The Spiritualist

The Spiritualist is the Psychic variant of the Divine Hunter or the Arcane Summoner. They summon a Phantom to help them in combat, or hide it in their mind to become more skilled and resistant to mind affecting effects. Between that, their fairly good combat capabilities and their 2/3rd spellcasting, Spiritualists are a very fun class to play, and I will demonstrate it with these five builds.

The Base Spiritualist

Our Base Spiritualist build will be a reaper, a man with a scythe, supported by his Phantom, who can cast necromantic spells and get in melee for some great damage.

Race

We will take Human and place our floating +2 in Wisdom.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Str.

15Point-Buy

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

20Point-Buy

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

25Point-Buy

Str 17/Dex 10/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 17/Cha 10

Traits

Reactionary is great for better initiative, Seeker makes Perception a class skill which is great.

Favored Class Bonus

You thought you could avoid putting those in HP did you?

Skills

Perception, Knowledge(Religion), Spellcraft, Sense Motive, Use Magic Devices

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Human Bonus-Medium Armor Proficiency

3-Power Attack

5-Heavy Armor Proficiency

7-Improved Initiative

9-Vital Strike

11-Weapon Focus(Scythe)

13-Improved Critical(Scythe)

15-Improved Vital Strike

17-Dirty Fighting

19-Improved Trip

So, your scythe is dealing lots of damage with Vital Strike and Power Attack. Plus you are reasonably resilient via Toughness and Heavy Armor Proficiency.

Phantom Emotional Focus

Hatred, since it gains Weapon Finesse: continue increasing dex and pick feats such as Improved Natural Attack and Piranha Strike for its slam.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Bleed, Detect Magic, Grave Words, Telekinetic Projectile, Chill Touch, Cure Light Wounds
2-Resistance, Obscuring Mist
3-Guidance, Shield
4-Lesser Animate Dead, Death Knell
5-Cure Moderate Wounds
6-Invisibility
7-Ventriloquism, Animate Dead, Bestow Curse
8-Fly
9-Haste
10-Ghoul Touch, Slough, Wall of Bones
11-Inflict Light Wounds, Deathward
12-Possession
13-Displacement, Scrying, Telekinesis
14-Spectral Hand, Slay Living
15-Dominate Person
16-Greater Invisibility, Harm, Heal
17-Invisibility Purge, Circle of Death
18-Create Undead
19-Break Enchantment
20-Imbue with Spell Ability, Disintegrate

Equipment

A Scythe and the best Medium Armor you can get. Eventually a full plate.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So not only do we deal stupid damage with our Scythe, have some excellent defenses and have our own Companion that can be Incorporeal or fully manifested, or into our mind to give us great boosts, we have some of the best buff spells in the game, can animate our own army of the dead and can heal decently well? Yeah. Very powerful.

The Ritualist

So, our Phantom is usually an Outsider tied to the Ethereal Plane and as such has a variety of such resistances and all. But what if we wanted to go full undead here?

Enters the Necrologist Archetype which turns our Phantom into an Undead, and the Ritualist Prestige Class to play heavily into the Occult classes, giving us many bonuses to use Occult Rituals. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Necrologist 10/Ritualist 10

Race

We will go for a Nosferatu-Born Dhampir.

Ability Scores

Throw everything into Strength.

15Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 12/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 16/Dex 14/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

Traits

Reactionary is great for that boost to Initiative, Silent Hunter to get Stealth as a Class Skill

Favored Class Bonus

Skills. Occult Rituals require Skill Checks and thus we want more of these.

Skills

Stealth, then max as many Knowledge as you can. Spellcraft too.

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

3-Power Attack

5-Medium Armor Proficiency

7-Heavy Armor Proficiency

9-Dirty Fighting

11-Improved Trip

13-Lunge

15-Combat Reflexes

17-Stand Still

19-Improved Initiative

Toughness will compensate for our low Con and FCB into Skills, Power Attack is always great, Heavy Armor Proficiency turns us into a fairly resilient character, Improved Trip is amazing, Lunge paired with our Longspear gives us a 15ft reach which is great, and your already 10ft reach combines extremely well with Combat Reflexes and Stand Still.

Phantom

So, your Phantom is undead. Which means like you it heals on Negative Energy. I recommend picking up the Anger Emotional Foci with this one, and then picking Feats like Intimidating Prowess and Cornugon Smash and turn your Phantom into a Power Attacking Intimidancer for you.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Bleed, Stabilize, Detect Magic, Telekinetic Projectile, Inflict Wounds, Shield
2-Read Magic, Magic Fang
3-Resistance, Obscuring Mist
4-Invisibility, Inflict Moderate Wounds
5-Life Pact
6-False Life
7-Touch of Gracelessness, Inflict Serious Wounds, Haste
8-Animate Dead
9-Gaseous Form
10-Death Knell, Inflict Critical Wounds, Crushing Despair
11-Unseen Servant, Dimension Door
12-Enervation
13-Invisibility Purge, Vampiric Shadow Shield, Teleport
14-Detect Thoughts, Waves of Fatigue
15-Scrying
16-Freedom of Movement, Banishment, Harm
17-Hostile Levitation, Create Undead
18-Shadow Walk
19-Plane Shift
20-Black Tentacles, Unwilling Shield

Ritualist

So, Ritualist gives you a bonus on Occult Rituals. Occult Rituals usually have a fairly high DC, but if you succeed they have some tremendously powerful effects. Enough so to warrant multiclassing out and not progressing our Phantom so good they are.

