Advanced Magic

Contents

Magic is the heart of the fantasy experience and influences everything from setting to plot to game style. In some worlds, wandering heroes must trek to distant lands, while in others, teleportation rituals are always available for those with the money to afford them. Likewise, in some adventures heroes might need to search ancient libraries to find the answers to their questions, while in others, priests may directly petition their deities at any time, gaining greater knowledge than what is available through mortal means alone.

Each of the examples listed above could produce a great world for adventuring, but each choice carries with it many repercussions as to which plot lines may be implemented and how the setting can be developed. After all, a world where the rich can have themselves brought back to life after an assassination is very different from one where death is final, and a game where players need vehicles, healing kits, and a network of spies is vastly different from one where players can simply scry on the enemy, teleport to its location, destroy it with magic, and then bring it back from the dead later for questioning.

With some exceptions, the spheres found in Basic Magic deal with the game on a small-scale; how are combats fought, how are wounds healed, etc. Advanced Magic, on the other hand, deals with magic on a grand scale; transportation, resurrection, and other magical effects that may drastically alter the way a world functions and how a plotline advances. In many ways, advanced magic is more about story-telling than tactical combat, providing players and GMs with tools with which they may alter the face of their gaming world, crafting it after their own image.

Using Advanced Magic

For the most part, there is nothing included in the Advanced Magic section that is beyond the scope and capabilities of many spells included in the standard magic system. However, as Spheres of Power is, by definition, designed for those who wish to augment the standard rules, these abilities are listed here as optional rules, so that they may be used or discarded as the game demands and the players and GM see fit.

If a low-magic world is desired where powerful wizards must still rely on horses and quick wits no matter their level, then all advanced magic options can simply be removed. If a high-magic world is desired, one that closely resembles the standard experience, then virtually all advanced magic options may be included. Or, if a custom world is desired, one where magic is unstable and individual or where only certain options are available, the game may include only one or two carefully-selected advanced systems. In all cases, players and GMs are encouraged to communicate openly before a game starts so that both understand what they are expecting from their game.

Included in this section are rules for 4 different magic systems: advanced talents, rituals, spellcrafting, and incantations.

Advanced Talents are magic talents that greatly alter what a sphere can do. With advanced talents, a Warp caster could traverse the world, a Creation caster could permanently turn enemies to stone, or a Life caster could raise his allies from the dead. These powers become part of the caster’s daily routine, letting him use spell points to enact great feats of magic.

Rituals are complex ceremonies through which a caster can create a variety of magical effects through an investment of time and other resources. This system is designed to better integrate spells into a world of spheres by giving sphere casters a system by which they can cast spells from the core magic system. While generally impractical in combat, rituals add utility to a caster, allowing him limited access to game-changing magic, provided he has the time and materials to use it.

Spellcrafting is a system that allows creatures to wield custom powers, combining effects from multiple spheres into their own unique creations. In many ways, this is similar to designing magic items and allows players and GMs to customize their available abilities. While not necessarily as game-changing as the other advanced magic systems, spellcrafting involves rules purposefully left vague in order to encourage creativity, and as such always requires GM oversight.

Incantations are a tool by which a GM can create custom magical formulae, beyond the scope of other rules systems. Incantations utilize skill checks and a series of very specific conditions to bring about risky—but often rewarding—magical effects and are a powerful tool for customizing a plot or setting. Incantations could include anything from a villain’s ceremony to end the world, to a nursery rhyme that tells players how to visit to the king of Faerie, to a simple ritual that helps them find their way through an otherwise impenetrable forest. As incantations are independent of character class and caster level, they need not even be magical at all and could include any skill-based activity from performing risky surgery to unlocking a complicated secret door to constructing steam-powered wonders.

Why so many systems?

One of the goals of Spheres of Power is to give GMs and players the tools they need to craft characters and worlds to fit their desires. As such, we’ve provided a variety of magic systems, each of which provides something different in flavor or execution. For players, advanced talents add power to their characters while rituals add utility. For GMs, rituals give the party freedom while incantations add flavor to games and plots. For both, spellcrafting changes tactics and adds personality to a caster’s magic. A game can feature none of these systems, all of them, or a mixture depending on what kind of game is desired. The GM could even throw out normal magic entirely and create an unique magic system from only the Ritual and Incantation rules. There are as many options as there are games, and we encourage players and GMs to experiment with the rules and systems included herein to find what works best for their games.

Advanced Talents

With advanced talents, advanced magic becomes part of a caster’s daily activities. Like all magic talents, advanced talents are tied to a particular sphere and either provide the caster with new abilities or else augment the base abilities included in that sphere. A caster must spend a magic talent to gain an advanced talent, as they would any other sphere talent. Unlike other talents, however, advanced talents also come with special prerequisites that the caster must meet, usually in the form of a minimum caster level they must possess as well as a number of other spheres and talents they must also possess.

Alteration Talents

Permanent Transformation

Prerequisite(s): Alteration sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

When applying a shapeshift., you may spend 2 spell points to change your shapeshift into an instantaneous effect, permanently changing the creature into the new form. Because this is an instantaneous effect, it cannot be dispelled once placed. The target is still under the effect of a shapeshift., however, and any caster attempting to apply a new shapeshift to the target (except the original caster himself) must pass a magic skill check as usual; the second shapeshift replaces the first instead of adding to it. When the second shapeshift’s duration expires, the first shapeshift returns. A second application of a Permanent Transformation can be used to counter the first Permanent Transformation, returning the target to its original form.

Conjuration Talents

Diagram

Prerequisite(s): Conjuration sphere, Summoning, 1st caster level or higher.

When using the Summoning advanced talent to summon hostile creatures, your traps are even harder to break than usual. If you spend 10 minutes and pass a DC 20 Spellcraft check to prepare a summoning circle before you summon a creature, that creature finds it very difficult to escape. You cannot know the result of your Spellcraft check until after the summoning is performed, but you may take 20 on this check by dedicating 3 hours and 20 minutes to creating the circle.

If your check is successful, the summoned creature cannot use its spell resistance to attempt to escape its prison, nor use any dimensional or teleportation effects, nor can any of its abilities or attacks cross the prison’s border. When pitting its Charisma against your trap, the DC increases by 5. While a creature cannot disturb the summoning circle, if any outside force disturbs the circle (even a hair falling across it), the summoned creature is immediately freed.

Summoning

Prerequisite(s): Conjuration sphere, 1st caster level or higher.

You may summon beings from other planes and bring them into your own. Summoning a creature in this manner takes 10 minutes of focused casting and costs 2 spell points.

Summoning takes one of two forms: allies and hostiles. If you summon a servant of an extraplanar being with which you have a strong connection (i.e., a cleric summoning a servant of its god) they are considered an ally. All other creatures are considered hostiles, regardless of their disposition towards the caster. GMs have the final say in whether or not a character is capable of summoning allies.

To summon a target, you must choose a location within Close range for them to appear, and the kind of creature to be summoned must be known and stated. If you wish to summon a specific individual, you must use that individual’s proper name. You may summon multiple creatures with one use of this ability (up to 3 at once) but the combined Hit Dice of all summoned creatures cannot exceed your caster level.

Hostiles: If a hostile creature is unwilling to be summoned, it is allowed a Will saving throw to resist. If the saving throw succeeds, the creature is not summoned. If the saving throw fails, the creature is immediately summoned (spell resistance does not keep it from being called).

When a hostile creature is summoned, it is rooted to a specific location within range (you can decide how much space to give it, up to a 30 ft. radius). It cannot leave this area until an agreement with you has been reached. It can escape this location by successfully pitting its spell resistance against your magic skill check, by teleportation or dimensional travel, or with a successful Charisma check pitted against a DC of your MSD + your Charisma modifier. It can try each method once per day. If it breaks loose, it can do as it pleases including fleeing, returning to its home plane, or attacking you.

