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The Unfettered Eidolon is a monstrous variant to the Synthesist archetype. It gives up spellcasting and gains weaknesses, but it advances as an outsider. Depending on its starting level (½ or 1) it will gain either PC gold as a normal PC or "Heroic" NPC gold as a heroic NPC. Its only main hindrance is that it cannot gain class levels.
Class Levels____HD____BAB____Good Saves____Bad Saves____Skills____Feats____Armor Bonus____STR / Dex Bonus____Evolution Pool____Max Attacks____Special
½_____________1_____1______2_____________0__________4________1________+0___ __________+0_________________8______________3______________Evasion, +2 Nat AC, Standard Starting Level
1st____________2_____2______3_____________0__________8________1________+2__ ___________+1_________________9______________3______________Alternative Starting Level
2nd___________3_____3______3_____________1__________12_______2________+2___ __________+1_________________10_____________3______________
3rd____________4_____4______4_____________1__________16_______2________+2__ ___________+1_________________11_____________4______________
4th____________5_____5______4_____________1__________20_______3________+4__ ___________+2_________________12_____________4______________+1 any attribute
5th____________6_____6______5_____________2__________24_______3________+4__ ___________+2_________________13_____________4______________
6th____________8_____8______6_____________2__________32_______4________+6__ ___________+3_________________15_____________4______________
7th____________9_____9______6_____________3__________36_______5________+6__ ___________+3_________________16_____________5______________+1 any attribute, Multiattack
8th____________10____10_____7_____________3__________40_______5________+6__ ___________+3_________________17_____________5______________
9th____________12____12_____8_____________4__________48_______6________+8__ ___________+4_________________19_____________5______________
10th___________13____13_____8_____________4__________52_______7________+8__ ___________+4_________________20_____________5______________+1 any attribute
11th___________14____14_____9_____________4__________56_______7________+10_ ___________+5_________________21_____________6______________
12th___________16____16_____10____________5__________64_______8________+10_ ___________+5_________________23_____________6______________
13th___________18____18_____11____________6__________72_______9________+12_ ___________+6_________________25_____________6______________+1 any attribute
14th___________19____19_____11____________6__________76_______10_______+12_ ___________+6_________________26_____________7______________
15th___________20____20_____12____________6__________80_______10_______+14_ ___________+7_________________27_____________7______________
16th___________21____21_____12____________7__________84_______11_______+14_ ___________+7_________________28_____________7______________+1 any attribute
17th___________23____23_____13____________7__________92_______12_______+16_ ___________+8_________________30_____________7______________
18th___________25____25_____14____________8__________100______13_______+16_ ___________+8_________________32_____________8______________+1 any attribute
19th___________28____28_____16____________9__________112______14_______+18_ ___________+9_________________35_____________8______________
20th___________31____31_____17____________10_________124______16_______+20_ ___________+10________________38_____________9______________+1 any attribute
21st___________34____34_____19____________11_________136______17_______+22_ ___________+11________________41_____________10_____________+1 any attribute
22nd___________37____37_____20____________12_________148______19_______+24_ ___________+12________________44_____________10_____________+1 any attribute
23rd___________40____40_____22____________13_________160______20_______+26_ ___________+13________________47_____________11_____________
Features:
Multiclass Hindrance
The Unfettered Eidolon cannot take levels in a class, but must progress as an unfettered Eidolon.
Starting Class levels and gold:
Standard Starting Level:
Class level ½ gains PC gold equal to that of the Summoner’s starting gold, and is able to re-arrange the evolutions of their chosen base form in addition to using point buy instead of the base form’s statistics. The PC gold effectively increases the PC’s class level by 1, which is why it lags behind slightly.
Alternative Starting Level
Class level 1 gains “Heroic” NPC gold, and must adhere to the “heroic” NPC gold at each level as found in the NPC section of the Core Rules Book, but it not restricted by on how the gold is to be used on gear. The PC may carry more gold than this limit, but can only use a combined gear cost (Measured by the buy cost, not crafting or sale cost) up to that limit. Any gear that exceeds this limit cannot find purchase on the Eidolon’s body, and falls through its body to the ground. In addition, the Alternative Starting Level Eidolon cannot rearrange the evolutions used in its base form, and must use the attributes displayed on the base form.
HD
The Unfettered Eidolon’s HD count as its Summoner Level to qualify for evolutions on the Summoner’s Eidolon page.
Skills
Bluff, Craft, Knowledge (planes), Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth (plus 4 additional.)
