Occult Archetypes
Archetypes
Archetypes and Class Options
Each base class in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is designed to be a foundation for a wide array of characters. Within that basic concept exists the potential for innumerable variations. Some of these are too close to existing classes to warrant being full base classes of their own, yet prove compelling enough to become archetypes—sets of alternate class features that can be easily swapped for those of a given class to help customize the class's focus. This section presents new archetypes or other options for all of the new classes introduced in this book, as well as for numerous base classes from other sources. Feats and spells in this section denoted with an asterisk (*) appear in Occult Adventures.
Archetypes
Each alternate class feature presented in an archetype either replaces or alters one or more specific class features from the base class.
When an archetype includes multiple alternate class features, a character must take all of them—often blocking the character from ever gaining certain standard class features, but replacing them with other options. All class features of the base class that aren't mentioned among the alternate class features of an archetype remain unchanged and are acquired normally when a character reaches the appropriate level. If an alternate class feature replaces a base class feature, the archetype doesn't count as having that base class feature for the purpose of meeting any requirements or prerequisites. On the other hand, if an alternate class feature alters an existing class feature, it is considered to be the core class feature for the purposes of meeting any requirements or prerequisites, even if it was renamed.
A character can take more than one archetype, but none of the alternate class features can replace or alter the same class feature of the base class.
If a class feature has a series of improvements (such as a fighter's weapon training or a ranger's favored enemy), it can be replaced either entirely or partially. By default, an alternate class feature replaces the entire original class feature and all of its improvements. For example, if a class feature states that it replaces trap sense without mentioning a specific bonus, it replaces trap sense entirely.
If an alternate class feature replaces one instance of a class feature that's part of a series, the next time the character would gain an improvement to that ability, the new improvement counts as the lower-level ability that was replaced by the archetype, and all subsequent improvements follow suit. For example, if the barbarian's 3rd-level trap sense +1 were replaced, the barbarian would gain trap sense +1 at 6th level, trap sense +2 at 9th level, and so on.
Other Class Archetypes
These archetypes and other rules elements are available to characters of other classes who wish to dabble in the occult.
Some kineticists rule the elements by personality or discipline, or become paragons of healing or destruction.
Blood Kineticist
To a blood kineticist, the water in a creature's blood is just like any other sort, and she uses that knowledge to brutal ends.
A blood kineticist must choose water as her primary element and must choose water blast as her first simple blast. All of her infusions granted by this archetype work only on targets with blood and automatically fail if the target is immune to bleed damage.
At 1st level, a blood kineticist can use her abilities to wrack a target within 30 feet, harming the target by manipulating its blood from the inside. The target takes half the normal damage of the blood kineticist's blast, and can attempt a Fortitude save to reduce that amount to 1/4 normal damage, but the damage is untyped and ignores damage reduction. This is a 1st-level form infusion that costs 0 points of burn and can be used with water and blood blasts. This ability replaces the 1st-level infusion.
At 5th level, a blood kineticist can infuse her blasts with a vicious power that causes internal or external bleeding. On a failed Fortitude save, the target takes 1 point of bleed damage for every die of the blast's damage. A target that fails its saving throw against the wrack form infusion does not receive a saving throw to avoid the bleed damage from bleeding infusion on the same blast. This is a 2nd-level substance infusion that costs 2 points of burn and can be used with water and blood blasts. This ability replaces the 5th-level infusion.
At 6th level, a blood kineticist's connection to blood allows her to learn much from the blood of another. This works as blood biography, except the blood kineticist suddenly knows the information, rather than having it appear on a parchment. This is a 3rd-level utility wild talent and costs 0 points of burn. She can accept 1 point of burn to reduce the casting time to a standard action instead of 1 minute. This ability replaces the 6th-level utility wild talent.
The first time a blood kineticist selects water with expanded element, she doesn't gain the cold simple blast or the ice composite blast; instead, she gains the blood composite blast, which costs 2 points of burn. A blood blast is a physical blast that deals bludgeoning damage. It is associated with the same infusions as the water blast. If the blood kineticist selects water with expanded element a second time, she gains the cold simple blast and ice composite blast as normal. This ability alters expanded element.
