occult adventures playtest
DESCRIPTION
Manual for playtesting the Occult Adventures character classes supplement for Pathfinder.TRANSCRIPT
PZO1132E.pdf5105513
5105513
5105513
930884
930884
930884
5105513
5105513
5105513
930884
930884
930884
5105514
5105514
5105514
930885
930885
930885
5105514
5105514
5105514
930885
930885
930885
5105515
5105515
5105515
930886
930886
930886
occUlT adveNTUresoccUlT adveNTUresoccUlT adveNTUres
Paizo Inc. 7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Redmond, WA 98052-0577 paizo.com
CREDITS Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
Designers • Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter Authors • John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, John Compton, Jim Groves,
Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Brandon Hodge, Ben McFarland, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Alex Riggs, F. Wesley Schneider, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, Russ Taylor, and Steve Townshend
Creative Consultant • Brandon Hodge
Cover Artist • Wayne Reynolds Interior Artists • David Alvarez, Rogier van de Beek, Subroto Bhaumik, Tomasz Chistowski, Felipe Escobar, Taylor Fischer,
Mariusz Gandzel, Igor Grechanyi, Caio Maciel Monteiro, Federico Musetti, Nikolai Ostertag, Emiliano Petrozzi, Roberto Pitturru, Wayne Reynolds, Alexandru Sabo, Bryan Sola, Nemanja Stankovic, and Ivan Troitsky
Creative Director • James Jacobs Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
Executive Editor • James L. Sutter Senior Developer • Rob McCreary
Developers • John Compton, Adam Daigle, Mark Moreland, and Owen K.C. Stephens Assistant Developers • Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Senior Editors • Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey Editors • Joe Homes and Jason Keeley
Managing Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson Senior Art Director • Andrew Vallas
Art Director • Sonja Morris Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Ben Mouch
Publisher • Erik Mona Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
Chief Operations Officer • Jeffrey Alvarez Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele Marketing Director • Jenny Bendel
Vice President of Finance • Christopher Self Staff Accountant • Ashley Kaprielian
Data Entry Clerk • B. Scott Keim Chief Technical Officer • Vic Wertz
Software Development Manager • Cort Odekirk Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter
Campaign Coordinator • Mike Brock Project Manager • Jessica Price
Licensing Coordinator • Michael Kenway
Community Team • Liz Courts and Chris Lambertz Customer Service Team • Sharaya Kemp, Katina Mathieson, Sara Marie Teter, and Diego Valdez Warehouse Team • Will Chase, Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
Website Team • Christopher Anthony, Winslow Dalpe, Lissa Guillet, Julie Iaccarino, Erik Keith, and Scott Spalding
Special Thanks • The countless players and Game Masters who have helped us refine this game over the years.
This game is dedicated to Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Based on the original roleplaying game rules designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and inspired by the third edition of the game designed by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
This game would not be possible without the passion and dedication of the thousands of gamers who helped playtest and develop it. Thank you for all of your time and effort.
This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Occult Adventures is published by Paizo Inc. under the Open Game License version 1.0a © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, and Pathfinder Society are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Tales are trademarks of Paizo Inc. © 2015 Paizo Inc.
First printing July 2015. Printed in China.
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105515
5105515
5105515
930886
930886
930886
5105516
5105516
5105516
930887
930887
930887
Elements 14
CHAPTER 2: ARCHETYPES 86 Kineticist 88
Medium 92
Mesmerist 96
Occultist 100
Psychic 104
Spiritualist 108
Feat Descriptions 128
Feat Table 130
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Spell Lists 145
Auras 198
Chakras 200
Sample Occult Rituals 209
Creating Occult Rituals 214
CHAPTER 6: RUNNING AN OCCULT GAME 216 Running an Occult Game 218
Occult Locations 226
Loci Spirits 226
Alchemical Items 251
Magic Items 252
Cursed Items 265
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105516
5105516
5105516
930887
930887
930887
5105517
5105517
5105517
930888
930888
930888
44
Enter a world where nothing is as it seems—where the battlef ield might be within your mind, and the prize might be your immortal soul. Through the esoteric secrets of the occult, bold seekers of knowledge can bring a candle to light the darkness of the unknown, and begin to unravel that strangest of all riddles: the truth.
