Preliminary Kaiu Ainu/ Spirit Eater
Here is the initial draft of the spirit eater class. I intend to grant more special abilities, but this is what I have so far.
Kaiu Ainu / Eater of Spirits
Spirit Binders gain power by consuming the essence of spirit creatures, gaining many strange and wondrous powers. Their ways are strange and tend to alienate most.
Spirit binders enter into deals with those from the spirit world to gain supernatural power. They are mistrusted by the general population, and must maintain a lifestyle different to others in order to remain a pure vessel for their patron spirit. Most remain on the periphery of society, but none can deny their knowledge of power.
The Kaiu Ainu
Code:
Lvl BAB Saves Special
1st +0 0/0/2 Consume Essence, Detect Spirits, Disruptive Touch, Spirit Mantle
2nd +1 0/0/3 Scent of the Spirit Born
3rd +2 1/1/3 Disruptive Burst
4th +3 1/1/4 Spirit Sight
5th +3 1/1/4 -
6th +4 2/2/5 Spirit Hunter
7th +5 2/2/5 -
8th +6 2/2/6 Spurn Spirit Magic (Spirits)
9th +6 3/3/6 -
10th +7 3/3/7 -
11th +8 3/3/7 -
12th +9 4/4/8 Spurn Spirit Magic (Spellcasters)
13th +9 4/4/8 -
14th +10 4/4/9 -
15th +11 5/5/9 -
16th +12 5/5/10 Weaken Spirits
17th +12 5/5/10 -
18th +13 6/6/11 -
19th +14 6/6/11 -
20th +15 6/6/12 -
Code:
Class Spells Spells Aspects Maximum
Level Known Readied Known Spell Level
1st 6 4 1 1st
2nd 7 4 2 1st
3rd 8 5 2 2nd
4th 9 5 2 2nd
5th 10 6 3 3rd
6th 11 6 3 3rd
7th 12 6 3 4th
8th 13 7 3 4th
9th 14 7 4 5th
10th 15 8 4 5th
11th 16 8 4 6th
12th 17 8 4 6th
13th 18 9 4 7th
14th 19 9 5 7th
15th 20 10 5 8th
16th 21 10 5 8th
17th 22 10 5 9th
18th 23 11 5 9th
19th 24 11 5 9th
20th 25 12 6 9th
Game Rule Information
Kaiu Ainu have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma governs how powerful a spell a Kaiu Ainu can cast, and how hard those spells are to resist (see Spells, below), as well as the power of his supernatural abilities. Like a wizard, a Kaiu Ainu benefits from high Dexterity and Constitution scores.
Alignment: Any non-good
Hit Die: d6
Class skills
The Kaiu Ainu’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Kaiu Ainu
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Kaiu Ainu are proficient with the following weapons: boomerang, club, dagger, kalis, klewang, kris, quarterstaff, short spear, sling, and spear. They are also proficient with light and medium armour but are prohibited from wearing metal armour; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armour. Kaiu Ainu are not proficient with any type of shield. A Kaiu Ainu who gains shield proficiency with shields may use only wooden shields.
Because the somatic components required for anima magic are relatively simple, a spirit eater can cast spirit eater spells while wearing allowed armour without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.
However, a Kaiu Ainu who wears prohibited armour is unable to use anima magic, spirit mantle or use any of his supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.
A multi-class spirit eater still incurs the normal arcane spell failure for arcane spells received from other classes.
Spirit Mantle (Su): The spirit eater learns to channel the energy of his ghost, granting him protection from the dangers of the world. When spells are readied to the spirit mantle, it glows softly, giving the illumination of a torch. As a standard action, a spirit eater can suppress the illumination effect of his spirit mantle if he desires. He may allow his spirit mantle to glow again as a free action at any time.
So long as he has at least 1 spell readied to the mantle, he gains a resistance bonus to his saving throws equal to his Charisma modifier.
The Spirit Eater also gains aspects, applied to his spirit mantle (see below).
Anima Magic: You begin your career with six arcane spells. Spirit eaters spells are drawn from the Wu Jen spell list.