If the creature does not break free of its prison, you can keep it bound for as long as you dare. You can attempt to compel the creature to perform a service by describing the service and perhaps offering some sort of reward. You make a Charisma check opposed by the creature’s Charisma check. The check is assigned a bonus of +0 to +6 based on the nature of the service and the reward. If the creature wins the opposed check, it refuses service. New offers, bribes, and the like can be made or the old ones re-offered every 24 hours. This process can be repeated until the creature promises to serve, until it breaks free, or until you decide to dismiss it (a free action so long as it remains trapped). Impossible demands or unreasonable commands are never agreed to. If you ever roll a natural 1 on the Charisma check, the creature breaks free of the spell’s effect and can escape or attack you.

Once the requested service is completed, the creature need only to inform you to be instantly sent back whence it came. The creature might later seek revenge. If you assign some open-ended task that the creature cannot complete through its own actions, the effect remains for a maximum of 1 day per caster level, and the creature gains an immediate chance to break free (with the same chance to resist as when it was trapped). Note that a clever recipient can subvert some instructions.

Allies: Allies are never hostile and do not resist, although additional payment is always expected for their services.

Payment can take a variety of forms, from donating gold or magic items to an allied temple, to a gift given directly to the creature, to a quest on your part that matches the creature’s alignment and goals. Regardless, this payment must be made before the creature agrees to perform any services. The bargaining takes at least 1 round, so any actions by the creature begin in the round after it arrives.

A task taking up to 1 minute per caster level requires a payment of 100 gp per HD of the creature summoned. For a task taking up to 1 hour per caster level, the creature requires a payment of 500 gp per HD. A long-term task, one requiring up to 1 day per caster level, requires a payment of 1,000 gp per HD.

A nonhazardous task requires only half the indicated payment, while an especially hazardous task might require a greater gift. Few if any creatures will accept a task that seems suicidal (unlike a companion from the Conjuration sphere that simply returns to its home plane when reduced to 0 hp, a summoned creature actually dies when it is killed). However, at the GM’s discretion, if the task is strongly aligned with the creature’s ethos, it may halve or even waive the payment.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the ally returns to their home plane immediately. If you are not willing to give the requested payment, but attempt to press the target into service anyway, treat the creature as hostile. Pressing a creature in this way may have a detrimental effect on any future attempts to summon an allied outsider.

At the end of its task, or when the bargained duration expires, a summoned ally returns to its home plane (after reporting back to you, if appropriate and possible).

Creation Talents

Create Materials

Prerequisite(s): Creation sphere, Forge, Lengthened Creation, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to create raw materials. This is an instantaneous effect; you create the material as self-evident normal material, and thus it cannot be dispelled and has no duration. You cannot create complex items, i.e., you may create walls, battlements, ramps, or domes, but cannot create catapults, armor, or a complete building in this manner, although the material may be crafted as any other material after it is summoned. You can summon any material you may create, with the exception of gems, precious metals (such as gold or silver) or rare metals (such as cold iron or mithral).

Fabricate

Prerequisite(s): Creation sphere, Forge, 10th caster level or higher.

When using your forge talent, you may spend an additional spell point to create items of great detail. You must pass the appropriate skill check to make complex items and work at a rate of 1 round per 10 cubic feet when working in this manner. You can only work with a material which you can create.

Fleshcraft

Prerequisite(s): Creation sphere, Expanded Materials, 10th caster level or higher.

You may create and alter flesh as you would other materials. This means you can create the body of a creature, although it is not alive, and you must make a Disguise check if attempting to create a copy of a specific individual. You may also alter a body, although you must spend an additional spell point to alter a living creature ( Fort negates). You may create a permanent body through the Create Materials talent.

If used in conjunction with the Change Material talent to affect a living creature, this does not kill the target; however, they do not appear to be alive for effects that would detect such things, and they may be injured as any other object. When returned to normal the creature is still alive (provided they weren’t destroyed in this alternate form), but any injuries or deformities gained in their altered state carry over to their original forms.

If you possess the Forge talent, you may sculpt a creature’s body in one of the following ways:

  • You can remove or restore an arm, leg, or tail. While technically you can add a limb to a creature that wasn’t missing one, these extra limbs are too weak to hold things or be used to attack.
  • You may remove or restore a sense: sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell.
  • You may attack the target’s body, dealing 2d6 Constitution damage.
  • If you possess the Fabricate advanced talent, you may change a creature’s appearance permanently. Make a Disguise check if attempting to mimic a specific creature.

Other uses of this talent are up to the GM.

Permanent Change

Prerequisite(s): Creation sphere, Change Material, Forge, Expanded Materials, 10th caster level or higher.

When using your Change Material talent, you may spend an additional spell point to make the change an instantaneous effect; the change is permanent and cannot be dispelled. If used on a target in conjunction with the Change Material and Fleshcraft talents, another application of the Fleshcraft and Change Material talents can return them to normal for a limited time, but only another use of the Permanent Change talent can permanently reverse this effect. You cannot create a permanent change involving gems, precious metals (such as gold or silver) or rare metals (such as cold iron or mithral).

Dark Talents

Midnight (darkness)

Prerequisite(s): Dark Sphere, Greater Darkness, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 additional spell points to increase the area of your darkness to a 2 mile radius.

Shadow Walker (meld)

Prerequisite(s): Dark Sphere, Step Through Darkness, 10th caster level or higher.

A target must be within an area of dim light or darkness for you to apply this (meld) talent to them. When this talent is applied, the target temporarily steps out of the Material Plane and into the place where it borders the Plane of Shadow. While within this region of shadow, the target may move at a rate of 50 miles per hour, seeing their relative place in the Material Plane, although it appears blurry and lacking in details. At any time, the target may step back into the Material Plane, at which point the effects of this (meld) talent immediately end.

Because of the blurring of reality between the Plane of Shadow and the Material Plane, the target can’t make out details of the terrain or areas you pass over during transit, nor can you predict perfectly where your travel will end. It’s impossible to judge distances accurately, making this ability ill-suited for scouting or spying. Furthermore, when stepping back into the Material Plane, the target is shunted 1d10 x 100 feet in a random horizontal direction from the desired endpoint. If this would place the target within a solid object, they are shunted 1d10 x 1,000 feet in the same direction. If this would still place them within a solid object, they are shunted to the nearest empty space available, but the strain of this activity renders the creature fatigued (no save).

Death Talents

Astral Projection

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, Project Spirit, 10th caster level or higher.

When using the Project Spirit advanced Death talent, you may spend an additional spell point to project your spirit into the Astral Plane instead of the Ethereal Plane. You may bring up to 1 additional willing creature per 2 caster levels with you, provided these creatures are linked in a circle with you at the time. These fellow travelers are dependent upon you and must accompany you at all times. If something happens to you during the journey, your companions are stranded wherever you left them.

While you are on the Astral Plane, your astral body is connected at all times to your physical body by an incorporeal silver cord. If the cord is broken, you are killed, astrally and physically. Luckily, very few things can destroy a silver cord.

Unlike a regular use of the Project Spirit talent, you and your companions may travel through the Astral Plane in this manner indefinitely, until you either choose to end the effect (which returns you to your body) or it is ended by some outside means. This effect may be dispelled like any other sphere effect by targeting either your astral form or your physical body. Dispelling this effect immediately returns you to your body.

Astral Travel

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, Astral Projection, Project Spirit, 15th caster level or higher.

When projecting yourself and/or your allies into the Astral Plane, you may spend an additional spell point (bringing the total to 3) to allow you and your allies to travel astrally to any of the other planes that border the Astral Plane. If you choose to enter one of these planes, you form a new physical body (and equipment) on that plane of existence, exactly like your true form, although the silver cord remains invisibly attached to this new body, and magic items used still count against the item’s total uses. You are still subject to the weaknesses of an astral form (you may be dispelled, your cord may be broken, etc.). If your new form is killed, you are returned to your original body, gaining 2 permanent negative levels as normal.