Equipment

A Chain Shirt and a Longspear at first, but do aim for that Full Plate armor.

Final Thoughts on the Build

We can heal ourselves and our Phantom, or damage enemies, we have some crazy good buffs, and on top of that we have a fairly good chance of learning and casting Occult Rituals. This

build may not look like it, but it is easily amongst the most powerful I have presented thus far. Plus you are fairly good as a scout via a good Stealth+Invisibility, and you have a great reach meaning some great melee presence!

The Haunted Exorcist

Okay so the previous two builds were cool and all but what if I want to play an anti-undeads, anti-evil spirits build?

Well, I do have a build for that. We’re picking the Haunted Archetype to add much flavor to our Character, and we’re picking the Soul Warden Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Spiritualist 5/Soul Warden 10/Spiritualist +5

Race

Samsaran with the Mystic Past Life Alternate Racial Feature (we need to pick Control Undead with it).

Ability Scores

Round up Con, then everything in Wis.

15Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 14/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 18/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 10/Dex 16/Con 13/Int 10/Wis 18/Cha 10

Traits

Silent Hunter for that sweet Stealth Proficiency, Armor Expert to completely nullify the penalty on your Chain Shirt.

Favored Class Bonus

Moar HP.

Skills

Stealth, Perception, Knowledge(Religion) and Spellcraft.

Feats

1-Weapon Finesse

3-Piranha Strike

5-Shield Proficiency

7-Weapon Focus(Kukri)

Bonus 8-Channel Smite

9-Slashing Grace

11-Improved Initiative Bonus

11-Turn Undead

13-Dodge

Bonus 14-Quick Channel

15-Mobility

17-Spring Attack

19-Improved Critical(Kukri)

So, we are doing some surprisingly high damage with our Kukri via Slashing Grace+Piranha Strike+Improved Critical. Getting Shield Proficiency increases our AC by a few points, and Spring Attack turns us into a surprisingly mobile character.

Phantom

For this build, we will once again go for Hatred, picking feats such as Piranha Strike and the like. Our Phantom will have a weird hate of the Undead. Also, as a Haunted, it will be able to make us Sick to get more stats.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Virtue, Stabilize, Guidance, Resistance, Cure Light Wounds, Sanctuary
2-Detect Magic, Magic Fang
3-Read Magic, Protection from Evil
4-Control Undead, Cure Moderate Wounds
5-Aid
6-Gentle Repose
7-Identify, Cure Serious Wounds, Haste
8-Heroism
9-Fly
10-Purge Spirit, Cure Critical Wounds, Anti-Incorporeal Shell
11-Alarm, Death Ward
12-Dimension Door
13-Gaseous Form, Scrying, Raise Dead
14-Lesser Restoration, Plane Shift
15-Dream
16-Entrap Spirit, Heal, Undeath to Death
17-Displacement, Soulseeker
18-Speak with Soul
19-Sending
20-Restoration, Ectoplasmic Eruption

Equipment

Chain Shirt and a Kukri. Eventually a Shield of some sort.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You are the Anti Undeads build. You can Channel Energy to harm undeads, can smite them for absurd damage, plus you have various healing and anti undead spells that are fantastic for your job. As a Samsaran you naturally resist well Negative Energy shenanigans and you have some critically important buffs and restoring spells, making you a fantastic overall support and an

anti-undead expert easily on par and even surpassing classes like the Cleric and the Paladin.

Jungian Mastermind

Okay, this one is mostly because I was reading the Shadow Caller Archetype and turning your Phantom into a literal shadow that can hide in yours, or in your mind…Yeah, Carl Jung just immediately jumps to mind here.

We’re going all in with Spiritualist Shadow Caller, no multiclassing with this build.

Race

Human, put that floating +2 in Wisdom.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Wisdom.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 12/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 20/Cha 10

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 12/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 20/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 8/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 10/Wis 20/Cha 10

Traits

Reactionary for more Initiative, Seeker for Perception as a Class Skill.

Favored Class Bonus

We need more HP.

Skills

Sense Motive, Knowledge(The Planes), Perception, Spellcraft, Knowledge(Arcana).

Feats by Level

1-Toughness

Human Bonus-Elongated Cranium 3-Weapon Finesse

5-Phantom Fighter

7-Spiritualist’s Call

9-Phantom Fortification

11-Improved Initiative

13-Vigilant Phantom

15-Skill Focus(Perception)

17-Alertness

19-Medium Armor Proficiency

So, we are focusing early on on making our Phantom an absolute menace. With Phantom Fighter, Phantom Fortification and Spiritualist’s Call, our Phantom will have higher stats, a 50% chance to ignore Crits and Precision damage, and will be able to hit Incorporeal creatures. And with Vigilant Phantom, Alertness and Skill Focus, we act as a friggin radar to detect enemies for our party.

