PossessionSpell 7
Source Pathfinder Core Rulebook
Traditions Occult
Cast (somatic, verbal)
Range 30 feet
Target 1 living creature
Duration 1 minute
Saving Throw Will
You send your mind and soul into the target's body, attempting to take control. The target must attempt a Will save. You can choose to use the effects of a degree of success more favorable to the target if you prefer. While you're possessing a target, your own body is Unconscious and can't wake up normally. You can sense everything the possessed target does. You can Dismiss this spell. If the possessed body dies, the spell ends and you must succeed at a Fortitude save against your spell DC or be Paralyzed for 1 hour, or 24 hours on a critical failure. If the spell ends during an encounter, you act just before the possessed creature's initiative count.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success You possess the target but can't control it. You ride along in the body while the spell lasts.
Failure You possess the target and take partial control of it. You no longer have a separate turn; instead, you might control the target. At the start of each of the target's turns, it attempts another Will save. If it fails, it's Controlled by you on that turn; if it succeeds, it chooses its own actions; and if it critically succeeds, it forces you out and the spell ends.
Critical Failure You possess the target fully, and it can only watch as you manipulate it like a puppet. The target is Controlled by you.
Heightened (9th) The duration is 10 minutes, and you can physically enter the creature's body, protecting your physical body while the spell lasts.
Traits
Something of uncommon rarity requires special training or comes from a particular culture or part of the world. Some character choices give access to uncommon options, and the GM can choose to allow access for anyone. Less is known about uncommon creatures than common creatures. They typically can't be summoned. The DC of Recall Knowledge checks related to these creature is increased by 2.
NecromancyEffects and magic items with this trait are associated with the necromancy school of magic, typically involving forces of life and death.
IncapacitationAn ability with this trait can take a character completely out of the fight or even kill them, and it's harder to use on a more powerful character. If a spell has the incapacitation trait, any creature of more than twice the spell's level treats the result of their check to prevent being incapacitated by the spell as one degree of success better, or the result of any check the spellcaster made to incapacitate them as one degree of success worse. If any other effect has the incapacitation trait, a creature of higher level than the item, creature, or hazard generating the effect gains the same benefits.
MentalA mental effect can alter the target's mind. It has no effect on an object or a mindless creature.
PossessionEffects with this trait allow a creature to project its mind and spirit into a target. A creature immune to mental effects can't use a possession effect. While possessing a target, a possessor's true body is unconscious (and can't wake up normally), unless the possession effect allows the creature to physically enter the target. Whenever the target takes damage, the possessor takes half that amount of damage as mental damage. A possessor loses the benefits of any of its active spells or abilities that affect its physical body, though it gains the benefits of the target's active spells and abilities that affect their body. A possessor can use any of the target's abilities that are purely physical, and it can't use any of its own abilities except spells and purely mental abilities. The GM decides whether an ability is purely physical or purely mental. A possessor uses the target's attack modifier, AC, Fortitude save, Reflex save, Perception, and physical skills, and its own Will save, mental skills, spell attack roll, and spell DC; benefits of invested items apply where relevant (the possessor's invested items apply when using its own values, and the target's invested items apply when using the target's values). A possessor gains no benefit from casting spells that normally affect only the caster, since it isn't in its own body. The possessor must use its own actions to make the possessed creature act. If a possessor reaches 0 Hit Points through any combination of damage to its true body and mental damage from the possession, it is knocked out as normal and the possession immediately ends. If the target reaches 0 Hit Points first, the possessor can either fall unconscious with the body and continue the possession or end the effect as a free action and return to its body. If the target dies, the possession ends immediately and the possessor is stunned for 1 minute.