Once you know a spell, it must be readied to your spirit mantle before you can use it (see Spells Readied, below). You learn additional spells, as shown on the class table. You must have a Charisma Score of at least 10 + the Spell Level in order to learn a spell of that level. The DC to resist a spirit eater’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the spirit eater’s Charisma modifier.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered spirit eater level thereafter (6th, 8th, 10th, and so forth), you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old spell in exchange for the new one. You can choose a new spell of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest level spells you know; you need not replace the old spell with a spell of the same level. You can swap only a single spell at a time.
Anima Spells Readied: You can ready four of your six spells known to the spirit mantle at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more spells, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which spells to ready. You ready your spells to the spirit mantle by meditating for 5 minutes. The spells you ready remain readied until you decide to meditate again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready your spells; any time you spend 5 minutes in meditation, you can change your readied spells.
You begin an encounter with all of your readied spells unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have used them since you chose them. When you cast a spell, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied spells can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).
You can recover an expended spell by using a full-round action to quickly meditate. Doing this provokes an attack of opportunity. If you complete your meditation, you can choose one expended spell to refresh. It is now available for use in a subsequent round.
Mantle Aspects Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level aspect of your choice. At 2nd, 5th, 9th, 14th, and 20th level, you can choose additional aspects. Unlike a spirit eater’s spells, aspects are not expended and do not have to be readied. All the Aspects that you know are available to you at all times, and you can change your spirit mantle’s aspect with a swift action. An Aspect is a supernatural ability unless otherwise stated in the aspect’s description.
Unlike with spells, you cannot learn a new aspect at higher levels in place of one you already know.
Taboos: In order to maintain their supernatural power, a Kaiu Ainu must abide by certain taboos that may seem inconsequential to other characters but are vitally important to the Kaiu Ainu. If a Kaiu Ainu violates one of his taboos, he is unable to use his spirit mantle abilities. A Kiau Ainu must choose one taboo at first level and one additional taboo every time he learns a new mantle aspect.
Bonus Language: Kaiu Dhe. The language of power and creation, this is the language Kaiu Ainu use to converse with their spirits. (In conventional campaigns, replace with the Spirit Tongue, or Celestial or Infernal depending on the nature of the Class.)
Detect Spirits (Sp): In consuming the essence of a spirit creature, a Spirit Eater gains the ability to use detect spirits as a spell like ability at will. It functions just like detect undead, but it detects spirit creatures and other spirit practitioners instead.
Disruptive Touch (Su): A spirit eater’s touch is anathema to spirit beings. At will, but no more than once per round, he can make a melee touch attack against a spirit creature that deals 2 points of Charisma damage. The charisma damage can be negated with a successful Will save (DC 10 + ½ the spirit eater’s class level + his Charisma modifier). A 10th-level spirit eater instead deals 4 points of Charisma damage with his disruptive touch.
A spirit creature reduced to 0 Charisma is helpless and is then vulnerable to the Spirit Eater’s Consume Spirit ability (see below). A spirit eater heals 5 points of damage each time he deals Charisma damage to a spirit creature.
If the spirit eater uses Disruptive Touch against a being that is not spirit creature, he instead deals 1d6 points of non-lethal damage, +1 per 4 class levels. He does not regain hit points if he deals damage to a non-spirit creature.
Consume Spirit (Su): Spirit eaters gain supernatural power from consuming the vital essence of spiritual beings, and adding its power to his mantle. A spirit binder who has reduced a spirit creature’s Charisma to 0 with his Disruptive touch can, as a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity, consume the spirit’s vital essence. He can choose any one of the following effects. Each effect lasts for one hour.
• +2 enhancement bonus to natural armour, +3 if the consumed creature had 6 or more HD, +4 if it had 12+ HD, or +5 if the creature had 18 or more HD.
• +2 deflection bonus to AC, +3 if the consumed creature had 6 or more HD, +4 if it had 12+ HD, or +5 if the creature had 18 or more HD.