Greater Undead

Prerequisite(s): Death Sphere, Lingering Necromancy, Permanent Undead, 15th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points and 1 hour to reanimate a body as a greater form of undead, including banshees, vampires, wrights, and others. This is always an instantaneous effect, creating permanent undead that cannot be dispelled. These undead are not automatically under your control; alternate means of control must be established beyond your usual HD limits.

Many undead have specific requirements for their creation listed in their descriptions (banshees are the spirits of female elves who either betrayed a lover or were betrayed by one, bodaks are extraplanar undead created in the Abyss, allips are the spirits of insane suicides, etc.). These prerequisites must be met in order to create a specific kind of undead.

Permanent Undead

Prerequisite(s): Death Sphere, Lingering Necromancy, 5th caster level or higher.

When you reanimate a corpses as a skeleton or zombie, you may spend 2 spell points to make the reanimation an instantaneous effect. The undead creature exists independent of your concentration, has no duration, and cannot be dispelled. These undead still count against the total number of undead you may have reanimated at any one time. If you create more undead than your total, old permanent undead are not destroyed; instead, they are simply released from service and will attack you or any other nearby living creature.

Possession

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, Project Spirit, 10th caster level or higher.

When you project your spirit by use of the Project Spirit advanced Death talent, you may move into the same space as a material creature and attempt to possess it. You must spend a spell point to attempt a possession, and the target is allowed a Will save to negate. If their saving throw fails, the target’s soul is repressed, and yours assumes control of the body. You may only possess a physical creature with a soul (this includes most living creatures and intelligent undead but not constructs, unintelligent undead, or outsiders).

Attempting to possess a body is a full-round action. You may only attempt to possess a creature once during any individual projection of your spirit.

If you are successful, your life force occupies the host body. You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, mental abilities, extraordinary abilities, supernatural abilities, and magical abilities such as spells and sphere abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. You cannot choose to activate the body’s extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The creature’s spells and spell-like abilities do not stay with the body.

You may possess a body for up to 1 hour per caster level, but may always end the effect early as a standard action. If the host body is slain, you return to your body and suffer 2 permanent negative levels. As is usual when projecting your spirit, this effect may be dispelled at either your body or the host’s body.

Project Spirit

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend a spell point to project your spirit out of your body for up to 1 round per caster level. During this time, your body falls into a state of suspended animation; it requires neither food nor water and does not age, although it may be slain through normal means.

Your spirit manifests as an ethereal version of you with your hit points and abilities, and carries a copy of all of your equipment. It is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. It can move through solid objects, including living creatures, and may see and hear its surroundings, although as it is on the Ethereal Plane, it can only see and hear the Material Plane to a distance of 60 ft. When the time limit expires, your spirit immediately returns to your body. Using magic items (such as scrolls, wands, potions, and other items with a limited number of charges or uses per day) while ethereal counts against the item’s total remaining uses when you return to your body.

Your spirit cannot attack or otherwise affect creatures and objects on the Material Plane nor generally be affected by them, although some effects (such as force damage) specifically target ethereal creatures when used by material creatures. Certain material creatures or objects also have attacks or effects that can specifically affect creatures on the Ethereal Plane. These effects do not work in reverese to allow your spirit to affect material creatures.

Your spirit treats other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material. Your spirit may use any magic you possess, but such magic can only affect other ethereal things. If your spirit self is slain, your spirit instantly returns to your body, reviving it from its state of suspended animation. This is a traumatic affair, however, and you gain two permanent negative levels.

Soul Trap

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, 15th caster level or higher.

As a standard action, when adjacent to a creature that has died very recently (within 1 round per caster level) you may spend 3 spell points to trap their soul into a gem. The target is allowed a Will save to negate the effect, and the gemstone’s value must be at least 1,000 gp per HD of the creature you are attempting to trap. If successful, the creature’s soul becomes trapped within the gemstone. A trapped creature cannot be resurrected or have its spirit summoned, unless the caster is in possession of this gemstone. The creature trapped inside the gemstone always fails its saving throws if the holder of the gemstone uses the Summon Spirit advanced Death talent on it. If the gemstone is broken, the spirit is released. If the spirit is called through the Summon Spirit advanced Death talent, the caster may choose to release the spirit, in which case it travels to the afterlife, leaving the gem empty and reusable.

Summon Spirit

Prerequisite(s): Death sphere, 5th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points and 1 hour to summon the spirit of a dead creature. You must know the exact creature you are trying to summon and be able to designate them (such as their name or place and time of death, etc.) and the more familiar you are with the spirit and the more recently they died, the more likely they are to appear. The spirit you are trying to summon is allowed a Will save with the following modifiers depending on your knowledge and connection to the target, as well as its time of death:

Table: Familiarity (Spirit)
Knowledge Will Save Modifier
None* +10
Secondhand (you have heard of the subject) +5
Firsthand (you have met the subject) +0
Familiar (you know the subject well) -5

*You must have some sort of connection (see below) to a creature of which you have no knowledge.

Table: Connection (Spirit)
Connection Will Save Modifier
Likeness or picture -2
Possession or garment -4
Corpse/remains -10
Table: Time Deceased
Time the Creature has been Dead Will Save Modifier
1 year +2
10 years +4
100 years +6
1000 years +8

On a successful saving throw, the target does not appear and may choose to retaliate spiritually, giving you 2 temporary negative levels that last 24 hours (meaning you must save against them becoming permanent). While friends may choose to purposefully fail their saving throw and come willingly, in most other cases being ripped from the afterlife is a horrid experience and can turn even the nicest of spirits hostile. If a spirit makes their saving throw against this effect they cannot be summoned again by the same caster for 1 month. Sometimes, the spirits of heroes, kings, and others are protected by Deity and are simply unable to be summoned.

Once a spirit has been summoned, you may do any of the following:

  • You may ask one question per two caster levels. The corpse’s knowledge is limited to what it knew during life, including the languages it spoke. Answers may be brief, cryptic, or repetitive. A creature who would have opposed you in life may make a new Will save to refuse to answer or to lie with the Bluff skill.
  • You may use the spirit as a component when creating an animated object or undead creature (Will negates if unwilling; if the spirit makes its save, it immediately returns to the afterlife as if it had made its original saving throw). You must create the undead creature or animated object as usual, but by placing the spirit into the target, the spirit is brought back to life within this new body. The object or undead creature gains the mental attributes, personality, memories, etc. of the selected spirit, but otherwise is normal for its new creature type. (At the GM’s discretion, a spirit bound to a permanent animated object or undead creature may recover or gain class levels over time, but loses at least 1 level per Hit Die of its new form.) An undead creature or animated object created in this way is not automatically under your control.
  • If you possess the Resurrection advanced Life talent, you may place the spirit into a new body, bringing the soul back to life, even if you do not have the target’s body, it is missing vital components, or the target has been dead for up to 1 year per caster level. You must possess either a soulless body (such as one created through the Fleshcraft and Create Materials advanced Creation talents), or else a body assembled from other, recently slain bodies. (Assembly requires either the target’s body with one additional body for every replaced vital component, or else a minimum of six different bodies—one for each limb, the torso including head, and the brain. In some cases, more bodies may be necessary. Special unguents and bindings worth 500 gp are also required.) You may bring the target back to life with the Resurrection advanced Life talent. The target retains its ability scores and class levels (even those dependent on blood, such as sorcerer levels) but its race and appearance depend on the body possessed.

Destruction Talents

Calamity (blast shape)

Prerequisite(s): Destruction sphere, Explosive Orb, Shape Blast, 15th caster level or higher.

When creating a destructive blast, you may spend 2 spell points to shape your blast into either a Long-range line, a Medium-range cone, or a Close-radius burst centered within range.

Divination Talents

Discern Location (divine)

Prerequisite(s): Divination sphere, Dowsing, Greater Divine, 15th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points to discern the location of any one creature or object. To find a creature, you must have seen the creature or have some item that once belonged to it. To find an object, you must have touched it at least once.

