Codex of Far-Flung Spheres

Note: There are no Level 1 or Level 2 recitations in the Codex of Far-Flung Spheres.

Level 3

Caltrop Fields – Area is covered in caltrops
Flood with Life – Plants grow swiftly, but may die if their natural surroundings do not support this growth
Ionizing Chant – Creatures in area of effect deal 1d6 electric damage to attackers
Little Trail Over the Meadow – Terrain within the area of effect is not considered difficult terrain or high ground
Relate the Harvest – Plants within the area of effect engorge with nutrients, providing 1d4 days of rations
Temporal Contraction – Creatures in area of effect are hasted
Temporal Dilation – Creatures in area of effect are slowed
Zone of Attraction – Creatures in area are drawn in
Zone of Dampening – Creatures in area of effect have resistance 10 against a chosen energy type

Level 4

Accosted at the Marketplace – Creatures in area of effect are robbed repeatedly
Amphitheatre of Pain – Creatures in area of effect get a +4 insight bonus to CMD against grapple checks, as well as a +1 dodge bonus to AC
Community Knowledge – Creatures in area of effect get an insight bonus to Knowledge checks equal to how many other creatures are in the area (max +10)
Energy Vortex – Field of energy deals 2d8 points of damage each round to creatures who walk into it or stay in it
Impromptu Yodeling – Terrain within the area of effect becomes difficult and provides bonuses for high ground
Refracting Utterance – Attacks made on creatures in area of effect have a 20% miss chance
Ring of Honor – Creatures in area of effect get a +4 insight bonus to CMD against disarm and steal
Tales of the Fire Swamp – Swampy muck prevents movement and deals 2d6 fire damage
Vow of Stability – Creatures in area of effect get a +4 insight bonus to CMD against trip, bull rush, and overrun

Level 5

Dimensional Warding – Creatures in area of effect are barred from teleportation
Hall of Mirrors – Creatures in area of effect produce an illusory image each round
Hellscape – Creatures in area take 2d6 fire damage and light on fire, ignoring resistance
Ionizing Chant, Greater – Creatures in area of effect deal 2d6 electric damage to attackers
Reversed Polarity – Positive energy and negative energy perform as their opposites in area of effect? Additionally, fast healing and regeneration effects deal damage over time
The Last Word – Creatures who drop to 0 hit points or fewer in area of effect explode, dealing 6d6 fire damage in a 10-foot radius
Word of Equality – Each round, the creature with the most hit points takes 2 points of damage for each other creature in the area of effect? others heal for 2 points of damage
Zone of Finality – Corpses cannot be raised or animated in area of effect
Zone of Homogeneity – Each round, the creature with the highest Dexterity is staggered
Zone of Repulsion – Creatures in area are thrust out
Zone of Uplifting – Each round, the creature with the lowest Dexterity gains the benefits of haste and grace.

Level 6

Armageddon – When duration ends, creatures in area of effect take 8d6 fire and 8d6 force damage
Energy Vortex, Greater – Field of energy deals 4d8 points of damage each round to creatures who walk into it or stay in it
Life for the Lifeless * A constant swarm of animated objects populate the area of effect
Snuff Out – Each round, the creature with the most hit points in area of effect takes 5d6 damage
Title Bout – Creatures in area of effect cannot leave? sources of damage in area of effect cannot harm outside of area, and vice versa
Wellspring – Each round, the creature with the least hit points in area of effect is healed for 5d6 points of damage

Codex of Far-Flung Spheres: A Primer

As the First Language encompasses all that will ever be in the universe, all a practitioner of truemagic must do is learn what the proper words are to make any condition manifest itself wherever he chooses. Mountains become prairies. Marshes become lightning-blasted hellscapes. Limited telepathy is enjoyed by all. The possibilities really are quite endless. The only limiting factor is the research. The Codex of Far-Flung Spheres is an interesting anthology of research into the nature of this world, as well as the great unknown. Though rogue truenamers have devised recitations that they are not sharing with the general community, this codex is still the definitive source for location transformation.

This codex tends to be learned only late in a truenamer’s career for two reasons. First, a priori knowledge of the truenaming of people and things helps a great deal when one realizes that a place is defined by the people who use it and the things that exist within it. Second, as some places are vastly different from what a truenamer has seen himself, the ability to think like something else as trained by the Codex of Artifice makes the logical leap of entry much less than it would otherwise be.

All recitations within the Codex of Far-Flung Spheres share the following characteristics unless otherwise noted.