Within this hidden world, you’ll f ind strange and wondrous new powers, vast and unknowable enemies, and unlikely allies who request strange favors in return for the esoteric lore they hoard. You’ll voyage into the mind, out of your body, and onto other planes of existence. If you keep your wits about you, you may return alive—but even then, few survive such an experience unchanged. To achieve your goals, what will you lose of yourself ? What will you be willing to sacrif ice? Who will you become?
Practitioners of occult lore often refer to the hidden magical traditions of the occult as “psychic magic.” Casting a psychic spell relies entirely on the thoughts and emotions surging through your mind and spirit,
rather than on incantations or gestures. In this way, occult practitioners can hide in plain sight amongst other spellcasters. Your village’s local sorcerer might be a kindly psychic searching for the solution to a karmic riddle, or a cunning mesmerist slowly building a cult of mind-controlled followers. Yet in the world of the occult, mysteries contain layers upon layers, and the solution to the psychic’s karmic riddle might release a horror trapped on the Astral Plane, while the mesmerist’s mind- controlled cult may be there to protect the villagers from a great evil sealed deep beneath the town.
Protecting innocents from dangers they can’t see—or even comprehend—requires a unique breed of heroes, those initiated in esoteric lore and willing to take risks with not just their bodies, but their minds and souls as well. Occult power comes at a price, and even if you’re willing to pay it, you may f ind the responsibilities it brings largely thankless. When a paladin uses her holy might to stop an army of undead from rampaging
Introduction
5105517
5105517
5105517
930888
930888
930888
5105518
5105518
5105518
930889
930889
930889
55
IntroductionIntroduction
through the king’s lands, she might gain a knighthood or noble title, not to mention the adulation of the kingdom. But when an occultist uses his object lore to prevent a mad architect from changing the geometry of city districts until it blends and merges with that of a malevolent sentient metropolis from an alien dimension, he and the architect may be the only ones who truly understand the threat. And if the architect is beloved by citizens and authorities alike for his philanthropic works and grand civic monuments, the occultist who saved the city may well need to f lee before he f inds himself in a prison cell. And even then, will he avoid the wrath of other members of the architect’s secret society and their monstrous interdimensional patrons? Such are the lives of those who labor at the edge of mortal understanding, and who know that each action, however well intentioned, has unintended consequences, like ripples in a pond.
WHAT ARE OCCULT ADVENTURES? Any adventure could incorporate occult elements, from mystery cults to creatures that attack the psyche, so in a world where wizards and clerics ply their spells in the open and magic is accepted and understood, what separates an occult adventure from any other adventure? The core concept that drives an occult adventure is that raw power isn’t everything. In a typical campaign, adventurers strive to improve their might so they can take on bigger and bigger challenges. But a student of the occult knows that power can corrupt, that some battles can never be won by brawn, and that there are beings capable of ignoring the normal rules of the multiverse, walking among even the greatest and most powerful like a wolf among sheep.
One of the hallmarks of an occult campaign is a focus on the mind over direct combat and confrontation. Most occult classes possess more mental abilities than physical, and they have the tools to peer into thoughts, ask for aid from the beyond, and unravel mysteries. Rather than exploring only physical ruins, occult adventurers uncover the psychic history of places and objects. When magical weapons can’t defend against vengeful spirits, a treatise on the manifestation of extraplanar beings may hold the key. Subverting the doctrines of a cult proves a more certain method of ending its threat than killing its leader would.
An occult adventure is a study in complications and paradoxes, in which uncovering a mystery reveals an even greater mystery. Knowledge is the only way to deal with an occult problem, but learning more invites even greater danger. Exploration of a strange plane or dreamscape might show that the place is even more complex than initially thought. A crusade to defeat a dark and unknowable force can lead to a climactic encounter
in which the adventurers discover their quarry doesn’t fear its own destruction or banishment. Likewise, occult creatures and forces can f ind adventurers just as mystifying and contradictory as the adventurers f ind the denizens of the occult.
