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 |
- Accursed Blade: As a Free action, manifest an occult melee weapon as a one-handed
1d8
weapon or a two-handed2d6
weapon. Both add Magic to the damage roll, have a Shock rating of 2/15, use Magic as the attack skill and the best of STR, DEX, or INT as its modifying attribute. - Accursed Bolt: Launch blasts of occult force using Magic as your attack skill and the best of STR, DEX, or INT as its modifying attribute. Their damage is
1d8
plus Magic, their range is 200’, and the bolts can be thrown in melee at a -4 penalty to hit. Hurling these bolts requires both hands to be free. - Bewitching Distraction: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action when talking to an intelligent target when not in combat. They must make a Mental save or become dazed, oblivious to their surroundings and forgetting you and all else that happened in that Turn. Danger ends the daze but not the forgetting.
- Compelling Shriek: Once per Turn, Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action and shout a command of no more than seven words. Chosen targets who hear and understand must make a Mental save or perform that action for one round, provided it is not totally contrary to their character.
- Devil’s Bargain: As a Main Action, consecrate a deal you’ve made with an uncoerced person. If they violate the deal or its spirit, you know instantly and may inflict
1d6
damage per level on them if desired. - Dire Pact: Foes suffer a penalty equal to Magic on all saves versus your Accursed arts. If they succeed, however, you gain one System Strain.
- Lying Face: Commit Effort as a Main Action; while it remains Committed, you can disguise yourself as any humanoid of the same general size, including clothing, scent, and voice.
- Night-Black Eyes: You can see clearly in perfect darkness. As a Main Action, focus on a particular visible object, person, or location; you can tell if it is enchanted, though no details about the magic are seen.
- Pacted Protection: Choose a type of harmful energy: fire, frost, acid, electricity, or the like. You become immune to natural degrees of this energy and take half damage from magical attacks involving it.
- Rob Vitality: Once per Turn, as a Free Action, Commit Effort for the Turn and target a visible foe. They must make a Physical save or lose their next Main Action, which you immediately gain instead.
- Scourging Curse: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Main Action and target a visible foe. Your curse inflicts a -1 penalty to their attack, damage, and saving throw rolls for one round per level. At 4th level this penalty becomes -2, and at 9th it becomes -3. Only one such curse can be active at a given time.
- Shadowed Steps: As a Move Action, Commit Effort for the Turn and teleport up to 30’ away. You cannot bypass walls or physical obstacles, but you can teleport vertically or into high places.
- Sorcerous Battery: Once per day, as a Free Action, Commit Effort for the day. You or a visible ally refresh the spell slot of a spell that has been cast since the start of the prior round. Gain one System Strain.
- Soul Consumption: As an Instant Action, Commit Effort for the day when you fell an intelligent target with Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade. They die instantly. You heal
1d6
HP plus your level and lose one accumulated System Strain. - Tendrils of Night: Commit Effort as a Free Action. While Committed, you exude numerous tentacles or eldritch arms that can manipulate objects with your strength up to 20’ away. You gain no bonus actions, but the arms can melee at range. These arms have your AC, and you are damaged if they are hurt.
- Unseen Steps: As a Free Action, Commit Effort for the day to turn invisible for
1d6
rounds plus your level. This invisibility breaks before you attack, cast spells, or perform other vigorous or violent actions. - Weight of Sin: As a Main Action, Commit Effort for the day and target a visible foe. They must make a Physical save or lose their Move Action for
1d6
rounds plus your level. - Weeping Wounds: Once per round, Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action when a visible enemy takes damage. They must make a Physical save or suffer
1d6
damage per round for one round per level. They cannot heal or regenerate any HP during this effect. This art does not stack.
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 |
- Favored Weapon: Choose one specific type of melee weapon. When using this type you may use the Favored Weapon attack bonus column on the above table to determine your attack bonus, unless it’s already better for some other reason. If your second partial class is Partial Warrior, your class’ attack bonus with the weapon is instead equal to your level.
