in world, for characters to identify the fact that the creature is an eidelon and not a wolf or a minotaur or a vrock or some new monster. The rune is that way.
Take the rune away and there's no way to tell that something's an eidolon. Since that's pretty much the ONLY thing that an eidolon is guaranteed to have.
Whether or not the inability to recognize an eidolon for what it is is a good thing or a bad thing in your game should inform whether or not you want them to share runes with their summoners. The rune doesn't need to appear on the eidolon's head, though.
Obviously, for us, we feel that it's important that the rune DOES appear on the eidolon. How you rule in your games is up to you.
"So people can have knowledge checks", basically? A nice obvious sign that is an easy explanation of why the knowledge check works (instead of having to come up with an unique line of bull every time, like "your 'wolf's' legs are not of the right proportion for a northern great timberwolf").
I mean, the fact that it can be hidden with a normal disguise is also an option that was left open. A perfectly normal disguise check to wear a hat and have it secure so that the symbol doesn't peak out (which is an explanation for why a successful perception would allow enough details to come out so they could do a knowledge check and go 'ah, an eidolon').
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In my RotRL game, I declared that for the summoner in my group the symbol was the same symbol that keeps popping up in the adventure, and everyone is like WTF.
For added fun, if you're tracking Sin points, having the summoner's rune transform over the course of the campaign would freak them out even more.
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To me, the whole "glowing rune" thing seems like a huge liability - an idea that is reinforced by how many summoners go out of their way to conceal it.
After all, it's essentially broadcasting to all enemies in the area that in order to stop the monstrous eidolon, all they need to do is kill the weak-looking guy with the same symbol on his head.
I've never played a summoner (too confusing), but still. It's sort of like if clerics had glowing holy symbols on their foreheads - that is to say, ridiculous and seemingly intended to provoke confrontation.
To me, the whole "glowing rune" thing seems like a huge liability - an idea that is reinforced by how many summoners go out of their way to conceal it.
After all, it's essentially broadcasting to all enemies in the area that in order to stop the monstrous eidolon, all they need to do is kill the weak-looking guy with the same symbol on his head.
I've never played a summoner (too confusing), but still. It's sort of like if clerics had glowing holy symbols on their foreheads - that is to say, ridiculous and seemingly intended to provoke confrontation.
That is a very good point. Doesn't apply to my shadow summoner, although the whole no shadow thing is a delightfully creepy clue. Though my shadow fox is only so much of a threat, being made of shadows and all.
Synthesist summoners have marks too, don't they? Would make it tempting to find their weakness and then pick off the squishy summoner, handily standing exactly where you were already attacking...
We have a summoner and a synthesist summoner in our party and I don't think we'd considered the glowing rune thing (it took the party quite a while to work out that the cute gnome and the big-giant-bear-thing were linked. Perhaps it should have been more obvious...)
I can imagine it being quite a threat at lower levels. Makes lots of sense at higher levels, especially when you're approaching twin eidolons (if you get that far on your AP...)
In our party, neither of the summoners is entirely sure what their eidolon is (one views theirs as a protector, the other as her "monster friend"). Having the runes must be pointed out at some point, so there's role play potential there. I'd always seen my character's eidolon as part of her rather damaged psyche. She doesn't see it that way...
I can see why it could be a problem in Senko's setting. Depends if it's a game breaker. Well, if Senko thinks so, that seems fair enough.
Edited to add:
It also depends if your eidolon is out all the time, in manner of companion (mine is). In this case, it can cause more problems in generally walking around towns etc. Tempting for a baddie to just jump out of an alleyway and pick off the little summoner. It's possibly less of an issue if only in combat as it may not be that much of a problem to work out where the eidolon came from. I think Senko was debating between the two.
