Phosphate
2011-09-05, 01:39 AM
The Mentat
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Paulatreides.JPG/230px-Paulatreides.JPG
"Your mind is a wonderful computing device flexible enough to handle any algorithm, complex enough to keep track of algebraic strings to a level higher than any silicon based chip could achieve. Alas, you're lazy as hell." - Josog, Mentat, to his disciple
Mentats are individuals who trained their minds to work like machines, gaining sizable benefits from their greatly increased perception and cognition, and also developing psychic powers of their own by means of projecting their own essence in various ways.
Organization: Mentats are rare and usually work alone, as high advisors of nobles most of the time. There is no single great organization of mentats, and an actual school training hundreds of them would be a waste of resources, seeing that, in the best case, no more than one or two students a generation would ever graduate.
Adventuring: Mentats adventure for the same reasons as anybody else does, be it pillages, scavenges, raids, missives, cliche dragon hunting etc., he just has some rather unique tools for the trade.
Stats: Mentats have Int as their main attribute, which their class progression actually increases independently. They should also spare a point or two for Wisdom, as a secondary ability, and a possible source of sturdiness.
Race: Normally races that have an Int penalty shouldn't produce Mentats, but there have been notable half-Orc exceptions to this. The gnomes are those who most often choose to embrace this path.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Starting Age: Complex+d10
Starting Gold: as psion
HD: d6
Class Skills: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Knowledge (all), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, UMD, UPD
Skill Points per level: 6 + Int mod (x4 at 1st level)
Mentat
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2| Betterment, Backlash, Overspecialization
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3| Immediate Familiarization
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3| Reactive Shield + 1
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4| Sudden Relocation, Placebo
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4| +1 Int
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5| Burden, Placebo, Reactive Shield + 2
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5| Projected Blow, Perfect Memory
8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6| Perfect Sentience, Placebo
9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6| Perfect Influence, Reactive Shield + 3
10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7| +1 Int, Placebo
11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7| Ghost Strike
12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8| Reactive Shield + 4, Placebo
13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8| Mental Copy
14th|
+10/+5 |
+4|
+9|
+9| Placebo
15th|
+11/+6/+1 |
+5|
+9|
+9| +1 Int, Reactive Shield + 5
16th|
+12/+7/+2 |
+5|
+10|
+9| Placebo, Mind Fused With Matter
17th|
+12/+7/+2 |
+5|
+10|
+10| Voices of the Dead Ancestry
18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11| Reactive Shield + 6, Placebo
19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11| Computing Aura
20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12| +1 Int, Placebo, Extreme Rationality
[/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mentat is proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and the shortsword. He is also proficient with light armor and no shields.
Betterment: The Mentat knows that there is always room for improvement, and handles himself to this respect. Every time he levels, he may either receive 2 skill points less to increase his Strain threshold by 1, or give up his increase in Strain threshold for the level to add his Wis mod to HD. He may not do both.
Overspecialization: The Mentat has to allocate a lot of time and energy to his studies, which makes multiclassing much more tricky. As long as you are multiclassing, and Mentat is NOT the class in which you have the highest number of levels, your Strain threshold is halved and rounded down.
Backlash (Ex): The Mentat is still a mortal being with limits, and cannot strain his mind infinitely. Every time he uses a class feature that would have him gain Strain points, he must make a Fortitude Save against a DC of 10 + Strain points / 2 AND a Will Save against a DC of 15 + the Strain cost of the class feature x 2. If he fails the Fortitude Save, he takes 1d10 untyped damage. If he fails the Will Save, he takes 1 Wisdom damage and is stunned for 1 round. If he fails both, he takes xd10 untyped damage, where x is the Strain cost of the class feature, takes 1d4 Wisdom damage, and is stunned for 1 round. Either way, the Wisdom damage is healed at a rate of 1 per day. However, if the Mentat is below his Strain threshold, no backlash occurs. This threshold starts at 1, and increases by 1 per level, being also affected by Betterment and Overspecialization. Also, add your Int mod to your Strain threshold. The only way to get rid of Strain is by sleeping for 8 hours.
Please note: just because a Mentat's ability backlashes, doesn't mean it fails.
Immediate Familiarization (Ex): A Mentat may train with any melee weapon (simple, martial or exotic) for 1 hour to become proficient with it, no drawback. He is only proficient with that particular weapon, not with that weapon type (therefore, he is not treated as proficient with other weapons that look exactly the same). By gaining 1 Strain, he may change the duration to a full round action.