- Blood for Blood: Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant action when an enemy hits you with a physical attack. If you attack that enemy with your favored weapon before the end of the next round, the first blow hits automatically and can do no less damage than was done to you, up to the weapon’s maximum.
- Burst of Speed: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action. You may move your full normal movement rate as a Free Action. This art can be used only once per round.
- Code Duello: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action when engaging with a single foe. So long as no other combatant attacks either your target or you, and you attack no one but your target, you gain a +4 bonus to your AC and roll your attack rolls twice, taking the better result. Once the Code Duello has been disrupted or ended, it cannot be invoked again during that Turn.
- Dauntless Step: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Free Action. The Move Actions you make for the rest of the round can cross vertical surfaces or difficult terrain at your full normal movement rate, provided you end the round standing upright on a surface that can bear your weight.
- Dodge Doom: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action when caught in some explosion or other burst effect. You take half damage, or no damage if the effect allows a save and you succeed at it. You can move yourself up to 10ft away from your original location, provided the new location is behind cover or away from the blast’s point of origin.
- Forced Engagement: Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action when making an attack with your favored weapon; you may ignore one foe’s Screen Ally action for that attack.
- Gentleman’s Withdrawal: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Move Action. Move at your full movement rate without being hindered by armed foes unless they completely block your path. You count as having Disengaged against any enemies engaged with you at the time.
- Lightning Draw: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action at the start of hostilities; you win initiative against anyone without a similar ability to act first and may ready a Stowed favored weapon instantly.
- Piercing Strike: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Free Action and choose a visible target. For the rest of the Turn, their AC is treated as 10 for purposes of resisting the Shock of your favored weapon.
- Spiritual Weapon: You are able to translate examples of your favored weapon into a spiritual template that you may manifest as you wish. Any favored weapon can be turned into such a template, including a magical weapon, but the process destroys the object’s physical form. To manifest a template, Commit Effort as an Instant Action; a ghostly copy of the weapon appears Readied in hand for you until you release the Effort or stop touching the weapon. Dual-wielders can summon the same weapon into both hands with one use of this art.
- Unbindable: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action whenever you wish to escape chains, grapples, shackles, ropes, or even a magical spell of physical binding. You automatically wriggle free from mundane restraints and gain an Evasion saving throw to instantly end a physical magical binding of some sort. You can use this art only once per round.
- Unworthy Rabble: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action. For the rest of the Turn, when using your favored weapon, reroll any failed attack roll against foes with one HD. At eighth level, this applies to foes with two HD.
- Whirling Evasion: Your AC becomes equal to 13 plus half your level, rounded up. This AC is modified by small shields and your DEX, but not by armor or large shields.
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.
- Elemental Resilience: You are unharmed by mundane extremes of cold or heat by less than that of a furnace. You suffer only half damage from magical or extremely intense flame or frost attacks.
- Elemental Sparks: You can conjure petty amounts of flame, water, ice, stone, or wind, sufficient to do small tricks, chill drinks, light candles, or do other minor things. Conjured substances last no longer than a Turn, and conjured water cannot lastingly quench thirst.
- Beckoned Deluge: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Main Action to conjure a considerable amount of water at a visible point within 50ft per caster level. This water is sufficient to drench 10 cubic feet per character level, making non-magical bowstrings useless, extinguishing flames, and inflicting
1d6
damage per caster level on fiery supernatural creatures. This water persists indefinitely after its conjuration and is sufficient to hydrate ten people per caster level. - Earthsight: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Free Action. For the rest of the Turn, you can see the outlines of solid objects even in perfect darkness, and can peer through 1ft of earth or stone per character level.
