There are those among the formbound who enjoy the focus and structure that civilization brings to their life. These formbound have learned to balance the stigma that comes from being able to change one’s shape with the benefits of belonging to guilds and libraries where their research into astral techniques can prosper. Perhaps even more importantly, societies often bring a greater variety of forms with which the formbound spiritist can become familiar. These formbound tend to enjoy the structure and reliability of society as well as all of the perks that come with that kind of lifestyle.
The formbound spiritist is a class that focuses on shapechanging and summoning astral constructs when assistance is needed. Some formbound spiritists will focus on their astral construct abilities first, preferring to keep themselves out of harm’s way as long as possible. Other formbound spiritists will focus on the powers that grant them the ability to change their form – such as assume form, chameleon, and shadow body – while using their astral construct powers only when greater assistance is needed. In any case, formbound spiritists can enjoy a great amount of diversity between their approaches to powers, imprinted forms, and astral constructs.
In games where psionics and magic both exist, there is no reason that druids, transmuters, and formbound spiritists cannot simultaneously exist in the world. They could be allies who find collegiality in the way that their vastly differing sources of shapechanging power reach for the same goals. However, they could just as easily be antagonistic towards one another as they view the other’s ways of life as threats to their own. Games that include druids, transmuters, and formbound spiritists shouldn’t have trouble mixing the mechanics of the classes– even allowing multiclassing if it is desired and appropriate for the game world.
Making a Formbound Spiritist
The role of a formbound spiritist is typically to provide offensive assistance while granting limited access to healing and clairsentience powers. Her ability to alter shape through powers such as assume form make the formbound spiritist an instant threat. Her ability to manifest restoration, psionic revivify, body adjustment, and body purification makes her an important element to a party when things don’t go quite as expected.
Abilities:
Intelligence determines what level of psionic powers a formbound spiritist can manifest, how hard her powers are to resist, and her bonus power points. Of course, a high dexterity score will help the formbound spiritist avoid attacks in combat. A high Constitution is also important for the formbound spiritist as she might need a few hit points when she takes the battle into the realm of melee combat.
Races:
Formbound spiritists come from all races, although the naturally psionic races do tend to draw more formbound spiritists than those races not born with psionic power. Races that have a penchant for logic and intellectual prowess also find fulfillment among the ranks of the formbound spiritists. Races that tend to favor civilization over nature will also be likely to see the formbound spiritist class as a viable option.
Alignment:
Formbound spiritists come from all walks of life. Those characters with a desire to influence others can find success among the ranks of the formbound spiritists. Characters who enjoy the chaotic rush of watching their opponents panic when the formbound spiritist summons an opponent out of thin air also find pleasure among these ranks. Beings who seek to tap the power of the astral realm and unlock its secrets – using it for good or evil – will find a home among the formbound spiritists. Almost any character with any creed can find a path to accomplish their goals so long as they want to walk the path of the formbound spiritists.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills:
The formbound spiritist’s class skills are Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (psionics), Listen, Profession, Psicraft, Spot, Survival, and Swim. Skill Points: (4 + INT) Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + INT) x4
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the formbound spiritist:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A formbound spiritist is proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and no shield. They are also proficient with any natural attacks of the forms that they may take through a Formbound or Shapechanging power.
Power Points/Day: A formbound spiritist’s ability to manifest powers is limited only by the power points she has available. Her base daily allotment of power points is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus power points per day if she has a high Intelligence score, if her race provides bonus power points, or through certain feats and items.
Powers Known: A formbound spiritist knows all the powers available to her in the class list up to her maximum level known, but on any given day only has access to as many powers as can be seen on the table above. Each day, when a formbound spiritist rests to recover power points she can choose to rotate one or more powers onto her powers known list so long as she rotates an equal number of powers off of her known powers list to end up at the total on the table above. Each power rotated in this manner must be found on the formbound spiritist’s class list. Essentially, the formbound spiritist knows her entire list of powers but must choose each day a small subset of those powers to be available for the day.
Furthermore, in order for a formbound spiritist to make use of any class feature that keys off of the astral construct power the formbound spiritist must have the astral construct power selected as available to them for the day. Likewise, in order for a formbound spiritist to make use of any class feature that keys off of the Formbound descriptor, the formbound spiritist must have a Formbound power selected as available to them for the day.
The feats Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge do allow a formbound spiritist to learn powers from the lists of other classes. However, these powers cannot be rotated on or off the powers known list as can the powers gained through the class.
The Difficulty Class for saving throws against formbound spiritist’s powers is 10 + the power’s level + the formbound spiritist’s Intelligence modifier.
