Ectomancer (3.5e Class)

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One in touch with the void between the material plane and the plane of death, The Ectomancer uses this to call forth spirits that fight by his side and become constant companions. He also has limited spellcasting ability for that little extra umph. Not quite a necromancer, but not fully a wizard, the Ectomancer is truly a unique class, with unique abilities. An Ectomancer is fully capable of being a spellcaster replacement when magical back up is needed a little, and is also able to take a place as a ranged combatant if need be. However, an Ectomancer does not learn powerful enough spells to fully replace a caster, and has too little hp to become a truly active combatant.

Making an Ectomancer[edit]

Abilities: The most important attribute is Intelligence, which not only governs the spells the Ectomancer can learn and cast, but also helps with skills. the next important would be Dexterity, which adds to armor class, making the Ectomancer harder to hit. The third most important stat is, of course, Constitution. Where would any character be without a good con mod, huh?

Races: Most races are able to see the void between the worlds, but few are taken to acting upon it. The most common Ectomancers are Human, Half-elf, Elven, and many savage species such as goblins and orcs.

Alignment: Any aligned person can see the void, but what spirits they can call are dependent upon their alignment

Starting Gold: 4d4×10 gp (100 gp).

Starting Age: Ectomancers usually begin their journey shortly after reaching adulthood.

Table: The Ectomancer

Hit Die: d4

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special Spells per Day
Fort Ref Will 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Call Spectral Ally I 2
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 ----- 2
3rd +2 +1 +1 +3 Ghost Sound 1/day 3
4th +3 +1 +1 +4 Ghost Walk 1/day 3
5th +3 +1 +1 +4 ----- 3 2
6th +4 +2 +2 +5 Spectral Voice 1/day 4 3
7th +5 +2 +2 +5 Ghost Sound 2/day 4 3
8th +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 Ghost Walk 2/day 4 3 2
9th +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 ----- 5 4 3
10th +7/+2 +3 +3 +7 ----- 5 4 3
11th +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Call Spectral Ally II, Spectral Voice 2/day 5 4 3 2
12th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Ghost Walk 3/day 6 5 4 3
13th +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Ghost Sound 3/day 6 5 4 3
14th +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 ----- 6 5 4 3 2
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Spectral State 3/Rounds 7 6 5 4 3
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Ghost Walk 4/day, Spectral Voice 3/day 7 6 5 4 3
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 ----- 7 6 5 4 3 2
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Spectral State 4/Rounds 8 7 6 5 4 3
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Ghost Sound 4/day 8 7 6 5 4 3
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Call Spectral Ally III, Spectral State 5/rounds, Ghost Walk 5/day 9 8 7 6 5 4

Bluff(Cha), Concentration(Con), Knowledge(Arcana)(Int), Knowledge(History)(Int), Perception(Spot, Search and Listen condensed)(Wis), Sense Motive(Wis), Spellcraft(Int), and Use Magic Device(Cha).

Class Features[edit]

Ectomancers are in touch with the void so well that their abilities are imbued with spectral power. All of the following are class features of the Ectomancer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Ectomancer is proficient with all simple weapons and light armor. Like a Hexblade, the Ectomancer's somatic components are simple enough that he takes no penalty for casting in light armor, but like any other caster, he takes the full penalty for casting with shields or in medium or heavy armor.

Spells: Spells : An Ectomancer casts spells much like a Sorcerer. He learns certain spells as he levels, and can cast only those spells a certain amount of times a day. A Ectomancer can learn and cast spells of a level equal to 10 + Int mod. The save DC for an Ectomancer's spell is equal to 10 + spell level + Ectomancer's int mod. The Ectomancer draws his spells from the sorcerer/wizard spel list located on page 192 of the PHB. If he has a high intelligence score,an Ectomancer can gain an extra number of spells per day, see the abilities chart on page 8 of the PHB for said number.

Table: Ectomancer Spells Known
Level Spells Known
0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 1
2nd 1
3rd 2
4th 2
5th 2 1
6th 3 2
7th 3 2
8th 3 2 1
9th 4 3 2
10th 4 3 2
11th 4 3 2 1
12th 5 4 3 2
13th 5 4 3 2
14th 5 4 3 2 1
15th 6 5 4 3 2
16th 6 5 4 3 2
17th 6 5 4 3 2 1
18th 6 6 5 4 3 2
19th 6 6 5 4 3 2
20th 6 6 6 5 4 3

Ghost Sound (Sp): See PHB, page 235, but is used as class ability.

