Cabalist

There is a power that lurks just beyond the boundary of humanity. Enigmatic and unknowable, the extent of their domain is as unfathomable as their motives. Few are aware of their existence, and among those that know, many rightfully view these mysterious entities with caution–or fear. However, there are those that would choose to entreat the overwhelming powers that lurk between the stars. Whether out of desperation, a pervasive madness, or simply the desire for knowledge, these cabalists make contact with eldritch forces to control them. Masters of occult rites, cabalists bind aspects of otherworldly beings to themselves, warping their body and mind to grow beyond the limits of humanity.

**Alignment:** Any

**Hit Die:** d8

**Starting Age:** Trained

**Starting Wealth:** 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp). In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

**CLASS SKILLS:** The cabalist’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

**Skill Ranks per Level:** 4 + Int Modifier

### **CLASS FEATURES**

All of the following are class features of the cabalist.

### **Weapon and Armor Proficiency**

Cabalists are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the greatsword, light flail, ranseur, rapier, sap, scythe, short sword, and warhammer. They are proficient with light armor and medium armor, but not with shields.

### **Spells**

A cabalist casts psychic spells drawn from the cabalist spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a cabalist must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a cabalist’s spell equals 10 + the spell level + the cabalist’s Intelligence modifier.

A cabalist can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on **Table: Cabalist**. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score (see the Ability Scores section in Chapter 1 of the *Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook*).

A cabalist’s selection of spells is limited. A cabalist begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the cabalist’s choice. At each new cabalist level, he gains one or more new spells as indicated on **Table: Cabalist Spells Known** (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a cabalist knows is not affected by his Intelligence score. The numbers on **Table: Cabalist Spells Known** are fixed.). These new spells can be common spells chosen from the cabalist spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the cabalist has gained some understanding of through study.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third cabalist level thereafter (8th, 11th, and so on), a cabalist can learn a single new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the cabalist loses the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level cabalist spell he can cast. A cabalist can swap out only a single spell at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.

### **Bindings (Su)**

Through secretive rites, the cabalist has found the means to channel eldritch might through his very being. His body and mind are forever altered by this ritual, but such a power cannot be controlled all at once. Each of these potentials is called a binding. The cabalist’s bindings grant him a +1 insight bonus to specific checks, which vary depending on the binding used. The bonus for both bindings increases to +2 at 7th level and to +3 at 13th level.

The cabalist can channel one of his bindings as a swift action. Each binding provides a different benefit to the cabalist, as follows:

* *Formless Body*: The bonus applies to the cabalist’s weapon attack rolls and weapon damage rolls.
* *Opened Mind*: The bonus applies to the cabalist’s AC, to concentration checks, and to caster level checks made to overcome Spell Resistance.

The effects of the binding last until he changes it as a swift action, losing the benefit of his current binding and gaining the other one. He also loses the benefits of his binding if he is ever rendered unconscious.

### **Knacks**

A cabalist learns a number of knacks, or 0-level psychic spells, as noted on **Table: Cabalist Spells Known** under “Spells Known.” These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.

### **Insights (Su)**

Starting at 2nd level, the cabalist discovers methods to further channel the powers of the unknown, gleaning insights from beyond to bind further eldritch strength. The cabalist gains two insights at 2nd level and every three levels thereafter, to a maximum of twelve insights at 17th level.

Insights are separated into three levels: lesser, greater, and master, which are further divided by the binding type the insight applies to (formless body or opened mind). He only gains the effects of an insight while he is using the matching binding for that insight.

At first, the cabalist can only select lesser insights. Upon reaching 8th level, he instead gains greater insights, and at 14th level he learns master insights. An insight cannot be selected more than once.

Each time a cabalist gains his two insights for a particular level, he must select one for each of his two bindings: one for formless body, and one for opened mind. He can select a lower-level insight, if so desired. If an insight calls for a saving throw, the save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the cabalist’s level + his Intelligence modifier.

**A full list of Cabalist Insights can be found here.**

### **Ritual Magic (Sp)**

Beginning at 3rd level, the cabalist learns how to convert traditional magic into more methodical–but risky–ritualistic incantations.

