Animist (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Master of the spirit world, the animist follows a different divine tradition than the cleric or the druid. Her world is filled with powerful, living spirits, some helpful and some malign. By bargaining with these spirits, the animist gains power over the natural world and mighty divine magic with which to aid her comrades or smite her enemies.

Class Information

Age: Animists have an informal education, and use the middle age bracket for starting age.

Abilities: Wisdom determines how powerful a spell an animist can cast and how many spells she can cast per day and how hard those spells are to resist (see Spells, below). Many of the Animist’s abilities key off Charisma, and good physical attributes are always useful.

Alignment: Any. While uninterested in politics, they care intensely about spirits and about people close to them. Animists often strive to stay out of worldly concerns and maintain a neutral attitude, but this rarely works out. Some animists work for spirits of a distinct alignment, and follow their convictions.

Hit Dice: d8

Starting Wealth: 2d6 × 10 gp (average 70 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The animist’s class skills (and the key ability for each Skill) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the animist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

An animist is proficient with the blowgun, club, dagger, dart, hand axe, javelin, longspear, quarterstaff, shortbow, shortspear, sling, spear, throwing axe, and with light armor and with shields (except tower shields).

Many animists are restricted against wearing iron armor or using iron weapons, see taboo of metal below.

Spells

An animist casts divine spells drawn from the druid spell list. Add beast shape II to the animist's spell list as a fourth level spell. This spell is not learned automatically, it must be picked as a known spell.

An animist can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an animist must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an animist’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the animist’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an animist can cast only a certain number of spells per day of each spell level. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Animist. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells).

An animist’s selection of spells is extremely limited. An animist begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of her choice. At each new animist level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Animist under Spells Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an animist knows is not affected by her Wisdom score; the numbers on Table: Animist are fixed.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered animist level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), an animist can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the animist loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged. An animist may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Summon Allied Spirits

When an animist gains access to a a new level of spells, she immediately gains the summon nature's ally spell of that level as a known spell.

Orisons

Animists learn a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: The Animist under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

Detect Spirits (Sp)

The animist perceives nearby spirits. At will, the animist can use detect spirits as a spell-like ability. It functions just like detect undead, except it detects spirits. An animist can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is a spirit or has been in contact with spirits, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, the animist does not detect spirits in any other object or individual within range.

Animist Taboo

Each animist has a taboo, an act that is prohibited and disrupts their link to the spirit world. An animist who breaks her taboo is unable to cast animist spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter. Select one taboo from this list.

1. Taboo of Metal: Metal is the manifestation of man’s dominion over nature and at odds with the natural order of the spirits. The animist may not wear metal armor (all armor except cloth, leather and hide) or use metal weapons. Among the weapons animists are proficient with, these work normally when not made of metal: blowgun, club, dart, javelin, and quarterstaff. Wooden weapons and armor affected by the ironwood spell are allowed. The animist is allowed to wear coins and adornments made of soft precious metals, like copper, silver, gold, and platinum. This is the most common taboo.
2. Taboo of Death: Ill health is a barrier to the spirit world, one the animist dares not come near. Touching or healing a wound or infection breaks this taboo, as does touching a newly dead body. The animist can safely use the Heal skill and spells on himself and on spirits. Others can be healed, but doing so breaks the taboo after the healing spell or ability has been used. The animist can deal freely with undead. This taboo is from shinto and common in Japan-inspired settings.
3. Taboo of Tribe: The animist cannot talk to outsiders without losing power. He can never use Charisma-based skills, speak to, or otherwise communicate with those not in his tribal group, tough listening to them is allowed. Adopted members of the tribe can be communicated with. Adventuring animists can communicate with their fellow party members, but not with strangers. The animist can communicate with animals and spirits of all kinds without breaking this taboo. This taboo is common in isolated communities.
4. Taboo of Gender: The animist must not touch, heal, or communicate with members of one gender, as in Taboo of tribe and taboo of death, above. This taboo also extends to spirits of this gender. Spirits the animist summons or calls are never of the forbidden gender. Fighting against members of the forbidden gender is allowed. This taboo is common all over the world.

Spirit Guide

All animists have a spirit guide, a personification of the spirit world. In some sense a spirit animist and her guide are one being, both knowing and seeing and experiencing the same things. Unlike a familiar, a spirit guide is not a separate entity from the animist. She is the only one who can perceive or interact with her guide. It exists only inside her own mind and soul.