Discern location circumvents normal means of protection from scrying or other means of nondetection. Indeed, nothing short of a mind blank spell, the Unplottable advanced Protection talent, or the direct intervention of a deity keeps you from learning the exact location of the targeted individual or object. You learn the name of the creature or object’s location (place, name, business name, building name, or the like), community, county (or similar political division), country, continent, and the plane of existence where the target lies.

Divine Knowledge (divine)

Prerequisite(s): Divination sphere, Read Omens, 10th caster level or higher

You may spend 3 spell points to delve the universe for the answer to a specific question. Delving in this manner is not an exact practice, and the only answers you may receive are ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘unclear’, or ‘unknown’. You have a 50% chance +1% per caster level of gaining a true answer. A failed roll produces an ‘unknown’ answer, while a roll of 90% or higher produces a lie. If you use this ability to ask the same question twice, the same answer repeats.

Note: GMs are fully encouraged to use their own numbers and methods for determining when true, untrue, or unknown answers are gained. A caster divining knowledge could be asking friendly gods, bargaining with the Fates, reading the tablets of life, or using any number of alternate methods for gaining knowledge. As such, the specifics of this ability can vary widely between campaigns—friendly gods may always answer truthfully, while Fates may require specific bargains to be made in exchange for knowledge. It is always possible that the source of information being asked simply doesn’t know the answers to certain questions.

Read Omens (divine)

Prerequisite(s): Divination sphere, 5th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to divine for knowledge of the future. You gain useful advice in reply to one question regarding a specific goal, event, or activity to occur within 1 week. This advice could be a useful phrase or a cryptic omen or rhyme. If you do not act on the information, the conditions may change so that the information is no longer useful. The base chance for a correct divination is 70% + 1% per caster level, to a maximum of 90%. If the die roll fails, you receive no information and know the attempt failed, unless specific magic yielding false information is at work. Multiple divinations about the same topic by the same caster use the same dice result as the first attempt and yield the same answer each time.

Scrying

Prerequisite(s): Divination sphere, Greater Divine, Viewing, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points and 1 hour to observe a creature or object as if using the Viewing talent, but over any distance. If targeting a creature, the target is allowed a Will save to resist being viewed, which is subject to the following modifiers depending on your knowledge and connection to the desired creature. Creatures or objects on a different plane receive an extra +5 bonus to their Will save. If viewing an object, the object may make a save (if intelligent), or any creature holding the object, or that could be considered to ‘possess’ the object is allowed to make this save on its behalf. If no such creature is available, assume a default Will save of 15.

Table: Familiarity (Scrying)
Knowledge Will Save Modifier
None* +10
Secondhand (you have heard of the subject) +5
Firsthand (you have met the subject) +0
Familiar (you know the subject well) -5

*You must have some sort of connection (see below) to a creature of which you have no knowledge Table: Connection (Scrying)

Connection Will Save Modifier
Likeness or picture -2
You have one of the creature’s possessions, or have a person present who once owned the object -4
You possess a piece of the subject (Body part, lock of hair, broken fragment, etc.) -10

If the save fails, you can see and hear the subject and its surroundings (approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject) as if you were present. If the saving throw succeeds, you cannot scry on the target again for 24 hours. If the subject moves, the sensor follows at a speed of up to 150 feet.

True Seeing

Prerequisite(s): Divination sphere, Ghost Sight, True Sight, 10th caster level or higher.

You may touch a creature and spend 2 spell points to confer on them the ability to see all things as they actually are for 1 minute per caster level. The subject sees through normal and magical darkness, notices secret doors hidden by magic, sees the exact locations of creatures or objects under blur or displacement effects, sees invisible creatures or objects normally, sees through illusions, and sees the true form of polymorphed, changed, or transmuted things. Further, the subject can focus its vision to see into the Ethereal Plane (but not into extra-dimensional spaces). The range of true seeing conferred is 120 feet.

This ability does not grant the ability to see through solid objects and does not negate concealment, including that caused by fog and the like. True seeing does not help the viewer see through mundane disguises, spot creatures who are simply hiding, or notice secret doors hidden by mundane means. In addition, this sight does not work in conjunction with other viewing magic, such as Scrying or Viewing Divination talents.

Enhancement Talents

Bestow life

Prerequisite(s): Enhancement sphere, Bestow Intelligence, Animate Object, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points and 24 hours to bring a plant, animal, or object to life. This is an instantaneous effect, and as such is a permanent change and cannot be dispelled. This has no effect on a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher.

This ability may manifest in one of the following ways:

  • You transform a tree into an intelligent animated object, granting it the benefits of your animate object and bestow intelligence enhancements. The target’s type changes to magical creature.
  • You transform an animal into an awakened animal. The target’s type changes to magical creature, and its mental ability scores change to 3d6 each. At the GM’s discretion, the animal may be recreated using whatever character creation rules the campaign has employed.
  • You grant life to an empty body. This could be a body created through the Fleshcraft and Create Raw Materials Creation advanced talents or a body crafted from parts of other recently slain bodies sewed together. (Assembly requires a minimum of six different bodies—one for each limb, the torso including head, and the brain. In some cases, more bodies may be necessary. Special unguents and bindings worth 500 gp are also required.) The target becomes a living 1st level commoner of whatever race its body was crafted to mimic, but may retrain as usual.
  • You transform a magical object into an intelligent item with a 10 Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The item must be a permanent magical item (thus scrolls, wands, potions, etc. cannot be enhanced in this way), and the item does not gain any powers automatically; abilities and attribute bonuses must be crafted into the item as usual.

Creatures and magic items created in this fashion possess your alignment and can speak one language that you know plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any). An animal affected in this manner can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount, and a caster needs to possess the leadership feat to take a creature as a cohort.

With the exception of Intelligent items (which follow the intelligent item rules), the affected creature serves you as a faithful companion. However, as it is a living, intelligent being, it will expect good treatment in return (indeed, an animal that was treated harshly before it was enhanced in this way may feel no particular loyalty to the caster at all). A caster may only have one companion of this sort at any one time; if a second creature is awakened, the first remains friendly, but no longer undertakes tasks for the caster unless it is in its own best interests.

Reverse Gravity (enhance)

Prerequisite(s): Enhancement sphere, Lighten, 15th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to enhance an area of up to 10 cubic ft. per caster level, arranged contiguously. Unlike most enhancements, you can only maintain this effect through concentration for up to 1 round per caster level. Spending an additional spell point to allow it to become self-sustaining lasts for 1 round per caster level, not 1 minute per caster level.

Within this area, gravity reverses. Unattached objects and creatures in the area fall upward and reach the top of the area in 1 round. If a solid object (such as a ceiling) is encountered in this fall, falling objects and creatures strike it in the same manner as they would during a normal downward fall. If an object or creature reaches the top of the area without striking anything, it remains there, oscillating slightly, until the effect ends. At the end of the duration, affected objects and creatures fall downward.

Provided it has something to hold onto, a creature caught in the area can attempt a Reflex save to secure itself and not fall upward. Creatures who can fly or levitate can keep themselves from falling.

Fate Talents

Atonement (word)

Prerequisite(s): Fate sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

You may act as an intermediary on behalf of your alignment. If you are connected to a deity or another source of power, you may also intercede on its behalf.

By spending 2 spell points, you may allow the target to change its alignment or make amends for indiscretions in one of the following ways:

Reverse Magical Alignment Change: If a creature has had its alignment magically changed, atonement returns its alignment to its original status at no additional cost.

Restore Class or Magic: A paladin, cleric, druid, or any other caster whose casting tradition dictates their power comes from an aligned source may lose their powers through indiscretions or alignment changes. You may use this ability to restore that character’s class levels or magic powers. Sometimes you or the deity you represent may require the target to undertake a quest, make a sacrifice, or perform some other action to prove its desire to atone before it can have its power restored in this fashion.

