Each phantom has an emotional focus—a powerful emotion based on some experience in life that keeps it tethered to the Material and Ethereal planes. This emotional focus also grants the phantom abilities that it can use while manifested. The type of each ability and its power are determined by the spiritualist’s level.
The emotional focus determines which bonus skill ranks the phantom gains, as well as the skills in which its spiritualist master gains Skill Focus. It also determines the good saving throws of the manifested phantom and the special abilities the phantom gains as it increases in level.
While phantoms tend to appear much as they did in life—at least as they did at the time of death —each emotional focus twists a phantom’s visage, mannerisms, and even personality in its own way. Unlike with most creatures, a phantom’s emotion aura often manifests for all to see, even those without the benefit of spells or abilities.
Often phantoms manifest these emotion auras in unique ways, some of which are described in individual emotional focus descriptions.
Anger
Phantoms with this emotional focus are filled with seething anger from events in their past lives. Phantoms with this focus often take the form of hulking brutes with furrowed brows or of frenzied creatures that always seem ready to strike down those who come too near. Many times, these phantoms exude a bright red aura, especially when they are engaged in combat, or they seem to breathe a red mist in shallow pants from behind clenched, phantasmal teeth.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Intimidate and Survival equal to its number of Hit Dice.
While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Fortitude and Will.
Strength Focus: The phantom gains a +2 bonus to Strength and a –2 penalty to Dexterity. Instead of the phantom gaining a bonus to Dexterity as the spiritualist gains levels, an anger-focused phantom gains a bonus to Strength instead.
Powerful Strike (Ex): A phantom with this focus deals more damage with its slam attacks. It deals slam damage as a creature one size category larger than its current size.
The phantom also gains Power Attack as a bonus feat.
Aura of Fury (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 20-foot-radius aura of fury. Creatures within the aura gain a +2 bonus on melee attack rolls but take a –2 penalty to AC. Ending the aura is a free action. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Ferocious Mien (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level, once per day as a swift action, a phantom in ectoplasmic form can grow more ferocious and frightening.
It becomes one size category larger than its current size, as affected by an enlarge person spell, and grows fiercer in combat, as if affected by a rage spell. This effect lasts for 1 round per class level of the spiritualist. When the spiritualist reaches 18th level, a phantom using ferocious mien also gains the frightful presence extraordinary ability (Bestiary 300; range 30 feet, duration 5d6 rounds).
Furious Wail (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, once per day as a standard action, the phantom can emit a single angry wail that acts as wail of the banshee. The phantom uses its Hit Dice as its caster level for the effect, and the DC of the effect is 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Dedication
Either through a sense of love or the desire to finish some unfinished task, a phantom with this emotional focus has an undying devotion to something or someone in the world. It’s often the case that a phantom with
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this emotional focus has a strong familial tie with its spiritualist master. A dedication phantom most often appears as a strong and stern protector with a watchful gaze, and its service to its spiritualist is unwavering. These spirits exude auras of blue, or sometimes rose if their love for their spiritualist masters in life was great. Many times these auras manifest as a halo, giving these phantoms a divine appearance, no matter their actual alignment or opinions on matters of religion.
Skill: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Diplomacy and Sense Motive equal to its number of Hit Dice.
While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Ref lex and Will.
Iron Will: The phantom gains Iron Will as a bonus feat. Furthermore, when the phantom is within its master’s consciousness, it grants the benefits of Iron Will to its master if its master doesn’t have that feat.
Dutiful Strike (Su): When a creature makes an attack against the phantom’s master, the phantom gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against that target, and deals damage against that target as if the phantom were one size category larger. For the purposes of this ability, an attack includes any harmful spell targeting the spiritualist master of whose area or effect includes the spiritualist master.
Dutiful strike lasts for 1 minute, until another creature attacks the phantom’s spiritualist master (at which point this effect transfers to the new attacker), or until the attacking creature is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points, whichever occurs first.
Defending Aura (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, the phantom can emit a 10-foot-radius aura that grants protection to nearby allies. It can activate this aura at will as a swift action. Allies within the aura gain a +2 def lection bonus to AC and a +2 bonus to CMD and on all saving throws.
Deactivating the aura is a free action.
Devoted Servant (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level and is caught unawares by an attack (such as an attack made in a surprise round or while the spiritualist is asleep or an attack by a creature using Stealth), if the phantom is not fully manifested, it automatically fully manifests from the spiritualist’s consciousness to protect its master.
