The Hidden Trickster (Ninja Mountebank)

Before the Streetfighting Sage (already publishes here), I made this character for my younger son. It could still be useful some day.
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The Hidden Trickster (Ninja Mountebank)

Aasimar (Musetouched) mountebank (Phantom Thief) 1

LG Medium outsider (native)

Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +2

Defense

AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex)

hp 10 (1d8+2)

Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4

Resist acid, cold, and electricity 5

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee unarmed strike +3 (1d3)

Ranged shuriken +3 (1d2)

Special Attacks analytical gaze +2

Magic

Caster Level 1; MSB +1, MSD 12, Concentration +4
Tradition Shinobi (Verbal Casting, Somatic Casting, Mental Focus); CAM Cha
Spell Points 5

Illusion Sphere - DC 13; Duration Concentration, 1 min/level; Range Close (25 ft); Talents Invisibility, Silence; Drawbacks Disappearance

- Trick (effects, alter)

- Illusion

- Invisibility

- Silence

Mind Sphere - DC 13; Duration None; Range Close (25 ft); Talents none; Drawbacks none

- Suggestion (Lesser, Greater)

Martial
Tradition Shinobi (Equipment sphere: Finesse Fighting, Monk Weapon Training; Open Hand sphere; Scout sphere); PAM Cha
Equipment sphere - DC 13, Talents Finesse Fighting, Monk Weapon Training
- finesse fighting (use Dex bonus on attacks with finesse weapons)

- monk weapon training (discipline) (proficiency with all monk weapons)
Open Hand sphere - DC 13, Talents none, Drawbacks none

- sweep (attempt a trip combat maneuver with a -2 penalty as a move action)

Scout sphere - DC 13, Talents Lurker, Drawbacks none

- scout (swift action, identify creature's weaknesses)

- lurker (stealth functions against unusual senses)

Statistics

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

Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13

Traits Innocent, Slippery

Feats Skill Focus (Stealth)

Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +7, Diplomacy +9, Escape Artist +4, Perform (sing) +9, Stealth  +11, Survival +3

Languages Celestial, Common

SQ invigorating kiss 1/day, scoundrel’s touch, trickster training

Gear leather armor (10 gp), liquid life (2 doses) (40 gp), rogue’s kit (50 gp), 10 shuriken (2 gp), 3 gp

Special Abilities

Analytical Gaze (Ex) At 1st level, whenever a phantom thief successfully identifies a creature with the scout ability of the Scout sphere, she gains a +2 circumstance bonus to damage rolls against the analyzed creature for 1 minute. In addition, the phantom thief does not take the normal -5 penalty when using the scout ability. A phantom thief can only use this ability against a creature a number of times equal to her casting ability modifier every 24 hours. At 5th level and every four levels afterwards, this bonus increases by +2 (to a maximum of +10 at 17th level).
This ability replaces thief’s mark.

Equipment: Finesse Fighting You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when calculating your melee attack rolls with light weapons and weapons with the finesse weapon special feature. You may take this talent a total of two times. If taken a second time, whenever you make an attack using your Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and your Strength bonus on melee damage rolls, you may also add 1/2 your base attack bonus (minimum 1) as a bonus on that damage roll. Associated Feat: Weapon Finesse.

Equipment: Monk Weapon Training (discipline) You gain proficiency with all weapons with the monk special feature. If you have this talent and either the brawler’s flurry or flurry of blows class feature, you may make one additional attack with a weapon in this group as a free action whenever you make an attack action with a weapon from this group or an unarmed strike, but both attacks take a -2 penalty. You must decide whether or not to use this ability before making the first attack roll for your attack action. Attacks made using this ability apply your full Strength bonus to the damage roll, regardless of whether the weapon is wielded with two hands or with an off-hand.

Illusion Sphere You may craft images and impressions of things that aren’t there. Illusion sphere abilities have a range of Close and do not allow spell resistance unless placed on a creature with resistance (Such as with the Illusionary Disguise talent). Unwilling targets are allowed a Will save to resist an illusion or trick being placed upon them. An illusion may shed as much normal light as a torch and may cast a shadow.

Disappearance You cannot create illusions or tricks, except to make things disappear, fade or be suppressed. You must select Blur, Invisibility, Muffle or Silence talent as your bonus talent granted by this drawback.

Illusion: Trick As a standard action, you may create small, simple illusions called tricks, which persist for 1 minute per level or until dismissed.

Illusion: Trick: Effects You may create unconvincing illusions. This is the same as creating an illusion (see below) and can include all senses you can affect through Illusion talents, except it is obviously fake (i.e., it is translucent, unrealistic, etc.), requiring no one to make a save to disbelieve. However, the effects can still be used to create distractions, display images, draw a map, or be used for entertainment. This counts as possessing the required tools to make any appropriate Perform check (such as creating a melody with the Audible Illusion talent).

Illusion: Trick: Alter You may make minor changes to objects or creatures up to your Illusion maximum size, such as changing their color, making them appear clean or dirty, making writing appear, or other minor alterations. This counts as having a disguise kit when making Disguise checks (which take the usual time instead of a standard action), but such a disguise still counts as being magical for the purposes of detecting magic or for spells and effects that allow a target to see through magical effects and illusions.

Illusion: Illusion (sensory: sight) As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to create a silent visual illusion within range for as long as you concentrate, to a maximum of 1 minute per caster level. You cannot move further away from the illusion than your illusion range while maintaining it through concentration, and the illusion is limited in size according to Table: Illusion Maximum Size. The image may be anything you may clearly imagine, and behaves according to your desires.

