Binder
You may have to metaphorically make a deal with the devil. And by "devil", I mean a Devil. And by "metaphorically", I mean get your coat.
A Binder is a type of mage which uses pacts to bind the souls of other creatures. Binders can use the power over a creatures soul to make it a minion, to convert its essence into a magical item, animate golems, and more.
Role: A Binder is normally a controller, in the back commanding his summoned and bound creatures. But when it comes to close quarters they can normally use a weapon with a creatures bound to it. Some Binders can actually create their own guards in the form of Golems.
Alignment: A Binders can be of any alignment.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Gold: As Wizard.
Class Skills
The Binder's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier)
Binder
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Soulmelds|Essentia|Chakra Binds|CR Limit
1st|+0
|+0
|+0
|+2
|Bound Minion, Conjure|3|1|0|1/2
2nd|+1
|+0
|+0
|+3
|Totem Chakra Bind (+1 Capacity)|3|2|1|1
3rd|+1
|+1
|+1
|+3
|Familiar Soul|4|2|1|2
4th|+2
|+1
|+1
|+4
|Bonus Feat|4|3|1|3
5th|+2
|+1
|+1
|+4
|Chakra Binds (Crown, Feet, Hands)|4|3|1|4
6th|+3
|+2
|+2
|+5
|Soul Focus|5|4|2|5
7th|+3
|+2
|+2
|+5
|Totem Chakra Binds (+1 Meldshaper Level)|5|5|2|5
8th|+4
|+2
|+2
|+6
|Bonus Feat|5|5|2|6
9th|+4
|+3
|+3
|+6
|Chakra Binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|6|6|2|7
10th|+5
|+3
|+3
|+7
|Rebind Totem Soulmeld 1/day|6|7|3|8
11th|+5
|+3
|+3
|+7
|Totem Chakra Bind (Double Bind)|6|8|3|9
12th|+6/+1
|+4
|+4
|+8
|Bonus Feat, Soul Focus|7|9|3|10
13th|+6/+1
|+4
|+4
|+8
|Rebind Totem Soulmeld 3/day|7|10|3|10
14th|+7/+2
|+4
|+4
|+9
|Chakra Binds (throat, waist)|7|11|4|11
15th|+7/+2
|+5
|+5
|+9
|Totem Chakra Bind (+2 Capacity)|8|12|4|12
16th|+8/+3
|+5
|+5
|+10
|Bonus Feat, Rebind Totem Soulmeld 3/day|8|13|4|13
17th|+8/+3
|+5
|+5
|+10
|Chakra Bind (Heart)|8|14|4|14
18th|+9/+4
|+6
|+6
|+11
|Soul Focus|9|16|5|15
19th|+9/+4
|+6
|+6
|+11
|Rebind Totem Soulmeld 4/day|9|18|5|15
20th|+10/+5
|+6
|+6
|+12
|Insightful Manipulation|9|20|5|16[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Binder.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Binders are proficient with all simple weapons, light armour, but not shields.
Meldshaping: A Binder’s primary ability is shaping soulmelds, which are drawn from the binder soulmeld list. Unlike other geotia users, you can't shape any soulmeld from this list.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a binders soulmeld is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + your Constitution modifier. Your meldshaper level is equal to your binder level.
A binder can shape only a certain number of soulmelds per day. Your base daily allotment is given on the above table. The maximum number of soulmelds that you can have shaped simultaneously is equal to your Constitution score minus 10 or the number of soulmelds on the table, whichever is lower. At 1st level, you can shape three soulmelds at a time (assuming you have a Constitution score of at least 13). As you advance in level, you can shape an increasing number of soulmelds.
At 1st level, you also gain access to your personal pool of essentia, which can be invested into your soulmelds to increase their power. Your essentia pool’s size is shown on the above table. Your character level, determines the maximum quantity of essentia that you can invest in any single soulmeld. As a swift action, you can reallocate your essentia investments in your soulmelds every round.
A Binder does not study or prepare soulmelds in advance, instead they must make a Soul Pact with a creature, converting that creature into a soulmeld. A Binder can unshape any melds he possesses as a full-round action, this releases the soul, returning it to the position it was in before the binder conjured it.
Bound Minion: At first level, binders gain the ability to shape a special soulmeld that is unique to the binder class. Other classes may not gain access to this soulmeld through the shape soulmeld feat, though multiclass binders and binder who enter a prestige class retain the ability to shape it. It also cannot be reproduced/shared using the Share Soulmeld feat. Shaping the Bound Minion soulmeld counts towards the binder’s maximum number of soulmelds, and if it is bound to any chakra slot(s) it counts toward the binder’s maximum number of chakra binds.
