The Empath (3.5 E6 base class, PEACH)

[Gnorman]

The Empath

HD: d6
Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (psionics) Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Psicraft, Sense Motive
Skill Points: 4 + Int per level (4x at 1st)

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Power Points|Powers Known|Maximum Power Level Known

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Manifesting, Archetype, Inner Peace|3|3|1st

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Lesser Archetype Power|9|5|1st

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Secrets of the Mind|15|7|2nd

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Moderate Archetype Power|23|9|2nd

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Telepathy|32|11|3rd

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Greater Archetype Power, Capstone PLA|44|13|3rd[/table]

Proficiencies: The empath is proficient with light armor and simple weapons.

Manifesting: The empath manifests powers as a psion does. He is restricted to powers on the general psion/wilder list in the disciplines of telepathy and clairsentience. He may also select Dispel Psionics. The empath's sole manifesting stat is Charisma.

Archetype: At 1st level, the empath chooses an archetype from the following list, each of which conveys a certain set of advantages and abilities. Once chosen, this cannot be changed or reversed. Each archetype has a Lesser power, a Moderate power, a Greater power, and a Capstone PLA associated with it, which the empath receives at the levels noted above. Each archetype also adds bonus powers known, which are listed below.

Inner Peace: The empath is immune to morale penalties, and gains a +4 bonus to saves against fear and mind-affecting spells or abilities.

Lesser Archetype Power: At 2nd level, the empath gains the appropriate power for his archetype.

Secrets of the Mind: At 3rd level, the empath gains an untyped +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Knowledge (psionics) checks.

Moderate Archetype Power: At 4th level, the empath gains the appropriate power for his archetype.

Telepathy: At 5th level, the empath gains a limited form of telepathy out to 60 feet, which can be activated as a free action. The empath may not use telepathy to communicate with creatures he does not share a language with - he may transmit and receive basic emotions and simple concepts, but may not hold detailed verbal conversations unless a shared language is used.

Greater Archetype Power: At 6th level, the empath gains the appropriate power for his archetype.

Capstone PLA: At 6th level, the empath gains the ability to manifest a particular power as a psi-like ability 1/day, as appropriate for his archetype. His manifester level is equal to his hit dice, and the DC of the power, if applicable, is equal to 10 + 1/2 his hit dice + his Charisma modifier.

Empath Power List

Archetypes:

Abhorrent

Bonus Powers
1st: Unearthly Terror
2nd: Aversion
3rd: Induce Phobia
Capstone PLA: Death Urge

Lesser Archetype Power: Any fear effect cast upon an abhorrent is reflected back against the originator of the effect. In addition, an abhorrent gains a bonus on saves against Fear equal to his Charisma modifier.
Moderate Archetype Power: While psionically focused, fear effects caused by an abhorrent are one step greater - shaken foes are frightened, frightened foes are panicked, and panicked foes are so insensate with fear that they fall unconscious.
Greater Archetype Power: An abhorrent may expend psionic focus to ignore an opponent's immunity to fear for one round.

Mentalist

Bonus Powers
1st: Psionic Charm
2nd: Psionic Suggestion
3rd: False Sensory Input
Capstone PLA: Psionic Dominate

Lesser Archetype Power: A mentalist does not need to make an opposed Charisma check to convince a charmed target to complete dangerous tasks, nor do targets receive the standard +5 bonus to the save if attacked or threatened. Charmed targets will still refuse to carry out blatantly suicidal orders.
Moderate Archetype Power: A mentalist may expend psionic focus to affect one additional target (within 15 feet of the original) with any power of the telepathy school.
Greater Archetype Power: As long as a mentalist is psionically focused, he is immune to charm, compulsion, and possession, and gains a +4 bonus to saves against spells from the Enchantment or Illusion schools or powers from the Telepathy discipline.