Table: Illusion Maximum Size
Caster Level    Illusion Maximum Size    Maximum Size in cubes
1st    Medium    5 ft cube
3rd    Large    10 ft cube
5th    Huge    15 ft cube
8th    Gargantuan    20 ft cube
11th    Colossal    30 ft cube
15th    Colossal+    40 ft cube
20th    Colossal++    50 ft cube
25th    Colossal+++    60 ft cube

Simply perceiving an illusion isn’t enough to detect it as fake, but any target who interacts with the illusion or carefully studies the area is allowed a Will save to disbelieve the image, recognizing it for what it is. Anyone who finds obvious evidence of trickery (ex: throws a rock through an illusionary wall) automatically disbelieves the illusion.
You may only create visual illusions although certain talents may be taken to add more senses. The more complex an illusion is, the more talents it requires to be convincing, with the chart below serving as a guideline and the GM serving as the final arbiter for what talents are required to create a specific illusion.

Table: Example Illusions
Example of Illusion    Required Talents
An illusionary wall    Base sphere only
A glen full of trees    Complex Illusion
A warrior blocking the target's way    Illusionary Sound, Illusionary Touch (to engage in combat w/ target)
A table laden with food    Illusionary Odor, Illusionary Touch (to be consumed by target)
A room filled with fire    Illusionary Sound, Illusionary Touch
An army of orcs chasing the target    Illusionary Sound, Complex Illusion, Illusionary Touch (to engage in combat w/ target)

If creating an illusionary creature, your illusion has an attack bonus equal to your caster level + your casting ability modifier, and a touch armor class equal to 10 + its size modifier + ½ your caster level + your casting ability modifier. An illusionary creature may provide a flanking bonus against targets who fail to disbelieve it. Any creature who strikes an illusion in combat automatically disbelieves it.

Illusion: Invisibility (glamer) You may make things disappear. As a trick, you may add ½ your caster level to Sleight of Hand checks made to palm a small object or hide a light weapon.
You may also place an illusion on a creature or object that makes it harder to see. Rather than make a Will save to disbelieve, creatures must make Perception checks to detect the hidden creature or object. Objects have a flat Perception DC equal to 10 + their size bonus + your caster level, while creatures gain a bonus to their Stealth checks equal to your caster level. In addition, since they are invisible, creatures may make Stealth checks even while being observed and do not require cover to retain or initiate Stealth. Even when detected by another creature, an invisible creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against sighted targets and ignores their Dexterity bonus to AC. Attacks against the invisible creature have a 50% chance they will simply miss, even if the attack has targeted the correct square. Making a creature or object invisible also hides its magical aura from such effects as detect magic or the base Divination sphere divine ability.

Illusion: Silence (figment) (glamer) (suppression) You may place an illusion on a creature or in an area that negates sound. The creature (or creatures standing in the area of effect) makes no noise, and cannot perform verbal components of any skill or magic. Creatures in an area of silence are immune to sonic or language-based attacks, spells, and effects, and gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks.

Mental Focus Your magic requires you to have a focus that is not always possible to achieve. You normally have focus, but lose it whenever you fail a save versus mind-affecting magic, have a critical hit confirmed on you, or a condition causes you to lose the ability to concentrate (such as being nauseated or helpless or failing an enforced concentration check such as from being entangled). Using magic without your mental focus requires you to make a concentration check (DC 20 + 1/2 caster level) to produce the desired effect. Failure means time (and any spell points) are spent, but no effect happens. If focus is lost, the caster can refocus by meditating as a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Mind Sphere You gain the ability to alter the minds of others, causing them to act as you see fit. All mind sphere abilities are Enchantment (compulsion) mind-affecting abilities.
Note: Some Mind sphere abilities allow the caster to make a request of the target creature and have different effects depending on the particular request made. While the final decision on what request falls into what category is up to the GM, the examples in Table: Example Requests are a shorthand for players and GMs hoping to quickly determine what an enchanted creature might or might not be asked to do.

Table: Example Requests
Creature    Very Simple Request    Basic Request    Would not normally do    Against the creature's nature
Paladin    Provide healing to an injured person    Protect the innocent from danger, hunt a monster in the area    Ignore minor criminal activity, hide a creature of dubious guilt    Attack teammates, slaughter the innocent, renounce her religion, desecrate a temple
Evil-Aligned Professional Thief    Steal a simple, unattended object, visit a tavern    Share non-compromising information, teach someone thieving skills    Donate a few coins to charity, reveal secret plans, stab their co-conspirators in the back    Give up their most valuable magic items, reveal their greatest secrets, turn themselves in for their crimes
Bear    Grab fish from a stream    Calm down and not attack an unassuming target.    Ignore a humanoid sitting in its den.    Ignore the kidnapping of its cubs.
Orc Bandit    Mug a weak, unguarded target    Join a raid on a town, or the hunting of a monster.    Help run a farm, ignore a rich-looking target, fight a target where survival is uncertain.    Fight a target where survival is unlikely, join a raid against its own people.
Ancient Dragon    Eat an annoying humanoid    Eat an unassuming humanoid.    Give up a valuable item.    Give up its hoard.
Middle-Aged Farmer    Eat lunch    Give a kind stranger a meal and a hayloft to sleep in.    House and feed a squadron of questionable men, help a team of adventurers as a cook and porter on their quests.    House wanted criminals, allow the kidnapping of his family, take up arms and become a soldier.

Mind: Charm You may place charms on creatures. Charms require a standard action to use and have a range of Close. You may only use charms on targets that possess your own creature type (humanoid for humanoids, etc.) although the Expanded Mind talent changes this. Each charm has three strengths; lesser, greater, and powerful. Lesser charms are at-will abilities, but you may not target an individual creature more than once in a day with any individual lesser charm. Greater charms cost a spell point to use and powerful charms cost 2 points to use. You must possess the Powerful Charm talent before you may use any powerful charms.
When you gain the Mind sphere, you gain the following charm:

Mind: Suggestion You may plant thoughts into a target’s mind.
Lesser Charm: You may plant a suggestion in a target’s mind, which they obey as if the thought had been their own (Will negates). The suggested course of activity must be limited to a sentence or two and must be a very simple request. The creature performs the suggested action until it finishes, or for 1 hour per caster level, whichever comes first. If you choose, you can instead specify conditions the creature should look for, (i.e., “you should search the next person who enters this room, looking for weapons.”) If the condition is not met before this duration expires, the activity is not performed.
Greater Charm: This is the same as the Suggestion lesser charm, but may be up to a basic request. Very simple requests cause the save to be made with a -2 penalty. The target cannot be asked to do anything it would not normally do.
Powerful Charm: This is the same as the Suggestion lesser charm, but the creature obeys any course of action given, so long as the suggestion is not obviously fatal or against the target’s nature. Basic requests cause the save to be made with a -2 penalty, while very simple requests cause the save to be made with a -4 penalty.