At 8th level, a blood kineticist gains the foe throw infusion as a bonus infusion, and can use it with the water element on water and blood blasts, in addition to its normal associated element and blast. This ability replaces the 8th-level utility wild talent.
Gut-Wrenching Infusion
At 9th level, a blood kineticist can infuse her blasts with the ability to manipulate her opponent's insides to the point of impairing their function. On a failed Fortitude save, the target is sickened for 1 minute. A target that fails its saving throw against the wrack form infusion does not receive a saving throw to avoid the sickened condition from gut-wrenching infusion on the same blast. This is a 4th-level substance infusion that costs 3 points of burn and can be used with water and blood blasts. This ability replaces the 9th-level infusion.
At 11th level, a blood kineticist can drain the vitality from her enemy's blood to restore her own. If her blast hits (or the enemy fails its saving throw against a blast without an attack roll) the blood kineticist can activate the kinetic healer utility wild talent on herself by accepting its burn cost; she doesn't need to take an action to do so. If she doesn't possess the kinetic healer utility wild talent, she can still use this ability, but it heals only half as much. This is a 5th-level substance infusion that costs 3 points of burn and can be used with water and blood blasts. This ability replaces the 11th-level infusion.
At 20th level, a blood kineticist no longer ages and can't be magically aged. She doesn't take penalties to her ability scores for aging and removes any such penalties she already possesses. She still accrues age bonuses as normal, but she doesn't die of old age when her time would be up. Because of her utter control over her own blood, she is immune to bleed, injected poisons, injury diseases, and the sickened and nauseated conditions unless she chooses to be affected. This ability replaces omnikinesis.
Elemental Annihilator
For some kineticists, nothing in life is as sweet as destruction and pain. Elemental annihilators pursue only uses of their powers that harm others.
At 1st level, an elemental annihilator can either shoot her kinetic blast at a target within 30 feet or make a single melee attack as if she were using kinetic blade as an attack action. For this attack, the elemental annihilator's base attack bonus from her kineticist levels is equal to her full kineticist level. A devastating infusion always deals an amount of damage equal to 1d8 + the elemental annihilator's Constitution modifier, regardless of the annihilator's class level or use of composite blasts. When making a melee attack with devastating infusion, the elemental annihilator doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, and if she uses two hands, the attack's damage is equal to 1d8 + 1-1/2 times her Constitution modifier. This is a 1st-level form infusion that costs 0 points of burn and can be used with any physical blast (but not energy blasts). Unlike with kinetic blade, the elemental annihilator can use Vital Strike with devastating infusion. The damage bonus from elemental overflow doesn't apply to devastating infusion's damage rolls. This ability replaces the 1st-level infusion and the basic utility wild talent normally granted by selecting an element.
An elemental annihilator can never gain utility wild talents.
At 2nd level, an elemental annihilator can select a bonus feat from the following list: Deadly Aim, Double Slice, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus. Rapid Shot and Two-Weapon Fighting can be used with a kinetic blast only if the annihilator also possesses flurry of devastation (see below). She gains an additional bonus feat at 8th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels. At 8th level, she can also select Improved Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Specialization. At 10th level, she can also select Greater Weapon Focus, Improved Critical, Improved Precise Shot, and Two-Weapon Rend. An elemental annihilator doesn't need to meet the prerequisites for these feats to select them as bonus feats. This ability replaces the 2nd-, 8th-, 10th-, 14th-, and 18th-level utility wild talents.
At 3rd level, an elemental annihilator gains the extended range infusion. At 9th level, she gains the extreme range infusion. This ability replaces the 3rd- and 9th-level infusions.
Ever-Present Threat
At 4th level, an elemental annihilator threatens all foes within her natural reach. If anyone provokes an attack of opportunity from her, she can form her melee devastating infusion and make the attack, after which the weapon disappears. This ability replaces the 4th-level utility wild talent.
At 5th level, an elemental annihilator gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls with her devastating infusion form infusion. This bonus increases by 1 at 9th level and every 4 levels thereafter. This ability replaces the 5th-level infusion.
