Body Control

Operatives of the Body Control sphere are skilled at meditation and unlocking the limits of
internal physiology. They can make their bodies do extraordinary things otherwise thought
possible only with magic.
You gain the following benefits when you gain the Body Control sphere.
Associated Skill: Escape Artist. When you gain the Body Control sphere, you gain 5
ranks in Escape Artist, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Body Control sphere
(maximum ranks equal to your Hit Dice). If you already have ranks in Escape Artist, you may
immediately retrain them. You don’t gain or retrain ranks when you temporarily gain a talent.

Skill Leverage: You unlock skill leverage with the Acrobatics and Escape Artist skills.

Meditation [approach]
Adopting this approach is a swift action. While you maintain this approach, you gain some
conscious control over your physiological processes and your emotional responses. You can
attempt an Escape Artist check as an immediate action to oppose any Intimidate or Perform
check that would succeed against you. The DC of the opponent’s check increases by 3, which
can cause it to fail. You can also attempt an Escape Artist check as an immediate action if you
would fail a saving throw against one of the following effects: a charm effect, an emotion effect,
a fear effect, or an effect that gives the nauseated, paralyzed, or sickened conditions. If your
skill check succeeds against the save DC, you get a +3 insight bonus on the saving throw,
which can cause it to succeed instead of fail. When you meditate, you may add a talent with the
(control) tag to your meditation, or two talents if at least one has the [utility] tag. Some (control)
talents add to the list of effects you can make an Escape Artist check against using this
approach.

Body Control Talent Types

Some talents are marked (control), granting you additional benefits when you meditate.

Clarity Talents
Some talents are marked (clarity), allowing you to trigger an effect whenever you abandon a
meditation that has lasted at least 1 round. You may only apply one (clarity) talent at a time. You
can apply the clarity talent even if the meditation was ended by something outside your control
(such as you losing consciousness).
Body Control Talents
Intense Meditation
As a move action, you can concentrate on your current meditation to add an additional (control)
talent to the current meditation until the end of your next turn. For every 7 ranks in Escape Artist
you possess, you can increase the number of (control) talents added by 1.

Optimal Recovery
You heal twice the usual amount of hit points and ability damage from rest and from the treat
deadly wounds use of the Heal skill. You can also use your Escape Artist modifier in place of
your Heal modifier to heal yourself and you take no penalty for lacking a healer’s kit when
healing yourself.
If you possess at least 5 ranks in Escape Artist, you can also recover from 2 points of
ability drain or 1 temporary negative level each day.
If you possess at least 10 ranks in Escape Artist, you can recover from 1 permanent
negative level each week.

Perfect Parallel
You can share the space of any creature who considers you an ally. While you are in an ally’s
space and neither of you is helpless, you and your ally each occupy one corner of your shared
space for the purpose of determining soft cover (if either of you is large enough to provide the
other with cover). You can change which part of the space you’re in as part of any movement or
as a swift action. Flanking provides no bonus to hit either of you (although it does permit sneak
attacks). You can use soft cover from an ally in your space to hide if your ally is no smaller than
you, but while you are hidden only you gain cover.

Reflexive Meditation
You may meditate as an immediate action to preempt the action of another creature. If you do
so, the meditation only lasts until the end of your next turn (it does not last long enough to use a
(clarity) talent).

Sleep Mastery [utility]

You can optimize your body’s sleep patterns. You don’t abandon your current approach while
you sleep, although you don’t become more alert while you sleep (meaning some approaches
aren’t useful to maintain while asleep). You can get a full night’s rest in 6 hours, which can be
broken up into 30-minute units. (If your sleep is interrupted, you only need to sleep the
remaining time, rounded up to the next 30-minute interval, to get the full benefits of resting.) For
every 5 ranks in the associated skill you possess, you reduce the total required by 1 hour.
Clarity Talents

Poison Manipulation (clarity, control)

While you meditate, as a (control) talent you can increase the frequency of a poison affecting
you by your ranks in Escape Artist (measured in the poison’s usual time units). You add half
your ranks in Escape Artist as a resistance bonus to your saving throws against poison effects
(minimum +1).
In addition, as a (clarity) talent you may excrete a dose of poison you fully saved against
within the duration of your meditation through your skin. This excreted poison does not affect
your skin and can be collected for later or applied to an object as a move action. You do not risk
exposing yourself to it for 1 round after your meditation ends.

