Animist Medium (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

An animist medium is an animist who embodies spirits, allowing them to take over his body. This can either be a covert channeling where the power manifests as a spell, or overt when the spirit manifests directly in the body of the animist.

Class Abilities

The animist medium man has all normal animist class abilities, except as noted.

Allied Monster Spirits

Remove all summon nature's ally spells from the bokor's spell list. add all summon monster spells to the bokor's spell list. A bokor always gains the latest summon monster as known spells as they gain access to a new spell level. This is a modification to summon allied spirits.

Animistic Medium

Whenever you summon a creature, you have the option to have that creature manifest inside your body. This applies to all creatures called trough spells or spell-like abilities. When this happens, your body is displaced into an extra-dimensional space, and replaced with the summoned or called creature. While in this extra-dimensional space, you are impervious to all effects. You have the normal degree of control over the creature, depending on how it was controlled or called. In effect, you now play the creature instead of your normal character. You can perceive what the possessing creature perceives and can communicate telepathically with it. This telepathy transcends language barriers, but this only applies to communication between you and the creature. You can order the creature to speak, but only in languages it knows.

When the effect ends or the creature is defeated, the creature disappears and you return to the world in the same space the creature occupied.

You and the creature do not necessarily have the same space, and sometimes you may have different movement modes that would prevent you from occupying the same space as the other when you change spaces. In every case, you are moved as little as possible, resolving conflicts in the following order.

1. If you can legally stand in the same or adjacent spaces, you do so.
2. If you can squeeze and remain in the same space, you do so.
3. If you cannot squeeze and remain in place, you are displaced to the nearest point where you do not have to squeeze to stand, along a normal line of effect. You can move trough the space of other creatures to do this, and the movement does not trigger attacks of opportunity.
4. If there is no space you can move that you have line of effect to, you are displaced to the nearest space you can occupy, disregarding line of effect, simply teleporting into a legal position. This teleportation cannot be prevented by effects that normally inhibit movement or teleportation, but you are dazed one round after such a teleport.

When you and a creature change places, any spells or effects transfer to the one outside the extra-dimensional space. This means that any beneficial and debilitating effects effects whoever is the active part, you or the creature. Creatures possessing you are considered legal target for any spells that could affect you, but you are not automatically a legal target for spells affecting a creature that has possessed you; if an effect that could not affect you would be transferred to you in this way, it ends instead. Gear goes with you into the extra-dimensional space; the creature appears with whatever gear is in its description instead.

While in the extra-dimensional space, you can take no actions other than to cast spells on yourself, affect the creature possessing you as if touching it, and communicate with any summoned creatures under your control. If you have some way to communicate across dimensional boundaries, you can use that means to communicate with others than your controlled creature. No action you take in extradimensional space will trigger an attack of opportunity.

If the possession ends for some reason, such as if the creature is exorcised, this power immediately ends and you return from your extra-dimensional space. A summoned creature is immediately dismissed, while a called creature is affected normally depending on the power that forced it out of your body.

This replaces spirit guide.

Possessed Summoning (Su)

At 3rd level, you can summon creatures while in your extra-dimensional space; the summoned creature either replaces the one possessing you or is summoned normally. When you summon in this way, they pass through your extra-dimensional space, where you can affect them with spells or other abilities if you act before them in the round they appear. The summoned creature moves from the extra-dimensional space to the physical world at the beginning of their first action. This only works if you have an action in the round they appear; normally because the summons was a full-round action or you used a quickened spell or both.

This replaces blessing of the spirits.

Possession Trap (Su)

At 5th level, when you are in the presence of a creature that can possess others, whether it is currently possessing another creature or not, you can force that creature to possess your body as a standard action. You cannot use this ability when you are in your extra-dimensional space, but if successful you are moved there. The creature must be within 30 ft. and is allowed a Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ your animist level + your Charisma modifier). If the saving throw fails the creature possesses you as outline in Controlled Possession, and you can control its actions. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature has the option to ignore you or to possess you normally, with the creature in control for one round.

Each round while possessing you, a creature with possession powers must make the above Will saving trow. If it fails, you are in control for this round and can move to your extra-dimensional space if you are not already there. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature is in control. If you are in your extra-dimensional space the creature can act normally or choose to end the possession. If you are physically present to be possessed, the creature controls your body in the usual manner.

This replaces exorcism.

Fast Possession (Su)

At 6th level, when casting a summon nature's ally spell to summon a single creature to possess you, the casting time of the spell is reduced to a standard action.

This replaces warding of the spirits.

Slough Effects (Su)

At 13th level, when moving to or from your extra-dimensional space, you can select which effects to transfer to or from yourself to the possessing creature. This allows you to get rid of unwanted effects while keeping enhancements.

This replaces guide concentration.

Fast Summons

At 15th level, all your summon nature's ally spells are cast as a standard action.

This replaces guide walk.

Possessed Spellcasting (Su)

At 18th level, you can cast spells while in control of a creature possessing you, and those spells take effect in normal space just as if you were physically present to cast them. Your spellcasting still cannot be interrupted. You must be at least 7th level to take this revelation.

This replaces spirit loyalty.

Table: The 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	Allied monster spirits, detect spirits, orisons, animist taboo, animistic medium, spirit channel	2									4	2
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Placate spirit	3									5	2
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Possessed summoning	4									5	3
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Ghost body	5	3								6	3	1
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Possession trap	6	5								6	4	2
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Fast possession	6	5	3							7	4	2	1
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Seal 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	Slough effects	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	Fast summons	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	Possessed spellcasting	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:

• Spirit Guide
• Blessing Of The Spirits
• Exorcism
• Warding Of The Spirits
• Guide Concentration
• Guide Walk
• Spirit Loyalty