A phenotype impressionist is a hybrid, all about hybrids, a sculptor of reality and proto-reality. While most shapechangers alter their own flesh, the phenotype impressionist applies the same principles to astral construction, resulting in unique ectoplasmic allies with infinite diversity in their abilities. The vast majority are shapers dabbling in psychometabolism, although egoists with more than a passing interest in metacreativity may find their way to the same conclusions. Less dedicated manifesters almost never meet the exacting requirements for the phenotype impressionist.
Phenotype impressionism was a term coined by the logos dragon Karvamanius. An avid scholar of flora and fauna and a capable artist, history records him as the first to develop the discipline of the impressionist, modifying his creations in unheard of ways as a friendly challenge with his pathos dragon rival, the master shapechanger Hemanyaliz. Their academic competition didn’t truly end until Karvamanius discovered the astral juggernaut power, whereupon both agreed that their rivalry may have consequences that both would regret were it to continue. Their agreement to disagree was one of only a few such instances ever recorded of two different ego dragons reaching a definite conclusion.
Entry Requirements:
To qualify to become a phenotype impressionist, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Craft (any) 10 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks
Feats: Boost Construct, Formbinder
Psionics: Able to manifest assume form, astral construct, and psionic repair damage
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Class Skills
The phenotype impressionist’s class skills are Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (nature), Profession, and Psicraft. Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the phenotype impressionist.
Weapons and armor proficiencies: Phenotype impressionists gain no additional proficiency with weapons or armor.
Manifesting: At every level indicated on the table, the phenotype impressionist gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of phenotype impressionist to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, and then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly. If a character had more than one manifesting class before he became a phenotype impressionist, he must decide to which class he adds the new level of phenotype impressionist for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Mold Construct (Ex): At 1st level the phenotype impressionist learns how to alter the bodies of his constructs as they are formed through effects that grant the bodies of other creatures. When manifesting astral construct, the impressionist may manifest assume form at the same time. This does not require any additional actions beyond manifesting astral construct. Rather than changing his own form, the impressionist instead grants all benefits of the manifested assume form power to the construct he has just created, which becomes the new target of the power. The impressionist must pay the power point cost for both powers, including any augments. The sum total of power points spent in this way cannot exceed the phenotype impressionist’s manifester level.
At 4th level and above, the impressionist can manifest astral construct this way using any other power of the (Shapechanging) subdiscipline in place of assume form. He may even substitute a (Shapechanging) power that he does not know, but if he does so, he is limited to powers of 3rd level or lower and pays 2 more power points than normal.
Reshape Construct (Su): At 3rd level the phenotype impressionist learns how to modify constructs already created with shapechanging powers. If he expends his psionic focus while manifesting the power assume form, the power gains the “Range: 60 ft.” and “Target: a single astral construct you have created” entries in place of its normal range and target entry. The power affects the construct as it would normally affect its manifester.
At 5th level, the impressionist can modify his created astral constructs this way using any other power of the (Shapechanging) discipline that he knows in place of assume form.
Fuse Construct (Su): At 5th level, the phenotype impressionist may resculpt his constructs on the fly in such a way as to combine two into a single, even more diverse form. If he expends his psionic focus, he may command two astral constructs he has created within 60 feet that are adjacent to each other to merge. These two constructs fuse into a single construct with properties of both components. The fused construct has a number of hit points equal to the sum of the two component constructs’ current hit points. It has all the menu selections and other special abilities of the components (subject to normal stacking rules). Its hit dice are equal to the sum of the components’ hit dice (calculate base attack bonus and saving throws accordingly), while each of its six ability scores and natural armor is the greater of the corresponding scores of the two components. The fused construct is the size of the larger of the two components. The fused construct lasts as long as the duration of the longest-lasting of the two component constructs. Fusing constructs in this manner costs the impressionist a number of power points equal to the sum of the levels of the two astral constructs (for example, fusing a 3rd-level astral construct with a 5th-level astral construct costs the impressionist 8 power points). A fused construct cannot be further fused with other constructs.