Mambo (Witch)
There are certain classes, like the medium and the shaman, whose mechanics form tantalizing hints about the game world, and can really spark the imagination. The spirits with which these classes interact are not generally accessible to other classes, but if we accept the medium and shaman as part of the game, we must also accept that those spirits are there, lurking. There’s no reason why other classes couldn’t have some means of interacting with those spirits in their own way, and it is with this in mind that I made today’s archetype, which gives witches their own way to get in touch with the spirit world.
New Witch Archetype
Mambo
Mediums are not the only ones who can call upon spirits to lend them power. Some witches are able to tap into the spirit world and channel spirits to aid them, and these witches are often referred to as mambos.
Spirit Medium: A mambo does not have a single patron, but instead calls upon spirits each day to empower her. The mambo can channel a spirit through a ritual known as a séance. Seances take 1 hour to perform and require the mambo’s concentration. At the end of the séance, the mambo invites a local spirit to inhabit her and serve as her spirit for that day. This process is identical to the spirit class feature of the medium (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Occult Adventures), except that a mambo cannot invite her allies to participate in a shared séance, and she cannot choose to forgo spirit powers in order to avoid incurring influence. The types of spirits, including the locations in which they are found and the penalties that occur if the spirit gains at least 3 points of influence over the mambo, remain the same as for mediums.
Instead of the benefits that a medium gains when channeling a spirit, a mambo gains the following benefits, depending on what spirit she is channeling that day.
Archmage: The mambo can choose a single spell that she does not know for each spell level that she can cast, and she is treated as knowing those spells. Additionally, by meditating for 15 minutes, a mambo can allow her spirit to gain one point of influence over her in order to gain an extra spell slot of a single spell level that she is capable of casting. She can prepare a spell she knows in the chosen spell slot as part of this time, if desired. The mambo cannot gain more than one spell slot of the same spell level by allowing her spirit to gain influence over her in this way on any given day.
Champion: Whenever the mambo casts a spell with long, medium, close, or touch as the spell’s range, she can choose to reduce that range by one step (long becomes medium, medium becomes close, close becomes touch, and touch becomes personal). If she does, her caster level for that spell is increased by +2, and the DC, if any, is increased by +1. Additionally, whenever the mambo makes an attack roll, she can allow her spirit to gain 1 point of influence over her. If she does, she gains a +20 bonus on the attack roll.
Guardian: The mambo gains a +2 luck bonus to AC, and her current and maximum hit points are increased by an amount equal to twice her witch level. Additionally, as a standard action, the mambo can create a mystical link between herself and a willing creature within 60 feet, causing half of all damage inflicted to either of them to be redirected to the other, as though with the shield other spell. This effect lasts until the mambo chooses to end it (a move action), or until the mambo ceases to channel the spirit.
Hierophant: Whenever the mambo is magically healed, or uses a spell or hex to heal others, the creature being healed receives the maximum possible amount of healing from the effect. Additionally, by touching a creature as a standard action and allowing her spirit to gain 1 point of influence over her, the mambo can cure the touched creature of any of the following conditions from which they are suffering: bleeding, confused, dazed, dazzled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, shaken, or sickened.
Marshal: Whenever the mambo casts a spell with a single target, she may choose to also grant that target a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saving throws made to resist fear effects. This benefit lasts for a number of rounds equal to the spell’s level. Additionally, by allowing her spirit to gain 1 point of influence over her as a swift action, the mambo can allow a single ally within 30 feet that can see and hear her to take a standard action (even though it’s not currently that creature’s turn).
Trickster: The mambo gains a number of bonus skill ranks equal to twice her witch level, which she can spend as she pleases. The normal limits for the maximum number of ranks she can have in any given skill still apply. Skill points gained in this way are lost once the mambo stops channeling the spirit. Additionally, whenever the mambo fails a skill check, ability check, or saving throw, she can allow her spirit to gain 1 point of influence over her in order to immediately reroll the failed check or save.
This ability replaces the hex gained at 1st level.
Spirit Patron: Mambos do not have a single patron, as other witches do, but instead gain their power from whatever spirit they are channeling. A mambo gains access to the following spells whenever she is channeling a spirit of the appropriate type.
Archmage: 2nd–comprehend languages, 4th–greater detect magicUI, 6th–dispel magic, 8th–confusion, 10th–teleport, 12th–legend lore, 14th–plane shift, 16th–destruction, 18th–greater create demiplaneUM.
Champion: 2nd–enlarge person, 4th–spectral hand, 6th–vampiric touch, 8th–poison, 10th–mark of justice, 12th–transformation, 14th–chain lightning, 16th–death clutchHA, 18th–wail of the banshee.
Guardian: 2nd–mage armor, 4th–delay poison, 6th–remove curse, 8th–death ward, 10th–greater peacebondUI, 12th–cloak of dreamsAPG, 14th–regenerate, 16th–mind blank, 18th–foresight.
Hierophant: 2nd–obscuring mist, 4th–web, 6th–sleet storm, 8th–cape of waspsUM, 10th–reincarnate, 12th–find the path, 14th–control weather, 16th–stormbolts, 18th–elemental swarm.
Marshal: 2nd–command, 4th–augury, 6th–heroism, 8th–lesser geas, 10th–telepathic bond, 12th–greater heroism, 14th–mass cure moderate wounds, 16th–demand, 18th–heroic invocationUC.
Trickster: 2nd–charm person, 4th–mirror image, 6th–major image, 8th–dimension door, 10th–mirage arcana, 12th–mislead, 14th–reverse gravity, 16th–screen, 18th–time stop.
This ability replaces the patron spells class feature.
Taboo (Ex): At 2nd level, during her daily séance, a mambo can accept a taboo in order to appease her spirit. The types of taboos associated with each spirit are identical to those for medium spirits. Accepting a taboo allows the mambo to use the special ability granted by her spirit once without allowing it to incur an additional point of influence over her. The mambo can select only a single taboo. She is not magically prevented from breaking this taboo, but if she breaks it for any reason, she takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws for 1 hour, and her spirit gains 1 point of influence over her.
If the mambo continues violating the taboo while taking the penalty, the duration of the penalty extends, but the spirit doesn’t gain additional influence over her. If a spirit attains 5 points of influence because of a violated taboo, instead of possessing the mambo, the spirit leaves the mambo’s body entirely, and the mambo is unable to cast spells or use her hexes until the next time she can perform a séance. Banishing a spirit in this way damages the mambo’s connection to that spirit’s legend; the mambo cannot channel spirits of that legend for 1 week, and the next time the mambo channels a spirit of that legend, it starts with 2 points of influence over her instead of 1.
This ability replaces the hex gained at 2nd level.
Spirit Surge (Su): Beginning at 10th level, after failing a d20 roll of the appropriate kind, based on the spirit she is channeling, a mambo can allow her spirit to gain 1 additional point of influence over her in order to add 1d6 to the check’s result without taking an action.
This can cause the check to succeed instead of fail. The mambo must be conscious and aware to use this ability, and she can use this ability at most once per round. At 18th level, she can instead add 1d8 to the check’s result.
The types of d20 rolls that the mambo can add this bonus to are as follows:
Archmage: Concentration checks, Intelligence checks, and Intelligence-based skill checks.
Champion: Attack rolls, non-spell damage rolls, Strength checks, Strength-based skill checks, and Fortitude saves.
Guardian: Constitution checks, Fortitude saves, and Reflex saves.
Hierophant: Wisdom checks, Wisdom-based skill checks, and Will saves.
Marshal: Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks.
Trickster: Dexterity checks, skill checks, and Reflex saves.
This ability replaces the hex gained at 10th and 18th levels.