Spirit Emissary (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Spirit emissaries bring the wisdom of the spirits into an unruly world.

Background

Spirit emissaries cultivate strength and unity with the spirit world through knowledge, self-control, and willpower. The core of their powers is the ability to invest power in a spirit companion and to take in a portion of that spirit’s power in exchange. This process creates a powerful bond to the spirit realms, allowing the spirit emissary to sense and pacify otherworldly creatures. They learn to channel powerful outsiders into the physical form of their spirit animal, creating a powerful hybrid called an animus to guide, protect, and advise her.

Spirit Emissaries of Porphyra

The world of spirits touch upon both the elemental realms, the material plane, and the higher worlds of the gods. Spirit emissaries claim an understanding an unity with all three worlds, something that leave them open to accusations of elementalism by adherents of the divine and of being deists by elementalists. Not surprisingly, this makes Porphyran spirit emissaries somewhat paranoid among people, but not among spirits.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype built on the spirit channeler emissary prestige class.

Role: Spirit emissaries invoke the animus of their spirit animal and use their spells to support both the animus and other allies.

Alignment: Any. Spirits can have any imaginable goal and ethos (and some that are hard to even imagine); even the most quirky spirit emissary can find a spirit ally to give them power.

Hit Die: d8.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 105 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The spirit emissary’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The following are class features of the spirit emissary prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A spirit emissary is proficient with all simple weapons, and with light and medium armor.

Spell Casting

A spirit emissary casts divine spells drawn from the shaman spell list. A spirit emissary must choose and prepare her spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a spirit emissary must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The saving throw DC against a spirit emissary’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the spirit emissary’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a spirit emissary can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Spirit Emissary. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.

Spirit emissaries commune with their spirit animals to prepare their spells. Each spirit emissary must choose a time when she must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation with her spirit animal to regain her daily allotment of spells. A spirit emissary can prepare and cast any spell on the spirit emissary spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily communion.

Orisons Spirit emissaries can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day as noted on Table: Spirit Emissary. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Animus (Sp)

At 1st level, a spirit emissary learns to call down very diverse spiritual servants, using her spirit animal as the focus and conduit to create a hybrid creature called an animus.

This ability functions as summon monster I, except the spirit emissary can summon only a single creature at a time (though she can select a different creature each time and can always decide to summon a single creature from a lower-level list). This summoned creature appears in the spirit animal’s location, replaces the spirit animal for the spell’s duration, and obeys the spirit emissary as if it were her spirit animal. An animus typically retains some superficial traits of the spirit animal used as a conduit in its summoning, but gains no other abilities of the spirit animal (such as share spells or evolution points). Spells and effects on the spirit animal are transferred to the animus while it exists, even if it would not normally be a viable target for the spell or effect.

The animus remains for 1 round per caster level; it vanishes once this duration expires or it is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points. The spirit animal reappears in the animus’s last location and suffers none of the damage, status effects, or spells affecting the animus when it vanished.

At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the power of this ability increases by 1 spell level, allowing her to summon a more powerful animus. At 19th level this ability can be used as gate, but the spirit emissary must provide the material components of the spell. These spells are considered to be part of the summoner’s spell list for the purposes of spell trigger and spell completion items. In addition, the summoner can expend uses of this ability to fulfill the construction requirements of any magic item she creates, so long as she can use this ability to cast the required spell.

The animus ability is affected by any feat or effect that affects summon monster or the creatures summoned by such a spell. It does not work with metamagic feats.

The spirit emissary can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Wisdom modifier. Each use is a standard action.

Spirit (Su)

A spirit emissary forms a mystical bond with the spirits of the world. She forms a lasting bond with a single spirit, which grants a number of abilities and defines many of her other class features.

At 1st level, a spirit emissary gains the spirit ability granted by her chosen spirit. The spirit emissary has no spirit spell slots. Instead she adds the spirit magic spells offered by her spirit directly to her spell list. She prepares and casts these spells like any other spell on her spell list. A spirit emissary cannot use hexes and does not add the hexes possessed by that spirit to the list of hexes that she can use.

At 8th level, the spirit emissary gains the abilities listed in the greater version of her selected spirit. At 16th level, the spirit emissary gains the abilities listed for the true version of her selected spirit. At 20th level, a spirit emissary undergoes a transformation as she manifests as a pinnacle of her main spirit. The nature of this manifestation depends on the spirit emissary’s spirit, and is described in its entry.