The phantom stays manifested as long as the spiritualist is unaware and in danger. This ability requires no action from the spiritualist.
Steadfast Devotion (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, the phantom becomes immune to detrimental mind-affecting effects and all forms of possession, such as magic jar and possession (see page 181). Furthermore, the phantom is immune to banishment, dismissal, and similar effects.
Despair
Some creatures die in such horrific ways, or live such pointless and senseless lives, that despair grips their very beings. Phantoms with this focus use misery as a weapon, inf licting the living with the gloom of the phantoms’
continued existence. Despair phantoms often appear twisted or wounded, showing the grisly circumstances of their demise.
Their coloration tends to have a grayish or sickly green cast. When they speak, they do so in terrifying whispers
or high-pitched screeches.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Intimidate and Stealth equal to its number of Hit Dice. While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Fortitude and Will.
Power from Despair: The phantom gains a +2 bonus on attack and damage rolls against creatures that are shaken, frightened, panicked, cowering, or subject to effects such as aura of despair or crushing despair.
Miserable Strike (Su): If the phantom hits a creature with a slam attack, that creature must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier) or take a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting fear and emotionUM effect. Penalties from multiple hits don’t stack with themselves.
Aura of Despair (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 10-foot aura of despair. Enemies within the aura take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This is a fear effect. Deactivating the aura is a free action.
Despairing Shout (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level, three times per day as a standard action, the phantom can emit a shout that acts as crushing despair. The phantom uses its Hit Dice as its caster level for the effect, and the DC of the effect equals 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Inescapable Despair (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, if the phantom hits with its slam attack, the creature hit doesn’t get a save to resist the effects of miserable strike.
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Fear
A phantom with this emotional focus suffered from overwhelming fear in life. As a phantom, it is able to channel that fear into a terrifying weapon. Fear phantoms are often horrifying to behold. Sometimes they appear as ghostly figures in tattered funeral garb or wrapped in chains or other bindings. Their features may be distorted into gaunt and haunting forms, making them seem more like ghosts or spectres. A miasma of livid gray swirling motes often surrounds their forms as they stalk their surroundings, seeking to bestow their terror on others.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Intimidate and Stealth equal to its number of Hit Dice.
While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, such a phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Ref lex and Will.
Stealthy: The phantom gains Stealthy as a bonus feat.
Horrifying Strike (Ex): If the phantom hits a creature with a slam attack, that creature must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1d4 rounds. Multiple attacks
against the same creature do not cause the creature to become frightened. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Increase Fear (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 20-foot-radius aura that amplifies the fear conditions of enemies within it if they fail their Will saving throws (DC = 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier). A shaken enemy in the aura becomes frightened, a frightened creature becomes panicked, and a panicked creature cowers. This effect lasts either as long as the enemy stays within the aura and is under the condition of the initial fear effect, or for a number of rounds after it leaves the aura equal to 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice, or until the end of the original fear effect’s duration, whichever comes first. A creature that succeeds at the saving throw is immune to this effect from the same phantom for 24 hours.
This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Frightful Attack (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level, if the phantom hits with a slam attack, it can frighten those it hits instead of causing them to be shaken (the phantom chooses when it makes the attack). This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Shelter Allies (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, the phantom protects its allies from terror. Allies within the phantom’s increase fear aura are immune to fear as long
as they are within the aura. This ability also grants the phantom’s spiritualist master immunity to fear as long as the phantom is not banished to the Ethereal Plane.
Hatred
Few things draw a spirit toward the Negative Material Plane like the emotion of hatred. Phantoms with this focus often are blinded by—and blind others with—this powerful emotion. These phantoms are frequently darker and more foreboding than all but those phantoms with the fear emotional focus. Many of them manifest as dark and dreadful knights, their armor bristling with spikes and their hands seeming to grasp barbed and terrible weapons. Other times they appear as tall, gaunt figures staring down arrogantly
at those who approach.
These phantoms typically spew a string of curses at their foes, often profane, sometimes poetic. Their auras are pulsating and pitch black, and thrum violently when these
horrible phantoms attack.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Acrobatics and Perception equal to its number of Hit Dice. While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Fortitude and Ref lex.
Weapon Finesse: The phantom gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat.
