Trickster Animist (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The trickster animist is a social outsider that works with mischievous spirits. Trying to teach people wisdom by using foolish tricks to play on their gullibility and inability to adjust, the trickster animist is often caught in his own schemes.

Class Information

Role: The trickster can be an excellent companion and guide as long as you accept that what he is out to teach might not be what you came to learn.

Alignment: Any chaotic. The trickster shaman loves rules, he sees them as a test of wits, a fence to jump or dig under, a trap to escape.

Hit Dice: d8

Class Skills

The trickster animist’s class skills (and the key ability for each Skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

The improved class skills replaces spirit channel.

Class Features

The trickster animist has all the standard animist’s class features, except as noted below.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A trickster animist is proficient with all weapons, including improvised weapons, exotic weapons, and weapons he's never seen. The trickster animist is not proficient with armor or shields. Also see inventive weapons below.

Inventive Weapons (Ex)

Whatever weapon the trickster shaman uses always does 1d8 damage (1d6 for a Small trickster animist). This can be lethal or nonlethal damage without penalty on attack rolls. This applies even to improvised weapons such as brooms, chairs, and thrown rocks. The trickster animist suffers no attack penalty with improvised weapons, but they are as fragile as always. This replaces animist taboo.

Mage Armor

A trickster animist adds mage armor to the trickster animist's spell list and list of spells known. At 4th level the trickster animist becomes a master at using force armors, and the armor bonus of mage armor and bracers of armor stack when worn by the trickster animist. These bonuses do not otherwise stack with armor, either normal or force. This replaces weaken spirits.

Spirit Guide

The trickster animist is likely to have a coyote, crow, fox, otter, raccoon, or raven as a spirit guide. This has no game effect, but influences the personality of the spirit guide.

Transformer

The trickster has a gift for transformation. Add the following spells to the trickster's spell list at the levels given.

1. Disguise self, illusion of calm, vanish.
2. Alter self, invisibility, misdirection.
3. Beast shape I, monstrous physique I.
4. Beast shape II, elemental body I, invisibility (greater), monstrous physique II.
5. Beast shape III, elemental body II, monstrous physique III, plant shape I.
6. Beast shape IV, elemental body III, form of the dragon I, monstrous physique IV, plant shape II.
7. Elemental body IV, form of the dragon II, giant form I.
8. Form of the dragon III, giant form II screen.
9. Shapechange, wish.

At level 2 and every 2 levels thereafter, the trickster animist can select one of the above spells as a known spell. This replaces summon allied spirits.

Ingenious (Ex)

At level 2, the trickster shaman becomes an inspired improviser. He can use Acrobatics in place of Climb, Swim, and Fly skills, Disable Device in place of any Craft skill and Disguise in place of any Perform or Profession skills, but can never take 10 or 20 on such rolls. He can also use Bluff in place of Diplomacy, but 10 minutes after parting with the trickster shaman, an attitude modified by this ersatz diplomacy becomes unfriendly as targets see through the bluster. This replaces placate spirit.

Lucky Guess

At 6th level, when confronted with a Knowledge skill roll, the trickster animist can ask the GM to make a Wisdom roll DC 20. On a success, the GM gives the trickster information as if he had passed a Knowledge check with a DC equal to the roll + the trickster animist's class level. If the roll fails, the GM if free to give the trickster misleading information or give nothing. Whatever the result, the GM should strive to present the information as fantastic and unlikely. This replaces warding of the spirits.

Steal Spirit (Sp)

At 7th level, the trickster shaman attempt to steal 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 affect spirits and creatures with levels in spellcasting classes. Unlike the binding spell, this ability only lasts a maximum of three days, but there is no way to tell this fact.

This ability also allows the trickster animist to bargain with the spirit. In return for releasing the spirit early, the trickster shaman can gain a single use of any spell or spell-like ability the spirit has, which he must use as a spell-like ability in the next week or lose. The saving throw of a spell-like ability gained this way is Charisma-based. Most spirits are eager to accept this deal rather than accepting what seems to be a year of sealing.

If the ability is a spell on the trickster animist's spell list and of a level he can cast, the trickster animist can add this spell to his list of known spells in exchange for another known spell of the same level.

The spirit and the trickster shaman can bargain about anything else at the same time, but unlike the spell-like ability, any such agreement is no more binding that the spirit and shaman choose to make it. This replaces seal spirit.

Table: Trickster 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, inventive weapons, mage armor, orisons, spirit guide, transformer	2									4	2
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Ingenious	3									5	2
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Blessing of the spirits	4									5	3
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Ghost body, mage armor (stacking)	5	3								6	3	1
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Exorcism	6	5								6	4	2
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Lucky guess	6	5	3							7	4	2	1
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Steal spirit	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 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	6	6	6	6	4					9	5	5	4	3	2
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Greater blessing of the spirits	6	6	6	6	5	3				9	5	5	4	3	2	1
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Guide concentration	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	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	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	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

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

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

• Weapon and Armor Proficiency
• Animist Taboos
• Spirit Channel
• Placate Spirit
• Guide Walk
• Warding of the Spirits
• Seal Spirit
• Weaken Spirits