At 6th level, an elemental annihilator can make a full attack of devastating infusions against targets within 120 feet as a full-attack action. Each individual attack deals damage as a devastating infusion. This is a 3rd-level form infusion that costs 1 point of burn and can be used with the same blast types as devastating infusion. Abilities such as Rapid Shot and haste that grant additional attacks apply normally to this full attack. If she makes only melee attacks with her flurry of devastation, she can use the Two-Weapon Fighting feats (unlike with the kinetic blade wild talent), but ranged devastating infusions do not work with Two-Weapon Fighting. For the elemental annihilator's off-hand attacks with Two-Weapon Fighting, she adds half her Constitution modifier to the damage (increasing to her full Constitution modifier if she has Double Slice). Though she can normally mix melee and ranged attacks with her flurry of devastation, she can't do so when she uses Two-Weapon Fighting. She can never use metakinesis or substance infusions with flurry of devastation. This ability replaces the 6th-, 12th-, and 16th-level utility wild talents.
At 20th level, an elemental annihilator can unleash omnicide, a unique physical composite blast. Omnicide deals 10d6+10 points of bludgeoning damage, 10d6+10 points of cold damage, 10d6+10 points of electricity damage, 10d6+10 points of fire damage, and 10d6+10 points of force damage, and counts as a blast of all five elements. Omnicide costs 4 points of burn, which can be reduced by composite specialization as normal. This ability replaces omnikinesis and the 20th-level utility wild talent.
Elemental Ascetic
Combining the elemental powers of a kineticist with the rigid physical discipline of a monk, an elemental ascetic channels his powers through his body to enhance himself in combat.
At 1st level, an elemental ascetic gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. He gains the kinetic fist form infusion and it costs 0 points of burn instead of 1 point of burn. When using the kinetic fist form infusion with a full attack, he can make a flurry of blows as the monk class feature. He must use only his fists to make this flurry, no matter what other abilities he possesses. Like a monk, he can use this ability only when unarmored, not using a shield, and unencumbered. He can't use his kinetic blast without a form infusion, nor can he ever use his kinetic blast with the chain, extended range, extreme range, foe throw, flurry of blasts, many throw, or snake form infusions, or with any other form infusion that requires a ranged attack roll or ranged touch attack roll. This ability alters kinetic blast and replaces elemental overflow.
An elemental ascetic can use his Wisdom modifier instead of his Constitution modifier to determine the DCs of Constitution-based wild talents, the duration of wild talents with a Constitution-based duration, and his bonus on concentration checks for wild talents. This ability alters the key ability scores of wild talents.
AC Bonus
At 2nd level, when unarmored, not using a shield, and unencumbered, an elemental ascetic adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC and his CMD. These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the elemental ascetic is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 kineticist levels the elemental ascetic possesses beyond 2nd. The elemental ascetic's kineticist levels stack with monk levels for the purpose of determining when the bonus increases. An elemental ascetic can never take the expanded defense utility wild talent. This ability replaces elemental defense.
At 5th level, an elemental ascetic can accept 2 additional points of burn when using kinetic fist to increase that infusion's damage dice from d6s to d8s. At 9th level, he can instead accept 3 additional points of burn to increase the damage dice from d6s to d10s. At 13th level, he can instead accept 4 additional points of burn to increase the damage dice from d6s to d12s. All of these options count as burn from a form infusion and can thus be reduced by infusion specialization. This ability replaces the 5th-, 9th-, and 13th-level infusions.
Kinetic Chirurgeon
While any hydrokineticist or telekineticist can learn the rudiments of healing, some kineticists are virtuosos of the curative arts.
A kinetic chirurgeon must select either aether or water as her primary element. She gains kinetic healer as a bonus wild talent at 1st level. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the kinetic chirurgeon can select any one paladin mercy that a paladin of that level could select. Each time she uses kinetic healer, she can apply one of these mercies to the target of the healing. A kinetic chirurgeon can never use infusions. This ability replaces infusions.
