Maurice Thurbach's page

Character Name, Race, Class/Archetype, Role/Build
Maurice Thurbach, NE fetchling Shadow Caller Spiritualist of Feyla (if spiritualists are also required to have deities).
Healer, Scout, Face (Stealth, Intimidate, Sense Motive, Bluff, Diplomacy will all be high)

Council Role and How it was Earned
"Spiritual Advisor" to King Addanc and to his father before him, but actually the Spymaster for the kingdom. He ruthlessly protects the Court and the King (but especially himself). During Addanc's coup, he recognized the young prince's ambitions and wisely chose to stand out of the way, immediately bending his loyalty to the new King, lending his claim some legitimacy, desperate to remain relevant and in the ear of power.

Brief Background Information
Devious and deceitful, the fetchling is largely disliked by most of the court of King Addanc, including the King himself. Originally a human, his alchemical experiments and time in the shadows have poisoned Maurice's blood, turning him into something else entirely. While he immediately abandoned the King's father during the coup, his loyalty to the Vault, however, is beyond question, and people who know his true role as Spymaster ruefully acknowledge the necessary part he plays in the protection of the kingdom.

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom: Fetchlings are quick and forceful, but often strange and easily distracted by errant thoughts.
Native Outsider: Fetchlings are outsiders with the native subtype, and humanoids with the human subtype.
Medium: Fetchlings are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Fetchlings have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Fetchlings can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Fetchlings can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Skilled: Fetchlings have a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (planes) and Stealth checks.
Bound to Kesperax (alters Skilled and Native Outsider): Some Nidalese fetchlings are from families that have fearfully avoided the Shadow Plane, living on Golarion for generations. As a result, these fetchlings are closely tied to the Material Plane. Fetchlings with this racial trait count as outsiders with the native subtype and humanoids with the human subtype for any effect related to race, including feat prerequisites and spells that affect humanoids. They can pass for human without using the Disguise skill. This racial trait replaces the +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks from the skilled racial trait, and alters the native outsider racial trait.
Shadow Blending: Attacks against a fetchling in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.
Shadowy Resistance: Fetchlings have cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5.
Spell-Like Abilities: A fetchling can use disguise self once per day as a spell-like ability. He can assume the form of any humanoid creature using this spell-like ability. When a fetchling reaches character 9th level in any combination of classes, he gains shadow walk (self only) as a spell-like ability usable once per day, and at 13th level, he gains plane shift (self only, to the Shadow Plane or the Material Plane only) usable once per day. A fetchling’s caster level for these abilities is equal to his character level.
Languages: Fetchlings begin play speaking Common. Fetchlings with a high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Draconic, D’ziriak (understanding only, cannot speak), Ignan, Terran, and any regional human tongue.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A spiritualist is proficient with all simple weapons, kukris, saps, and scythes, as well as with light armor.

Spells: A spiritualist casts psychic spells drawn from the spiritualist spell list. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time, assuming she has not yet used up her allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level. To learn or cast a spell, a spiritualist must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a spiritualist’s spell equals 10 + the spell level + the spiritualist’s Wisdom modifier.

A spiritualist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–9: Spiritualist. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table 1–3 on page 17 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).

A spiritualist’s selection of spells is limited. A spiritualist begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the spiritualist’s choice. At each new spiritualist level, she learns one or more new spells as indicated on Table 1–10: Spiritualist Spells Known. Unlike her number of spells per day, the number of spells a spiritualist knows does not affect her Wisdom score. The numbers on Table 1–10 are fixed.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third spiritualist level thereafter (8th, 11th, and so on), a spiritualist can learn a single new spell in place of one she already knows. In effect, the spiritualist loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level spiritualist spell she can cast. A spiritualist can swap out only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that she gains new spells known for the level.

Knacks: A spiritualist learns a number of knacks, or 0-level psychic spells, as noted on Table 1–10 under Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they can be cast any number of times per day. Knacks prepared using another spell slot, because of metamagic feats applied to them, for example, consume spell slots as normal.

