Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+, Occult d6+
Summoners form bonds with powerful outsiders from the farthest reaches of the planes. This practitioner of the arcane arts forms a close bond with one particular outsider, known as an eidolon.
Over time, the two become linked, eventually even sharing a shard of the same soul. But this power comes with a price: the summoner’s spells are limited due to his time spent exploring the nature of his eidolon.
Arcane Background (Summoner): Summoners use Spellcasting as their arcane skill. On taking this Edge, the hero gains 10 Power Points, summon ally and one starting power from the list below.
Available Powers: Baleful polymorph, banish, barrier, boost/lower Trait, conjure item, create demiplane, create pit, deflection, detect/conceal arcana, disguise, dispel, divination, environmental protection, fly, growth/shrink, healing (summoner and eidolon only), invisibility, light/darkness, magic jar, planar binding, plane shift, puppet, speak language, speed/sloth, summon ally, summon monster, teleport, wall walker.
Armor Interference (Light): Summoners require rapid, intricate, and unhindered somatic movements. While wearing medium or heavy armor or using medium or heavy shields, the character's Spellcasting rolls suffer a -4 penalty. The hero can't use other abilities granted by this Edge or any Edge that has this Edge as a Requirement.
Eidolon: The character can summon a powerful outsider known as an eidolon. The mage summons the creature by completing a one-minute ritual, and it remains until Incapacitated or dismissed (a free action). An eidolon returns to its native plane if its summoner is rendered asleep, unconscious, or Incapacitated.
When summoned, the eidolon's Wounds are unchanged from the last time it was dismissed (if slain, it returns with two Wounds).
Summon ally (5 Power Points, no Power Modifiers allowed) may be used to conjure the eidolon faster if needed.
Requirements: Novice, Summoner
The summoner gains additional mastery over his eidolon. This Edge can be taken once per Rank, granting the eidolon 3 Evolution Points (see Eidolon Evolutions below).
Requirements: Seasoned, Summoner
As a limited free action, a summoner may call a summoned eidolon to his side. The eidolon appears as close to the summoner as possible. Additionally, the summoner and his eidolon can swap locations.
Requirements: Seasoned, Summoner
Whenever the character summons his eidolon, he may increase his eidolon's Agility, Strength, and Vigor one die type. This bonus lasts for 10 minutes after the summoning ritual is complete.
Requirements: Veteran, Summoner
A summoner’s life is linked to his eidolon’s. While the creature has at least one Wound remaining, the summoner may transfer any Wounds he'd take to his eidolon instead.
Requirements: Heroic, Summoner
The summoner may divert up to half the points from his eidolon’s pool to add evolutions to himself (reducing the total number available to the eidolon). He may not select the Attribute Increase, Skill, or Edge evolutions, or any evolution the eidolon can't possess, and he must meet the listed Requirements.
The summoner may change these evolutions any time he can change the eidolon’s evolutions.
Requirements: Wild Card, Legendary, at least two Summoner Edges
The summoner and his eidolon share a true connection. Once per encounter as a limited action, the summoner may assume the shape of his servant, copying its evolutions, form, and abilities. His Strength, Agility, and Vigor change to match his eidolon, but his Smarts and Spirit remain his own.
As a free action, the summoner may end the transformation. Otherwise it lasts five rounds, and may be extended as if it were a power (1 Power Point every five rounds). The summoner may choose to absorb any gear he carries into the new form. Items with continuous effects continue to function while absorbed. The summoner loses his natural attacks and all ancestral abilities (except bonus Edges, skills, and languages) in favor of his eidolon’s evolutions.
When the mage first conjures his eidolon, he picks a base form (biped, quadruped, or serpentine), and gains 3 Evolution Points to buy evolutions. It may gain additional Evolution Points via the Extra Evolution Edge. The eidolon can redistribute its points whenever it gains more or when its master reaches a new Rank.
The details of the creature's form are up to the summoner, but its base form is permanent and unmistakably that of a unique and fantastic creature. An eidolon can speak all its summoner's languages, and cannot make natural healing rolls (it must be healed).