Open Hand Sphere Masters of unarmed combat, Open Hand practitioners are known for their varied styles and unorthodox combat technique. Open Hand practitioners are unarmed fighters who deal additional damage with their unarmed strikes as described in the unarmed strike practitioner table. Associated Feat: Improved Unarmed Strike.
In addition, all practitioners of the Open Hand sphere gain the following ability:

Open Hand: Sweep You may attempt a trip combat maneuver with a -2 penalty as a move action, although you may not use a manufactured weapon to make this trip attempt. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Scoundrel’s Touch A phantom thief must select the Scout sphere with the first talent they gain from this class.
This ability replaces natural scoundrel.

Scout Sphere Training in the Scout sphere teaches you how to hide from danger, identify potential threats and hazards, track opponents through almost any environment, and identify a creature’s key weaknesses. When you gain the Scout sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Stealth skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Scout sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Stealth skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.
All practitioners of the Scout sphere gain the following ability:

Scout: Scout As a swift action, you may identify a creature’s weaknesses (DC 10 + creature’s CR) as described under the Knowledge skill, but may substitute a Perception check for the appropriate Knowledge check at a -5 penalty. This only reveals the target’s weaknesses, or lack thereof, (such as damage reduction types and vulnerabilities), and does not reveal any additional information about the target. Once you have succeeded at a scout attempt or Knowledge check against a target, any talents or effects that require you to scout a target may be used against the target for the next 24 hours; after this period you must successfully use the scout ability against the target again to continue benefiting from related effects.

Scout: Lurker Creatures using unusual forms of sensory perception such as blindsight, greensight, or tremorsense cannot automatically foil your use of Stealth; such creatures must make a Perception check as normal to detect you when you make use of the Stealth skill.
Lurker foils divination spells and Divination sphere sense abilities in the manner described above, but has no effect on spell, sphere, spell-like, or supernatural abilities specifically used to uncover information about you rather than enhancing the user’s perception, such as when scrying or using the Divination sphere‘s divine abilities.

Somatic Casting You must gesture to cast spells—a process that requires you to have at least 1 hand unoccupied. When using magic, you cannot wear armor heavier than light without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure. You may select this drawback twice. If taken a second time, you cannot wear any armor or use a shield without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure.

Trickster Training A mountebank gains the Illusion sphere as a bonus magic talent and uses her class level as her caster level with the Illusion sphere. This stacks normally with caster levels gained from other sources.

Verbal Casting You must speak in a loud, clear voice to cast spells. Using magic alerts all nearby hearing creatures to your presence and location, effectively breaking stealth. You cannot cast in an area of magical silence, or in any other situation where you are unable to speak clearly.

Build
The Hidden Trickster is built with a 20-point buy and 105 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +⅕ Life sphere talent. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Strength, Intelligence, and Wisdom. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Charisma and Dexterity. Charisma is your casting statistic and affects the save DCs of all your magic and martial talents and your spell pool; Dexterity makes you a great finesse warrior and archer, increases your initiative and bolsters your Reflex save. Constitution is important too, since it increases your hit points.

Playing a Hidden Trickster

You are invisible, a spy, a martial art expert, and a jester when needed. Your aura of celestial innocence makes you difficult to identify as the mischievous schemer that you are. You dance on the battlefield or throw fistfuls of shuriken from afar, and when you wish not to be found, you are not.

Future Abilities

Magic Talents Aggressive Vitality*, Disrupt Focus, Energizing Vitality*, Enthrall, Group Charm, Life Sphere*, Muffle, Powerful Charm, Sustaining Vitality*

Martial Talents Active Camouflage, Capoeira Spin, Deadly Strike, Finesse Training (2nd), Hidden Focus, Hurricane Kick, Judo Throw, Kick-Off, Mystic Fists, Reflexive Stealth, Sniper Sphere, Spinning Heel Kick, Sweeping Kick, Walk Unseen

Rogue Talents Acrobatic Stunt, Charmer, Eerie Disappearance, Fast Stealth, Escaping Stunt, Stealth Stunt

Social Talents Feign Innocence, Renown, Social Grace, Subjective Truth

Skill Unlocks Bluff, Escape Artist, Perform, Stealth.

Feats Dodge, Owl Style, Point-Blank Shot, Startoss Comet, Startoss Shower, Startoss Style, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (shuriken), Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)

Piper Spheres Favored Class Bonuses

Since I created a Piper Mountebank a couple of posts ago, I had to create favored class bonuses for that race to use with the Sphere of Power system classes (both from Drop Dead Studios and other 3PP). And here they are...
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Piper Sphere Favored Class Bonuses

Armiger Gain +⅙ of a granted Barroom Sphere talent or Fallen Fey magic talent for 1 customized weapon.

Armorist +⅙th of an arsenal trick.

Blacksmith Increase the bonus granted by the fortifying reinforcement maintenance by +¼.

Commander Add +¼ to Bluff checks made by allies under the effect of one of your tactics.
Conscript Add +1 to your CMB when attempting a dirty trick or steal maneuver.

Dragoon Add +⅕ of a Fallen Fey Sphere talent.

Elementalist +⅙ bonus to all damage dealt with improvised weapons.

