I'd like to use the variant Multiclassing rules from'unchained' but the class I want as my secondary is Synthesist summoner. I don't much care for the other abilities I just really want the eidolon. Do the rules prohibit this since I won't have all the class abilities to replace or can I replace the class abilities offered by the secondary class?
Variant multiclassing (VMC) switches out half of your feats for the abilities listed, nothing more, nothing less. You can't cherry pick which ones you want to keep and which ones you want to avoid. You don't become a member of your VMC class, you just have a few abilities from that class. VMC doesn't interact at all with archetypes.
You don't become a member of your VMC class, you just have a few abilities from that class.
There is no rule stating that. As a houselerule I have characters count as a level 0 of the VMC class.
When using VMC you must take the whole package. It is not a pick and choose option.
As written, it is as above. However, since you'll only ever play with VMC at house games, I'm sure talking with the GM is the way here.
As written, it is as above. However, since you'll only ever play with VMC at house games, I'm sure talking with the GM is the way here.
Eh, the variant multiclass abilities aren't mean to be balanced as a package. Granted many VMC aren't actually very good, but being able to pick and choose would make many of them too good.
Consider it this way, any character can get an animal companion at character level -3 but it costs them 2 feats and they don't get to choose from the really good animal companions (they have a limited list for selection).
What the OP is wanting is to spend only 1 feat to trade that in for an Eidolon at character level -4. An Eidolon that is customizable and probably stronger than an equivalent animal companion. To me that isn't balanced at all.
Ultimately a GM is free to decide what they will and wont allow, but asking for this isn't a fair request IMO.
Summoners already raise a flag in many groups, in mine they are banned, so by defacto this would be too, agreed Claxon.