Regain Senses (clarity)

When you abandon your meditation, you may roll a new save against an ongoing blindness,
charm, deafness, emotion, or sleep effect you are suffering from that you failed a saving throw
against. You get a +1 insight bonus to the new saving throw for every 4 ranks in Escape Artist
you possess (minimum 1). If you succeed, you get the normal benefits of success. If you fail, the
effect doesn’t worsen but you can’t use this talent against the same effect again.

Shake It Off (clarity)

Choose an ongoing spell or effect on you that gives you the exhausted, fatigued, nauseated,
paralyzed, or sickened condition. You attempt a new saving throw against the effect’s save DC.
You get a +1 insight bonus to the new saving throw for every 4 ranks in Escape Artist you
possess (minimum 1). If you succeed, the effect ends. If you fail, you can’t use this talent
against the same effect again.

Staunch Wounds (clarity, control)

While meditating, as a (control) talent you reduce any ongoing or new bleed you experience by
1 + 1 per 5 ranks you possess in Escape Artist. (It returns to its usual value when your
meditation ends.)
In addition, as a (clarity) talent you may either automatically stabilize when reduced to
negative hit points or make an Escape Artist check to end any bleed damage affecting you as if
you received magical healing (DC 15 or the Heal or caster level DC listed for the bleed effect).

Steel Skin (control, clarity)

While meditating, as a (control) talent you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to your natural armor,
increasing by 1 for every 5 ranks in Escape Artist you possess. In addition, as a (clarity) talent
you may prolong this bonus to natural armor until the end of your next turn (even though your
meditation has ended).
Control Talents
Breath Control (Control) [Utility]
You can hold your breath for an additional 1 minute per rank in Escape Artist you possess while
meditating. In addition, while meditating and holding your breath, you don’t have to stop holding
your breath to speak. Instead, you lose 1 minute of remaining breath per round that you speak.
Your meditation immediate action can allow you to reroll a failed saving throw from any
drowning or inhaled effect (if you succeed at an Escape Artist check). If you are still holding your
breath when your meditation ends, you lose any remaining additional time added by the
meditation but still have all of your normal amount of breath remaining.

Compression (control) [utility]

You can move through a space as narrow as half your size without squeezing, as narrow as
one-quarter your size at half speed, as narrow as your shoulders at one-quarter speed, and as
narrow as your head at a rate of 5 feet per full-round action. You take one-fifth the usual penalty
to Escape Artist checks for attempting to escape from restraints or effects one step faster than
usual (see new skill uses).

Controlled Sleepwalking (control) [utility]

You can maintain your approach even after you fall asleep (the only time this talent functions).
You aren’t immobilized while you sleep and can take one planned, methodical physical activity
during sleep while still getting the benefits of rest as long as you maintain your meditation. You
can’t react to unexpected problems, or interact with other creatures beyond simply keeping a
casual pace behind someone, or use most Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills
(other than taking 10 or making prolonged use of Craft, Disable Device, Perform, or Profession
you planned out while awake). You could perform simple labor or travel a safe route you are
familiar with. You are effectively oblivious (see alertness in Using Spheres of Guile), allowing
you to pay attention to things you have right at hand involved in performing your action. You can
perform a controlled sleepwalk for no more than 1 hour of your sleep time, plus another 1 hour
per 5 ranks you possess in Escape Artist. You choose before you go to sleep what the activity is
and can’t change the choice once you begin. If the activity becomes infeasible, you mime an
approximation for the rest of the period you intended to sleepwalk, and become no more alert
than you would otherwise be while asleep.