Redemption/Temptation: You grant the creature the chance to instantly change its own alignment to match yours. The target may freely choose whether it retains its original alignment or acquiesces to your offer and changes to your alignment. No duress, compulsion, or magical influence can force the subject to take advantage of the opportunity offered if it is unwilling to abandon its old alignment. Unless specified by the GM, this cannot work on outsiders or any other creature incapable of changing its alignment naturally.

Note: Normally, changing alignment is up to the player. This use of atonement offers a method for a character to change his or her alignment drastically, suddenly, and definitively.

Geas

Prerequisite(s): Fate sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points and 10 minutes to place a geas on a touched target with fewer hit dice than your caster level. A geas is a magical command that compels the target to carry out some service or to refrain from some action or course of activity, as declared when the geas is placed. The target is allowed a Will save to negate this effect. While a geas cannot compel a creature to kill itself or perform acts that would result in certain death, it can cause almost any other course of activity.

The geased creature must follow the given instructions until the geas is completed, no matter how long it takes. If the instructions involve some open-ended task that the recipient cannot complete through his own actions, the geas remains in effect for a maximum of 1 day per caster level. A clever recipient can subvert some instructions.

If the subject is prevented from obeying the geas for 24 hours, it takes a -2 penalty to each of its ability scores. Each day, another -2 penalty accumulates, up to a total of -8. No ability score can be reduced to less than 1 by this effect. The ability score penalties are removed 24 hours after the subject resumes obeying the lesser geas.

A geas cannot be dispelled, but it may be broken through the Break Enchantment Life talent, as well spells such as break enchantment, limited wish, remove curse, miracle, or wish. You may remove a geas that you placed on a target as a standard action.

Greater Geas

Prerequisite(s): Fate sphere, Geas, 10th caster level or higher

Your geas becomes more powerful. Targets of your geas no longer gain a saving throw against the effect, and you may target any creature, not only those with fewer hit dice than your caster level. In addition, the geas can only be broken through the Break Enchantment Life talent or the remove curse or break enchantment spells if the target’s caster level is at least two higher than yours. Limited wish, miracle, and wish may still remove a geas.

Mark of Judgment

Prerequisite(s): Fate sphere, Geas, Greater Geas, 10th caster level or higher.

Your geas gains a permanent duration, as well as a more immediate effect. If the target breaks the geas even once, it immediately suffers a permanent -8 penalty to all ability scores or another punishment of equal strength designated at the time of casting. This punishment may only be removed if the geas is removed, whether or not the target returns to obeying the geas.

Illusion Talents

Permanent Image

Prerequisite(s): Illusion sphere, Lingering Illusion, 10th caster level or higher.

When creating an illusion, you may spend 2 spell points to increase its duration to permanent.

Life Talents

Regeneration

Prerequisite(s): Life Sphere, caster level 10th or higher.

When you restore a target, they are healed of all broken bones, severed body parts (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, or even heads of multi-headed creatures), and ruined organs. This also restores sight, hearing, and other permanent loss of senses. If body parts to be reattached are not present, they require 2d10 rounds to regrow. This cannot bring a creature back from the dead nor function on a creature that is already dead.

Restore Mind and Body

Prerequisite(s): Life Sphere, Break Enchantment, Restore Soul, Restore Mind, caster level 15th or higher.

You may spend an additional spell point to allow your restore ability to remove all permanent negative levels from the target and to count as using a wish or miracle spell for those spells and abilities that specify they can only be removed by use of these spells (including insanity, feebleminded, geas, etc.). This does not mimic any other benefits of a wish or miracle spell, and cannot restore other conditions unless the appropriate talents are also possessed.

Resurrection

Prerequisite(s): Life Sphere, Resuscitate, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points and 1 hour to bring a dead target back to life. A target cannot have been dead for more than 1 hour per caster level, the creature’s body must be reasonably intact (i.e., it cannot be missing a vital component such as its head or heart), and the target’s soul must be willing to return (an unwilling target cannot be forcibly resurrected).

The target is restored to full health and any ability scores drained or damaged to 0 are raised to 1, but otherwise, any conditions the target was under when it died return when it is raised (disease, poison, curses, etc.). A restore can be applied simultaneously with the resurrection to counteract these conditions. Missing body parts are not restored, although the wounds are sealed and do not bleed. The target also gains two permanent negative levels when it is raised or suffers 2 points of Constitution drain for every negative level it would be reduced below 1st level. If this would reduce the target’s Constitution to 0 or less, it cannot be raised. You cannot raise a target that has died of old age.

Resurrection, Greater

Prerequisite(s): Life Sphere, Resuscitate, Resurrection, Regeneration, 15th caster level or higher.

When you bring a target back to life with your Resurrection talent, they only suffer 1 permanent negative level, they may have been dead for up to 1 day per caster level, and they can be missing vital components; indeed, you need only a small piece of their body (a pinch of ash, a finger, etc.) to bring them back to life and fully restore their body to its complete form.

Light Talents

Daylight (light)

Prerequisite(s): Light sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

When causing an object to shed bright light, you may spend 2 additional spell points to cause the object to shed bright light for a 2 mile radius and normal light for 5 miles beyond that.

Mind Talents

Deadly Vision (charm)

Prerequisite(s): Mind sphere, Vision, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to give the target a vision of the most fearsome creature imaginable, pulling its subconscious fears into a shape before its eyes. Only the target can see this vision, although you may see the vague shape of the creature the target is seeing. The target first gets a Will save to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed on a Fortitude save or die from fear.

Greater Communication

Prerequisite(s): Mind sphere, Read Mind, Project Thoughts, 10th caster level or higher.

So long as you are personally familiar with the subject, you may spend an additional spell point to use your Project Thoughts charm across any distance, even across planes (although there is a 5% chance a cross-planar sending simply doesn’t arrive). Recipients are allowed to respond in kind (25 words for the Greater charm, no word limit for the Powerful charm), but the target must voluntarily receive and send the messages; the target may simply decide to block you out, in which case the conversation immediately ends.

Insanity (mind)

Prerequisite(s): Mind sphere, Confusion, 10th caster level or higher.

When applying a confusion charm to a target, you may spend an additional spell point to change this charm into an instantaneous effect. The charm has no duration and cannot be dispelled. This cannot be removed except through the Restore Mind and Body advanced Life talent or through a similar effect such as a greater restoration spell.

Mind Control

Prerequisite(s): Mind Sphere, Enthrall, Powerful Charm, Project thoughts, 10th caster level or higher.

When you place a Powerful enthrall charm on a target, you may spend an additional spell point to increase the duration to 1 day per caster level. In addition, the target obeys all commands you give it, except for obviously suicidal ones. Commands that are against the target’s nature grant it a new saving throw with a +2 bonus to throw off the entire effect.

You may communicate your requests telepathically to the target (if you do not have a shared language, you still can only communicate basic commands such as ‘go’, ‘fight’, ‘stand still’, etc.). This can be done over any distance once established, but not across planes.

By concentrating fully on the effect (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, and if you possess the Read Mind talent and Greater Communication advanced talent, it can communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, but it still gives you a general idea of what’s going on.

If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the creature each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off your control.

Nature Talents

Earthquake (earth, geomancing)

Prerequisite(s): Nature sphere, Forge Earth, 15th caster level or higher.

As an instantaneous effect, you may spend 3 spell points to create an earthquake, affecting an 80 ft. radius area.

The powerful shockwave created by this ability knocks creatures down, collapses structures, opens cracks in the ground, and more. The effect lasts for 1 round, during which time creatures on the ground cannot move or attack. A caster on the ground must make a concentration check (DC 20 + 1/2 the caster level) or lose any spell or sphere effect he or she tries to cast. The earthquake affects all terrain, vegetation, structures, and creatures in the area. The specific effect of an earthquake depends on the nature of the terrain where it is created.

Cave, Cavern, or Tunnel: The roof collapses, dealing 8d6 points of damage to any creature caught under the cave-in (Reflex DC 15 half) and pinning that creature beneath the rubble (see below). An earthquake cast on the roof of a very large cavern could also endanger those outside the actual area who are below the falling debris and rubble.