Spirit Guide	Characteristics
Badger	Orderliness, tenacity
Bear	Strength, endurance
Buffalo	Abundance, good fortune
Cougar	Balance, leadership
Coyote	Humor, trickiness
Crane	Balance, majesty
Crow	Intelligence, resourcefulness
Eagle	Perception, illumination
Elk	Pride, power, majesty
Fox	Cleverness, discretion
Hawk	Awareness, truth
Lizard	Elusiveness
Otter	Joy, laughter
Owl	Wisdom, night
Rabbit	Conquering fear, safety
Raccoon	Curiosity
Raven	Insight, tickery
Scorpion	Defense, self-protection
Snake	Power, life force, potency
Spider	Interconnectedness, industry
Turtle	Love, protection
Vulture	Vigilance, death
Wolf	Loyalty, interdependence

The exact form of the spirit guide is chosen by the animist at 1:st level, usually for the qualities it represents, as shown above. The exact form of a spirit guide is purely personal preference, and confers no special advantages or disadvantages. Rare animists have completely different spirit guides; manifestations of elementals, places, ancestors or other spiritual entities.

Spirit Channel (Su)

An animist can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of the spirit world. This can be negative energy that causes damage to spirits or positive energy that heals spirits, as decided when the power is used. This is similar to the cleric ability channel energy, but there is no relation to alignment or the undead; the animist hurts or heals spirits on his own whim.

Spirit channel causes a burst that affects all spirits in a 30-foot radius centered on the animist. The damage dealt is 1d6, plus 1d6 points of damage for every two animist levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). When causing damage, the animist can choose to cause normal or subdual damage. This is spiritual damage and does full damage to ethereal and incorporeal targets and is not subject to damage reduction or damage resistance. Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + ½ the animist's level + the animist's Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by spirit channel cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost.

An animist may spirit channel a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. An animist can choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.

This ability works with channeling feats and uses those as a cleric of the animist's class level.

Placate Spirit (Su)

At 2nd level, the animist learns how to plead and cajole with spirits. The animist can speak with any spirit that understands a language. Add half the animist’s level to any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform, or Sense Motive checks against spirits.

Spirit Protection (Sp)

At 3rd level, an animist can perform a special rite to gain protection from spirits. The animist goes into a meditative state for 10 minutes; the animist can only ward herself with this ability and cannot perform the rite for anyone else. The blessing functions just like protection from evil, except it protects against spirits rather than evil and lasts until dispelled or negated. If this ability is dispelled, the animist can recreate it simply by taking 10 minutes to do so.

Ghost Body (Su)

At 4th level, the animist’s natural attacks benefit from the ghost touch special ability.

Exorcism (Su)

At fifth level the animist learns to exorcise spirits. At will, as a full-round action, an animist can force a possessing creature or spirit within 30 ft. out of the body or object it inhabits (for example, a ghost with the malevolence ability). The creature is allowed a Will save to negate the effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + ½ the animist's level + the animist's Charisma modifier. If she succeeds in forcing the possessor out, the body or object is left unharmed. A spirit so exorcised cannot attempt to possess a victim for 24 hours.

Spirit ward (Sp)

At 6th level an animist can perform a special rite once per day to ward herself and her companions against hostile spirits. Performing the rite requires 1 minute. The warding lasts for 10 minutes per level and otherwise functions like a magic circle against evil centered on the animist, except that it protects against spirits instead of evil.

Seal Spirit (Sp)

At 7th level the animist can attempt to seal a spirit once per day at level seven, plus one time per day for every 4 additional animist levels. This works like the binding spell, with a save DC of 10 + half the animist’s level + animist’s Charisma modifier. It can only affect spirits. As long as any animist uses this power at the binding spot or object before the current binding ends, the effect is extended automatically, but the duration is now based on the renewing animist’s level. Often, a shrine is built at the spot of an important binding, and animists, shugenja, and passers-by alike perform services there to placate the spirit and renew the binding.

See the Unseen (Su)

At 8th level the animist can see invisible for one round as a move action. This can be kept up continuously by continuing to spend move actions on it each round.

Spirit Quest (Sp)

At 9th level an animist learns how he and companions can vanish bodily into the spirit world once per day, plus one additional time per day per 5 levels after 9. This ability functions like the spell plane shift but takes 10 minutes to activate.