Reactive Shield: A Mentat carries a (mundane) device that produces a force shield around him whenever he is struck with enough force. It weighs no more than 5 pounds and is carried as a belt. It cannot be sundered, and it cannot be enhanced.* This adds a bonus to AC equal to Class Level/3, but does not always work. In the case of ranged attacks, it works only if the shooter receives no range penalty. In the case of melee attacks, it works only if the attack deals 20 or more damage. In the case of spells, it only works if spells have the acid, air, cold, earth, force, sonic, or water descriptors. The shield needs recharging, though. To have it usable for 24 hours, you must either zap it with an electric spell of at least Level 5, or the Mentat must channel his mental power into it, gaining 2 Strain points. Channeling is a full round action.
Additionally, the reactive shield repels and damages anything moving too fast towards the Mentat. Any enemy charging or bull rushing him, or simply attacking him after running whatever distance, takes damage equal to double the bonus to AC.
Reactive shield works even against foes that ignore armor, like incorporeals.
*Clarification: this isn't a specific item crafted by the Mentat. As long as he wears a belt, any belt, it can use it as focus for the Reactive Shield class feature.
Sudden Relocation (Psi): By gaining 1 Strain per relocation, a Mentat may, anytime and up to Int mod times during his turn, teleport 5 feet in any direction, including upwards and downwards. This is a free action that can be taken between the hits in a full attack, and does not cause AoO. It is always accurate, line of sight with the destination is not required, and is immune to effects that ban astral travel, such as Dimensional Lock. Also, he retains momentum as if he moved that distance, so if by relocating the Mentat comes next to an opponent, that opponent takes damage equal to double the AC bonus of Reactive Shield (IF the shield is active, that is).
Placebo: Starting at 4th level, and every even level afterward (6th, 8th, 10th etc.) the Mentat may learn a Placebo.
Deny Disease
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction / Immediate Action that triggers AoO
Cost: none / +1 Strain
Range: self / touch
Effect: Once per day, you may choose to ignore the effects of a disease when it forces you to roll a Fortitude save, as if you instantly won it. An unlimited number of times per day, when one of your allies has to roll a Fortitude save to fight off disease, you can touch him as an Immediate Action, gaining 1 Strain, to let him use your Will Save instead of his Fort Save.
Deny Poison
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction / Immediate Action that triggers AoO
Cost: none / +1 Strain
Range: self / touch
Effect: Once per day, you may choose to ignore the effects of a poison when it forces you to roll a Fortitude save, as if you instantly won it. An unlimited number of times per day, when one of your allies has to roll a Fortitude save to fight off poison, you can touch him as an Immediate Action, gaining 1 Strain, to let him use your Will Save instead of his Fort Save.
Deny Temperature
Requirements: none
Action: Full Round / Free Action
Cost: +1 Strain / hour*(see effect)
Range: self
Effect: You passively shrug off the influence of temperature. Suppressing this ability is a full round action, and reactivating it is a free action. While this ability is active, the weather seems like it is 25 degrees closer to normal (70 degrees is normal, if the difference between outside temperature and 70 is lower than 25, then treat the temperature as simply being 70).
Deny Sustenance
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: You are treated as if you fulfilled your need for food and drink for the day. This placebo can only be used right after you wake up.
Deny Anatomy
Requirements: two other Deny placebos learned
Action: nonaction
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: Int mod times per day, you can instantly win Fort Saves without rolling.
Deny Hydration
Requirements: Deny Sustenance, 1 other Deny placebo plearned
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You no longer need to drink water.
Coolheaded
Requirements: none
Action: passive / nonaction
Cost: none / +2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: If you are affected by an effect that would make you become Shaken, Frightened, or Panicked, it lasts 1 round less. You can't reduce the duration to zero by doing so. You can reduce the effect by a further round by gaining 2 Strain (you CAN reduce the duration to zero by doing this).
Unyielding
Requirements: Coolheaded
Action: nonaction
Cost: +1/2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are Frightened, you can gain 1 Strain to be shaken instead. Whenever you are Panicked, you can gain 1 Strain to become Frightened, or 2 Strain to become shaken instead.
Overcoming Self-conservation
Requirements: Unyielding
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You are immune to fear effects.
