Ogochukwu's page

Panoply Specialization: At 1st level, the panoply savant must choose (but doesn’t learn how to use) a single panoply. When learning new implement schools, he must choose either schools associated with his chosen panoply or the chosen panoply itself. Once he has learned to use the chosen panoply, he can learn any further implement schools freely.

Implements (Su): At 1st level, an occultist learns to use two implement schools. At 2nd level and every 4 occultist levels thereafter, the occultist learns to use one additional implement school, to a maximum of seven schools at 18th level. Each implement school adds one spell per spell level of that school of magic to the occultist’s spell list. No spells from any other school are considered to be on the occultist’s spell list until he selects the associated implement school. He can’t use spell trigger or spell completion magic items from unknown schools without succeeding at the appropriate Use Magic Device check. An occultist can select an implement school more than once in order to learn additional spells from the associated school.
Each implement school is represented by a small list of objects. Every day, the occultist selects one item from that school’s list to be his implement for the day for each implement school he knows. The occultist needs only one such item to cast spells of the corresponding school, unless he selected that implement school multiple times, in which case he needs one item for each set of spells gained from that school. Implements don’t need to be magic items, and nonmagical implements don’t take up a magic item slot even if they’re worn. Implements that are not magic items are often of some historical value or of personal significance to the occultist, such as the finger bone of a saint, the broken scepter of a long-dead king, the skull of a mentor’s familiar, or the glass eye of an uncanny ancestor.
Whenever an occultist casts a spell, he must have the corresponding implement in his possession and present the implement to the target or toward the area of effect. This act is part of casting the spell and doesn’t require any additional action. If the occultist lacks the corresponding implement, he can attempt to cast the spell, but must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 20 + the spell’s level) to do so. Spells cast by an occultist without the appropriate implement are always treated as if they were cast at the minimum caster level for the spell in question (caster level 1st for a 1st-level spell, caster level 4th for a 2nd-level spell, and so on).
Each implement school also grants a base focus power. This power is added to the list of focus powers possessed by the occultist (see Mental Focus below). In addition, each implement school grants access to a number of other focus powers that the occultist can select from using his mental focus class feature.

Abjuration Implements
Abjuration implements are objects associated with protection and wards.
Implements: Amulet, armor, bell, bracers, brooch, cloak, holy symbol, shield.
Resonant Power: Each time the occultist invests mental focus into an abjuration implement, the implement grants the following resonant power. The implement’s bearer gains the benefits of this power until the occultist refreshes his focus.
Warding Talisman (Su): The implement wards against adverse effects. Whoever wears (or holds, for bells) the implement gains a +1 resistance bonus on saving throws for every 2 points of mental focus invested in the implement, to a maximum bonus of 1 + 1 for every 4 occultist levels you possess.

Transmutation Implements
Transmutation implements can alter the properties of both objects and creatures.
Implements: Belt, boots, sandals, vest, weapon.
Resonant Power: Each time the occultist invests mental focus into an transmutation implement, the implement grants the following resonant power. The implement’s bearer gains the benefits of this power until the occultist refreshes his focus.
Physical Enhancement (Su): The implement enhances its bearer’s body. When you invest mental focus in the implement, select a physical ability score. The implement grants a +2 temporary enhancement bonus to that physical ability score for every 3 points of mental focus invested in the implement (to a maximum of +2 at 1st level, plus an additional 2 for every 6 occultist levels you possess).

Panoplies
While many occultists focus on the inherent psychic properties of certain types of objects, some specialists take their studies a step further, exploring the ways specific types of implements interact with one another. While not all implements psychically resonate with all other kinds of implements, such panoplies unlock even greater magical potential when used to complement one another.
An occultist can select a panoply anytime he selects a new implement school. To do so, he must already have learned to use the implement school of each implement within the panoply at least once. As with any other implement school, when an occultist learns to use a panoply, he gains access to the resonant power and base focus power, and he becomes able to learn the panoply’s other focus powers. He also adds one spell of each spell level to his spell list, and these spells can be taken from any of the implement schools associated with the panoply. To use a panoply’s resonant power or any of its focus powers, the occultist must select and invest mental focus into the associated implements that day. A single bearer must hold all the panoply’s associated implements to gain the panoply’s resonant power, and the occultist counts the total number of points of mental focus invested among all of the associated implements to determine the resonant power’s effect. The occultist can expend points of mental focus from any of the associated implements to use the panoply’s focus powers. Unlike for other implement schools, an occultist cannot select a panoply more than once.