Shade: A shadow caller gains a special kind of phantom known as a shade. A shade functions as a phantom, except as noted below. A shade is from the Shadow Plane instead of the Ethereal Plane. A shade is not confined to the shadow caller’s consciousness, but instead inhabits her shadow.

This ability alters phantom.

Emotionless (Su): A shadow caller’s shade lacks an emotional focus; it is cold and devoid of all emotions. The shade gains a number of ranks in Intimidate and Stealth equal to its Hit Dice. The shadow caller gains Skill Focus in each of these skills while the shade inhabits her shadow. The shade has good Reflex and Will saves, gains Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat, and gains the following abilities.

Weakening Touch (Su): A shade’s slam attack causes its victim to take a –2 penalty to Strength for 1 round. As a standard action, a shade in incorporeal form can deliver the penalty as a touch attack. This penalty does not stack with itself. This is a negative energy effect.

Phantom: A spiritualist begins play with the aid of a powerful and versatile spirit entity called a phantom. The phantom forms a link with the spiritualist, who forever after can either harbor the creature within her consciousness or manifest it as an ectoplasmic or incorporeal entity. A phantom has the same alignment as the spiritualist, and it can speak all the languages its master can. A spiritualist can harbor her phantom in her consciousness (see the shared consciousness class feature on page 73), manifest it partially (see the bonded manifestation class feature on page 74), or fully manifest it. A fully manifested phantom is treated as a summoned creature from the Ethereal Plane, except it is not sent back to the Ethereal Plane until it is reduced to a negative amount of hit points equal to or greater than its Constitution score.

A spiritualist can fully manifest her phantom through a ritual that takes 1 minute to perform. When the phantom is fully manifested, the spiritualist can change the form of the phantom’s manifestation (either from ectoplasmic to incorporeal or vice versa) as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. When the phantom manifests, its hit points are unchanged from the last time it manifested, unless the phantom was slain and returned to the Ethereal Plane; in this case, the phantom manifests with half its maximum number of hit points. The phantom does not heal naturally, and can be healed only with magic or by being tended to with the Heal skill while fully manifested in ectoplasmic form. The phantom stays fully manifested until it is either returned to the spiritualist’s consciousness (a standard action) or banished to the Ethereal Plane. If the phantom is banished to the Ethereal Plane, it can’t return to the spiritualist’s consciousness or manifest again for 24 hours.

While fully manifested, a phantom can’t be returned to the Ethereal Plane by means of dispel magic, but spells such as dismissal and banishment work normally. Whenever the spiritualist is unconscious or asleep, the phantom immediately returns to the spiritualist’s consciousness. If the spiritualist dies, the phantom is returned to the Ethereal Plane, and can’t return to the spiritualist’s consciousness until 24 hours after the spiritualist is brought back to life. A phantom can’t be dismissed or banished (by a spell or any other similar effect) while it resides in the spiritualist’s consciousness, as the phantom is protected from such effects by the power of the spiritualist’s psyche.

Fully manifested phantoms can wear armor and use items (though not wield weapons) appropriate to their forms. Any items worn, carried, or held by a phantom are dropped when the phantom returns to the spiritualist’s consciousness, and must be retrieved and donned anew if the phantom wishes to use them when it fully manifests in the future.

Phantoms are self-involved, even jealous, creatures that do not play well with other summoned companions. A phantom refuses to manifest (either fully or as part of a bonded manifestation; see Bonded Manifestation on page 74) in the presence of an eidolon or shadow summoned by the phantom’s master. Furthermore, if a phantom is manifested when such a creature is summoned, it immediately retreats into its spiritualist’s consciousness, and will not manifest again until the eidolon or shadow is dismissed.

A fully manifested phantom’s abilities, feats, Hit Dice, saving throws, and skills are tied to the spiritualist’s class level and increase as the spiritualist gains levels. See the Phantoms section starting on page 78 for more information.