Conjure (Su): A number of times equal to it's Intelligence modifier, a Binder can commit a ritual to partially conjure a creature. This ritual takes an hour to commit successfully, and any interuption means it doesn't conjure the creature.
A Binder's options in which creatures they can conjure are limited to only creatures of the Elementals or Outsider types which has it's Challenge Rating is equal or below the CR Limit in the above table.
A creature conjured this way is only partially called; it cannot move from were it was summon, nor interact in the world physically. Instead it can only communicate with those around it and perceive the world as if it was truly there.
While conjured, the Binder (and others in the area) can attempt to persuade the creature to form a Pact with the binder, allowing the binder to convert their soul into a Soulmeld. To increase a creatures willingness to form such a pact, a binder can utilise diplomacy, intimidation, truenames and offer services or goods in return. If the binder agrees to something as part of the pact, they are manipulated to uphold their side of the bargain (this functions as a Geas effect).
If the creature agrees, the Binder gains a Soulmeld. The soulmeld must be one with prerequistes the creature fulfills or the Bound Minion Soulmeld. If the creature disagrees it may return to its previous position as a free action, this ends the conjuring effect.
Chakra Binds: Beginning at 2nd level, you can bind your soulmelds to your chakras, granting you new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra, so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra.
The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level. At 2nd level, you can bind a soulmeld to your totem chakra (see below). Beginning at 5th level, you can bind soulmelds to your crown, feet, or hands chakras. At 9th level, you can bind soulmelds to your arms, brow, or shoulders chakras. At 14th level, you can bind soulmelds to your throat or waist chakras. At 17th level, you can bind a soulmeld to your heart chakra. You never gain the ability to bind a soulmeld to your soul chakra.
Totem Chakra Bind: At 2nd level, you gain access to a unique chakra: the totem chakra. This chakra is not associated with any location on the body, but rather represents your personal soul. When you bind a soulmeld to your totem chakra, you take on characteristics of the creature represented by the meld—usually involving a limited physical transformation. Since the totem chakra doesn’t match a body location, binding a soulmeld to this chakra doesn’t restrict your use of magic items that take up a body location.
Any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra has an essentia capacity 1 higher than the normal capacity for your soulmelds. For example, a 2nd-level binder can invest up to 2 points of essentia in any soulmeld bound to his totem chakra bind (rather than the normal limit of 1 points of essentia). At 15th level, the capacity of any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra increases by an additional point (meaning that a 15th-level binder could invest up to 5 points of essentia in that soulmeld).
At 6th level, the effective meldshaper level of a soulmeld you have bound to your totem chakra is equal to your actual meldshaper level +1. The primary effect of this benefit is to make that soulmeld harder to unshape.
At 11th level, you gain the ability to bind a single soulmeld to your totem chakra and to another chakra at the same time. You gain the special benefits of both chakra binds.
Familiar Soul (Su): When a Binder of at least 3rd level attempts to specifically conjure a creature he as conjured previously, he gains a +2 insight bonus on checks to convince them to form the pact. This bonus increased by +2 every 4 levels of binder after 3rd.
Bonus Feat: At fourth level and every four levels therafter (except 20th level), a Binder gains an additional feat. The binder must fufill the prerequisites of the feat, and it must possess the [Binder] descriptor.
Soul Focus: Upon reaching 6th level, a Binder must choose a Soul Focus. These grant additional methods of manipulating souls, which increase in power as the binder levels. A binder may choose from the following (and are detailed in the following post):
- Familiar
- Golem Forge
- Phylactery
- Soul Trader
Rebind Totem Soulmeld (Su): As your control over your totem chakra strengthens, you learn to shift the ties that bind your soulmelds. Starting at 10th level, once per day you can unbind a soulmeld from your totem chakra and bind a different meld to that chakra, as long as the new meld is one you already have shaped. This requires a full-round action and provokes attacks of opportunity.
You can use this ability one additional time for every three levels gained above 10th (2/day at 13th level, 3/day at 16th, and 4/day at 19th).
Insightful Manipulation (Ex): At 20th level, you gain the ability to temporarily empower totem chakra through perfect understanding of their own soul. This greatly enhances the power of essentia invested in soulmelds bound to that chakra. For the duration of this ability, your normal essentia capacity of any soulmeld bound to your totem chakra is doubled. Every point of essentia invested in a soulmeld bound to your totem chakra counts as 2 points of essentia.
Activating this ability is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can be used once per day and lasts for a number of minutes equal to your Intelligence bonus (minimum 1).