Max. Attacks
Unfettered Eidolons start with a maximum of 3 natural attacks, but at 4th HD and every 5 HD beyond this (4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 34 and 39), the maximum number of natural attacks increases by 1.
Banishment and Dismissal Weakness
If the Unfettered Eidolon fails its save against an effect that would forces it back to its home plane, the Unfettered Eidolon phases out of existence for a number of minutes equal to the Caster Level of the spell used to banish it.
Dispel Weakness
If the Unfettered Eidolon fails its save against an effect that would dispel it, it phases out of existence for a number of rounds equal to the caster level of the spell that dispelled it. This can only happen once per day to any given effect, such as a permanent Anti-Magic Field.
Special
Darkvision
The eidolon has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet
Evasion
If an eidolon is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.
Ahh, now I am satisfied. Its functionality, however, is largely up to debate.
What this does do, however, is present all of the information needed to judge it out on the open.
More or less this is the Unfettered Eidolon entry given some weaknesses to keep it from being permanently banished. More or less unfettered eidolons level as an outsider, and the class levels represent the CR progression of those monsters.
Perhaps make it so the Eidolon cannot use gold at all or only if it progresses from the 1/2 scale.
My assumption is that the Eidolon's only real feature being its evolutions and extra HD are what allow it to balance itself with the other classes. The idea being that since monsters are already supposed to be weaker than PCs already, that using the CR system should balance it out.
The idea used is
Class Level 1 PC with PC gold is CR 1.
Class level 1 Unfettered Eidolon with no gold is CR 1.
Perhaps if I remove all gold from the creature, so it is more or less just the monster entry with the dispel and banishment weaknesses, and the max. attacks.
More or less I just turned what was provided into a table.
this is Way too powerfull. You Can make meta game rulings like this creature get less gold but what you have here is Way too powerfull. Drop the increased stats and the scaling Natural AC for starters. Dont give it morer than full Bab, consider only 3/4, ore let all the the PCs be your new super creation.
this is Way too powerfull. You Can make meta game rulings like this creature get less gold but what you have here is Way too powerfull. Drop the increased stats and the scaling Natural AC for starters. Dont give it morer than full Bab, consider only 3/4, ore let all the the PCs be your new super creation.
That would be one option.
I am unveiling something where the primary enemy type in a certain area is mostly in the form of unfettered eidolons. I am thinking of scrapping the starting at 1/2 option and instead just requiring PC variants to use what is more or less listed in the monster entry.
In theory—or faith, as unwarrented as it may be—the bestiary entry should be "balanced" so long as the CR is the same.
However, lets compare the listings to other outsiders:
Archon, Lantern (CR 2, 2HD)
Angel, Cassisian (CR 2, 2HD)
Archon, Harbinger (CR 2, 3HD)
Archon, Spyglass (CR 3, 4HD)
Angel, Iophanite (CR 4, 5HD)
Angel, Dapsara (CR 5, 5HD)
Archon, Hound (CR 4, 6HD)
Archon, Stag (CR 4, 6HD)
Angel, Choral (CR 7, 8HD)
Archon, Legion (CR 7, 8HD)
Angel, Balisse (CR 8, 10HD)
Archon, Shield (CR 10, 9HD)
Angel, Movanic Deva (CR 10, 12HD
Angel, Monadic Deva (CR 12, 14HD)
Angel, Chalkydri (CR 14, 12HD)
Archon, Trumpet (CR 14, 14HD)
Angel, Astral Deva (CR 14, 15HD)
Angel, Empyreal (CR 15, 13HD)
Angel, Planetar (CR 16, 17HD)
Archon, Star (CR 19, 19HD)
Angel, Solar (CR 23, 22HD)
It looks like the Unfettered Eidolon entry offers a more directed approach to monster design than the previous outsiders, even though the angels and archons don't even seem to follow the rules themselves for outsider creation. Then again, these outsiders tend to have special abilities that, in theory, probably balance them out.
My assumption is that in actual playtesting the Eidolons, with the maximum number of attacks, will be balanced out, considering the fixes I am unveiling on them.
Basically, I am updating it so that they cannot use items at all.
As for HP:
31d10 (5.5*21) = 170 hp from hit dice.
20d8+15d10 (5*20+3+5.5*15) = 185 hp from hit dice (assuming Synthesist).
It gets roughly 2 times the BAB of a regular synthesist, but it doesn't get any of the spells or special class features of the synthesist.
