S-Class Cryptic

What are S-Class Characters?

S-class characters are built using the core summoner class as the basis against which all other classes are balanced. If you have played, or GM’d for, a summoner and felt it was fine as is, you should have no problem running with an s-class character.

Spell-Like and Psi-Like Abilities

As explained in the source material, psionics function in many ways like spells, and are able to be countered, negated, and resisted just as spells are. The distinctions drawn between the two are purely in the ways in which they are learned and how they affect the world around them.

For this reason, the content here is provided more in context of other Pathfinder options, listing spell-like abilities and referring to spells when a psionic power or talent is equivalent to one.

S-class cryptics could be anywhere, unseen and ready to jump out at just the right moment for maximum efficiency. They see the patterns in everything, and manipulate those same patterns not only to protect themselves, but to bring down their enemies.

Note: The s-class cryptic is an alternate, superior version of the cryptic class. They retain all of the standard cryptic progressions and options, and as such should qualify to select cryptic archetypes without specific adjustments.

Hit Die: d8.

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 105 gp.)

Class Skills

The s-class cryptic’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Table: S-Class Cryptic

Level	Base Max Attack	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	PP/day	Powers Known	Max Power Level
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Altered defense 1, disrupt pattern 1d6, lesser insights, pattern designs, scribe tattoo, trapfinding, trapmaker	1	1	1st
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Hidden pattern +2, insight	2	2	1st
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Enhanced disruption +1d6, evasion	4	3	1st
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Insight, rapid defense	6	4	2nd
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Altered defense 2, enhanced disruption +2d6, hidden pattern	+4	8	5	2nd
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Insight, swift trapper	12	6	2nd
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Enhanced disruption +3d6, fractal understanding	16	7	3rd
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Hidden pattern +6, insight	20	8	3rd
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Altered defense 3, enhanced disruption +4d6	24	9	3rd
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Hide in plain sight, insight	28	10	4th
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Enhanced disruption +5d6	36	11	4th
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Insight	44	12	4th
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Altered defense 4, enhanced disruption +6d6	52	13	5th
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Enduring defense, insight	60	14	5th
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Enhanced disruption +7d6	68	15	5th
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Insight	80	16	6th
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Altered defense 5, enhanced disruption +8d6	92	17	6th
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Insight, unchanging pattern	104	18	6th
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Enhanced disruption +9d6	116	19	6th
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Supreme insight	128	20	6th

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the s-class cryptic.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

S-class cryptics are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. They are proficient with light armor but not with shields. Armor does not interfere with the cryptic’s class features.

Powers Points/Day

An s-class cryptic’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points she has available. Her base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: S-Class Cryptic. In addition, she receives bonus power points per day if she has a high Intelligence score. Her race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.

Powers Known: An s-class cryptic begins play knowing one cryptic power of your choice. Each time she achieves a new level, she unlocks knowledge of a new power.

Choose the powers known from the cryptic power list. (Exception: The feat Expanded Knowledge does allow an s-class cryptic to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) An s-class cryptic can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than her manifester level.

The total number of powers an s-class cryptic can manifest in a day is limited only by her daily power points.

An s-class cryptic simply knows her powers; they are ingrained in her mind. She does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though she must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all her spent powers.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against the s-class cryptics powers is: 10 + the power’s level + the cryptic’s Intelligence modifier.

Lesser Insights (Sp)

S-class cryptics learn minor powers they can use at will to aid them in coordination and tactics. The cryptic gains two talents from the cryptic talent list.

Maximum Power Level Known: An s-class cryptic begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As she attains higher levels, she may gain the ability to master more complex powers.

To learn or manifest a power, an s-class cryptic must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the power’s level.

Pattern Designs (Su)

Unlike normal manifesters, an s-class cryptic manipulates the world around her by creating tattoos and patterns that alters reality in different ways. Cryptic powers show up on the cryptic’s body in the form of tattoos. The cryptic’s known powers can be identified via Spellcraft checks with a DC equal to 10 + double the power’s level. These tattoos do not count against the number of psionic tattoos that the cryptic can safely wear.

When an s-class cryptic manifests one of her powers, it creates a visual pattern of energy during the action taken to manifest the pattern. While the cryptic’s powers have the normal displays for psionic powers – auditory, mental, and the like – this visual pattern unique to the cryptic cannot be suppressed as normal displays can be suppressed.

Altered Defense (Su)

An s-class cryptic can manipulate the patterns around her to grant herself protection as a swift action. While this ability is active, the cryptic gains DR 1/–, a +1 dodge bonus to AC, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls against creatures that have successfully hit her since the start of her last turn.

The cryptic can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Intelligence modifier. She can maintain this ability as long as she wants as long as she has rounds available, or dismiss it at any time as a free action.

At 5th level, and every four cryptic levels thereafter, these bonuses each increase by +1, to a maximum of DR 5/–, +5 AC, and +5 to attack at 17th level, respectively.