The cabalist learns a special occult ritual, as detailed on the Ritual Spell page (for more details, see the Occult Rituals section in Chapter 5 of *Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Occult Adventures*). Upon learning this ritual, the cabalist selects two spells of 1st-level or higher from the cabalist spell list. These spells cannot have a casting time longer than 1 minute. They do not have to be spells he knows, but they must be of a level he is capable of casting. The cabalist can use his ritual to cast the selected spells at-will.

For every three levels gained after 3rd, the cabalist can select two more spells from the cabalist spell list to be castable in this manner, to a maximum of twelve spells at 18th level. Additionally, whenever he gains a level in the cabalist class, he can exchange one of his chosen ritual spells for a different one of the same level.

Spells added to the cabalist spell list by means of feats, magic items, racial abilities, and so on cannot be selected for ritual magic.

### **Thaumaturgy (Ex)**

At 3rd level, a cabalist’s experience with occult magics makes him better at understanding them. He gains a +1 bonus to any checks to learn an occult ritual or skill checks made to perform one (including his ritual magic ability). This bonus increases by +1 for every three levels gained after 3rd, to a maximum of +6 at 18th level.

### **Abnormal Recovery (Ex)**

At 4th level, the cabalist’s body more quickly recovers from injury. He recovers twice as many hit points and ability damage from resting than normal. If he rests for a full day, he also recovers 1 point of ability drain from each of his drained ability scores, if any.

### **Quicken Bindings (Su)**

At 7th level, the cabalist may change bindings with barely a thought. He can enter into a binding as a free action on his turn. He may still only change bindings once per round.

### **Guarded Rituals (Ex)**

At 10th level, the cabalist’s expertise allows him to cast rituals more safely. As long as he is the primary caster of an occult ritual, all casters in the ritual take half as much damage from any backlash or failure effects, and they gain a +4 bonus to their saving throws against the backlash or failure effects (if they require a saving throw).

### **Aberrant Mind (Ex)**

Starting at 13th level, the cabalist’s mind cannot be read nor his memories altered unless he allows it. If a creature attempts to read his thoughts without his permission, its mind is flooded with paradoxical and maddening revelations. It must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the cabalist’s level + his Intelligence modifier) or be confused for 1d4 rounds.

### **Hastened Rituals (Ex)**

At 16th level, the cabalist can swiftly perform ritual magic. As long as he is the primary caster, he reduces the time it takes to perform an occult ritual by half. For a typical ritual (including his ritual magic ability) this means it takes 5 minutes per level of the ritual instead of 10, while longer rituals take 30 minutes per level instead of 1 hour per level. The time between making skill checks to perform an occult ritual is reduced by the same amount.

### **Master of Rites (Ex)**

Upon reaching 19th level, a cabalist has become an authority of the occult. He reduces the time it takes to learn a ritual by half. He no longer requires secondary casters for any ritual he performs, and if he chooses to include them (usually to benefit from the ritual) he may make any number of the secondary casters’ skill checks himself. Finally, he is immune to the failure effects of any ritual he performs, though secondary casters are still affected as normal.

### **Eldritch Nexus (Su)**

At 20th level, the cabalist unlocks true power, finally able to completely channel the powers of the unknown, if only briefly. Once per day, he may enter into a special binding which grants him the effects of both formless body and opened mind at the same time. Any insights he has that normally can only be used once per binding (such as dual realities) can instead be used once per round without needing to change bindings first.

Once he enters into this binding, he cannot voluntarily leave it. This binding lasts for a number of minutes equal to the cabalist’s Intelligence modifier (minimum 1), after which the cabalist is reduced to 1 hit point (if his current hit points are higher than 1), staggered for 1 round, then exhausted. He cannot use eldritch nexus if he is already fatigued or exhausted, and the binding ends early if he is knocked unconscious or killed (if ended early, he is still staggered, exhausted, and reduced to 1 hit point, as mentioned above).