Ghost Walk (Su): Ghost Walk : When the Ectomancer activates this ability he becomes ethereal for five rounds, but cannot attack without ending the ethereal effect. He can only activate this once every hour.

Spectral Ally: The Ectomancer reaches into the void between life and undeath, asking for an ally in his battles to come. The Ectomancer's ally is a spirit of his own alignment.
The Ghost ally starts off at level one and is based off of a Human Fighter with the following stats: 15Str, 15Dex, -Con, 14Int, 14Wis, 17Cha. Use the Sorcere Familiar advancement information in the PHB(3.5) for determining the ally's abilities and stats. If the Ectomancer's ally should be felled, he must wait for a week in order to gather the necessary spiritual energies, then is able to reach into the void to call another, yet only spirits of a level equal to him will join the Ectomancer. Should an Ectomancer's ally move more than 100 feet away from the Ectomancer, he loses touch with the spirit and it goes about it's natural business, and the Ectomancer must go about acquiring another as if his Spectral Ally was defeated. Also, when an Ectomancer chooses a Ghost for his Spectral Ally, two things happen. The first thing that happens is that the ghost loses it's typical special abilities found in the monster manual. The second thing that happens is that it becomes able to fully manifest on the material plane, thus being able to both affect and be affected by corporeal beings. It also gains this ability : Draining Strike(ex) : A Ghost may use this ability once every 1d8 rounds. The ghost makes an attack roll, and, if hits, heals an amount of damage equal to 1d6 + damage dealt

Spectral Voice (Su): The Ectomancer shouts dire threats in a booming, spectral voice. Any living creature within 30ft. of the Ectomancer this is targeting must make a will save equal to 10 + 1/2 Ectomancer's level + Ectomancer's Cha mod or be shaken. If the target(s) can understand the language the Ectomancer shouts in, they become feared instead of shaken. Both effects last for 1d4+1 rounds.

Spectral State (Su): The Ectomancer has become one with the supernatural, able to assume a state similar to his spectral ally's for a number of rounds. During this state the Ectomancer can perform any task he would be able to perform normally. Should, for some unreasonably odd excuse, the Ectomancer find himself in a wall or door when the effect of this ability wears off, he is stuck. No exceptions.

Epic Ectomancer[edit]

Table: The Epic Ectomancer

Hit Die: d6

Level Special
21st Spectral Voice 4/day
22nd Spectral State 6/rounds
23rd Incorporeal Weapon 2/day
24th Ghost Walk 6/day, Spectral State 7/rounds
25th Improved Spectral Voice, Incorporeal Weapon 3/day
26th Improved Spectral Voice 5/day, Spectral State 8/rounds
27th Incorporeal Weapon 4/day
28th Ghost Walk 7/day, Spectral State 9/rounds
29th Incorporeal Weapon 5/day
30th Call Spectral Ally IV, Spectral State 10/rounds

4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Spectral State: An Ectomancer continues gaining time he can be in a spectral state even after level 20.

Improved Spectral Voice: Spectral Voice now does 1d8 sonic damage against enemies within the designated range when used.

Incorporeal Weapon: An Ectomancer can imbue his weapon with the energy from the void to grant it the "Incorporeal" effect for a number of rounds equal to 5 + Int modifier. This allows the Ectomancer to hit Non-Corporeal enemies as he would corporeal enemies.

Ghost Walk: An Ectomancer continues gaining uses of this ability even after level 20.

Half-Elf Ectomancer Starting Package[edit]

Weapons: Spear; 1d8 Damage; x3 Crit; 6lb; 20ft range; Piercing
Light Crossbow; 1d8 Damage; 19-20/x2 Crit; 80ft Range; Piercing


Skill Ranks Ability Armor
Bluff 4 Cha
Concentration 4 Con
Knowledge(Arcana) 4 Int
Knowledge(History) 4 Int
Perception 4 Wis
Sense Motive 4 Wis
Spellcraft 4 Int
Use Magic Device 4 Cha

Feat: Toughness.