Shared Consciousness (Su): At 1st level, while a phantom is confined in a spiritualist’s consciousness (but not while it’s fully manifested or banished to the Ethereal Plane), it grants the spiritualist the Skill Focus feat in two skills determined by the phantom’s emotional focus, unless the spiritualist already has Skill Focus in those skills. It also grants a +4 bonus on saving throws against all mind-affecting effects; at 12th level, this bonus increases to +8. Lastly, once per day, when the spiritualist fails a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect, as an immediate action she can shunt that effect into the phantom’s section of her consciousness instead. When she does so, she is not affected by the mind-affecting effect, but for the normal duration of that effect, the spiritualist loses the bonuses on saving throws against mind-affecting effects and the Skill Focus effects granted by her phantom, and can’t use this ability to shunt a mind-affecting effect into the phantom’s consciousness or manifest her phantom in any way. When a mind-affecting effect is shunted into the phantom’s consciousness, spells such as dispel magic and break enchantment can be cast on the spiritualist to end the effect’s duration as if the spiritualist were affected by the mind-affecting effect.

Etheric Tether (Su): At 1st level, a spiritualist can force the phantom to manifest in an area around her by pushing the phantom’s consciousness though the veil of ethereal essence, allowing it to fully manifest in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form. Whenever her manifested phantom takes enough damage to send it back to the Ethereal Plane, as a reaction to the damage, the spiritualist can sacrifice any number of her hit points without using an action. Each hit point sacrificed in this way prevents 1 point of damage dealt to the phantom. This can prevent the phantom from being sent back to the Ethereal Plane.

This tether is limited. When the phantom is fully manifested, it and the spiritualist must remain within 50 feet of one another for the phantom’s manifestation to stay stable with little to no concentration on the part of the spiritualist. The spiritualist can stretch the limited tether, but only when the phantom is in ectoplasmic form. When a spiritualist starts her turn and her ectoplasmic phantom is more than 50 feet away from her (but closer than 100 feet), the spiritualist must concentrate on the link as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity or the ectoplasmic phantom immediately returns to the Ethereal Plane and cannot be summoned from that plane for 24 hours. This concentration can be interrupted as if it were a spell. Treat this effect’s spell level as equal to 1 + 1 per 10 feet farther than 50 feet that the phantom is from the spiritualist (maximum spell level 6th). If the tether is interrupted or the check fails, the phantom immediately snaps back into the consciousness of its spiritualist master.

If the ectoplasmic phantom is ever more than 100 feet away from its spiritualist, or the incorporeal phantom is ever 50 feet away from the spiritualist or outside of line of effect from the spiritualist for more than 1 round per spiritualist level the spiritualist possesses, the tether is automatically broken; the phantom immediately returns to the Ethereal Plane and can’t be summoned from that plane for 24 hours.

See the Phantoms section starting on page 78 for more information.

Inhabit Shadow (Su): A shade resides within a shadow caller’s own shadow. When the shade is summoned, the shadow caller does not cast a shadow under any circumstances. Creatures that don’t normally cast shadows (such as vampires) cannot be shadow callers. While the shade inhabits its master’s shadow, the shadow caller gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Stealth checks against creatures without darkvision or the see in darkness ability; at 12th level, this bonus increases to +8. Additionally, the shadow caller gains darkvision 60 feet while her shade inhabits her shadow. If the shadow caller already has darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.

This ability replaces shared consciousness.

Shadow Bound (Su): A shadow caller’s shade remains stable while adjacent to the shadow caller, or while up to 5 feet away from the shadow caller for every 5 levels the shadow caller possesses. If the shade moves beyond this distance, it is automatically dismissed back to the Shadow Plane (preventing the shade from being summoned back for 24 hours) unless the shadow caller concentrates as per the etheric tether ability. However, if both the shadow caller and shade are in areas of total darkness, the shade can move any distance from the shadow caller. If the shade is beyond its maximum distance and enters an area of dim or brighter illumination, it immediately returns to the Shadow Plane and cannot be summoned for 24 hours.

This ability replaces etheric tether.