The eidolon bears a glowing rune identical to one that appears on the summoner’s forehead when the creature is summoned. The rune can be hidden through mundane means, but can't be concealed by magic such as disguise (although invisibility conceals it along with the summoner as usual).
The eidolon gains an Advancement at creation and for each of its maker's Ranks after Novice (and every four Advances after Legendary) and its Rank is the same as its master's. Edges chosen have the same restrictions as the New Edge evolution. The summoner can spend Conviction to rearrange the eidolon's Evolution Points.
Base forms are Wild Cards.
A basic humanoid figure with the Bash, Limbs (arms), and Limbs (legs) evolutions.
Type: Outsider
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4
Pace: 7; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
Edges: —
Special Abilities:
Armor +1: Natural armor.
Bash: Str+d4.
A four-legged eidolon with the Bite and Limbs (legs) x2 evolutions.
Type: Outsider
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4
Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
Edges: —
Special Abilities:
Armor +1: Natural armor.
Bite: Str+d4.
A snake-like eidolon with Bash (tail), Climb, Limbs (tail), and Reach (tail) evolutions.
Type: Outsider
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (1)
Edges: —
Special Abilities:
Armor +1: Natural armor.
Bash: Str+d4, Reach 1.
Wall Walker: Pace 6.
COST EVOLUTIONS
2 Aquatic: The eidolon is native to the water. It's a natural swimmer and cannot drown and can swim at its regular Pace. The summoner may spend an additional Evolution Point to increase the swimming Pace by +4.
1 Armor Piercing: One of the eidolon's natural attacks becomes far more dangerous. Any one of its natural weapons gains AP 2. For an additional Evolution Point, it's increased to AP 4. Requires Bite, Claws, Hooves, or Horns.
2 Attribute Increase: Increase one of the eidolon’s attributes one die type.
1 Bash: The eidolon is considered armed and causes Str+d4 damage with its limbs. Requires Limbs (arms or tail).
1 Bite: Str+d4.(See Creature Abilities for additional rules.)
1 Burrow: The eidolon gains the Burrow ability at its regular Pace.
2 Claws: The creature has Str+d4 claws. Requires Limbs (arms or legs).
1 Climb: The creature has the Wall Walker ability at its regular Pace.
1 Environmental Resistance: The eidolon gains Environmental Resistance to acid, cold, electricity, or fire (choose one), usually reflected in its form. This evolution can be selected more than once to gain resistance to additional energy types.
1 Hooves: Str+d4. Requires Limbs (legs).
1 Horns: Str+d4.
1 Improved Damage: Increase the damage of one of the eidolon’s natural weapons one die type. This evolution may be selected more than once (applied to a different natural weapon each time).
1 Improved Natural Armor: An eidolon’s hide grows thick fur, rigid scales, or bony plates, increasing its Armor by +2. This evolution can be taken twice per Rank.
1 Limbs: The being grows an additional pair of limbs that take one of the three forms listed below. This evolution can be selected more than once.
Legs: Increases Pace by 1.
Arms: May wield weapons.
Tail: Allows for a stinger.
2 Mount: The eidolon grows to Size 2, increasing its Strength and Vigor one die type. The eidolon increases its Pace by +4.
2 New Edge: The eidolon gains a non-Class Edge it meets the Requirements for.
1 Reach: One of the eidolon’s attacks gains Reach 1. This evolution may be taken up to three times per attack form.
3 Rend: The thing rips and tears the flesh of those it attacks, gaining the Rending ability. Requires Claws or Pincers.
Rending: Victims Shaken or Wounded by a rending attack are bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes a Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn't suffer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise (or a successful Healing roll) stops the bleeding.
2 Skilled: Increase a skill that is equal to or greater than its linked attribute one die type or two skills that are lower than their linked attributes by one die type each (including new skills the eidolon didn’t have before at d4).
1 Stinger: The eidolon has a long, barbed stinger at the end of its tail, granting it a Str+d4, AP 2, sting attack. Requires Limbs (tail).
