Path of the Manipulator[]
Path Sphere: Veilweaving
Path Possession: While possessing an unwilling creature, the manipulator can choose to reduce the essence capacity of all of the possessed creature’s essence receptacles reduced by 1 until they choose to end this effect, or until the possession ends. If this would cause a receptacle to be invested with more than its maximum essence, all excess essence is burned.
While possessing a willing creature, the manipulator may invest their own essence in that creature’s essence receptacles and veils. This uses that creature’s essence capacity. When the manipulator ends their possession any of their essence invested in those receptacles or veils is automatically uninvested.
Path Skill: Knowledge (Arcana)
Improved Path Possession: While possessing a willing creature, the manipulator can choose to grant that creature the benefit of one it’s shaped veils. This veil uses the manipulator’s statistics and invested essence. The manipulator can grant the creature access to a different veil as part of reinvesting their essence (they lose access to the first veil). These granted veils do not take up the creature’s veil slots, and can be combined with other veils in their slot.
While possessing an unwilling creature, the manipulator can lock that creature out of one of their veils or essence receptacles; chosen when they first begin the possession. The manipulator learns of all of the creature’s veils and essence receptacles the creature has (making any Knowledge (arcana) checks to identify their effects, as normal). The creature cannot use or benefit from a locked out receptacle for the duration of the possession, and a locked out veil is suppressed for the duration of the possession. Any essence invested in a locked out veil or receptacle is immediately uninvested.
Greater Path Possession: The manipulator can now grant a willing creature the benefit of two of their veils, and can lock an unwilling creature out of two veils or essence receptacles (or one of each).
Sidebar: Interaction Between Wraith Possession and Veils[]
While passively possessing a creature, the wraith can choose to completely hide their veils. They cannot be detected via sight or magic until the wraith chooses to use them. Those veils become visible for the duration of their effect if used.
While the wraith is actively possessing a creature, their veils appear on that creature’s body and function as normal. If that creature had veils of their own, those veils are suppressed for the duration of the active possession. When the wraith reaches 12th level, they gain the ability to use their host’s supernatural abilities and thus their veils. If the host and the wraith have veils that share a slot, the wraith must choose which to temporarily suppress while actively possessing the creature, unless the wraith or their host has the Twin Veil feat or a similar ability that allows multiple veils shaped in a single slot. In such a case, they do not need to suppress either veil if that slot doesn’t already have two veils shaped in it. If they do, the wraith chooses which two veils in that slot they wish to keep, and which to suppress).