Trickster Animist (Apath)

	Unofficial rules compendium
	Contents 1 Class Information 1.1 Class Skills; ; 2 Class Features 2.1 Weapon and Armor Proficiency; 2.2 Bite The Tail; 2.3 Inventive Weapons (Su); 2.4 Mage Armor; 2.5 Trickster Guide; 2.6 Ingenious (Ex); 2.7 Transformer; 2.8 Inspired Liar; 2.9 Steal Spirit (Sp); ; 3 Table: Trickster Animist; 4 Summary of Changed Class Abilities;
	Contents 1 Class Information 1.1 Class Skills; ; 2 Class Features 2.1 Weapon and Armor Proficiency; 2.2 Bite The Tail; 2.3 Inventive Weapons (Su); 2.4 Mage Armor; 2.5 Trickster Guide; 2.6 Ingenious (Ex); 2.7 Transformer; 2.8 Inspired Liar; 2.9 Steal Spirit (Sp); ; 3 Table: Trickster Animist; 4 Summary of Changed Class Abilities;

The trickster animist works with mischievous spirits, the trickster is often caught in his own schemes. Some tricksters try to teach people wisdom with tricks that play on their gullibility and inability to adjust. Other tricksters are simply wastrels and vagabonds, moving on before rumor of their tricks come back to haunt them. Any wisdom they teach is purely coincidental.

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. His diverse spells and ability to scout work out just often enough to make the occasional disaster worth the cost.

Alignment: Any chaotic. The trickster animist loves rules, he sees them as a test of wits, a bar to jump, a fence to 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), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Ingenious , inventive weapons, and 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 the brass knuckles, club, combat scabbard, dagger, dart, gauntlet, handaxe, sap, spear, and war razor. The trickster animist is not proficient with armor or shields. Also see inventive weapons below.

Bite The Tail

A trickster shaman is too clever by half, and this sometimes works to his disadvantage. Any skill roll that comes up a "1" on the die means the trickster shaman somehow outsmarted himself and was clever in a way that fumbles and causes him embarrassment. The result is generally the opposite of the desired one. Quite inventive failures are possible, but the effect generally only embarrasses or endangers the trickster, not his companions. Possible examples include stealth that attracts attention, bluff that convinces the trickster what he just said is true, or intimidation that is unintentionally hilarious. This replaces animist's taboo.

Inventive Weapons (Su)

Once per day as a swift action a trickster animist can gain an intuitive understanding of a weapon he is touching. The trickster gains proficiency in the weapon for one minute per level. The trickster can use this on an improvised weapon to avoid the usual non-proficiency penalty. This replaces animist taboo. At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the trickster gains an additional daily use of this ability. Ingenious , inventive weapons, and improved class skills replaces spirit channel.

Mage Armor

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

Trickster Guide

The trickster animist is likely to have a coyote, crow, fox, raccoon, or raven as a spirit guide. Some tricksters change spirit guides at the drop of a hat, or have spirit guides that seemingly change from one type to another. This works just like a normal spirit guide, but has a trickster personality.

Ingenious (Ex)

At level 2, the trickster animist 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. He 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, any creature whose attitude was modified by this ersatz diplomacy becomes unfriendly as it sees through the bluster. Ingenious , inventive weapons, and improved class skills replaces spirit channel.

Transformer

At second level the trickster discovers a gift for transformation and the illusion of transformation. Add the following spells to the trickster's spell list at the spell levels listed.

At level 2 and every 2 levels thereafter until level 18, the trickster animist can select one of the above spells as a known spell. The animist cannot replace these spells as he advances in level. This replaces allied spirits.

Inspired Liar

At 6th level, when confronted with a Knowledge skill roll, the trickster animist can ask the GM to make a check using level + Wisdom bonus against the normal difficulty. On a success, the GM gives the trickster information as if he had made the Knowledge check. If the roll fails, the GM if free to give the trickster misleading information or say nothing. Whatever the result, the GM should strive to present the information as fantastic and unlikely. This replaces spirit ward.

Steal Spirit (Sp)

At 7th level, the trickster animist attempt to steal a spirit. This works like the animist's seal spirit ability. Unlike the real thing seal spirit only lasts a maximum of three days, but there is no way to tell this fact from observing the effect.

This ability also allows the trickster animist to bargain with the spirit. In return for releasing the spirit early, the trickster animist 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 DC of a spell-like ability gained this way is Charisma-based. The spirit loses one use of the ability, but recovers it normally. Many spirits are eager to accept this deal rather than accepting what could be a long binding. A trickster can only have one "stolen" spell-like ability at a time.

The spirit and the trickster animist can bargain about anything else at the same time, but unlike the spell-like ability above, any such agreement is no more binding that the spirit and animist 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
Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
1st 1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Bite the tail, detect spirits, inventive weapons, mage armor, orisons, trickster guide	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Ingenious, placate spirit, transformer	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+3	Spirit protection	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+1	+1	+4	Ghost warrior	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+1	+1	+4	See the unseen	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+2	+2	+5	Inspired liar	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+2	+2	+5	Steal spirit	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+6	Exorcism	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+6	Spirit quest	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+7	Ghost champion	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+7	Banish spirit	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Greater spirit protection	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+8	Guide concentration	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+9	Shadow walk	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+9	Guide walk	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Tie down spirits	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+5	+10	Spirit destination	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4	—
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+6	+11	Spirit loyalty	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5	3
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+6	+11	Ghost general	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	4
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+6	+12	Planar deputation	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	6	5

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
Spirit Ward
Seal Spirit