• +2 bonus to Int, Wis, and Charisma, +4 if the creature had 10 or more HD, +6 if the creature had 16 or more HD
• 2 temporary hit points per class level
• +2 morale bonus on one saving throw, +1 morale bonus on the other two. The bonuses increase by +1 for every 5 HD of the creature
• +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity, +4 if the creature had 10 or more HD, +6 if the creature had 16 or more HD
• Spell Resistance = 10 + ½ Creature HD + your ½ your Class Level.
• Gain a single use of one of the spirit creature’s special attacks. You may use this ability at any time before the duration expires, but once used the ability is expended.
A spirit being destroyed with the Consume Essence ability cannot be raised or resurrected, nor can its body (if it had one) be used to create an undead creature. There is a 50% chance that a
wish, miracle, or
true resurrection spell can restore a consumed spirit to its former existence. Check once for each consumed creature. If the check fails, the spirit cannot be brought back by mortal magic.
Scent of the Spiritborn (Su): A 2nd level Spirit Eater gains the Scent feat, but may only use it to detect the scent of Spirits and other Spirit practitioners (Spirit eaters and spirit shamans). Wind has no effect on the spirit scent ability, but other olfactory sources may interfere with it.
Spirit eaters can track spirit beings as if using the Track feat. A spirit eater uses their spirit eater level instead of the Wilderness Lore skill when tracking by scent.
Disruptive Burst (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a spirit eater can use her power to damage nearby spirit creatures.
Disruptive burst is a standard action that deals 1d6 damage/spirit eater level to all spirits within 30 feet of the spirit eater. The affected spirits get a Will save (DC 10 + spirit eater level + Charisma modifier) for half damage.
When using this ability against incorporeal creatures, a spirit eater does not have to roll the normal 50% miss chance- the effect hits the spirit automatically. A spirit eater can use this ability a number of times per day equal 3 + his Charisma modifier.
Spirit Sight (Su): A 4th level Kaiu Ainu can see ethereal creatures (including spirits) as easily as he sees material creatures and objects. The Kaiu Ainu can easily distinguish between ethereal creatures and material ones, because ethereal creatures appear translucent and indistinct.
Hunter of Spirits (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a spirit eater confers the ghost touch special ability to his unarmed strike, his touch attacks, and any weapon he holds for as long as he holds it. He also becomes resistant to the touch attacks of incorporeal creatures, and may use his normal Armour Class (not his touch AC) against any touch attack delivered by an incorporeal creature.
Spurn Spirit Magic (Su): Beginning at 8th level, a spirit eater gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of spirit creatures. At 12th level, this bonus also applies to the spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by spellcasters who gain their powers from the spirit world (such as Spirit Shamans and Spirit Rangers).
Weaken Spirits (Su): At 16th level and higher, a spirit eater can choose to strip spirits of their defences instead of damaging them with his disruptive burst ability. When a spirit is weakened, it loses its spell resistance and any damage reduction overcome by magic weapons, silver or cold iron weapons, and aligned weapons (but not damage reduction overcome by adamantine weapons or not overcome by anything). In addition, an incorporeal spirit loses its immunity to non-magical attack, its 50% chance to ignore damage from corporeal sources, and its ability to move into or through objects.
To weaken spirits, a spirit eater uses his disruptive burst ability but chooses to do less damage in exchange for weakening the spirits for a short time. For each 3d6 of disruptive burst damage the spirit eater forgoes, the affected spirits are weakened for 1 round. Spirits that make their Will save against the disruptive burst damage are unaffected by the weakening effect (but still take half the damage).
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As mentioned above, this is an incomplete version of the class. I'm still working out thematic abilities for the spirit mantle to acuire over time, as well as other powers for the class to possess.
Is average base attack too much? Is a d6 hit die appropriate for the class? Opinion on the armour restriction?
In regard to the spellcasting, I've considered making them spell-like abilities instead of being normal spells (as they are now).
). I really like the look of the Spirit-based Barbarian and Ranger. Your version of the Spirit Shaman is interesting too. 
