The Empath
Not all individuals born with psychic abilities focus on these abilities to the exclusion of all others. Empaths, for example, supplement their formidable mental abilities with training in more conventional methods of mental manipulation. Furthermore, their ability to combine these disciplines grant empaths an unrivaled ability to enhance the abilities of their allies.
Adventures: Empaths often turn to adventure as a way to further develop their unique skills. Moreover, the abilities of an empath are at their most effective when used alongside others, thus many empaths see adventuring as a convenient way to develop relationships with powerful potential allies.
Characteristics: While empaths lack the raw psionic power of psions and wilders, they possess significant psionic abilities that enable them to influence the minds of others as they see fit. Furthermore, empaths augment their psionic powers with training in more mundane manipulation skills as well. However, an empath is only truly able to display their full power when working with a team, where their psionic abilities can empower their allies beyond their natural limits.
Alignment: Empaths can be of any alignment. Good empaths tend to see their abilities as an effective way to avoid conflict and violence, whereas evil empaths view those around them as mere pawns to be used and discarded as they see fit.
Religion: As a rule, empaths as a group aren’t drawn to any particular deity. Those who do choose to follow a deity often do so as part of their general culture.
Background: Most empaths show signs of manipulative skill early on in their lives, though manifestations of their actual psionic powers tend to appear later in life then other psionic classes,
Races: The vast majority of empaths are humans, half-elves, halflings, or gnomes, all of whom have societies that well understand the value of diplomacy. While other races do sometimes develop the powers of an empath these individuals are the exception to the rule.
Other Classes: Empaths excel at working with all sorts of other classes thanks to their unique abilities. Regardless of an individual ally’s specific abilities and empath has the power to amplify their skills to previously unreachable heights.
Role: Thanks to their combination of psionic powers and mundane skills empaths are a natural choice to act as a party’s face. Beyond that, empaths typically act as support in combat, augmenting their allies from a safe distance.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Empaths have the following game statistics
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for an empath as it powers their psionic abilities and many of their key skills. Intelligence also plays a valuable role in an empath’s skill use, and Dexterity is useful due to the fact that most empaths wear light armor.
Alignment: Empaths can be of any alignment.
Hit Die: D6
Starting Age: As bard
Starting Gold: As barbarian
Class Skills:
Appraise, Autohypnosis, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all), Listen, Perform (any), Psicraft, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope
Skill Points at 1st level: (6 + Intelligence Modifier) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Power Points / Day Powers Known Maximum Power Level Known 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Empathic Resonance +1, Telepathy 20 ft. 1 1 1st 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Mental Bastion 4 2 1st 3rd +2 +1 +1 +3 Psionic Skill 7 3 1st 4th +3 +1 +1 +4 Empathic Resonance +2, Empathic Surge 11 4 2nd 5th +3 +1 +1 +4 Telepathy 40 ft. 16 5 2nd 6th +4 +2 +2 +5 Psionic Acceleration (move) 23 6 2nd 7th +5 +2 +2 +5 Empathic Resonance +3, Psionic Skill 31 7 3rd 8th +6 +2 +2 +6 Mental Bastion (read thoughts) 39 8 3rd 9th +6 +3 +3 +6 Telepathy 60 ft (any language) 48 9 3rd 10th +7 +3 +3 +7 Empathic Resonance +4, Improved Empathic Surge 58 10 4th 11th +8 +3 +3 +7 Psionic Skill 71 11 4th 12th +9 +4 +4 +8 Psionic Acceleration (standard) 85 12 4th 13th +9 +4 +4 +8 Empathic Resonance +5, Telepathy 80 ft. 99 13 5th 14th +10 +4 +4 +9 Mental Bastion (exhaustion) 115 14 5th 15th +11 +5 +5 +9 Psionic Skill 131 15 5th 16th +12 +5 +5 +10 Empathic Resonance +6, Greater Empathic Surge 150 16 6th 17th +12 +5 +5 +10 Telepathy 100 ft. 171 17 6th 18th +13 +6 +6 +11 Psionic Acceleration (full round) 192 18 6th 19th +14 +6 +6 +11 Empathic Resonance +7, Psionic Skill 213 19 6th 20th +15 +6 +6 +12 Mental Bastion (domination) 235 20 6th
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: An empath is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword and shortbow. Empaths are proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).
