Throw Ectoform

You create ectoplasmic duplicates of yourself each round, confusing enemies and creating weak assistants called ectoforms.

While the duration lasts, you throw off one ectoform per round (but see below). The ectoforms seem to fission seamlessly from your own form or from an earlier generated ectoform, and they initially appear in any clear space you designate that is adjacent to you or adjacent to one of your earlier ectoforms (if the earlier ectoform is adjacent to you). “Throwing” occurs automatically at the beginning of each round and requires no action on your part. The power is suppressed if you are in a space with no physical room to allow you to spawn additional ectoforms or if you have a number of ectoforms equal to your manifester level already in existence from previous rounds of using this power. The power begins to function again when space permits or when one or more of your previously thrown ectoforms is destroyed. When the duration elapses, all surviving ectoforms dissipate. (Nothing can prevent this, although the astral zealot† prestige class abilities may extend the duration as noted in Chapter Eight.) If you manifest this power a second time while the first is still active, the first power lapses and the second takes its place.

Ectoforms possess a thin semblance of your personality, but none of your powers or abilities (treat them as constructs); if interacted with outside of melee, they are instantly recognizable as shams. Your ectoforms pop like balloons, dissipating, if they are successfully attacked or targeted by any melee, ranged, power, or spell attack, or if they otherwise take damage, no matter how slight. An ectoform's Armor Class is 10 + size modifier + your Dexterity modifier. An ectoform is weak, and it can directly accomplish anything you could accomplish with the far hand power, but no more. It can speak, sounding like you, but its memories are vague and shadowy—obviously fabricated and incomplete.

An ectoform is partially independent, though it acts on your wishes when first thrown, since it is a reflection of you. Thereafter you cannot mentally command it or verbally direct it. For instance, you may have intended for the ectoform formed in the first round to run west for 500 feet then report back, while the ectoforms of the next round can be directed to run interference between you and a foe. You do not gain any special means of communication with your ectoform.

As a special function of the power, you can instantaneously and secretly exchange places with an ectoform as it is thrown into an adjacent space so that you can further confuse enemies. (You can do this only as you throw an ectoform, not with a previously thrown one.) Enemies attempting to attack you or manifest powers at you must select from among indistinguishable targets. On each round you generate an ectoform that you change places with (and remain adjacent to for that round), attackers must succeed at a Will saving throw to determine which figure is really you. They gain a cumulative –2 circumstance penalty on their Will save for each ectoform adjacent to you beyond the first. True seeing and psionic true seeing, of course, reveal the real you.

This power is psychophilosophically incompatible with the arcane spell mirror image; if both are attempted, the one manifest (or cast) first is the effect that occurs; the other effect is nullified.

XP Cost

1 XP.