Control Reactions (control)

Your meditation immediate action can give you a bonus on a failed Reflex save that you
succeed at an Escape Artist check against.
Intentional Movements (control)
You can spend 1 use of skill leverage to take 10 on an Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, and Swim check
even while in combat. You can choose to use your Escape Artist modifier in place of your usual
skill modifier for the check.

Iron Concentration (control)

You can use your meditation immediate action to get a bonus on any failed concentration check
or a failed saving throw against effects with the pain descriptor or that would make you
fascinated, distracted, oblivious, or asleep (provided you succeed on an Escape Artist check).

Poison Manipulation (clarity, control)

See above.

Push Through (control)

You take no numerical penalties from the fatigued or exhausted conditions while you meditate
(although they can still prevent you from taking certain actions or activating abilities like rage).
You can also ignore up to 2 total points of ability penalties and ability damage to each physical
ability score, which increases by 2 for every 5 ranks in Escape Artist you possess.

Regulate Heat (Control) [Utility]

While you are meditating, you are not harmed by being in a hot or cold environment. You can
exist comfortably in conditions between -50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-45 and 60 degrees
Celsius) without having to make Fortitude saves. Your equipment is likewise protected.
This talent doesn’t provide any resistance to fire or cold damage, nor does it protect
against other environmental hazards such as smoke, lack of air, and so forth.
Associated Feat: Endurance

Staunch Wounds (clarity, control)

See above.

Steel Skin (control, clarity)

See above.

Stony Demeanor (Control) [utility]

While you are meditating, you get a +2 morale bonus on Bluff checks to lie, make a claim, or
mislead a creature’s skill check. The bonus increases by 1 for every 5 ranks in Escape Artist
you possess. Additionally, if you successfully resist a mind-affecting effect, creatures observing
you must succeed on a Sense Motive check opposed by your Bluff or Escape Artist check
(whichever is higher) to determine if you are affected or not.
Exceptional Talents

Decrease Mass (control) [utility]

Prerequisites: Body Control.
You can decrease your mass while meditating, which reduces your weight by 50%, granting you
the following benefits:
● You may spend 1 use of skill leverage as an immediate action to reroll a failed
Climb check, Swim check, or Acrobatics check to balance.
● You are always considered to have a running start for Acrobatics checks to jump.
When you high jump, you can clear a distance equal to half your Acrobatics
result. When you long jump, you can clear a distance equal to twice your
Acrobatics result.
● Wind effects and location-based traps treat you as if you were one size category
smaller; if you have a fly speed, you can use your Escape Artist modifier in place
of your Fly modifier if it is better.
● Falling damage you take is measured in d4s.
● You don’t sink in quicksand, lava, thin ice, or snow (although you aren’t protected
from any harm that you might take for simply standing on the substance). If you
were already under the surface ofr quicksand or lava, you float 10 feet upward at
the end of each of your turns, up until your whole body breaks the surface
(allowing you to stand on it).
● You don’t sink in water, acid, oil, or other liquids if you charge or run across it. If
you turn or otherwise walk on a liquid, you sink immediately.
If you would come under the effect of Decrease Mass and Increase Mass at the same
time, they cancel each other out.

Expel Kinetic Energy (clarity) (Su)

Prerequisites: Body Control.
When you abandon your meditation, if the meditation was maintained for at least 1 round, each
creature within 10 feet of you must succeed at a Reflex save or be pushed back by 5 feet. If
they fail by 5 or more, they also fall prone. For every 5 ranks in Escape Artist you possess,
Expel Kinetic Energy affects every creature within an additional 10 feet from you and they are
pushed back an extra 5 feet on a failed save.