Eliciter Add +⅙ to the eliciter’s bonus from Persuasive.

Fey Adept Add ¼ point to the fey adept’s fae pool or reality pool.

Hedgewitch Gain +⅙th of a new hedgewitch secret.

Incanter Gain a +⅕ bonus to your effective class level when determining the abilities of a familiar.

Mageknight Gain +⅙th of a mystic combat.

Mountebank Add +⅕ of a Fallen Fey Sphere talent.

Necros Add +⅕ of a Fallen Fey Sphere talent.

Prodigy Add +¼ to the save DC of mind-affecting sphere effects.

Reaper Add +⅕ of a Fallen Fey Sphere talent.

Sage Add a +½ bonus on the sage’s saving throws to resist enchantment effects.

Scholar Add +½ damage to your flashbangs; if you know the Belladonna or Howling Herbology material imposition, increase the saving throw DC for your belladonna bursts or sonic shriekers  by +¼.
Sentinel Gain +¼ bonus to Reflex saves

Shifter Gain +⅙th of a new bestial trait.

Soul Weaver Gain +¼th of a use per day of bound nexus.

Striker Reduce by ¼ the cost of one tension technique.

Symbiat +⅕ bonus to DCs associated with the Fallen Fey sphere.

Technician Increase the benefit of your danger sense class feature by +⅓.

Thaumaturge Add +¼ bonus of a new skill to apply the Occult Knowledge bonus to.

Troubadour Add +⅙ of a new actor training.

Wraith Gain +⅛ bonus to possession DC.

The Merry Rider (Piper Mountebank)

I give to you... the build for which I created the Sidhe Trickster archetype last time. It is a variation of the one I published some time ago on the Spheres of Power Wiki page, and uses the Piper race from Dreamscarred Press. I made this for a friend!
This post already appeared for patrons only on my Patreon page. If you wish to see stuff in advance and have access to other rewards, please consider donating!

The Merry Rider (Bardic Mountebank)

Piper mountebank (Sidhe Trickster) 1

CG Medium humanoid (elf, feyblood)

Init +3; Senses low-light vision, Perception +2

Defense

AC +14, touch +13, flat-footed +11 (+1 armor, +3 Dex)

hp 9 (1d8+1)

Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +2. +2 trait bonus on Fort vs. poison and drugs, and +4 trait bonus on Fort vs. effects of alcohol.

Offense

Speed 40 ft.

Melee rapier +0 (1d6, 18/20)

Ranged shortbow +3 (1d6, x3)

Special Attacks bardic performance 7 rounds/day (bewitching melody -2, distracting cacophony +2, dancing tune [DC 13], lullaby -2)

Magic

Caster Level 1; MSB +1, MSD 12, Concentration +4
Tradition Dionysian (Drawbacks: Skilled Casting [Perform/String, DC 16], Somatic Casting, Verbal Casting, Variant Wild Magic; Boons: Virtuoso), Focus Casting (DC 20), Bound Creature; CAM Cha
Spell Points 5

Conjuration Sphere- DC 13; Duration Concentration, 1 min/level; Range adjacent; Talents Bestial; Drawbacks none

- Summon

- Bestial (form) (claws)

Fallen Fey Sphere - DC 13; Duration 1 minute/level; Range none; Talents Aelfwine, Enchanting Music, Fairy Dust; Drawbacks none

- Fey-Link (nature-connection [forest])

- Aelfwine (fey-blessing)

- Enchanting Music (fey-blessing)

- Fairy Dust (fey-blessing)

Nature Sphere - DC 13; Duration 1 round, Concentration; Range Close (25 ft); Talents Speak With Animals; Drawbacks Nature Spirit

-  Speak With Animals (spirit)

Martial
Tradition Dionysian (Alchemy sphere [formulae] package, Panacea; Barroom sphere; Equipment sphere: Finesse Fighting, Rogue Weapon Training); PAM Cha
Alchemy sphere - DC 13, Packages formulae, Talents Panacea, Drawbacks none
- formulae (panacea: create a vial of liquid that removes some conditions)
Barroom sphere - DC 13, Talents none, Drawbacks none
- brutal breaker (don't suffer penalties w/improvised weapons)
- hard drinker (move action, retrieve and drink an elixir, potion, or beverage; if alcoholic gain drunk status for 2 rounds)

Equipment sphere - DC 13, Talents Finesse Fighting, Rogue Weapon Training
- finesse fighting (add your Dex bonus on attacks with finessable weapons)

- rogue weapon training (discipline) (proficiency with blade boot, butterfly knife, garrote, hand crossbow, kukri, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, starknife, switchblade knife, sword cane, war razor, and whip. +2 competence bonus to Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon on your person)

Statistics

Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 17
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 13

Traits Compassion, Iron Liver

Feats Brew Potion, Enchanting Performance*, Extra Magic Talent*

Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +7, Craft (alchemy) +5, Diplomacy +7, Heal +7, Perform (strings) +9, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +9 (+11 in forests)

Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Treant

SQ fey heart, forest slip, satyr aptitudes

Gear alchemist’s kit (40 gp), lute (5 gp), rapier (20 gp), shortbow (30 gp) with 20 arrows (1 gp), padded armor (5 gp), 4 gp.

Special Abilities

Alchemy Sphere Training in the Alchemy combat sphere teaches you how to quickly and efficiently combine volatile chemicals for new or enhanced effects.

When you gain the Alchemy sphere, you gain 5 ranks in the Craft (alchemy) skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Alchemy sphere (maximum ranks equal to your total Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in the Craft (alchemy) skill you may immediately retrain them, but you do not get to retrain when only temporarily gaining talents, such as through the armiger’s customized weapons class feature.