Boost of Confidence
Requirements: none
Action: Standard
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self / 30 feet
Effect: The target gains a Morale bonus to all rolls involving a d20 (skill checks, attacks, saves, unique abilities etc) equal to your Int mod/2 for Int mod rounds, OR equal to your Int mod for Int mod/2 rounds. Does not stack with itself, neither in duration nor in effect.
Aura of Confidence
Requirements: Boost of Confidence
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: Int mod*10 feet spread
Effect: You and all your allies in a sphere with a radius equal to your Int mod*10 feet gain a Morale bonus to all rolls involving a d20 equal to your Int mod/4 rounded up.
Assured Success
Requirements: Aura of Confidence
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: On saves and attack rolls, you no longer fail on a natural 1, and you instantly succeed on a natural 19 (you do NOT, however, threaten a critical at 19, unless otherwise stated by your weapon).
Normalizing Will
Requirements: none
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You gain SR equal to your Class Level, which stacks with any other sources.
Disbelieve the Supernatural
Requirements: none
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You gain 5+Int mod SR, which stacks with any other sources.
Stubborn Ignorance
Requirements: Normalizing Will, Disbelieve the Supernatural
Action: nonaction
Cost: variable positive
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are struck by a spell, you may gain x Strain to increase your SR by 2x. X is equal to your Int mod at most.
Will to Survive
Requirements: none
Action: full round
Cost: +2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are reduced below 0 hit points, you may gain to Strain to instantly get back to -1 and become stable. If you are already below 0, and take damage, you may not use this ability.
Comatose
Requirements: Will to Survive
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You may take this placebo several times. Every time, it reduces the number of negative hit points you must have to die by 10 (-20, then -30, etc). If you are below -10 hit points, you gain Fast Healing 2 (this does not improve by taking the placebo several times).
Stray Knowledge
Requirements: none
Action: none
Cost: none
Range: none
Effect: This placebo does nothing.
Bardic Knowledge
Requirements: Stray Knowledge
Action: standard
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Just like the the bard class feature, except using it makes you gain 1 Strain.
Liberating Pain
Requirements: none
Action: standard
Cost: -1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: You take 2d10 damage, and reduce your Strain by 1. Then, for Int mod rounds, add d10 to all your damage rolls.
Martyr
Requirements: Liberating Pain
Action: full round / free
Cost: -1 Strain / round
Range: self
Effect: You take 1d10 damage per round, add d6 to your damage rolls, and reduce your Strain by 1 per round.
At 5th level and every class level divisible by 5 afterwards, the Mentat gains a +1 boost to Intelligence.
Burden (Psi): A Mentat can influence an opponent so as to make him believe he is in a far worse situation than he actually is. Whenever a Mentat strikes an opponent and deals lethal damage, you may, on your next round and as a Free action that makes you gain 1 Strain, +1 for every 3 HD the opponent has over you, make that same opponent receive the same amount of nonlethal damage. Creatures naturally immune to nonlethal damage are immune to this as well.
Projected Blow (Psi): A Mentat of level 7 learns to produce meager mental constructs to extend his attacks. By gaining 1 Strain, when making a standard or full attack, he can use his melee weapons at double range. If he does so, his weapons are treated as Force weapons, and he loses any benefit derived from having his weapons crafted out of a special material. (so, for instance, you lose the Cold Iron, you keep the Vorpal)
Perfect Memory (Ex): By gaining 1 Strain, a Mentat can clearly and explicitly narrate or write about anything that happened around him for 24 hours. So, for instance, if he read a book in a day, he can copy every single page of it the next day, from memory, and if he saw someone, he can make an incredibly realistic portrait of that person.
Perfect Sentience (Psi): Once per level starting at level 8, a Mentat may learn one Clearsentience power. He may only learn powers that he could learn as a Psion of his level, with his current stats. The DC is Int based. He manifests them as psi-like abilities. The Strain cost, however, is independent of the level of the powers: it is simply equal to the number of powers the Mentat used during the day before it (so the first power grants no strain, the second grants 1, the third 2, etc). A Mentat may manifest any power he knows only once per day.
Perfect Influence (Sp): A Mentat learns to generate various force objects with his thoughts. Starting at level 9, and ever uneven level afterward, a Mentat may learn 1 sor/wiz spell with the Force descriptor. He may only learn spells that he could learn as a Sorcerer of his level, with his current stats, except using Int instead of Cha for both learning spells and save DC. He casts them as spell-like abilities. The Strain cost, however, is independent on the level of the spells: it is simply equal to the number of spells the Mentat used during the day before it +1 (first spell grants 1 strain, second grants 2, etc). A Mentat may cast any spell he knows only once per day.
