Athanatism Implements

Implements used with athanatism grant the occultist
power over positive and negative energy.

**Associated School:** Necromancy.

**Implements:** Crystalline items, bones, items of
spiritual significance.

**Resonant Power:** Each time the occultist invests mental
focus into an athanatism implement, the implement
grants the following resonant power. The implement’s
bearer gains the benefits of this power until the occultist
refreshes his focus.

*Spirit Ward (Su)*: The implement aligns itself with its
bearer’s animating energy and shuns its opposite. If the
wearer or holder of the implement is normally harmed
by positive energy, they gain positive energy resistance
equal to the amount of mental focus invested in the
implement, up to a maximum amount equal to three
times your occultist level. Otherwise, they gain an equal
amount of negative energy resistance instead.

**Basic Focus Power:** All occultists who learn to use
athanatism implements gain the following focus power.

*Athanatic Touch (Su)*: While you are psionically focused,
you can pulse discordant energy through your hand as
a standard action. When you do, make a melee touch
attack against a creature within your reach. This touch
deals damage equal to 1d8 points + 1d8 points for every 2
occultist levels you possess beyond 1st, up to a maximum
number of dice per touch equal to the amount of mental
focus remaining in this implement. This damage comes
from a mix of positive and negative energy meant to
disrupt the animating essence of any creature, and as
such damages all creatures equally.

**Focus Powers:** In addition to gaining the base
focus power, occultists who learn to use athanatism
implements can select from the following focus powers
when choosing the powers gained from their focus
powers class feature.

*Athanatic Aura (Su)*: While you are psionically focused,
you project an aura of discomforting life and death
around you, sickening other creatures within 10 feet.
As this effect interferes with the animating energies of
those around you, creatures that are normally immune
to being sickened are still sickened by this ability. You
may suppress or resume this aura as a free action.

*Courage (Su)*: While you are psionically focused and
wear or hold this implement, you gain a deflection
bonus to your AC against incorporeal touch attacks
equal to your Intelligence bonus (if any). In
addition, you can expend 1 point of
mental focus as an immediate action
when an incorporeal creature attacks
you to lock it into a semi-physical
form. That creature must succeed
at a Reflex save or become unable to
actively pass through creatures and
objects for one minute (although other
creatures can still pass through *it*, and
it retains its incorporeal traits). A
manifested ghost under the effect of
this ability cannot flee to the Ethereal
Plane until this duration expires. You
must be at least 5th level to select this
focus power.

*Exhume Spirit (Su)*: By meditating
adjacent to a corpse for one hour, you
expend 3 points of mental focus to bind the
corpse’s imprint to your shadow. While it is bound,
your shadow changes appearance slightly to reflect
the traits of the deceased creature, and occasionally
moves on its own in a pantomime of the creature’s
personality. At any time, you can mentally ask the
shadow a question as if with a *speak with dead* spell, at
which point the answer flows into your mind. You may
ask one question in this way per 2 occultist levels. This
imprint remains a part of your shadow until you do not
invest any focus points into an athanatism implement
when you refresh your mental focus or until you bind
another imprint to your shadow (at which point the old
one vanishes). This ability merely draws on the corpse's
psychic impression; it has no effect on the creature's
soul.

*Life Inversion (Su)*: As an immediate action when
a creature within close range (25 feet + 5 feet per 2
occultist levels) uses a spell or effect that would heal hit
point damage, you can expend 1 point of mental focus
to attempt to invert it. The effect’s target (or targets)
must succeed at a Will save or take damage equal to the
amount they would have been healed for. A successful
save means they are healed as normal. You must be at
least 5th level to select this focus power.

*Spectral Projection (Su)*: As a standard action, you can
expend 2 points of mental focus to expel your soul from
your body, wrapping it in athanatic power to keep it from
passing on. While you are in this form, your physical
body falls into an unresponsive coma, and you become
an intangible presence, much like a ghost. You gain the
incorporeal subtype and a fly speed equal to your land
speed, with perfect maneuverability. Your AC and saving
throws are the same as your corporeal body (including
bonuses from equipment). If you are struck by an attack
or affected by a magical or psionic effect, or you yourself
make an attack or use an ability on another creature,
you snap back to your body and awaken immediately
afterward resolving it. If another creature forced you
back, you still take the damage or suffer the effects that
made you return to your body. You also snap back to
your body if it is harmed while you are away. Otherwise,
you can remain in your spectral form for as long as
you wish (though your physical body may begin to
dehydrate or starve). You must be at least 11th
level to select this focus power.

*Spiritual Interference (Su)*: As a standard
action, you can expend 1 point of
mental focus to twist a creature’s spirit,
momentarily disconnecting them
from their mind and trapping them
in a state of confusion. Make a melee
touch attack. If it hits, the target must
succeed at a Will save or become
confused and fall unconscious for
a number of rounds equal to your
Intelligence modifier. Each round,
at the end of its turn, the target may
attempt a new saving throw to wake
up, although it remains confused for
the duration even if it succeeds. This is
a mind-affecting effect. You must be at
least 7th level to select this focus power.