It not being able to gain class levels, take anything that requires a class level or even gaining racial modifiers must balance it out in some way.
...
In theory—or faith, as unwarrented as it may be—the bestiary entry should be "balanced" so long as the CR is the same.
:)
I look forward to hearing how it goes.
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You cannot avoid the Unfettered Eidolon avatar!
...
In theory—or faith, as unwarrented as it may be—the bestiary entry should be "balanced" so long as the CR is the same.:)
I look forward to hearing how it goes.
I do, too.
I'll tweak it as time goes on.I think the biggest thing will be that this creature scales with level and can evolve, while the standard martial classes do not scale all that well. The Unfettered Eidolon cannot take a large or huge form, since if it does it wont be able to travel with the party all the time, so those big +8 and +16 to str evolutions are out.
It has a high chance to hit, but since it can no longer use items at all, that might not help it nearly as much.
For example: this means its AC at level 20 will be, at highest without feats but including evoltuions and small size,
AC 64, Touch 28, Flat 47(
+10 [base]
+20 [AC from Eidolon]
+05 [+10 dex from leveling]
+04 [small serpentine form has 18 dex]
+01 [size]
+14 [Improved Natural Armor evolution]
+05 [+ 10 dex via Ability Increase]
+02 [+2 natural armor from starting level]
+03 [periodic +1 attribute ups (6 of them) all dumped into dex)
)
To achieve this AC it would need to spend 17 of its evolution points on pure defense, meaning it would have 21 points left to spend on other things.
If I instead make the "Summoner level" equal to the Class Level (Which is also its CR) things start to reign in a bit.
AC 58, Touch 26, Flat 43(
+10 [base]
+20 [AC from Eidolon]
+05 [+10 dex from leveling]
+04 [small serpentine form has 18 dex]
+01 [size]
+10 [Improved Natural Armor evolution, max of 5 dips]
+03 [+6 dex via Ability Increase, max of 3 dips for one attribute]
+02 [+2 natural armor from starting level]
+03 [periodic +1 attribute ups (6 of them) all dumped into dex)
)
To achieve this end, it has to spend 11 evolution points on defense, meaning that it has 27 points left to spend for its own gains.
This AC is high, but it is fully achievable with a Kensai Magus who has spells and other abilities to pump out damage as opposed to just abilities and attacks unlocked through evolutions.
To elucidate my point:
Kensai Magus (20 dex, 19 int at start, +6 belt of dex, +6 headband of int, +1 int [4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th]; 26 dex, 30 int at lvl 20)
AC 63, Touch 42, Flat 37 or 32(
+10 [base]
+11 [+5 Celestial Armor]
+09 [Dexterity, + reduce person—possibly permanent]
+10 [Dodge from Canny Dodge kensai ability]
+01 [Dodge, from Dodge]
+06 [Dodge, from Crane style and Crane Wing]
+05 [Amulet of Natural Armor]
+05 [Ring of Protection]
+05 [Defending Weapon]
+01 [Size]
)
I suppose this could be an emphasis on hitting more regularly with attacks as opposed to having cool tricks. The Unfettered Eidolon here has problems gaining touch attacks, and instead has to target AC the majority of the time, if this is compared to the Kensai who can target touch a fair amount of the time with spells, things start to balance out a bit since touch AC is generally pretty terrible.
Taking peoples advice to mind, here is the slightly updated version that, while retaining its BAB, is closer to the intention of playing an outsider that is with the party instead of just being another party member.