- Elemental Blast: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Main Action to hurl a blast of some elemental force at a visible target within 50ft per character level. The attack is made with Magic as the combat skill, INT or DEX as the attribute, and a bonus to attack rolls equal to your character level. It is not hindered by melee foes. On a hit, the attack does
1d6
damage plus your character level and attribute mod. The blast has collateral effects on objects in the case of hurled fire or a torrent of pressurized water, but any conjured matter vanishes at the end of the round. - Flamesight: Commit Effort as a Free Action. While the Effort remains Committed, you can see thermal gradients sufficient to distinguish surfaces and living creatures, even in perfect darkness. Optionally, you may cause your own eyes to cast a light sufficient to illuminate your surroundings clearly out to a range of 30ft.
- Pavis of Elements: Commit Effort as a Free Action to conjure an elemental barrier around yourself. The barrier improves your AC by 4 and remains as long as the Effort remains Committed. This bonus stacks with other effects, but cannot increase AC above 18, regardless of the combinations.
- Petrifying Stare: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action and target a visible creature. The creature must make a Physical save or become partially petrified, losing its Move Action for a number of rounds equal to half your caster level, rounded up. Flying creatures are forced to land by this art and swimming creatures will inevitably sink to the bottom.
- Rune of Destruction: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action and target an adjacent solid surface. A glowing rune the size of a handprint forms on the surface and persists for one hour per caster level. Any creature who gets within 2ft of the rune will trigger it, causing it to explode in a 5ft radius with an elemental force of your choice and suffering
2d6
damage plus your caster level. Creatures already within 5ft of the rune when it is laid will not trigger it until they re-enter the area, nor will the caster trigger their own runes. Runes cannot overlap their areas of effect. - Steps of Air: Commit Effort for the Turn as a Free Action and target a visible ally; for one round per caster level, the target can fly at their usual movement rate. If the art ends while they are still in the air, they descend harmlessly to the ground. This art may also be used as an Instant Action to negate falling damage for any single target.
- Stunning Shock: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action and target a visible creature within 50ft per caster level. The target creature must be wearing or holding at least a pound worth of conductive metal or be considerably dampened. An electrical bolt leaps from the caster to stun the target, causing them to lose their next Main Action. A Physical saving throw can mitigate the effect, causing the target to lose their Move Action instead of their Main. A creature can be targeted only once per Turn by this.
- Thermal Shield: Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action to immediately negate one instance of fire or frost damage to any single visible ally or object. This defense lasts only long enough to nullify the single instance of damage.
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 |
- Healing Touch: Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action; for the rest of the Turn, you may heal
2d6
plus Heal to a touched ally as a Main Action. This healing adds 1 System Strain to the target each time it is applied. - Empowered Healer: Your Healing Touch becomes more powerful, adding your level to any healing.
- Facile Healer: Your Healing Touch ability is improved, and you no longer need to Commit Effort to activate it.
- Far Healer: Your Healing Touch ability is improved, and may be used on a visible target within 10ft per character level.
- Final Repose: Target a visible living creature and Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action. For the rest of the Turn, they take a Physical saving throw penalty equal to your Heal. If they are reduced to zero HP before the end of the Turn, they die with no chance for stabilization or revival.
- Healer’s Eye: Commit Effort as a Free Action; while the Effort remains committed, you can use a Main Action to visually detect diseases and poisons, diagnose creatures flawlessly, perceive their physiology, and learn their current HP. As a side effect, you can detect living creatures by sight regardless of available light or obscuring mists.
- Limb Restoration: Only expert healers can master this art, which cannot be learned earlier than 8th level. You must Commit all remaining Effort for the day, a minimum of one point, to regenerate a missing limb or organ for a target you are touching, or efface some dramatic scar or other physical debility. The target’s System Strain is automatically maximized.
- Purge Ailment: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action. An ally you are touching is cured of one poison or disease. Creatures killed by poison can be revived by this art if it is used within six minutes of death. Magical poisons and diseases require a WIS/Heal check. At seventh level, you need only Commit Effort for the Turn to use this ability.
