Infospheritualist (Starfinder Archetype)

What in past ages may have been called televangelism evolved alongside technology, growing in strength alongside it. With the growing ease of accessing information through a system’s infosphere comes the ease of accessing misinformation, planted by charlatans to con the gullible. As magic and gods are real but distant in the lives of organisms in the galaxy at large, it’s easy to misconstrue information about either, and utilize it to one’s advantage. Enter the infospheritualist; at least, that’s the title given to them by their detractors. To the followers of an infospheritualist, their leader is a prophet who promises all good things given to them are repaid tenfold in blessings. The span of the galaxy’s information trade and the ease of transferring credits plays to infospheritualists’ advantage - not to mention the gullibility of the desperate. Of course, they gain some power from the belief of those around them; they silence nonbelievers with their mastery of literally converting credits and UPBs to miracles. The fact that these spells tend to benefit the leaders of these cults is a nonissue.

Alternate Class Features

The infospheritualist archetype grants alternate class features as 4th, 6th, 12th, and 18th levels. Good-aligned characters cannot take this archetype.

Credit Caster (Sp) - 4th Level

Choose two 1st-level spells from the mystic spell list. You can cast either of these or 1st-level mystic cure by expending 30 credits and/or UPBs. If the spell has a material component cost, it is added to the base cost of this ability. Credits or UPBs used in this way must be on your person, and other precious goods cannot be sacrificed to use this ability. The save DC of these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + your key ability score modifier. You can cast spells in this way a total number of times per day equal to your key ability score modifier.

Additionally, the DCs of Bluff checks to convince creatures that your religious cause is real and/or worth donating to, as well as Mysticism checks to recall details about the faith you are pretending to be a part of (if any) are reduced by 5.

Followers’ Offerings (Ex, Sp) - 6th Level

Your cult begins to take off in popularity, and your devoted flock sends you regular offerings of credits to assist you in your goals (and, of course, find blessings for themselves). Your bank account you’ve set up allows you to channel these into your magic at any distance. At the beginning of every day, you receive 100 credits for every level you possess.

You cannot buy permanent goods or items with these credits; instead, these credits can only be used to power your spell-like abilities gained through this archetype. At the end of the day, these credits vanish from your account, perhaps taken by the same power that lets you turn money to magic.

Additionally, choose two 2nd-level spells from the mystic spell list. You can cast either of these or 2nd-level mystic cure by expending 300 credits and/or UPBs, as per Credit Caster. The save DC of these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + your key ability score modifier.

Notorious Preacher (Ex, Sp) - 12th Level

Your cult is infamous enough that pretty much everyone has either heard of you or can quickly find information about you (it’s a DC 10 Culture check to recognize your name and a DC 20 Culture check for someone to recognize you out of context from your appearance alone). Among those who follow your religious movement, you’ve built up both fans and detractors due to your celebrity. If you’re looking for a generic person like “a doctor who can treat this disease,” you can find one who’s a believer in your faith and whose attitude starts as friendly or helpful to you; this takes 2d4 hours.

At the GM’s discretion, followers might give you services (although not goods, except for charitable donations of credits) for a discount or even for free. Additionally, your daily allotment of credits from Follower’s Offerings increases to 500 credits for every level you possess.

Finally, choose two 3rd- or 4th-level spells from the mystic spell list. You can cast either of these or 4th-level mystic cure by expending 3,000 credits and/or UPBs, as per Credit Caster. The save DC of these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + your key ability score modifier.

Savior of Multitudes (Ex, Sp) - 18th Level

Your cult has grown across the galaxy, exceeding even your own expectations. Once per day, you can deliver a speech or broadcast to your followers (who hang on your every word) for a total of at least 10 minutes to recover 1 Resolve Point.

Your followers give their life’s savings (and possibly their lives outright) for you; it takes only 1d4 hours to find a member of the faithful who meets a generic description. Followers of your faith give you a 10% discount on purchased goods, and your daily allotment of credits from Follower’s Offerings increases to 5,000 credits for every level you possess.

Finally, choose two 5th- or 6th-level spells from the mystic spell list. You can cast either of these or 6th-level mystic cure by expending 3,000 credits and/or UPBs, as per Credit Caster. The save DC of these spells is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + your key ability score modifier.