The Medium

---

The Medium is a very interesting and versatile class. Its focus in being the ultimate Jack of All Trades is heavily influenced by In-Game factors.

See, Mediums get to welcome a Spirit inside of them, allowing the Spirit more influence on their actions in exchange to taste a fragment of that Spirit’s power.

Anywhere from a Gladiatorial Champion to a Mighty Archmage, from a Conniving Trickster to a Wise Hierophant, from a Stalwart Guardian to an inspiring Marshal.

Each spirit gives massively different powers and each day a Medium can have a Séance to invite the local spirit into themselves and grant them their associated power.

Because of this, and the nature of the areas each spirit is tied to, the Medium is perhaps the single most campaign dependent class in the entire game, and thus focusing on a single Spirit is highly risky and an unreliable tactic.

Herein I will outline five different Medium builds so you can see what I mean and we will still try to male the best we can from each so whatever spirit we invite in, we will still shine.

Base Medium

The basic Medium build, your character is a traveling fortuneteller, the free men and women of the road, the birthplace of heroes.

Class

Medium 20

Race

Human, put the floating +2 in Charisma

Ability Scores

Increase Dex to 17 with your lvl 8 increase, but everything else should go in Charisma

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

Traits

Varisian Tattoo gives us Proficiency in the Starknife which will be our main weapon. Dealer nets you Sleight of Hands as a class skill which we do want.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit Points!

Skills

Aight, we need Sleight of Hands. We also want Bluff, Diplomacy, Use Magic Devices, Sense Motive.

Feats by Level

1-Divine Fighting Style(Way of the Shooting Star)

Human Bonus-Two Weapons Fighting

3-Point-Blank Shot

5-Precise Shot

7-Rapid Shot

9-Quick Draw

11-Divine Fighting Style(Advanced Way of the Shooting Star)

13-Improved Two Weapons Fighting

15-Piranha Strike

17-Clustered Shots

19-Improved Initiative

So you are two weapons fighting with a pair of Starknives, and with Divine Fighting Style you can use your Charisma for attack and Damage which is great! And you can throw them very efficiently via Precise Shot+Rapid Shot+Quick Draw.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Detect Psychic Significance, Detect Magic
2-Dancing Lights
3-Stabilize
4-Psychic Readings, Wizened Appearance
5-Ghost Sounds, Ventriloquism
6-Silent Image
7-Prestidigitation, Augury, Bestow Curse
8-Detect Thoughts
9-Oneiric Horror, Eagle’s Splendor
10-Divination, Dream
11-Scrying
12-Object Reading, Haste, Fly
13-Invoke Deity, True Seeing
14-Thoughtsense
15-Invisibility, Glimpse of Truth, Dream Council
18-Hollow Heroism, Nightmare

Equipment

A few Starknives, a good medium armor(aim for a Breastplate). A Harrow Deck for sheer fun.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, we focus our build as a Charisma based Thrower. Except that’s just one of our tools in our back pocket. We have some surprisingly great divination spells to prepare and scout areas well before we ever step foot there, we can get great intel rapidly and try to get the Spirit we need for the right job.

Need more resilience? Pick the Guardian or Hierophant Spirit. Need more damage? Go for Champion. A set of specific spells are needed and the Wizard actually doesn’t know them? Go for Archmage. With great intel gathering you can be as batman-like to a situation as you need.

Soul Eater

So, a certain archetype of the Medium is the Spirit Eater. It…pretty much does what it says on the tin. You eat Incorporeal creatures to fuel your abilities. You also consider all your attacks as if they had Ghost Touch. Now what if we were to combine that with, say, the Souldrinker Prestige Class?

Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Medium (Spirit Eater) 7/Souldrinker 10/Medium (Spirit Eater)+3

Race

We are going for a Vishkanya, who are Pathfinder’s not Yuan-Ti we swear wink wink. They get a bunch of poison related stuff which is fun and will play into what we will try to achieve here.

Ability Scores

Increase Dex to 20, the rest goes into Charisma.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 18

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 18/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 8/Cha 18

Traits

We want Silent Hunter to get Stealth as a Class Skill, and Reactionary is always good.

Favored Class Bonus

We are going for Skills. Yeah, wack. I know.

Skills

So we will need Knowledge(Arcana and Planes), and Spellcraft. We also want Stealth. Lastly we need at least 3 ranks in Knowledge(Religion), but after that, take Bluff and max it out.