Phantom

Pick Weapon Finesse, Piranha Strike and the like. Boost our Phantom Damage and Stealth as much as possible.

Spells Learned by Level

1-Telekinetic Projectile, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Shield, Cure Light Wounds
2-Guidance, Identify
3-Stabilize, Detect Undead
4-Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility
5-Locate Object
6-Invisibility
7-Deathwatch, Detect Anxieties, Haste
8-Detect Desires
9-Fly
10-Instigate Psychic Duel, Detect Scrying, Dimension Door
11-Detect Evil, Enervation
12-Freedom of Movement
13-Nondetection, Dream, Scrying
14-Cure Moderate Wounds, Nightmare
15-Break Enchantment
16-Locate Creature, Heal, Analyze Dweommer
17-Tongues, Find the Path
18-Shadow Transmutation
19-Dominate Person
20-Shadowform, Greater Possession

Equipment

We ourselves will be content with a Dagger, a Light Crossbow and a Chain Shirt.

Final Thoughts on the Build

If you did everything as I said, your Perception at lvl 20 should be at +46. Yeah, even Invisible creatures can’t escape detection. We also get some great mobility via Shadow Jump like the Shadowdancer, and our Phantom is a ridiculously powerful and hardy companion capable of sustained offense and defenses, plus all of our spellcasting making us a fantastic support character while still contributing to the total damage output of the team.

The Gravekeeper Witch

And we have finally come to our third and final Witch Sister for our three builds. This sister was adopted early on by a Gravekeeper and taught her the methods of a Phantom Blade, a great Archetype that switches our Phantom for a Sentient weapon. We will multicall into Barbarian with the Titan Mauler Archetype. We will also Variant Multiclass into Witch and take the Mortal Usher Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Spiritualist 8/Barbarian 2/Mortal Usher 10 Variant Multiclass(Witch)

Race

Changeling, we will also pick the Hulking Changeling Racial Trait for more melee damage.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Strength.

15Point-Buy

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

20Point-Buy

Str 17/Dex 10/Con 10/Int 10/Wis 17/Cha 10

25Point-Buy

Str 18/Dex 10/Con 12/Int 10/Wis 16/Cha 10

Talents

We wank Seeker for Perception as a Class Skill, and Reactionary for a nice bonus to Initiative

Favored Class Bonus

We are a melee character with piss poor AC and low Con. Repeat after me: Hit Points.

Skills

Perception, Knowledge(Planes and Religion), Spellcraft

Feats and Variant Multiclass by Level

1-Toughness

1-Patron(Woodlands)

3-Familiar

Bonus 3-Power Attack

5-Cleave

7-Hex(Evil Eye)

Bonus 8-Cerberus Style

9-Cerberus Style

11-Cantrip(Prestidigitation)

Bonus 11-Vital Strike

13-Cerberus Snare

15-Hex(Cackle)

Bonus 16-Improved Vital Strike

17-Cerberus Crush

19-Hex(Animal Shape)

Bonus 20-Heavy Armor Proficiency

So, we get a few very nice Hexes, and with Power Attack and the Cerberus Style combined with Vital Strike, we will deal some downright stupid damage, both with our Manifested weapon or with our Fists.

Phantom Blade

So, Phantom Blades let us Spell Combat and Spellstrike like a friggin Magus. This lets us do some crazy ass stuff. And if the Blade resides in our mind, we can punch stuff like a Monk. I love this Archetype so damned much.

Why Titan Mauler Barbarian

Because Spellstrike and Spell Combat specifically requires you to use a weapon one handed. But we really want a Scythe for roleplay purposes. So we get to use both here. Plus Rage is neat once our spells are used.

Mortal Usher

Okay, so Mortal Usher is chokeful of flavor, grants us some kickass abilities like At Will Invisibility????????

Plus we get friends with Psychopomps which is nice. Also, Plague Doctor Mask yay!

Spells Learned by Level

1-Stabilize, Bleed, Telekinetic Projectile, Detect Magic, Cure Light Wounds, Shield
2-Read Magic, Inflict Light Wounds
3-Guidance, Obscuring Mist
4-Death Knell, Cure Moderate Wounds
5-Inflict Moderate Wounds
6-See Invisibility
7-Detect Undead, Bestow Curse, Haste
10-Vampiric Touch
12-Fly
14-Touch of Idiocy, Dimension Door, Black Tentacles
16-Positive Pulse, Enervation18-Freedom of Movements
20-Blindness/Deafness, Suffocation, Telekinesis

Equipment

The best Medium armor you can get. You get your Phantom Blade from the get go anyway.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So, we get to be full witchy, deal stupid levels of damage Vampiric Touch+Scythe+Improved Vital Strike+Cerberus Style+Reaping Strike for 6d4+25d6+21 on three targets each turn, grant some great debuffs, some great buffs, some battlefield control, can be invisible at will for the best Scouting ever. And we can do all that both with a Scythe one handed(before level 10 just use a Longsword, as you can shift the Phantom Blade’s appearance), as a Whip, or with our Fists. This gets ridiculous really, really darned fast and is a massively good build. Easily one of my favorites thus far.