Ghost Strike (Psi): By gaining 2 Strain, a level 11 Mentat can generate a full, yet ephemeral, shadowy version of himself on a whim. Whenever he attacks as a standard action, he may choose to, as a swift action, land another attack on any opponent adjacent to either himself or his first target. This second attack is done at a -5 attack penalty from the first one, and is either ghostly (ignores armor bonus to AC) or force-based. This second attack cannot slay the foe, and cannot land a critical. Any effect that may be incurred due to the second attack (burning yourself by attacking a fire elemental, or sundering your weapon on hard skin, or being Disintegrated by a Blackball if you're feeling brave) does not apply. You may use Ghost Strike as an Immediate Action while performing an AoO instead, but you will gain 3 Strain.
Mental Copy (Psi): You generate a replica of yourself made of force. Creating and dismissing a mental copy is a standard action. Creating a mental copy grants no disadvantage, but dismissing one increases your Strain by 1 and keeping it manifested increases your Strain by 1 per hour. You may only have one Mental Copy. The Mental Copy is exactly like you in every aspect, except as explained below:
- A Mental Copy does not incur penalties to Strength and Dexterity due to aging. Regardless of your age, do not apply them.
- A Mental Copy is immune to damage from Force effects, and its melee attacks are treated as Force based.
- The Magical Items duplicated when creating a Mental Copy lose their magical effects (masterworks remain masterworks), except for those that offer passive bonuses (like rings). If any belonging of a Mental Copy would stop being in contact with it, it vanishes (this means that Mental Copies can only use Longbows and other similar weapons at point blank).
- A Mental Copy does not have HD or a Constitution Score. Instead of those, whenever the mental copy receives lethal OR nonlethal damage, it vanishes. If a Mental Copy vanishes, the Mentat gains 1 Strain.
- A Mental Copy still has all spell-like, psi-like, extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the Mentat. It can use abilities with an XP cost normally, except the Mentat pays the cost, and it can use abilities that accumulate Strain. In this case, both the Mentat AND the Mental Copy gain that much strain.
- A Mental Copy does not have all senses, it has only normal vision. However, if within line of sight of the Mentat, it perceives all that the Mentat perceives. The Mentat and his Mental Copy communicate telepathically, it is not as immersive for both of them however. The Mentat may only ask and receive questions and issue commands as in normal speaking, and see through the Mental Copy's eyes.
Mind Fused With Matter (Su): A level 16 Mentat learns to force reality to act on behalf of his perception. Once per turn, as a free action increasing Strain by 1 per mile rounded up, a Mentat may transport his body wherever his Mental Copy is, the Mental Copy is destroyed. For this ability to work, only the Mental Copy must not be in an antimagic or antipsionic field. The state of the Mentat is irrelevant, as long as he is conscious.
Voices of the Dead Ancestry (Su): Recalling the memories of his long dead ancestors, a level 17 Mentat can burrow their skills and experience. Using this ability takes 1 minute. Afterwards, also for 1 minute, add your Wis mod OR 5, whichever is lower, to your manifester level for the purpose of Clairsentience and to all your trained skills.
Computing Aura (Su): Starting from level 19, knowledge starts passively seeping out of the Mentat. Everyone in a 60 foot spread centered on him gains a Competence bonus equal to his Int mod to all their trained skills, gains the Backlash ability, gains a Strain threshold equal to a third of the Mentat's rounded down, and gains 1 Strain every time they make a Skill check. Dismissing and recalling this effect is a full round action, and subjects within it can't simply not want to be affected by it. The Mentat may choose specific targets to not be affected by this aura, but gains 1 Strain for each of those, per hour.
Extreme Rationality (Ex): A level 20 Mentat has improved his logic and cognition to such levels that he is completely beyond the understanding of any other sentient being. Whenever it is more beneficial to him, he may treat himself as Mindless. Additionally, he gains an Insight bonus to attack equal to the number of rounds that have passes since the start of an encounter, as he is able to analyze his foes in great detail.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Paulatreides.JPG/230px-Paulatreides.JPG
"Your mind is a wonderful computing device flexible enough to handle any algorithm, complex enough to keep track of algebraic strings to a level higher than any silicon based chip could achieve. Alas, you're lazy as hell." - Josog, Mentat, to his disciple
Mentats are individuals who trained their minds to work like machines, gaining sizable benefits from their greatly increased perception and cognition, and also developing psychic powers of their own by means of projecting their own essence in various ways.