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Class Levels____HD____BAB____Good Saves____Bad Saves____Skills____Feats____Armor Bonus____STR / Dex Bonus____Evolution Pool____Max Attacks____Special
1st____________2_____2______3_____________0__________8________1________+2__ ___________+1_________________9______________3______________Evasion, +2 Nat AC
2nd____________3_____3______3_____________1__________12_______2________+2__ ___________+1_________________10_____________3______________
3rd____________4_____4______4_____________1__________16_______2________+2__ ___________+1_________________11_____________4______________
4th____________5_____5______4_____________1__________20_______3________+4__ ___________+2_________________12_____________4______________+1 any attribute
5th____________6_____6______5_____________2__________24_______3________+4__ ___________+2_________________13_____________4______________
6th____________8_____8______6_____________2__________32_______4________+6__ ___________+3_________________15_____________4______________
7th____________9_____9______6_____________3__________36_______5________+6__ ___________+3_________________16_____________5______________+1 any attribute, Multiattack
8th____________10____10_____7_____________3__________40_______5________+6__ ___________+3_________________17_____________5______________
9th____________12____12_____8_____________4__________48_______6________+8__ ___________+4_________________19_____________5______________
10th___________13____13_____8_____________4__________52_______7________+8__ ___________+4_________________20_____________5______________+1 any attribute
11th___________14____14_____9_____________4__________56_______7________+10_ ___________+5_________________21_____________6______________
12th___________16____16_____10____________5__________64_______8________+10_ ___________+5_________________23_____________6______________
13th___________18____18_____11____________6__________72_______9________+12_ ___________+6_________________25_____________6______________+1 any attribute
14th___________19____19_____11____________6__________76_______10_______+12_ ___________+6_________________26_____________7______________
15th___________20____20_____12____________6__________80_______10_______+14_ ___________+7_________________27_____________7______________
16th___________21____21_____12____________7__________84_______11_______+14_ ___________+7_________________28_____________7______________+1 any attribute
17th___________23____23_____13____________7__________92_______12_______+16_ ___________+8_________________30_____________7______________
18th___________25____25_____14____________8__________100______13_______+16_ ___________+8_________________32_____________8______________+1 any attribute
19th___________28____28_____16____________9__________112______14_______+18_ ___________+9_________________35_____________8______________
20th___________31____31_____17____________10_________124______16_______+20_ ___________+10________________38_____________9______________+1 any attribute
21st___________34____34_____19____________11_________136______17_______+22_ ___________+11________________41_____________10_____________+1 any attribute
22nd___________37____37_____20____________12_________148______19_______+24_ ___________+12________________44_____________10_____________+1 any attribute
23rd___________40____40_____22____________13_________160______20_______+26_ ___________+13________________47_____________11_____________
Features:
Multiclass Hindrance
The Unfettered Eidolon cannot take levels in a class, but must progress as an unfettered Eidolon
Item use inability
The Unfettered Eidolon lacks the ability to use items that grant permanent bonuses to any of its statistics. It can carry items, but the strange nature of its being makes it unable to gain any benefit of these items. If it wears armor, it gains all of the penalties of wearing such armor untrained, but does not gain any of the benefits. Not even feats can circumvent this.
Effective Summoner class level
The Unfettered Eidolon’s Class Level count as its Summoner Level to qualify for evolutions on the Summoner’s Eidolon page.
Skills
Bluff, Craft, Knowledge (planes), Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth (plus 4 additional.)
Feats
The feats listed in the Feat column are the number of feats the Unfettered Eidolon gets from its HD at each odd level.
Max. Attacks
Unfettered Eidolons start with a maximum of 3 natural attacks, but at 4th HD and every 5 HD beyond this (4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29, 34 and 39), the maximum number of natural attacks increases by 1.
Banishment and Dismissal Weakness
If the Unfettered Eidolon fails its save against an effect that would forces it back to its home plane, the Unfettered Eidolon phases out of existence for a number of minutes equal to the Caster Level of the spell used to banish it.
Dispel Weakness
If the Unfettered Eidolon fails its save against an effect that would dispel it, it phases out of existence for a number of rounds equal to the caster level of the spell that dispelled it. This can only happen once per day to any given effect, such as a permanent Anti-Magic Field.
Special:
Darkvision
The eidolon has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet
Evasion
If an eidolon is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.
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Let me start by saying, I think that Unfettered Eidolons as a playable thing is a great idea!
That said, your implementation seems a bit awkward to me. Not being allowed to take class levels is really weird. I would rather go with this:
Monstrous Progression: as your character gains levels, instead of taking class levels you may choose to gain racial HD. We'll call these "Eidolon Levels". An Unfettered Eidolon's very first and second HD must be an Eidolon Level.
The Beacon of the Way Back (Su): You learn ways back to planes, even if you're banished from them. At first level you designate one place on the campaign's starting plane as your First Beacon.
The Beacon is anchored in a physical object (usually massive and stationary such as a tree or rock), that radiates Conjuration(Calling) magic as a magic item with a caster level equal to your Eidolon level. This item gains a hardness of 2x your Eidolon level and 2 HP/inch per Eidolon level, or its normal stats, whichever is more.
Your Beacon has the same connection to you for magic purposes as a body part. It will be important to you that your enemies do not gain access to it.
Once per day, if you're not on the same place as your Beacon, you may concentrate for ten minutes to magically travel to your Beacon, as Plane Shift. You arrive exactly on the Beacon. You can bring up to 50 lbs of gear and/or creatures with you (enough for a familiar, probably not for an animal companion).