Bonded Senses (Su): At 2nd level, as a standard action, a spiritualist can share the senses of her manifested phantom, hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and feeling everything her phantom does. She can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to her spiritualist level, but those rounds do not need to be consecutive. There is no maximum range for this effect, but the phantom and the spiritualist must be on the same plane. The spiritualist can end this effect as a free action.

Bonded Manifestation (Su): At 3rd level, as a swift action, a spiritualist can pull on the consciousness of her phantom and the substance of the Ethereal Plane to partially manifest aspects of both in her own body. When she does, she uses this bonded manifestation to enhance her own abilities while the phantom is still bound to her consciousness. For the spiritualist to use this ability, the phantom must be confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness; it can’t be manifested in any other way.

During a bonded manifestation, the phantom can’t be damaged, dismissed, or banished. A spiritualist can use bonded manifestation a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + her spiritualist level. The rounds need not be consecutive. She can dismiss the effects of a bonded manifestation as a free action, but even if she dismisses a bonded manifestation on the same round that she used it, it counts as 1 round of use.

When a spiritualist uses this ability, she must choose either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form. When she makes this choice, she gains all of the abilities based on the form she chooses and her spiritualist level.

Ectoplasmic Bonded Manifestation: When a spiritualist uses this ability and chooses ectoplasmic form, she gains an ectoplasmic shield that protects her without restricting her movement or actions. She gains a +4 shield bonus to Armor Class; this bonus applies to incorporeal touch attacks. The ectoplasmic shield has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance. At 8th level, the spiritualist also sprouts a pair of ectoplasmic tendrils from her body. Once per round as either a swift or a standard action (spiritualist’s choice), the spiritualist can use one or both tendrils to attack creatures within her melee reach (using the attack bonus and damage dice of her ectoplasmic manifested phantom) or to manipulate objects. She can even use that action to have one tendril make an attack and the other manipulate an object, as long as that object can be manipulated with one hand. At 13th level, the phantom’s ectoplasm clings to the spiritualist like a suit of armor. This grants the spiritualist a +6 armor bonus to AC without imposing an armor check penalty, an arcane spell failure chance, or any reduction in speed. At 18th level, the spiritualist can take a full-round action to attack all creatures within her melee reach with her tendrils (using the attack bonus and damage dice of her ectoplasmic manifested phantom). When she does, she rolls the attack roll twice, takes the better of the two results, and uses that as her attack roll result against all creatures within her melee reach. If the better attack roll threatens a critical hit, the spiritualist chooses one target that she hit to confirm the critical hit against. The other attacks that hit are considered normal hits rather than critical threats.

Incorporeal Bonded Manifestation: When a spiritualist uses this ability and chooses incorporeal form, she becomes shrouded in a haze of insubstantial mist, granting her concealment against ranged attacks. At 8th level, the spiritualist can better affect incorporeal creatures with melee attacks; her unarmed strikes and melee weapon attacks are treated as if they had the ghost touch magic weapon special ability. At 13th level, the spiritualist can take a standard action to become invisible (as the invisibility spell) the start of her next turn. At 18th level, the spiritualist gains the incorporeal subtype and a fly speed of 30 feet (good) while using this form of bonded manifestation.

0
Detect Magic
Guidance
Mage Hand
Read Magic
1
Doom
Dancing Darkness
Psychic Reading
Remove Fear
Shadow Trap
2
Darkness
3
Deeper Darkness
4
Shadow Conjuration
5
Shadow Evocation
6
Greater Shadow Conjuration

6 skills/level, 2 background/level, 3 favored class
Bluff, +9, 2 ranks, 3 class, 3 CHA, 1 trait
Dip, +4, 1 ranks, 3 CHA
Intimidate, +12, 3 ranks, 3 class, 3 CHA, 3 skill focus
K. Local, +6, 1 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT
K. Planar, +8, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT
K. Religion, +7, 2 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT
Perception +7, 1 ranks, 3 class, 3 WIS
Sense Motive, +9 3 ranks, 3 class, 3 WIS
Spellcraft, +6, 1 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT
Stealth*, +22, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 DEX, 2 racial, 1 trait, 3 skill focus, 4 circumstance, 4 profane
UMD, +7, 1 ranks, 3 class, 3 CHA
-
Craft (Alchemy): +10, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT, 2 circumstance
Lore (Hapi): +7, 2 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT
K. Nobility: +6, 1 ranks, 3 class, 2 INT