• Range: 100 feet
• Spell Resistance: Yes
• Area: 20-ft.-radius spread

Codex of Far-Flung Spheres

Accosted at the Marketplace

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

The area fills with spectral images of market stalls, product to be sold, shoppers, and pickpockets. Each round as a swift action, you may direct these pickpockets to perform a steal combat maneuver against a single creature in the area. This maneuver has a CMB of your caster level + your casting ability score modifier. When this recitation ends, if you are within the recitation’s area of effect, all items stolen in this fashion are deposited into your backpack, at your feet, or anywhere else on your person that you designate. If you are not within the recitation’s area of effect, then the stolen items simply pile up in a heap in the center of the recitation’s area of effect.

Amphitheater of Pain

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

The air fills with the dull thrum of hundreds of expectant voices, spectators waiting for the main event. Creatures within this recitation’s area of effect have a +4 insight bonus to CMD against the grapple combat maneuver, as well as a +1 dodge bonus to AC against touch attacks.

Armageddon

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 3 rounds
Similar School: evocation
Saving Throw: Reflex partial (see text)

Within the area of the recitation, the sky darkens noticeably, and numerous ill omens come to pass all at once. When the duration of this recitation expires, all creatures in the area take 8d6 points of force damage and 8d6 points of fire damage with a Reflex save to negate the fire damage.

Caltrop Fields

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: conjuration
Saving Throw: none

All unoccupied squares in the area become coated with a sheet of caltrops. When this recitation ends, all caltrops created in this fashion vanish. Any caltrops removed from the area of the recitation vanish immediately.

Community Knowledge

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: divination
Saving Throw: none

Creatures within this recitation’s area of effect have an insight bonus to all Knowledge skill checks equal to the number of other creatures that are within the recitation’s radius of effect (max +10). Creatures with the Skill Focus (Knowledge [any]) feat count as two creatures for the purpose of this recitation.

Dimensional Warding

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: abjuration
Saving Throw: none

Many worlds feature enormous amounts of crackling energy in the air. Though this fuels magic that our world has never even considered, it does make certain magics we take for granted impossible to perform. Any creature or object within this recitation’s area of effect is completely unable to perform extradimensional travel. Forms of movement barred by dimensional warding include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like abilities.

The recitation also prevents the use of a gate or teleportation circle for the duration of the recitation. Dimensional warding does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form when the recitation is recited, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, dimensional warding does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.

Energy Vortex

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation [acid, cold, electricity, fire]
Saving Throw: Reflex halves

Calling upon the concept of atmospheres very unlike our own, the reciter transforms the atmosphere of the area to a crackling maelstrom of energy. Select acid, cold, electric, or fire. Creatures who begin their turn in or walk into the crackling sphere of energy take 2d8 points of damage of the selected energy type with a Reflex save for half damage.

Energy Vortex, Greater

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation [acid, cold, electricity, fire]
Saving Throw: Reflex halves

Calling upon the concept of atmospheres very unlike our own, the reciter transforms the atmosphere of the area to a crackling maelstrom of energy. Select acid, cold, electric, or fire. Creatures who begin their turn in or walk into the crackling sphere of energy take 4d8 points of damage of the selected energy type with a Reflex save for half damage.

Flood with Life

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: conjuration (healing)
Saving Throw: none

No matter where it exists, life needs certain ingredients to be fruitful and multiply. On some worlds, certain creatures are able to grow at phenomenal rates if only those ingredients are always present. Comparing local flora to these creatures, the reciter causes all plants within the recitation’s area of effect to produce a full day’s worth of growth every round. The plants must be liberally supplied with water, sunlight, and phosphorous (usually potash) to facilitate this growth. If the plant‘s surroundings cannot support its growth, it does not grow. In the case of fast-growing or very young plants, attempting to force this growth in a low-nutrient setting kills the plant. Established trees, cacti, and other plants capable of going for long periods of time without food cannot be killed by this recitation.

Hall of Mirrors

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: illusion
Saving Throw: none

When conditions are right, the very air reflects images. At the beginning of each creature’s turn, if that creature is within the area of effect of this recitation and has no illusory double, then an illusory double of that creature is produced. Each image remains in the space of the creature it is a double of and moves with that creature, mimicking movements, sounds, and actions exactly. Whenever the creature is attacked or is the target of a spell that requires an attack roll, there is a possibility that the attack targets the image instead. If the attack is a hit, roll randomly to see whether the selected target is real or the image. If hit, the image is destroyed. Area spells affect the creature normally and do not destroy images. Spells and effects that do not require an attack roll affect the creature normally and do not destroy images. Spells that require a touch attack are harmlessly discharged if used to destroy an image.

An attacker must be able to see an image to be fooled. If the creature is invisible or the attacker is blind, then this recitation has no effect (although the normal miss chances still apply).

Creatures that move beyond the area of effect of the recitation immediately lose their illusory image.