Organization: Mentats are rare and usually work alone, as high advisors of nobles most of the time. There is no single great organization of mentats, and an actual school training hundreds of them would be a waste of resources, seeing that, in the best case, no more than one or two students a generation would ever graduate.
Adventuring: Mentats adventure for the same reasons as anybody else does, be it pillages, scavenges, raids, missives, cliche dragon hunting etc., he just has some rather unique tools for the trade.
Stats: Mentats have Int as their main attribute, which their class progression actually increases independently. They should also spare a point or two for Wisdom, as a secondary ability, and a possible source of sturdiness.
Race: Normally races that have an Int penalty shouldn't produce Mentats, but there have been notable half-Orc exceptions to this. The gnomes are those who most often choose to embrace this path.
Alignment: Any lawful.
Starting Age: Complex+d10
Starting Gold: as psion
HD: d6
Class Skills: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Knowledge (all), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, UMD, UPD
Skill Points per level: 6 + Int mod (x4 at 1st level)
Mentat
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2| Betterment, Backlash, Overspecialization
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3| Immediate Familiarization
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3| Reactive Shield + 1
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4| Sudden Relocation, Placebo
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4| +1 Int
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5| Burden, Placebo, Reactive Shield + 2
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5| Projected Blow, Perfect Memory
8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6| Perfect Sentience, Placebo
9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6| Perfect Influence, Reactive Shield + 3
10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7| +1 Int, Placebo
11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7| Ghost Strike
12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8| Reactive Shield + 4, Placebo
13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8| Mental Copy
14th|
+10/+5 |
+4|
+9|
+9| Placebo
15th|
+11/+6/+1 |
+5|
+9|
+9| +1 Int, Reactive Shield + 5
16th|
+12/+7/+2 |
+5|
+10|
+9| Placebo, Mind Fused With Matter
17th|
+12/+7/+2 |
+5|
+10|
+10| Voices of the Dead Ancestry
18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11| Reactive Shield + 6, Placebo
19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11| Computing Aura
20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12| +1 Int, Placebo, Extreme Rationality
[/table]
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Mentat is proficient with the club, dagger, heavy crossbow, light crossbow, and the shortsword. He is also proficient with light armor and no shields.
Betterment: The Mentat knows that there is always room for improvement, and handles himself to this respect. Every time he levels, he may either receive 2 skill points less to increase his Strain threshold by 1, or give up his increase in Strain threshold for the level to add his Wis mod to HD. He may not do both.
Overspecialization: The Mentat has to allocate a lot of time and energy to his studies, which makes multiclassing much more tricky. As long as you are multiclassing, and Mentat is NOT the class in which you have the highest number of levels, your Strain threshold is halved and rounded down.
Backlash (Ex): The Mentat is still a mortal being with limits, and cannot strain his mind infinitely. Every time he uses a class feature that would have him gain Strain points, he must make a Fortitude Save against a DC of 10 + Strain points / 2 AND a Will Save against a DC of 15 + the Strain cost of the class feature x 2. If he fails the Fortitude Save, he takes 1d10 untyped damage. If he fails the Will Save, he takes 1 Wisdom damage and is stunned for 1 round. If he fails both, he takes xd10 untyped damage, where x is the Strain cost of the class feature, takes 1d4 Wisdom damage, and is stunned for 1 round. Either way, the Wisdom damage is healed at a rate of 1 per day. However, if the Mentat is below his Strain threshold, no backlash occurs. This threshold starts at 1, and increases by 1 per level, being also affected by Betterment and Overspecialization. Also, add your Int mod to your Strain threshold. The only way to get rid of Strain is by sleeping for 8 hours.
Please note: just because a Mentat's ability backlashes, doesn't mean it fails.
Immediate Familiarization (Ex): A Mentat may train with any melee weapon (simple, martial or exotic) for 1 hour to become proficient with it, no drawback. He is only proficient with that particular weapon, not with that weapon type (therefore, he is not treated as proficient with other weapons that look exactly the same). By gaining 1 Strain, he may change the duration to a full round action.