Suggestions for running occult adventures, as well as common elements that appear within them, are detailed in Chapter 6: Running an Occult Game.
PSYCHIC MAGIC Occult spellcasters draw on the vast reserves of their own minds to access magical abilities. Psychic magic is an entirely new type of spellcasting that follows different principles than arcane and divine magic. A psychic spellcaster doesn’t have to obey the same restrictions as an arcane or divine caster, and forgoes the physical components of spells entirely. She doesn’t need to wave her arms, speak words laden with magical portent, or burn up symbolic physical matter in the process of casting. Instead, she need only keep her mind aligned properly, providing a detailed mental image or bringing up a particular emotion to cast her psychic spell. Even someone bound or paralyzed can cast a psychic spell, as long as her intellectual and emotional states aren’t compromised. Self-doubt, lack of concentration, and fear are the enemies of a psychic caster, not the depredations of the physical world.
For all their differences, psychic spells are still spells, and psychic spellcasters are still spellcasters. Most of
Book References This book refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game products using the following abbreviations, yet
these additional supplements are not required to make
use of this book. Readers who don’t possess the Pathfinder
RPG hardcovers referred to in this book can find the
complete rules of these books available online for free at
paizo.com/prd.
When a rules element presented in Occult Adventures
appears in a spell list, ability, or other location in this
book, that rules element is noted with an asterisk (*).
The following superscripts indicate rules elements such as
feats, spells, and magic items from other sources.
Advanced Class Guide ACG
Advanced Race Guide ARG
5105518
5105518
5105518
930889
930889
930889
5105519
5105519
5105519
930890
930890
930890
66
the spells a psychic character can cast resemble those of her arcane and divine allies, albeit accessed in an alternative way. Consequently, the spell lists for psychic spellcasters largely consist of existing spells, and non- psychic casters can also choose many of the spells in Occult Adventures.
The rules for using psychic magic are detailed fully in Chapter 4: Psychic Magic.
NAVIGATING THIS BOOK Each chapter of this book contains rules arranged around one particular theme, such as classes, archetypes, feats, or spells. While most of the chapters are useful for GMs and players alike, Chapter 6 in particular is of great use to GMs interested in running an occult game.
Chapter 1—Occult Classes: Where are the heroes who can save the world from the unknowable threats of the occult? Right here in this chapter, which includes six new occult classes! Not only are these classes a perfect f it for a game steeped in the occult themes found throughout this book, they also contain the same variety of themes, concepts, and play styles that you’ve come to expect from Pathfinder RPG base classes, allowing them to f lourish in nearly any campaign, from a game of somber horror to a lighthearted dungeon romp. The following is a quick overview of some of the most interesting and iconic features of each class.
Kineticist: Masters of the elements, kineticists wield a strange and ill-controlled power as their bodies strain to act as vessels for the roaring might of the Elemental Planes. A kineticist can manipulate the elements both in combat to destroy her foes and out of combat to aid her team. By straining her body past the limits of safety, she can increase her ability beyond what she can ordinarily achieve. If you want to play a mystical non-spellcaster who can pay a great personal price to boost her abilities in emergencies, you should consider playing a kineticist.
Medium: The Astral Plane is home to entities of thought that are shaped and empowered by tales of those who came before. The medium channels these legendary spirits, idealized versions of the original stories’ protagonists, and uses the spirits’ varied powers to change his own so he can f ill any role a party might need. If you enjoy versatility and the ability to be exactly what the group needs in a given situation—as well as roleplaying interactions with spirits and the drawbacks of being inf luenced by them—you should consider playing a medium.