If the spirit emissary takes levels in another class that grants a mystery (such as the oracle), the spirit and mystery must match, even if that means one of them must change. Subject to GM discretion, the spirit emissary can change her former mystery or spirit to make them conform.

This is a variant of the shaman's spirit ability. See the shaman class for descriptions of available spirits.

Spirit Animal (Ex)

By communing with the incredible powers of her spirit, the spirit emissary forges a cherished bond with one specific servant of that spirit—known as a spirit animal. A spirit animal is a creature chosen by a spirit emissary to serve as a conduit, allowing her to access the magic of her spirit on a daily basis. While the spirit animal does not store the spells like a witch’s familiar does, the spirit animal serves as her conduit to divine power. A spirit emissary must commune with her spirit animal each day to prepare her spells. If a spirit emissary’s spirit animal is slain, she cannot prepare new spells until the spirit animal is replaced. The spirit emissary’s spirit animal also grants her special powers.

This ability uses the same rules as the wizard’s arcane bond class feature and is treated as a familiar, except as noted below. A spirit emissary uses her class level as her effective wizard level when determining the abilities of her spirit animal. A spirit emissary can select any familiar available to wizards to serve as her spirit animal. The spirit emissary’s spirit animal is treated as a familiar for the purposes of all spells, effects, and abilities that affect familiars. Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack with spirit emissary levels for the purpose of determining any spirit animal abilities that depend on the spirit emissary’s level. If a spirit animal is lost or dies, it can be replaced after 24 hours through a special ritual that consumes material components worth 200 gp per spirit emissary level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

Spirit Strength (Ex)

At 2nd level a spirit emissary strengthens her bond to the spirit world by channeling additional divine power through her spirit animal. The spirit animal gains 2 evolution points as if it were an eidolon (as the summoner class feature) and can use them to purchase eidolon evolutions from the following list: ability increase, blindsense, burrow, climb, energy attacks, fast healing, flight, gills, immunity, improved damage, improved natural armor, incorporeal form, magic attacks, no breath, reach, resistance, skilled, spell resistance swim, tremorsense, and unnatural aura. It can freely reassign all of its points to purchase different evolutions each time the spirit emissary advances in level. Spirit emissary levels count as summoner levels and eidolon Hit Dice for evolutions. At 9th level and 18th level, the spirit emissary’s spirit animal gains 2 additional evolution points.

Sixth Sense (Sp)

At 3rd level a spirit emissary gains detect undead as a spell-like ability, usable a number of times per day equal to her spirit emissary level. At 5th level, this spell-like ability also detects creatures of the fey type. The spirit emissary must continue concentrating to discern which auras are of which creature type, gaining this knowledge as she learns the strength and location of each aura on her third round of concentration. At 7th level, this spell-like ability also detects creatures of the outsider type.

Parley (Sp)

At 4th level, a spirit emissary gains the ability to cast calm spirit (sp) once per day per class level (her caster level equals her character level). At 6th level, she can also use this spell-like ability to calm corporeal undead. At 10th level, she can use this spell-like ability to calm creatures of the fey type as well. At 14th level, she can use this spell-like ability to calm creatures of the outsider type. The effective spell level of this ability is half the spirit emissary's class level and the save DC of this ability is 10 + 1/2 the spirit emissary's class level + her Wisdom modifier.

Augment Summoning (Su)

At 8th level, a spirit emissary’s bond to an animus strengthens considerably. She counts as having the Spell Focus (conjuration) feat, but only for prerequisites. She also gains Augment Summoning as a bonus feat. If the spirit emissary already has Augment Summoning, she can choose any feat she meets the prerequisites for as a bonus feat instead.

Spirit Conduit (Su)

At 11th level, when the animus vanishes, the spirit emissary can have her spirit animal appear in an empty square adjacent to herself instead of in the animus’ location.

Manifest Will (Su)

At 13th level, spiritual energy flows both into and out of the spirit emissary, allowing her to overcome the limitations of her physical body by sheer force of will. The spirit emissary selects either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. As an immediate action, she can substitute her Wisdom modifier for her selected ability’s modifier on a single ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier + half her spirit emissary level.

At 16th level and again at 19th level, she can select one more physical ability score she can affect with this ability.

Natural Animus (Su)

At 15th level, the spirit emissary's animus ability works with feats and effects that work with summon nature's ally spells.