Hellscape

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation
Saving Throw: none

Seeking only the most disparaging words possible, your recitation turns the area into a blistering hellscape. Creatures that pass through or begin their turn in the area of the recitation take 2d6 points of fire damage and light on fire as the rules for alchemist’s fire. This damage ignores fire resistance, but not fire immunity.

Impromptu Yodeling

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

There are several strange rules hidden in the First Language. For example, if anything in the language is yodeled, it apparently means, “Add mountains to what I’m saying!” You yodel a short phrase, causing the affected area to become craggy. Treat the land within the recitation’s area of effect as difficult terrain, as well as high ground against melee attack attacks made from outside the area of effect. No climb checks are required to move about as a result of this recitation the mountainous terrain is an approximation and no actual mountains are created in the reciting of this recitation.

Ionizing Chant

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation [electricity]
Saving Throw: none

This recitation causes the very air to crackle with energy. Creatures within the recitation’s area of effect deal 1d6 points of electric damage to creatures that strike them in melee or with a physical ranged weapon from a distance of 30 feet or less.

Ionizing Chant, Greater

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation [electricity]
Saving Throw: none

This recitation causes the very air to crackle with energy. Creatures within the recitation’s area of effect deal 2d6 points of electric damage to creatures that strike them in melee or with a physical ranged weapon from a distance of 30 feet or less.

Life for the Lifeless

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

Using expertise drawn from the Codex of Artifice, the reciter combines the idea of space to produce a small army of animated objects. Inanimate objects within the recitation’s area of effect become up to 10 HD worth of animated objects under the control of the reciter. The reciter can control up to 10 HD worth of animated objects in this manner at any one time. Should an animated object be destroyed, the reciter may choose to cause other inanimate objects to become animated to replace the HD of minions lost. Doing so requires some small amount of recitation from the reciter and is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. If there are no more inanimate objects in the recitation’s area of effect, then the truenamer can no longer animate replacements. If an animated object leaves the area of effect of this recitation, it immediately becomes inanimate.

Objects animated in this manner can be animated again, but retain their current hit points from the last time they were animated. Objects reduced to 0 hit points are destroyed and cannot be animated again.

Little Trail over the Meadow

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

Your recitation conjures images of covered wagons in the minds of those who hear it. The land within the recitation’s area of effect becomes easy to traverse, and, by extension, difficult to defend. As such, it is no longer treated as difficult terrain or high ground. If the terrain natively requires a Climb check to traverse, then it still requires a Climb check to traverse.

Refracting Utterance

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: illusion
Saving Throw: none

On some worlds, the very atmospheric conditions can deflect blows. All attacks made on creatures within the area of effect of this recitation have a 20% miss chance.

Relate the Harvest

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: instantaneous
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

Plants and fungi within the recitation’s area of effect immediately bloat to a grotesque size. If an individual spends 1 minute harvesting the plants and fungi grown in this manner, he harvests 1d4 days worth of trail rations. Foodstuffs produced in this manner spoil after 1 week unless preserved by salt, canning, alcohol, or some other means. As the Codex of Far-Flung Spheres does not actually create anything, the plants to be bloated must already be present naturally.

Though this effect is instantaneous, once this recitation is recited, it cannot be recited again for 5 rounds in accordance with the Law of Flowing Rhetoric.

Reversed Polarity

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: necromancy
Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)

Some worlds have the same sorts of energy that our world does, but uses them in vastly different ways. Within this recitation’s area of effect, positive energy is treated as negative energy and negative energy is treated as positive energy. At the beginning oftheir turn, creatures with regeneration or fast healing must make a Will save or take damage equal to the amount their regeneration or fast healing normally heals them.

Ring of Honor

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

Research suggests that the process by which the gods select their paladins has much to do with how entertaining they find their exploits. Creatures within this recitation’s area of effect have a +4 insight bonus to CMD against the disarm and steal combat maneuvers.

Snuff Out

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: necromancy
Saving Throw: none

The air fills with the stuff of death itself. Each round at the beginning of the reciter’s turn, the creature with the most hit points within the recitation’s area of effect takes 5d6 points of damage. This recitation does not call for Spell Resistance.

Tales of the Fire Swamp

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation [fire]
Saving Throw: none

No matter where a world is located, there is always a fire swamp on it. Your recitation creates a morass of flaming quicksand within its area of effect, dealing 2d6 points of fire damage to creatures who begin their turn in it. Creatures that step into or begin their turn within the swampy muck must make a DC 15 Strength check or be unable to move for 1 round.

Temporal Contraction

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)

The flow of time varies depending on the properties of space in a particular area. By contracting time in a small space, the reciter causes all within the recitation’s area of effect receive all the benefits of the haste spell. Creatures who begin their turn in or walk into the recitation’s area of effect are hasted as per the haste spell with a Will save to negate. Creatures that leave the area of effect lose these benefits at the beginning of their next turn.