Power Points/Day: An empath’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on the class table. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Charisma score (see EPH page 18). His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.
Power Points/Day: An empath begins play knowing one empathy power of your choice. Each time he achieves a new level, he unlocks the knowledge of a new power.
Choose the powers know from the empath power list. (Exception: The feats Expanded Knowledge, EPH page 46, and Epic Expanded Knowledge, EPH page 34, do allow an empath to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) An empath can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.
The total number of powers an empath can manifest in a day is limited only by his daily power points. In other words, a 11th-level empathy (with a total of 71 power points) could manifest a power costing 1 power point 71 times in one day, a power costing 5 power points 14 times in one day, or any combination of power point costs that do not exceed 71 power points in total.
An empath simply knows his powers; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though he must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent power points.
The Difficulty Class for saving throws against empath powers is 10 + the power’s level + the empath’s Charisma modifier. For example, the saving throw against a 6th-level power has a DC of 16 + Cha modifier.
Maximum Power Level Known: An empath begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, he may gain the ability to master more complex powers – for example, a 4th-level empath can learn powers of 2nd level or lower, a 7th-level empath can learn powers of 3rd level or lower, and so on.
To learn or manifest a power, an empath must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the power’s level. For example, an empath with a Charisma score of 13 can manifest powers of 3rd level or lower.
Telepathy (Su): One of the most basic of an empath’s abilities, at 1st level an empath is able to communicate telepathically with any creature that they share a language with within 20 feet. At 5th level and every four levels thereafter (9th, 13th 17th) the range of an empath’s telepathy increases by an additional 20 feet.
Furthermore, at 9th level an emapth’s telepathy improves, allowing them to communicate with any creature as long as they have a language.
Empathic Resonance (Su): An empath is able to project telepathic waves that can enhance their allies’ combat abilities, strengthen their defenses against unusual attacks, or simply enhancing whatever noncombat skills they possess. As a swift action, the empath is able to select a number of allies within range of their telepathy ability equal to their Charisma modifier (minimum 1) and grant each one a +1 insight bonus to either attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. The empath may only grant one type of bonus at a time, but may change what type of bonus they provide once per round as a free action. The empath may use this ability a number of times per day equal to their class level plus their Charisma modifier, and each use lasts for 1 minute per class level. The bonus granted by an empath’s empathic resonance increases by 1 at 4th level and every three levels thereafter (+3 at 7th, +4 at 10th, +5 at 13th, +6 at 16th and +7 at 19th)
Mental Bastion (Ex or Su): At 2nd level and higher an empath’s willpower becomes so great that they can completely resist magical or unusual mental attacks. If an empathy makes a successful Will save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving entry of Will half) he instead completely negates the effect.
At 8th level and higher an emapth develops the ability to exploit the mental link created by attempted mental attacks for their own benefit. Whenever the empath succeeds at a Will save against a targeted spell or effect they may learn the surface thoughts of the attacker as if they had been affected by the read thoughts power. This ability is a mind-affecting, supernatural effect.
At 14th level and higher the empath develops the ability to use the mental link further, enabling them to sap the physical vitality of those targeting him with mind-affecting effects. Whenever the empathy succeeds at a Will save against a targeted spell or effect they may choose to force the attacker to make a Fortitude save as an immediate action (DC 10 + 1/2 the empath’s class level + the empath’s CHA modifier) or become exhausted. This ability is a supernatural effect.
At 20th level the empath masters their ability to exploit their opponent’s mental vulnerabilities. Whenever the empathy succeeds at a Will save against a targeted spell or effect the may choose to force the attacker to make a Will save as an immediate action (DC 10 + 1/2 the empath’s class level + the empath’s CHA modifier) or become controlled as the dominate power, except that the duration is 1 hour per class level.
