Summoner Simplified
By James Beck
Summoner in Pathfinder 2e is considered to be one of the more complicated classes for new players but it can be simple for any new person to play!
Key Terms
Tandem
Actions with this trait involve you and your eidolon acting in concert. you cant' use a tandem action if either you or your eidolon can't act, if you haven't Manifested your Eidolon, or if you've Manifested your Eidolon in a way where it isn't a separate entity (such as with the Meld into Eidolon feat). Tandem actions often let both you and your eidolon take separate actions, but these must be actions taken separately by you and your eidolon; you can't use a tandem action to take another tandem action.
You'll see the following key terms in many summoner abilities.
Eidolon
An action or spell with this trait can be performed, used, or worn by an eidolon only, and an eidolon can't use items that don't have this trait. (An eidolon can have up to two items invested.)
Evolution
Feats with this trait affect your eidolon instead of you, typically by granting it additional physical capabilities.
1st Level Class Feature
Manifest Eidolon
Traits: Concentrate, Conjuration, Manipulate, Summoner, Teleportation
Your eidolon appears in a space adjacent to you, and can take a single action.
Your eidolon must remain within 100 feet of you at all times. If it is forced beyond 100 feet or you are reduced to 0 Hit Points, your eidolon unmanifests and you need to use the Manifest Eidolon action to manifest it again.
Special This activity has the trait matching your eidolon's tradition (arcane, divine, occult, or primal).
Act Together
Traits: Summoner, Tandem
You and your eidolon act as one. The number of actions you spend on Act Together determines the number of actions each of you get. Use the following table to reference which actions are possible. The only combination that you cannot use is 2 actions for you and 2 actions for your eidolon. Choose which set of actions from the list of actions you are going to use from the following table.
,
, or
Actions You Gain
Actions Your Eidolon Gains
Act Together Actions
one action
two actions
two actions
three actions
three actions
1 action
2 actions
1 action
3 actions
1 action
1 action
1 action
2 actions
1 action
3 actions
You can also share your sense with your eidolon using the Share Senses action.
Share Senses
Traits: Concentrate, Divination, Scrying, Summoner
Requirements Your eidolon is manifested
You project your senses into your eidolon, allowing you to perceive through it. When you do, you lose all sensory information from your own body, but can sense through your eidolon's body for up to 1 minute. You can Dismiss this effect.
Special This action has the trait matching your eidolon's tradition (arcane, divine, occult, or primal). Your eidolon can also use this ability. When it does, it projects its senses into your body.
Things You and Your Eidolon Share
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Multiple attack penalty
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Hit Points (if you are affected by the same condition such as an area of effect, take the greater amount of damage)
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Conditions (taking the worse of the two if you are affected by the same condition)
Gear and Equipment
Your eidolon can't wear or use magic items, except for items with the eidolon trait. An eidolon can have up to two items invested. Your link with your eidolon means it can benefit from certain magic items invested by you.
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Item bonuses to Perception and skills from any magical item that you have invested.
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Item bonus to AC and saves based on your armor's armor potency rune, bracers of armor, or resilient runes.
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Fundamental and property runes on your handwraps of might blows. You can invest in a single magic weapon to share its fundamental and property runes with your eidolon. Your eidolon can only benefit from this while you are wielding this weapon and you can't have more than one weapon invested in this way at a time.
Lost and Altered Actions
If you or your eidolon becomes slowed, stunned, quickened, or otherwise affected by something that changes the actions you gain at the start of each turn, it affects your shared actions. You must take the greater of the two values of conditions.
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For example, if both you and your eidolon become slowed 1 then you lose 1 action as normal but if you are slowed 1 and your eidolon is slowed 2, you are considered to be slowed 2.
If you or your eidolon become restrained, that restriction doesn't automatically extend to the other. If there's ever a conflict of who should act, you win out over your eidolon. That means if the eidolon comes under an effect that would take its actions out of your control, such as the confused or controlled condition, you can use all of your shared actions so your eidolon doesn't have any actions remaining to cause trouble (as long as you are able to act). However, if you came under such an effect, you would simply use all your shared actions, preventing your eidolon from action.
Eidolon
Your eidolon is an otherworldly entity that you are connected to. You manifest your eidolon into your world to aid you in any way they can. When you choose your eidolon, you determine its appearance and general form. Once you determine these characteristics, they can't be changed until you gain a feat with the evolution trait. You gain the Manifest Eidolon action.
Link Spells
1st Level Class Feature
You can cast link spells by expending 1 Focus Point to cast a link spell. You gain 1 Focus Point at the start of your daily preparations or when you spend 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to specifically connect with your eidolon.
Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up and you gain the evolution surge link spell and the boost eidolon link spell.
Summoner Spellcasting
1st Level Class Feature
Your link to your eidolon grants you limited magic connected to your eidolon's nature. Each day, you can cast one 1st-level spell and five cantrips. You must know these spells to cast them.
As you increase in level, your magical link with your eidolon grants you additinal, more powerful spell slots. Because of the way you draw magic from your connection to you eidolon, you begin to lose lower-level spell slots once you reach 5th level. The maximum number of spell slots you gain from the summoner class is four, starting when you reach 4th level.
Heightened Spells
When you gain spell slots of 2nd level and higher, you can cast spells at the spell slot's level as long as you know the spell for that level. Many spells have specific improvements when they are heightened to certain levels.
Cantrips
A cantrip is a spell that doesn't use spell slots can be casted at will, any numbers of times per day. A cantrip is heightened to half your level rounded up, usually equal to the highest level of spell you can cast as a summoner.
Unlimited Signature Spells
3rd Level Class Feature
All of your spells are signature spells. That means if you know a spell, you can heighten it freely caasting it from a higher level spell slot, up t the maximum level of spell you can cast. You can similarly cast any of its lower-level versions without learning them separately.
Ability Boosts
5th Level Class Feature
When you gain 4 ability boosts through the ability boosts class feature, you eidolon also gains 4 ability boosts, following the same rules as yours.
Eidolon Symbiosis
7th Level Class Feature
Your eidolon gains access to a new ability depending on its type.
Eidolon Transcendence
17th Level Class Feature
Your connection with your eidolon approaches its peak, granting your eidolon access to powerful new ability depending on its type, as described in Eidolon Abilities in each eidolon's entry. This ability also increases one of the eidolon's ability scores by 2.
Instant Manifestation
19th Level Class Feature
You can use Manifest Eidolon as a single action, instead of a three-action activity.