In addition, choose one of the following packages: Formulae or Poison. (Chosen: Formulae)

Alchemy: Formulae Some Alchemy talents have the (formulae) descriptor; these are improved or original versions of alchemical items you can only create once you’ve learned the talent. All formulae have a base crafting DC as noted in their descriptor, and their saving throw DCs, if any, are determined using the normal formula for combat sphere talents, using the practitioner’s ranks in Craft (alchemy) in place of their base attack bonus. The necessary ingredients for creating formulae are gathered over the course of a given day; there is no monetary cost to creating a formulae. You may craft any item whose formulae you know in 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if you have access to an alchemist’s lab or alchemist’s crafting kit, but due to the volatile nature of the enhanced formulae you cannot prepare more formulae at one time than a number equal to 1/2 your ranks in Craft (alchemy) (minimum 1) + the number of formulae talents you possess. For every 4 ranks in Craft (alchemy) you possess, you may craft 1 additional formulae as part of the same 30/15 minute time period.

Any creature affected by splash damage from an improved formulae is entitled to a Reflex save to reduce the damage by half.

Because formulae are more unstable than standard alchemical items, they expire and no longer work after 24 hours; it is relatively easy (DC 10 Appraise) to recognize the unstable and impermanent nature of these items so typically they have no monetary value; a potential buyer who fails their Appraise check assumes they are a standard item of their type (if applicable), or as a mundane item worth no more than 10 gp. In addition, the overly refined and unstable nature of formulae means that they cannot be further refined or enhanced by items such as focusing flasks or hybridization funnels. You cannot fail to craft an alchemical item you know the formulae for; failure to meet the DC instead means you create the item but at its minimum potency, without additional effects or benefits for having additional Craft (alchemy) ranks or having increased the crafting DC. When you first gain this package, you may learn any one (formulae) talent you qualify for.

Alchemy: Panacea (formulae)

You create a vial of liquid that can be used as a potion, removing a single negative condition the drinker is currently suffering from. The conditions that a panacea can remove are determined by the Craft DC used for its creation:

• DC 20: Deafened, fatigued, shaken, sickened.
• DC 30: Diseased, exhausted, nauseated, poisoned, staggered.
• DC 40: Frightened, blinded, deafened, paralyzed, stunned.

Barroom Sphere Barroom practitioners specialize in using whatever is available to them, willing to swing table legs, chairs, and anything else as they chug down a fresh brew.

Practitioners of the Barroom sphere gain the following ability:

Barroom: Brutal Breaker You do not suffer any penalty when using an improvised weapon, be it ranged or melee, and may treat improvised weapons you are wielding as manufactured weapons for the purpose of being able to be targeted by spells and other effects. You may grab an unattended object within your natural reach and make an attack action with it as part of the same standard action.

Additionally, you may treat any improvised weapon made of any material with a hardness of 5 or lower (wood, glass, etc.) as having the fragile weapon special feature for the purpose of any feats or talents you possess. This does not apply to magic items, nor to creatures being used as improvised weapons.

Some talents allow you to grant a fragile weapon the broken condition in exchange for a benefit. If you apply a second such benefit to a weapon, it is destroyed. You cannot apply more than 2 benefits that break a weapon to the same weapon attack.

Note: Talents which would allow you to add the broken condition or destroy an improvised weapon cannot be used while using a creature as an improvised weapon.

Barroom: Hard Drinker Whenever you imbibe an alcoholic drink (normally a standard action), you gain the drunk status for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution modifier (creatures without a Constitution score cannot gain this status). As a move action, you may retrieve an alcoholic drink, elixir, or potion (but not extract) from your person or grab one within your natural reach and drink it, all without provoking an attack of opportunity. For every 4 points of base attack bonus you possess, the drunk status last for one additional round.

Bound Creature Your magic is tied to a magical creature, who shares essence and power with you.

You gain the Conjuration sphere (or the Extra Companion talent if you already possess the Conjuration sphere), and a companion who serves as the source of your power. Unlike a normal companion, this companion is not an extraplanar, and you may choose upon gaining the companion what creature type it possesses (although it does not gain the immunities or other qualities of its creature type). Your companion’s first (form) talent should reflect its creature type. This bound creature cannot be summoned or dismissed, and costs no spell points to use. You do not suffer a chance of failure from the Focused Casting drawback so long as your bound creature is on the same plane as you and is within Long range (400 ft + 40 ft per caster level). If your bound creature dies, you suffer a chance of spell failure as outlined in the Focused Casting drawback until you gain another bound creature. You cannot bond with a new creature for 30 days or until you gain another level, whichever comes first. The new bound creature must be the same creature type as your previous bound creature.

A caster must possess the focus drawback to select this boon. You may gain a dragon companion as outlined in the Halfling Dragonrider racial archetype (see The Player's Guide to Skybourne, by Drop Dead Studios), but this boon instead costs 4 drawbacks.

Conjuration Sphere You have made contracts with outsiders, calling them to your side when you are in need.

Conjuration: Summon As a standard action, you may spend a spell point to summon a creature you have made a contract with (called a companion) causing it to appear in an adjacent square, ready to act on your following turn. You must concentrate to maintain the companion’s presence, but may always spend an additional spell point to allow the summoned creature to remain for 1 minute per caster level without concentration.

Companions can take many forms; a caster could contract with sympathetic angels or demons, elemental spirits, or primordial beings only given form after the contract is made. Thus, a companion could have the form of a knight in armor, a demonic dog, a flying anthropomorphic cat, or indeed virtually any other form. You cannot choose a companion with the exact same appearance as another creature.

When you gain the Conjuration sphere, you automatically gain a single companion of your choice. If a companion is conjured multiple times during a day, they do not regain hit points or other resources spent. If a companion is reduced to 0 hp, they instantly disappear and cannot be summoned until the following day.

A companion only recovers hp and resources (unless restored through the Heal skill or magical means) when the caster rests to recover spell points. A companion may be dismissed as a free action.

Companions may not carry equipment or items back and forth when summoned and so cannot be used to store items in their home plane or bring items to the caster’s plane. The exception to this rule is equipment gained through Conjuration talents.

