#unchained summoner

(art by Dmitry Burmak on Artstation)

Not every summoner bond is created equal. In many cases, summoners draw upon an entity either as an aspect of some greater being that otherwise remains in its personal domain across the planes until called, not so much in the case of soulbound summoners.

As their name suggests, a soulbound summoner’s eidolon is bonded to their very soul and mind, almost in the same way that spiritualists are to their phantoms. This has the benefit that the eidolon draws upon the spirit of their master to attain greater power, though there is cost as well complicating matters.

Soulbound summoners rarely make these pacts by choice. Some may have been forced into the pact by circumstance, such as an outsider and mortal being forced to partially merge their very souls to escape some mutual destruction, while others might not even be true outsiders at all, but rather a spiritual manifestation of a part of their soul and psyche (which yes, is very similar to certain spiritualist archetypes that were also inspired by Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and the Persona games).

No matter the origin of their mystical passenger, these summoners share a bond that is exceptionally strong with them.

Now, this archetype is meant to be used with the unchained version of the summoner class, but the abilities it replaces are the same as the original, so feel free to use it with that version of the class as well.

The strong bond between summoner and eidolon takes a lot out of them, so much so that it actually debilitates the mage pretty strongly, giving them the penalties (and eventual benefits) of an oracle curse. This also means that the mark the two share manifests in a way indicative of the curse, such as on the mouth and lips of those cursed to speak in tongues, or on the limb afflicted by the curse. However, since they are so intertwined that the eidolon resides within the mystic’s psyche, it cannot be banished by magic that casts out outsiders to their home plane. The eidolon is also the same morality as the summoner, even if that would normally clash due to their type.

Like other practitioners, these summoners can give up some of their own vitality to keep their eidolon around and vice versa. However, they can also do so out of combat, as well as even when the eidolon has been banished with physical violence, allowing the summoner to restore them to vitality within their mind and not have to wait for them to reconstitute before being summoned again.

However, unlike other summoners, these mystics don’t study other forms of conjured minions nearly as much, and therefore, have no special reserve of power to conjure long-lasting summons into being, forcing them to mostly rely on their eidolon and summons cast from actual spells.

Making up for those drawbacks though, their eidolon draws extra power from their master, causing them to develop different evolutions at an accelerated rate. Additionally, the eidolon can draw upon their master’s own reserves of arcane power, effectively letting them also cast spells using the summoner’s knowledge and spell slots for twice the spellcasting. However, the transfer of power is extremely inefficient, requiring twice the amount of expended energy for spells cast from the eidolon.

This is a pretty interesting archetype, and definitely meant to feel a lot more like a persona or stand from a class that already heavily has those vibes to begin with. Losing out on summoning and getting an oracle curse are pretty heavy costs, but getting more evolution points, the ability to revive their eidolon when it “dies”, and also the potential of casting multiple spells in a round without quickened spell are all quite powerful, though that last one is pretty unsustainable with how it costs an extra spell slot to do, which makes sense. Aside from that, you’re free to build them however you want, with perhaps even greater focus on healing and supporting the eidolon than before since you don’t really have a backup if it goes down in the middle of a fight.

At this level of bond, it can be a serious question to ask where the summoner ends and the eidolon begins. In the case of eidolons birthed entirely from the psyche, this is simple, but I imagine in the case of fused summoner and outsider duos, there is a chance of bleeding over. Do they struggle to reconcile the difference? Does the eidolon chafe under it’s very being warping to fit the morality of it’s master, or did their worldviews blend during the forging of the bond?

Once, long ago, the giants of Dalgaro, who were trapped in a great cave-in, called out to a powerful earth elemental to be their guardian and protector in these new trying times, binding the elemental spirit into their chieftain’s body, where it was passed down from chief to chief over the centuries. Now, as bloodlines have blended and their people regressed, even the elemental itself has forgotten it’s name, but the chief still maintains the tradition of calling upon the stone god to defend them.