Expel Life Energy (clarity) (Su)

Prerequisites: Body Control, living or undead creature.
When you abandon your meditation, if the meditation was maintained for at least 1 round, you
can emit a burst of your own life energy to affect living and undead creatures within 10 feet. For
every 5 ranks in Escape Artist you possess, Expel Life Energy affects every creature within an
additional 5 feet from you. You must spend hit points to activate this talent, but no more than the
number of ranks in Escape Artist you possess and never enough to reduce you below 1 hit
point. Living creatures other than you in the area are healed of 1d4 hit points per hit point you
spent and undead in the area take the same damage (Will save for half damage). Once you use
this talent, you can’t use it again until you naturally heal hit points from rest.
Special: If you are undead, you expel negative energy instead of positive energy, and
its effects are reversed (healing undead and damaging living creatures).

Featherweight (Su)
Prerequisites: Body Control (Decrease Mass), Escape Artist or Fly 5 ranks.
When you Decrease Mass, you can further reduce your weight to a tiny fraction, which adds the
following additional effects.
● Wind effects and location-based traps treat you as if you were an additional size
category smaller (two total smaller).
● You fall no more than 60 feet per round, never take falling damage.
● Increase each of your speeds by 10 feet (this gives you a +6 bonus to Acrobatics
checks to jump as normal). When you high jump, you can clear a distance equal
to your Acrobatics result. When you long jump, you can clear a distance equal to
triple your Acrobatics result. You can end your movement in mid-jump, in which
case you continue your movement on your next turn.
● You don’t sink in any liquid or break any fragile surface due to your weight
(although you aren’t protected from any harm that you might take for simply
standing on the substance). If you were already under the surface of a liquid, you
float 30 feet upward at the end of each of your turns, up until your whole body
breaks the surface (allowing you to stand on it).
● By holding a cloak, tarp, blanket, or other loose article and flapping or angling it
with two hands, you can gain a fly speed of 15 feet with clumsy maneuverability.
You lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while flying this way.

Fiery Touch (control)

Prerequisites: Body Control (Regulate Heat), Escape Artist 5 ranks.
You can emit incredible heat from your hands while you meditate. Your unarmed attacks and
metal weapon attacks gain the flaming weapon property. Alternatively, you can make a touch
attack as an attack action or during a full attack in order to deal 1d6 points of fire damage per 5
ranks in the associated skill you possess. In addition, you can shatter mundane cold glass
objects or work metals with low melting points with your hands, including copper, tin, and lead.
You can reshape 1 cubic foot of the metal with 1 minute of work. This allows you to attempt
Craft checks with these metals using your hands as masterwork artisan’s tools, making progress
measured in hours rather than days.

Hold Onto Life (control, clarity)

Prerequisites: Body Control (Staunch Wounds), Escape Artist 10 ranks.
You are not staggered while disabled and meditating. Your meditation immediate action allows
you to get a bonus on a failed saving throw from any death or negative energy effect if you
succeed at the Escape Artist check.
If you would be reduced below 0 hit points or killed, you must abandon your meditation
but as a (clarity) effect you gain enough temporary hit points to remain at 0 hit points, to a
maximum number of hit points equal to twice your ranks in Escape Artist.

Impossible Escape (control)

Prerequisites: Body Control (Compression, Incredible Flexibility), Escape Artist 10 ranks.
You can stretch your body into dimensions beyond the material plane. You can move through
any space wider than your head without slowing and you can slip through a gap narrower than
your head but wider than a finger at half speed by succeeding at a DC 35 Escape Artist check.
You can’t end your movement squeezing through a space your head can’t fit and the surface’s
hardness can’t be higher than the number of ranks you possess in Escape Artist. As a move
action, you can supernaturally teleport to a space adjacent to your natural reach.