Cliffs: The earthquake causes cliffs to crumble, creating a landslide that travels horizontally as far as it falls vertically. Any creature in the path takes 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 15 half) and is pinned beneath the rubble (see below).

Open Ground: Each creature standing in the area must make a DC 15 Reflex save or fall down. Fissures open in the earth and every creature on the ground has a 25% chance to fall into one (Reflex DC 20 to avoid a fissure). The fissures are 40 feet deep. At the end of the earthquake, all fissures grind shut. Treat all trapped creatures as if they were in the bury zone of an avalanche, trapped without air (see Suffocation rules for more details).

Structure: Any structure standing on open ground takes 100 points of damage, enough to collapse a typical wooden or masonry building, but not a structure built of stone or reinforced masonry. Hardness does not reduce this damage, nor is it halved as damage dealt to objects normally is. Any creature caught inside a collapsing structure takes 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 15 half) and is pinned beneath the rubble (see below).

River, Lake, or Marsh: Fissures open under the water, draining away the water from that area and forming muddy ground. Soggy marsh or swampland becomes quicksand for the duration of this effect, sucking down creatures and structures. Each creature in the area must make a DC 15 Reflex save or sink down in the mud and quicksand. After the earthquake ends, the rest of the body of water rushes in to replace the drained water, possibly drowning those caught in the mud.

Pinned Beneath Rubble: Any creature pinned beneath rubble takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute while pinned. If a pinned character falls unconscious, he or she must make a DC 15 Constitution check each minute thereafter until freed or dead, suffering 1d6 points of lethal damage for each failed save.

Rapid Growth (Plant, geomancing)

Prerequisite(s): Nature sphere, Grow Plants, 15th caster level or higher.

You may spend 3 spell points to create a massive growth of plantlife. This affects up to a 1 mile area in one of the following ways:

Change Terrain: You may change the terrain in this area to forest or jungle. This does not cause animals native to the forest or jungle to appear, nor does it guarantee that the terrain type will stay that way indefinitely (some areas such as deserts or high mountains cannot support forests or jungles, and a forest or jungle created in these locations may die out over time) but in all other ways, the terrain changes to the selected type.

Improve Forest: If used in an area that already contains a forest or jungle, you may cause the area to grow rapidly. Typical trees become massive trees, all areas become covered in undergrowth, and areas already covered in undergrowth gain heavy undergrowth.

A creature standing in the same square as a typical tree gains partial cover, which grants a +2 bonus to Armor Class and a +1 bonus on Reflex saves. The presence of a tree doesn’t otherwise affect a creature’s fighting space, because it’s assumed that the creature is using the tree to its advantage when it can. The trunk of a typical tree has AC 4, hardness 5, and 150 hp. A DC 15 Climb check is sufficient to climb a tree. Massive trees take up an entire square and provide cover to anyone behind them. They have AC 3, hardness 5, and 600 hp. Like their smaller counterparts, it takes a DC 15 Climb check to climb them.

Space covered with light undergrowth costs 2 squares of movement to move into and provides concealment. Undergrowth increases the DC of Acrobatics and Stealth checks by 2 because the leaves and branches get in the way. Heavy undergrowth costs 4 squares of movement to move into and provides concealment with a 30% miss chance (instead of the usual 20%). It increases the DC of Acrobatics checks by 5. Heavy undergrowth is easy to hide in, granting a +5 circumstance bonus on Stealth checks. Running and charging are impossible. Squares with undergrowth are often clustered together. Undergrowth and trees aren’t mutually exclusive; it’s common for a 5-foot square to have both a tree and undergrowth.

Increase Yield: If used in an area of developed farmland, you double the crop production in that area for the rest of the harvest season. This has no effect if used in winter or other times when crops are not being tended.

Tsunami (water, geomancing)

Prerequisite(s): Nature sphere, Create Water, Wave, 15th caster level or higher.

As a concentration effect, you spend 2 spell points to create a wave of water 10 ft. deep, 10 ft. long per caster level, and 2 ft. tall per caster level. This wave moves in a straight line at 60 ft. per round over water (30 ft. per round over land), and if not combined with Create Water, must originate from a large body of water. It travels perpendicular to its width, and may be maintained for no more than 5 rounds.

Creatures struck by the tsunami take 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (a Fortitude save halves this damage) and are subject to a special; CMB check. The wave’s; CMB is equal to your caster level + your casting ability modifier + 8 (for the wave’s size). If this; CMB check defeats a creature’s CMD, the creature is knocked prone and carried along by the wave. A creature carried along by a tsunami can attempt to escape the wave on its turn as a standard action by making a; CMB or Swim check opposed by the wave’s; CMB check. If a creature fails to escape, it takes another 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage (Fortitude save for half) and continues being carried along by the wave.

Objects struck by a tsunami are swept up if they are Huge or smaller and are carried along by the wave, deposited in a pile at the end of the wave’s journey. Gargantuan or larger objects, as well as structures or objects firmly attached to the ground, take 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage when a tsunami passes through its space—if this is enough to destroy the object or structure, the remains are carried along by the wave. Hardness does not reduce this damage, nor is it halved as damage dealt to objects normally is. Freedom of movement or the Freedom Fate sphere talent word prevents a creature from being carried along by a tsunami but does not prevent damage caused by it hitting a creature.

A solid barrier that is taller than the tsunami that is not destroyed by the wave stops that portion of the wave from continuing onward, leaving a gap in the wave as the rest of it continues forward.

Volcano

Prerequisite(s): Nature sphere, Move Fire, 15th caster level or higher.

As a concentration effect, you may spend 2 spell points to call lava up from deep within the earth. This lava bursts from a 10 ft. wide hole in the ground centered within range and creates a spout 10 ft. high per 2 caster levels. Any creature in this area or who enters this area takes 10d6 points of fire damage and is hurled into the air and then tossed to the ground. A successful Reflex saving throw halves the fire damage and the creature is not tossed into the air, instead moving to the closest square adjacent to the geyser (Large-sized or larger creatures are moved enough so that they are not on top of the geyser but still adjacent to it). This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count toward the creature’s normal movement. If the creature fails its saving throw, it suffers the full fire damage and also suffers falling damage based upon the height of the volcanic spray (e.g., if the volcano is 80 feet tall, the creature takes 8d6 falling damage) and lands prone in a random square adjacent to the spout.

In addition, the volcano sprays lava, smoke, and poison gas in a hemispherical emanation around itself. The radius of this emanation is equal to one half the volcano’s height (e.g., an 80 foot spout has a 40 foot radius emanation). All creatures within this area, including yourself, have concealment and suffer 2d6 points of fire damage each round as lava cascades on them. They also suffer 1d6 Constitution damage per round as they inhale poisonous gas (Fortitude DC 15 negates, the DC increases by 1 per previous save).

Even after a creature leaves the lava-filled area, they suffer 1d6 points of damage for 1d3 rounds as the lava already on them cools.

A volcano must be created on the ground and cannot be created in other places, such as on the 2nd floor of a building. You can choose to make a smaller volcano than your level permits if an obstruction prevents it from reaching its full height, or if you simply want to create a spread of lava that’s smaller than your maximum.

Protection Talents

Adaptation (aegis)

Prerequisite(s): Protection Sphere, Energy Resistance, Breathless, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to grant a target an aegis that makes them immune to most environmental conditions. They become immune to extreme temperatures, toxicity in the air, and can breath underwater or in a vacuum. In addition, the target gains Energy Resistance to acid, frost, fire, and lightning equal to your caster level.

Anti-Magic Aura

Prerequisite(s): Protection sphere, Spell Ward, 10th caster level or higher.

When creating a spell ward, you may spend an additional spell point to improve the ward’s abilities: The ward stops all magic and summoned creatures without the need for a magic skill check. If this ward is pitted against a summoned creature that has spell resistance, you must still make a magic skill check against the creature’s spell resistance to banish it.