Feats by Level

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Fiendish Obedience

5-Piranha Strike

7-Great Fortitude

Bonus 8-Improved Familiar

9-Two-Weapons Fighting

11-Weapon Focus(Kukri)

13-Slashing Grace

15-Improved Critical(Kukri)

17-Improved Two-Weapons Fighting

19-Improved Initiative

We are using a pair of Kukris(which we are automatically proficient in as a Vishkanya) with actually great efficacy between Weapon Finesse, Slashing Grace, Piranha Strike and Improved Critical, for some surprising amounts of damage capability. We also get a Cacodaemon Familiar and of course, as usual, familiars are really, really good.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Detect Psychic Significance, Detect Magic
2-Dancing Lights
3-Stabilize
4-Psychic Readings, Wizened Appearance
5-Ghost Sounds, Ventriloquism
6-Silent Image
7-Prestidigitation, Augury, Bestow Curse
9-Detect Thoughts
10-Oneiric Horror, Eagle’s Splendor
11-Divination, Dream
12-Scrying
13-Object Reading, Haste, Fly
14-Invoke Deity, True Seeing
15-Thoughtsense
16-Invisibility, Glimpse of Truth, Dream Council
19-Hollow Heroism, Nightmare

Equipment

A Pair of Kukris and a Chain Shirt will do. You are proficient with Shurikens which can be great to apply poisons at a distance. Also, invest in poisons.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You can Enervation people a lot. Like. A lot. And Enervation kills creatures really, really fast. Add to that your Spirits which you still get access to, the fact that you can eat Incorporeal Creatures to boost your combat abilities even further. You are actually surprisingly terrifying in Combat. Of the four Horsemen, I highly recommend you pick Charon for its various soul eating abilities which are quite thematic.

Planar Possessed

One of the Medium’s archetypes, the Outer Channeler exchanges the legend of the various spirits they can channel to various Outsiders, be they Angels, Demons, Aeons or even Psychopomps, you are tied to that one Outsider subtype and act as a vessel to channel their great power. This archetype sounded extremely fun so I decided to showcase a build for it. We are also taking levels in the Loremaster Prestige Class, albeit a bit later too. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Medium (Outer Channeler) 13/Loremaster 7

Outsider Subtype: Aeon

Race

Samsaran with the Mystic Past Life Alternate Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

Raise Int to 13 if lower, then everything else in Cha

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 12/Wis 11/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 12/Wis 11/Cha 16

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 13/Wis 12/Cha 17

Traits

Reactionary because duh, Hedge Magician because we will be making a lot of magic items…

Favored Class Bonus

Skills, actually for this one. Surprised aren’t you?

Skills

Knowledge(Arcana/Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magic Devices, various Crafts

Feats by Level

1-Point-Blank Shot

3-Precise Shot

5-Skill Focus(Knowledge-the Planes)

7-Craft Wands

9-Craft Wondrous Items

11-Craft Magic Weapons and Armors

13-Craft Constructs

15-Improved Initiative

17-Weapon Finesse

19-Deadly Aim

So we start as a mostly ranged support character, but we rapidly switch our focus from our ranged weapon to our various wands. We also supply the party with quite a few neat magic items when needed, and we eventually even get to have a golem following us around! Since our strength sucks, we eventually pick weapon finesse just to not suck if stuck in melee.

Loremaster Secrets by Level

14-Toughness

16-+2 Fortitude

18-+1 on Attack Rolls

20-Combat Expertise

So we get more hp, a late coming fairly okay bonus to AC, and a generic bonus to our Fortitude Save and to all attacks. Neat!

Spells Learned by Level

1-Ghost Sound, Mage Hand
2-Detect Magic
3-Prestidigitation
4-Command, Enlarge Person
5-Read Magic, Ill Omen
6-Psychic Reading
7-Open/Close, Bestow Curse, Haste
8-Find Traps
9-Remove Fear, Cat’s Grace
10-Scrying, Retrocognition
11-Locate Creature
12-Ventriloquism, Suggestion, Greater Invisibility
13-Freedom of Movements, Plane Shift
14-True Seeing
15-Slow, Fly, Teleport
18-Possession, Warp Metal

Equipment

Start with a Light Crossbow and the best medium armor you can afford.

Final Thoughts on the Build

This one is a very sneaky build. You are a great support character with some great buffs and debuffs, some decent combat capabilities, and your Aeon Spirits give you a surprisingly good amount of resilience once you hit your Intermediate Powers. At level 13 you also get a permanent Telepathy for a 100 feet which is bonkers. All in all, a great build for a support character that wants to stay low-key but be somewhat good at pretty much everything.

