How to become incorporeal as a caster [PF only]

[Kraken]

It's pathetically easy to become incorporeal in 3rd edition, but suppose you're a cleric, sorcerer, wizard, witch, etc. in PF. Now that polymorph and its cousins have been nerfed and spells like ghostform don't exist, what ways are there to become incorporeal? This belt (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-shadowform) (which functions for anyone) is all that I've found.

[Yanisa]

I need to get to bed, so here is a lazy attempt to answer a question, check my earlier post here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?333166-PF-Ghost-question).


It is hard to find something that just gives incorporeal without any bells or whistles. Incorporeal is a powerful ability and seems very limited to player characters. Even when you do get it the spell or source is often rounds per level and/or limited...

First off: Blink (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blink), which kinda makes you incorporeal. You don't get fly, but you can walk trough things, attacks deal half damage. Only trouble is part of it is Ethereal... Which makes it easier to counter.

Dust Form (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/dust-form) also is incorporeal, albeit higher level and very limited is who can learn it. It lacks fly and also falls far from the flavor of ghost like. It is also vague whether you can walk trough solid objects, it starts with giving bonuses for squeeze and then states you are considered incorporeal...

And in magic items we got Belt of Shadow Form (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-shadowform) who does simply give incorporeal without no exceptions, no oddities or anything. Simply straight incorporeal... and a full dex bonus. Limited at 10 rounds though. And maybe pricy, depending on your level.

There is also a similar themed major artifact Shadowstaff (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/major-artifacts/shadowstaff), which seems to give incorporeal, depending on how you read it. The link in the text seems to suggest you get the full incorporeal ability. But if it does give it, it is permanent for as long as you hold the staff. Then again major artifacts are not easy to get, ignoring the evil fluff.



For the record, I was just Googling (http://www.google.com/cse?cx=006680642033474972217%3A6zo0hx_wle8&q=incorperal#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=incorporeal&gsc.sort=) Incorporeal on the d20pfsrd. You can try it too, but I think I picked out all the obvious options, but I might missed something more obscure.

[Psyren]

Undead Anatomy IV (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/u/undead-anatomy-i) (Sor/Wiz 8, same as Ghostform) makes you incorporeal.

EDIT: The Undead and Dreamspun Bloodline can also make you incorporeal (at 15th and 20th level, respectively), as can the Occult, Juju and Bones Mysteries at 11th (movement only.)

[Kraken]

Hm, better options than I thought there would be. I'm trying to utilize incorporeality in conjunction with flyby attack to pop in and out of solid objects to be nestled safely away when it's not my turn. It looks like the earliest this strategy could come online is level 11 via dust form (all of the mystery powers only allow you to take move actions while incorporeal), though I'd need to find crannies to squeeze into rather than going directly into solid objects. Still, a medium creature would be treated as diminutive by my reading, and because they don't take penalties for squeezing, by my reading they could fit anywhere a fine creature could?

[Slithery D]

Check out the Psion Uncarnate prestige class if you're building a charcter from scratch around this, it's your core gimmick, and psionics are allowed.

[Gemini476]

Ghosts (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/ghost)are CR+2, so that's a pretty cheap way to get incorporeality.
The CR is mostly bought off rather quickly, but if you really need it at low levels then Young (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/simple-template-young-cr-1)is CR-1.

Do note that I doubt that any DM will allow you to make a Young Ghost - you don't have a strength or constitution score, so it's completely Win/Win.

[Raven777]

Shadow Projection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-projection) lets you mess around as an incorporeal undead Shadow for 1 hour/level while your inanimate body stays at the inn. Make sure to get a way to Silent your spells (Shadows don't speak) if you want to cast.

[Kraken]

Shadow Projection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-projection) lets you mess around as an incorporeal undead Shadow for 1 hour/level while your inanimate body stays at the inn. Make sure to get a way to Silent your spells (Shadows don't speak) if you want to cast.

That's...that's insanely good. It even looks PFS legal. Though why would you need a way to silence spells? The lack of a language entry in a statblock doesn't mean something can't speak as far as I know.

[Psyren]

That's...that's insanely good. It even looks PFS legal. Though why would you need a way to silence spells? The lack of a language entry in a statblock doesn't mean something can't speak as far as I know.

I'd say that's exactly what it means - animals, plants, mindless undead etc. also lack it.

You'll also need Eschew Materials in addition to Silent Spell.

[Kraken]

Eh, shadows are described has having communities with hierarchies where the weak are dominated by the strong. There's no telepathy in their entry, so they need to be communicating somehow. I'm not convinced one way or the other about whether they're capable of verbal components, though you're right that eschew materials would definitely be necessary. For that matter, is there a way to make gear usable by an incorporeal creature? The ghost touch property doesn't seem to be applicable to rings, for instance.