Bonding someone or something to your soul is almost akin to a marriage, albeit not one necessarily done for love. As such, among the catfolk Yothal clan, the art of binding a powerful outsider to oneself is heavily ritualized, and the leadup to it requires a lot of meetings, summonings, and interviews for compatibility, lest a bad match be made.

Marzunaath Design

 We have another archetype that channels fiendish power, but rather than having this power forced upon them by an ancestor’s hastily-made deal with a demon, today’s subject chooses not only to willingly bind a devil, but force it to give over much more power than it normally would, subjugating the forces of darkness for their own purposes.

Naturally, this archetype is heavily connected to the Hellknight organization, and is actually a picture-perfect example of their philosophy. Seeing the order of the home of devils, Hellknights seek to emulate what they see as perfection to protect and cultivate such societies, usually by putting down rebellions and the like.

These devil binders, like other Hellknights, see themselves not as servants of devils, but as the ones that put Hell to work for them, binding diabolic eidolons and forcing them into service with their magic making full use of their abilities towards their own ends.

With the powerful magic they command to force obedience from these beings and even extract powerful magic from them, surely they are the masters here, tempering the sinister nature of devil-kind to use their abilities for the good of all, right? Right?

…Right?

Devils, like other outsiders, are immortal beings capable of hatching plans that take centuries to come to fruition. Certainly, all may rage at being shackled by a summoner, but who’s to say that they aren’t exactly where they want to be, especially when they have exclusive access to the inner circle of a powerful mage that at least has some philosophical beliefs in common with them. What’s more, more evil devil binders may have cordial relationships with their eidolons.

In any case, these conjurers promise a power set steeped in sinister sources while not requiring you to be evil yourself to possess them, though the temptation is always there, and so is the very otherworldly being behind those temptations.

 Naturally, these binders must be at least lawful, if not lawful evil in their own right, and they bind with a devil eidolon. However, unlike other eidolons, these beings are kept under heavy control, and gain attacking power much slower than others, though they do become more charming much faster, perhaps in hopes of gaining more influence over their binder.

The majority of these eidolon’s power, however, is directed towards infernal magic, letting the fiend cast a variety of spells on the summoner’s behalf (or more accurately, their beck and call). These range from protections against chaos, fiery spells both moderate and overwhelming, many spells to charm and dominate, aiding in the binding of other devils, teleportation, and even invoking primal words to stun foes.

These summoners also wrest infernal power from their eidolons for their own purposes, giving them many abilities associated with sorcerers with diabolic magic in their veins, ranging from conjuring hellfire, growing wings, and the like.

Additionally, befitting the origins of this discipline with the Hellknights, these summoners grant their eidolons the ability to smite the chaotic.

Interested in a summoner with devilish powers and a spellcasting-heavy eidolon? This archetype might be for you. The lower attack bonus and inability to gain more than three attacks means these eidolons are never going to be heavy damage dealers in close combat, but they still can be useful as defensive combatants if granted the right evolutions. Their real power, however, comes from using their spell-like abilities to diversify and support their summoner, and the two together might be back-row spellcasters, or in an inversion of what we normally see, the summoner might be up front while the eidolon gives support with spells and flanking.

 In most cases, the duo we’ve been discussing are something rare among summoners in that they are almost guaranteed to not like each other very much, and even if they are more cordial, both likely still view the other as a means to an end, leading to a dynamic we rarely see with the summoner. Something worth exploring, methinks.

  Within the ruins known only as the Black Iron Keep, there lies evidence that the fortress was once used by powerful mages to bind devils to serve them. However, now, the castle stands empty, blackened and burned, with signs of deliberate vandalism in infernal text. Perhaps there remains secrets to control the diabolical, but would it be worth it?

 Seething with frustration, the apostasy devil Mockery has been trapped for a thousand years in a prison in the realm of Freedom. At first, he thinks them mad when his guards reveal a chance for is freedom, then that it must be some trick. However, the truth is much more shocking. He will become the eidolon for a lawful summoner, his seductive power and corruptive rhetoric shackled, in hopes that he will slowly turn from evil. This would be absurd, but he finds the summoner, a musetouched aasimar, to be shockingly competent and unfazed by his words.

