I have a Gestalt game coming up and I'm a little stuck on some details.
The plan so far is to be a full buffbot while in combat and letting the party and Eidolon take care of business. My biggest issue so far is I don't really know what to take with my Eidolon. I'm leaning toward Psychopomp but I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with him. Mostly looking for some opinions on good spells. Some direction on Eidolons since the original summoner left me a little overwhelmed.
What I've got so far is:
Halfing* Sound Striker Bard 1 / Unchained Summoner 1 LN
HP 10 / 10 Speed 20ft Init 2
AC 17 Fort 2 Ref 4 Will 2
CMB -2 BAB 0
Shortbow +3 (1d4, x3)
Whip +1 (1d2, x2)
Str 8 (-1) Dex 14 (2) Con 14 (2) Wis 10 (0) Int 14 (2) Cha 19 (4)
*Adaptive Luck racial trait
Feats:
Spell Focus (Conjuration) 1
Augmented Summoning 3
Fortunate One 5
Prodigy (Perform: Oratory & Act) 7
Discordant Voice 9
Adaptable Fortune 11
Traits:
Fate's Favored
Maestro of the Society
Half-elf Ranger / Slayer w/ Wolf (Ranged)
Dwarf Cleric / Fighter (Melee)
It sounds like no one else in the party is doing battlefield control so a few spells along those lines would be an idea.
e.g.
Level 1: grease (either), snowball (summoner) or silent image (bard)
Level 2: create pit (summoner)
Level 3: aqueous orb, slow or stinking cloud (or night of blades if you're Norgorber's type) - all summoner spells.
You can probably mostly rely on the bard side for buffs. Saving finale, heroism, haste, invisibility sphere. Do pick up protection from arrows on the summoner side though.
Also make sure you have basic defences like shield and mirror image, and you might want to get summon eidolon in case you need it out in a hurry.
You could easily build your eidolon as a mount to ride, a pouncing felinoid, a humanoid who probably uses weapons, or a skilled scout (relying on your summon monster to aid combat firepower instead.) More detail needed before anyone could help you there.
More detail needed before anyone could help you there.
What you have provided it very helpful and I will happily provided any further information that could be of use... I just don't know what more to add. Never really asked for assistance with characters before but then again I've never tried to build two characters as one before! Gestalt has a lot of moving parts.
Is there a standard list of good questions to ask for build help?
Look into some of the Masterpieces, Pageant of the Peacock in particular can be disgusting.
Eidolons are usually a weak option in gestalt... All of the PCs are significantly stronger than normal, so the enemies are significantly more powerful too, but the eidolon stays the same which leaves it usually pretty outmatched.
Something like a cleric/bard could round things out a little better (all good saves, full 9 level caster, without giving up any armor use).
If it works with the group's alignment/feel a paladin/bard could be super effective... You could use performance and your bard spells for buffing and, instead of relying on an eidolon for combat, grab a reach weapon and combat reflexes and you can use AoOs for combat (plus if you can get things to attack you you can take advantage of swift action LoH).
Sorry, I know that doesn't actually answer the question you asked... Just some thoughts, maybe something in there will be useful...
More detail needed before anyone could help you there.What you have provided it very helpful and I will happily provided any further information that could be of use... I just don't know what more to add. Never really asked for assistance with characters before but then again I've never tried to build two characters as one before! Gestalt has a lot of moving parts.
Is there a standard list of good questions to ask for build help?
Sorry, I obviously wasn't clear. Which of these do you want your eidolon to be built primarily for:
- Natural attacks- As a mount for your PC
- Weapon attacks (& whether melee or ranged)
- Scouting
- Something else I haven't named.
With the reduced number of evolution points the unchained summoner gets compared to the chained one, you need to pick one thing to be the eidolon's primary focus and largely disregard the others. The builds would be different for each.
My honest advice as someone who is very experienced with the Summoner.
DO NOT MULTI-CLASS!
Eidolons rely on your Summoner level, not overall level, to get stronger. Since the Eidolon is generally the whole point of the Summoner Class, multi-classing will only give you a more and more useless Eidolon.
Now, that being said, I realize this is not the advice you're looking for, so if I had to give you tips on this, I'd say build your eidolon for a single role, as Avr mentioned, though it may be best to avoid using him for combat. He will be outmatched. Try making him a scout. If you want him to be a mount, then make him a quadruped.
Sorry, I obviously wasn't clear. Which of these do you want your eidolon to be built primarily for:
- Natural attacks
- As a mount for your PC
- Weapon attacks (& whether melee or ranged)
- Scouting
- Something else I haven't named.
With the reduced number of evolution points the unchained summoner gets compared to the chained one, you need to pick one thing to be the eidolon's primary focus and largely disregard the others. The builds would be different for each.
My plan was mostly to have a body guard to sit back with me so the melee thugs could go to town without having to worry about me and the archer going undefended. Ranger was going for scout skills so I don't want to step on his toes. Maybe a Psychopomp with a scythe? Little mini death at my beck and call.
Three ways of doing bodyguard duty are debuffing the enemy (via combat maneuvers for eidolons), just killing the enemy when they get close, or trying to buff your squishy allies.
If you're starting at level 1 the first way will require reach - they can't afford improved trip etc until 3rd level. Fortunately that's a 1 point evolution reach or a different 1 point evolution for simple weapon proficiency (longspear). It's best as a biped for this for the strength bonus BTW, its feats will be going
1: Dirty Fighting
3: Improved Trip (or Improved Dirty Trick)
6: Step Up
9: Greater Trip (or Greater Dirty Trick)
I suggest getting the large evolution when it becomes available at 8th and ability increase (strength), improved natural armor and scent at lower levels in whatever order.
Killing the enemy can be done any of a number of ways. Since your bodyguard eidolon will be waiting for enemies to come close much of the time it doesn't have to be a pouncing quadruped (i.e. a lion, panther etc.), but that is an option. It's not terribly obvious how to make a scythe work with it though. If you like the great cat option, it might go like this:
Feats
1: Improved Unarmed Strike
3: Dragon Style
6: Power Attack
9: Lunge
Evolutions
1: claws
2: claws & pounce
3: claws, pounce & magic attacks
4: claws, pounce & magic attacks
5: claws, pounce, magic attacks, scent
6: claws, pounce, rake, scent
7: claws, pounce, rake, ability increase (strength)
The magic attacks might be dropped earlier if you get an Amulet of Mighty Fists for it. I'm assuming by 6th you have.
Buffing is tricky. Combat Reflexes + Bodyguard is the start of it. Then it could get In Harm's Way or maybe Antagonize + Cry Challenge. Additional Traits and trying to persuade your DM that Adopted & Helpful (halfling version) would be believable is also worthwhile. The evolutions aren't such a big deal for this one, but you probably want ability increase (constitution) somewhere, and since it won't be attacking much carrying a (non-proficient) scythe is quite doable.
Gestalt, not multiclass.My honest advice as someone who is very experienced with the Summoner.
DO NOT MULTI-CLASS!
Eidolons rely on your Summoner level, not overall level, to get stronger. Since the Eidolon is generally the whole point of the Summoner Class, multi-classing will only give you a more and more useless Eidolon.
Now, that being said, I realize this is not the advice you're looking for, so if I had to give you tips on this, I'd say build your eidolon for a single role, as Avr mentioned, though it may be best to avoid using him for combat. He will be outmatched. Try making him a scout. If you want him to be a mount, then make him a quadruped.
Ahh, I was wondering what that word was: disregard the first part of my notes then.