Source: Diamond Spheres: Erudition & Esoterica
Most mediums weaken their connection to the occult by becoming a vessel for spirits so that they may draw upon experiences and power that they don’t have. Initiates on the other hand focus on their occult understanding, and further it by calling upon those that know best—those that have already followed this path.
Trade Tradition
If this is this character’s first level in any class, the initiate can select a trade tradition of her choice, and has an adroit trade rank.
This replaces the medium’s normal class skills.
Guided by the Enlightened
When the initiate channels a spirit, he can choose to have the spirit he calls upon be enlightened. An enlightened spirit still functions as their original type of spirit, but differs in certain ways:
- An enlightened spirit does not confer its seance boon to any creature, including you.
- The initiate must accept two taboos to gain the usual benefits.
- The initiate’s spirit bonus applies to empowerment checks and associated skill checks for the Occultism sphere.
Additionally, during his seance, the initiate can choose to override certain aspects of the original spirit in favor of the abilities of the enlightened. If he chooses to, he can swap a spirit power of the same power with one of the following enlightened spirit powers:
- What You Could Learn (Lesser, Su): The initiate gains an Occultism sphere (ritual) talent of his choice as a bonus talent, which he chooses each time he channels an enlightened spirit.
- Within My Capacity (Intermediate, Su): The initiate can allow the enlightened spirit to gain 1 point of influence over him to enact ritual without it counting towards its daily limit. If he does, the initiate adds his spirit bonus to his associated ranks when determining the ritual’s effects.
- Outside Your Repertoire (Greater, Su): The initiate can allow the enlightened spirit to gain 1 point of influence over him when he uses enact ritual to choose a (ritual) talent that he does not possess for the ritual, as long as he meets the prerequisites.
- Legendary Enlightenment (Supreme, Su): Once per day, when the initiate empowers a ritual, he can choose to add any amount of ritual power to the ritual—if a ritual power option has no limit, he can only spend a maximum amount of ritual power equal to 5 or his operative modifier, whichever is higher.
This alters spirit and shared seance.
Breaker of Magic
The initiate can exchange each of the following class features for one Occultism sphere talent at the respective level: haunt channeler, location channel, connection channel, propitiation, ask the spirits, astral journey, and spacious soul. The initiate cannot exchange a class feature if he possesses an archetype that would alter or replace the exchanged class feature.
Alternatively, the initiate can exchange all of the listed class features to instead gain the Occultism sphere as a bonus sphere, plus a bonus skill talent from the Occultism sphere at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter.