Occultist (3.5e Class)

Author: The Dark Wad (talk) Date Created: August 23, 2012 Status: Done Editing: Clarity Edits or Fluff

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A specialized spontaneous spellcaster and practitioner of the dark arts. 10 1 Poor Poor Poor Good Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Other

Occultist

Occultists are spellcasters born with the ability to manipulate magic. The spend years studying their inborn magical capacity and fine tuning their abilities. The source of their powers differ from person to person, as does their specific magic capability.

Making a Occultist

Like any spellcaster, an Occultists spells are their strong point. Unlike sorcerers, occultists can keep on casting spells all day without tiring. They also gain miscellaneous abilities to augment the type of magic they have most affinity with with.

Abilities: Occultists cast from either intelligence, wisdom, or charisma. Their spellcasting stat is, to no ones surprise, their most important stat. Like everyone they value constitution for the HP and dexterity for the AC.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 6d4×10 gp (150 gp).

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Occultist

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Skills, Twisted by the Occult, Minor Magics
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Specialization
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Specialization
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Twisted by the Occult
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Specialization
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Specialization
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Specialization
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha).
Class Skills, Tome of Prowess Variant (6 per level, ×4 at 1st level) Arcana (Int), Concentration (Wis), Perception (Wis), Thaumaturgy (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Occultist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Occultist are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with a Occultist's gestures, which can cause their spells with somatic components to fail.

Spellcasting: An Occultist uses a unique simplified arcane spellcasting mechanic. They have five spellcasting slots. An Occultist can take a full round action to prepare each slot with a spell or to change what spells are prepared in each slot. When they want to cast the spell they do so per the standard rules for arcane spell casting and the slot becomes unusable (cannot be cast from) for an hour. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Occultist’s spell is 10 + 1/2 the Occultist's class level + the Occultist’s spellcasting modifier (see below). Your caster level is equal to your class level.

Spells Known: The Occultist begins play knowing five spells of first level from the Sorcerer/Wizard Spell List. At each level after first they learn one new spell of level no higher than his class level divided by two (rounded down). At 3rd level and every 3 levels there after, you may replace a spell known with another of the same level.

Spellcasting Stat: At first level the Occultist chooses either intelligence, wisdom, or charisma, refer to this stat as your spellcasting stat and its modifier as your spellcasting modifier. Your save DCs are based on this, and as you level you may gain miscellaneous bonuses based on this stat.

Skills: Very few Occultists have similar priorities, and thus most have very different skill sets. Choose any five skills (or any three if you are using ToP). These skills become class skills.

Twisted by the Occult (Su): Years of manipulating dangerous arcane energies have battered your body and twisted your soul. At first level, and again at 5th level, an occultist gains a single thematic trait chosen from the list below:

• Tomb-Tainted Soul: In addition to being healed by positive energy, you are healed by negative energy. If a spell or effect treats undead differently than living targets, you can choose to be treated as undead is it would be beneficial to you.
• Elemental Savant: Choose an elemental damage type from the following list: Fire, Cold, Sonic, Acid, Electricity. You become immune to that energy type. You gain Energy Resistance to the other listed energy types equal to your class level.
• Occult Perception: You gain Darkvision 120 ft and Blindesight 10ft.
• Voidborn: You gain Spell Resistance equal to 7 + your class level.
• Master of Minds: You gain Telepathy 100ft. You gain a +4 bonus to saves against Mind-Affecting Effects and illusions.
• Magical Defense: You gain an armor bonus to AC equal to your spellcasting modifier + 3. You gain your spellcasting modifier as a bonus to all saves.

Minor Magics (Sp): A 1st level Occultist can choose any three cantrips. This decision can never be changed once made. He can cast the chosen spells at will as Spell-Like Abilities.

Specialization: After years of experience an Occultist has learned how to manipulate certain spell effects with more affinity. At level 2 and every two levels there after a Occultist can choice one of the following abilities.

• School Specialist: Choose a school of magic. When casting spells of this school of magic add +2 to the DC and a +2 bonus to caster level checks to pierce SR.
• Descriptor Specialist: Choose a spell descriptor. When casting spells with this descriptor add +2 to the DC and a +2 bonus to caster level checks to pierce SR.
• Elementalist: Choose an elemental damage type from the following list: Fire, Cold, Sonic, Acid, Electricity, Negative, Positive, Force. Every spell that does damage of that type does damage of that type from this point on is automatically empowered. If you choose positive, this also applies to healing spells.
• Counterspeller (Su): You can counterspell any spell as an immediate action, without expending a spell slot. You do not need to ready an action to do use this ability, but the spellcaster whom you are counterspelling must be within short range.
• Elemental Blast (Su): Choose an elemental damage type from the list above. As a standard action you can fire a bolt of magical energy that deals 1d6 damage per class level of that damage type to anyone you hit with a ranged touch attack within short range.
• Signature Spell (Sp): Choose a first level spell you know, without xp or costly material components. When ever you cast any spell you can choose to cast the chosen spell as part of the same action. The action required to cast the spell is the longer of the two spells.
• Relaxed Caster: You gain one additional spell slot.
• Telekinetic (Su): You gain an Unseen Servant with an effective strength and dexterity score equal to your spellcasting stat. It can be directed mentally as a move action, has a 30ft fly speed, and unlike the normal Unseen Servant it can preform complicated tasks. It uses your skill ranks if it ever needs to preform a skill check. It can not be destroyed. If it enters an antimagic field or leaves close range it reforms in your square.
• Stealthy Spell: None of your spells require somatic or verbal components to cast.
• Dark Arts: You can take a full round action, provoking attacks of opportunity, to focus your energies. The first spell you cast in your next turn is treated as being cast with a supernatural ability, bypassing SR and not provoking additional attacks of opportunity.
• Bonus Feat: You gain a bonus feat.

Campaign Information

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