CTP's Medium Guide

[CockroachTeaParty]

Here's my latest guide from the Occult Adventures classes, the flexible Medium.

Link it up. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/18513dKdB74fbtloy7cKgCtJkHEsTrAa3SsS56LguMqQ/edit?usp=sharing)

I still haven't secured a copy of Occult Origins; I'll have to update my guides once I finally do. Hopefully the medium gets some help with that pesky influence.

[Slithery D]

Nope, just an archetype that channels an aspect of Nex rather than the standard archmage.

[Novawurmson]

Horray! I'll look at this on my next break at work.

I'll be adding this to the compendium unless you object.

[Arutema]

Very nice. my only nitpick is that you mention "Mage’s Tattoo (ISWG)". It's actually in the book as "Varisian Tattoo". (This sort of product identity-related nonsense is why I favor Archives of Nethys over d20pfsrd.)

I'm pondering how viable the medium is with a natural weapon build. The text on Sudden Attack doesn't exclude natural weapons. As those don't normally get extra attacks from BAB, Sudden Attack seems like a decent way around that issue.

[Novawurmson]

Wow. That breakdown of level 6 Fighter vs. Medium is pretty surprising. However, it's important to note that the fighter's Power Attack will be -3/+9 vs. the Medium's -2/+6 . The medium's DPR still might be higher because of the extra accuracy on their second attack. The level 20 medium vs. fighter continues to be intriguing.

Make sure to mention the "getting to count as one full bab class for the purpose of picking feats" for the chamoion's supreme ability. Unchained Monk is could be pretty nice, because a lot of feats require Monk X, have lower prerequisites for monks, or have additional effects for monks.

[CockroachTeaParty]

You're good to add it to the guide compendium, Wurmson.

Full BAB and 3/4 BAB classes have the same power attack mods at level 6, if I recall correctly; full BAB pulls ahead at level 8. It is an interesting comparison to make, certainly.

That just leaves the spiritualist without a guide, as far as I can tell. It's the only occult class I've actually seen in play so far, but it's going to be quite the undertaking to make a guide for it; the 'buddy' classes are monstrous in stuff to mentally juggle, if the summoner has taught us anything.

[Deadkitten]

Racial Heritage is possibly one of the best feats a character can take, simply because the Halfling Favored Class bonus is just that good

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/racial-feats/racial-heritage

Also, I would probably rate Dex a little higher than Str, simply because almost all of the spirits will want Dex to some degree, and putting a decent priority on it as a stat will lend to better versatility overall.

My favorite build is a DEX focused Champion medium, simply because you get fantastic combat potential with very good saves all around.

Honestly with how good Champion is compared to the other spirits I am seriously worried it will get nerfed into the ground when they do their first batch of errata for this book.

[Florian]

Good guide.
What would still need a littlembit of in-depth treatment is the restrictions on where you can channel a spirit and how it could be impossible to do so, if you're stuck im a certain enviroment.

As for the Spiritualist, lokkong forward to your guide. Based in my limited experience with the class, it is solid but not as hame changing as the summoner.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Good guide.
What would still need a littlembit of in-depth treatment is the restrictions on where you can channel a spirit and how it could be impossible to do so, if you're stuck im a certain enviroment.

As for the Spiritualist, lokkong forward to your guide. Based in my limited experience with the class, it is solid but not as hame changing as the summoner.

The availability of spirits is ultimately up to the GM. The Pathfinder FAQ suggests that as long as you can justify it somehow, you should be able to channel the spirit you want. But ultimately it seems up to the GM. A real hard-line GM might prohibit availability unless you can reach one of the locations explicitly mentioned in the book, but that's outside the scope of a simple guide.

In such a situation, I can only suggest that a medium stick to a city-centered campaign, or have a portable shrine to a deity in you traveling wagon, etc.

[Serafina]

Or take the Relic Channeler Archetype - crappy as it otherwise might be, it does ensure that travel won't prevent you from holding a seance.

But if you want to worry about neither location nor items, you become a Spirit Dancer. Because while you hold a Seance, it can either be in the location of any of the spirits, or you can simply hold it anywhere you want.


Also, a personal note on the Kami Medium:
- Natural Taboo is actually pretty good. Avoiding metal armor is something you can easily and reliably do (slightly less ideal armor at lower levels, slightly more expensive armor at higher levels) - so you basically take no risk from it, and it does replace your taboo options for all your spirits. So this turns taboo from a "maybe" into a sure way to get two spirit surges.
- Ofudas are great if you buff yourself or your allies. Utterly shutting down dispel magic is rather strong after all.


But overall, a great guide.

[N. Jolly]

Nice guide, CTP. I always enjoy reading your stuff (I want to get to your psychic guide later), so I'm going to take some time and read why I shouldn't be ignoring this class.