Mesmerist: Master mentalists and consummate liars, mesmerists use their eerie stares to weaken their foes and contingent hypnotic tricks to prepare their allies in advance for bad situations. The mesmerist f ills the support role of the bard, but instead of strengthening
and protecting his allies, he weakens and disables his foes. If you enjoy playing a skillful character who can support the party but are interested in shaking it up by being more on the offensive, you should consider playing a mesmerist.
Occultist: Steeped in esoteric lore but still strongly tied to the physical world and its trappings, occultists access magic through the power of their implements, which may be magic items or even ordinary objects with psychic signif icance, such as a saint’s f inger bone, a dagger used in 99 ritual sacrif ices, or a necklace belonging to the occultist’s mother. With resonant and focus powers from his implements, plus psychic spells, a large set of skills, object-reading powers, and powerful binding circles, the occultist has something to add to almost any situation. If you enjoy playing a well-rounded character whose abilities revolve around a collection of unique items, you should consider playing an occultist.
Psychic: Powerful and enigmatic, psychics are the primary spellcasters of the occult world, and the sole practitioners of certain psychic spells of great power. Each psychic approaches her magic through a chosen discipline that grants her special abilities, and her mastery of the art of phrenic amplif ication allows her to alter and adjust her spells on the f ly to suit her needs. If you like playing spellcasting characters such as sorcerers and also enjoy versatility and tinkering, you should consider playing a psychic.
Spiritualist: When the dead are chained to the mortal world by strong emotions, they inevitably descend toward the Negative Energy Plane, warping and twisting into undead. A spiritualist bonds with one of these spirits before that transformation is complete, providing a safe haven for this phantom and gaining a powerful servant in exchange. If you want a companion with the ability to switch between a variety of forms and even meld into your character’s form to increase her options, you should consider playing a spiritualist.
Chapter 2—Archetypes: Bring the power of the occult to all your favorite classes or customize the new occult classes with dozens of archetypes. In addition, you’ll f ind new alchemist discoveries, cavalier orders, sorcerer bloodlines, and witch patrons. Will you play a psychic detective or a battle host? A ghost rider or a tome eater? No matter what kind of character you like to play, this chapter has plenty of fun new options for you to explore.
Chapter 3—Feats: This chapter contains dozens of feats—some supporting the new classes, others available to any character looking to dip her toes into the occult, and still others that tie into the new occult rules in Chapter 5. From a teamwork feat allowing you to combine two elemental blasts into a composite one to a feat allowing you to open your mind to other people’s
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105519
5105519
5105519
930890
930890
930890
5105520
5105520
5105520
930891
930891
930891
77
IntroductionIntroduction
emotions at the cost of weakening your mental defenses, these feats allow you to build all sorts of occult characters.
Chapter 4—Psychic Magic: This chapter introduces psychic magic, a completely new type of magic that’s neither arcane nor divine, and that uses thought and emotion components instead of verbal and somatic ones. Of the panoply of new spells in this chapter, several are spells that can be undercast—with this new type of tiered spells, spellcasters who know them are also able to cast all the weaker versions. Whether you use akashic form to keep a copy of yourself that you can employ to escape death, or create an enormous vessel to sail the Dimension of Dreams with dream voyage, you’ll never be the same again (especially if you cast major mind swap to switch bodies forever)!
Chapter 5—Occult Rules: This chapter contains a variety of exciting new subsystems that are part and parcel of an occult game but also fit easily into any game, either on their own or taken all together.
Skill Unlocks: Occult skill unlocks build on the idea of skill unlocks for the rogue from Pathfinder RPG Pathfinder Unchained, adding new and wondrous applications to your favorite skills that are open to occult characters and psychic sensitives alike. Use Linguistics for automatic writing to foretell the future, Appraise for psychometry to learn more about an object’s past, Heal to perform startling acts of faith healing, and much more.
