Soulthief Method Archetype:
Life Leech,
Sadist (1st & 5th)
Collective (Su)A vitalist learns to use psionic power to connect willing minds through an internal network that strengthens their psychic bonds. As a standard action, a vitalist can join a number willing targets into his collective equal to his key ability modifier or half his vitalist level, whichever is higher. The vitalist must have line of sight to each target, each target must have a Wisdom score of at least 1, and all targets must be within Medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft. per class level). The vitalist is always considered a member of his own collective, and does not count against this limit.
The vitalist can choose to remove a member as a free action on his turn, and any member can voluntarily leave the collective as a free action on their turn. Any member whose Wisdom drops to zero or who moves out of range of the collective is automatically removed. If a member enters a null psionics field, the connection to the collective is suppressed until that member leaves the field. A member who leaves the collective for any reason immediately loses any and all benefits they may have gained from being a member. A vitalist is aware of the status of his collective and can, roughly, sense the presence of each member, although beyond telling if such a creature is still a member, this has no mechanical benefit until higher levels (see telepathy and health sense, below).
A vitalist can manifest certain powers through his collective. If a vitalist power specifies one or more willing targets (or is harmless) and has a range greater than personal, he can manifest this power on a member of his collective regardless of the range of the actual power. All other non-range restrictions still apply. He may also manifest any power with the Network descriptor this way, regardless of their actual ranges or targets. If he is capable of manifesting powers or casting spells from a different class (as is the case for a multiclass vitalist), any compatible spell or power with a range greater than touch can also be used through the collective.
If a member of the collective dies, the member is removed from the collective and the vitalist must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or lose 1 power point for every Hit Die of the fallen member and be sickened for an equal number of rounds.
At 15th level, a vitalist's collective range is limitless on the same plane as the vitalist.
At 19th level, a vitalist's collective reaches even across to other planes and dimensions.
Collective Healing (Su)Whenever a willing member of the vitalist's collective could regain lost hit points or ability damage, the vitalist may choose to redirect any or all of that healing to one or more other willing members of the collective as a free action. This can transfer instantaneous healing (such as a body adjustment power), healing from ongoing healing effects, such as fast healing, and even hit points gained from rest (in which case, a member of the collective would rest for a period of time as normal, and the amount of hit points and ability damage healed would go to another).
In any case, the original recipient of the healing effect chooses whether to allow the diverted healing, and does not gain the benefits of any healing he grants to another. The type of healing (positive energy, negative energy, construct repair, etc.) is unchanged from the original source for determining who or what can be healed.
Example: Darius the soulknife is a willing member of Jorus the vitalist's collective. He drinks a potion of cure light wounds that would normally heal him for 6 hit points, but Jorus decides to redirect 4 of those points to himself. Darius agrees and, as a result, Darius is healed for 2 hit points, and Jorus is healed for 4. If there were more members in Jorus's collective, Jorus could spread the healing from that potion out even more as long as the sum of hit points healed was no greater than 6.
A vitalist may even heal wounds through collective healing if at full health. This may only be used with healing effects such as potions, powers, or other such effects. [Healing] from long term care or natural healing cannot be transferred in this way.
Transfer Ailment (Su)A 1st level life leech can transfer the
dazed, dazzled, shaken, or staggered condition from one member of his collective to another as a standard action. At 4th level, the life leech can transfer the
blind, deafened, fatigued, frightened, or sickened condition. At 7th level, the life leech can transfer the exhausted, panicked, nauseated, or paralyzed condition. At 10th level, the life leech can transfer the stunned or unconscious condition (although a creature that receives the unconscious condition from this ability is not reduced to negative hit points by this effect, nor is the original creature brought automatically to positive hit points; such a creature would still have 0 or negative hit points, but would become conscious, stable, and likely given the disabled condition). If this ability is used on an unwilling target and the recipient of the effect makes a successful save (see the Unwilling Participant feat), the creature with the condition being transferred still suffers from the condition. A life leech may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier. This ability may only be used on creatures with a Constitution score and may not be used against creatures with a total number of hit dice less than half the life leech's level. This ability can only be used to transfer temporary conditions. For example, a life leech could not transfer blindness from a creature that has somehow lost its eyes permanently.
This ability replaces Transfer Wounds and the accompanying benefits from the vitalist's selected method.
Exquisite Agony (Su)When a member of the sadist's collective dies, instead of needing to make a save to avoid taking damage, the sadist gains a number of temporary power points equal to the Hit Die of the creature killed. These power points last a number of rounds equal to the sadist's Wisdom modifier and do not stack with each other or other temporary power points.
This ability replaces knacks.
Unwilling ParticipantA life leech of 2nd level gains the Unwilling Participant feat as a bonus feat. In addition, when any creature in the collective against their will makes a save against an effect from over the collective, they suffer a -2 penalty on the save to resist the effect.
This ability replaces Health Sense.
Drain Health (Su)A life leech of 3rd level can steal hit points from members of his collective and transfer them as healing to other members of the collective. As a standard action, one member of the collective takes damage equal to double the life leech's class level + the life leech's Wisdom modifier and another member of the collective heals the same amount. If used on an unwilling target, a successful Will save halves the amount of damage taken and healed. This ability may only be used on creatures with a Constitution score and may not be used against creatures with a total number of hit dice less than half the life leech's level.
This ability replaces Steal Health.
Spirit of Many (Su)A vitalist of 2nd level gains special abilities when manifesting powers with the Network descriptor. He can manifest these powers on any member of his collective, even if they are out of the power's range or would normally be immune to the power. Whenever a vitalist manifests a power with the Network descriptor targeting only members of his collective, the power loses the mind-affecting descriptor (if it had it) and bypasses any power resistance, although it still provokes an attack of opportunity to manifest as normal. Network powers manifest only on members of the collective never allow saving throws -- their saving throw entry becomes “None,” although if the power specifies a subsequent saving throw, subjects attempt those saves normally. The vitalist also adds the following augment to all powers with the Network descriptor:
Augment: For every additional power point you spend, you can choose an
additional target, so long as the target is a member of your collective.
Telepathy (Su)When a vitalist reaches 3rd level, all willing members of his collective (including the vitalist himself) can communicate with each other telepathically, even if they do not share a common language. Psionic creatures who are willing members in a vitalist's collective (including the vitalist himself) may manifest unknown powers from powers known by another willing psionic creature in the collective as if they were making physical contact.
A vitalist may temporarily deactivate, and reactivate, this ability as a swift action.
Empowered In Pain (Su)A sadist of 5th level can treat any power he manifests of the healing subdiscipline as if affected by the Empower Power feat by expending his psionic focus and causing a number of hit points in damage to one member of his collective equal to the total number of power points spent on the power. The member targeted by this damage cannot be the recipient of the healing (whether directly or through effects such as collective healing) and may attempt a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sadist's class level + the vitalist's Wisdom modifier) to negate the effect, but doing so means the power is not empowered and psionic focus is still expended. The sadist cannot inflict this damage upon himself.
This ability replaces Request Aid.