3 Swallow Whole: The eidolon can swallow targets smaller than his Scale.
Swallow Whole: With a successful bite attack, the victim must make an Evasion roll or be Swallowed Whole. At the end of the eidolon's subsequent turns, anyone swallowed makes a Vigor roll at -2 (a free action) or takes a Wound. This continues until they're freed or perish. If the eidolon is Shaken or Wounded from the inside (ignoring its Armor!), everyone inside gets an immediate Athletics roll to escape. If the monster is Shaken or Wounded from the outside, the escape roll is made at -2. Requires Bite.
2 Swat: The creature ignores up to 4 points of Scale penalties.
COST EVOLUTIONS
3 Blindsense: An eidolon’s senses become incredibly acute, granting it Blindsense.
Blindsense: The eidolon ignores invisibility, illusion, and all Illumination penalties.
1/2 Energy Attacks: As a limited action, the eidolon charges his attacks with an energy form of your choice: acid, cold, electricity, or fire and deals +2 damage (+4 for 2 points). This lasts for five rounds.
4 Breath Weapon: The eidolon can exhale magical energy in a Cone or Stream Template as a breath weapon. Select from acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Anyone under the template may Evade or suffer 3d6 damage. The eidolon can use this ability once per encounter plus one additional time for every extra point spent on this evolution (max of 3).
2 Grab: One of the eidolon's natural attacks may immediately make a grappling attempt (+2 with a raise on the attack) as a free action if it Shakes or Wounds a foe with a Fighting attack. This ability only works on creatures of the same Size or smaller than the eidolon.
2 Flight: The eidolon has wings and gains Flight at Pace 6. This may be increased to Pace 12 for an additional Evolution Point. For another, the eidolon flies by means of magic instead of wings.
3 Immunity: The eidolon’s body becomes Immune to one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, or fire). This evolution may be selected more than once, choosing an energy type each time.
4 Large: The eidolon grows to Size 4 (Large), increasing its Strength and Vigor two die types and Armor +2. If the eidolon has the biped base form it gains Reach 1.
2 Pincers: The creature grows large pincers (Str+d4) at the end of one pair of its limbs. Eidolons with the Grab evolution linked to pincers gain a free reroll when grappling with them. Requires Limbs (arms).
1 Poison: The creature has a Mild toxic bite or sting attack (see Hazards). When the target is Shaken or Wounded, it has a chance to be poisoned. For +2 Evolution Points the toxin is Knockout or Lethal poison. For +2 more points, victims resist at –2.
2 Pounce: An eidolon gains quick reflexes and the Pounce ability. Requires quadruped.
Pounce: If the creature makes a Wild Attack, it adds +4 to its damage instead of +2.
2 Tentacle: Long, sinuous tentacles emanate from the being, granting it two Str+d4 tentacle actions with Reach 2 (four actions for 2 additional Evolution Points).
2 Trample: An eidolon gains the ability to crush its foes underfoot, gaining Trample (at Str+d6, or Str+d8 with the Hooves evolution). Requires biped or quadruped.
3 Web: The eidolon can spin webs through a pair of spinnerets. It can use these webs to support itself from heights plus up to one creature of the same Size. As a limited action, the eidolon may make an Athletics roll up to 24" (48 yards), Entangling a creature of its Size or smaller. The webs are Hardness 8. Requires the Climb evolution.
COST EVOLUTIONS
3 Fast Healing: The being’s body gains Fast Regeneration.
Fast Regeneration: The eidolon can make a Vigor roll every round—even after it's been Incapacitated. Success heals one Wound (or removes Incapacitated status), and a raise heals an additional Wound.
3 Frightful Presence: The creature is terrifying to look at, and gains the Fear ability. For 3 additional Evolution Points, a summoner may increase the Fear check to –2.
6 Huge: A Large eidolon grows to Size 8 (Huge), increasing Strength and Vigor another two die types and Armor an additional +2. It gains Reach 1 (or Reach 2 if biped). Any Reach evolutions the eidolon possesses are added to this total. The Attribute Increase evolution costs 4 points. Requires Large Evolution.
The creature is native to the water. It's a natural swimmer and cannot drown. Its Pace in water is specified after the Aquatic ability.