Auras: Those attuned to the occult can learn much about a creature, object, or place from its aura. While magic and alignment auras have been in the game since the start, this section details aura types such as emotion and health, and adds new depth to the metaphysical…
5105513
5105513
930884
930884
930884
5105513
5105513
5105513
930884
930884
930884
5105514
5105514
5105514
930885
930885
930885
5105514
5105514
5105514
930885
930885
930885
5105515
5105515
5105515
930886
930886
930886
occUlT adveNTUresoccUlT adveNTUresoccUlT adveNTUres
Paizo Inc. 7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Redmond, WA 98052-0577 paizo.com
CREDITS Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
Designers • Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter Authors • John Bennett, Logan Bonner, Robert Brookes, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, John Compton, Jim Groves,
Thurston Hillman, Eric Hindley, Brandon Hodge, Ben McFarland, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Alex Riggs, F. Wesley Schneider, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, Russ Taylor, and Steve Townshend
Creative Consultant • Brandon Hodge
Cover Artist • Wayne Reynolds Interior Artists • David Alvarez, Rogier van de Beek, Subroto Bhaumik, Tomasz Chistowski, Felipe Escobar, Taylor Fischer,
Mariusz Gandzel, Igor Grechanyi, Caio Maciel Monteiro, Federico Musetti, Nikolai Ostertag, Emiliano Petrozzi, Roberto Pitturru, Wayne Reynolds, Alexandru Sabo, Bryan Sola, Nemanja Stankovic, and Ivan Troitsky
Creative Director • James Jacobs Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
Executive Editor • James L. Sutter Senior Developer • Rob McCreary
Developers • John Compton, Adam Daigle, Mark Moreland, and Owen K.C. Stephens Assistant Developers • Crystal Frasier, Amanda Hamon Kunz, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
Senior Editors • Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey Editors • Joe Homes and Jason Keeley
Managing Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson Senior Art Director • Andrew Vallas
Art Director • Sonja Morris Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Ben Mouch
Publisher • Erik Mona Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
Chief Operations Officer • Jeffrey Alvarez Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele Marketing Director • Jenny Bendel
Vice President of Finance • Christopher Self Staff Accountant • Ashley Kaprielian
Data Entry Clerk • B. Scott Keim Chief Technical Officer • Vic Wertz
Software Development Manager • Cort Odekirk Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter
Campaign Coordinator • Mike Brock Project Manager • Jessica Price
Licensing Coordinator • Michael Kenway
Community Team • Liz Courts and Chris Lambertz Customer Service Team • Sharaya Kemp, Katina Mathieson, Sara Marie Teter, and Diego Valdez Warehouse Team • Will Chase, Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
Website Team • Christopher Anthony, Winslow Dalpe, Lissa Guillet, Julie Iaccarino, Erik Keith, and Scott Spalding
Special Thanks • The countless players and Game Masters who have helped us refine this game over the years.
This game is dedicated to Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Based on the original roleplaying game rules designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and inspired by the third edition of the game designed by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.
This game would not be possible without the passion and dedication of the thousands of gamers who helped playtest and develop it. Thank you for all of your time and effort.
This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Occult Adventures is published by Paizo Inc. under the Open Game License version 1.0a © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, and Pathfinder Society are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Tales are trademarks of Paizo Inc. © 2015 Paizo Inc.
First printing July 2015. Printed in China.
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105515
5105515
5105515
930886
930886
930886
5105516
5105516
5105516
930887
930887
930887
Elements 14
CHAPTER 2: ARCHETYPES 86 Kineticist 88
Medium 92
Mesmerist 96
Occultist 100
Psychic 104
Spiritualist 108
Feat Descriptions 128
Feat Table 130
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Spell Lists 145
Auras 198
Chakras 200
Sample Occult Rituals 209
Creating Occult Rituals 214
CHAPTER 6: RUNNING AN OCCULT GAME 216 Running an Occult Game 218
Occult Locations 226
Loci Spirits 226
Alchemical Items 251
Magic Items 252
Cursed Items 265
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105516
5105516
5105516
930887
930887
930887
5105517
5105517
5105517
930888
930888
930888
44
Enter a world where nothing is as it seems—where the battlef ield might be within your mind, and the prize might be your immortal soul. Through the esoteric secrets of the occult, bold seekers of knowledge can bring a candle to light the darkness of the unknown, and begin to unravel that strangest of all riddles: the truth.
