Character Classes

DIVINE MIND

A divine mind is a psionic character who channels the power of the divine through psionic talent instead of faith. While a cleric or paladin must make do with whatever powers and abilities a deity decides to provide, a divine mind chooses among the domains of his deity for the ability he most requires to accomplish his goals, whether they are divinely inspired or not. Divine minds can also call upon a list of psionic powers as they grow in faith and mental strength.

One of a divine mind's most noted abilities is his capacity to mentally distill a particular essence of his chosen deity and wear that essence as a mantle. Wearing this divinely fashioned mantle in a framework of mental desire is but one part of the divine mind's strength - he can also directly channel the beneficence of his deity into a mantle power.

MAKING A DIVINE MIND

A divine mind's role in most groups is that of a melee combatant. He can also contribute in other ways, however, even potentially providing some healing ability to the party (depending on the domains of his chosen deity).

While Wisdom helps a divine mind manifest the powers he'll eventually be able to access (requiring a score of 16 or higher to use the highest-level powers, and at least 11 to be able to manifest any at all), he cares more about Strength because of its importance in combat.

Characters inspired to play a divine mind need merely to choose a deity. Among the humanoid races, humans seem most apt to follow such a course. Divine minds are rare among the savage and monstrous humanoids, since physical study of psionic lore is a requirement.

A divine mind's alignment must not be opposed to any of his chosen deity's alignment factors. For instance, a neutral good divine mind can choose a lawful good deity, but a chaotic good divine mind could not.

PLAYING A DIVINE MIND

A divine mind is a passionate adventurer. As a self-considered adjunct of his deity, he often sees his involvement in a particular enterprise as a divine blessing. In his mind, his presence alone is enough to legitimize a quest, adventure, or tomb raid, rendering it holy by his participation. Even simple tasks are additional opportunities to prove his own worth and the worth of his deity by accomplishing the task with alacrity and grace. He is typically not hardheaded or desirous of personal power, however; just because his deity chooses to offer a benediction for the party through his involvement does not mean that he sees himself as the default leader for the group, nor that he feels he (or his church) should have the lion's share of the treasure.

Divine minds show no overarching fondness for any one deity, though those deities whose domains include War are sometimes favored. Evil deities can be the choice of particularly foul and wicked divine minds.

Despite being pledged first to their god, divine minds enthusiastically join with those whose competencies and abilities supplement their own. They are most happy dealing with clerics, paladins, and others of faith who serve the same deity. Divine minds do not possess the active disdain that some paladins inflict on their peers in response to imagined slights or actual immoral deeds. Divine minds have more equanimity - unless the deed directly contradicts a dictate or domain of their own faith, they are usually happy to allow others to travel their own paths.

For a divine mind, melee (or sometimes ranged) combat is the preferred method to overcome challenges. With their ability to switch between mantles that provide the best advantage in a given situation, divine minds have exceptional flexibility. As with other psionic classes that can manifest powers, a divine mind can find further advantages in his power selection.

Once a divine mind chooses his deity, many of his advancement choices are already made - at least until he is able to manifest powers at 5th level. The only other choices that can be made are his personal feats gained every three levels. Because a divine mind is melee oriented, feats in that vein are reasonable choices, including Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Cleave, and so on. Others might choose the bow as their favored weapon, following the ranged attack feat path of Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, and so on.

As a divine mind gains the ability to manifest powers, power selection becomes important; it makes sense to either supplement abilities where the divine mind's mantle ability falls short (such as healing), but other times it might make sense to "load up" on an ability that a mantle already provides.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills

The divine mind's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge(psionics) (Int), Knowledge(religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Ride (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.


Table: The Divine Mind

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save
Special Power Points
per Day
Powers Known Maximum Power
Level Known
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Mantle (1st), psychic aura 5 ft., Wild Talent 0 0
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 1 0
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 Psychic aura 10 ft. 2 0
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Divine grace 3 0
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Psychic aura 15 ft. 4 1 1st
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 Mantle (2nd) 6 2 1st
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 Psychic aura 20 ft. 8 2 1st
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Change aura (standard action) 10 3 2nd
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Psychic aura 25 ft. 12 3 2nd
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Psychic aura (second aura) 14 4 2nd
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 Psychic aura 30 ft. 18 4 3rd
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Mantle (3rd) 22 5 3rd
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 Psychic aura 35 ft. 26 5 3rd
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 Change aura (move action) 30 6 4th
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Psychic aura 40 ft. 35 6 4th
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 40 7 4th
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 Psychic aura 45 ft. 45 7 5th
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 Change aura (swift action) 50 8 5th
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 Psychic aura 50 ft. 55 8 5th
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Psychic aura (third aura) 62 9 6th
Class Features

All of the following are class features of the divine mind.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Divine minds are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Wild Talent: A divine mind gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat. This class feature provides the character with the psionic power he needs to call down a mantle's special power, even if he otherwise has no power points.

Power Points per Day: A divine mind's ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Divine Mind. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score, plus the power points provided by his Wild Talent feat. His race might also provide bonus power points per day, as might certain feats and items. A 1st- through 4th-level divine mind gains no power points for his class levels; his bonus power points (if he is entitled to any) become available when he begins to accrue the power points provided by his class at 5th level.