Storyteller

When I saw that the Medium had an Archetype called Storyteller, and considering this is a Pathfinder build, I thought to myself “screw this, I am making a Chronicler build. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Medium (Storyteller) 10/Chronicler 10

Race

We are going with a standard human, putting our floating +2 into Charisma

Ability Scores

Put everything in Charisma.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 12/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 19

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 13/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 20

Traits

Reactionary of course, Varisian Tattoos to get proficiency with the Starknife

Favored Class Bonus

Yep, it is, in fact, your boy: Hit Points.

Skills

Aight, we need Perform(Oratory), Profession(Scribe) and Linguistics. After that, the world’s your oyster, pick whatever you feel like!

Feats by Level

1-Divine Fighting Technique(Way of the Shooting Star)

Human Bonus-Point-Blank Shot

3-Precise Shot

5-Deadly Aim

7-Lingering Performance

9-Improved Initiative

11-Weapon Focus(Starknife)

13-Improved Critical(Starknife)

15-Heavy Armor Proficiency

17-Shield Proficiency

19-Tower Shield Proficiency

We use our Charisma to attack with our Starknife which is nice, and with Precise Shot and Deadly Aim, we deal some actually significant damage with it too. As we get some form of Bardic Performance, Lingering Performance becomes a must. And as our spellcasting is not hindered by armor, we eventually grab shields and heavy armor proficiencies to add to our defenses making us surprisingly resilient.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Detect Magic, Prestidigitation
2-Mage Hand
3-Stabilize
4-Enlarge Person, Reduce Person
5-Bleed, Remove Fear
6-Protection from Evil
7-Read Magic, Haste, Invisibility
8-Bull’s Strength
9-Ventriloquism, Hold Person
10-Fly, Scrying

Equipment

A few Starknives, and the best armor you can get. Eventually pick a Full Plate and Tower Shield for immense AC shenanigans.

Final Thoughts on the Build

We can summon a bunch of ghostly barbarians to mess up our enemies for us, and we get to buff our allies with Not Bardic Performance. We still get our Spirits which are great as usual, and our spell list is full of goodies our party will love. Plus our defenses are solid and we are charismatic enough to act as the party’s face. A surprisingly good build actually.

Prophet of the Old Ones

Okay so the Voice of the Void let’s you channel Great Old Ones and the things that live between the stars and of course I had to make a build with that archetype because I love love Lovecraftian stuff, sue me I guess.

Class

Medium (Voice of the Void) 20

Race

Human, putting our floating bonus into Charisma

Ability Scores

Put everything in Strength. I know. Whack. Wait for it.

15Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 16

20Point-Buy

Str 14/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

25Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 10/Cha 18

Traits

Reactionary for better Initiative, Heavy Hitter for better unarmed damage.

Favored Class Bonus

Hit. Points.

Skills

Use Magic Devices, Diplomacy, Perception, Spellcraft, Intimidate will be your skills.

Feats by Level

1-Improved Unarmed Strike

Human Bonus-Catch Off-Guard

3-Dirty Fighting

5-Power Attack

7-Cornugon Smash

9-Improved Disarm

11-Improved Steal

13-Improved Grapple

15-Greater Grapple

17-Improved Trip

19-Improved Dirty Trick

Yup. We are doing a ravenous maniac build that should probably be put in an asylum. Catch Off-Guard makes us proficient with improved weapons and make unarmed opponents we attack with improved weapons flat-footed. We double down on this via Improved Disarm and Improved Steal. And with Power Attack+Cornugon Smash, the hurts and debuffs keep coming. We are also great at wrestling the asylum staff via Improved Grapple, Improved Trip and Improved Dirty Trick as we really don’t want to go back to our cell where the voices are especially strong.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Daze, Open/Close
2-Prestidigitation
3-Dancing Lights
4-Ventriloquism, Unseen Servant
5-Ghost Sound, Murderous Command
6-Contact Entity I
7-Detect Psychic Significance, Invisibility, Contact Entity II
8-Haste
9-Compel Hostility, Darkvision
10-Contact Entity III, Scrying
11-Dimension Door
12-Enlarge Person, Detect Thoughts, Dispel Magic
13-Contact Entity IV, Invoke Deity
14-Freedom of Movements
15-Bull’s Strength, Dreadscape, Modify Memory
18-Dream, Nightmare

Equipment

You don’t really need anything, but I guess a good armor is not a bad idea.

Final Thoughts on the Build

This build is wild, you are excellent with improvised weapons, can make enemies become terrified of you, your spell list is surprisingly great, you’ve got a beefed up Spirit Surge, and you can Channel Damage to all non-aberrations that deal fairly good damage and makes them Confused too. Plus you are a great battlefield controller via your various Combat Maneuvers. You are completely insane, but in my book that’s a plus, not a negative.