If your Beacon is warded against planar travel, you instead arrive off-target (as Plane Shift). If your Beacon is destroyed you cannot use it to travel anymore.
If you're below your maximum number of Beacons allowed, you may establish a new Beacon in your current location through a 24-hour ceremony.
At Eidolon level 5 and every 5 Eidolon levels thereafter, you may establish an additional Beacon. You do not have to do so immediately; you might find it convenient to first travel to a strategic location.
One Body And Soul (Ex) As an outsider your body and soul are one. If any piece of your body is cut off, it melts into ectoplasm and evaporates within a minute. If you're slain, your corpse also melts and evaporates in one minute. During this time, you can still be saved with spells like Breath of Life. Afterwards, you cannot easily be Raised, since there's no body or soul to be found.
Instead, those who would bring you back to life must go to one of your Beacons and use its connection to you to cast spells. Raise dead is insufficient, but Resurrection, Reincarnate and greater magic will work. If you are Reincarnated you will return as Unfettered Eidolon still, but there is a 25% chance that you gain a different base form. If this happens you may reallocate Evolution Points as if you had gained an Eidolon Level.
Adaptive Whenever you gain an Eidolon you may reallocate 4 previously spent Evolution Points.
Let me start by saying, I think that Unfettered Eidolons as a playable thing is a great idea!Many thanks!
The main reason I am avoiding this is because it makes the the most optimal choice over the other races. Using the Outsider table as the monster recommends leads to the HD progression I currently have, so perhaps this could work with "progresses one CR ahead on the Unfettered Eidolon chart." My major reservation comes in as, even with 1 HD, the Eidolon could be a quadruped that has a move speed of 40, 3 heads (4 evolution points), 3 bites (2 evolution points), Limbs: Arms (2 evolution points) and Extra evolution (feat) to gain Pounce then play some sort of 3/4 caster, such as the Kensai magus, to be a damage output god in comparison to the other player characters.That said, your implementation seems a bit awkward to me. Not being allowed to take class levels is really weird. I would rather go with this:
Monstrous Progression: as your character gains levels, instead of taking class levels you may choose to gain racial HD. We'll call these "Eidolon Levels". An Unfettered Eidolon's very first and second HD must be an Eidolon Level.
The Beacon of the Way Back (Su): You learn ways back to planes, even if you're banished from them. At first level you designate one place on the campaign's starting plane as your First Beacon.
The Beacon is anchored in a physical object (usually massive and stationary such as a tree or rock), that radiates Conjuration(Calling) magic as a magic item with a caster level equal to your Eidolon level. This item gains a hardness of 2x your Eidolon level and 2 HP/inch per Eidolon level, or its normal stats, whichever is more.
Your Beacon has the same connection to you for magic purposes as a body part. It will be important to you that your enemies do not gain access to it.
Once per day, if you're not on the same place as your Beacon, you may concentrate for ten minutes to magically travel to your Beacon, as Plane Shift. You arrive exactly on the Beacon. You can bring up to 50 lbs of gear and/or creatures with you (enough for a familiar, probably not for an animal companion).
If your Beacon is warded against planar travel, you instead arrive off-target (as Plane Shift). If your Beacon is destroyed you cannot use it to travel anymore.
If you're below your maximum number of Beacons allowed, you may establish a new Beacon in your current location through a 24-hour ceremony.
At Eidolon level 5 and every 5 Eidolon levels thereafter, you may establish an additional Beacon. You do not have to do so immediately; you might find it convenient to first travel to a strategic location.
One Body And Soul (Ex) As an outsider your body and soul are one. If any piece of your body is cut off, it melts into ectoplasm and evaporates within a minute. If you're slain, your corpse also melts and evaporates in one minute. During this time, you can still be saved with spells like Breath of Life. Afterwards, you cannot easily be Raised, since there's no body or soul to be found.
Instead, those who would bring you back to life must go to one of your Beacons and use its connection to you to cast spells. Raise dead is insufficient, but Resurrection, Reincarnate and greater magic will work. If you are Reincarnated you will return as Unfettered Eidolon still, but there is a 25% chance that you gain a different base form. If this happens you may reallocate Evolution Points as if you had gained an Eidolon Level.
I really like these ideas, and will include them in the next revision in place of the dispel and banishment weaknesses.
I want this to be an option for my players, but I don't want it to become the new meta. It is powerful, but against a full caster at later levels it is going to be trounced no problem if the caster can act first.