It is a bit questionable about what happens if an Eidolon falls to a Death effect that doesn't cause HP loss.
Other than that, it isn't possible to down an Eidolon without also downing the Summoner.
Exactly this.
If you have a Summoner who has 50 hit points, and they summon their Eidolon, that Eidolon has the same hit point pool. Not a separate pool of 50 hit points - they're shared. (This doesn't apply to anything else that the Summoner summons.)
If someone hits the Summoner or the Eidolon with an attack for 17 damage, the shared hit point pool is reduced to 33 hit points. If the Summoner or the Eidolon is healed for 12 hit points, the shared hit point pool is now 45 hit points.
If both the Summoner and the Eidolon are subjected to something that affects their shared hit point pool, they're only affected once, for the greater amount.
That is, if it's area of effect damage that requires a save, both the Summoner and the Eidolon make saving throw rolls, and take the worse effect for damage. For example, a Summoner and their Eidolon are in the area of effect of a Fireball spell. The Summoner makes their save, but the Eidolon fails. The shared hit point pool is reduced based on them having failed their save.
If it's area of effect healing that both the Summoner and the Eidolon are in, their shared hit point total is only increased once by the effects of the healing, not twice. If there is a roll for a greater effect (I'm not aware of any healing that does that, but I don't know every spell and ability), both the Summoner and Eidolon would roll, and use the better of the two rolls.
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If there is a roll for a greater effect (I'm not aware of any healing that does that, but I don't know every spell and ability), both the Summoner and Eidolon would roll, and use the better of the two rolls.
There is an entire can o' worms to open if you have a regular living Summoner and their Undead Eidolon both caught in the same AoE Heal spell effect.
If there is a roll for a greater effect (I'm not aware of any healing that does that, but I don't know every spell and ability), both the Summoner and Eidolon would roll, and use the better of the two rolls.There is an entire can o' worms to open if you have a regular living Summoner and their Undead Eidolon both caught in the same AoE Heal spell effect.
I had not considered that. Of course, in the game I'm currently running, the Summoner has a Dragon Eidolon, so it hasn't been a problem.
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Disclaimer since I know people will argue about this. This is my personal take on an unclear rule. If you don't like it, don't use it, but please don't ask me for a source because I don't have one. It's just how I would handle it.
If an Eidolon is killed via a death effect, like a double crit fail against Phantasmal Killer, I think it is reasonable to have the Eidolon un-manifest and the summoner go straight to 0 HP and dying. The Eidolon is only a manifestation of a creature, and if un-summoned doesn't actually exist anywhere. The trauma of the Eidolon dying instantly makes the summoner almost die, but they are still clinging to life barely. This is still taking them out of the fight for the most part, but they don't instantly lose their PC for making some bad rolls. They likely won't re-summon their Eidolon while they're at low HP and Wounded 1, so they would probably resort to their spells for the rest of the fight. And if they DO re-summon, they would probably go down again, unless they have a very strong healer in the party.
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The Eidolon is only a manifestation of a creature, and if un-summoned doesn't actually exist anywhere.
I really do not know why people keep believing that eidolons do not exist when unmanifested, when we have, in each eidolon's description :
"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."
Players are usually allowed to decide the narrative flavor of their characters. I'm not sure why a Summoner and their Eidolon should be any different.
We also have the last sentence of the Eidolon rule text.
You bring your eidolon into reality with the Manifest Eidolon action.
So banning the character design of having an imaginary friend that you can actually bring into reality just seems unnecessarily restrictive.
So some designs that I see as being narrative flavor changes that don't break any of the printed rules:
* A figment of the Summoner's mind that is projected into reality. It ceases to exist when unmanifested.
* An extraplanar creature that links to the Summoner. When the Summoner manifests it, a temporary body is created and animated by the Eidolon. When the Eidolon is unmanifested, its temporary body dissolves. The Eidolon's actual body never exists in the proximity of the Summoner.
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Players are usually allowed to decide the narrative flavor of their characters.
I mean there's a difference between a player and a GM working together to flavor a character to their taste and describing that flavor as the official in-universe way the class unambiguously works.
And where do you draw the line between allowed flavoring, and the unambiguous rules for Witch:
You weren't born with the power to cast spells, nor have you spent years in devotion to tomes, deities, or mystical secrets. Your power comes through a potent being that has chosen you as their vessel to carry forth some agenda in the world. This entity is typically mysterious and distant, revealing little of their identity and motivations, and they grant you spells and other magical powers through a familiar, which serves as a conduit for their power.
that causes people to ask why it is not allowed to have a Witch who knows who their patron is.