Ghost Warrior (Su)

At 10th level, the animist confers the ghost touch quality to any weapon or armor she holds or wears for as long as she touches it. She may use her normal Armor Class (not her touch AC) against any touch attack delivered by an incorporeal creature.

Banish Spirit (sp)

At 11th level, the animist can use banishment once per day at level 11, and an additional time per day for every four additional animist levels. This only works against extra-planar creatures.

Greater Spirit Protection (Su)

At 12th level, spirit protection (above) becomes a supernatural ability that is constantly active and cannot be dispelled. The blessing functions just like protection from evil, except that it protects against spirits.

Guide Concentration (Su)

At 13th level, as a free action, an animist can assign her spirit guide the task of concentrating on a spell or spell-like ability that is maintained through concentration. The animist can act normally while her spirit guide concentrates on the spell. A spirit guide can concentrate on only one spell at a time. If necessary to maintain the spell, the spirit guide makes concentration checks for the animist, using the animist's normal concentration modifier. A spirit guide does not have to make concentration checks for circumstances affecting the animist's body. The spirit itself is not present for anyone to interrupt or otherwise interact with.

Spirit Journey (Sp)

At 14th level the animist learns how to travel trough the borders of the spirit world. This ability functions like the spell shadow walk, but the animist is travelling along the borders of many different planes. An animist can use this ability once per day.

Guide Walk (Su)

At 15th level, when the animist is incapacitated, slept, held, unconscious or otherwise helpless after having failed a Will saving throw, the spirit guide takes over control of the body. The animist is not considered helpless, and may perform one move action each round.

Weaken Spirits (Sp)

At 16th level the animist can choose to strip spirits of their defenses instead of damaging them with her spirit channel ability. When a spirit is weakened, it loses its spell resistance and any damage reduction overcome by magic weapons, silver or cold iron weapons, and aligned weapons (but not damage reduction overcome by adamantine weapons, specific types of damage, or not overcome by anything). In addition, an incorporeal spirit loses its immunity to non-magical attack, its 50% damage from corporeal sources, and its ability to move into or through objects. A weakened spirit takes a -5 modifier on any save or spell resistance check against any animist’s spells and abilities. To weaken spirits, an animist uses her spirit channel ability but chooses to do less damage in exchange for weakening the spirits for a short time. For each 1d6 of spirit channel damage the animist forgoes, the affected spirits are weakened for 1 round. For example, a 15th-level animist chastising two dread wraiths deals 8d6 points of damage to each dread wraith, but she could choose to deal 5d6 points of damage to each wraith and weaken them for 3 rounds. Spirits that make their Will save against the spirit channel damage are unaffected by the weakening effect (but still take half the damage, after subtracting for damage lost due to this ability).

Spirit Destination (Sp)

At 17th level, when using spirit quest to plane shift, the animist now arrives within one to six miles of her intended destination.

Spirit Loyalty (Su)

At 18th level, an animist can lean on her spirit companion, using its support to keep control of her own mind. If an animist is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her saving throw, she can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed on her saving throw.

Ghost General (Su)

At 19th level, as a standard action, the animist can confer the ghost touch special ability to any weapon or armor worn by her allies within 30 ft. when she uses this ability. This can be used at will and lasts one minute per level of the animist.

Planar Deputation (Sp)

At 20th level an animist can head a planar deputation. This functions as gate, but it can only be used to travel; the animist cannot use it to call extra-planar creatures. He can still create the gate next to a named extra-planar being in order to travel to its location, and creatures on the other side can voluntarily come to the animists side but the animist has no spcial control over them. Planar deputation has a duration of 10 minutes/level and is dismissible. It is a 10 minute ritual that can be used once per day.

Table: Animist

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day									Spells Known
						1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Detect spirits, orisons, animist taboo, spirit guide, spirit channel 1d6, summon allied spirits	2									4	2
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Placate spirit	3									5	2
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Spirit protection, spirit channel 2d6	4									5	3
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Ghost body	5	3								6	3	1
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Exorcism, spirit channel 3d6	6	5								6	4	2
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Spirit ward	6	5	3							7	4	2	1
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Seal spirit, spirit channel 4d6	6	6	4							7	5	3	2
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	See the unseen	6	6	5	3						8	5	3	2	1
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Spirit channel 5d6, Spirit quest	6	6	6	4						8	5	4	3	2
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Ghost warrior	6	6	6	5	3					9	5	4	3	2	1
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Banish spirit, spirit channel 6d6	6	6	6	6	4					9	5	5	4	3	2
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Greater spirit protection	6	6	6	6	5	3				9	5	5	4	3	2	1
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Guide concentration, spirit channel 7d6	6	6	6	6	6	4				9	5	5	4	4	3	2
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Spirit journey	6	6	6	6	6	5	3			9	5	5	4	4	3	2	1
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Guide walk, spirit channel 8d6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4			9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Weaken spirits	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3		9	5	5	4	4	4	3	2	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Spirit destination, spirit channel 9d6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4		9	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Spirit loyalty	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Ghost general, spirit channel 10d6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	3	2
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Planar deputation	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	9	5	5	4	4	4	4	4	3	3

Notes

Spirit magic is magic learned from and empowered by spirits, little gods that exist everywhere, mystic energies that can be communed with to work magic. A spirit magician learns to see and commune with spirits and to use their gifts. This is based on a belief called animism and is inherently divine magic, but can be combined with other magic traditions. On its own, it is sometimes called primal magic. Spirit magicians and occult casters share an interest in spirits, but occultists focus on spirits of the dead while spirit magicians commune mostly with spirits of nature.

A series of articles will present three classes grounded in animism, the animist, shugenja, and wu-jen. These classes share a similar animistic view of the world, and are collectively called spirit magicians. Each class uses spirit magic differently, but they all gain power from spirits to work magic. Spirit magicians are no meek clerics who offer worship. A spirit can be bribed and persuaded by offers of service and loyalty, but it can also be coerced or defeated in combat to bind it into service.

Animism

Animism is the belief that inside all things are spirits, and these spirits can be befriended, cajoled, or browbeat into cooperation. This belief is common in tribal cultures that live close to nature. Often looked down upon in the west, animism has been suppressed by monotheistic religions but often survives in splinter groups or mixed into the practice of other faiths. Asian cultures tend to be more accepting of faith in spirits, allowing animism to develop more specialized forms, such as that of the shugenja and wu-jen. Druidism can be seen as a variant of animism. The most well-known animist religion today is Shinto, but Taoism and Vodou also has significant animist elements. Feel free to use spirit magic in any campaign, animism exists in innumerable forms all over the world.

Spirit Magic

Spirit magic is magic empowered by the spirits and spirit magicians live on the border between the world of folk and the many worlds of the spirits. Those who use spirit magic are here collectively called spirit magicians. Most spirit magicians live in two societies at once, the society of folk and the society of spirits. They help and protect their allies in both groups, counting on their assistance in return. When the threat of planar incursion looms, most spirit magicians are staunch defenders of planar boundaries. Good spirit magicians help folk and spirits live together. Their traditional duties are both to facilitate contact with spirits and to delineate a border between the mystical and the mundane. While rarely lawful the way civilized people see things, they help maintain the world order by guarding the border between the domains of folk, the dead, nature, and monsters. Some spirit magicians side entirely with one side, exploiting spirits for benefit of folk or the other way around, while a few are renegades who use both folk and spirits strictly for their own benefit. Powerful spirit magicians explore the planes to find power, wisdom, and solutions to problems. They often bring others along as guards, assistants, or to provide them with spiritual education.

Most of the spirits spirit magicians interact with are imperceptible to everyone else. Spirit magicians see spirits where others find only dead matter or impersonal magical energies. Wizards and clerics often claim these spirits do not exist, as they cannot be observed. This is laughable to spirit magicians, who see their powers as proof of the power of spirits. This creates some bad will between spirit magicians and followers of more structured traditions of magic.

What is a Spirit?

Spirits come in four forms; objects, mundane creatures, youkai, and immaterial spirits. Objects are dormant spirits. They take no action until awakened by magic. Spells like animate object can turn an object into a youkai. Mundane Creatures are spirits that have taken a living, physical form, but that have very little inherent magic. This includes all animals and humanoids. Mundane creatures can awaken their spirit natures to work magic, but unless they change their very nature they are not youkai. Youkai are spirits that can interact with mundane creatures, such as ghosts, as well as spirits that have materialized or taken possession of a mundane object or creature to become a magical creature. Most monsters are youkai. Immaterial Spirits are spells and supernatural abilities. Spirit magic is the work of immaterial spirits allied to or bound by a magician. Youkai and some mundane creatures can manipulate immaterial spirits, and the immaterial spirits in turn can manipulate all other kinds of spirits.