A creature’s Armor is written in parentheses next to its total Toughness, and already added in. Thick, leathery hide generally offers 2 points of Armor. Supernatural creatures may have much higher Armor values. An iron golem, for example, might have 6 points of Armor or more. Armor Piercing (AP) attacks allow an attacker to ignore a number of points of Armor equal to the weapon's AP value.
Larger creatures often use their bodies or body parts to pummel their opponents during combat. See the creature’s statistics for any special effects.
The creature may bite a target it has grappled (instead of only crushing its prey, see Grappling).
A creature with this ability can perceive its environment using nonvisual senses. This includes keen sense of smell, echolocation, or the ability to sense vibrations in the ground or even in the air. They ignore invisibility, illusion, and all Illumination penalties.
Most dragons and other “fire breathers” use a Cone Template for their attacks (see Area Effect Attacks). A few specific creatures, such as blue and black dragons, use the Stream Template instead. Unless otherwise noted, breath attacks may be Evaded (see Evasion) and take the creature’s entire turn—they can’t perform Multi-Actions in the same round they make a breath attack.
From massive worms to sand-dwelling humanoids, many creatures are able to burrow beneath the earth and move within it. Burrowers can tunnel underground and reappear elsewhere for devastating surprise attacks against their foes. The distance a creature can burrow on its turn is written immediately after its Burrow ability. A burrowing creature may tunnel on its action, and may erupt from the ground at any point within its burrowing Pace in the same turn. It can't be attacked beneath the earth unless the attacker has some means of detecting it and penetrating the intervening dirt. Burrowing creatures erupt from beneath their foes and may take them by surprise. If the target was unaware of the burrower’s presence, the creature makes an opposed Stealth roll versus the victim’s Notice (see Attacking from Stealth). Targets on Hold may attempt to interrupt an attack before it occurs if they detect it. Burrowers can’t usually surprise a foe once their presence is known, but can still burrow for protection and mobility.
+2 to Athletics (climbing) rolls on any rough or soft surface (not sheer steel, glass, etc.).
The creature is resistant (but not immune) to a particular type of energy or substance, such as cold, heat, iron, etc. Damage from the source is reduced by 4, and the being adds +4 to resist matching hazards or powers with a similar Trapping.
Particularly frightening monsters cause Fear checks to all who see them. Some truly terrifying monsters may inflict penalties on Fear checks as well. A creature with Fear -2, for instance, causes those who see it to make their Fear checks at -2. See the Fear rules for effects.
A creature can fly at the listed Pace. It uses its Athletics to maneuver if a roll is required. If a creature’s Pace is at least 24, attackers subtract 1 when making attacks against it. If its Pace is 48 or higher, attackers subtract 2.
Add +4 damage at the end of one Fighting action in which it runs, moves at least 5″ (10 yards), and successfully hits with its horns.
Creatures born in fire aren’t affected by heat, and a horror made of pure lightning ignores a bolt attack with an electrical Trapping. They ignore damage and effects based on any attack with that Trapping. Immunities include related types of attacks as well. A monster that ignores cold-based effects and attacks also ignores powers with frost or ice Trappings, for example.
Various creatures on Golarion have Innate Powers. These are usually magical abilities with "spell-like" effects or powers. Activating an Innate Power is an action and follows all the power's usual rules such as Range, line of sight, etc.
Automatic Powers: These powers don't require a roll to activate. Minor powers activate with success and major powers activate with a raise. This is true even if the power normally requires an attack roll. Minor bolt, for example, automatically hits its target if any part of it is visible and in Range, ignoring Cover, the Dodge Edge, etc.
Opposed Powers: These powers must still be resisted by the target. A minor power sets the Target Number to resist at 4 (because it's a success), a major power sets the Target Number to resist at 8 (because it's a raise). Major puppet means the victim must make a Spirit check against a Target Number of 8 (for a major power) or be enthralled.
Rolled Powers: If an ability does require a Trait roll, the skill or attribute is listed in parentheses after the power, like so: invisibility (flamer; True; Spirit). As with other powers, a Critical Failure causes Fatigue.
Duration: Creatures do not need to spend Power Points to maintain Innate Powers.
Power Modifiers: Innate Powers can't use Power Modifiers unless listed with the ability.
