Abiogenesist (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Not all servant creatures are summoned eidolons—some are created using alchemy. Carefully infusing inanimate substance with alchemical life, the animator creates a powerful servant, a homunculus.

Class Information

This is a hybrid class, a combination of summoner and alchemist.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Features

The following are the class features of the animator.

Class Skills

The animator’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Alchemy (Su)

Animators are highly trained in the creation of mundane alchemical substances and magical potion-like extracts.

When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an animator gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the skill check. In addition, an animator can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to attempt such a check.

Like an alchemist, an animator prepares his spells by mixing ingredients and a tiny fraction of his own magical power into a number of extracts, and then effectively casts the spell by drinking the extract. These extracts have powerful effects, but they are also bound to their creator. Extracts behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by dispel magic and similar effects, using the animator's level as the caster level. The animator can apply an extract to his homunculus when adjacent to it as a standard action, and need not know the Infusion extract to do so. The homunculus cannot apply an extract to itself, but can use infusions normally.

An animator can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day. His base daily allotment of extracts per day is given on Table: Animator. In addition, he receives bonus extracts per day if he has a high Intelligence score, in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day.

When an animator mixes an extract, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from his own magical aura. An extract immediately become inert if it leaves the animator's possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—an animator cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an animator must reprepare his extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work.

Creating extracts consumes raw material, but the cost of those materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the consumption of that particular extract. Extracts cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements; extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement.

An animator uses the alchemist formula list to determine the extracts he can know. An animator can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. To learn or use an extract, an animator must have at least an Intelligence score equal to 10 + the extract's level. The saving throw DC for an animator's extract is equal to 10 + the extract's level + the animator's Intelligence modifier.

An animator may know any number of formulae. He stores his formulae in a special tome called a formula book. He must refer to this book whenever he prepares an extract. At 1st level, an animator starts with two 1st-level formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional formulae equal to his Intelligence modifier. At each new animator level, he gains one new formula for any level that he can create. An animator can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his spellbook, using the same costs, pages, and time requirements. A formula book costs as much as a spellbook. An animator can study a wizard's spellbook to learn any formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An animator can also learn formulae from another animator's or an alchemist's formula book (and vice versa). An animator does not need to decipher arcane writing before copying that formulae.

Brew Potion (Ex)

At 1st level, animators receive Brew Potion as a bonus feat. An animator can brew potions of any formulae he knows (up to 3rd level), using his animator level as his caster level. The spell must be one that can be made into a potion. The animator does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat.

Discoveries

At level 1 and every odd level thereafter, the animator gains a discovery, as the alchemist ability. He cannot select discoveries that enhances abilities he does not have, such as bombs, mutagen, or or poison use. This replaces the summon monster and gate abilities. As an option, instead of taking a discovery, the animator's homunculus can gain an additional mutation point.

Homunculus

An animator begins play with a powerful construct called a homunculus and has the ability to build new homunculi. Unlike the creature called a homunculus (which animators consider only half finished experiments), the homunculi animators create is alive, an outsider of the native subtype. The animator forms a link with his homunculus, and can only maintain such a link to one homunculus at a time. If a animator builds a new homunculus, any link to a previous homunculus is lost and that homunculus is destroyed. A homunculus has the same alignment as the animator that created it and knows all languages its creator knows. It is a wholly material creature and cannot be dismissed or summoned.

Unlike an eidolon, a homunculus can heal naturally.

A animator can create a new homunculus in a ritual that takes a full day to perform. Such a new homunculus is identical in all ways to the previous homunculus. Only when advancing in level can a animator create a new homunculus that differs from the old one, reconstructing it from the ground up, including choosing a new base form. A homunculus is made from a brew of blood and dung, deposited in a bag made of an animal's intestines, gently heated over a slow fire while the animator stirs and exhales on it. At first the creature is very small (hence the name), but further work makes it grow in size and power.

An homunculus can access some unique evolutions, see the appendix. All abilities of a normal summoner that are tied to an eidolon are tied to the homunculus for a animator. Other than described here it is identical to a summoner's eidolon.

Life Link (Su)

Starting at 1st level, an animator forms a close bond with his homunculus. Whenever the homunculus takes damage, the animator can sacrifice any number of hit points. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the homunculus.

When the animator uses an extract to heal his homunculus, double number of hit points recovered.

In addition, the homunculus and the animator must remain within 100 feet of one another for the homunculus to remain at full strength. If the homunculus is beyond 100 feet but closer than 1,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 50%. If the homunculus is more than 1,000 feet away but closer than 10,000 feet, its current and maximum hit point totals are reduced by 75%. If the homunculus is more than 10,000 feet away, it is immediately returned to its home plane. Current hit points lost in this way are not restored when the homunculus gets closer to its animator, but its maximum hit point total does return to normal.

Bond Senses (Su)

Starting at 2nd level, an animator can, as a standard action, share the senses of his homunculus, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything the homunculus does. He can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to his animator level. There is no range to this effect, but the homunculus and the animator must be on the same plane. The animator can end this effect as a free action.

Shield Ally (Ex)

At 4th level, whenever an animator is within his homunculus’s reach, the animator receives a +2 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on his saving throws. This bonus does not apply if the homunculus is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.

Maker’s Call (Su)

At 6th level, as a standard action, an animator can call his homunculus to his side. This functions as dimension door, using the animator’s caster level. When used, the homunculus appears adjacent to the animator (or as close as possible if all adjacent spaces are occupied). If the homunculus is out of range, the ability is wasted. The animator can use this ability once per day at 6th level, plus one additional time per day for every four levels beyond 6th.

