Arcane Traditions

Effort

Mages have special abilities that are fueled with magical power, inner focus, or some other reserve of energy. This is measured in points of Effort, a resource the Mage can commit to activate their abilities.

Every class that uses Effort has its own unique pool: High Mage Effort, Healer Effort, etc. Characters with two Partial classes that use Effort have two separately-tracked pools, one for each class. Points of Effort from one class cannot be used to fuel powers from another.

Committing Effort

Most class powers require that Effort be Committed. Committing Effort is done as part of activating a power, and ties up the Effort for a varying amount of time depending on the ability used.

Some powers Commit Effort for the duration. This means the Effort remains Committed as long as the power is active. The Character can reclaim the Committed Effort at any time as an Instant Action, deactivating the power.

Some powers Commit Effort for the Turn. The Effort remains Committed until the end of the Turn, after which it returns to the Character. It cannot be reclaimed earlier, even if the ability it fuels is only good for a single attack or action.

Some powers Commit Effort for the day. Once Committed, this Effort can be recovered with Comfortable Sleep.

Activating a power only ever requires Committing a single point of Effort unless the power itself says otherwise.

Accursed

The Accursed are Partial Mages that have made pacts with otherworldly beings, intentionally or otherwise, and gained powers from that bond.

All Accursed gain Magic as a Bonus Skill. Even those who are not spellcasters must understand the ways of eldritch beings and the subtleties of sorcery.

While the arts of Accursed Blade and Accursed Bolt use Magic as their combat skill, Feats that normally apply to mundane weapons such as Armsmaster or Deadeye also benefit their relevant melee or ranged attacks. For these Feats, use Magic in place of Shoot or Stab when gaining their benefits, including the granted skill and the stacking damage bonus that the first level of the Feat may grant.

Accursed Arts

Accursed have Effort equal to Magic plus INT, to a minimum of 1. Every Accursed gains either Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade as a starting art, plus one more of their choice. Accursed arts may be used in or out of armor. Additional arts are learned as the Accursed advances in experience.

Level Arts Gained
1 Either Accursed Blade or Accursed Bolt plus Any One
2 Any One
3  
4 Any One
5 Any One
6 Any One
7  
8 Any One
9  
10 Any One

Duelist

The Duelist is a Partial Mage that uses arcane forces to enhance their speed and agility.

Duelists gain Stab as a Bonus Skill. No Duelist worth the name is entirely incapable of effective use of melee weapons, though the style lends itself heavily to specialization.

The Flaw of Fragility

While duelists are excellent one-on-one combatants, they spend much less time at raw physical conditioning than Warriors. The techniques they use are swift and lethal, but they aren’t as generally applicable to enduring harm as the standard training methods.

As such, Partial Warriors/Partial Duelists use 1d6 for their HP Progression, rather than the Partial Warrior’s usual 1d6+2. Other partial class mixes are unaffected by this flaw.

Duelist Arts

Duelist Effort is equal to Stab plus the highest of DEX and INT, to a minimum of 1. All Duelists begin with the Favored Weapon art and one more of their choice. Additional arts are learned as the Duelist advances in experience.

The arts of the Duelist require agility and free motion. The Duelist cannot benefit from any art of this class while wearing Chain or Plate armor or while weilding a shield.

Duelist arts do not apply to thrown weapons.

Level Favored Weapon Bonus Arts Gained
1 +1 Favored Weapon and Any One
2 +1 Any One
3 +2  
4 +2 Any One
5 +3 Any One
6 +3 Any One
7 +4  
8 +4 Any One
9 +5  
10 +5 Any One

Elementalist

Elementalists are spellcasting Mages who focus on the manipulation of the material world around them. While they are capable of using High Magic, their specialist spells focus chiefly on wielding the classical elements of fire, air, water, and earth.

All Elementalists gain Magic as a Bonus Skill.

Elementalists can prepare and cast High Magic spells in addition to Elemental Magic. Elementalists can’t cast spells or use arts while armored or holding a shield.

Each time Elementalists advance a level, they pick a new High Magic spell or an Elementalist spell to add to their spellbook. They must be able to cast the spell to add it to their selection.

Elementalists roll 1d6-1 for HP Progression.

Level Attack Bonus Feats Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 +0 1 Any 1 1 3 Elemental Resilience, Elemental Sparks, and Any One
2 +0 +1 Any 1 1 3 Any One
3 +0   2 2 4  
4 +0   2 2 5 Any One
5 +1 +1 Any 3 3 6  
6 +1   3 3 7 Any One
7 +1 +1 Any 4 4 8  
8 +1   4 4 9 Any One
9 +1   5 5 10  
10 +2 +1 Any 5 6 12 Any One

Elementalist Arts

Elementalist Effort is equal to 1 plus Magic plus INT to a minimum 1. Partial Elementalists have 1 less Effort, to a minimum of 1.

