Angakok Cleric Archetype

The spiritualistic angakok dispenses with religion’s tedious formalities and directs his energies toward providing for his associates’ most basic necessities.

The talvikind reveres winter as the death throes of an ancient, giant crone who birthed the world into existence. Despite their differing philosophies, these clerics and most of their kind in this remote part of the world recognize survival rather than spiritual sustenance tops their worshipers’ list of imminent priorities.

Death always lurks behind the door in polar communities. It can manifest as a steep plunge in temperature, a ferocious blizzard, a devastating avalanche, or a frost giant attack. The indigenous people have no time to focus their energy on the distant future, when the present offers so many imminent perils. In a land where daily survival always hangs in the balance, mortals cannot expend any wasted effort contemplating dogmas or sacrificing precious resources to an invisible, uncaring entity. Polar inhabitants place their trust and faith in the tangible rather than the intangible. Any deity attempting to sway them to their religion must deliver real results and not just empty promises of rewards in the afterlife.

The angakok does just that. He beseeches his divine patron to give his flock assistance in the here and now rather than mere hopes for a better existence somewhere down the line. The angakok goes where the action is, accompanying believers everywhere in their travels. He never hesitates to rush headlong into danger. The angakok may wield his magic to smite his foes, portend into the immediate future to guide his followers’ actions at a dungeon door, and take up arms with remarkable prowess. Although beholden to a god, philosophy, or ethos, his world view lends itself to the belief that other hidden powers influence the realms of mortals more than a pantheon of omnipotent yet fickle cosmic beings. In his mind, souls existed long before gods descended from the heavens. Likewise, magic also coursed through the universe before a temperamental deity claimed the mystical energy as his own creation. He reveres the enduring spirits of the dead and magic’s endless possibilities far more than an impassionate divine being. Yet, rather than merely dwelling on such complexities in the sanctity of a secure temple, the angakok prefers testing his theories in the field on flesh, bone, metal, and stone instead of relying upon his benefactor to mysteriously do the same.

Skills

An angakok adds Knowledge (geography), Survival, and Swim to his list of class skills and removes Appraise and Knowledge (nobility) from his list of class skills. This alters the cleric’s class skills.

Frozen Fortune (Su)

At 1st level, an angakok gains no domain or domain bonus spells. Instead, he gains the granted power to portend fortunes. He may touch any living creature as a standard action to give it an insight bonus equal to his cleric level on one attack roll, skill check, ability check, or saving throw made before the end of the angakok’s next turn. The target can add the insight bonus after he makes the roll but before the result is revealed. The angakok can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier. This ability replaces the cleric’s domains class feature.

Combat Prowess (Ex)

At 2nd level and every four levels thereafter the angakok gains a bonus feat from either the monk’s list of bonus feats or one of the ranger’s combat styles. Once an angakok selects a feat from either source, he gains additional bonus feats from that source only. Thus, if the cleric opted to select a feat from the ranger’s archery combat style, he can choose bonus feats available only to that combat style.

At 6th and 10th levels, he may select a bonus feat from his chosen list available to a monk or ranger of that same level. If the angakok has class levels in monk or ranger, the levels stack to determine when he is eligible to select the bonus feats available at those levels.

Channel Soul (Su)

At 5th level, an angakok can channel energy to converse with a dead creature. When the angakok channels energy, he can ask one question of a dead creature within his channel energy burst as if using speak with dead. If he channels positive energy, the dead creature he is questioning does not gain a Will saving throw if it is good-aligned. Conversely, an evil dead creature does not gain a Will saving throw if he channels negative energy. At 10th level and every five levels thereafter, he may ask the dead creature one additional question. He cannot question a creature killed or destroyed by his channel energy burst.