Gear: Leather Armor; +2 ac, +6 max dex, 0 chk pen, 10% spell fail, 30ft, 15lb
Backpack, Bedroll,Flint and Steel, a Common Lamp with 2 pints of oil, one day's worth of trail rations, 2 sacks, a tent, waterskin, quiver with 10 bolts an a spell component pouch.

Gold: 6d4.

Campaign Information[edit]

Playing an Ectomancer[edit]

Religion: Ectomancers worship whatever deity they choose, unless that deity disproves of their actions. Some don't worship at all.

Other Classes: Ectomancers get long well with just about any class. They enjoy having a melee ally to take the brunt of the damage while they nuke from the back lines, take great pleasure in assisting a fellow caster to bombard the enemy, or just sit back and fire into the fray.

Combat: The Ectomancer can play one of a few roles. If they acquire the proper feats, such as toughness and others, they can assist in the frontlines the way a rogue might, without the sneak attack. Should they be more dexterity-based, standing back and firing crossbow bolts into the foe would be their niche. and should one go full caster, they can become a very potent character.

Advancement: An Ectomancer's flexibility makes it a good class for one who wises to experiment with spellcasting while being able to retain some combat abilities. They are also cross-classable with just about anything you can think of, so have fun with all the options!

Ectomancers in the World[edit]

Most people are afraid of ghosts, but ummm... I'm not 'People'.
—Talaglad Silverhand, Half-Elf Ectomancer

Ectomancers would fit in a city setting as the eccentric "Ghost Whisperer', or perhaps as a savage race's shaman. The possibilities are numerous, my friends.

Daily Life: The Ectomancer would wake up to the sight of his spectral ally(s) standing watch, ever-vigilant due to the lack of a need to sleep. He would get up, get himself ready, and enter to the world, whereupon he would go about his buisiness, whatever it be that day.

Notables: The Orc "Shaman" Gru'ul Kaar has become quite the accomplished Ectomancer, and he is, in fact, one of the few orcs that are civilized. An Ectomancer would only hope for a chance encoutner with this master of the void.

Organizations: Ectomancers are welcomed by most caster's guilds. Rumors of a new "Ghostcaller's Guild" that is open to any Ectomancer wishing to join have sprouted up here and there, but none of them are confirmed.

NPC Reactions: The reactions NPCs would have varies on the place the Ectomancer is. Some treat the Ectomancer with intrest, thinking about attempting that path for themselves, others view the Ectomancer as an abomanation to life and will attempt to get them wounded, or worse.

Ectomancer Lore[edit]

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(Arcana) can research Ectomancers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC Result
5 Ectomancers are spellcasters that dabble in the spiritual realm.
10 Ectomancers are spellcasters that dabble in the spiritual realm. They can call a spirit to fight for them.
15 Ectomancers are spellcasters that dabble in the spiritual realm. They can call a spirit to fight for them. This spirit is much like a sorcerer or wizard's familiar.
20 Ectomancers are spellcasters that dabble in the spiritual realm. They can call a spirit to fight for them. This spirit is much like a sorcerer or wizard's familiar. This is because they are able to see the void between this plane and the plane of death.

Ectomancers in the Game[edit]

Party Role:' An Ectomancer would be a good support character due to his flexible class, but only for support. The Ectomancer's Spectral Allies would also make good scouts and surprise damage-dealers when in a dire situation. Ectomancers can be specialized or certain things, such as spellcasting, or skills, making them a good addition to any party.

Adaptation: By Cross-Classing Ectomancer with a class like Warmage or Fighter, the Ectomancer could become more melee combat inclined. You could also make it more ranged combat inclined by crossing with ranger or scout. And for spellcasting, just cross classes with a sorcerer or wizard. The Possibilities are endless!

Sample Encounter: Talaglad Silverhand & his companion horned ghost.

EL 5: Talaglad Silverhand begins the combat by telling his Ghost companion to fly behind the pc's and materialize, then casts shield on himself to boost his ac. In the first few rounds of combat, he uses all of his spells per day, then switches to his light crossbow if the pc's go after his Ghost companion like he plans, putting out as much ammo as possible before having to switch to his Longspear. Should his companion die,he will attempt to bluff his way out, saying that he was simply hired to kill them an did not truly mean them harm, getting them relaxed to the point of which he can run away at full blast. Should the pcs defeat him without banishing the ghost, the ghost dematerializes and returns to it's haunt, leaving the pc's alone.

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