## Favored Class Bonuses

* **Aasimar:** Add +1/2 on caster level checks to overcome the Spell Resistance of outsiders or aberrations.
* **Catfolk:** Add 1 foot to the cabalist’s base speed while in the formless body binding. In combat, this has an effect only for every five increases in speed. This stacks with the bonus from the Unnatural Agility insight.
* **Changeling:** Add one spell known from the cabalist spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Dhampir:** Add +1/2 point of negative energy damage to spells that deal negative energy damage.
* **Drow:** Add +1/3 to initiative checks while in the opened mind binding.
* **Duergar:** Add +1/6 bonus to AC while in the opened mind binding.
* **Dwarf:** Gain a +1/4 bonus on saving throws against possession effects and against compulsion effects.
* **Elf:** Add +1/6 bonus to concentration checks and to caster level checks to overcome Spell Resistance while in the opened mind binding.
* **Fetchling:** Add +1 to either cold or electricity resistance while in the formless body binding. This stacks with the fetchling’s inherent resistances, to a maximum of 15 for either type.
* **Gillmen:** Add one spell known from the cabalist spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Gnome:** Add 1/2 of an illusion spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list that isn’t on the cabalist spell list to the cabalist’s list of spells known. The cabalist treats this spell as if it were on the cabalist spell list at the same level as on the sorcerer/wizard list. This spell must be at least 1 level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Goblin:** Increase damage dealt with natural attacks and unarmed strikes by +1/4 point of damage while in the formless body binding.
* **Grippli:** Add +1/6 bonus to AC while in the opened mind binding.
* **Half-Elf:** When casting cabalist enchantment spells, add 1/3 to the effective caster level, but only for the purpose of determining duration.
* **Half-Orc:** Add +1 on concentration checks to cast cabalist spells.
* **Halfling:** Add +1/6 bonus to AC while in the opened mind binding.
* **Hobgoblin:** Add +1/2 point of negative energy damage to spells that deal negative energy damage.
* **Human:** Add one spell known from the cabalist spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Ifrit:** Add +1/2 to Intimidate checks and to Knowledge (planes) checks.
* **Kitsune:** Add 1/2 of an enchantment spell from the sorcerer/wizard spell list that isn’t on the cabalist spell list to the cabalist’s list of spells known. The cabalist treats this spell as if it were on the cabalist spell list at the same level as on the sorcerer/wizard list. This spell must be at least 1 level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Kobold:** Increase damage dealt with natural attacks and unarmed strikes by +1/4 point of damage while in the formless body binding.
* **Merfolk:** Add +1/3 of a new spell to the list of spells the cabalist can cast with his ritual magic ability.
* **Nagaji:** When casting cabalist transmutation spells, add 1/3 to the effective caster level, but only for the purpose of determining duration.
* **Orc:** Add a +1/3 bonus on any skill check attempted as a part of an occult ritual.
* **Oread:** Add +1/2 bonus to Climb and Knowledge (planes) checks.
* **Ratfolk:** Add 1/2 to Sense Motive checks and Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks to identify creatures.
* **Samsaran:** Add +1/3 of a new spell to the list of spells the cabalist can cast with his ritual magic ability.
* **Strix:** Add one spell known from the cabalist spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Suli:** Add +1/2 on Intimidate, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks against outsiders or aberrations.
* **Svirfneblin:** Add one spell known from the cabalist spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest spell level the cabalist can cast.
* **Sylph:** Add +1/2 bonus to Acrobatics and Knowledge (planes) checks.
* **Tengu:** Add +1/6 to damage rolls while in the formless body binding.
* **Tiefling:** Add a +1/2 bonus on Intimidate checks and Knowledge (planes) checks.
* **Undine:** Add +1/2 bonus to Escape Artist and Knowledge (planes) checks.
* **Vanara:** When casting cabalist divination spells, add +1/2 to the effective caster level of the spell, but only to determine the spell’s range and its d% chance to provide correct or meaningful information (such as with augury or divination).
* **Vishkanya:** Add a +1/3 bonus on any skill check attempted as a part of an occult ritual.
* **Wayang:** Add a +1/2 bonus on Stealth and Sleight of Hand checks made while in dim light or darkness.

## Archetypes

* Alienist
* Eldritch Conduit
* Mutationist
* Seeker
* Zealot

## Feats

* Extra Ritual Magic
* Flash of Insight
* Steady Rituals
* Sudden Binding

## Magic Items

* Forgotten Grimoire
* Robe of Forbidden Insight