- Revive the Fallen: Only expert healers are capable of mastering this art, which cannot be learned earlier than 8th level. Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action to revive a recently-slain living creature that you are touching. This ability must be used on a target within one minute per caster level of their death, and will not work on a corpse that has been dismembered, incinerated, or otherwise disjected. The target’s System Strain is automatically maximized and they’ll be unconscious for twenty-four hours after their restoration before awakening with 1 HP.
- Swift Healer: Your Healing Touch ability is improved, and may be used as a Free Action once per day per character level, though not more than once per round on any given target.
- Tireless Vigor: Commit Effort; while it remains Committed your need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep does not grow further. You may exert yourself tirelessly and regenerate 1 lost HP per hour.
- Vital Furnace: Your tremendous life energy can be used to instantly regenerate any non-mortal injury you have received. Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action to negate the damage from an injury you just received that did not reduce you to zero HP. Aside from this ability, you automatically stabilize if reduced to zero HP and awaken ten minutes later with 1 HP. This ability cannot undo damage you intentionally inflict on yourself via some power or magical exchange.
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.
- Arcane Lexicon: Commit Effort for the Turn. For the rest of the Turn, you can read any script that was not intentionally obfuscated or encoded by its writer. Extremely esoteric or nonhuman scripts may not be comprehensible this way; the “plain meaning” of the text might be utterly foreign to human logic.
- Counter Magic: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action when a visible enemy mage casts a spell. Make an opposed INT/Magic check; if you win, their spell fizzles and is wasted. This art only works on actual spellcasters and not creatures that merely activate magical powers. You can use this art no more than once per round.
- Empowered Sorcery: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action to re-roll any variable die roll associated with a spell’s effects, such as a damage roll; take the roll you prefer.
- Hang Sorcery: Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action when casting a spell. The spell does not go off, but remains “hung” and waiting to be triggered as a Free Action, with details of targeting and effect determined at that time. Damage does not disrupt a hung spell, but no additional spells can be cast until the hung spell is released or allowed to dissipate.
- Inexorable Effect: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action to force an enemy to re-roll a successful saving throw and take the worse result. You may use this art only once per Turn.
- Iron Resolution: Commit Effort for the day when injured or disturbed in combat; you may make a Physical saving throw to resist spell disruption and ignore the damage for purposes of spellcasting.
- Preparatory Countermagic: Commit Effort for the Turn when you are affected by a spell you have prepared, including when you are standing in the area of effect of one of your own damaging spells. You are unaffected by the spell’s direct effects.
- Psychic Conversion: Once per day as a Free Action, expend one casting slot to remove one point of accrued System Strain and heal 2 HP per level.
- Restrained Casting: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action when casting a High Magic spell. You may do so in perfect silence and without need for somatic gestures, though damage will still disrupt the casting.
- Retain Sorcery: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action after casting a spell; it does not count against your casting limits for the day. You can use this art no more than once per day, and the stress of using it prevents you from casting another spell before the end of your next Turn.
- Sense Magic: Commit Effort as an Instant Action; while it remains committed, you can visually perceive magical energy and get a one-sentence description of the effect of any standing magics or magical items you inspect. The ambient magical energies in most areas allow you to see clearly even in conditions of perfect darkness.
- Suppress Magic: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action and target a visible or known magical effect within 100ft. The effect is suppressed as if by the Dispel Magic spell for
1d6
rounds plus the caster’s character level. Spells cast by more powerful casters may not be successfully suppressed, as noted in the spell description. The caster can attempt to suppress an effect only once. - Swift Casting: Once per Turn, you may Commit Effort for the day to turn a spell that normally requires a Main Action to cast into a Free Action. You can cast no other spell this round and you can’t use this art if you’ve already cast a spell this round or been injured or otherwise disqualified from casting.
- Ward Allies: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant Action to omit up to six allies from the effects of an area-effect spell you cast, allowing them to avoid any damage or other negative effect that would be directly produced by the spell. This does not protect them from indirect consequences, however, such as destroying the building they are standing in.