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And where do you draw the line between allowed flavoring, and the unambiguous rules for Witch:
You don't. You let people do whatever you want at their own table but if you're talking in the rules forum or otherwise discussing official content maybe leave that off.
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Players are usually allowed to decide the narrative flavor of their characters. I'm not sure why a Summoner and their Eidolon should be any different.
We also have the last sentence of the Eidolon rule text.
You bring your eidolon into reality with the Manifest Eidolon action.So banning the character design of having an imaginary friend that you can actually bring into reality just seems unnecessarily restrictive.
So some designs that I see as being narrative flavor changes that don't break any of the printed rules:
* A figment of the Summoner's mind that is projected into reality. It ceases to exist when unmanifested.
* An extraplanar creature that links to the Summoner. When the Summoner manifests it, a temporary body is created and animated by the Eidolon. When the Eidolon is unmanifested, its temporary body dissolves. The Eidolon's actual body never exists in the proximity of the Summoner.
As long as it follows the RAW or the GM's houserules, I see no problem with that.
I am all for creativity and narrative flavor. Until the player tries to use it to circumvent the rules.
I generally let the players decide if their eidolon exists continously on different planes, or ceases to exist at all when dismissed, then treat the mechanics appropriately (such as what to do with persistent damage or other ongoing conditions when dismissed).
One player might have an angelic warrior that returns to heaven while another might have a nightmare monster born of his own psyche that becomes as insubstantial as a thought.
And where do you draw the line between allowed flavoring, and the unambiguous rules for Witch:You don't. You let people do whatever you want at their own table but if you're talking in the rules forum or otherwise discussing official content maybe leave that off.
I think it is perfectly valid on the rules forum to point out places where the developers have left things up to the players to decide.
And this feels like it should be one of those cases.
It also seems like this is a case where we have two different contradictory rules:
The 'Home Plane' entry on each Eidolon type that says that unmanifesting the Eidolon sends it back to its home plane (assumedly intact).
The statement in Manifest Eidolon that says that unmanifesting the Eidolon causes its physical form to dissolve (leaving what, exactly?).
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And where do you draw the line between allowed flavoring, and the unambiguous rules for Witch:You don't. You let people do whatever you want at their own table but if you're talking in the rules forum or otherwise discussing official content maybe leave that off.I think it is perfectly valid on the rules forum to point out places where the developers have left things up to the players to decide.
And this feels like it should be one of those cases.
It also seems like this is a case where we have two different contradictory rules:
The 'Home Plane' entry on each Eidolon type that says that unmanifesting the Eidolon sends it back to its home plane (assumedly intact).
The statement in Manifest Eidolon that says that unmanifesting the Eidolon causes its physical form to dissolve (leaving what, exactly?).
Those are not contradictory at all to me.
"You have a connection with a powerful and usually otherworldly entity called an eidolon, and you can use your life force as a conduit to manifest this ephemeral entity into the mortal world."
"Though each eidolon is a unique creature and there are many types of eidolons, each draws upon a particular tradition of magic and manifests from related essence."
So, your eidolon exists even when unmanifested. It has a Home Plane. You manifest your eidolon by giving it a physical body made of an essence related to its tradition of magic. And when you unmanifest it, the physical body dissolves and the eidolon goes back to their Home Plane.
OK.
So how is that in any way mechanically different than having the Eidolon cease to exist when unmanifested?
Unless some irate defeated-but-not-killed enemy decides to go hunt down your Eidolon on its home turf and kill it there off-screen...
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OK.
So how is that in any way mechanically different than having the Eidolon cease to exist when unmanifested?
Unless some irate defeated-but-not-killed enemy decides to go hunt down your Eidolon on its home turf and kill it there off-screen...
"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."
"Though each eidolon is a unique creature and there are many types of eidolons, each draws upon a particular tradition of magic and manifests from related essence."
All else aside, this really does sound like the Eidolon is being constructed out of quintessence the moment it is manifested.
Which would mean it does not have a physical structure to be harmed when unmanifested?
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At the very least, this "you use your life to construct the eidolon" manifesting does not at all work like entities from outer planes.
If I remember right, mortals are distinguished by their dualism, a physical body existing separate from their soul.
Creatures like Demons have tangible bodies, but their bodies and souls are one in the same. To "construct" one out of essence is basically creating life, and if it looses that soul-shape, it's not alive anymore.