Elementalists gain the Elemental Resilience and Elemental Sparks arts as part of their basic training, and may pick one additional art from the list below. Further arts are learned as they advance in character level, as given in the tables below.

Partial Elementalist Progression

Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 1 3 Elemental Resilience, Elemental Sparks, and Any One
2 1 3  
3 1 4 Any One
4 2 4  
5 2 5 Any One
6 2 6  
7 3 7  
8 3 7 Any One
9 3 8  
10 3 9 Any One

Healer

The Healer is a partial Mage that does not use spells. Instead, they gain specific arts that allow them to mend wounds, cure illnesses, and otherwise sustain their allies.

Healers gain Heal as a Bonus Skill. A basic grounding in mundane healing techniques is necessary in order to learn their more sophisticated magical arts.

Healers do not learn how to cast spells. Instead, they focus on their special arcane healing arts. Wielding these arts usually requires nothing more than touching the target and concentrating on the desired effect, and the process is direct and simple enough to perform even when burdened by armor or carrying a shield. These arts are usually quite subtle, and don’t produce visible or audible indications of their use.

At first level, a Healer gains the Healing Touch art and can pick one more of their choice. As they advance in levels afterwards, they can learn new arts. Once chosen, an art is permanent and cannot be exchanged.

Healer Arts

Healer Effort is equal to 1 plus Heal plus INT, to a minimum of 1.

All Healers are trained in the Healing Touch art, but develop other techniques with time.

Level Arts Gained
1 Healing Touch and Any One
2 Any One
3  
4 Any One
5 Any One
6 Any One
7  
8 Any One
9  
10 Any One

High Mage

High Mages represent the default spellcaster in most campaigns. Their spells tend to be generalist in nature rather than focusing on particular specific themes, but their arts make them extremely skilled at manipulating and augmenting the magics they use.

High Mages gain Magic as a Bonus Skill. Every High Mage is well-educated in the principles of magic as understood by the sorcerers of this world.

High Mages can prepare and cast High Magic spells, and have a number of arts dedicated to improving their use of these incantations. They cannot wear bulky clothing or armor while casting or using arts, nor use shields.

High Mages conduct extensive experimentation and study as part of their daily activities. Each time they advance a level, they pick two High Magic spells from the list in this book to add to their repertoire. These spells must be of a level they can cast.

High Mage Progression

Level Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 1 1 3 Any Two
2 1 1 3 Any One
3 2 2 4  
4 2 2 5 Any One
5 3 3 6  
6 3 3 7 Any One
7 4 4 8  
8 4 4 9 Any One
9 5 5 10  
10 5 6 12 Any One

Partial High Mage Progression

Level Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 1 1 2 Any One
2 1 1 3 Any One
3 1 1 3 Any One
4 1 2 4  
5 2 2 5  
6 2 3 6 Any One
7 2 3 7  
8 2 3 7  
9 3 4 8 Any One
10 3 4 9  

High Mage Arts

High Mage Effort is equal to 1 plus Magic plus INT, to a minimum of 1. Partial High Mages have 1 less Effort, to a minimum of 1.


Necromancer

Necromancers are spellcasting Mages who deal with the energies of life and death.

Necromancers gain Magic as a Bonus Skill.

Necromancers can prepare and cast High Magic spells in addition to the spells specific to Necromatic Magic. Necromancers can’t cast spells or use arts while armored or holding a shield.

Each time a Necromancer advances a level, they pick a new High Magic spell or a Necromancer spell to add to their spellbook. They must be able to cast the spell to add it to their selection.

Necromancer Progression

Level Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 1 1 3 Any Two
2 1 1 3 Any One
3 2 2 4  
4 2 2 5 Any One
5 3 3 6  
6 3 3 7 Any One
7 4 4 8  
8 4 4 9 Any One
9 5 5 10  
10 5 6 12 Any One

Partial Necromancer Progression

Level Max Level Spells Cast Spells Prepared Arts Gained
1 1 1 2 Any One
2 1 1 3 Any One
3 1 1 3 Any One
4 1 2 4  
5 2 2 5  
6 2 3 6 Any One
7 2 3 7  
8 2 3 7  
9 3 4 8 Any One
10 3 4 9  

Necromancer Arts

Necromancer Effort is equal to 1 plus Magic plus INT, to a minimum of 1. Partial Necromancers have 1 less Effort, to a minimum of 1.