Transposition (Su)

At 8th level, an animator can use his maker’s call ability to swap locations with his homunculus. If it is larger than him, he can appear in any square occupied by the homunculus. The homunculus must occupy the square that was occupied by the animator if able, or as close as possible if it is not able.

Aspect (Su)

At 10th level, an animator can divert up to 2 points from his homunculus’s evolution pool to add evolutions to himself. He cannot select any evolution that the homunculus could not possess, and he must be able to meet the requirements as well. He cannot select the ability increase evolution through this ability. Any points spent in this way are taken from the homunculus’s evolution pool (reducing the total number available to the homunculus). The animator can change the evolutions he receives from these points any time he can change the homunculus’s evolutions.

Greater Shield Ally (Su)

At 12th level, whenever an ally is within an homunculus’s reach, the ally receives a +2 shield bonus to its Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on its saving throws. If this ally is the animator, these bonuses increase to +4. This bonus does not apply if the homunculus is grappled, helpless, paralyzed, stunned, or unconscious.

Life Bond (Su)

At 14th level, an animator’s life becomes linked to his homunculus’s. As long as the homunculus has 1 or more hit points, the animator is protected from harm. Damage in excess of that which would reduce the animator to fewer than 0 hit points is instead transferred to the homunculus. This damage is transferred 1 point at a time, meaning that as soon as the homunculus is reduced to a number of negative hit points equal to its Constitution score, all excess damage remains with the animator.

Effects that cause death but not damage are unaffected by this ability. This ability does not affect spells like baleful polymorph, flesh to stone, or imprisonment, or other spells that do not cause actual damage.

Merge Forms (Su)

At 16th level, as a full-round action, an animator can touch his homunculus and the two can merge forms. This transformation includes all of the animator’s gear. While merged in this way, the animator is protected from harm and cannot be the target of spells or effects. All effects and spells currently targeting the animator are suspended until the animator emerges from the homunculus (although durations continue to expire).

The animator can cast spells while inside the homunculus by taking control of the homunculus for the duration of the casting. Any material components used for these spells are taken from the animator’s gear, even though they are otherwise inaccessible. The animator can direct all of the homunculus’s actions while merged, can perceive through its senses, and can speak through its voice.

The animator can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to his animator level. He can end this effect at any time as a swift action. The animator emerges in a square adjacent to the homunculus if able. If the homunculus is returned to its home plane while the animator is merged with it, the animator is immediately ejected, taking 4d6 points of damage, and is stunned for 1 round.

Greater Aspect (Su)

At 18th level, an animator can divert more of his homunculus’s evolutions to himself. This ability functions as the aspect ability, but up to 6 evolution points can be taken. Unlike the aspect ability, the homunculus loses 1 point from its evolution pool for every 2 points (or fraction thereof) diverted to the animator.

Twin Homunculus (Su)

At 20th level, an animator and his homunculus share a true connection. As a standard action, the animator can assume the shape of his homunculus, copying all of its evolutions, form, and abilities. His Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores change to match the base scores of his homunculus. He can choose to have any gear that he carries become absorbed by his new form, as with spells from the polymorph subschool. Items with continuous effects continue to function while absorbed in this way. The animator loses his natural attacks and all racial traits (except bonus feats, skills, and languages) in favor of the abilities granted by his homunculus’s evolutions. The animator retains all of his class features. The animator can keep this form for a number of minutes per day equal to his animator level. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-minute increments. The animator can end this effect as a free action.

Table: Animator

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						1	2	3	4	5	6
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Cantrips, Brew Potion, discovery, homunculus, life link	1	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Bond senses	2	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Discovery	3	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Shield ally	3	1	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Discovery	4	2	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Maker’s call	4	3	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5	Discovery	4	3	1	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Transposition	4	4	2	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Discovery	5	4	3	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Aspect	5	4	3	1	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Discovery	5	4	4	2	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Greater shield ally	5	5	4	3	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Discovery	5	5	4	3	1	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Life bond	5	5	4	4	2	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Discovery	5	5	5	4	3	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Merge forms	5	5	5	4	3	1
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Discovery	5	5	5	4	4	2
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Greater aspect	5	5	5	5	4	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Discovery	5	5	5	5	5	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Twin eidolon	5	5	5	5	5	5

Appendix: Homunculus Evolutions

A homunculus has access to the following additional evolutions.

Large (Ex)

2 point evolution

The large evolution is only a two-point evolution for a homunculus, and the huge evolution an additional 3 points instead of 6 points. The benefits of being Large or Huge remain the same, and homuncului with this evolution still pay twice the normal cost for evolutions to Strength and Constitution.

By paying the full normal cost of the Large or Huge evolutions, the homunculus gains the ability to grow selectively, and can return to Small or Medium size or grow to its full possible size as a standard action.

Shrink (Su)

2 point evolution

The homunculus can shrink to Tiny size or resume its normal size as a standard action. A Tiny homunculus might be mistaken for a familiar.

While Tiny, the homunculus gains a +4 bonus to its Dexterity score. It also takes a –8 penalty to its Strength and a –4 penalty to its Constitution. It gains a +2 size bonus to its AC and attack rolls, a –2 penalty to its CMB and CMD scores, a +4 bonus on its Fly skill checks, and a +8 bonus on its Stealth skill checks. If it is normally Small, Large, or Huge, it loses the effects of these size modifications. Any natural armor the homunculus has is halved. It also loses its natural reach and all natural and weapon attacks do two steps less damage.

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

• Class Skills
• Eidolon
• Spells
• Cantrips
• Summon Monster I - IX
• Gate

See Also

• Summoner Notes

External Links

• Summoner class at d20pfsrd.com
• Summoner spells at d20pfsrd.com
• Eidolons at d20pfsrd.com

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