Unplottable (aegis)

Prerequisite(s): Protection sphere, resistance, 15th caster level or higher.

You may grant the target an aegis that makes them undetectable through divination magic of any sort. Any magical attempt to gather information on the target (including scrying, effects that detect invisibility, detect alignment, or even miracle and wish spells when used in a similar manner) automatically fails. In the case of scrying that does not directly view the bearer of this aegis (such as instead scanning the area they happen to be in), the spell or effect works normally, but the creature isn’t detected.

Telekinesis Talents

Effortless Telekinesis

Prerequisite(s): Telekinesis sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

When you use your telekinesis to lift creatures or objects and spend a spell point to create a sustained force on them, the sustained force persists for 1 hour per caster level instead of 1 minute per caster level.

Time Talents

Temporal Stasis

Prerequisite(s): Time sphere, 15th caster level or higher.

You may touch a target and spend 3 spell points to place it into a state of suspended animation (Fort negates). For the creature, time ceases to flow and its condition becomes fixed. The creature does not grow older. Its body functions virtually cease, and no force or effect can harm it. When placing this effect on a creature, you may choose to either place the target into stasis permanently or to set either a time limit or a condition on the ability. When the time limit expires or the condition is met, the temporal stasis ends. Temporal stasis may be dispelled.

War Talents

Commander

Prerequisite(s): War sphere, 10th caster level or higher.

If you are the commander of an army, that army gains a +1 bonus to its Offensive Modifier, Defensive Value, and to all morale checks.

Warp Talents

Create Demiplane

Prerequisite(s): Warp Sphere, Extra.dimensional Room, Creation sphere, Expanded Materials, 15th caster level or higher.

When using the Extradimensional Room talent, you may spend 3 spell points to create your extradimensional room as an instantaneous effect; it becomes a permanent demiplane and cannot be dispelled, no matter who is or isn’t inside. Alternately, you may use this ability to create a new portal to a permanent demiplane you have previously created. You may permanently close a portal to your demiplane as a free action, but know that only interdimensional travel can reach a demiplane without a working portal.

As a permanent demiplane, you have much more control over the composition, appearance, and contents of your room. The demiplane can be filled with air or water (your choice), and could have an earth, stone, water, or wood floor. The “walls” and “ceiling” of the plane may appear like solid earth, stone, wood, or water, or they may end in mist, a featureless void, or a similar unreal-looking border. While it is still generally featureless, you may transplant plants or animals to your demiplane to create an ecosystem and manipulate the earth, water, and/or stone of the demiplane as you would any other materials.

If you use this ability while within your demiplane, you may either permanently increase its size by an additional 10 ft. cube per caster level, or add or remove one of the following traits to the entire demiplane:

Energy: You grant your demiplane the (minor) negative- or positive- dominant energy trait. A plane cannot have both the negative-dominant and positive-dominant energy traits.

Magic: You may grant your plane the dead magic, enhanced magic, impeded magic, or wild magic planar trait. If you select dead magic, you are affected along with everything else and cannot cast on your plane. If you select enhanced or impeded magic, choose one type of magic to be enhanced or impeded, such as “effects with the fire descriptor or that manipulate fire” or “death spells and effects”. A plane cannot be enhanced and impeded for the same kinds of magic.

Morphic: Your plane reacts to your thoughts; you may adjust the terrain’s shape as an at-will ability. By concentrating for 1 minute, you may adjust a 150 ft. square (10 ft. deep) portion of earth, stone, or plantlife, shaping it however you will. This isn’t fast enough to do damage or trap creatures, but may be used to create fences and walls, ditches, human shapes, embankments, and others.

Portal: If you possess the Planeshift advanced talent, you may grant your demiplane a permanent gate to one location on another plane, which can only be used for planar travel. This location must be very familiar to you. This gate is always open and usable from both sides, but you can secure it using normal means (such as by building a door around it).

Time: By default, time passes at the normal rate in your demiplane. If you possess the Time sphere, you may make your plane have the erratic time, flowing time (half or double normal time), or timeless trait (see Time, GameMastery Guide 185).

Alignment: If you possess the Fate sphere, you can grant your plane the (mildly) chaos-, good-, evil-, law-, or neutral-aligned alignment trait (see Alignment Traits, GameMastery Guide 187). You cannot give your demiplane an alignment trait for an alignment you do not have.

Bountiful: If you possess the Nature sphere, you may grant your demiplane a thriving natural ecology, with streams, ponds, waterfalls, and plants. The demiplane provides enough plant-based food (nuts, grains, fruit, fungi, and so on) to support one Medium creature for every 10 foot cube of the demiplane. The demiplane does not have any animals unless you transport them there, but the ecology can sustain itself for as long as the demiplane exists without requiring watering, gardening, pollination, and so on; dead organic material decays and returns to the soil in the normal manner. If your demiplane has ambient light, these plants are normal, familiar surface plants; if it is a realm of twilight or darkness, these plants are fungi and other plants adapted to near-darkness or underground locations.

Elemental: You may grant your plane the air-, earth-, fire-, or water-elemental dominant trait.

Gravity: By default a demiplane’s gravity is normal and oriented in one direction, like what most creatures are used to on the Material Plane. You may adjust the plane’s gravity is heavy, light, none, objectively directional, or subjectively directional.

Weather: If you possess the Weather sphere, you may grant a weather and seasonal cycle to your demiplane, customizable as you see fit (for example, your demiplane could always be winter or have week-long seasons).

Shape: By default, the demiplane has a fixed shape and borders. You may make your plane self-contained so it loops upon itself when a creature reaches one edge. You may designate areas or locations on the edges of your plane where this occurs (such as a pair of secret doors or a path in the woods) or apply it to the entire plane.

Structure: You may give your demiplane a specific, linked physical structure, such as a giant tree, floating castle, labyrinth, mountain, and so on. (This option exists so you can pick a theme for your plane without having to worry about the small details of determining what abilities you need for every hill, hole, wall, floor, and corner.)

Dimensional Lock (space)

Prerequisite(s): Warp sphere, Plane Manipulator, 15th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 spell points to designate a 20-ft radius area centered within Medium range as being completely immune to extradimensional travel. For 1 day per caster level, any attempt within this area to cross space or planes (including all Teleportation Sphere effects, summoning a companion from the Conjuration sphere, astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, and similar spell-like abilities) instantly fails.

A dimensional lock does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form when it is created, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, the spell does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.

Flawless Teleport

Prerequisite(s): Warp sphere, True Teleport, Unseeing Teleport, Distant Teleport, 15th caster level or higher.

When using the True Teleport advanced talent, the range is increased to unlimited and you no longer suffer a chance of arriving off-target, always appearing exactly where you intended. When using the Planeshift advanced talent, you no longer appear off-target from your intended destination on the other plane.

You need not have seen the destination you are trying to reach, but in that case you must have at least a reliable description of the place to which you are teleporting. If you attempt to teleport with insufficient information (or with misleading information), you disappear and simply reappear in your original location.

Planeshift

Prerequisite(s): Warp sphere, Unseeing Teleport, Distant Teleport, True Teleport, 10th caster level or higher.

You may spend 2 additional spell points to teleport to an alternate dimension or plane of existence. You must know the plane you are trying to reach, as well as where within that plane you would like to appear (if you do not know a specific location to appear on that plane you may still use this ability, but you run the risk of appearing anywhere on that plane). Even if you do have a specific location in mind, you always appear 5 to 500 miles (5 x d100) from your intended destination.

Portal

Prerequisite(s): Warp sphere, Unwilling Teleport, 10th caster level or higher.

When using your teleport ability, you may spend an additional spell point to open a portal between your location and your destination. This portal has a maximum diameter of 5 ft. per caster level and opens in the air somewhere adjacent to you. The portal lasts as long as you concentrate to a maximum of 1 round per caster level. Anything moving through one end of this portal arrives at the other end; it is possible to make attacks, flank, or perform other actions as if the two locations were adjacent.