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.
- Bonetalker: You can see and communicate with any undead creature, regardless of a shared language or the creature’s natural state of invisibility. By Committing Effort for the Turn you can sense the surface thoughts of any visible undead, including an impression of any commands or behavior it has been ordered to carry out. Unintelligent undead will not attack you or your companions unless specifically compelled to do so by a command or a master. Even intelligent undead will generally pause at least for an initial parley before attacking.
- Cold Flesh: You no longer require sleep and feel pain only in an abstract sense. You suffer no more than 2 points of damage from any given instance of Shock and you have a natural AC equal to 12 plus half your level, rounded down.
- Consume Life Energy: By making a Brawl attack or using a melee weapon you have spent at least an hour properly consecrating, you absorb a portion of the damage you inflict on others as healing to yourself. For each successful attack you make with such implements, you heal
1d6
damage, up to a maximum of the damage done by the attack. You cannot drain more life than the target has remaining HP. - False Death: Commit Effort as an Instant Action; while it remains Committed you appear dead to all mundane examination. You lose your Main Actions while “dead”, but can move and perceive normally and do not need to eat, drink, breathe, or perform other bodily functions. Poisons and diseases do not progress in you while you are “dead”. You can maintain this state of death for up to one day per level before needing at least an hour to recover.
- Gravesight: Commit Effort as a Free Action; while it remains Committed, you can see the life energies of living creatures around you as various glowing patterns, regardless of the mundane illumination available. You can perceive sicknesses, poisons, and other physical qualities on sight. As a side effect of this ability, you can see normally even in perfect blackness.
- Keeper of the Gate: At your discretion, creatures within 20ft per character level that are Mortally Injured will die instantly and cannot be revived by magic or medicine. Conversely, you can Commit Effort for the day to automatically stabilize any or all within that range, increasing their System Strain by 1 point. This benefit cannot aid creatures that have been dismembered, shredded, or otherwise suffered unsurvivable injuries.
- Life Bridge: You can transfer life force between willing or helpless participants. Commit Effort for the day; for the rest of the Turn, you can shift HP from one willing or helpless target no smaller than a dog to another as a Main Action, provided you are touching both. You can shift enough HP to Mortally Injure a donor, but you can’t give more to the recipient than would refresh their maximum allowed HP.
- Master of Bones: Undead must roll twice to save versus your abilities or spells and take the worse roll. You may Commit Effort for the Turn as an Instant Action to negate any single attack, magical power or spell an undead uses against you. Undead with more than twice as many HD as you have levels cannot be foiled this way.
- Red Harvest: You are empowered by death. As an Instant Action, whenever an intelligent living creature with at least 1 HD perishes within 50ft of you, Commit Effort for the day to either heal
1d6
plus your level in lost HP or gain a +4 bonus on your next attack roll this Turn. This art cannot be stacked, and it can be used only once per round. - Unaging: You no longer naturally age, and will remain perfectly hale and vigorous up to your species’ natural maximum age plus 20% per character level, after which you will collapse into dust and decay. Immortality beyond this point is possible, but generally requires consistent supplies of life energy, occult materials, or other difficult-to-acquire or morally questionable materials. You also become immune to poisons and diseases.
- Uncanny Ichor: Your blood is not like the blood of normal beings. Predators find it nauseating and will not bite you unless provoked. Unintelligent predators will not consider you edible. This ichor is reluctant to leave your body, and stabbing or puncture injuries can Mortally Injure you but cannot result in your death unless you are entirely pincushioned by your foes or suffer catastrophic physical damage.
- Unliving Persistence: Commit Effort for the day as a Free Action to automatically stabilize when Mortally Injured. You may use this ability to benefit others if you are able to touch them. This ability cannot save a subject that has experienced dismemberment or other extremely final deaths.