Creatures with natural weapons such as fangs, claws, or horns may attack with any or all of them using their Fighting skill. Damage is stated for character ancestries and beasts in their various descriptions. Creatures with natural weapons are always considered armed. This means they aren’t Unarmed Defenders and foes fighting with Two Weapons gain no advantage against them.
Snakes, spiders, and other creatures inject poisonous venom via bite or scratch. To do so, the creature must cause at least a Shaken result to the victim, who then makes a Vigor roll modified by the strength of the poison (listed in parentheses after the creature’s Poison ability). Effects of failure are described in more detail under Hazards.
Predators often pounce on their prey to best bring their mass and claws to bear. If a creature with Pounce makes a Wild Attack, it adds +4 to its damage instead of +2.
Hydras, trolls, vampires, and other legendary creatures can Regenerate their injuries. Regeneration can be Fast or Slow.
Fast: Wounded creatures make a Vigor roll each round—even while Incapacitated. Success heals one Wound (or removes Incapacitated status), and a raise heals an additional Wound. Wounds caused by some damage types, listed in the creature’s description, don't regenerate but may still heal naturally. Trolls can't regenerate Wounds caused by flame, for example.
Slow: The creature makes a natural healing roll once per day.
Victims Shaken or Wounded by a rending attack are bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the beginning of their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim doesn't suffer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that attack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding.
Size grants a bonus to Toughness (or penalty for small creatures) and is a guide to the typical Strength of creatures in that general range. Size is generally based on mass, but exceptions exist for extremely large but weak creatures, small but strong beings, etc. If no Size is listed, the creature is Size 0. If the creature is of a Scale other than Normal, it is listed in parentheses after the Size entry.
Additional Wounds: Large creatures can take an additional Wound, Huge can take two, and Gargantuan three. The maximum Wound penalty is always 3. This stacks with Resilient/Very Resilient. Such creatures typically have Reach equal to the additional Wounds granted by Size.
With a successful bite attack, the victim must make an Evasion roll or be Swallowed Whole. At the end of the creature's subsequent turns, anyone swallowed must make a Vigor roll at –2 or take a Wound from the crushing gullet and acidic bile. This continues until they're freed or perish. If the creature is Shaken or Wounded from the inside (ignoring its Armor!), everyone inside gets an immediate Athletics roll to escape. If the monster is Shaken or Wounded from the outside, the escape roll is made at -2. Appropriate Tests (GM's call, such as pepper in the nose, extreme nausea from a spell effect or poison, etc.) might cause the beast to cough, sneeze, or vomit. This gives everyone inside an Athletics roll to escape.
The monster has learned to hunt or deal with smaller opponents. It ignores up to 4 points of Scale penalties when attacking creatures smaller than itself.
The creature has a number of “tentacle actions” specified in its description (usually two or four) it may use once per turn. All of a creature's tentacle actions count as one of its three potential actions for the turn, and must stem from the tentacle in some way—usually a Fighting, Shooting, or grappling attack (GM’s call). A giant octopus with four tentacle actions, for example, could make four attacks as one action and still have two actions left over. If the creature is a Wild Card, roll a Wild Die with each tentacle action as usual. If the being performs other actions on its turn, such as Taunting or casting a spell, these and the tentacle actions are affected by the Multi-Action penalty as usual. Grappling rolls made with tentacles get a +2 bonus, and its crushing attack causes the creature’s Strength in damage unless otherwise listed. Severing a tentacle is a Called Shot. If damage exceeds the creature’s Toughness, the limb is severed and the monster is Shaken. If it was already Shaken, it takes a Wound.
Elephants, rhinoceroses, and other large creatures can trample smaller victims underfoot while moving at least 5″ (10 yards) in a straight line. This applies only when the foes are at least two Sizes smaller. See the creature's description for other conditions. Anyone in the creature's path must Evade or take the listed damage. Those trampled may attack it after it passes, if possible (see Withdrawing from Melee), unless it has Extraction or a similar ability.
Some creatures have the ability to walk on walls. They automatically walk on vertical or inverted surfaces. A Wall Walker’s movement rate when walking on walls is its standard Pace. It may run as usual when walking on walls unless the specific creature’s text says otherwise.