Powers Known: A divine mind begins play without knowing any powers. Beginning at 5th level, he learns one divine mind power of the player's choice. As he goes up in level, he continues to unlock knowledge of new powers as shown on the divine mind class table. Choose the power known from the list of powers belonging to the character's chosen mantle. At each additional level, a divine mind gains one additional power (if available) from his chosen mantles.

A divine mind's manifester level is equal to his class level minus 4. For example, a 10th-level divine mind is a 6th-level manifester. A divine mind can manifest any power he knows that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.

A divine mind simply knows his powers; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though he must get a good night's sleep each day to regain all his spent power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against divine mind powers is 10 + the power's level + the divine mind's Wis modifier. For example, the saving throw against a 2ndlevel power has a DC of 12 + Wis modifier.

Maximum Power Level Known: A divine mind begins play without the ability to learn powers. At 5th level, he gains the ability to learn 1st-level powers, As he attains higher levels, he gains the ability to master more complex powers - for example, an 8th-level divine mind can learn powers of 2nd level or lower, an 11th-level divine mind can learn powers of 3rd level or lower, and so on.

To learn or manifest a power, a divine mind must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power's level. For example, a divine mind with a Wisdom score of 13 can manifest powers of 3rd level or lower (if he is at least 11th level).

Psychic Aura (Su): All divine minds know three basic auras: attack, defense, and perception (see below). In addition, your chosen mantle adds a specialized aura to your options. You chose one aura to manifest, and its benefits take effect in a radius around you as given on Table: The Divine Mind. Most auras affect either you and your allies or just your enemies. As you become more powerful, your aura spreads to encompass a wider area. If you know multiple mantles, you chose which aura to manifest when you meditate. You can spend an hour in meditation to change your aura.

At 10th level, you can have two auras active at the same time; at 20th level, you can have three active auras.

Attack: You and all allies within your aura gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have.

Defense: You and all allies within your aura gain a +1 morale bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have.

Perception: You and all allies within your aura gain a +2 morale bonus on Initiative, Listen, and Spot checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have.

Mantle (Ex): At 1st level, a divine mind chooses a deity to follow. He then chooses from among that deity's assigned mantles, picking one that he adopts and learns to manifest powers from.

You begin play with access to a mantle and its mantle power. Each mantle has a specific granted ability that you can use. While you do not immediately know any powers, the powers in the mantle are considered on your list for the purpose of using dorjes and other items. When you gain a power known, select it from the mantle's list of powers. At 6th level, you gain a second mantle; at 12th, you gain your third and final mantle. The mantles and their aura powers are given below.

Chaos: You and all allies within your aura gain a +2 resistance bonus on saves against attacks made or effects created by nonchaotic creatures. This bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels you have.

Communication: You and willing allies within your aura are linked together with the mindlink power. If they leave the area of your aura, they leave the link. They can automatically rejoin, however, once they reenter the area.

Conflict: You and allies affected by your aura gain a +2 bonus on rolls to confirm critical hits. This bonus increases to +5 if you are a 10th-level divine mind.

Consumption: You can leech power points expended near you. While the aura is active, you can expend your psionic focus as an immediate action when a power is manifested within your aura. Doing so steals 1 power point from the power's manifester. This extra power point is added to your power point reserve; you cannot gain more power points than your normal maximum. This ability has no effect if used while you have a full power point reserve. If stealing 1 power point would prevent the manifester from being able to manifest the power, you do not gain a power point but the manifester is unable to manifest the power; no power points are expended. You can steal more power points at higher levels: 2 power points at 7th level, 3 at 14th level, and 4 at 20th level. The same restrictions as described above apply.

Corruption and Madness: Your aura disquiets and disturbs the minds of those who oppose you. All enemies within your aura must make Concentration checks (DC 10 + your Wis modifier + 1/2 your divine mind level) to manifest powers, cast spells, or use psi-like or spell-like abilities.

Creation: All constructs within your aura heal at a rate of 1 hit point every hour. This rate increases to 1 hit point every 10 minutes at 5th level, 1 hit point every minute at 10th level, and 1 hit point every round at 17th level.

Death: You and your allies know the condition of creatures near death within your aura, as the deathwatch spell.

Deception: You and your allies gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks made to feint in combat. You can expend your psionic focus to feint as a move action, as if you had the Improved Feint feat.

Destruction: You grant your allies the ability to sunder objects more easily. Any time creatures affected by your aura make sunder attempts, the hardness of objects they attempt to sunder is treated as half its normal value (the hardness of a wooden object, for example, would be 2 instead of 5).

Elements: When this aura goes into effect, you must choose to align it to one of the four elemental subtypes (air, earth, fire, water). While you are psionically focused, your attacks and the attacks of allies within your aura overcome the damage reduction (if any) of any creatures of the subtype to which you are aligned.

Energy: Your wielded weapons and those wielded by allies within your aura deal 1 extra point of cold, electricity, or fire energy damage plus 1 point for every five class levels you have. You select the energy type when you activate this aura.

