Monster Channeler (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Instead of summoning creatures physically into his presence, the monster channeler summons creatures to possess his own body.

Background

Instead of summoning creatures physically into his presence, the monster channeler summons creatures to possess his own body. Often found in shamanic societies, monster channelers are vessels that can house extraplanar creatures, granting them access to the physical world. The result is visually similar to a polymorph, but a spirit channeler does not just assume another form, in a very real sense he becomes the creature he is channeling.

Class Information

This is a summoner archetype.

Publisher: Everyman Gaming.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Abilities

A monster channeler has all class abilities of the normal summoner, except as follows.

Channel Monster (Su)

The monster channeler acts as a portal for a creature to enter the physical world, then traps the creature in his own body and controls it. This is a possession effect, the creature possesses the channeler, but the channeler is in control.

Whenever the monster channeler summons or calls a creature, including his eidolon, that creature manifests inside his body. Both the monster channeler's and the creature's life force occupies the monster channeler's body, which assumes the physical form and all the characteristics of the possessing creature, including hit points, equipment, and alignment. The monster channeler controls the creature, and it acts on the monster channeler's turn. In effect, the monster channeler's player now plays the possessing creature instead of the normal character. The monster channeler can perceive what the possessing creature perceives and can communicate telepathically with it. This telepathy transcends language barriers, but does not confer language skills; the creature can be ordered to speak, but only in a language it knows (an eidolon knows the same languages the summoner does). A monster channeler can only control one summoned creature at a time, further summons merely replace the current one. This limitation applies to the eidolon as well as to summoned creatures.

The possessed monster channeler counts as both his original type and subtype and as the eidolon's type and subtype for the purpose of what spells and effects affect him. Protection from evil and similar effects cannot prevent this voluntary possession. Effects that specifically end possession can expel the possessing creature. If the possession ends for any reason, such as if the creature is killed, dismissed, or cast out of the body, the monster channeler's body returns to normal. The possessing creature is immediately returned to its home plane. Any damage (including ability damage, ability drain, and negative levels) the creature took disappears with it. When possession begins or ends, any spells, effects, and conditions (except those related to hit points, ability damage, ability drain, and negative levels) stay with whoever now inhabits the body. Spells and effects cease to affect the monster channeler if he is no longer a legal target, such as a spell that does not affect the monster channeler's creature type. The share spells ability allows all the monster channeler's own spells to stay in effect when his eidolon possesses him.

All the monster channeler's gear merges with the body when he is possessed and has no effect; the possessing creature appears with whatever gear is in its description. The eidolon is an exception to this rule. When possessed by his eidolon, armor merges with his form, but other items the eidolon can use remain and continue to function. If the eidolon has the armor training evolution, the summoner's armor need not merge with his form.

While possessed, the monster channeler can take no actions other than to use the life link ability and to control or dismiss the creature possessing his body.

Possession Spellcasting (Su)

At 2nd level, a possessed monster channeler can cast spells and use spell-like and supernatural effects on himself and on the creature possessing his body. He is considered a separate creature touching the possessing creature for this purpose. He can access and use any gear merged with his form. He can summon or call a different creature; doing so replaces the creature currently possessing him with a new one. He cannot directly affect anything except the creature possessing him. This replaces bond senses.

Possession Trap (Su)

At 4th level, the monster channeler can force a creature to possess his body as a full-round action. When within 30 ft. of a creature with the inherent ability to possess others the monster channeler can force that creature to possess him. This includes creatures that can possess others using supernatural and spell-like abilities, but not spells. Using this ability on a creature incapable of possession automatically fails. A monster channeler can always use this ability on a creature possessing him, even in situations where he'd normally be incapable of taking any action.

The target is allowed a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the monster channeler's level + his Charisma modifier). If the saving throw succeeds, nothing happens. If the saving throw fails the creature possesses the monster channeler as outlined in channel monster, the channeler assumes the creature's form and abilities and can control its actions. He can force the creature to attack itself, but cannot force it to become helpless or reduce it's defenses in any way. Each round at the beginning of the monster channeler's turn while he is possessed in this way, a hostile possessor can make another Will saving throw. If it fails, the monster channeler is in control for this round and can control the creature's actions, acting on the monster channeler's turn. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature is in control and can act normally on its own turn later in the round. It can also choose to immediately end the possession, which physically separates it from the monster channeler, who appears adjacent to the creature and is dazed. If the possessor chooses to not end the possession, it remains in the channeler's body but is in control. If the possessing creature is exorcised or falls below zero hit points, it materializes as a separate creature as above and is not sent to its home plane.

The monster channeler must use this ability on a creature he called with a planar binding spell. When a called creature fails its initial saving throw, it possesses the monster channeler, as possession trap. The monster channeler and the creature then fight for control as above. The monster channeler can bargain with the creature each round while this battle for control takes place, in rounds when the monster channeler has control, he gains a +2 bonus on Charisma rolls to establish a deal. If a called creature gains control, it can manifest as a separate being, but is still trapped as long as the calling is made inside a magic circle. Once a deal has been reached, the creature can be used with the channel monster ability or appear as a separate being in the normal fashion, bypassing the channel monster limitation.

Possession trap replaces shield ally.

Condition Selection (Ex)

At 6th level, when beginning or ending a possession, the monster channeler can select to not transfer certain effects and conditions from himself to the possessing creature and vice verso. This allows him to get rid of unwanted effects while keeping beneficial ones. Mind-affecting effects cannot be removed in this way. Condition selection replaces maker's call.

Rapid Eidolon (Ex)

At 8th level the monster channeler can summon or dismiss his eidolon as a full-round action. At 12th level, he can summon or dismiss the eidolon as a standard action. At 16th level, he can summon or dismiss it as a swift action, at 20th level, he can summon or dismiss the eidolon as an immediate action. The eidolon always acts on the summoner's initiative, even if summoned outside his turn.

This ability replaces transposition, greater shield ally, merge forms, and twin eidolon.

Shielded Possession (Ex)

At level 14 a creature possessing the monster channeler gains a +2 shield bonus to its Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on its saving throws. This replaces life bond.

Table: Monster Channeler

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1	2	3	4	5	6
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Cantrips, channel monster, eidolon, life link, summon monster I	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Possession spellcasting	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Summon monster II	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Possession trap	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Summon monster III	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Condition selection	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Summon monster IV	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Rapid eidolon (full-round)	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Summon monster V	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Aspect	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Summon monster VI	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Rapid eidolon (standard)	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Summon monster VII	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Shielded eidolon	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Summon monster VIII	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Rapid eidolon (swift)	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Summon monster IX	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Greater aspect	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Gate	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Rapid eidolon (immediate)	5	5	5	5	5	5

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Bond Senses
• Shield Ally
• Maker's Call
• Transposition
• Greater Shield Ally
• Life Bond
• Merge Forms
• Twin Eidolon

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