Starting at 5th level, a kinetic chirurgeon can apply any one of the following metahealer abilities to her kinetic healer wild talent instead of using her mercies. At 5th level, she can choose to roll one additional die when using kinetic healer. This increases to two additional dice at 11th level, and to three additional dice at 17th level. At 9th level, she can choose to bring an ally who died within 1 round back from the dead; this functions similarly to the breath of life spell. The ally regains the normal number of hit points from kinetic healer. An ally revived in this way takes 1 additional point of burn, beyond the normal 1 point of burn that either the kinetic chirurgeon or the ally must accept as a cost of the kinetic healer wild talent. At 13th level, a kinetic chirurgeon can choose to use kinetic healer on herself as a swift action. At 17th level, she can choose to heal both herself and another target with the same use of kinetic healer, although in that case, both she and her target must each accept 1 point of burn, instead of only one of them needing to do so as normal for kinetic healer. Regardless of her level, the kinetic chirurgeon can apply only one metahealer ability to a single use of kinetic healer. For instance, she could not bring back a dead ally and also roll extra dice for healing. This ability replaces metakinesis and infusion specialization.
At 6th level, a kinetic chirurgeon's internal buffer has double the usual maximum size, and she can use it only when she would accept points of burn for the kinetic healer wild talent. This ability alters internal buffer.
Overwhelming Soul
Some kineticists have such a powerful personality that they can seize control of their element with their minds alone, without endangering their bodies.
Mind Over Matter
An overwhelming soul uses her Charisma modifier instead of her Constitution modifier to determine her damage with wild talents, the DCs of Constitution-based wild talents, the duration of wild talents with a Constitution-based duration, her bonus on concentration checks for wild talents, and the other Constitution-based effects of all her wild talents. She adds Bluff and Diplomacy to her list of kineticist class skills. This ability alters the kineticist's class skills and the key ability score of wild talents.
An overwhelming soul's mind is strong enough to protect her body from the stress of channeling the elements. However, in exchange, she is unable to push her limits quite as far as other kineticists. She can't choose to accept burn, though she can use wild talents with a burn cost if she can reduce that cost to 0 points with abilities such as gather power and infusion specialization. If she would be forced to accept burn against her will (for example, if she fails a concentration check), instead of taking burn she takes 1 temporary negative level, which never kills her and can't be removed with restoration or greater restoration, but which disappears automatically after 24 hours. At 6th level, once per day, she can reduce the total burn cost of any wild talent by 1. She can use this ability an additional time per day at 10th level and every 4 levels thereafter. This ability alters burn and replaces internal buffer.
At 3rd level, an overwhelming soul gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls with her kinetic blasts. The damage bonus doesn't apply to kinetic blade, kinetic whip, or other infusions that don't apply the damage bonus from elemental overflow. This bonus increases by 1 at 6th level and every 3 levels thereafter. This ability replaces elemental overflow.
Medium
The techniques used by most mediums to become vessels for the spirits of legend can be altered to allow other mediums to call spirits through dance and tales, or to call spirits from objects, the land, or even themselves.
Kami Medium
Some mediums channel the power of nature spirits called kami rather than the spirits of legend. See more information on kami here.
Kami Channeler
A kami medium channels the kami at locations different from where a normal medium channels his spirits. The kami medium channels the dosojin (which acts as the trickster) at crossroads and other major roadway milestones; the fukujin (which acts as the marshal) at ornamental shrubs and bonsai trees; the kaminari (which acts as the champion) in the midst of storms; the suijin (which acts as the hierophant) at pure lakes, ponds, springs, and wells; and the zuishin (which acts as the guardian) at significant gates, doorways, and torii. The kami medium does not have access to the archmage legend. This ability alters spirit.
A kami medium gains the taboo ability at 1st level. Regardless of which kami he channels, each day he must accept the hierophant taboo to strongly revere nature and avoid metal armor. The kami medium gains two free uses of spirit surge from accepting this taboo, as normal. This ability alters taboo.
A kami medium uses ofudas—psychically charged prayer scrolls—to focus his spells. Each of his spells gains an ofuda as an additional inexpensive material component, and the ofuda replaces the divine focus for spells the kami medium gains via the divine surge spirit power. Unless the spell involves a touch attack or ranged touch attack, the kami medium doesn't need to attempt an attack roll to place an ofuda on an unwilling target; the ofuda simply appears on affected targets. For instantaneous spells, the ofuda is consumed during the casting, but for spells with any other duration, the ofuda remains on the target or targets throughout the duration and then disintegrates when the duration expires. A kami medium's spells can't be dispelled by dispel magic or greater dispel magic, but removing or destroying the ofuda ends the duration immediately. An ofuda must be displayed prominently and can't be hidden (though a creature bearing an ofuda can hide normally). A successful steal or grapple combat maneuver check to remove an item is sufficient to remove an ofuda from an unwilling target, and a standard action automatically removes it from a willing target. An ofuda counts as an object made of paper with 5 hit points per medium level. The target of the spell can't see, harm, or remove the ofuda attached to her, though her allies can do so. If the spell is harmless, the target can see her ofuda.
