Mesmerist

While mesmerists typically concentrate on purely mental arts, many look outward as well, focusing on physical combat or the creation of powerful tools with which to practice their craft.

Cult Master (Archetype)

The leaders of some cults are simply charlatans, bathing in the adulation of their followers. Others believe themselves to be truly in touch with an unknown power, bringing their unique messages to those willing to follow and obey them.

Insidious Personality (Ex): A cult master adds 1/2 his class level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Diplomacy checks. This ability replaces consummate liar.

Fanatical Stare (Su): At 1st level, a cult master can turn his gaze on a creature to fill it with fervent belief in the cult master. The target of the gaze gains a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for every 6 mesmerist levels the cult master possesses, to a maximum of +4 at 18th level. Instead of taking the hypnotic stare's penalty on Will saves, the target gains a bonus of an equal amount on Will saves. The bonuses don't apply to attacks against the cult master or on saves against the cult master's spells or abilities. The cult master can also suppress any penalties inflicted by his stare for the target. This ability replaces painful stare.

Cult Tricks (Su): The following new tricks can be selected by a cult master. These tricks can be implanted only in a cohort or follower of the cult master.

Double: An illusion makes either the cult master's cohort or one of his followers appear to be him. The cult master can trigger this trick when he is targeted by an attack, provided he is adjacent to the subject, to give the attack a 50% miss chance. If the attack misses the cult master, it targets the subject instead. This is an illusion (glamer) effect.

Extol: A mental compulsion causes a cohort or follower to extol the virtues of the cult master. The cult master can trigger this trick whenever he attempts a Diplomacy check, as long as he is within 60 feet of the subject. The subject takes the aid another action on the cult master's Diplomacy check. If the subject is successful, the cult master gains a +4 bonus on his check. This is an enchantment (compulsion) effect.

This ability alters mesmerist tricks.

False Healing (Su): At 3rd level, a cult master can provide temporary healing by using his psychic powers to trick the mind a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Using the ability is a standard action (or a swift action if the cult master uses it on himself), and the cult master must be able to touch his target. The cult master grants a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + his Charisma modifier to the target. At 6th level, the cult master can either grant a number of temporary hit points equal to 2d8 + his Charisma modifier to the target or temporarily remove 1d4 points of ability damage. A creature can receive the effect of the false healing only once per day. The temporary hit points or reduction in ability damage lasts a number of hours equal to the cult master's class level. This ability replaces the 3rd- and 6th-level touch treatments.

Faithful Followers (Ex): At 7th level, a cult master begins to attract followers to his espoused beliefs, thanks to his magnetic personality. The cult master gains Leadership as a bonus feat. This ability replaces the 7th-level bold stare.

Fanatical Devotion (Ex): At 10th level, a cult master has manipulated his cohort and followers into becoming utterly devoted to him. The cult master no longer takes a penalty to his Leadership score for being aloof or cruel. Additionally, the DCs of all enchantment spells the cult master casts on his cohort and followers increase by 4. At 14th level, the cult master no longer takes a penalty to his Leadership score for any cohorts or followers he has killed or caused to be killed. This ability replaces the 10th- and 14th-level touch treatments.

Masterful Cult Tricks (Su): The following new master tricks can be selected by any cult master of 12th level or higher. These tricks can be implanted only in a cohort or follower of the cult master.

Avenge Me: The cult master creates a compulsion for one of his followers to avenge him. Whenever the cult master takes hit point damage from an attack, he can trigger this trick as long as he is within 60 feet of the subject. The subject is immediately affected as if by the rage spell for 1 round per mesmerist level.

Die for Me: The cult master instills within either his cohort or one of his followers the desire to give her life for him. The cult master can trigger this trick whenever he would take hit point damage from an attack, spell, or effect and the subject is with 60 feet of him. Half the damage is psychically transferred to the subject. This is an enchantment (compulsion) effect.

This ability alters masterful tricks.

Reborn (Su): At 20th level, a cult master can ensure his own survival upon his death. The cult master can perform a 1-hour ceremony costing 5,000 gp in rare materials in which he uses his psychic powers to implant a small portion of his essence into his cohort, who must be a minimum of 17th level. When the cult master dies, in 7 days the cohort physically and mentally transforms into the cult master as if clone had been cast, except that the cohort's body takes the place of the inert body. The cult master can't use this ability again until he gains a new cohort of at least 17th level and performs the necessary ceremony. The cohort can't be brought back to life except through miracle or wish. This ability replaces rule minds.

Spirit Walker (Archetype)

Some mesmerists specialize in dominating and controlling undead rather than the living.

Spells: A spirit walker adds additional spells to his spell list at the spell levels indicated: hide from undead (1st), command undead (2nd), halt undead (3rd), and speak with haunt (4th). He can choose these as spells known, but doesn't gain them automatically. This ability alters the mesmerist's spell list.