Whenever you gain a companion, they immediately gain 1 (form) talent of your choice. Whenever you select a (form) talent as a magic talent, apply its effects to only a single companion. You may select (form) talents multiple times, but no more than once per companion, unless the talent says otherwise.

Conjuration: Bestial (form) Your companion gains a new set of natural attacks chosen from the list below. A companion must possess the prerequisite limbs and cannot already have a natural attack attached to that limb. A companion may gain this talent multiple times. Each time they gain this talent, they gain a new set of natural attacks.

• 2 claw attacks (primary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires arms).
• 2 hoof attacks (secondary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires 2 legs, but creature must possess at least 4).
• 1 tentacle attack (secondary, 1d4, 1d3 small, no requirement).
• 2 wing buffets (secondary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires wings).
• 1 tail slap (secondary, 1d6, 1d4 small, requires tail).
• 1 bite attack (primary, 1d6, 1d4 small, requires head).
• 1 gore attack (primary, 1d6, 1d4 small, requires head).
• 2 slam attacks (primary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires arms).
• 2 pincers (secondary, 1d6, 1d4 small, requires arms).
• 1 sting (primary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires tail).
• 2 talons (primary, 1d4, 1d3 small, requires 2 legs and creature must be airborne to use).

Equipment: Finesse Fighting You may use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier when calculating your melee attack rolls with light weapons and weapons with the finesse weapon special feature. You may take this talent a total of two times. If taken a second time, whenever you make an attack using your Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and your Strength bonus on melee damage rolls, you may also add ½ your base attack bonus (minimum 1) as a bonus on that damage roll. Associated Feat: Weapon Finesse.

Equipment: Rogue Weapon Training (discipline) You gain proficiency with the blade boot, butterfly knife, garrote, hand crossbow, kukri, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, starknife, switchblade knife, sword cane, war razor, and whip. Additionally, you gain a +2 competence bonus to Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a weapon on your person. At +10 base attack bonus, this competence bonus increases to +4.

Focus Casting Your magic requires you to use an item such as a wand, holy symbol, ring, or staff to create magic. Using magic without your focus requires you to make a concentration check (DC 20 + 1/2 the caster level) to produce the desired effect. Failure means time (and any spell points) are spent, but no effect happens. If a focus is lost, stolen, or broken, the caster must create a new focus by securing the necessary item and spending 8 hours bonding with it. At the GM’s discretion, however, another caster’s focus may be used instead.

Fallen Fey Sphere

Fallen Fey: Fey-Link As a swift action, you may change your creature type to Fey for 1 minute per caster level. You are treated as a Fey and no longer count as your previous creature type for all purposes including spells, magic items, etc. You still possesses any subtypes you previously possessed (thus, an elf using this ability would change from a humanoid with the elf subtype to a fey with the elf subtype).
Whenever fey-link is active, you may spend 1 spell point as a free action to gain the benefits of a fey-blessing until the end of the fey-link. There are no limit to the number of fey-blessings you may have active at a time, but each one must be activated separately, and all only endure until the end of the fey-link. Renewing a fey-link does not increase the duration of a fey-blessing, and ends all fey-blessings you currently possess.
When you gain the Fallen Fey sphere, you gain the following fey-blessing:

Fallen Fey: Nature-Connection (fey blessing) You gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks and Knowledge (geography), Survival, Stealth, and Perception skill checks made within one terrain of your choice. This bonus increases by +1 for every 5 caster levels you possess. Consult the Ranger list of favored terrains to see potential terrain types. You may gain this fey-blessing multiple times, gaining this bonus in a different terrain each time. Magic Talents marked as (fey-blessing) grant additional fey-blessings.

Fallen Fey: Aelfwine (fey blessing) You summon a flask, gourd, stein, or wineskin filled with fairy liquor, which replenishes itself after each drink. The flask is weightless and has hardness 5 and 5 hit points per caster level. If the flask is destroyed, this fey-blessing ends immediately. You may determine the quality of the brew with a Craft (alcohol) or Profession (brewer) check made as part of activating this fey blessing, but the result has no impact on its efficacy. You may drink from it as a move action; you may allow a creature whom you are within the natural reach of to drink from it as a standard action on their turn with no action required on your part. This counts as consuming an alcoholic beverage. Choose one of the following effects when the flask is created:

Bolstering Brew The imbiber gains temporary hit points equal to your caster level that last for 1 minute. As usual, temporary hit points do not stack with others from the same source.

Brawling Booze The imbiber gains the Barroom sphere or a (drunk) talent of your choice from that sphere for 1 minute.

Calming Sip You may make a magic skill check against any ongoing effects with the emotion descriptor currently affecting the imbiber. If successful, that effect is suppressed for 1 round per caster level. If you spend a spell point as part of the drink (no action required), the effect is instead dispelled.

Liquid Courage The imbiber gains a +2 (+1 per 7 caster levels) circumstance bonus on saves verses fear effects for 1 minute.

If the flask is not in your possession at the start of your turn, you may summon it into your possession as a move action as long as you have line of sight to it. You may have multiple instances of this fey-blessing active at one time; select a different effect for each. Creatures that are immune to the effects of alcohol cannot benefit from this effect.

Fallen Fey: Enchanting Music (fey blessing) As a move action, you may summon one masterwork musical instrument, be it a percussion, string, or wind, of a size no greater than 1 size smaller than your own size. The instrument is weightless and has hardness 5 and 5 hit points per caster level. If the instrument is not in your possession at the start of your turn, you may summon it into your possession as a move action as long as you have line of sight to it. You can never have more than one such instrument summoned at one time.

You may perform, singing or playing (either on the summoned instrument or another that you possess) the songs listed below. Starting a song requires a standard action and maintaining one requires a move action. Starting a new song ends any previous songs. A creature can only be under the effects of one song at a time; should a creature affected by one be subjected to another, the caster (not necessarily the performer, if using the Share Link talent) of the second effect must make a magic skill check against the MSD of the existing effect’s caster. All options are sonic mind-affecting effects with medium range unless noted.

