Summoner-Synthesist and temporary hit points

[Xavram5]

So, trying to make sure we're doing this right.

From Sythnesist Archtype...
"The synthesist gains the eidolon’s hit points as temporary hit points. When these hit points reach 0, the eidolon is killed and sent back to its home plane."

And then, from temporary hit points, in the Combat section of the rules...
"Certain effects give a character temporary hit points. These hit points are in addition to the character’s current hit point total and any damage taken by the character is subtracted from these hit points first. Any damage in excess of a character’s temporary hit points is applied to his current hit points as normal. If the effect that grants the temporary hit points ends or is dispelled, any remaining temporary hit points go away. The damage they sustained is not transferred to the character’s current hit points.

When temporary hit points are lost, they cannot be restored as real hit points can be, even by magic."

Note the last line..."they cannot be restored as real hit points can be, even by magic.".

So what does this mean for the Synthesist? While fused to his Eidolon, can the temporary hit points granted by it be healed?

[Xavram5]

Another caveat, about Rejuvenate Eidolon spell(s)

"By laying your hand upon an eidolon, you cause its wounds to close and its form to solidify. This spell cures 1d10 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +5)."

But that's a healing spell and by rule, temporary hit points "cannot be restored as real hit points can be, even by magic"

[VoodistMonk]

Unless there's some official errata or FAQ that specifically overrides the general rule, then the Synthesis Summoner is incapable of healing his Eidolon... even with the Rejuvenate Eidolon spell.

Boo-hoo, one if the most broken class/archetypes in PF1 has a weakness...

[Derklord]

"The eidolon’s temporary hit points can be restored with the rejuvenate eidolon spell." UM pg. 80

Specific beats general.

Edit: Guess they edited that in for the second printing of UM, in accordance with the FAQ quoted below.

[Melkiador]

There is an FAQ for that

Quote:

Summoner: How does a synthesist (page 80) heal damage to his eidolon?

Because the eidolon gives the synthesist temporary hit points rather than having a separate pool of normal hit points, effects that cure hit points don't restore the eidolon's temporary hit points. This technically leaves you unable to heal the eidolon. To remedy this, effects that specifically restore hp to an eidolon (such as rejuvenate eidolon) restore temporary hit points to a synthesist's eidolon. This does mean those spells end up as a sort of must-have "spell tax" for synthesists, but the advantage of being a synthesist is your eidolon's hp are a buffer between you and damage, unlike a normal summoner who can be targeted separately from his eidolon.

Even the Fast Healing evolution, or other fast healing or regeneration effects, restore hit points rather than temporary hit points, so they heal the summoner, not the eidolon's temporary hit points.

posted August 2011

[David knott 242]

There is a FAQ for Ultimate Magic that says that the Rejuvenate Eidolon spell is exactly how a Synthesist heals his eidolon suit.

[VoodistMonk]

Of course it does... it's magic...

This game gives it all to the spellcasters, they don't even have to try.

A "spell tax"? Lol.

Lame.

[Derklord]

VoodistMonk wrote:

A "spell tax"? Lol.

Well, it is that - unless you can get your hands on a Wand of Lesser Rejuvenate Eidolon. Without such a wand, a Synthesist has to use quite a lot of their spells on LRE. I never really liked healing wands, anyway...

[VoodistMonk]

Oh, that's too bad they have to use resources to heal just like everyone else...

[Java Man]

Not just like everyone else, everyone else can share resources or use the resources of a healing specialist.

[Melkiador]

Synthesist has a lot going for it. The spell tax is fine. Technically, you don’t have to heal your temp hit points. You could just walk around with 1.

Quote:

Fused Link (Su): Starting at 1st level, the synthesist forms a close bond with his eidolon. Whenever the temporary hit points from his eidolon would be reduced to 0, the summoner can, as a free action, sacrifice any number of his own hit points. Each hit point sacrificed this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the eidolon (thus preventing the loss of the summoner’s temporary hit points), preventing the eidolon from being killed and sent back to its home plane. This ability replaces life link.

Synthesist probably shouldn’t even have those temp hit points in the first place, as it makes the class way too survivable at low level. But I assume they wanted a way to knock the synthesist out of his combat form.

[VoodistMonk]

Maybe if Summoners fought their own battles they could benefit from normal healing, but they don't... and that's on Summoners for making other beings do their bidding.

I refuse to feel sorry for people who don't get their OWN hands dirty.

Conjure up something else to fight for you and now you have to use special healing spells to fix your slave, I mean Eidolon, boo-hoo.

[David knott 242]

The eidolon of a synthesist is not a slave because it is not a creature (lacking any mental ability scores). My earlier reference to "eidolon suit" was quite deliberate.

[Steelthunderr]

i am making use of the life conduit spell .. 1 round a lvl . transferring 1d6 of hp from me to the eidolon . as synthesist . if our party healer then uses his channel healing to heal the party i get healed aswell .. at the moment only the lvl 1 version . so far my eidolon has not been in dire need that i needed to use the life-link to keep it around.