Trappings of the Warrior Panoply
This panoply is associated with brave and stalwart warriors, martial skill, and the defense of one’s allies.
Implements: Shield (abjuration) and weapon (transmutation).
Resonant Power: Each time the occultist invests mental focus into all of the associated implements, the panoply grants the following resonant power. The panoply’s bearer gains the benefits of this power until the occultist refreshes his focus.
Martial Skill (Ex): When wielding the weapon used as the panoply’s associated implement, you treat your base attack bonus as though it were 1 point higher for every 4 points of total mental focus invested in all of the associated implements, to a maximum base attack bonus equal to your occultist level. This increase can grant you additional attacks when using the full attack action (for example, a 12th-level occultist with 12 points of mental focus invested among the associated implements would be treated as having a base attack bonus of +11, with iterative attacks at a base attack bonus of +6 and +1).

Focus Powers (Su): At 1st level, an occultist learns the base focus power from both of his two implement schools (see Implements below) and can select one more focus power from the list of those available to him through those schools. Whenever the occultist learns a new implement school, he gains the base power of that school. In addition, at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, he learns a new focus power selected from the options granted by all of the implement schools he knows. The occultist can use focus powers only by expending mental focus (see Mental Focus on page 48). Unless otherwise noted, the DC for any saving throw against a focus power equals 10 + 1/2 the occultist’s level + the occultist’s Intelligence modifier. The occultist can’t select a focus power more than once. Some focus powers require him to reach a specific occultist level before he can choose them.

Abjuration base focus power - Mind Barrier (Sp): As a swift action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to create a shield of mental energy around you that protects you from harm. The shield prevents a total of 2 points of damage per occultist level you possess. It lasts until the start of your next turn or until exhausted. For example, if you are 5th level, the mind barrier protects you from 10 points of damage; if you are hit by an attack that would deal 12 points of damage, the mind barrier is exhausted and you take 2 points of damage. You can activate this ability as an immediate action, but doing so costs 2 points of mental focus instead of 1.

Transmutation base focus power - Legacy Weapon (Su): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus and touch a weapon to grant it an enhancement bonus. The bonus is equal to 1 + 1 for every 6 occultist levels you possess (to a maximum of +4 at 18th level). Enhancement bonuses gained by this ability stack with those of the weapon, to a maximum of +5. You can also imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to your maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the appropriate amount. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or from legacy weapon) to gain a weapon special ability. In either case, these bonuses last for 1 minute.

Trappings of the Warrior base focus power - Combat Trick (Ex): As a move action, you can expend 3 points of mental focus to gain a single combat feat for which you qualify. This benefit lasts for 1 minute.

Transmutation focus power - Size Alteration (Sp): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus and touch a creature to alter its size. You can increase or decrease the creature’s size by one step, as enlarge person or reduce person but not limited by the creature’s type. If the creature is hostile toward you, using this ability requires a successful melee touch attack, and the creature can attempt a Fortitude save to negate the effect. This effect lasts for 1 round per occultist level you possess. You can’t use this ability on a creature that is already subject to an effect that alters its size.

Transmutation focus power - Sudden Speed (Sp): As a swift action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to grant yourself a burst of speed. This increases your land speed by 30 feet for 1 minute. This ability does not stack with itself.

Transmutation focus power - Quickness (Sp): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to grant supernatural quickness and reflexes to yourself or a willing living creature you touch. This functions as haste, but the bonus to AC and on Reflex saving throws increases to +2. This effect lasts for 1 round per occultist level you possess. You must be at least 5th level to select this focus power.