Greater Spirit Conduit (Su)

At 17th level, when the animus vanishes, the bond allows the animus to leave a parting insight when it vanishes, answering a single yes-or-no question for the spirit emissary as per commune.

Table: Spirit Emissary

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Animus, spirit, spirit animal	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Spirit strength 2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Sixth sense (undead)	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Parley	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Sixth sense (fey)	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Parley (undead)	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Sixth sense (outsiders)	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Augment Summoning	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Spirit strength 4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Parley (fey)	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Spirit conduit	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Spirit (greater)	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Manifest will	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Parley (outsiders)	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Natural animus	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Manifest will 2	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Greater spirit conduit	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Spirit strength 6	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Manifest will 3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Spirit (transformation)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

Favored Class Bonuses

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, some races have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to each listed race. Unless otherwise stated the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward. All these choices are available from level 1, even if they enhance an ability you only gain at a higher level. A favored race bonus that helps you qualify for a certain class ability means you get that particular class ability at an earlier level.

• Dwarf: Select one item creation feat known you know. Whenever crafting an item using that feat, the amount of progress made in an 8-hour period increases by 200 gp (50 gp if crafting while adventuring). This does not reduce the cost of the item; it just increases the rate at which the item is crafted.
• Elf: Add 1/2 to your Spellcraft skill bonus.
• Gnome: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must be from the illusion school.
• Half-Elf: Add 1/2 additional daily use of the spirit emissary's animus ability.
• Halfling: Add +1/2 to your AC against attacks of opportunity triggered by casting spells.
• Half-Orc: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks made due to taking damage while casting spells.
• Human: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level you can cast.

• Aasimar: Add +1/5 to your caster level when casting spells with the good descriptor.
• Anpur: Gain a +1/4 bonus on Perception checks for the anpur, spirit animal, and each animus when in a graveyard, temple, or tomb.
• Avodim: Add + ½ point of cold damage to spells that deal cold damage.
• Catfolk: + 1/6 dodge bonus to the spirit emissary's, the spirit animal's, and the animus' AC.
• Changeling: Add +1/2 ft. to the changeling's natural reach. Always round this down to the nearest multiple of 5 ft. The changeling can only use this with natural weapons and touch attacks.
• Dhamphir: Add +1/4 to the dhampir's undead resistance bonus. When this bonus reaches +1, the spirit animal also gains the undead resistance bonus. When this reaches +3, any animus also gains the undead resistance bonus.
• Dhosari: When casting abjuration spells, add +1 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to calculate duration.
• Dragonblood: Select one energy type from the following: acid, cold, electricity, fire. The spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus gain resistance 1/2 to this kind of energy.
• Drow: Add a +1/4 bonus on the Stealth skill bonus of the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus.
• Erkunae: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must be of the conjuration or enchantment schools or have the chaotic or evil subtype.
• Eventual: Add 1 to the eventual's caster level, but only for the purpose of calculating spell duration.
• Fetchling: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks made by the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus while in dim light or darkness.
• Gnoll: Each animus can use pounce when it charges an opponent at a range of 3 ft. or less. Round this down to the nearest increment of 10 ft.
• Goblin: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the fire descriptor, and be at least one level below the highest spell level you can cast.
• Grippli: Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth checks made by the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus while in swamps and in shallow or deep bog terrain.
• Hobgoblin: Reduce the penalty for not being proficient with one weapon by 1. When the non-proficiency penalty for a weapon becomes 0 because of this ability, the hobgoblin is treated as having the appropriate Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for that weapon.
• Ifrit: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the fire descriptor.
• Kitsune: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must be of the enchantment school.
• Kobold: Choose acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage. Add +½ point of the chosen energy damage to spells that deal the chosen energy damage.
• Lizardfolk: Add one to the spirit animal's hit points.
• Orcam: Add 1 ft. to the swim speed of the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus. Always round this down to the closest multiple of 5 ft.
• Oread: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the acid or earth descriptor.
• Polkan: For 1 round per day the polkan can squeeze (reducing space to 5 ft.) without taking any penalties. These rounds need not be consecutive.
• Qit'ar: Add +1/4 to the qit'ar's loyalty to self bonus. When this bonus reaches +1, the spirit animal also gains the loyalty to self bonus. When this reaches +3, any animus also gains the loyalty to self bonus.
• Ratfolk: Choose 1/5 of the following ratfolk racial traits: darkvision, cornered fury, rodent empathy, scent, skulk, swarming, unnatural. The spirit emissary, spirit animal, and any animus gains these racial traits.
• Samsaran: Choose one metamgaic feat. Reduce the spell slot required to apply this metamagic feat by 1/4 (to a minimum of +0). This option must be selected 4 times (or another increment of 4) to reduce the spell slot required by 1 (minimum +0).
• Shibaten: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the air or water descriptor.
• Strix: Add 1/2 ft. to the fly speed of the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus. Always round this down to the closest multiple of 5 ft.
• Sylph: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the air or electricity descriptor.
• Tengu: Add +1/3 to your caster level when casting spells with the language dependent descriptor, or those creating magical glyphs, runes, or symbols.
• Tiefling: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the darkness or compulsion descriptor.
• Undine: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the cold or water descriptor.
• Wayang: When in dim light or darkness, add 1% to the concealment miss chance of the spirit emissary, spirit animal, and each animus.
• Xesa: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the mind-affecting, polymorph, or poison descriptor.
• Zendiqi: Add one spell from your spell list to your spells known. This spell must have the acid, air, cold, electricity, fire, or water descriptor.
• Zif: Choose 1/5 shell-caste magic spell, always selecting the zif's own shell-caste magic spell the first time. The spirit emissary, spirit animal, and animus gains the selected shell-caste magic spell as a constant spell-like ability.