Hated Target (Su): The phantom can take a move action to designate one creature within its line of sight as a hated target. The phantom gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against its hated target, and a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice (minimum 1). The phantom is so focused on this hated target that it takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls against all other creatures. The phantom can maintain these bonuses against only one target at a time, and these bonuses remain in effect until either the hated opponent is dead or it has been out of the phantom’s line of sight for at least 1 minute. When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, the phantom can use this ability as a swift action, and takes no penalty when attacking creatures that are not designated as its hated enemy. The phantom must be manifested in ectoplasmic form to use this ability (unless the spiritualist is 17th level or higher; see Shared Hatred below).
Hateful Aura (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 10-foot-radius aura that inf licts pain upon the minds of those who dare damage it or its master. Enemies within the aura that deal
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damage to the spiritualist or the phantom take an amount of damage equal to the phantom’s Charisma bonus. This is a mind-affecting pain effect. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Sneak Attack (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level, the phantom gains sneak attack +3d6, but only against its hated enemy. At 18th level, the sneak attack damage increases to +5d6.
Shared Hatred (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, the phantom can grant its hatred to others. When the phantom designates a hated enemy, its allies also gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +4 bonus on damage rolls against that enemy. Furthermore, the phantom can use its hated target ability even when in incorporeal form; when it does, it can make slam attacks against a corporeal creature, but only if that corporeal creature is its hated target.
Jealousy
A phantom with this emotional focus is covetous of everything—its master, those who wish to do it harm, and any who do not pay attention to it. It demands to be the center of attention at all times. The forms these phantoms take are as diverse as the forms of jealousy in life. Often they take pleasing forms, wishing to draw others in. Other times they take the form of crawling and lurching things, grasping at all they covet when they come within reach. The auras of these needy phantoms quickly change in color, going from an oily green to orange, to brownish red as they swirl through emotions in their efforts to gain the objects of their dark desires.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Appraise and Bluff equal to its number of Hit Dice. While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Ref lex and Will.
Deceitful: The phantom gains Deceitful as a bonus feat.
Jealous Combatant (Su): Each time the phantom hits a creature with a melee attack, for 1 round that creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls made against anyone other than the phantom. This effect does not stack with itself.
Resentful Aura (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 20-foot-radius aura that forces enemies within the aura who make an attack or cast a spell that does not include the phantom in its effect to succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the phantom’s Hit Dice + the phantom’s Charisma modifier) or become staggered until the end of the enemy’s next turn.
Ending the aura is a free action. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Retribution (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 12th level, each time a creature attacks the phantom’s master, whether that attack hits or misses, it enrages the phantom. Until the end of the phantom’s next turn, any attack the phantom makes that hits the creature that has attacked her deals
2d8 extra points of damage. This extra damage is precision damage.
Mine to Take (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 17th level, once per day as an immediate action, just before the phantom’s master is about to attempt a saving throw or be targeted by an attack roll, the phantom and the spiritualist can swap places as long as both are on the same plane and the phantom is aware of the attack or effect. After the swap occurs, the phantom is targeted by the attack or effect that triggered this ability, though the phantom may be immune or resistant to the effect. This is a teleportation effect.
The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Zeal
A phantom with this emotional focus fixates on every task given as if it were the phantom’s last. The most basic commands are treated as life-and-death situations, and the truly dangerous ones are faced with a resolve and tenacity that sometimes defies common sense. Zeal phantoms take the form of steadfast protectors or daring and manic creatures looking for the next challenge or opportunity to prove itself to either its master or itself. Often very prideful creatures, these phantoms display an orange aura upon completing their tasks. They are prone to boast about their accomplishments and chastise those around them for not accomplishing more.
Skills: The phantom gains a number of ranks in Acrobatics and Survival equal to its number of Hit Dice. While confined in the spiritualist’s consciousness, the phantom grants the spiritualist Skill Focus in each of these skills.
Good Saves: Fortitude and Ref lex.
Tracking: The phantom adds half its number of Hit Dice (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks to follow tracks.
Ruthless Combatant (Su): The phantom threatens a critical hit with its slam attacks on a roll of 19–20. When the spiritualist reaches 11th level, the phantom’s critical modifier with slam attacks increases to ×3. This doesn’t stack with Improved Critical or similar effects.
Determination Aura (Su): When the spiritualist reaches 7th level, as a swift action, the phantom can emit a 20-foot-radius aura that grants its zeal to nearby allies. Allies within the aura gain a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls and saving throws. The phantom can use this ability in either ectoplasmic or incorporeal form.
Steadfast Servant (Su): When the spiritualist reaches
Steadfast Servant (Su): When the spiritualist reaches