Within this hidden world, you’ll f ind strange and wondrous new powers, vast and unknowable enemies, and unlikely allies who request strange favors in return for the esoteric lore they hoard. You’ll voyage into the mind, out of your body, and onto other planes of existence. If you keep your wits about you, you may return alive—but even then, few survive such an experience unchanged. To achieve your goals, what will you lose of yourself ? What will you be willing to sacrif ice? Who will you become?
Practitioners of occult lore often refer to the hidden magical traditions of the occult as “psychic magic.” Casting a psychic spell relies entirely on the thoughts and emotions surging through your mind and spirit,
rather than on incantations or gestures. In this way, occult practitioners can hide in plain sight amongst other spellcasters. Your village’s local sorcerer might be a kindly psychic searching for the solution to a karmic riddle, or a cunning mesmerist slowly building a cult of mind-controlled followers. Yet in the world of the occult, mysteries contain layers upon layers, and the solution to the psychic’s karmic riddle might release a horror trapped on the Astral Plane, while the mesmerist’s mind- controlled cult may be there to protect the villagers from a great evil sealed deep beneath the town.
Protecting innocents from dangers they can’t see—or even comprehend—requires a unique breed of heroes, those initiated in esoteric lore and willing to take risks with not just their bodies, but their minds and souls as well. Occult power comes at a price, and even if you’re willing to pay it, you may f ind the responsibilities it brings largely thankless. When a paladin uses her holy might to stop an army of undead from rampaging
Introduction
5105517
5105517
5105517
930888
930888
930888
5105518
5105518
5105518
930889
930889
930889
55
IntroductionIntroduction
through the king’s lands, she might gain a knighthood or noble title, not to mention the adulation of the kingdom. But when an occultist uses his object lore to prevent a mad architect from changing the geometry of city districts until it blends and merges with that of a malevolent sentient metropolis from an alien dimension, he and the architect may be the only ones who truly understand the threat. And if the architect is beloved by citizens and authorities alike for his philanthropic works and grand civic monuments, the occultist who saved the city may well need to f lee before he f inds himself in a prison cell. And even then, will he avoid the wrath of other members of the architect’s secret society and their monstrous interdimensional patrons? Such are the lives of those who labor at the edge of mortal understanding, and who know that each action, however well intentioned, has unintended consequences, like ripples in a pond.
WHAT ARE OCCULT ADVENTURES? Any adventure could incorporate occult elements, from mystery cults to creatures that attack the psyche, so in a world where wizards and clerics ply their spells in the open and magic is accepted and understood, what separates an occult adventure from any other adventure? The core concept that drives an occult adventure is that raw power isn’t everything. In a typical campaign, adventurers strive to improve their might so they can take on bigger and bigger challenges. But a student of the occult knows that power can corrupt, that some battles can never be won by brawn, and that there are beings capable of ignoring the normal rules of the multiverse, walking among even the greatest and most powerful like a wolf among sheep.
One of the hallmarks of an occult campaign is a focus on the mind over direct combat and confrontation. Most occult classes possess more mental abilities than physical, and they have the tools to peer into thoughts, ask for aid from the beyond, and unravel mysteries. Rather than exploring only physical ruins, occult adventurers uncover the psychic history of places and objects. When magical weapons can’t defend against vengeful spirits, a treatise on the manifestation of extraplanar beings may hold the key. Subverting the doctrines of a cult proves a more certain method of ending its threat than killing its leader would.
An occult adventure is a study in complications and paradoxes, in which uncovering a mystery reveals an even greater mystery. Knowledge is the only way to deal with an occult problem, but learning more invites even greater danger. Exploration of a strange plane or dreamscape might show that the place is even more complex than initially thought. A crusade to defeat a dark and unknowable force can lead to a climactic encounter
in which the adventurers discover their quarry doesn’t fear its own destruction or banishment. Likewise, occult creatures and forces can f ind adventurers just as mystifying and contradictory as the adventurers f ind the denizens of the occult.