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I get that they are trying to squeak/fudge a few things to give the Summoner as big a flavor space as possible within the shared HP mechanic, but I can't see the idea manifesting an Eidolon working like a spontaneous "build a demon" but also have that demon live on an outer plane when not at the Summoner's side. That's not "building from essence" that's teleporting on demand.
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If they "go home" there's also the bizarre issue of the demon/ect being harmed or killed when not summoned. I don't think it's that weird to think that living in the Abyss is a super dangerous prospect, even for a demon.
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IMO, there should have just been a blurb that allows banishment to render the Eidolon intangible/unactionable due to it being a weird not-outlander thing, so the spell half works against all of them.
As is, there's Eidolon flavors that don't really have any sort of "home plane."
"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."OK.
So how is that in any way mechanically different than having the Eidolon cease to exist when unmanifested?
Unless some irate defeated-but-not-killed enemy decides to go hunt down your Eidolon on its home turf and kill it there off-screen...
Which means what, exactly?
A Sprite PC character would have the First World as their home plane. Even if they hadn't ever been there in their entire life. Because that is the home plane of all Sprites.
So an Eidolon can still have a home plane based on their creature type even if they have never existed on it. Or stop existing when unmanifested. It would be a very surprising experience for them if they get banished there. But I still am not seeing any difference in game mechanics.
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And where do you draw the line between allowed flavoring, and the unambiguous rules for Witch:You don't. You let people do whatever you want at their own table but if you're talking in the rules forum or otherwise discussing official content maybe leave that off.I think it is perfectly valid on the rules forum to point out places where the developers have left things up to the players to decide.
Sure, but that's still different than describing your own personal reflavoring (that in some respects contradicts existing text) as the correct way things function in setting with no caveats.
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A Sprite PC character would have the First World as their home plane. Even if they hadn't ever been there in their entire life. Because that is the home plane of all Sprites.
I don't think that's true. The home plane of a sprite born in the universe, would be the universe, not the First World. Same with gnomes.
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"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."OK.
So how is that in any way mechanically different than having the Eidolon cease to exist when unmanifested?
Unless some irate defeated-but-not-killed enemy decides to go hunt down your Eidolon on its home turf and kill it there off-screen...
Which means what, exactly?
A Sprite PC character would have the First World as their home plane. Even if they hadn't ever been there in their entire life. Because that is the home plane of all Sprites.
So an Eidolon can still have a home plane based on their creature type even if they have never existed on it. Or stop existing when unmanifested. It would be a very surprising experience for them if they get banished there. But I still am not seeing any difference in game mechanics.
Let's say I have Shillelagh cast on my staff. I hit an eidolon with it 2-handed.
If it is a Beast eidolon, whose Home Plane is the Material Plane, I deal 2d8+STR damage.
If it is an Angel eidolon, whose Home Plane is Nirvana for example, I deal 3d8+STR.
I think that is a clear game mechanics difference.
Another example actually mentioned in the RAW I quoted : if I am on the Material Plane, I can cast Banishment at the Angel eidolon to send it back to Nirvana. I cannot cast Banishment at the Beast eidolon, since it is already on its Home Plane.
The Eidolon is only a manifestation of a creature, and if un-summoned doesn't actually exist anywhere.I really do not know why people keep believing that eidolons do not exist when unmanifested, when we have, in each eidolon's description :
"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."
Because of how the rules describe summoning in Secrets of Magic.
Paizo wants to have it both ways. Sometimes it is created on the fly, other times it is teleported.
Lets face it the way hit points are set to the casters when it appears only really makes sense if it is created there out of essence
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The Eidolon is only a manifestation of a creature, and if un-summoned doesn't actually exist anywhere.I really do not know why people keep believing that eidolons do not exist when unmanifested, when we have, in each eidolon's description :
"Home Plane This is the eidolon's home plane, where it goes when unmanifested. This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."
Because of how the rules describe summoning in Secrets of Magic.
Paizo wants to have it both ways. Sometimes it is created on the fly, other times it is teleported.
Lets face it the way hit points are set to the casters when it appears only really makes sense if it is created there out of essence
I believe the eidolon was seen as one way to have the feeling that your PC has a special relation with an outsider. Which, as you rightly recall, is definitely not possible with the current theory behind how Summons work in Golarion.
As opposed to a Summoned creature, the eidolon has their own existence. It is only their physical body when the Summoner calls them that manifests/unmanifests.
As opposed to a Summoned creature, the eidolon has their own existence. It is only their physical body when the Summoner calls them that manifests/unmanifests.
That's the part that doesn't compute for me.