Precognitive

Bonus Powers
1st: Precognition
2nd: Clairvoyant Sense
3rd: Eradicate Invisibility
Capstone PLA: Remote Viewing

Lesser Archetype Power: A precognitive may expend psionic focus to roll twice for initiative and takes the better of the two results.
Moderate Archetype Power: While psionically focused, a precognitive becomes instantly aware of hidden, incorporeal, or invisible creatures that come within 30 feet of him - this ability does not allow him to pinpoint their location, just their presence and number.
Greater Archetype Power: A precognitive may never be surprised - he may not be caught flat-footed and always acts in the surprise round. In addition, a precognitive may no longer be flanked.

Superegoist

Bonus Powers
1st: Skills as One
2nd: Sense as One
3rd: Strike as One
Capstone PLA: Schism

Lesser Archetype Power: All allies adjacent to a superegoist are aware of any danger that one of them is aware of - none of them may be flanked or caught flat-footed unless all of them are.
Moderate Archetype Power: A superegoist may expend psionic focus to affect one intelligent adjacent ally per two levels (to a maximum of three) with a power that normally has a range of personal, in addition to himself.
Greater Archetype Power: While psionically focused, a superegoist's powers cost one less power point for every two intelligent allies adjacent to him (minimum of zero). This may not reduce a power's cost to less than one, nor does it allow him to augment powers higher than his manifester level.

Walker

Bonus Powers
1st: Psionic Sleep (as the spell, though augmentable - each PP spent increases the HD cap by one)
2nd: Waking Dreams (MoE)
3rd: Forced Dream (MoE)
Capstone PLA: Psionic Modify Memory

Lesser Archetype Power: A walker is immune to sleep effects and no longer requires a good night's sleep to rest and refresh power points - he may make do with half the normal sleep, requiring only four hours as a human, for example.
Moderate Archetype Power: While psionically focused, any power of the telepathy discipline a walker manifests targeting an opponent who is dazed, stunned, or asleep is irresistable.
Greater Archetype Power: A walker may expend psionic focus to leave his body and enter a dream state for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier. While in a dream state, the walker is incorporeal, invisible, and invulnerable but may not influence his physical environment or attack in any way. Once the duration runs out, the walker is immediately returned to his body.

[Gnorman]

No longer in progress, ready for review.

[Eldest]

For the Precognitive's Moderate Archetype Power, would they get to know the presence of multiple things, or just that there are invisible/incorporeal/whatever boogiemen around?

[Gnorman]

For the Precognitive's Moderate Archetype Power, would they get to know the presence of multiple things, or just that there are invisible/incorporeal/whatever boogiemen around?

Let's say yes to multiples.

[Surrealistik]

Personally, I'd think it'd make more sense if the Empath used Charisma, and the Kinetic Intelligence, seeing as the former stat is much more closely aligned with force of will and personality that you'd think would be congruous with telepathic power.

[Gnorman]

Personally, I'd think it'd make more sense if the Empath used Charisma, and the Kinetic Intelligence, seeing as the former stat is much more closely aligned with force of will and personality that you'd think would be congruous with telepathic power.

I am still going back and forth and back and forth on this one, yeah, it's a tough call.

My rationale for this so far has been the fact that the telepath is all about shaping mental forces, which requires intelligence, while the kinetic is about shaping physical forces, which requires charisma? But that could just as easily go the other way... Kinetic is more of a wilder, too.

Hmmm. It may come down to the fact that the Empath is intended to be a "face" class, and so should have Charisma as a primary stat.

EDIT: Switched 'em.

[Gnorman]

Dream based walker archetype now part of the empath, abilities to come. Sympathetic archetype now in the esoteric class, more in line with that theme.

PP increased to bring the class in line with mage classes.

[Gnorman]

Walker archetype finished.

Minor power revamp focusing on standardizing numbers of powers known and thematic appropriateness (empath gets: mind and sensory manipulation, mental attacks and debilitation extrasensory perception and clairvoyance).