UNCOMMON

"Ciphers are uncommon and often misunderstood individuals with extraordinary mental abilities. Like wizards and priests, they have many talents that draw directly from their souls, but ciphers have the unique ability to peer through the spiritual energy of the world to manipulate other souls. While wizards use complex formulae in large tomes and priests tap into the passion of their faith, ciphers are able to operate directly through the power of their minds... and yours."

Key Attribute: Intelligence

At 1st level, your class gives you an attribute boost to Intelligence or Strength or Dexterity.

Hit Points

8 plus your Constitution modifer.

You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Key Terms

You'll see the following key terms in many cipher class features.


Psionic: Psionics are a special form of mental magic only available to Ciphers and are the primary magical actions they use. Psionics always cost Psi Points. Psionics are magical, and though they aren't spells, some things that affect spells also affect Psionics. Abilities that restrict you from casting spells (such as being polymorphed into a battle form) or protect against spells (such as a spell that protects against other spells or a creature's bonus to saves against spells) also apply to Psionics. Psionics can also be dispelled by Dispel Magic and similar effects. For the purposes of Incapacitation and Counteracting, the level of a Psionic is half your level rounded up.

Psi Points Psi Points are what a Cipher needs to be able to use their Psionics. Your Starting Points, Max Points, and Max Points increase are determined by your level and subclass. You accrue Psi Points by making Strikes against enemies and dealing damage with Strikes. Your number of Psi Points reset at the end of an encounter, but you may Refocus to regain your starting amount of Psi Points.

Amp: Amps are special thoughtforms that modify the properties of your psi cantrips. You can apply an amp only to a psi cantrip, spending 1 Focus Point as a free action. If the next action you take is to cast a psi cantrip, you gain its amped effects. The singular focus required to amp a psi cantrip means that unless otherwise noted, you can apply only one amp to a given psi cantrip, and you can't apply both an amp and a spellshape ability to a cantrip at the same time. If both an amp and the amped cantrip deal damage of the same type, combine their damage for the purpose of resistances and weaknesses. Feats with the amp trait provide different amps you can apply to psi cantrips in place of their normal amps. If an amp has its own effect, its rank is the same as the amped cantrip's.

Amp Heightened: Many amps have heightened entries similar to spells. Add the amp's heightened effects when you cast the cantrip at that rank or higher. These are in addition to any heightened effects of the cantrip, though some adjust the cantrip's normal heightened entry (typically in the case of damage increases).

Mindsurge: Abilities with this trait allow you to spend multiple Psi Points or more Psi Points than usual to enhance the effect of the ability you are using.

Thoughtmold: Actions with the thoughtmold trait tweak your Psionics. You must use a thoughtmold action directly before the Psionic action you want to alter. If you use any action (including free actions and reactions) other than a Psionic action directly after, you waste the benefits of the thoughtmold action. Any additional effects added by a thoughtmold action are part of the Psionic's effect, not of the thoughtmold action itself.

Initial Proficiencies

At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.

Perception

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Trained in Perception

Saving Throws

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Trained in Fortitude

Expert in Reflex

Expert in Will

Skills

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Trained in Occultism

Trained in one or more skills determined by your Cipher's mind aspect

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 3 plus your Intelligence modifier

Attacks

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Trained in Simple weapons

Trained in Martial weapons

Trained in Unarmed attacks

Defenses

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Trained in Light armour

Trained in Unarmoured Defense

Class DC

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Trained in Cipher Class DC

Class Features

You gain these features as a Cipher. Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features' names.

Psi Cantrips and Amps

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The magic of your mind manifests as psi cantrips, which you can modify by spending Focus Points. Like other cantrips, you can cast psi cantrips as often as you like, and they are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Generally, only feats can give you more psi cantrips. Unlike other cantrips, you can't swap out psi cantrips gained from cipher feats at a later level, unless you swap out the specific feat via retraining. At 1st level, you learn three psi cantrips determined by your choice of mental mastery; one is a unique psi cantrip and two are common cantrips, typically from the occult spellcasting tradition, that you always cast as psi cantrips. Unlike psychics, you do not automatically gain more psi cantrips as you progress in your career as a cipher and instead gain them only through feats.

You start with a focus pool of 2 Focus Points. However, unlike other spellcasters, you don't gain focus spells that cost Focus Points to cast. Instead, you use your Focus Points to boost or modify your psi cantrips by applying amps—specialized thoughtforms that alter the expression of your psychic power. Each of your psi cantrips has a special amp heading. Whenever you cast a psi cantrip, you can amp it by spending 1 Focus Point as a free action. If the next action you take is to cast the psi cantrip, you add the amp effect. If the spell is a reaction or triggered free action, instead spend the Focus Point as part of that action to add the amped effect. You can also gain additional amps through feats, allowing you to substitute a psi cantrip's normal amp effect for another one. You choose which amp to use, if you choose to use any, each time you cast a psi cantrip. Unless otherwise noted, you can apply only one amp to a given psi cantrip.

You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you can regain Focus Points by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to explore your mind, whether via meditation, practicing a craft or activity that gives you the mental space to self-reflect, or talking through your thoughts and feelings with yourself or another. If you've spent Focus Points only to amp psi cantrips or fuel cipher abilities since the last time you Refocused, you regain 2 Focus Points instead of 1. If you've spent Focus Points on focus spells or abilities other than those from the cipher class (for instance, to cast a focus spell you gained from an archetype), you regain only 1 Focus Point.

Cipher Mental Aspect

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You focus your psionic abilities into