Disrupt Pattern (Su)

When an s-class cryptic gains psionic focus, she selects one creature type as her active type (she does not need to select a subtype).

As a standard action, the cryptic can make a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 feet, firing a ray of black energy at a target she can see. If the attack is successful, the cryptic deals 1d6 points of damage + additional damage equal to her Intelligence modifier. This attack deals half damage if the target’s type is not the cryptic’s chosen type. Disrupt pattern can only be used once per round, even if an item or other effect would duplicate it.

Scribe Tattoo (Ex)

At 1st level, s-class cryptics receive Scribe Tattoo as a bonus feat. This allows her to create a psionic tattoo of any power of 3rd level or lower that she knows and that targets one or more creatures. Scribing a psionic tattoo takes one day. When the cryptic creates a psionic tattoo, she sets the manifester level. The manifester level must be sufficient to manifest the power in question and no higher than her own level.

The base price of a psionic tattoo is its power level x its manifester level x 50 gp. To scribe a tattoo, the cryptic must use up raw materials (special inks, masterwork needles, and so on) costing one-half of the base price.

When she creates a psionic tattoo, the cryptic makes any choices that she would normally make when manifesting the power. When its wearer physically activates the tattoo, the wearer is the target of the power.

Trapfinding (Ex)

An s-class cryptic adds 1/2 her level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). She can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.

Trapmaker (Ex)

An s-class cryptic gains a competence bonus on Craft (traps) checks equal to her cryptic level.

Hidden Patterns (Ex)

At 2nd level, an s-class cryptic gains a +2 competence bonus on all Stealth checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and then again to +6 at 8th level. At 10th level, as long as the cryptic maintains psionic focus, she can use the Stealth skill to hide, even while being observed.

Insights (Su)

Starting at 2nd level, and then again every 2 levels thereafter (up to 18th level), an s-class cryptic learns a unique ability related to her perception of the patterns in the world around her.

Sample insights can be found at the end of this section.

Enhanced Disruption (Ex)

At 3rd level and every two levels thereafter, the cryptic’s disrupt pattern deals an additional 1d6 points of damage. This additional damage is not multiplied on a critical hit or by using feats such as Vital Strike, but it is halved if the creature struck is not of the cryptic’s active creature type.

Evasion (Ex)

At 3rd level and higher, an s-class cryptic can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the cryptic is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless cryptic does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Rapid Defense (Su)

Starting at 4th level, an s-class cryptic can use her altered defense ability as a free action by expending her psionic focus. The cryptic may even do this when it is not her turn, but not if she’s flat-footed or helpless.

Swift Trapper (Ex)

At 6th level, an s-class cryptic can create traps with astounding speed. It takes an s-class cryptic half the normal amount of time to create traps.

Fractal Understanding (Ex)

At 7th level, an s-class cryptic chooses either one fighter weapon group or her disrupt pattern ability. She gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when using that ability or a weapon from that group. This bonus increases by +1 at 11th, 15th, and 19th level, to a maximum of +4.

Enduring Defense (Su)

At 14th level, an s-class cryptic can choose any option from the altered defense ability and always be under that effect. The cryptic can still change the effect as a swift action, but she is no longer limited to how many rounds per day she can have Altered Defense active.

Unchanging Pattern (Ex)

At 18th level, the cryptic gains spell resistance equal to 11 + her class level.

Supreme Insights (Su)

At 20th level, an s-class cryptic makes astounding leaps of insight. She immediately learns two normal insights, but also learns a third insight chosen from the list of supreme insights at the end of the insight section below. This represents a truly astounding breakthrough in understanding how patterns work. For many s-class cryptics, the possibility of this sort of discovery is the driving force for their studying of patterns.

Cryptic Insights

The following is a sample of summarized insights available to the s-class cryptic. For additional insights, or for greater details on the insights provided here, please see the individual sources.

Binding Pattern (Su)

A cryptic with this insight can cause creatures struck with her disrupt pattern ability to become entangled for a number of rounds equal to the cryptic’s Intelligence modifier, although the disrupt pattern damage is minimized (all dice rolls are treated as 1s). Entangled creatures can attempt to break free as a move action, making a Strength or Escape Artist check. The DC for this check is equal to the 10 + 1/2 the cryptic’s level + the cryptic’s Intelligence modifier. A cryptic must be at least 4th level before selecting this insight.

Bleeding Pattern (Su)

A cryptic with this insight can choose to make her disrupt pattern ability deal bleed damage. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the cryptic’s disrupt pattern (e.g., 4d6 equals 4 points of bleed). Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage from this ability does not stack with itself. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess. A cryptic must be at least 6th level before selecting this insight.

Claim Pattern (Su)

The cryptic can attune a trap to herself as a standard action and by making a successful Disable Device check against the trap’s DC, after which the trap only triggers when the cryptic decides it can be triggered. If the trap is attuned in a similar fashion to another creature, the cryptic must make a manifester level check against a DC of 11 + the current owner’s manifester level or the attunement fails. If the attunement is successful, the cryptic can trigger the trap as a swift action at any time in the future. A cryptic may only have one such attuned trap at any given time. The cryptic must be at least 8th level before selecting this insight.