Undead Inception (Su): At 1st level, a spirit walker can affect undead creatures with his hypnotic stare as the psychic inception bold stare ability. This allows him to affect only undead; he must actually choose the psychic inception bold stare improvement if he wants to also affect other mindless creatures. At 3rd level when the spirit walker uses this ability, undead targets don't receive a saving throw bonus (if they did to begin with), have only a 25% chance of ignoring the spirit walker's mind-affecting spells and abilities, and no longer need to be under the spirit walker's gaze to be affected. At 5th level, when the spirit walker uses his mind-affecting spells and abilities, they affect all undead normally, with no chance of failure. This ability replaces consummate liar and mental potency.

Continued Animation (Su): At 3rd level, when a spirit walker is using hypnotic stare on a humanoid target and the target dies, as an immediate action the spirit walker can force the target's soul to remain in the body. The spirit walker can then control the target as if using dominate person for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the spirit walker's class level. The creature gains a number of temporary hit points equal to 2 × the spirit walker's class level and continues acting as though it were alive and conscious until it loses those temporary hit points or the duration expires. During this time, the creature counts as undead, but it can't be healed by negative energy. The spirit walker can use this ability once per day for every 3 mesmerist levels he possesses. The target receives a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the spirit walker's class level + his Charisma modifier) to avoid this effect and die normally. This ability ends immediately if at any point the target's body is completely destroyed (such as by disintegrate) or restored to life. At 14th level, the spirit walker can apply this ability to any type of target as if using dominate monster. This ability replaces the 3rd- and 14th-level touch treatments.

Command Undead (Su): At 6th level, a spirit walker gains Command Undead as a bonus feat. A spirit walker can use Command Undead a number of times per day equal to 1 + his Charisma modifier (minimum 1), using his mesmerist level as his cleric level. At 10th level, the DC to resist this effect increases by 2. This ability replaces the 6th- and 10th-level touch treatments.

Master of the Dead (Su): At 20th level, a spirit walker gains mastery of the undead. Once per day, a spirit walker can use control undead as a spell-like ability on one target. If that creature fails its saving throw and has 20 or fewer Hit Dice, it falls permanently under the spirit walker's control until the spirit walker dies. A creature that fails its save but has more than 20 HD suffers the effect of command undead. A creature that succeeds at its save can't be affected by master of the dead for 24 hours. A spirit walker can control only one undead creature in this fashion at a time. If he permanently controls a new undead creature, the previous one is set free. This ability replaces rule minds.

Toxitician (Archetype)

Toxiticians forgo the mesmerist's stare, instead combining their psychic power with their alchemical knowledge to craft injections that torment their foes and bolster themselves and their allies.

Deft Fingers (Ex): A toxitician adds 1/2 his class level (minimum 1) as a bonus on all Sleight of Hands checks. This ability replaces consummate liar.

Injections (Su): At 1st level, the toxitician uses his skill with alchemy and his own psychic powers to create injections. The toxitician can create a number of injections per day equal to his mesmerist level + his Charisma modifier. It takes 1 hour to create the injections. An injection is inert until the toxitician attempts to use it, taking a swift action to infuse it with his psychic power to activate it.

Using an injection requires taking a standard action to attempt a melee touch attack. If the attack hits, the target of an injection takes a –2 penalty on its Will saving throws for a number of minutes equal to 1/2 the toxitican's class level (minimum 1). The penalty becomes –3 at 8th level.

The toxitician can simultaneously attempt a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to inject the target surreptitiously. If the toxitician uses Sleight of Hand, the target can attempt a Perception check to detect the attempt, opposed by the Sleight of Hand check result, but detecting the attempt doesn't prevent the creature from being injected. Whenever the toxitician uses Sleight of Hand to administer one of his injections, he can implant it rather than injecting it and then trigger the effect of the injection at a later time. At any point before he regains his injections, the toxitician can trigger an implanted injection as a free action. The toxitician must be within medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per mesmerist level) of the target of the implanted injection.

If either the melee touch attack or the Sleight of Hand check (if attempted) fails, the injection isn't delivered but can still be used again—once activated, it remains potent for 1 day. An injection that hasn't been administered becomes inert if it leaves the toxitician's possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping.

The penalties from multiple injections don't stack, nor do the penalties from injections stack with penalties from mesmerist stares or witches' evil eye hexes. Injections are mind-affecting effects.

This ability replaces hypnotic stare.

Painful Injection (Su): The toxitician's injection causes intense pain. This increases the damage the subject takes in the same way as the mesmerist's painful stare class feature. This extra damage is dealt automatically, without being triggered by the toxitician, but doesn't increase when the toxitician damages the target and can still be dealt only once per round. This ability replaces painful stare.

Injection Improvement (Su): At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, a toxitician can select one improvement to add to his injections. The toxitician can't choose the same improvement more than once. The toxitician doesn't have to select the improvements when he prepares his injections at the start of the day; the choice is made as part of the swift action to activate the injection. The target can attempt a Fortitude saving throw to resist an injection with an improvement added to it. The DC is 10 + 1/2 the toxitician's class level + the toxitician's Charisma modifier. On a successful save, the target still takes the penalty on its Will saving throws, but not the effects of the improvement. A toxitician can, as a free action, sacrifice one use of his injections to increase the DC of another injection by 2.