Reactive Shield: A Mentat carries a (mundane) device that produces a force shield around him whenever he is struck with enough force. It weighs no more than 5 pounds and is carried as a belt. It cannot be sundered, and it cannot be enhanced.* This adds a bonus to AC equal to Class Level/3, but does not always work. In the case of ranged attacks, it works only if the shooter receives no range penalty. In the case of melee attacks, it works only if the attack deals 20 or more damage. In the case of spells, it only works if spells have the acid, air, cold, earth, force, sonic, or water descriptors. The shield needs recharging, though. To have it usable for 24 hours, you must either zap it with an electric spell of at least Level 5, or the Mentat must channel his mental power into it, gaining 2 Strain points. Channeling is a full round action.
Additionally, the reactive shield repels and damages anything moving too fast towards the Mentat. Any enemy charging or bull rushing him, or simply attacking him after running whatever distance, takes damage equal to double the bonus to AC.
Reactive shield works even against foes that ignore armor, like incorporeals.
*Clarification: this isn't a specific item crafted by the Mentat. As long as he wears a belt, any belt, it can use it as focus for the Reactive Shield class feature.
Sudden Relocation (Psi): By gaining 1 Strain per relocation, a Mentat may, anytime and up to Int mod times during his turn, teleport 5 feet in any direction, including upwards and downwards. This is a free action that can be taken between the hits in a full attack, and does not cause AoO. It is always accurate, line of sight with the destination is not required, and is immune to effects that ban astral travel, such as Dimensional Lock. Also, he retains momentum as if he moved that distance, so if by relocating the Mentat comes next to an opponent, that opponent takes damage equal to double the AC bonus of Reactive Shield (IF the shield is active, that is).
Placebo: Starting at 4th level, and every even level afterward (6th, 8th, 10th etc.) the Mentat may learn a Placebo.
Deny Disease
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction / Immediate Action that triggers AoO
Cost: none / +1 Strain
Range: self / touch
Effect: Once per day, you may choose to ignore the effects of a disease when it forces you to roll a Fortitude save, as if you instantly won it. An unlimited number of times per day, when one of your allies has to roll a Fortitude save to fight off disease, you can touch him as an Immediate Action, gaining 1 Strain, to let him use your Will Save instead of his Fort Save.
Deny Poison
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction / Immediate Action that triggers AoO
Cost: none / +1 Strain
Range: self / touch
Effect: Once per day, you may choose to ignore the effects of a poison when it forces you to roll a Fortitude save, as if you instantly won it. An unlimited number of times per day, when one of your allies has to roll a Fortitude save to fight off poison, you can touch him as an Immediate Action, gaining 1 Strain, to let him use your Will Save instead of his Fort Save.
Deny Temperature
Requirements: none
Action: Full Round / Free Action
Cost: +1 Strain / hour*(see effect)
Range: self
Effect: You passively shrug off the influence of temperature. Suppressing this ability is a full round action, and reactivating it is a free action. While this ability is active, the weather seems like it is 25 degrees closer to normal (70 degrees is normal, if the difference between outside temperature and 70 is lower than 25, then treat the temperature as simply being 70).
Deny Sustenance
Requirements: none
Action: nonaction
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: You are treated as if you fulfilled your need for food and drink for the day. This placebo can only be used right after you wake up.
Deny Anatomy
Requirements: two other Deny placebos learned
Action: nonaction
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: Int mod times per day, you can instantly win Fort Saves without rolling.
Deny Hydration
Requirements: Deny Sustenance, 1 other Deny placebo plearned
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You no longer need to drink water.
Coolheaded
Requirements: none
Action: passive / nonaction
Cost: none / +2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: If you are affected by an effect that would make you become Shaken, Frightened, or Panicked, it lasts 1 round less. You can't reduce the duration to zero by doing so. You can reduce the effect by a further round by gaining 2 Strain (you CAN reduce the duration to zero by doing this).
Unyielding
Requirements: Coolheaded
Action: nonaction
Cost: +1/2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are Frightened, you can gain 1 Strain to be shaken instead. Whenever you are Panicked, you can gain 1 Strain to become Frightened, or 2 Strain to become shaken instead.
Overcoming Self-conservation
Requirements: Unyielding
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You are immune to fear effects.