Temporal Dilation

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: Will negates

The flow of time varies depending on the properties of space in a particular area. By dilating time in a small space, the reciter causes all within the recitation’s area of effect receive all of the penalties of the slow spell. Creatures who begin their turn in or walk into the recitation’s area of effect are slowed as per the slow spell with a Will save to negate. Creatures that leave the area of effect lose these penalties at the beginning of their next turn.

The Last Word

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: evocation
Saving Throw: none

Filling an area with burning rage, this recitation causes all creatures that are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points in its area of effect to explode, dealing 6d6 points of fire damage to all creatures in a 10-foot radius with a Reflex save for half.

Title Bout

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: see text

A circular arena bursts out of the ground, complete with cheering spectators and a fairly professional in-house band. Creatures within the area of the recitation are immune to all effects of attacks made by or spells cast by sources outside of the area of the recitation, while creatures outside the area of the recitation are immune to all effects of attacks made by or spells cast by sources within the area of the recitation. Spells and abilities that alter topography (such as transmute stone to mud), create obstructions (such as wall of force), or otherwise create area hazards (such as wall of fire) do not function in the area of this recitation, to the point that an effect of sufficient size will simply leave a hole where the arena is located. Creatures that try to leave the area of the recitation must succeed on a Will save to do so. On a failed Will saving throw, the creature’s movement is arrested at the edge of the area of the recitation and the remainder of the action is lost.

Vow of Stability

Recitation Level: 4
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: none

Earth with a high friction coefficient makes it particularly difficult to destabilize anyone standing upon it. Creatures within this recitation’s area of effect have a +4 insight bonus to CMD against the trip, bull rush, and overrun combat maneuvers.

Wellspring

Recitation Level: 6
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: conjuration (healing)
Saving Throw: none

The air fills with the stuff of life itself. Each round at the beginning of your turn, the creature with the least hit points within the recitation’s area of effect is healed for 5d6 points of damage. This effect heals all equally, whether it be construct, humanoid, or zombie. This recitation does not call for Spell Resistance.

Word of Equality

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: necromancy
Saving Throw: none

On some worlds, equality is enforced by the very nature of the world itself. Each round at the beginning of your turn, the creature with the most hit points within the recitation’s area of effect takes 2 points of damage for each other creature within the recitation’s area of effect. These other creatures are each healed for 2 points of damage.

Zone of Attraction

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: see text

An area of shimmering energy simply crashes into being, and little crackles of ethereal force run from the edge to the center, as if it were eating itself. Creatures that end their turn within the area of the recitation move 10 feet directly toward the center. If that creature is less than 10 feet from the center of the recitation, then it moves to the center. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity. A successful Will save negates this forced movement. If the subject would collide with a solid obstruction, another creature that is one size category smaller than it or larger, or the reciter, then its movement stops immediately in a square adjacent to that which stopped it.

Zone of Dampening

Recitation Level: 3
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: abjuration
Saving Throw: none

Various atmospheric conditions can dampen the effects of a particular energy type. Select acid, cold, electric, fire, or sonic. Creatures within the area of effect of the recitation gains resist energy 10 against the energy type chosen, meaning that each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 10 points before being applied to the creature’s hit points.

Zone of Finality

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: necromancy
Saving Throw: none

Though it may seem strange, some worlds are either so awash with positive energy or starved for negative energy that undead as the material plane knows them is an absolute impossibility. The proper recitation can make a microcosm that behaves in much the same way. Corpses within this recitation’s area of effect cannot be raised as undead, nor can they be returned to life by raise dead and similar spells.

Zone of Homogeneity

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: Will negates

Those who are fast are made slow. Each round at the beginning of your turn, the creature with the highest Dexterity score within the recitation’s area of effect is staggered for 1 round. A successful Will save negates.

Zone of Repulsion

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw: see text

An area of shimmering energy simply crashes into being, and little crackles of ethereal force run from the center to the edge, as if it were exhaling. Creatures that end their turn within the area of the recitation move 10 feet directly away from the center. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity. A successful Will save negates this movement. If the subject would collide with a solid obstruction, another creature that is one size category smaller than it or larger, or the reciter, then its movement stops immediately in a square adjacent to that which stopped it.

Zone of Uplifting

Recitation Level: 5
Duration: 5 rounds
Similar School: transmutation
Saving Throw:Will negates (harmless)

Those who are slow are made fast. Each round at the beginning of your turn, the creature with the lowest Dexterity score within the recitation’s area of effect receives the benefits of the grace and haste spells for 1 round.