Ability Decrease: The target takes a –2 penalty to one ability score of the toxitician's choosing. At 11th level, the penalty becomes –4.

Excruciating: The extra damage from painful injection increases by an amount equal to 2 points + 1 point per 3 mesmerist levels the toxitician possesses.

Fortitude Decrease: The target's immune system weakens, imposing a –2 penalty on Fortitude saving throws. At 11th level, the penalty becomes –4.

Natural Armor Decrease: The target's skin becomes looser, decreasing its natural armor (if any) by 2. At 11th level, its natural armor bonus instead decreases by 4.

Reflex Decrease: The target's body becomes stiffer, imposing a –2 penalty on the target's Reflex saving throws. At 11th level, the penalty becomes –4.

Slow: The target's actions become sluggish, reducing its base movement by 10 feet and imposing a –1 penalty on attack rolls. At 11th level, the penalty on attack rolls becomes –2.

This ability replaces bold stare.

Treatment Vials (Su): At 3rd level, a toxitician can create treatment vials when he creates his injections for the day; creating each treatment vial expends one use of touch treatment. A treatment vial has the same benefit as his touch treatment, but anyone can administer it as a standard action. A vial can remove any condition the toxitician is able to remove at his mesmerist level, but can't be used for a break enchantment effect. A treatment vial becomes inert after 24 hours. This ability alters touch treatment.

Improved Injections (Su): At 11th level, the toxitician can add two different improvements to an injection. The injection still requires only one save. This ability replaces glib lie.

Vexing Daredevil (Archetype)

Vexing daredevils train their psychic powers for combat, specializing in momentarily blinding and confusing their foes with sudden feints and tricks.

Class Skills: A vexing daredevil adds Acrobatics (Dex) to her list of class skills. This alters the mesmerist's class skills.

Martial Weapon Proficiency (Ex): At 1st level, a vexing daredevil picks one martial weapon and becomes proficient in its use. This ability replaces the 1st-level mesmerist trick.

Bonus Feats: A vexing daredevil gains Improved Feint as a bonus feat at 3rd level, Greater Feint as a bonus feat at 6th level, and Greater Mesmerizing Feint* as a bonus feat at 10th level. She doesn't need to meet the prerequisites for these feats. At 14th level, she gains a bonus stare feat; she must meet the prerequisites of that feat. These bonus feats replace touch treatment.

Dazzling Feint (Su): At 3rd level, each time a vexing daredevil successfully feints against a creature under the effect of her hypnotic stare, she also chooses one of her dazzling feint benefits to activate. Unless otherwise stated, a dazzling feint's benefit applies only on the vexing daredevil's next attack this round. She selects one dazzling feint at 3rd level and another every 4 levels thereafter. The DC for any saving throw against a dazzling feint's effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the vexing daredevil's class level + her Charisma modifier. The vexing daredevil can't choose the same dazzling feint more than once.

Blinding Strike: The vexing daredevil's weapon emits a bright flash of light into the opponent's eyes. If the vexing daredevil's next attack hits, the target must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw or be blinded for 1 round.

Combat Maneuver: The vexing daredevil's attack patterns become more difficult to discern. The vexing daredevil chooses one combat maneuver when making this dazzling feint. For the rest of the round, she doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity when performing that combat maneuver against the target of her dazzling feint. This dazzling feint benefit applies on combat maneuvers instead of on the vexing daredevil's next attack.

Critical Strike: Ever alert, the vexing daredevil hones in on the target's weak points. If her next attack is a critical threat against the target of this dazzling feint, the vexing daredevil gains a circumstance bonus on the roll to confirm that critical hit equal to +1 for every 3 mesmerist levels she possesses.

Outmanuever: The vexing daredevil's darting movements foil the target's attempts to box her in. If her next attack hits, the vexing daredevil gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Acrobatics checks to move through the target's space or threatened area for 1 round. She can also move up to half her speed after the attack hits as a free action. If she wants to use Acrobatics to move through the target's threatened area or an enemy's space during this movement, she must reduce her speed or the DC of the Acrobatics check increases by 10, as normal.

Piercing Strike: By psychically amplifying the target's pain, the vexing daredevil causes more damage. If she hits with her next attack and deals damage with her painful stare, she increases the damage dice from d6s to d8s.

Sloppy Defense: The vexing daredevil's attacks effortlessly penetrate the target's defenses; she gains a +1 circumstance bonus on her next attack roll for every 5 mesmerist levels she possesses.

Surprise Strike: The vexing daredevil creates an opening so she can squeeze in another strike. If her next attack hits, she can make another attack at her highest attack bonus – 5 as a free action. The vexing daredevil must be at least 7th level to select this dazzling feint. This ability replaces bold stare.

Shimmering Body (Sp): At 11th level, when a vexing daredevil moves in a round, until the beginning of her next turn, any target of her hypnotic stare sees her as a constantly shimmering form of light and treats her as if she were under a blur spell. This ability replaces glib tongue.