Time for our final content preview! Today we look at the new animist archetype for barbarians, which greatly changes the way the class plays.
Rather than raging, the animist summons a totem that provides buffs to allies (sort of like skald in a way). Where it gets more interesting it that the animist can take multiple lines of “totem” rage powers and attach them to the totem she summons, granting a lot of flexibility in her group’s approach to combat compared to a skald’s raging song. Eventually the totems take on a life of their own, too, acting as spiritual weapons or spirit guardians to attack nearby foes!
The Kickstarter ends this Friday! We still have a looooong way to go, so help us get the word out in any way you can!
Animist (Barbarian Archetype)
Most believe that the soul only exists in the living. The animist knows that this is a lie. An ancient tradition, these contemplative warriors summon mystical totems that invite the innumerable wild souls of the world to turn the tide in battle.
Totem (Su): An animist has learned a mystical technique to create spiritual totems out of natural power. The animist can summon a single totem as a standard action in an open space within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). At 7th level, she can summon a totem as a move action instead of a standard action, and at 13th level she can do so as a swift action. The animist can maintain a totem for a number of rounds each day equal to 4 + her Wisdom modifier. Each animist level gained after 1st lets her summon totems an additional 2 rounds per day, and she can dismiss the totem as a free action. The animist can only have one totem summoned at a time.
The totem is a small object (about 2 feet in diameter and 4 feet high) and must be placed on a horizontal surface. It is semi-solid and made of a mixture of magical power and wild energy: it has 10 hit points per level the animist has and hardness 5. Being semi-intangible, it can be destroyed through damage but cannot be moved, and creatures can move through its space unimpeded. Once a totem is dismissed, it cannot be summoned again for a number of rounds equal to the number of rounds the totem was summoned. If the totem is destroyed (and not simply dismissed), the animist cannot summon another totem for the previously described duration or for 1 minute, whichever is longer.
While the totem is summoned, it grants enhanced power to the animist and her allies, so long as they remain within 30 feet of the totem. The totem grants a +1 morale bonus to one of the following:
Weapon attack and damage rolls
Armor class and saving throws
The bonus is chosen when the totem is summoned and cannot be changed until the animist summons a new totem. The bonus increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th levels, to a maximum of +4.
Allies affected by an animist’s totem are treated as under the effects of rage for the purpose of other effects that mimic and/or do not stack with rage, such as a barbarian’s rage, a skald’s raging song, or the rage spell.
This ability replaces rage. Abilities and effects that grant additional rounds of rage, such as the Extra Rage feat, instead grant additional rounds the animist can summon her totem.
Totemic Powers: When selecting rage powers, the animist can only select “totem” rage powers, such as Spirit Totem or Beast Totem. Unlike most barbarians, an animist is not limited to only a single totem set and can learn any number of totem powers. She must otherwise meet the requirements of these rage powers, as normal.
When she summons a totem, she can select a single type of totem rage power she has. The animist and her allies gain the benefits of all rage powers of that totem type that the animist has, but only while they are within 30 feet of the totem. She can choose a different set of totem powers to share with allies each time she summons her totem. If the rage power’s effects depend on the animist’s ability modifier (such as lesser spirit totem), affected allies use the animist’s ability modifier instead of their own for the purposes of this effect. An animist never qualifies for the Extra Rage Power feat. This alters rage powers.
Spirit Sense (Sp): Starting at 3rd level, the animist can contact the spirits that exist in all of creation to guide her. She may cast her choice of either whispering lore or detect snares and pits as a spell-like ability. She may do so once per day.
For every three levels she gains past 3rd, she gains an additional use of this ability, as well as new spells she can use, as listed below:
signs of the land (6th)
speak with plants (9th)
commune with nature (12th)
find the path (15th)
stone tell (18th)
She can spend her daily uses of spirit sense to cast any combination of the above spells that she has access to. All effects use her animist level for her caster level, and the DC of any saving throw is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + her Wisdom modifier. She must use the spell’s normal casting time. This replaces trap sense and the rage power gained at 4th level.
Spirit Guardian (Su): At 11th level, the animist’s totem can manifest its own life force, acting of its own will. When summoned, the animist can choose to invoke this power, causing the totem to act as a spiritual weapon in its space. The guardian must be given a target (as described in spiritual weapon), but it may only move and attack foes within 30 feet of the totem’s space and will not pursue a target outside of this range. The animist uses her level for the caster level of this effect and it lasts as long as the totem remains summoned. Each round she has the ancient guardian summoned requires her to spend an additional round of her totem ability for the day. This ability replaces greater rage.
Hasten Spirits (Su): At 17th level, the animist can summon totems immediately without delay, regardless of whether the totem was dismissed or destroyed. This replaces tireless rage.
Ancient Guardian (Su): At 20th level, the life force of the totem becomes indomitable. The spirit guardian now acts as a spiritual ally, using the animist’s level for its caster level. The totem becomes impervious to damage, and only effects that can specifically destroy a spiritual ally can destroy the totem (whether the guardian is summoned or not). This ability replaces mighty rage.