Witch Archetype: Patron Conduit

Certain spirit emissaries are tied to witch patrons rather than to spirits. The patron conduit channels the impersonal power of a witch patron through a familiar. Patron conduit is a witch archetype and has all the witch's class features, except as noted.

Animus (Su)

The patron conduit gains the spirit emissary's animus ability, usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Intelligence modifier. The animus works with the patron conduit's familiar instead of connecting to a spirit animal. This replaces hex.

Spirit Conduit (Su)

At 4th level, when the animus vanishes, the patron conduit can have her spirit animal appear in an empty square adjacent to herself instead of in the animus’s location.

Evolved Familiar (Su)

At 8th level a patron conduit strengthens her bond to her familiar. The familiar gains 2 evolution points as if it were an eidolon (as the summoner class feature) and can use them to purchase eidolon evolutions from the following list: blindsense, burrow, climb, energy attacks, fast healing, flight, gills, immunity, improved damage, improved natural armor, incorporeal form, magic attacks, no breath, reach, resistance, skilled, spell resistance swim, tail, tremorsense, and unnatural aura. Witch levels count as summoner levels and eidolon Hit Dice for evolutions At 12th and 16th level, the patron conduit familiar gains 2 additional evolution points. It can freely reassign all of its points to purchase different evolutions each time the patron conduit advances in level. This replaces major hex.

Greater Spirit Conduit (Su)

At 18th level, when the animus vanishes, the bond allows the animus to leave parting a insight when it vanishes, answering a single yes-or-no question for the spirit emissary as per commune. This replaces grand hex.

Feats

Extra Animus

Prerequisite: Animus (Spirit envoy class feature)

Benefit: You can use your animus class feature two additional times per day.

Special: You can choose this feat several times, the benefits stack.

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Section 15 Addendum

• Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
• System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
• Advanced Player’s Guide. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.
• Genie, Marid from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook © 2009, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Adventurer’s Guide © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Benjamin Bruck, John Compton, Crystal Frasier, Tim Hitchcock, Jenny Jarzabski, Isabelle Lee, Joe Pasini, Jessica Price, David Schwartz, and Josh Vogt.
• Lands of Porphyra © 2015, Purple Duck Games; Authors: Ken Austin, Thomas Baumbach, Carl Cramér, Daniel Denehy, Perry Fehr, Mark Gedak, August Hahn, Noble Hays, John Hazen, Sam Hing, Sean Holland, N. Jolly, Christopher Kaiser, James H. Lewis, Chris Longhurst, Liz Mackie, Josh McCrowell, Christopher Mennell, Scott Messer, Angel “ARMR” Miranda, Julian Neale, Daniel M. Perez, David Pryzbyla, Marc Radle, David N. Ross, Treyson Sanders, Justin Sluder, Todd Stewart, Stefen Styrsky, Mike Welham, Jeremy Whelan, Patricia Willenborg.
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Ross Byers, Jesse Benner, Savannah Broadway, Jason Bulmahn, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, Jonathan H. Keith, Will McCardell, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Sean K Reynolds, Tork Shaw, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.