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If you like the function of the rune as identifying the eidolon and its summoner, but the mark doesn't fit in your setting, how about a thin insubstantial silver cord? It mimics the cord between body and astral self during astral projection, thus indicating the magical bond between summoner and eidolon. For extra fun, you could relate the cord visually to the eidolon's range limitations (perhaps having it disappear or appear broken if you cast Unfetter).
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In my RotRL game, I declared that for the summoner in my group the symbol was the same symbol that keeps popping up in the adventure, and everyone is like WTF.For added fun, if you're tracking Sin points, having the summoner's rune transform over the course of the campaign would freak them out even more.
Darn, Darn, Darnity, Darn! This is a great idea, and I wish I had been paying closer attention to "sin" from the beginning.
Unfortunately, our group only gets together to play maybe twice a year, so it's a bit difficult to go back and remember stuff like that. :-(
If you like the function of the rune as identifying the eidolon and its summoner, but the mark doesn't fit in your setting, how about a thin insubstantial silver cord? It mimics the cord between body and astral self during astral projection, thus indicating the magical bond between summoner and eidolon. For extra fun, you could relate the cord visually to the eidolon's range limitations (perhaps having it disappear or appear broken if you cast Unfetter).
Ooh! That's great for flavour. And would work remarkably well with my character's eidolon as he thinks he's a dog (I wasn't going to waste points on my eidolon's int/wis - which makes him a slightly unreliable but hilarious scout).
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To me, the whole "glowing rune" thing seems like a huge liability - an idea that is reinforced by how many summoners go out of their way to conceal it.
After all, it's essentially broadcasting to all enemies in the area that in order to stop the monstrous eidolon, all they need to do is kill the weak-looking guy with the same symbol on his head.
I've never played a summoner (too confusing), but still. It's sort of like if clerics had glowing holy symbols on their foreheads - that is to say, ridiculous and seemingly intended to provoke confrontation.
Here's an idea if you are a summoner. Use arcane mark to put the same rune on the fighters head so he becomes a better tank.
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If you like the function of the rune as identifying the eidolon and its summoner, but the mark doesn't fit in your setting, how about a thin insubstantial silver cord? It mimics the cord between body and astral self during astral projection, thus indicating the magical bond between summoner and eidolon. For extra fun, you could relate the cord visually to the eidolon's range limitations (perhaps having it disappear or appear broken if you cast Unfetter).
I was actually considering an astral cord equivalent (visible with detect magic, see invisible,true seeing and the like) as an identifier although obviously it's not going to be something that can be targeted. Incidentally regular summoned monsters have the same thing indicating the summoners as do familiars anything with a magical link to them. Called monsters who are really there have magical shackles indicating that breaking the control will set them loose rather than send them away.
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What do you do with a drunken Summoner
What do you do with a drunken Summoner
What do you do with a drunken Summoner
Earlie in the morning
Scribe his forehead with a glowing rune
Scribe his forehead with a glowing rune
Scribe his forehead with a glowing rune
Earlie in the morning
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P.U Stabby Todhed, Incensed Confessional Knowers of All Things Mist-ik-cold, willis enlighten all youz pink squishie brains on the connetionz between summoner and eyedolun. You sees, this is the one in-stance whens writingz can swallows your soul. (Unenlightened gobboes believez all writings can do tis, but that's a mis-number. Writingz is bad because it ruins your memoriez- next time use pneumatics too remember things! Listen to the great gobboe sage Soccer-Crates!)
What weres we talkings about? Oh, yeses, the summon-hers and the idea-o-logue's runes! You sees, the runez on the eid-don't-like-yous binds its to the master runes on the summonboar's forehead. So it makes the eiddunno a SLAVE to the bummerner's will!
The summoners/eekdolon runes thingy is wherez the unenlightened of my people's gets the ideas that "any letterz you read will swallow your soul! WILL SWAL-LOW YOUR SOUL!" Because they don't wanna be slaves to VILE HAVERS OF DOGS AND HORSES!
Its in the shape of an L on her forehead...
Weird, I've always pictured them as being an H.