Boost of Confidence
Requirements: none
Action: Standard
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self / 30 feet
Effect: The target gains a Morale bonus to all rolls involving a d20 (skill checks, attacks, saves, unique abilities etc) equal to your Int mod/2 for Int mod rounds, OR equal to your Int mod for Int mod/2 rounds. Does not stack with itself, neither in duration nor in effect.
Aura of Confidence
Requirements: Boost of Confidence
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: Int mod*10 feet spread
Effect: You and all your allies in a sphere with a radius equal to your Int mod*10 feet gain a Morale bonus to all rolls involving a d20 equal to your Int mod/4 rounded up.
Assured Success
Requirements: Aura of Confidence
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: On saves and attack rolls, you no longer fail on a natural 1, and you instantly succeed on a natural 19 (you do NOT, however, threaten a critical at 19, unless otherwise stated by your weapon).
Normalizing Will
Requirements: none
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You gain SR equal to your Class Level, which stacks with any other sources.
Disbelieve the Supernatural
Requirements: none
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You gain 5+Int mod SR, which stacks with any other sources.
Stubborn Ignorance
Requirements: Normalizing Will, Disbelieve the Supernatural
Action: nonaction
Cost: variable positive
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are struck by a spell, you may gain x Strain to increase your SR by 2x. X is equal to your Int mod at most.
Will to Survive
Requirements: none
Action: full round
Cost: +2 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Whenever you are reduced below 0 hit points, you may gain to Strain to instantly get back to -1 and become stable. If you are already below 0, and take damage, you may not use this ability.
Comatose
Requirements: Will to Survive
Action: passive
Cost: none
Range: self
Effect: You may take this placebo several times. Every time, it reduces the number of negative hit points you must have to die by 10 (-20, then -30, etc). If you are below -10 hit points, you gain Fast Healing 2 (this does not improve by taking the placebo several times).
Stray Knowledge
Requirements: none
Action: none
Cost: none
Range: none
Effect: This placebo does nothing.
Bardic Knowledge
Requirements: Stray Knowledge
Action: standard
Cost: +1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: Just like the the bard class feature, except using it makes you gain 1 Strain.
Liberating Pain
Requirements: none
Action: standard
Cost: -1 Strain
Range: self
Effect: You take 2d10 damage, and reduce your Strain by 1. Then, for Int mod rounds, add d10 to all your damage rolls.
Martyr
Requirements: Liberating Pain
Action: full round / free
Cost: -1 Strain / round
Range: self
Effect: You take 1d10 damage per round, add d6 to your damage rolls, and reduce your Strain by 1 per round.
At 5th level and every class level divisible by 5 afterwards, the Mentat gains a +1 boost to Intelligence.
Burden (Psi): A Mentat can influence an opponent so as to make him believe he is in a far worse situation than he actually is. Whenever a Mentat strikes an opponent and deals lethal damage, you may, on your next round and as a Free action that makes you gain 1 Strain, +1 for every 3 HD the opponent has over you, make that same opponent receive the same amount of nonlethal damage. Creatures naturally immune to nonlethal damage are immune to this as well.
Projected Blow (Psi): A Mentat of level 7 learns to produce meager mental constructs to extend his attacks. By gaining 1 Strain, when making a standard or full attack, he can use his melee weapons at double range. If he does so, his weapons are treated as Force weapons, and he loses any benefit derived from having his weapons crafted out of a special material. (so, for instance, you lose the Cold Iron, you keep the Vorpal)
Perfect Memory (Ex): By gaining 1 Strain, a Mentat can clearly and explicitly narrate or write about anything that happened around him for 24 hours. So, for instance, if he read a book in a day, he can copy every single page of it the next day, from memory, and if he saw someone, he can make an incredibly realistic portrait of that person.
Perfect Sentience (Psi): Once per level starting at level 8, a Mentat may learn one Clearsentience power. He may only learn powers that he could learn as a Psion of his level, with his current stats. The DC is Int based. He manifests them as psi-like abilities. The Strain cost, however, is independent of the level of the powers: it is simply equal to the number of powers the Mentat used during the day before it (so the first power grants no strain, the second grants 1, the third 2, etc). A Mentat may manifest any power he knows only once per day.