Increase Mass (control)

Prerequisites: Body Control.
You can increase your mass while meditating, which increases your weight by 50%. This has
the following effects.
● When an opponent succeeds at a bull rush, drag, reposition, or trip maneuver against
you while meditating, you can spend an immediate action before the effects are applied
to attempt an Escape Artist check to oppose the combat maneuver check. If you
succeed, the opponent must roll the combat maneuver check again and use the lower
result (which can cause the maneuver to fail).
● You can use your meditation immediate action to reroll a failed bull rush, drag,
reposition, or trip combat maneuver check or a failed ability check or saving throw
against an effect that would knock you prone or move you against your will (as long as
you succeed at an Escape Artist check against the same DC).
● Wind effects and location-based traps treat you as if you were one size category larger,
but if you have a fly speed, your maneuverability worsens by one step.

Incredible Flexibility (control) [utility]

Prerequisites: Body Control (Compression), Escape Artist 5 ranks.
You can move through any space wider than your shoulders without slowing, or through a space
no wider than your head at half speed (by succeeding at a DC 30 Escape Artist check). In
addition, you can slip through a gap narrower than your head in an object with hardness less
than the number of ranks in Escape Artist you possess. The gap must be at least as wide as
your finger (or similarly minor appendage), you must arrive in a space wider than your head
within a distance no longer than your natural reach, and you must succeed at a DC 35 Escape
Artist check as a full-round action.
Iron Solidity (Su)
Prerequisites: Body Control (Increase Mass), Escape Artist 10 ranks.
While you Increase Mass, you can choose to octuple your weight and gain the density of solid
iron, with the following additional effects.
● Each of your speeds is reduced by 10 feet. Traps and wind treat you as an additional
step larger (two steps including Increased Mass).
● You gain damage reduction 5/piercing or adamantine. For every 2 ranks in Escape Artist
you possess beyond 10, your damage reduction increases by 1.
● You sink 20 feet each time you end your turn in acid, water, or a similarly dense liquid.
● You are considered armed when making unarmed attacks, and you increase the damage
die for your unarmed attacks by one step.

Stretchy Limbs (control)

Prerequisites: Body Control, Lunge, base attack bonus +6, Escape Artist 10 ranks.
You can spend a swift action to increase your reach by 5 feet until the end of your turn.

Subjective Gravity (control) (Su)

Prerequisites: Body Control sphere; Climb, Escape Artist, or Knowledge (planes) 5 ranks.
While meditating, you can control your effective direction of gravity, as if you were on a plane
with subjective directional gravity. You also negate any height bonuses opponents above you
would receive if you are standing on a horizontal surface. You can calculate the distance of your
high jumps as if they were long jumps oriented in any direction. (As mentioned in the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide, you can move normally along a solid surface by
imagining “down” below your feet. If suspended in midair, you fall in a straight line 150 feet in
the first round and 300 feet in each succeeding round. To stop, you must change the designated
“down” direction to counteract your fall, reducing your falling speed by one step each round.)
You can choose this talent a second time if you possess at least 10 ranks in Escape
Artist or Fly. When you do, you gain a supernatural fly speed of 30 feet with poor
maneuverability while meditating.

Temperature Mastery (control)

Prerequisites: Body Control (Regulate Heat).
Choose either cold or fire. You heat or cool your skin in order to gain resistance to the chosen
energy equal to the number of ranks in Escape Artist you possess for as long as you meditate.
You can change this choice during your meditation by spending a swift action.

Changelog
● Changed Subjective Gravity to use the subjective gravity planar trait rules rather than the
Climb skill
● Renamed Stony Solidity to Iron Solidity
● Removed [Utility] tag from Iron Concentration
● Increase Mass now forces a reroll of an enemy’s combat maneuver check if the opposed
Escape Artist check wins (rather than causing the maneuver to simply fail)
● Revised Controlled Sleepwalking

● Changed meditation to grant a bonus to the saving throw if your Escape Artist check
succeeds, rather than allowing a reroll
● Added Perfect Parallel talent
● Made Decrease Mass and Increase Mass exceptional talents available at 1st level
● Improved jump distance for Decrease Mass and Featherweight
● Added +10 feet speed bonus to Featherweight
● Clarified restrictions on Impossible Escape and shortened teleport distance to 5 + natural
reach