Psionic Skill (Su): At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the empath may select a skill that they have at least 1 rank in. The empath receives a bonus on all checks involving that skill equal to their Charisma modifier (minimum +1). Furthermore, as long as the empath is psionically focused they may always take 10 with that skill even if stress and distractions would normally prevent them from doing so. Finally, an empath may choose to expend their psionic focus to automatically take 20 on a check involving that skill without taking any additional time. An empath may use this ability even if the given check wouldn’t normally permit the character to take 20 (such as a Disable Device check to disarm a trap).
Empathic Surge (Su): Beginning at 4th level, an empath develops the ability to psionically provide brief surges of strength or vitality to their allies. By expending their psionic focus as a move action, the empath can grant an ally benefiting from their empathic resonance ability an additional benefit. These benefits last for 1 round per empath level, and an individual cannot have more than one empathic surge bonus at one time.
- At any time during the duration of the surge, the target can cause one of their attacks to deal an additional 2d6 damage. Using this benefit ends the surge.
- At any time during the duration of the surge as an immediate action, the targe can grant themselves a 1d6 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus lasts until the beginning of their next turn and ends the surge.
- The target gains temporary hp equal to 1d10 + the empath’s class level.
Psychic Acceleration (Su): Beginning at 6th level, an empath develops the ability to enable their allies to push beyond their normal physical limits. As a swift action the emapth can empower one of their allies within range of their telepathy, allowing the ally to take an additional move action during their next turn. The empath cannot target themselves with this ability. The empath can use this ability three times per day.
At level 12, the emapth can empower an ally to take an additional standard action when they use this ability.
At level 18, the emapth can empower an ally to take an additional full round action when they use this ability.
Improved Empathic Surge (Su): At 10th level, an empath’s ability bolster their allies improves as follows:
- At any time during the duration of the surge, the target can cause one of their attacks to deal an additional 4d6 damage. Using this benefit ends the surge.
- At any time during the duration of the surge as an immediate action, the targe can grant themselves a 2d6 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus lasts until the beginning of their next turn and ends the surge.
- The target gains temporary hp equal to 2d10 + double the empath’s class level.
Greater Empathic Surge (Su): At 16th level, an empath’s ability bolster their allies improves as follows:
- At any time during the duration of the surge, the target can cause one of their attacks to deal an additional 6d6 damage. Using this benefit ends the surge.
- At any time during the duration of the surge as an immediate action, the targe can grant themselves a 3d6 dodge bonus to AC. This bonus lasts until the beginning of their next turn and ends the surge.
- The target gains temporary hp equal to 3d10 + triple the empath’s class level.
Empath Power List
Spoiler1: astral traveler, attraction, burst, call to mind, catfall, charm, psionic, conceal thoughts, control light, create sound, daze, psionic, deceleration, déjà vu, demoralize, destiny dissonance, detect psionics, detect teleportation, disable, distract, empathy, empty mind, far hand, float, know direction and location, mindlink , missive, my light, precognition, precognition, offensive, prescience, offensive, sense link, skate, synesthete, telepathic projection
2: aversion, brain lock, clairvoyant sense, cloud mind, control sound, detect hostile intent, dimension swap, ego whip, elfsight, id insinuation, identify, psionic, inflict pain, levitate, psionic, mental disruption, missive, mass, object reading, sense link, forced, sensitivity to psychic impressions, share pain, suggestion, psionic, sustenance, though shield, tongues, psionic
3: astral caravan, crisis of breath, danger sense, dispel psionics, empathic transfer, hostile, eradicate invisibility, escape detection, false sensory input, fate link, mind trap, psionic blast, share pain, forced, telekinetic force, time hop, touchsight, ubiquitous vision
4: anchored navigation, aura sight, correspond, death urge, detect remote viewing, dimensional anchor, psionic, dimension door, psionic, dismissal, psionic, dominate, psionic, fly, psionic, mindlink, thieving, mindwipe, modify memory, psionic, personality parasite, remote viewing, schism
5: catapsi, clairtangent hand, mind probe, plan shift, psionic, psychic crush, teleport, psionic, teleport trigger, true seeing, psionic
6: aura alteration, banishment, cloud mind, mass, psionic, mind switch, overland flight, psionic, precognition, greater, temporal acceleration