Note that there are no clear lines between these classifications, and combinations are common. A magic item is an object tied to an immaterial spirit. A summoned creature is an immaterial spirit that has taken the form of a youkai. Spellcasters are usually a mundane creatures, but can cajole immaterial spirits to work for them.

Spirit magicians regard most monsters as spirits, and may have abilities gives them power over a wide range of supernatural creatures. To avoid confusion, these rules call creatures imbued with spirit powers youkai, which is Japanese for monster. To a spirit magician an earth elemental is an awakened earth spirit—a youkai—while a rock is an earth spirit at rest—an object. They are both the same, just that one is active and awake while the other is dormant. This confounds and annoys those who try to rationally classify what is supernatural and what is mundane. Nevertheless, for rules purposes, we need to know exactly what a youkai is, as many of the animists' and shugenja's abilities only work on youkai. For purposes of the these abilities, youkai includes all of the following creatures:

• All aberrations
• Constructs except the clockwork and robot subtypes
• All dragons
• All fey
• All magical beasts
• All monstrous humanoids
• Humanoids of the giant or shapechanger subtypes
• All outsiders
• All creatures of the Plant type (not normal plants)
• All undead
• Creatures created by spells, such as animate object.
• Creatures summoned by spells, such as summon nature's ally.
• Creatures in astral, ethereal, or incorporeal form, or who are possessing another creature or object, such as by the magic jar spell.

Spirit magicians see elementals and fey as youkai of nature and undead as youkai of the dead. Magical beasts, constructs, plants, giants, monstrous humanoids, and aberrations are either youkai-possessed or youkai bound in corporeal form. Most spirit magicians consider youkai to be unruly but lovable rascals. While youkai have a definite place in the world order, their place is in the wilds, on other planes, and in shrines—not roaming wild in the lands of folk. Youkai that cause trouble are often bound and enshrined, placated by treating them as little gods.

Enshrined Youkai

In cultures where animists and shugenja are common, it is normal practice to enshrine youkai. This practice is also known as binding or sealing the youkai, and is done using the Bind Youkai ability. Coercion is acceptable, and it is common practice to defeat a hostile youkai in combat in order to bind it. A youkai bound by this ability is automatically stabilized and heals damage normally while bound.

Being enshrined is restful and comfortable to the youkai, and those with knowledge of animists are generally willing to bargain about being enshrined under the right conditions. If the conditions made in a negotiated binding are broken, the youkai is freed. As long as binding is used again before the current binding ends, the effect is automatically extended for the duration of the new binding.

An enshrined youkai is not hidden away. Rather it is made into the focal point of a shrine or temple, venerated, and thus kept placated. Whole religious orders can be dedicated to keeping a powerful youkai sealed. Shugenja seek out such shrines because they can learn spells from them, but shrine guardians usually demand some kind of service or offering from a strange shugenja before they let them into the presence of the youkai. A normal cost is the same as that for casting a spell of the level the youkai can teach.

Summoning Youkai

Spirit magicians are often good summoners because of their close tie to the spirits. A summoned creature is an immaterial spirit that takes on a physical form and is always considered a youkai, even if the summoned creature is an animal. To reflect the the close ties to the spirits, the Summon Quick Ally feat allows druids and other spirit magicians to summon creatures more quickly.

Summon Quick Ally (General)

Table: Quick Allies

Type	Prerequisite
Animal	Wild Empathy
Fey	Resist nature's lure
Humanoid	A thousand faces
Magical Beast	Beast shape III
Outsider	Elemental body III
Plant	Woodland stride
Vermin	Wild empathy usable with vermin

Prerequisite: Ability to cast summon nature's ally, animist class feature or a another class feature, see table.

Benefit: Choose one creature type from Table: Quick Allies that you fulfill the prerequisite for. When you cast a summon nature's ally spell to summon a creature of this type, the casting time of the spell becomes 1 standard action. This does not work on creatures that have a template.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, select a different type of creature.

See Also

• Animist
• Shugenja
• Wu-Jen

External Links

Spellcasting Guides

• Animate Dead
• Overcoming Arcane Spell Failure
• Polymorph Guide - Wild Shape Guide useful to all polymorphers.
• Polyharmony Guide - Futher polymoph guidance.
• Shadow Conjuration - Shadow Evocation
• Summoning guide
• Summon Monster
• Touch Spells, Spellstrike, and Spell Combat