In the role-playing game Pathfinder, there are several classes that focus on magic and the occult. These classes allow players to harness and manipulate supernatural powers to achieve their goals. Each class has its own unique abilities and playstyle, making them versatile and exciting choices for players. One popular occult class in Pathfinder is the Witch. Witches draw their power from a familiar, a magical creature that aids them in their spellcasting and provides additional bonuses. They also have access to a wide variety of spells, allowing them to heal, buff, or harm their enemies.
Occult Classes
Beyond the worship of the divine and the studies of arcane scholars lies the mysterious terrain of the mind, accessed through psychic magic. Classes that draw upon psychic magic do so via innate mental abilities, whether they directly cast spells, create elemental effects, or focus psychic energy through objects. Members of these occult classes find themselves drawn to the strange and the hidden; they have connections to the timeless Astral Plane, the haunted bleakness of the Ethereal Plane, and the history of the Material Plane chronicled as psychic impressions in places and objects.
Psychic magic is a third type of magic that functions differently from arcane and divine magic. The rules for casting psychic spells appear in the Psychic Magic section. The occult classes' spell lists include many new spells from Occult Adventures, allowing them to fully express their mental powers. These spells, like other new rules elements, are marked with an asterisk (*).
They also have access to a wide variety of spells, allowing them to heal, buff, or harm their enemies. Witches are known for their ability to put curses on their foes and control the battlefield with their hexes. This makes them a powerful and complex class to play.
Classes
The six new classes presented in this section all use psychic magic. In most cases, this means they cast psychic spells. The new classes are as follows.
Kineticist: With a connection to the elements, a kineticist can bring forth energy in the form of kinetic blasts. Instead of casting psychic spells, the kineticist uses unique psychic spell-like abilities called wild talents to manipulate elemental energy and matter.
Medium: By contacting spirits in places of power, the medium allows the personalities of legendary heroes to overcome his own, vastly changing his abilities and spells. He holds seances to benefit himself and his allies.
Mesmerist: A mesmerist's piercing stare lets him insinuate himself into other people's minds. A master of enchantment and illusion, the mesmerist controls and influences the behavior of others.
Occultist: To make use of his powers, an occultist channels psychic energy into a varied collection of antiques and mementos with storied pasts. Every type of implement allows him to use a different school of magic.
Psychic: With her incredibly potent mind, the psychic can cast spells that are more powerful than those of members of any other occult class. She accesses these spells through a specific discipline, and can bend and amplify psychic spells as she casts them.
Spiritualist: Attuned to the spirits of the dead, a spiritualist forms a bond with a phantom—a returned spirit that has unfinished business but did not become undead. This spectral ally can alternate between forms, emerging from the safety of the spiritualist's mind to take on an incorporeal form or an ectoplasmic body.
Racial Favored Class Options
The rules below allow members of races from the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook to take alternate rewards when they gain a level in a favored class chosen from among the classes in this book.
Each of these rewards replaces the normal reward for having a level in a favored class (gaining 1 extra hit point or 1 extra skill rank). Unlike those general rewards, the alternate favored class options speak directly to the features of specific classes and the general tendencies of various races.
Whenever you gain a level in a favored class, you can choose which favored class option you take. Unless otherwise noted, these benefits always stack with themselves.
Many of these alternate class rewards add only 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, or 1/6 to a roll (rather than 1) each time the reward is selected, or add 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, or 1/6 to a class ability (such as adding to a mesmerist's number of mesmerist tricks per day or the total number of points in a psychic's phrenic pool). When applying such a benefit to a die roll or class ability, always round down (to a minimum of 0). You may thus need to select such an option several times before the benefit takes effect. If an alternate favored class option modifies a class feature or ability, it can't be taken before the character has that class feature or ability. For example, if a class gains a class feature at 6th level, a character couldn't take a racial favored class option that applies to that class feature until 6th level, even if the benefit from that option wouldn't be high enough to add a bonus until a later level.
Some options may have a fixed numerical limit, after which selecting that favored class reward again has no effect. In these cases, you can always select from among the standard rewards when taking a level in a favored class (gaining 1 extra hit point or 1 extra skill rank).
Abilities from favored class options that increase a character's caster level for the purpose of determining the duration of certain spells apply this increase after other effects that adjust a spell's duration, such as Extend Spell.
Another occult class in Pathfinder is the Occultist. Occultists are masters of esoteric knowledge and ancient artifacts. They have the ability to bind spirits to themselves, gaining access to their powers and abilities. Occultists are skilled in both combat and magic, making them a versatile class on the battlefield. They can summon weapons, protect themselves with powerful spells, and even manipulate time and space. This makes them a popular choice for players who enjoy a mix of martial combat and spellcasting. The Psychic is another occult class in Pathfinder that focuses on mental powers and psychic abilities. Psychics have a direct connection to the supernatural, allowing them to tap into the power of their mind to affect the world around them. They have access to a wide range of spells and abilities, including telepathy, mind control, and even the ability to see into the future. Psychics are known for their versatility and their ability to adapt to any situation. The final occult class in Pathfinder is the Spiritualist. This class is unique in that it allows players to create a bond with a powerful otherworldly entity called an eidolon. The eidolon fights alongside the spiritualist, providing support and assistance in battle. Spiritualists also have access to a variety of spells and abilities that allow them to manipulate spirits and ghosts. They can summon spectral creatures, possess their enemies, and even bind the souls of their fallen foes to do their bidding. In conclusion, the occult classes in Pathfinder offer players a unique and exciting way to explore the supernatural and tap into powers beyond the mortal realm. Whether you prefer controlling the battlefield with curses and hexes as a Witch, summoning spirits and ancient artifacts as an Occultist, manipulating the minds of your enemies as a Psychic, or forming a bond with a powerful eidolon as a Spiritualist, the occult classes in Pathfinder provide endless possibilities for creative and interesting characters..
Reviews for "Channeling the Unknown: Mastering Occult Classes in Pathfinder"
- John - 1/5 - I was really disappointed with the occult classes in Pathfinder. I found them to be very confusing and complicated to play. The abilities were not intuitive and I often felt lost trying to understand how to use them effectively. Additionally, I felt like the spells and powers were underwhelming compared to other classes. Overall, the occult classes were a letdown for me and I would not recommend them to others.
- Sarah - 2/5 - I wanted to like the occult classes in Pathfinder, but I found them to be lacking in versatility. They seem to be focused on just a few specific themes, like spirits and psychic abilities, which limited my options when it came to character creation. I also found the class features to be rather convoluted, making it difficult for me to build a character that felt cohesive. While I appreciate the attempt to introduce something new and different, I feel like the occult classes fell short in delivering an enjoyable gameplay experience.
- Mark - 2/5 - I found the occult classes in Pathfinder to be imbalanced and overpowered compared to the other classes. They seemed to have access to a wide range of abilities and powers that gave them a significant advantage in combat and role-playing scenarios. This made it difficult for other players to compete or contribute effectively in a group setting. I also think that the occult classes lacked the same level of customization and options as the other classes, which made them feel less interesting to me. Overall, I felt like the occult classes were not well-balanced and did not add much value to the game.