I'm thinking of doing a one level dip into the Spiritualist class with the fractured mind archetype, and the phantom will take dedication so I can maximize will saves. I'm wondering if anyone familiar with this class could please give me some tips.
The phantom gets one feat at level one, and I'm trying to figure out what would be best. I don't imagine there are new feats that allow the incorporeal form to hit corporeal creatures, but I feel that is what I would like to do the most. Incorporeal form I feel is my goto if I bring out the phantom, and I'm not positive, but I think in incorporeal form the phantom can give a flank. Any ideas on getting the phantom to hit corporeal creatures, or just a solid level one feat would be much appreciated.
Threatened Squares
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.
I don't believe your Phantom can make a melee attack in incorporeal form, so it won't provide flank. If there is a way for your incorporeal phantom to hit enemies, it must be a very roundabout way since it wasn't meant for that to be.
As for feats, you now have an excellent opportunity to pick up a Teamwork Feat.
Benefit: When an opponent charges your ally with this feat, as an immediate action you can move up to your speed toward any square in the path of the charge. If you end your movement in the path of the charge, the opponent must stop when it becomes adjacent to you and then attack you instead of your ally. Your movement from using this feat counts toward your movement on your next turn.
Benefit(s): Whenever you are the target of a melee or ranged attack and are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you can initiate this feat to skillfully pull the abettor into harm's way or dodge behind the abettor as an immediate action.
You gain cover against that attack (and only that attack). If the attack misses you but would have hit you if not for the cover bonus to your armor class, the abettor becomes the target of the attack and the attacker must make a new attack roll (with all the same modifiers) against the abettor's armor class.
Both of these would be hilarious if you're facing enemies without means to damage the incorporeal. (Low-lv or animals)
And if you're looking for feats which doesn't place your Phantom in harms way, there's also a bunch of those.
Benefit(s): After initiative is rolled but before enemies' initiative is revealed, you may trade the results of your die roll (not including modifiers) with an adjacent ally who also possesses this feat.
Prerequisite: none
Benefit: An ally who also has this feat provokes no attacks of opportunity for moving through squares adjacent to you or within your space.
And of course Shake it Off, which grants you +1 to all saves per adjacent ally.
Other than those, which require you to invest a feat, you should look into feats for your phantom which would help you Phantom assist you. Since it won't scale with your level (as familiars does) it can only be used as a support.
Teamwork feats would require my character to take them as well. I have found the antagonize feat, which would work well with the diplomacy and sense motive already given as skill focuses.
I'll have to go read again, but the incorporeal creature definitely threatens the squares, but it just won't damage corporeal creatures. I believe that will still provide a flank.
Why does it matter that it can't attack corporeal creatures? It's still threatening the squares.
I'm looking for any useful feat for the phantom, but plan to keep it in my head. I am definitely not taking a teamwork feat as that would require me to use a feat myself.
You only threaten those squares into which you can make a melee attack.
(I qouted those rules in my post, it's in the first spoiler)
Your phantom can't normally attack anyone (living) while it is in incorporeal form, so it does not provide flank.
The phantom in incorporeal can still threaten the squares, which provides a flank. It just can't attack corporeal creatures.
I didn't realize I could consult with the phantom while it's in my consciousness. Thanks for the suggestion, cavernshark.
The phantom in incorporeal can still threaten the squares, which provides a flank. It just can't attack corporeal creatures.
If the phantom can't make a melee attack against your enemy, it won't threaten, and does not provide flank.
You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.
Just have it "carry" a touch attack spell and never deliver it
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I quite like the idea of a one level dip to get the ghost, and the will save bonuses are pretty extreme (+2 class, +2 iron will, +4 mind effecting, 1/day shunt to your phantom).
Interested to hear if there are any more good ideas for feats.
Also, as you can channel your own hit points to heal it, there is still the potential to use it in combat if you can work around the planar barrier aspect.
@wonderstell, you recognize that the incorporeal creature can still attack and it threatens the squares, right? Flaking which you've quoted twice now says you just need to be able to make attacks into the squares to be able to flank, which the phantom in incorporeal form can do. The idea is to give orders a flaking bonus, and the phantom obviously can't use the bonus itself unless it can attack the creature under the circumstances.
Unlike other incorporeal creatures, an incorporeal phantom can't attack corporeal creatures, except to deliver touch-attack spells using the deliver touch spell ability.
Attack Roll
An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent on your turn in a round. When you make an attack roll, you roll a d20 and add your attack bonus. (Other modifiers may also apply to this roll.) If your result equals or beats the target's Armor Class, you hit and deal damage.
I interpret this to mean that your phantom can't make an attack into the squares around it unless there is something to attack. Which is to say, your phantom won't threaten since it can't make an attack against corporeal creatures.
It sounds as if you want your phantom to trick your enemies into thinking it is a threat. But then it would need to use Bluff to Feint in Combat.
The phantom can make attacks. There's a whole thing about incorporeal phantom attacking other incorporeal creatures. The creature has slam attacks which make them considered armed.
Ah, yes. I meant to say that:
"Which is to say, your incorporeal phantom won't threaten corporeal creatures since it can't make an attack against corporeal creatures."
Your (incorporeal) phantom can't (normally) make attacks unless there is something incorporeal to attack. If it can't attack an opponent, then it is not threatening that opponent.
Agent of Chance (Religion)
Allow adjacent ally to reroll skill check (before the result is revealed) once per day.
Helpful (combat)
The aid another bonus granted to allies increases from +2 to +3.
Fixer (Regional)
Can tinker with one broken object per day and allow everyone to ignore the item's broken condition for 24 hours.
Arcane Dabbler (regional)
Select two non-harmful cantrips. You can cast them both once per day.
Corpse Dodger (Regional)
Cast Hide from Undead once per day. Swift action to cast, always cl 1.
Heavenly Touch/Touch of the Gods (Regional)
Stabilize at will.
Numerologist (Regional)
Once per day, determine the Disable Device and Reflex DC of a trap with a perception check.
Technic Tinkerer (Regional)
Choose any 0-level spell. May cast it once per day.