Mithral dagger 252
Cleric's outfit 5
Pickpocket outfit 5
Alchemist's Kit 40
Seance kit 290
Quieting needles 25
Robe of Needles 1000
Centering Jewel 1000
383 GP

33 HP
Type Outsider (phantom); Size Medium Speed 30 ft.; AC 12, +4 dodge (in incorporeal form) or +4 natural armor (in ectoplasmic form); Attack 2 slams (+5 to hit, 1d6+1); Ability Scores Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 14.

F +4, R +7, W +1

Weakening Touch (Su): A shade’s slam attack causes its victim to take a –2 penalty to Strength for 1 round. As a standard action, a shade in incorporeal form can deliver the penalty as a battack. This penalty does not stack with itself. This is a negative energy effect.

Feats:
Lightning Reflexes
Combat Reflexes
Bodyguard

Skills:
Intimidate, +8, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 CHA
Perception, +6, 3 ranks, 3 class, 0 WIS
Sleight of Hand, +8, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 DEX
Stealth, +8, 3 ranks, 3 class, 2 DEX

Raised as a ward of the Church of Hapi, Maurice Thurbach never knew his family beyond the walls of the church. He was an odd solitary child, his only friend his shadow. For this, he faced ridicule from both adults and peers, but he was stubborn and insistent that he wasn't playing pretend. His shadow was his sister, he said, his twin and mirror image, long lost to him.

This fascination followed him into adulthood, and as he pursued a career as an alchemist, the dark was always where he found comfort. Shortly after his 20th year, the court of the King of the Vault was looking for someone of his exact talents, and the Church of Hapi eagerly volunteered him, awarding him a civilian position of some repute among the clergy.

King Ulthar took a liking to Maurice, always preferring laymen to those magic types, and outright promoted Maurice to the position of representative for the Church of Hapi, oft seeking his council in regards to religion and magic, two subjects the barbarian-king both feared and distrusted. The Church responded by elevating Maurice further among the ranks and charging him with special duty and privileges: protect the Vault, and protect the Church. As long as he fulfilled those two charges, all else was forgiven.

Comfortable, with friends and companions for the first time in his life, Maurice indulged in an old habit, and once more began to talk to his shadow. Only this time, his shadow talked back.

She explained that she was his twin, his mirror image, a sister left behind in the realm of shadow. Everyone's shadow was such, but most kept their shadows rudely enslaved beneath their feet, never trying to talk to or understand the plight of their own soul. She asked him to free her from this bondage, promising him great knowledge and power, but also, to have her eternally as a friend and companion.

Maurice grew obsessed with this task, spending long hours in the dark, concocting various alchemical potions and poisons to try and access the Shadow Plane, to free his beloved sister. He spent years searching, until he was changed at last, the hellish fumes of iron and sulfur coating his eyes and skin, turning his once dark eyes into a pupil-less, pale yellow and his skin the grey white of ash, and he could see.

He saw through the dark to the other side, and there, she was waiting for him. Carolee, his shadow, his childhood imaginary friend, real, tangible, actual. She kissed his forehead, pressed a knife into his grip; he took it, knelt, and split the seam between them.

The man awoke in his lab, the burning metal having exploded the flasks and alembics he had utilized. He gaped, uncertain. He should be dead, by all means, he should. Be. Dead.

And yet here he was, lying on the floor, safe, unharmed. Blanketed by his shadow. She, unlike him, had taken quite a blow.

She was real, tangible. She reached up, caressed his cheek, and with a long breath, faded into mist and back under his feet.

Although his focus changed, he remained the court alchemist for some time.