Suggestions for running occult adventures, as well as common elements that appear within them, are detailed in Chapter 6: Running an Occult Game.
PSYCHIC MAGIC Occult spellcasters draw on the vast reserves of their own minds to access magical abilities. Psychic magic is an entirely new type of spellcasting that follows different principles than arcane and divine magic. A psychic spellcaster doesn’t have to obey the same restrictions as an arcane or divine caster, and forgoes the physical components of spells entirely. She doesn’t need to wave her arms, speak words laden with magical portent, or burn up symbolic physical matter in the process of casting. Instead, she need only keep her mind aligned properly, providing a detailed mental image or bringing up a particular emotion to cast her psychic spell. Even someone bound or paralyzed can cast a psychic spell, as long as her intellectual and emotional states aren’t compromised. Self-doubt, lack of concentration, and fear are the enemies of a psychic caster, not the depredations of the physical world.
For all their differences, psychic spells are still spells, and psychic spellcasters are still spellcasters. Most of
Book References This book refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game products using the following abbreviations, yet
these additional supplements are not required to make
use of this book. Readers who don’t possess the Pathfinder
RPG hardcovers referred to in this book can find the
complete rules of these books available online for free at
paizo.com/prd.
When a rules element presented in Occult Adventures
appears in a spell list, ability, or other location in this
book, that rules element is noted with an asterisk (*).
The following superscripts indicate rules elements such as
feats, spells, and magic items from other sources.
Advanced Class Guide ACG
Advanced Race Guide ARG
5105518
5105518
5105518
930889
930889
930889
5105519
5105519
5105519
930890
930890
930890
66
the spells a psychic character can cast resemble those of her arcane and divine allies, albeit accessed in an alternative way. Consequently, the spell lists for psychic spellcasters largely consist of existing spells, and non- psychic casters can also choose many of the spells in Occult Adventures.
The rules for using psychic magic are detailed fully in Chapter 4: Psychic Magic.
NAVIGATING THIS BOOK Each chapter of this book contains rules arranged around one particular theme, such as classes, archetypes, feats, or spells. While most of the chapters are useful for GMs and players alike, Chapter 6 in particular is of great use to GMs interested in running an occult game.
Chapter 1—Occult Classes: Where are the heroes who can save the world from the unknowable threats of the occult? Right here in this chapter, which includes six new occult classes! Not only are these classes a perfect f it for a game steeped in the occult themes found throughout this book, they also contain the same variety of themes, concepts, and play styles that you’ve come to expect from Pathfinder RPG base classes, allowing them to f lourish in nearly any campaign, from a game of somber horror to a lighthearted dungeon romp. The following is a quick overview of some of the most interesting and iconic features of each class.
Kineticist: Masters of the elements, kineticists wield a strange and ill-controlled power as their bodies strain to act as vessels for the roaring might of the Elemental Planes. A kineticist can manipulate the elements both in combat to destroy her foes and out of combat to aid her team. By straining her body past the limits of safety, she can increase her ability beyond what she can ordinarily achieve. If you want to play a mystical non-spellcaster who can pay a great personal price to boost her abilities in emergencies, you should consider playing a kineticist.
Medium: The Astral Plane is home to entities of thought that are shaped and empowered by tales of those who came before. The medium channels these legendary spirits, idealized versions of the original stories’ protagonists, and uses the spirits’ varied powers to change his own so he can f ill any role a party might need. If you enjoy versatility and the ability to be exactly what the group needs in a given situation—as well as roleplaying interactions with spirits and the drawbacks of being inf luenced by them—you should consider playing a medium.