(art by butterfrog on DeviantArt)

 And we’re back again, too soon, to my favorite punching bag: Construct Handbook, with another archetype.

By my own admission I rag on that book as a disappointment a lot, but today’s archetype I don’t actually mind that much, and in my opinion provides an elegant solution to something that felt missing from the game for a long while: A summoner character that conjures a construct-like eidolon to aid them!

Unlike other summoners, construct callers use their rote and rituals to literally build their eidolon, crafting astral quintessence into a perfect orderly form which might resemble any sort of construct, from a golem to a clockwork to something more cultural or regional. However, others might resemble more esoteric concepts, such as a mathematical or geometric equation given roughly humanoid form. Unlike inevitables, however, they are not necessarily lawful.

Some of these summoners might craft their eidolon entirely from scratch, but others might instead use an eidolon consciousness as a “seed” or core around which their body is built. Either way, as we’ll soon see that prove to have impressive control over their eidolon’s form.

As this archetype specifically works with the eidolon subtypes of the unchained version of the summoner class, it is limited to that version, but we’ll soon see exactly what that means.

 The summoner’s eidolon functions much like an inevitable, but having no constitution and having size-based vitality. What’s more, their durability against all but the most chaotic attacks is instead bypassed by the hardest materials.

Additionally, due to how thorough their control over their minion’s form is, they prove able to squeeze more unique abilities and evolution out of their eidolon than most.

A simple archetype which provides a different sort of companion creature at the cost of limiting the progression of their ability to summon other creatures, this option is a fun, flavorful way to scratch that “pet automaton” itch, no matter what form it takes. You’ll be a bit less reliant on your other summons, so I suggest a build focused on supporting your eidolon in particular.

 While some of these summoners might be brilliant engineers, capable of crafting complex esoteric constructs, the fact that they remain charisma-based casters does suggest that there may be a significant portion that are not so extremely gifted when it comes to engineering expertise, and might instead construct their eidolons because they lack the ability to craft such a being from components more restricted by the laws of physics than quintessence. In such cases, many might struggle with imposter syndrome, particularly if they had construct-crafting or engineering-focused peers. Conversely, however, some may see their creations as just as much art as engineering, not as bothered by the intricacies under the hood. Of course, this is less likely to come up with construct callers that have eidolons that resemble solid-material constructs like most golems.

  Researching the strange denizens of Leng is no easy task. One needs a companion that can handle the rigors of that maddening environment, and Kadia envisioned such an ally, a construct eidolon, into being. Even still, she reaches out to the part for help with a particularly nasty target, a leng hound.

 Endlessly fascinated by crafting and invention, many catfolk around the Scarred Cape take up a craft to pass the time, and some even learn to summon their ideal creations into existence. Some resemble the ruined automatons seen throughout the region, while others resemble more rustic materials. Jokes about yarn, however, are not appreciated.

 Unchained Summoner

 The final of the four unchained classes, the unchained summoner is the only non-core class to get such an alternate revision.

Whereas the other unchained classes were created to try and address how holdover components from 3.5 could be seen as holding back older classes, the summoner was given such an optional revision for another reason entirely: Game balance.

While the summoner is fun to play and experiment with as a player, many GMs find it vexing or outright overpowered to try and design encounters around. The reasons for this being that summoners have a strong and highly intelligent companion compared to other companion classes, can change the capabilities of said companion fairly regularly, and the summoner spell list is slightly too diverse for a 0-6th level caster, even getting some stronger spells earlier than others, such as haste as a 2nd-level spell.

Whether you choose to include one or the other, I think their might be a place for both at the table, at least for flavor reasons, with unchained summoners calling upon more specific outsider types, rather than the more varied eidolons.

 The actual summoner class itself… doesn’t change that much at all. Rather, the major changes occur in the eidolon and the spell list.

Unchained eidolons lose a significant chunk of evolution points, but they instead gain subtypes based on various outsider categories as well as a few other otherworldly options. This means that no matter their base form or how their evolutions change them, these beings all gain a static set of abilities based on their chosen subtype, which does not change, helping GMs better prepare for them.