Maybe if it was phrased in a sort of reverse astral projection sort of way, the "has their own life outsider" might make sense to me. Though, the "kinda worried my Eidolon's going to get killed" thing would still be there.
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As-is, an outsider's body & soul are one in the same, you can't mess with or construct/deconstruct either without messing w/ both.
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Any Cleric or Witch can have a special relationship with an outsider, yes?
Not sure why the Summoner is needed for that particular relationship fantasy. There's also Living Vessel and I'm guessing other Dedications w/ the same theming.
Any sort of battleform spell/ect could be flavored like that too.
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As opposed to a Summoned creature, the eidolon has their own existence. It is only their physical body when the Summoner calls them that manifests/unmanifests.That's the part that doesn't compute for me.
Maybe if it was phrased in a sort of reverse astral projection sort of way, the "has their own life outsider" might make sense to me. Though, the "kinda worried my Eidolon's going to get killed" thing would still be there.
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As-is, an outsider's body & soul are one in the same, you can't mess with or construct/deconstruct either without messing w/ both.
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Any Cleric or Witch can have a special relationship with an outsider, yes?
Not sure why the Summoner is needed for that particular relationship fantasy. There's also Living Vessel and I'm guessing other Dedications w/ the same theming.
Any sort of battleform spell/ect could be flavored like that too.
Maybe this quote from the Summoner dedication can shed some additional light : "You've formed a bond with an eidolon, an entity that manifests in a physical body only through its link to your life force."
In any case, the RAW is perfectly clear that an eidolon has a Home Plane where they reside when unmanifested.
Even the setting's lore confirms this with some eidolons bonding with generations after generations of Sarkoris' godcallers.
Hard to do if the eidolon only exists when manifested by the Summoner.
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Let's say I have Shillelagh cast on my staff. I hit an eidolon with it 2-handed.
If it is a Beast eidolon, whose Home Plane is the Material Plane, I deal 2d8+STR damage.
If it is an Angel eidolon, whose Home Plane is Nirvana for example, I deal 3d8+STR.
I think that is a clear game mechanics difference.
Another example actually mentioned in the RAW I quoted : if I am on the Material Plane, I can cast Banishment at the Angel eidolon to send it back to Nirvana. I cannot cast Banishment at the Beast eidolon, since it is already on its Home Plane.
Those are mechanical impacts of having a home plane. Which is why that home plane entry exists. It even says that in the Home Plane description. "This can help you determine the effects of abilities dependent on a creature's home plane, such as banishment."
But from a game mechanics perspective, why is it important that the Eidolon physically exists on that plane when unmanifested instead of ceasing to physically exist when unmanifested? That is the part that feels like a flavor option that is left up to the player to decide and describe. Not how much damage Shillelagh does.
Even the setting's lore confirms this with some eidolons bonding with generations after generations of Sarkoris' godcallers.
Hard to do if the eidolon only exists when manifested by the Summoner.
Also hard for Ija, the Iconic Summoner to have an imaginary friend as their Eidolon if it has to physically exist separately from the Summoner.
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Also hard for Ija, the Iconic Summoner to have an imaginary friend as their Eidolon if it has to physically exist separately from the Summoner.Even the setting's lore confirms this with some eidolons bonding with generations after generations of Sarkoris' godcallers.
Hard to do if the eidolon only exists when manifested by the Summoner.
Not at all. Ija can certainly believe their friend is imaginary, and their bias is confirmed by the fact that the eidolon is only physically here when they will it (manifest the eidolon). Ignorance of the eidolon's other existence (when not manifested) further reinforces the (mis)belief.
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So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.
So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.
Yeah, the longer this goes on, the less it seems that the "Eidolon is living a parallel life of it's own" is compatible w/ the mechanics as they are presented.
Because it's only the Manifest mechanic that links HP, the "go and find them in person" idea would mean you've removed that mechanic entirely, and you've got an animal companion w/ it's own HP, ect.
You still *could* choose to manifest it when it's already next to you, but yeah.
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Any interpretation of the Eidolon having a life somewhere else when not summoned really doesn't seem possible, all this "go meet them in person" thing does is make the issues harder to ignore.
I'd say that the Banishment mention is as someone pointed out, if the Eidolon's constructed as a Fae, even though it's never actually been there, it would be Banished to the First World basically due to its quintessence matching up w/ that plane.
Not as a sign that's where the Eidolon has been, but more akin to a type-matching thing.
Like a fire elemental that's been created on the material plane, getting banished to the plane of fire.
