Spirit Master Prestige Class

Even on worlds where no one has ever heard of the Force, its power nevertheless exists. The natives may be completely unaware of it, or they may dream up fanciful tales to explain the phenomena associated with it. Some few with the gift of Force sensitivity may even learn to channel its power, though, to them, it is not so much an energy field as a kind of “magic.” Spirit masters hail from a variety of worlds, but all learned of the Force through a tradition that considers it a kind of “ghost magic.” They believe that the manifestations of the Force are the work of nature spirits, the ghosts of their ancestors, or even the will of primitive “gods.” Their perception of the Force is forever colored by this belief, and while they may become as powerful as the greatest Jedi, they do not have the same understanding of it as the Jedi or even other Force users. Because spirit masters learn a completely different tradition of the Force, the powers they derive from it also take a different form. Their focus is on commanding the “spirit world” to accomplish many of their goals, and as such, they have an understanding of the Force that actually surpasses that of most Jedi Knights. They can almost effortlessly accomplish a number of small “tricks” that would drain the vitality from a Jedi, because (as a Jedi often finds difficult to grasp) the spirits—that is, the Force—work the trick, not the Force-user. Conversely, though, they cannot easily comprehend how Jedi manage to perform their own tricks without the attendant rituals the spirit master routinely employs.

Only Force adepts can become spirit masters. A character with even one Jedi level cannot unlearn her Jedi training to embrace the way of the spirits. Force adepts who become spirit masters should only come from worlds without a Jedi tradition, which usually means a primitive world located somewhere in the Outer Rim territories.

Requirements
To qualify to become a spirit master, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Save Bonuses: Will +4
Skills: Diplomacy or Intimidate 6 ranks, See Force 6 ranks, Telepathy 4 ranks
Feats: Force-Sensitive, Sense, Spellcaster
Special: Jedi characters cannot become spirit masters
Region: Any noncivilized sector of space

Game Rule Information
Vitality: Spirit masters gain 1d6 vitality points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.

Class Skills
The spirit master’s class skills, and the key ability for each skill, are as follows.
Bluff (Cha), Craft* (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge* (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession* (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Treat Injury (Wis)
*This skill actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. Each time this skill is learned, a specific category must also be chosen.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features
The following are class features of the spirit master prestige class.

Starting Feats
Spirit masters gain the following feats:
Weapon Group Proficiency (Primitive Weapons)
Weapon Group Proficiency (Simple Weapons)

Spirit Totem
The spirit master gains a spirit totem that only she can see or hear (in actuality, simply a manifestation of her own selfimage, made “real” by the Force). At 1st level, the totem grants the spirit master a +2 Force bonus on Listen and Spot checks, since its “extra eyes and ears” make the spirit master more alert.

Furthermore, at 3rd, 7th, and 9th level, the spirit totem becomes more potent, and the spirit master can choose one of the following abilities for it to confer.

• +1 Force bonus on Fortitude saves
• +1 Force bonus on Reflex saves
• +1 Force bonus on Will saves
• +2 Force bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks
• +2 Force bonus on Bluff and Intimidate checks
• +3 Force bonus on Drain Energy checks
• +3 Force bonus on Farseeing checks
• +3 Force bonus on Fear checks
• +3 Force bonus on Force Grip checks
• +3 Force bonus on Force Strike checks
• +3 Force bonus on Gamble checks
• +3 Force bonus on Handle Animal checks
• +3 Force bonus on Illusion checks
• +3 Force bonus on Move Object checks
• +3 Force bonus on Sense Motive checks
• +3 Force bonus on Sleight of Hand checks

Spirit Lore
Beginning at 2nd level, the spirit master can commune with the spirits (or rather, meditate on the Force) to ask questions that can be answered by a simple yes or no. The character may ask one such question per day for every two levels she has attained in the spirit master prestige class. The answers are correct, as long as they involve information about the past or present. Information about the future is always “unclear,” since the future is always in motion. In cases where a one-word answer would be misleading, the GM should give a short phrase (five words or less) as an answer instead. Spirit lore acts only as an information resource for the spirit master, providing information to aid character decisions. This ability requires an hour of meditation per question. The spirit master can undertake other activities between questions if she desires, provided that each question is preceded by this period of meditation.