From there, the unchained summoner has a more focused spell list, gaining some spells, but losing others in an attempt to make things more balanced. At the very least shifting those spells that seem a bit too strong for their summoner spell level back to what could be considered more reasonable territory.

Which version of the class you use, or if you use both, is up to you, but both lend themselves to slightly different dynamics which you’ll have to consider carefully.

Yet another Inner Sea Intrigue archetype that cannot currently be found online, today we’re looking at the God Caller, a very special archetype for both vanilla and unchained summoners.

Originally hailing from Sarkoris in the Golarion setting, god callers were a class of summoner that could call upon divine sources in a very atypical way, using arcane magic to bond with and call upon a fragment of true divinity, rather than comparatively minor outsides or other powerful being. These might be aspects of well-known gods, or relatively unknown or nonexistent deities. Regardless, it was a unique, and altogether not well understood tradition outside of the nation.

Unfortunately, all of that came to an end when the Worldwound, a supernatural rift to the Abyss and the surrounding bleed-over region, opened up in the nation, utterly destroying it in the subsequent chaos and attacks from invading demons.

Now, only a few god callers are left, passing down the secrets of the tradition from one to another, though often in secret, as other cultures view the act of calling up eidolons and calling them gods is unnerving to many, and blasphemy to others.

Of course, in your world, god callers might be more common, uniquely gifted individuals who bring the word of their god to others in what is perhaps the most literal and direct way possible, making them excellent adivisors who seek divine council.

 Due to their quasi-divine nature, the eidolons of these summoners can subtly alter fate around them to favor themselves and their allies, however, they are also less stable, requiring that they stay closer to their mortal partner.

With their actions and words, these beings are the ultimate support to their summoners in social affairs, their divinity leading credence to the mystic’s words, and making it all the easier for them to persuade others.

As fragments, reflections, or shadows of omniscient beings, these eidolons can view reality beyond their senses with a little concentration.

Though they are not necessarily mythical in power, their divinity does allow them to pierce the defenses of such beings as one might expect a god to be able to.

The most powerful god callers can even unleash a glimpse of their eidolon’s true divinity, briefly showing the world their shining perfection, forcing all others to bow before them.

Looking for a somewhat social summoner with a major flavor of mystical secrets? This archetype is certainly a great way to do just that. I recommend a social build, mixed with whatever sort of summoner-eidolon combination of skill sets you’re interested in.

 One has to wonder if these eidolons are truly gods or god-fragments, or if the raw belief of their partners infuses them with a shred of divinity? Who can say, aside from the gods themselves and the occasional cosmically powerful mystic?

  A heretic was scheduled to be burned today, a mystic claiming that they were able to call the Lightbringer to appear. However, as the pyre was being lit, a being heavily resembling the god did indeed appear to the shock of all witnesses, rescuing the mystic and fleeing. Now the church is in upheaval, trying to suppress the tale before it spreads, and track down this mysterious summoner.

 The Astomoi have a racial deity known as Merukas of the One Hundred Borrowed Faces. Supposedly, this god is as faceless as his worshippers, but only because he lends out his many visages to his devotees, which take the form of god callers, summoning up masked beings with unique faces and abilities.

A sort of parallel to the First Worlder archetype for the mainline summoner, today’s archetype revisits the concept of summoners that call upon fey entities, but using the unchained version of the class’s mechanics.

In settings where unchained summoners are the only ones that exist, they fulfil the same role that their pre-unchained counterpart does. However, in games where both exist, they might represent the same philosophy applied to two different methods of spirit binding, the first worlder calling upon an otherwise formless being from the Fey Realms and giving it form with their will, and the fey caller drawing upon and enhancing more individualistic beings.

Regardless, these mystics have much to gain from their particular methodology and the unique powers of their eidolon.

 As one might expect, these conjurers draw more on the natural world of their summoning, and therefore call upon more natural creatures with their summoning.