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Honestly I think Banishment is the more problematic thing here, that kind of on-demand, none of the normal requirements, planar transport is suuuuuper weird.
In theory, any PC could carry some of those scrolls and hand them to creatures to get banished back to the Material realm.
Heck, any "native" creature summoned by a PCs spell could receive the scrolls and do it. Maybe they'd also need an elixir of comprehension to read it. That's... a little silly.
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I'm inclined to think that they very much never meant to imply that the Eidolon existed at all when it isn't by the side of the Summoner, I mean, shoot, look at all the rules surrounding how it just blips out of existence when it gets too far away from the Summoner, Banishment and "other similar effects" aside, it doesn't MATTER what their home plane is because if they're not close enough to you (100 ft by default) they literally dissolve into nothing so them being sent back to their "home plane" doesn't matter anyhow because they cease to exist being as how they're CERTAINLY not within X feet of the Summoner.
Besides, if one did rule that Banishment made sense it would be CRIPPLING AWFUL for the Summoner anyhow as if they Critically Fail the save against it the PC would be completely out of commission for a full week as they aren't able to return from said home plane for that length of time. Really, I think that for all intents and purposes that whole home plane thing was a mistaken injection of mechanics by someone not really fully familiar with what they were working on by way of trying to make something flavorful that doesn't line up with what an Eidolon is or how it works in the first place.
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So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.
You could, but way I understand it, it will not have a physical body.
The physical body is what is created from the appropriate essence when the Summoner manifests the eidolon. Not the whole eidolon. And that manifested body is also what the 100 ft limit applies to.
Now, I think the "I found my eidolon in its natural state and they are always by my side" would be a great backstory for a Summoner MC Animist.
Whereas "I can provide one of my Apparitions with a physical body" would fit an Animist MC Summoner.
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I admit, I kind of took it for granted that a Beast eidolon was effectively a meat-analogue of leshies; 'spirit' of nature made out of vital energy. Since it is a Primal eidolon, presumably then its body is created out of matter (summoned from who knows where, presumably the same energy as other organic constructs created from magic).
Since 1e I've lowkey imagined that there exist disembodied spirits around the cosmos who make up part of the magical ecosystem of whatever plane they're on, but otherwise can easily be summoned to inhabit a magical body. Now this was pure headcanon to explain how summon spells worked in 1e, but it still works for me for eidolons. Their disembodied energy returns to their home plane.
Doesn't really help with what to do about a death effect that skips hp, but that's another headache. Probably I feel like it should sever the bond just as if the eidolon had been shoved out of range.
So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.You could, but way I understand it, it will not have a physical body.
The physical body is what is created from the appropriate essence when the Summoner manifests the eidolon. Not the whole eidolon. And that manifested body is also what the 100 ft limit applies to.
Then what is the game mechanics difference between that and having the Eidolon not physically exist when unmanifested?
Why is that being called a houserule instead of a flavor choice that the player gets to decide?
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So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.You could, but way I understand it, it will not have a physical body.
The physical body is what is created from the appropriate essence when the Summoner manifests the eidolon. Not the whole eidolon. And that manifested body is also what the 100 ft limit applies to.
Then what is the game mechanics difference between that and having the Eidolon not physically exist when unmanifested?
Why is that being called a houserule instead of a flavor choice that the player gets to decide?
Because it contradicts the extremely explicit RAW of every eidolon having a Home Plane ?
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I admit, I kind of took it for granted that a Beast eidolon was effectively a meat-analogue of leshies; 'spirit' of nature made out of vital energy. Since it is a Primal eidolon, presumably then its body is created out of matter (summoned from who knows where, presumably the same energy as other organic constructs created from magic).
Since 1e I've lowkey imagined that there exist disembodied spirits around the cosmos who make up part of the magical ecosystem of whatever plane they're on, but otherwise can easily be summoned to inhabit a magical body. Now this was pure headcanon to explain how summon spells worked in 1e, but it still works for me for eidolons. Their disembodied energy returns to their home plane.
Doesn't really help with what to do about a death effect that skips hp, but that's another headache. Probably I feel like it should sever the bond just as if the eidolon had been shoved out of range.
It seems that you are very close. Concerning the Beast eidolon, we have : "Primal eidolons usually manifest from life essence. Their forms resemble creatures found in the natural world, such as beasts, plants, fey, or some combination." and "Your eidolon is a manifestation of the life force of nature in the form of a powerful magical beast that often has animal features, possibly even several from different species."