Mesmerist: Master mentalists and consummate liars, mesmerists use their eerie stares to weaken their foes and contingent hypnotic tricks to prepare their allies in advance for bad situations. The mesmerist f ills the support role of the bard, but instead of strengthening
and protecting his allies, he weakens and disables his foes. If you enjoy playing a skillful character who can support the party but are interested in shaking it up by being more on the offensive, you should consider playing a mesmerist.
Occultist: Steeped in esoteric lore but still strongly tied to the physical world and its trappings, occultists access magic through the power of their implements, which may be magic items or even ordinary objects with psychic signif icance, such as a saint’s f inger bone, a dagger used in 99 ritual sacrif ices, or a necklace belonging to the occultist’s mother. With resonant and focus powers from his implements, plus psychic spells, a large set of skills, object-reading powers, and powerful binding circles, the occultist has something to add to almost any situation. If you enjoy playing a well-rounded character whose abilities revolve around a collection of unique items, you should consider playing an occultist.
Psychic: Powerful and enigmatic, psychics are the primary spellcasters of the occult world, and the sole practitioners of certain psychic spells of great power. Each psychic approaches her magic through a chosen discipline that grants her special abilities, and her mastery of the art of phrenic amplif ication allows her to alter and adjust her spells on the f ly to suit her needs. If you like playing spellcasting characters such as sorcerers and also enjoy versatility and tinkering, you should consider playing a psychic.
Spiritualist: When the dead are chained to the mortal world by strong emotions, they inevitably descend toward the Negative Energy Plane, warping and twisting into undead. A spiritualist bonds with one of these spirits before that transformation is complete, providing a safe haven for this phantom and gaining a powerful servant in exchange. If you want a companion with the ability to switch between a variety of forms and even meld into your character’s form to increase her options, you should consider playing a spiritualist.
Chapter 2—Archetypes: Bring the power of the occult to all your favorite classes or customize the new occult classes with dozens of archetypes. In addition, you’ll f ind new alchemist discoveries, cavalier orders, sorcerer bloodlines, and witch patrons. Will you play a psychic detective or a battle host? A ghost rider or a tome eater? No matter what kind of character you like to play, this chapter has plenty of fun new options for you to explore.
Chapter 3—Feats: This chapter contains dozens of feats—some supporting the new classes, others available to any character looking to dip her toes into the occult, and still others that tie into the new occult rules in Chapter 5. From a teamwork feat allowing you to combine two elemental blasts into a composite one to a feat allowing you to open your mind to other people’s
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
paizo.com #3659329, Trevor Howard <[email protected]>, Jul 29, 2015
5105519
5105519
5105519
930890
930890
930890
5105520
5105520
5105520
930891
930891
930891
77
IntroductionIntroduction
emotions at the cost of weakening your mental defenses, these feats allow you to build all sorts of occult characters.
Chapter 4—Psychic Magic: This chapter introduces psychic magic, a completely new type of magic that’s neither arcane nor divine, and that uses thought and emotion components instead of verbal and somatic ones. Of the panoply of new spells in this chapter, several are spells that can be undercast—with this new type of tiered spells, spellcasters who know them are also able to cast all the weaker versions. Whether you use akashic form to keep a copy of yourself that you can employ to escape death, or create an enormous vessel to sail the Dimension of Dreams with dream voyage, you’ll never be the same again (especially if you cast major mind swap to switch bodies forever)!
Chapter 5—Occult Rules: This chapter contains a variety of exciting new subsystems that are part and parcel of an occult game but also fit easily into any game, either on their own or taken all together.
Skill Unlocks: Occult skill unlocks build on the idea of skill unlocks for the rogue from Pathfinder RPG Pathfinder Unchained, adding new and wondrous applications to your favorite skills that are open to occult characters and psychic sensitives alike. Use Linguistics for automatic writing to foretell the future, Appraise for psychometry to learn more about an object’s past, Heal to perform startling acts of faith healing, and much more.
Auras: Those attuned to the occult can learn much about a creature, object, or place from its aura. While magic and alignment auras have been in the game since the start, this section details aura types such as emotion and health, and adds new depth to the metaphysical…