This ability alters the medium's spellcasting.
At 3rd level, a kami medium learns to fold an origami animal to serve as a temporary ward for a minor shikigami. Initially, the merged minor shikigami can't leave the paper body and acts in all ways as an ordinary animal familiar of the origami animal's type, although it still appears to be made of paper. At 5th level, it gains the abilities of a shikigami improved familiar, even if the kami medium doesn't meet the prerequisites for having a shikigami as a familiar. The shikigami treats the kami medium as its ward. Additionally, it gains the ability to use change shape to change between its full shikigami form and its origami form at will (as beast shape II).
This ability replaces haunt channeler, location channel, and connection channel.
Ask the Kami
At 13th level, a kami medium can ask the local kami for information, as commune with nature. While he can do so any number of times per day, he can ask questions of the kami in any particular area only once per day. Afterward, he must move to a non-overlapping area to use this ability again. This ability replaces ask the spirits.
Ward
At 14th level, a kami medium can declare an area or object that's an appropriate place to contact his channeled kami as his ward. This grants the kami medium the ward and merge with ward abilities of the kami subtype. For large areas such as lakes or storms, a kami medium's ward encompasses a radius of up to 5 feet per medium level. This ability replaces astral journey.
Reanimated Medium
Sometimes a departed soul destined for legend gains a second chance at life by possessing his own revived body.
A reanimated medium is essentially a bodiless spirit using influence to possess his own spiritless body. "The reanimated medium" refers to this spirit. Unlike a normal medium, a reanimated medium becomes more powerful the more influence it has over its body. Each day, the reanimated medium can perform a seance at a location as normal to focus on one of his potential future legends. He channels that legendary potential as strongly as possible into his body. The spirit gains 3 points of influence over his body, to a maximum of 6 points. Since he is his own possessing spirit, he doesn't lose control at 5 or more points of influence, though he still suffers the legend's influence penalty as normal at 3 or more points of influence. All effects and abilities that normally increase or decrease influence (such as spirit surge and spirit powers) have the opposite effect on a reanimated medium (for instance, propitiation increases influence by 1 point and spirit surge reduces influence by 1 point); this does not apply to the new abilities from the reanimated medium archetype. A reanimated medium can't choose to channel a weaker spirit to avoid losing influence from using spirit surge. The body of a reanimated medium who reaches 0 points of influence enters a deathlike coma and is helpless for 24 hours, after which the reanimated medium reverts to 1 point of influence if the body is still alive, but can't perform a seance for another 24 hours.
A character who selects the reanimated medium archetype after 1st level can do so only after dying; at the GM's discretion, a dead character of another class with an intact body who has earned enough experience points to level up can take a level in medium and gain the reanimated medium archetype, and a dead medium might be able to gain this archetype. In any case, being revived from gaining the reanimated medium archetype does not impart any negative levels or other ill effects.
This ability alters spirit.
A reanimated medium doesn't gain the taboo class feature.
Ease Passage
At 3rd level, as long as a reanimated medium's body is intact, it's easy for him to return to it. He takes only 1 negative level instead of 2 from raise dead. This ability replaces haunt channeler.
At 5th level, a reanimated medium's spirit lingers for up to 1 round after death before departing if the medium spends 1 point of influence. If the reanimated medium died of hit point damage, healing works on his body during the intervening round and can bring him back to life. Once the spirit departs, the breath of life spell continues to work for 1 additional round, even though the reanimated medium has been dead for more than 1 round. This ability replaces location channel.
Relic Channeler
A relic channeler carries relics of legend around with her. She need not rely on locating the specific spirits that she seeks, but the relics limit the number of unique spirits she can channel.
While mesmerists typically concentrate on purely mental arts, many look outward as well, focusing on physical combat or the creation of powerful tools with which to practice their craft.