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I admit, I kind of took it for granted that a Beast eidolon was effectively a meat-analogue of leshies; 'spirit' of nature made out of vital energy. Since it is a Primal eidolon, presumably then its body is created out of matter (summoned from who knows where, presumably the same energy as other organic constructs created from magic).
Since 1e I've lowkey imagined that there exist disembodied spirits around the cosmos who make up part of the magical ecosystem of whatever plane they're on, but otherwise can easily be summoned to inhabit a magical body. Now this was pure headcanon to explain how summon spells worked in 1e, but it still works for me for eidolons. Their disembodied energy returns to their home plane.
That is what I imagined for the eidolon of my playtest summoner, Cirieo Thessaddin. I converted the NPC halfling ranger Cirieo Thessaddin in Fangs of War to a summoner to playtest the proposed class in my regular campaign.
Cirieo had a backstory in which Molthune soldiers had raided his family's farm, he managed to poison them when forced to cook for them, and the Chernasardo Rangers rescued him. I altered the backstory that he hid from the raiders in a sacred spot on the farm and developed a connection with the spirit of the farmland that manifested as a beast eidolon in the shape of a goat. Thus, the eidolon was originally a nature spirit.
So if my Beast Eidolon exists somewhere in the world when not summoned, then I could go and find where it lives normally and have it join the party. Then I don't have to worry about that pesky 100 foot limit on how far away it can go.You could, but way I understand it, it will not have a physical body.
The physical body is what is created from the appropriate essence when the Summoner manifests the eidolon. Not the whole eidolon. And that manifested body is also what the 100 ft limit applies to.
Then what is the game mechanics difference between that and having the Eidolon not physically exist when unmanifested?
Why is that being called a houserule instead of a flavor choice that the player gets to decide?
I had a running joke that whenever Cirieo unmanifested Fluffy Goat, it returned to the family farm as a disembodied spirit. Cirieo's parents had learned to communicate with the spirit, so Fluffy kept them up to date on their son's adventures and relayed messages from the parents. Thus, the eidolon appearing elsewhere could communicate about as well as a Dream Message spell, but only to one location. That is a game effect.
I had another summoner in that campaign. I changed the dwarf paladin Colga in Kraggodan in Siege of Stone into a champion/summoner. She had a Devotion Phantom eidolon who was a thousand-year-old ghost Rathan. Rathan had Phase Out to scout through closed doors and would tell the party about the history of the dwarven Sky-Citadel Kraggodan. Rathan never unmanifested during Colga's association with the party, but if she had, I would have claimed that she temporarily resumed being a ghost rather than a phantom eidolon, haunting the paladins' temple of Trudd in Kraggodan.
Doesn't really help with what to do about a death effect that skips hp, but that's another headache. Probably I feel like it should sever the bond just as if the eidolon had been shoved out of range.
The leshy ancestry explains what happens to the spirit of a leshy upon death.
Leshy Resurrection
Leshys who lose their physical form incorporate the changes they experienced in life into their spirit. Even though a leshy's spirit isn't the same as the soul of many ancestries, resurrection magic can still restore it to their most recent body. Should the ritual fail, it's usually because a leshy has shed too many of their memories and attachments, rather than due to Pharasma's judgment.
If eidolons are like leshies, then a death effect would render them back to being a spirit. But that does not necessarily sever the connection to the summoner. So it could be merely an involuntary unmanifestation and the summoner can manifest the eidolon again. For more drama, the eidolon spirit might have suffered some trauma that delays re-manifestation, but that would be a house rule.
Rules-wise, an eidolon is a class feature and cannot be permanently lost. Either the summoner can manifest the eidolon again after an eidolon death or PF2 would need new rules about obtaining a replacement eidolon, like how a witch obtains a replacement familiar the next morning after a familiar dies.
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If eidolons are like leshies, then a death effect would render them back to being a spirit. But that does not necessarily sever the connection to the summoner. So it could be merely an involuntary unmanifestation and the summoner can manifest the eidolon again. For more drama, the eidolon spirit might have suffered some trauma that delays re-manifestation, but that would be a house rule.
Rules-wise, an eidolon is a class feature and cannot be permanently lost. Either the summoner can manifest the eidolon again after an eidolon death or PF2 would need new rules about obtaining a replacement eidolon, like how a witch obtains a replacement familiar the next morning after a familiar dies.
Oops, I must amend; by "sever the bond" I did not imagine anything more drastic than unmanifesting without the death effect reaching through and damaging the Summoner as well (unless hit point damage was also part of the spell, I suppose). My language was perhaps a bit unclear for the circumstances.