Evil: While this aura is active, the weapons of affected allies are treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Fate: You give your allies insight into the battle being waged around you, allowing them to bend fate to their will. While the aura of fate is active, you and your allies gain a +2 insight bonus on any one d20 roll. Once a particular ally chooses to use her bonus, the aura ends for that ally, but not for any other ally who has not yet used the insight bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have, to a maximum bonus of +5 at 15th level. A specific creature can gain this bonus once per day.

Force: As a move action, you can expend your psionic focus to grant yourself and all allies within your aura the ability to strike an incorporeal creature without suffering the normal 50% miss chance. This affects each ally's next attack, as long as that attack occurs before your next turn.

Freedom: You and allies within your aura gain a +2 bonus on Escape Artist checks and grapple checks made to resist or escape a grapple. This bonus increases by 1 for every four class levels you have, to a maximum of +7 at 20th level.

Good: While this aura is active, the weapons of affected allies are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Guardian: You can grant allies in range damage reduction 1/- while you are psionically focused. This damage reduction increases by 1 for every five class levels you have (DR 2/- at 5th level, 3/- at 10th level, and so on).

Justice: You and allies within your aura gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls against a foe that has attacked you or another ally. This bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels you have.

Knowledge: You and allies within your aura gain a +1 bonus on all Knowledge checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels you have.

Law: You and allies within your aura gain a +2 resistance bonus on saves against attacks made or effects created by nonlawful creatures. This bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels you have.

Life: Creatures in your presence feel rejuvenated and are more resistant to death effects. While it is active, allies affected by this aura gain a +2 bonus on saves against death spells and powers or psionic death effects. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have, to a maximum of +5 at 15th level.

Light and Darkness: You and allies within your aura treat spells with the light or darkness descriptors as one level higher for countering the opposing effect.

Magic: You and allies within your aura are treated as wielding magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Mental Tower: You and allies within your aura gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities. This bonus increases by 1 for every six class levels you have.

Natural World: All animals, plants, and fey within your aura heal at a rate of 1 hit point every hour. This rate increases to 1 hit point every 10 minutes at 5th level, 1 hit point every minute at 10th level, and 1 hit point every round at 17th level.

Pain and Suffering: You and allies within your aura gain a +1 bonus on weapon damage rolls against wounded foes.

Physical Power. You and allies within your aura gain a +1 bonus on opposed Strength checks, such as bull rush, trip, or disarm checks, as well as on grapple checks. This bonus increases by 1 for every five class levels you have.

The Planes: You can pinpoint the location of any outsider or extraplanar creature within your aura. You and allies within your aura gain a +2 bonus on caster level checks or manifester level checks made to overcome the spell resistance or power resistance of outsiders.

Repose: While you are psionically focused, you and allies within your aura ignore the effects of fatigue. If an ally within your aura becomes exhausted for any reason, he is treated as fatigued instead. Your aura does not dispel fatigue, it merely suppresses the negative effects.

Time: You give allies within your aura the ability to see just a moment into the future, increasing their reaction time. Anyone affected by your aura gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +1 bonus on Reflex saves. This bonus on initiative checks stacks with the bonus provided by the Time mantle's granted ability.

Divine Grace (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you gain a bonus equal to your Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

Change Aura (Ex): At 8th level, you gain the ability to change between your mantle auras much more quickly. It takes only a standard action to change between auras. You can switch auras as a move action at 14th level, and at 18th level you can change your aura as a swift action.

EX-DIVINE MINDS

A character who grossly violates the ethics of his deity's alignment loses all divine mind powers and abilities (but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). He cannot progress further in levels as a divine mind. He regains his abilities and advancement potential if he atones for his transgressions.

DIVINE MIND VARIANTS

Variant Classes
Alternative Class Features
Ectopic Ally
Hidden Talent
Stygian Path
Substitution Levels

Ectopic Ally

You gain the ability to manifest a single type of ectopic construct as an ally to aid you in your cause. You must choose a single type of ectopic construct that represents you and your faith, and this cannot be changed once chosen.

Replaces: You do not gain psychic aura at 1st level, but you gain it at 3rd level, though with a 5-foot reduction in size. For example, this ability would be 5 feet at 3rd, 10 feet at 5th level, 15 feet at 7th, and 20 feet at 9th.

Benefit: You can manifest the astral construct power as a psi-like ability once per day for every two levels. You may sacrifice an additional daily use to augment the power one level per use/day that is sacrificed. The power manifests at your class level.

Hidden Talent

If your campaign has an established history of psionics, you can replace the Wild Talent bonus feat with the Hidden Talent feat.

Replaces: You lose the free Wild Talent feat at 1st level.

Benefits: You gain the Hidden Talent feat, but with the following modifications. The 1st-level power gained must come from your first mantle's list and the power is manifested using your Wisdom instead of your Charisma.

Stygian Path

Many faiths deal with undead either by creating them or destroying them. Those who follow the stygian path gain the weapons needed to face the undead.

Replaces: You lose the 4th-level divine grace ability.

Benefit: You gain the ability to turn undead, and you must expend your psionic focus to activate this ability. You can use this ability 3 + your Charisma modifier times per day; you turn undead as a cleric three levels lower.