Disrupt Discovery

A cryptic with this insight can choose up to two bomb discoveries available to an alchemist of her cryptic level (except fast bombs). When she uses her disrupt pattern ability, she can alter it as if it were an alchemist’s bomb using those discoveries.

The cryptic can select this insight multiple times.

Efficient Trapsmith (Ex)

When a cryptic with this insight constructs a mechanical trap, she only pays 75% of the normal cost. A cryptic must be at least 10th level before selecting this insight.

Empower Trap (Su)

The cryptic can, as a standard action, cause a trap’s effect to be empowered, dealing 50% additional damage when activated. This insight can only be used on traps that have not yet been activated and that the cryptic is aware of.

Explosive Pattern (Su)

A cryptic with this insight can cause her disrupt pattern ability to explode upon impact. If the cryptic’s disrupt pattern attack successfully hits, it causes splash damage to nearby creatures. The splash damage is equal to the minimum damage of the disrupt pattern. A cryptic must be at least 6th level to select this insight.

Fast Stealth (Ex)

This ability allows a cryptic to move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

Fold Trap (Su)

A cryptic can ‘fold’ the pattern of a trap she has personally crafted, compressing the trap into a light-weight projectile which can be thrown at a later time. As a standard action, the cryptic can throw the folded trap at an unoccupied square up to 30 feet away. No attack roll is necessary and the trap is immediately ‘unfolded’ and ready to be triggered as normal. The trap affected must have a CR no greater than half the cryptic’s level (minimum 1). A trap that has been folded cannot be folded again, even if it was not triggered after being thrown. The cryptic must have the Quick Trapsmith insight before selecting this insight.

Fractal Pattern (Su)

A cryptic with this insight can use disrupt pattern as an attack action during a full-attack action. After she does, she gains lesser disruptions equal to the remaining number of attacks she can make that round.

Lesser disruptions are ranged attack actions that target the AC of a creature the cryptic can see up to 30 feet away. They deal damage equal to 1d6 + the cryptic’s Intelligence modifier with a critical threat range of 20/x2. Each time the cryptic attacks with a lesser disruption, she can choose to deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

An s-class cryptic with fractal understanding increases the attack and damage bonuses of her lesser disruptions as if they were her disrupt pattern ability.

A cryptic must have either the Rapid Shot feat or a base attack bonus of +6 before selecting this insight.

Gifted Linguist (Ex)

A cryptic with this insight gains a +4 racial bonus on Linguistics checks, and they learn one additional language every time they put a rank in the Linguistics skill.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

This works like evasion, except that while the cryptic still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless cryptic does not gain the benefit of improved evasion. A cryptic must be at least 10th level before selecting this insight.

Quick Disable (Ex)

It takes a cryptic with this ability half the normal amount of time to disable a trap using the Disable Device skill (minimum 1 round).

Shatter Pattern (Su)

The cryptic learns how to break a minor pattern with her touch, allowing her to destroy a non-magical unattended item with hit points equal to double the cryptic’s level. This effect ignores any hardness the object might have. The cryptic may attempt to use this insight on an attended object, but doing so provokes attacks of opportunity and she must make a successful touch attack with a -4 penalty against the target’s touch AC.

Speak in Tongues (Su)

A cryptic with this insight can expend her psionic focus as a swift action to gain a supernatural tongues effect for up to 1 minute per cryptic level.

A cryptic must be at least 6th level and have the gifted linguist ability before selecting this insight.

Stored Pattern (Su)

As a swift action, the cryptic can store her disrupt pattern ability in a weapon she wields. A weapon charged in this way counts as having the storing magic weapon property, and it cannot also have a spell stored in this way. When she hits a creature with her weapon, the cryptic also deals her disrupt pattern damage to it automatically, including any critical damage.

Trap Spotter (Ex)

Whenever a cryptic with this insight comes within 10 feet of a trap, she receives an immediate Perception skill check to notice the trap. This check should be made in secret by the GM.

Supreme Insights

Maximized Pattern (Su)

As a free action, the cryptic can expend power 9 points and maximize the damage of her disrupt pattern ability. This includes the additional damage she deals with enhanced disruption.

If she has the binding pattern insight, the cryptic can apply its effect to this without further altering her disrupt pattern’s damage. She cannot use this insight in conjunction with stored pattern, and any lesser disruptions she may have do not benefit from it.

One Voice (Su)

The cryptic can speak and understand all spoken languages, even secret or forgotten languages. This does not allow the cryptic to understand words read off of something unless she or the creature reading them understands those words independent of this ability.

If she has the speak in tongues insight, the cryptic can expend her psionic focus to grant that insight’s benefit allies she can see that can see her. The cryptic divides the duration of her ability between those creatures.