Bewitching Melody You may performing a haunting melody that opens the hearer’s minds to outside influence, inflicting a -2 penalty (increasing by 1 at 7th caster level and every 7 caster levels thereafter) against charm effects on all hostile creatures.

Distracting Cacophony You may fill the air with discordant notes, granting all creatures within medium range a +2 (+1 per 7 caster levels) bonus on saves against sonic effects, but imposing an equal penalty on hearing based Perception checks and concentration checks. The penalty portion of this ability is not a mind-affecting effect.

Dancing Tune You play a bouncy jig that compels any creature within close range to dance and caper. A creature can resist by making a Will save. Creatures that fail are compelled to dance and shuffle their feet, and are effectively staggered as long as you continue to play. Once a creature makes the save against a this song, it is immune to further instances originating from you for 24 hours. This is a compulsion effect.

Lullaby You may play a peaceful lullaby to inflict a -2 penalty (increasing by 1 at 7th caster level and every 7 caster levels thereafter) against effects that cause sleep or the staggered condition on all hostile creatures.

Fallen Fey: Fairy Dust (fey blessing) By activating this fey-blessing, you gain a pouch of fairy dust. This pouch has hardness 5 and 5 hit points per caster level. The pouch is weightless and may not be used to hold anything other than the fairy dust it contains. If the pouch is destroyed, this fey-blessing ends. Destroying the pouch fills a 10 ft. radius with the chosen fairy dust, affecting all creatures in the area, including the caster. A successful saving throw against any effect that allows it grants the affected creature immunity to that effect from that caster for 24 hrs. You gain knowledge of two types of fairy dust when you gain this talent; you may activate any one type of dust that you know when activating this fey-blessing. Choose from the following options:

Amnesia Affected creatures must succeed on a Will save or forget the past minute. This otherwise functions as the Amnesia talent of the Mind sphere. You must spend an additional spell point for this option.

Charm Affected creatures must succeed on a Will save or have its disposition toward you increase by 1 step to a maximum of friendly for 1 minute.

Bleed Affected creatures must succeed on a Fortitude save or bleed profusely when wounded. The next time the creature takes hit point damage, it begins taking bleed damage equal to your caster level. These bleed damage may be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or by receiving any amount of healing. If this dust is applied to a weapon, the weapon attack triggers the bleed damage.

Blind Affected creatures must succeed on a Reflex save or treat all other creatures as having concealment for 1 round per caster level.

Fear Affected creatures must succeed on a Will save or be shaken for 1 round per caster level. You may spend an additional spell point as part of activating the fey-blessing to instead have affected creatures be frightened for 1 round per caster level on a failed save and shaken for 1 round on a successful save.

Glitter For 1 round per caster level, affected creatures take a penalty to Stealth equal to caster level and do not gain concealment from any effect that provides invisibility.

Poison Affected creatures must succeed on a Fortitude save or suffer from itching poison, being compelled to scratch at the wound for 1 round (treat this as being dazed) and taking 1d2 Strength damage per round for 1 minute or until they succeed on a Fortitude save. You must spend an additional spell point for this option.

Sleep Affected creatures must succeed on a Will save or fall asleep for 1 round per caster level. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action). You must spend an additional spell point for this option.

As a standard action, you may fill a 5 ft. cube within close range with the dust, affecting any creature in that space. As a move action, you may apply fairy dust to a weapon, natural weapon, or piece of ammunition, or to a number of weapons or pieces of ammunition equal to your casting ability modifier (minimum 2) as a standard action. A creature that is struck by the weapon within 1 round per caster level of it being so treated suffers from the effects of the dust. You may chose to end this fey-blessing early, drawing and throwing the pouch to create a 20 ft. radius spread of fairy dust within close range, affecting all creatures within the area.

The duration of multiple applications of dust stack. The pouch replenishes itself as a free action for the duration of the fey-blessing, then disappears when it ends. You may have multiple instances of this fey-blessing active at once; select a different option you know for each. Each instance creates a separate pouch. You may select this talent multiple times; each time you gain two more types of fairy dust. If the pouch is not in your possession at the start of your turn, you can summon it to yourself as a move action as long as you have line of sight to it.

Nature Sphere You can command the very terrain to do your bidding.

Nature Spirit You cannot use geomancing powers, only (spirit) talents. You cannot gain talents that augment the geomancing power, but you may select any (spirit) talent, even if it would normally require a geomancing package you do not possess. You must select a (spirit) talent with the bonus talent granted by this drawback.

Nature: Speak with Animals (spirit) You may spend a spell point to gain the ability to speak with animals for 1 minute per caster level. You can ask questions of and receive answers from animals, but the spell doesn’t make them any more friendly than normal. Wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments. If an animal is friendly toward you, it may do some favor or service for you.

Sidhe Performance: The sidhe trickster gains bardic performance as a bard of her same level and Enchanting Melody as a bonus feat. She cannot use any of the normal bardic performances.

This ability replaces thief’s mark.

Skilled Casting You must create your magic through singing, drawing, or some other activity. Your magic is tied to a particular Perform, Profession, or Craft skill (although with GM permission another skill may be substituted). You must succeed at a skill check to use any sphere ability. The DC of this skill check is 15 + the ability’s caster level. For every 2 points by which this skill check falls short of this DC, the ability manifests at -1 caster level. If this reduces the ability to a caster level below 0, the manifested ability fails and any spell points used are lost.

A caster with Skilled Casting must be able to perform their skill to use their magic, which is similar to but not the same as possessing other drawbacks. For example, a caster who must draw to create magic must have at least one hand free, although unless he also possesses Somatic Casting he may do so while wearing heavy armor without a chance of arcane spell failure. Likewise, a caster who uses music to create magic must be able to speak, but unless he also possesses Verbal Casting he can do so quietly and not break stealth.