EDIT: Why must you use the black rating for things with an actual rating instead of things that can't be rated? That's just a pet peeve of mine, personal preference. Really, the only thing I'd say is that the spirit dancer seems like it'd be green, although maybe I'm just overvaluing the versatility.

[Florian]

Just some idle questions:
How do you go about kitting out a medium? Proficiencies vary widely from spirit to spirit, something that is especially hampering when channeling the archmage.

Right now I tend to disregard the Heavy Armor Proficiency as being too impractical because it would eat up a feat slot and you still have to drop it for Archmage. Ok, Armigers Panoply would help here, though.

Weapon selection looks like a real chore, as most Spirits only have simple proficiency.

[Serafina]

Well, you basically have to consider armor and weapons.

Weapons: You're proficient with simple weapons. Go buy a simply weapon.
But if you're using the Champion-spirit a lot, you may as well go for an Exotic Weapon, and only keep a backup simply weapon for your off-days.

Armor: You're proficient with medium armor. Go buy some medium armor.
Never bother with Heavy Armor, since the Champion Spirit isn't good enough to justify spending money on a backup armor. Which of course only underlines how badly designed some spirits are.
If you're channeling Archmage - well, in that case you'll want to go without armor. Which makes it clear that the Archmage really isn't for adventuring.

[Florian]

@Serafina:

My bad, forgot to mention that I was thinking about a halfling spirit dancer. You can switch between Spirits then, either forcing you to switch gear inbetween, stick to the most basic stuff or find a workaround.
So, for example, the Panoply is a free action teleporting your Full Plate into your Handy Haversack and back out on you again, alowing for a quick switch to and from Archmage, especially once you reach attacca.

[CockroachTeaParty]

As far as equipment is concerned, you'll really benefit from a bag of holding, handy haversack, or portable hole to lug around your different 'kits.' A nice set of medium armor and a solid simple weapon or two can serve as your fallbacks, and you can keep a suit of heavier armor or an exotic weapon on standby for days when your channeling a spirit with better proficiencies.

A medium can 'scavenge' pretty well from fallen foes. Bad guy using some weird magical exotic weapon? You can use it! Found a cool staff? Rock a caster spirit, or bust out your UMD.

I'd approach equipping them in much the same way you'd equip a 3.5 Chameleon or Master of Masks.

[sekkan]

For equipment, a Bladed Belt should be automatic for Champion-types (and/or a Transformative weapon later). Also, as a note on the Champion, you have the taboo as messing with your spell casting, but it only blocks acceptance/use of Arcane spells. The Medium is a psychic caster. So unless you are somehow channeling both the Archmage and Champion at the same time, it doesn't affect your casting.

[sekkan]

What do people think of the Legendary Spirits from Occult Realms?

[Slithery D]

What do people think of the Legendary Spirits from Occult Realms?

Lust seemed really good.

[sekkan]

Spirits, not Phantoms.

[untrippable]

Hope this doesn't count as necro-ing too much.

If you update the guide for the new stuff that's come out, definitely include the feat Legendary Influence (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/legendary-influence). 6 feats for the price of 1, lets you specialize with each of the spirits a bit more. It does increase your starting influence a bit more, though.

Nothing stops you from picking Spirit Focus for every spirit.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Hope this doesn't count as necro-ing too much.

If you update the guide for the new stuff that's come out, definitely include the feat Legendary Influence (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/legendary-influence). 6 feats for the price of 1, lets you specialize with each of the spirits a bit more. It does increase your starting influence a bit more, though.

Nothing stops you from picking Spirit Focus for every spirit.

Ah, yes, I was aware of those feats. Now that I've looked them over with more scrutiny, I'm not impressed.

I've updated the guide with my thoughts. Unless you're doing the Spirit Focus cheese, you're gimping yourself pretty bad. That influence cost is atrocious, and unthinkable in the improved version.

If you could use it for item creation feats it would be great, but the devs at least caught that exploit. I would rate it red if it weren't for the Spirit Focus cheese, and even then it's right on the border.

[Giddonihah]

Blood of the Beast has an archetype worth mentioning.

Its called Fiend Keeper and it trades away a bunch of the flavor haunt/spirit abilities for Dark Communion, which has info gathering capabilities and combat boosts.
Basically the flavor is that instead of contacting random spirits, you are containing one particular evil spirit, which tempts you with power and knowledge.

A lvl 13 champion can choose to get +4 to Attack and Damage/+2 AC and 13 THP for one minute (+2 Profane, and +2 bonus to Spirit Focus). Costs a round, and potentially Influence (on failed check), but can be used 13 times a day.
For combat seems like a strict upgrade, you don't lose much info gathering capability, and it doesn't trade out the decent Astral stuff.

Of the missing medium content in the guide, this one is probably the biggest stand out.
Rivethun Spirit Channeller being second, but its just a wis-based Spirit Dancer with odd rule implications.