Spirit Focus
At 5th level, the spirit master is able to “call upon the power of the spirits” to vex her foes in battle. As an attack action, the spirit master can focus the attention of the spirits on a target individual. The target then receives a –2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks. This penalty lasts for as long as the spirit master continues to use an attack action each round to maintain it; that is, it lasts each round from the beginning of the spirit master’s turn until right before his turn in the next round.

Unseen Defender
At 6th level, the spirits begin to protect the spirit master from physical harm. Small objects within a few meters of the spirit master lift into the air and surround her (in reality, a subconscious manifestation of the spirit master’s Alter feat), absorbing some of the incoming damage. As a full-round action, the spirit master may expend a number of vitality points equal to half her spirit master level to receive an equivalent amount of damage reduction (which is applicable only to wound damage). The DR stacks with DR from armor or other sources, and lasts for 1 round per the spirit master’s class level.

This ability does not function if no loose objects are present within 4 meters of the spirit master.

Spirit Form
The spirit master can enter the spirit world for brief periods, projecting her presence a short distance away—in effect, creating a Force duplicate of herself. The duplicate looks, sounds, and smells just like the spirit master but is intangible.

It mimics the spirit master’s actions (including speech) unless the spirit master concentrates on making it act differently. The spirit master can see through the spirit form’s eyes and hear through its ears as if she were standing where the spirit form stands. During the spirit master’s turn in a round, she can switch her perspective from seeing through the spirit form’s eyes to seeing normally and back again as a free action.

The spirit master can use Force skills and feats through the spirit form, and they originate from the spirit form’s location. Force abilities that affect the Force-user, however, affect the Force-user rather than the spirit form. Thus, Enhance Ability and Enhance Senses, for example, would not grant any bonuses to the spirit form.

Creating a spirit form is a full-round action. The spirit form appears anywhere within 60 meters of the spirit master, and can travel anywhere in this area, though it does not travel any differently than the spirit master. (That is, if the spirit master does not have the ability to fly, neither does the spirit form.) The initial act of manifesting the spirit form costs the spirit master 10 vitality points, and maintaining the spirit form costs 4 vitality points per round.

Those who encounter a spirit form can detect that it is not truly the spirit master with a successful Will save (DC 20 + the spirit master’s Charisma modifier). In order to attempt this Will save, however, a character must study the spirit form carefully (taking no other actions), or interact with it in a significant faction. Characters who attempt to touch the spirit form, or who successfully attack it, gain a +4 circumstance bonus on their Will saves. Force spirits, including dark side spirits, also gain a +4 circumstance bonus on their Will saves to detect that the spirit form is only a duplicate of the spirit master.

Force-users who encounter a spirit form can use Force skills and feats on it as though the spirit master herself were physically present. The Force ability affects the spirit master, rather than the spirit form. If a Force ability damages the spirit form, the spirit master suffers the damage. If a Force-based attack deals wound damage, the spirit form is dispelled, and the spirit master must attempt a Will save (DC 10 + wound damage dealt) or be stunned for 1d4+1 rounds.

If at any point the spirit master loses the ability to act (such as through the result of a daze or stun effect, or being rendered unconscious), the spirit form is dispelled.

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Defense Bonus Reputation Bonus
1 +0 +1 +0 +2 Spirit Totem +0 +1
2 +1 +2 +0 +3 Spirit Lore +1 +1
3 +1 +2 +1 +3 Spirit Totem +1 +1
4 +2 +2 +1 +4 +1 +2
5 +2 +3 +1 +4 Spirit Focus +2 +2
6 +3 +3 +2 +5 Unseen Defender +2 +2
7 +3 +4 +2 +5 Spirit Totem +2 +3
8 +4 +4 +2 +6 +3 +3
9 +4 +4 +3 +6 Spirit Totem +3 +3
10 +5 +5 +3 +7 Spirit Form +3 +4
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