Though they are still outsiders, the eidolons of these mystics are also beings of the fey realm, and regardless of their form, gain many different abilities, namely resistence to all but cold iron, agility, skill, and sensitive night vision. Most prominently, however, is the long list of possible magical abilities they can gain, allowing them to unleash various spells to trick and avoid foes.

With such a wide variety of magical abilities, these summoners and their eidolons easily fit into builds that rely on the magic of both to succeed, the eidolon focusing on illusions, enchantments, and so on to prevail, making them very useful as debuffers and controllers. Build your eidolon for agility and elusiveness and keep your opponent guessing.

 Doing the entry on this archetype, despite how short it ended up being, is really weird for me, because I think this has been the first time that I can think of where essentially the same class has retread the same ground. I mean, I get why it exists, the majority of archetypes for the summoner that alter the eidolon no longer really work with it because of how much the eidolons change between the two versions. Just as I respect and enjoy both versions of the class, so too do I enjoy both archetypes.

  Though fey callers draw from the first world, not everything they summon is “fey” in nature, such as Lornicia Tervast, whose eidolon takes the form of a miniature Bandersnatch, fierce and predatory, but also hard to entrap.

 Though not a true dryad, Elhonna treats her summoner, the ghoran woman Letsuree as her “tree” Together they watch over the standing stones of Nightwood, which hold great secrets… and terrible power, one that cannot be allowed into reckless hands again.

In nations where devils are treated like fashion accessories, such as Golarion’s Cheliax, places where devils have influence, or conjuration-focused mageocracies, being the odd man out with a goodly-seeming summon or eidolon can be dangerous. However, many cannot abide by the evils of Hell, nor the risk to one’s soul involved in working with them. Still, one must keep up appearances, and some summoners, particularly those whose eidolons carry the traces of specific outsider races, learn to reshape the appearance and essence of their bonded eidolon, making it, by all appearances, a devil while its true origin and morality remain elsewhere. In order to do this, they must mix the essence of hell with that of their eidolon, which may seem to some like a dangerous ploy, but for some summoners, it is what is necessary to remain safe in hostile lands.

Both the summoner and their eidolon are warded by mystic protection that makes them seem evil to morality-sensing magic. Furthermore, the eidolon appears to be a devil, though it is in truth any other sort of outsider and possesses the associated abilities. When summoning outsider reflections of mundane beasts, these mystics must use those from the lower planes, even though it may irk them to do so. Though they remain another type of outsider, their eidolons do begin to manifest diabolic traits, such as the gift of a silver tongue, resistance to flame, and other such traits. Indeed, these false fiends become quite eloquent with their lies, truths, and even threats. Sometimes, the summoner themselves must pretend to be a fiend, or else escape to where a devil might walk free. As such, they can teleport to their eidolon, dismissing it while assuming its appearance, to all appearances vanishing while their eidolon moves on. This is a pretty interesting archetype, one that, unlike most, is impossible to take as a vanilla version of the class, due to not needing it to gain a non-evil diabolic eidolon. Nevertheless, it is perfect for playing a good summoner from an evil land. I recommend building for secrecy and surprising foes that assume they know what to expect from you.

Naturally, this archetype can be rebuilt for any who choose to mimic the eidolons of another outsider type easily enough. The reasoning behind taking this archetype is pretty clear, given their nature, though I do find a role reversal interesting, young summoners who create devil-seeming eidolons out of a sense of rebellion, even though it is not truly evil.

Eisleigh Redhart Is an anarchist among conformist, so her eidolon resembles a devil, the only hint of its protean nature lies in its scales and serpentine facial features. She dislikes the orderly nature of her fellow conjurers and summoners, and longs to break free, going beyond mere pranks to see the wider world.

Resembling a draconal agathion, the eidolon of Melisia is actually a wolf in sheeps clothing. Melisia has fallen as an aasimar, and her bonded partner is actually a daemon. Together, they plan to infiltrate and slaughter the clergy of Esorrah. The solution to stopping her may lie in whatever caused her to turn to evil in the first place.