Perfect Influence (Sp): A Mentat learns to generate various force objects with his thoughts. Starting at level 9, and ever uneven level afterward, a Mentat may learn 1 sor/wiz spell with the Force descriptor. He may only learn spells that he could learn as a Sorcerer of his level, with his current stats, except using Int instead of Cha for both learning spells and save DC. He casts them as spell-like abilities. The Strain cost, however, is independent on the level of the spells: it is simply equal to the number of spells the Mentat used during the day before it +1 (first spell grants 1 strain, second grants 2, etc). A Mentat may cast any spell he knows only once per day.
Ghost Strike (Psi): By gaining 2 Strain, a level 11 Mentat can generate a full, yet ephemeral, shadowy version of himself on a whim. Whenever he attacks as a standard action, he may choose to, as a swift action, land another attack on any opponent adjacent to either himself or his first target. This second attack is done at a -5 attack penalty from the first one, and is either ghostly (ignores armor bonus to AC) or force-based. This second attack cannot slay the foe, and cannot land a critical. Any effect that may be incurred due to the second attack (burning yourself by attacking a fire elemental, or sundering your weapon on hard skin, or being Disintegrated by a Blackball if you're feeling brave) does not apply. You may use Ghost Strike as an Immediate Action while performing an AoO instead, but you will gain 3 Strain.
Mental Copy (Psi): You generate a replica of yourself made of force. Creating and dismissing a mental copy is a standard action. Creating a mental copy grants no disadvantage, but dismissing one increases your Strain by 1 and keeping it manifested increases your Strain by 1 per hour. You may only have one Mental Copy. The Mental Copy is exactly like you in every aspect, except as explained below:
- A Mental Copy does not incur penalties to Strength and Dexterity due to aging. Regardless of your age, do not apply them.
- A Mental Copy is immune to damage from Force effects, and its melee attacks are treated as Force based.
- The Magical Items duplicated when creating a Mental Copy lose their magical effects (masterworks remain masterworks), except for those that offer passive bonuses (like rings). If any belonging of a Mental Copy would stop being in contact with it, it vanishes (this means that Mental Copies can only use Longbows and other similar weapons at point blank).
- A Mental Copy does not have HD or a Constitution Score. Instead of those, whenever the mental copy receives lethal OR nonlethal damage, it vanishes. If a Mental Copy vanishes, the Mentat gains 1 Strain.
- A Mental Copy still has all spell-like, psi-like, extraordinary and supernatural abilities of the Mentat. It can use abilities with an XP cost normally, except the Mentat pays the cost, and it can use abilities that accumulate Strain. In this case, both the Mentat AND the Mental Copy gain that much strain.
- A Mental Copy does not have all senses, it has only normal vision. However, if within line of sight of the Mentat, it perceives all that the Mentat perceives. The Mentat and his Mental Copy communicate telepathically, it is not as immersive for both of them however. The Mentat may only ask and receive questions and issue commands as in normal speaking, and see through the Mental Copy's eyes.
Mind Fused With Matter (Su): A level 16 Mentat learns to force reality to act on behalf of his perception. Once per turn, as a free action increasing Strain by 1 per mile rounded up, a Mentat may transport his body wherever his Mental Copy is, the Mental Copy is destroyed. For this ability to work, only the Mental Copy must not be in an antimagic or antipsionic field. The state of the Mentat is irrelevant, as long as he is conscious.
Voices of the Dead Ancestry (Su): Recalling the memories of his long dead ancestors, a level 17 Mentat can burrow their skills and experience. Using this ability takes 1 minute. Afterwards, also for 1 minute, add your Wis mod OR 5, whichever is lower, to your manifester level for the purpose of Clairsentience and to all your trained skills.
Computing Aura (Su): Starting from level 19, knowledge starts passively seeping out of the Mentat. Everyone in a 60 foot spread centered on him gains a Competence bonus equal to his Int mod to all their trained skills, gains the Backlash ability, gains a Strain threshold equal to a third of the Mentat's rounded down, and gains 1 Strain every time they make a Skill check. Dismissing and recalling this effect is a full round action, and subjects within it can't simply not want to be affected by it. The Mentat may choose specific targets to not be affected by this aura, but gains 1 Strain for each of those, per hour.
Extreme Rationality (Ex): A level 20 Mentat has improved his logic and cognition to such levels that he is completely beyond the understanding of any other sentient being. Whenever it is more beneficial to him, he may treat himself as Mindless. Additionally, he gains an Insight bonus to attack equal to the number of rounds that have passes since the start of an encounter, as he is able to analyze his foes in great detail.