Boost Construct (Ex): At 1st level a formbound spiritist gains access to the Boost Construct feat.
Psionic Body (Ex): At 2nd level a formbound spiritist gains access to the Psionic Body feat. If this feat has already been chosen, the formbound spiritist can select another psionic feat of their choosing.
Formbinder (Ex): At 5th level a formbound spiritist gains access to the Formbinder feat. If this feat has
already been chosen, the formbound spiritist can select another psionic feat of their choosing.
Incorporeal Construct (Ex): At 7th level the formbound spiritist learns how to weave elements of the astral plane and the ethereal plane together. The formbound spiritist gains the option of having her astral constructs be counted as incorporeal creatures. This option counts as an ability rated for the “B” menu of options available to astral constructs. This ability merely adds the option to the list of menus. If a formbound spiritist wants her construct to be incorporeal and capable of dealing an incorporeal touch attack for 1d6 damage, she must still spend a choice selecting the option. The construct only adds its Strength modifier to the attack and damage if they are attacking ethereal opponents.
Extended Change (Su): At 8th level a formbound spiritist gains the ability to manifest assume form for a duration of 1 minute/level without paying the 2 power point cost as an augment. This ability pays for the cost, and the power changes to read “maximum CR of 17 + manifester level up to the maximum manifester level” as though the 2 power points were actually spent. These 2 points spent by this ability do not count towards the maximum number of points a manifester can spend on any one power.
Quickened Change (Su): At 10th level the formbound spiritist gains the ability to manifest assume form as though it were affected by the Quicken Power feat 1/day. This ability pays for the 6 power point cost of the feat, and the points spent by this ability do not count towards the maximum number of points a manifester may spend on any one power. At 15th level, a formbound spiritist can use this ability 2/day, at 20th level a formbound spiritist can use this ability 3/day.
Moaning Construct (Ex): At 11th level, the formbound spiritist gains another addition to the “B” menu of the astral construct. At the formbound spiritist’s choice, he may use one of the choices to grant the astral construct the ability to emit an ear splitting moan. As a full round action, an astral construct with this ability can make all opponents within 30 ft. of the astral construct make a Will save (DC = 10 + ½ Construct’s HD + Construct’s Cha mod) or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic fear attack, so opponents who are immune to either sonic attacks or fear attacks are immune to this attack. There is no limit as to how many times a person can be a victim to this attack in a given day, although saving against a particular construct’s moan makes a person immune to that specific construct’s moan for 24 hours. Should another construct be created, even an opponent who saved on a prior attempt may fall vulnerable to the moan of a new construct.
Master Formbinder (Ex): At 12th level a formbound spiritist gains access to the Master Formbinder feat.
If this feat has already been chosen, the formbound spiritist can select another psionic feat of their choosing. A formbound spiritist does not need to meet the prerequisites to gain access to this feat.
Corrupting Construct (Ex): At 15th level the formbound spiritist gains another addition to the “B” menu of the astral construct. At the formbound spiritist’s choice, he may use one of the choices to grant the astral construct the ability to have a corrupting gaze attack. In place of any (or all) of an astral construct’s iterative attacks in a given round the astral construct can focus its gaze upon an individual (or multiple individuals if the construct has more than one attack) who is within 30 ft. of the construct. The assaulted individual can voluntarily close their eyes for the entire round (and thus effectively fight blind for the entire round and forfeit all attacks of opportunity) or be forced to make a FORT save (DC = 10 + ½ Construct’s HD + Construct’s CHA mod) or take 2d10 damage and 1d4 Charisma damage. A successful save negates the effect, and an individual who successfully saves is immune to this gaze attack for 24 hours – even if a new construct is summoned against the opponent. A person can be a victim of this effect only once every 24 hours.
Horrific Construct (Ex): At 19th level the formbound spiritist gains an addition to the “C” menu of the astral construct. At the formbound spiritist’s choice, he may use one of the choices to grant the astral construct the ability to have a horrific appearance. All living creatures – including allies, but excluding the formbound spiritist – who are within 60 ft. of the construct must make a FORT save (DC = 10 + ½ Construct’s HD + Construct’s CHA mod) or take 1d4 point of Str, Dex, and Con damage as a result of being seized in fear. A successful save negates the effect, and an individual who successfully saves is immune to the horrific appearance of any constructs that a formbound spiritist may make for 24 hours.
Enduring Change (Su): At 20th level, a formbound spiritist gains the ability to have the duration of the assume form power change to “Permanent unless dismissed, cancelled by a null psionics field, or influenced by some other such means of cancelling.”