Somatic Casting You must gesture to cast spells—a process that requires you to have at least 1 hand unoccupied. When using magic, you cannot wear armor heavier than light without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure. You may select this drawback twice. If taken a second time, you cannot wear any armor or use a shield without incurring a chance of arcane spell failure.

Variant Wild Magic You have a base wild magic chance of 10%. This wild magic chance does not stack with wild magic chance from other sources.

Verbal Casting You must speak in a loud, clear voice to cast spells. Using magic alerts all nearby hearing creatures to your presence and location, effectively breaking stealth. You cannot cast in an area of magical silence, or in any other situation where you are unable to speak clearly.

Virtuoso Your magic is blended into your performance making it more difficult to identify. Whenever you make a Skilled Casting check, onlookers make their Spellcraft check against your result or against the typical DC (whichever is higher) to identify the sphere talent or ability. In addition, if they fail their check by 5 or more, they interpret your casting as nonmagical activity.

In addition, if you purchase this boon with either somatic casting or verbal casting in addition to Skilled Casting, you do not automatically alert nearby creatures to the casting of your sphere talents or abilities by those drawbacks alone. Creatures specifically observing you for the purpose of detecting spellcasting are still entitled to their Spellcraft check as written above. You must possess the Skilled Casting drawback to select this boon.

Giant Cat (Martial Companion)

Base Form Quadruped

CG Medium animal

Init +2; Senses Perception +0

Defense

AC +14, touch +12, flat-footed +12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)

hp 6 (1d10+1)

Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0

Offense

Speed 40 ft.

Melee bite +3 (1d6+2), 2 claws +3 (1d4+2)

Statistics

Str 14, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 11

Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 15

Feats Weapon Finesse

Skills Climb +6

Build

The Merry Rider is built with a 20-point buy and 105 gp starting wealth. Favored Class Bonus is +⅕ Fallen Fey sphere talent. If using a lower point buy, you can lower Strength and Wisdom. If using a higher point buy (or rolling really well), your most important attributes are Charisma and Dexterity. Charisma is your casting statistic and affects the save DCs of all your magic and martial talents and your spell pool; Dexterity makes you a great finesse warrior and archer, increases your initiative and bolsters AC. Constitution is important too, since it helps you hold your alcohol, and Intelligence helps in crafting alchemical items and reflects your dabbling and mingling into many fields, as well as your talent as a gossip-monger and skill monkey.

Playing a Merry Rider

The descendant of a satyr, you sport short horns, cloven feet, and a love for nature and alcohol. You are a cheerful drinker, a brewer, an artist, and a friend of animals. Your companion could be the result of strange alchemical experiments, and never goes too far from your side. Both of you are deceptively playful but more clever than people think. Few can imagine your agility and versatility in battle seeing you always staggering from your last drinking night. You usually fight with a rapier in melee or a shortbow from afar; two-weapon fighting with blade and tankard is favored when you have no spell points left. When your weapons are not at hand, you use bottles, chair legs, and everything you can find, and you never say no to a good tavern brawl. You keep your ears open for informations, sing and play for money, brew healing potions to sell or donate, protect your friends with hoaxes as well as with your rapier, and are a romantic at heart.

Future Abilities

Magic Talents Altered Size (large), Beastward*, Greater Fey-Link*, Life sphere (Medicinal drawback), Mount, Natural Aspect (pounce), Nature Blessing*, Rejuvenation, Restore Health, Restore Soul, Trickery*, Superior Senses (x2), Water of Life*, Wild Instinct (x2).

Martial Talents Alchemical Dragon, Charming Drunk, Drunken Insight, Finesse Fighting (2nd), Had a Few, Improved Alchemist’s Fire, Improved Itching Powder, Improved Sneezing Powder, Miracle Drink, Salve.

Social Talents Companion to the Lonely, Gossip Collector, Intrigue Feats, Notorious Fool, Safe House, Skill Familiarity, Social Grace.

Quirks Soothing Performance, The Heart, Yandere.

Skill Unlocks Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Perform.

Feats Barroom Brawler, Confabulist*, Divine Fighting Technique (Blade and Tankard), Drunkard’s Recovery, Extra Combat Talent, Extra Magic Talent, Fairy Alchemy, Skill Focus (Heal), Truth in Wine, Two-Weapon Fighting.

Skills Concentrate on your healing, performance and diplomacy abilities; Appraise and Disguise are useful too. Increase your companion’s Dexterity to make it a giant old soft ball of fur of unsuspected speed and agility.

Companion Future Abilities

Martial Talents Athletics Sphere (Run), Expanded Training (Leap, Climb), Greater Grapple, Hard Whip, Iron Grip, Wrestling Sphere

Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Run, Weapon Focus (claw)

Piper Alternate Racial Traits

Fey Heart: The power of the fey runs stronger in some faebloods, whether by practice of their innate skill, stronger traces of the blood of the upper echelons of the courts, or some other cause. They gain the Basic Magical Training feat for the Fallen Fey sphere as a bonus feat. For pipers, this replaces pipes of panic.

Dionysian Tradition (Unified Tradition)
Dionysians are a variant of wild sidhe devoted to the deities of wine and nature, always ready for a merry drink and often accompanied by animal friends. They gain sylvan or treant as a bonus language. Dionysians are considered part of the bardic magic tradition.
Bonus Combat Talents:
Equipment: Rogue Weapon Training
Alchemy sphere
Barroom sphere
Variable: One additional talent from the Alchemy, Barroom, or Equipment spheres.
Bonus Magic Talents: Fallen Fey Sphere and their choice of either Aelfwine or the Nature sphere.
Drawbacks: Skilled Casting (Perform), Somatic Casting, Verbal Casting, Variant Wild Magic.
Boons: Virtuoso.