Trappings of the Warrior focus power - Counterstrike (Ex): As an immediate action when you are damaged by a melee attack, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to immediately make a single attack at your highest base attack bonus against the creature that hit you, provided that you threaten that creature. If the attack hits, you gain a bonus on the damage roll equal to 1/3 your occultist level (rounded down, minimum +1). This attack counts as an attack of opportunity.

Mental Focus (Su): An occultist can invest a portion of his mental focus into his chosen implements for the day, allowing him to utilize a variety of abilities depending on the implements and the amount of mental focus invested in them. An occultist has a number of points of mental focus equal to his occultist level + his Intelligence modifier; these points refresh each day. He can divide this mental focus between his implements in any way he desires. If an implement is lost or destroyed, the focus invested in it is lost as well, though the occultist still refreshes those points of focus normally.
Once mental focus is invested inside an implement, the implement gains the resonant power of its implement school (see page 50), and the occultist can expend the mental focus stored in the implement to activate the associated focus powers he knows. If a resonant power grants a bonus that varies based on the amount of mental focus invested in the implement, the bonus is determined when the focus is invested, and is not reduced or altered by expending the mental focus invested in the item. Once all of the mental focus in an implement has been expended, it loses its resonant power until mental focus is once again invested in the implement.
The implement grants its resonant power to whoever possesses it; the occultist can lend the implement to an ally to assist that ally, but if he does so, he has difficulty casting that implement’s spells (see Implements on page 47) and can’t expend that implement’s focus on focus powers until he retrieves the implement or refreshes his focus.
The occultist refreshes his mental focus once each day after receiving at least 8 hours of sleep. After refreshing his mental focus, the occultist must spend 1 hour preparing his implements and investing them with this power. Mental focus that is not used before the next time the occultist refreshes his focus is lost.
The occultist can choose to save generic mental focus inside his own body instead of investing all of it, but expending this focus comes at a higher cost. Any focus power the occultist activates with generic focus costs twice as much mental focus to use (and to maintain, if applicable). The occultist can expend his generic focus through an appropriate implement on any focus power he knows, but an implement he didn’t invest any focus in at the start of the day grants no resonant power.

Magic Item Skill (Ex): At 2nd level, an occultist’s knowledge of magic items grants him a bonus when attempting to use them. He gains a bonus on all Use Magic Device checks equal to 1/2 his occultist level.

Object Reading (Su): At 2nd level, an occultist learns how to read information from items he examines. Examining an item in this way requires him to spend 1 minute handling the item. If the item is a magic item, the occultist learns its properties and command word as if he had successfully examined the item using detect magic and succeeded at a Spellcraft check. This ability does not reveal whether the item is cursed unless the occultist’s class level is equal to or greater than the caster level of the item. If the item has any historical significance, the occultist learns one piece of information about its past (as determined by the GM). Finally, if the item was last used no longer than 1 day ago per the occultist’s class level, the occultist learns one piece of information about the last creature to use the item. This information might be a glimpse of the creature’s appearance, a brief vision of what it saw while using the item, or perhaps its emotional state when it last used the item. The GM determines what information is gained in this way. This functions like the psychometry occult skill unlock (see page 196), but doesn’t require a skill check and can be used at will.

Panoply Focus (Su): At 4th level, a panoply savant gains 1 additional point of mental focus each day, which can be invested only in implements associated with his chosen panoply. At 8th level, and every 4 occultist levels thereafter, the number of additional points of mental focus he gains increases by 1 (to a maximum of 5 points at 20th level).
This ability replaces shift focus.

Aura Sight (Su)
At 5th level, the occultist can read the auras of creatures around him as a standard action. This functions as the aura sight spell with a duration of 1 round.

In combat, Ogochukwu will position himself where he threatens the enemy. Or occasionally where the enemy is just outside his reach, so it will have to provoke to close into striking distance. If it is a strong enemy, he will take advantage of buffs like Lead Blades, Legacy Weapon, or Shield or Size Alteration while using his Attacks of Opportunity to dish out damage.