True Teleport

Prerequisite(s): Warp sphere, Unseeing Teleport, Distant Teleport, 10th caster level or higher.

When teleporting, you may spend 2 spell points to increase the range to 100 miles per caster level. You must have some clear idea of the location and layout of the destination. The clearer your mental image, the more likely the teleportation works. Areas of strong physical or magical energy may make teleportation more hazardous or even impossible.

To see how well the teleportation works, roll d100 and consult the following table. Refer to the following information for definitions of the terms on the table.

Familiarity: “Very familiar” is a place where you have been very often and where you feel at home. “Studied carefully” is a place you know well, either because you can currently physically see it or you’ve been there often. “Seen casually” is a place that you have seen more than once but with which you are not very familiar. “Viewed once” is a place that you have seen once, possibly using magic such as the Scrying advanced talent. “False destination” is a place that does not truly exist or if you are teleporting to an otherwise familiar location that no longer exists as such or has been so completely altered as to no longer be familiar to you. When traveling to a false destination, roll 1d20+80 to obtain results on the table, rather than rolling d100, since there is no real destination for you to hope to arrive at or even be off target from.

On Target: You appear where you want to be.

Off Target: You appear safely a random distance away from the destination in a random direction. Distance off target is d100 of the distance that was to be traveled. The direction off target is determined randomly.

Similar Area: You wind up in an area that is visually or thematically similar to the target area. Generally, you appear in the closest similar place within range. If no such area exists within the spell’s range, the spell simply fails instead.

Mishap: You and anyone else teleporting with you have gotten “scrambled.” You each take 1d10 points of damage, and you reroll on the chart to see where you wind up. For these rerolls, roll 1d20+80. Each time “Mishap” comes up, the characters take more damage and must reroll.

Table: Mishap Chances
Familiarity On Target Off Target Similar Area Mishap
Very familiar 01–97 98–99 100
Studied carefully 01–94 95–97 98–99 100
Seen casually 01–88 89–94 95–98 99–100
Viewed once 01–76 77–88 89–96 97–100
False destination 81–92 93–100

Weather Talents

Climate

Prerequisite(s): Weather Sphere, Greater Size, 10th caster level or higher.

When controlling weather, you may spend an additional spell point to increase the effect’s size to a 2 mile radius. When altering weather in this manner, it takes 20 minutes of focused casting before the effects begin to manifest. Winds of severity level 7 can create tornadoes when combined with this talent, although you cannot control their path.

As Spheres of Power is an entirely new way of handling magic, it is designed for those who wish to augment the traditional play experience. While Spheres of Power can easily be used to recreate the feel of core rules, it can also be used to create new stories, adjusting the feel of the setting, characters, and plot to fit a multitude of concepts. At its heart, Spheres of Power is designed to be moldable, easily fitting the needs of the people using it no matter what those might be. In this way, Spheres of Power is less a single system and more a series of tools for creating unique gaming experiences.

The following section is divided into two distinct sections: Customization and Samples.

Customization: While it is quite possible to use the Spheres of Power system completely as presented with all options available, this section covers a variety of ways the system may be molded to more specifically fit a game’s particular needs.

Samples: This section details a variety of characters, organizations, and worlds that may be built with the this system system. These samples may be transposed as written for use at a gaming table, or may serve as examples of what is possible through the this system system.

Customization

Spheres of Power is a system for building magic around concepts. While it is certainly possible to allow every single option presented in this book, many options such as casting traditions and advanced magic are designed to be GM tools first, through which a GM may set parameters for a world or plot line. Often times it is a world’s limits, rather than its options, that makes it come alive, and GMs are encouraged to thoroughly discuss these options with their players before the game begins, to ensure everyone understands what to expect from a particular campaign.

Casting Traditions

Casting Traditions are a tool by which the why’s and how’s of magic can be shaped and defined. While traditions are presented in a way that allows players to create their own, they are also a powerful tool through which a GM may customize their world.

Example: Sherri wants to design a world where martial artists command the 4 elements (water, earth, air, fire) through their body movements. Since this concept has little to no room for traditional casters (wizards, clerics, druids, and the like), she decides that, in this world, the only casting traditions that should be allowed are those that make thematic sense. During her pre-game planning, she decides to create 4 traditions (water-adept, fire-adept, earth-adept, and air-adept) to use with her world. Her initial notes appear as follows:

Air-Adept: Air adepts command the power of the wind.

Earth-Adept: Earth adepts command the power of the earth.

Fire-Adept: Fire adepts command the power of fire.

Water-Adept: Water-adepts command the power of water.

While thinking about how to express these traditions, she decides she wants each one to be based on martial arts movements (somatic casting), and to be refined by the skill of the practitioner (Skilled Casting: Perform [martial arts kata]). Also, while she likes the idea of fire-adepts producing fire at will, the other traditions should require their practitioners to be around their respective element to use it (that way, cutting a water-user off from water, or hanging an earth-user from the ceiling in a cage of metal could be a valid form of imprisonment). She can’t think of a way to restrict air-users from their element unless they’re drowning (which she decides to simply house-rule in case such a situation comes up), but for water-users and earth-users she decides to give them the Material Casting drawback to represent their dependency on their respective element. Instead of requiring them to collect and expend costly components, water-users and earth-users must have enough of their element on-hand to produce the required effect, or they can’t use their magical abilities.

After applying these general drawbacks, her traditions appear as follows:

Air-Adept

Air-adepts command the power of the wind. Air adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata])

Earth-Adept

Earth-adepts command the power of the earth. Earth adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (earth)

Fire-Adept

Fire-adepts command the power of fire. Fire adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata])

Water-Adept

Water-adepts command the power of water. Water adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (water)

Limiting Options

While Spheres of Power covers a great many magical options and possibilities, not all of these are appropriate or necessary for any given setting. GMs are encouraged to disallow any option that would be damaging, undermining, or simply inappropriate for a particular game.

Example, continued: In Sherri’s world, elementalists (as combat-focused energy users) seem like the most thematic class, and while any non-magic class or generalist casting class (incanter, hedgewitch, thaumaturge, or mageknight) would also make sense, she can’t think of a way in which most other classes (soul weaver, eliciter, shifter, etc.) could exist in this world. As such, Sherri decides casters in her world will be restricted to elementalists, incanters, hedgewitches, thaumaturges, and mageknights, to better keep the focus where it should be. She also decides that Charisma should be the only casting ability modifier allowed, since all magic is tied to the Perform (martial arts kata) skill.

While looking through the spheres to decide on sphere-specific drawbacks, Sherri realizes that because magic in her world is so closely tied to the elements, most of the spheres (warp, alteration, conjuration, death, darkness, etc.) simply wouldn’t exist. Thinking through the spheres, Sherri determines the only truly appropriate spheres are Destruction (attacking with elements), Nature (manipulating elements), Weather (manipulating wind), Telekinesis (moving earth or water, or other objects through manipulating air currents), and Creation (altering [but not creating] ice or stone). Sherri also makes a case for allowing water-adepts to use the Life sphere, as water and healing have always been thematically tied together. She could also imagine other ways to thematically connect a sphere to an element (using water or fire to divine, manipulating a target’s blood to control them as the command Mind charm, encasing a target in stone to give them alteration traits, creating elementals to fight for their creator, etc.), but decides to deal with these options individually as they appear in the campaign. Perhaps advanced training from remote martial arts masters will be a reward she can present to her players to give them access to these additional spheres. For now, she decides to restrict access to the spheres (at least initially). After also adding the appropriate sphere-specific drawbacks, her traditions appear as follows:

Air-Adept

Air-adepts command the power of the wind. Air adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata])

Sphere Specific Drawbacks: Destruction (energy focus [air blast]), Weather (focused weather [wind])

An air-user can use only the Destruction, Telekinesis, and Weather spheres.

Earth-Adept

Earth-adepts command the power of the earth. Earth adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (earth)

Sphere Specific Drawbacks: Creation (Limited Creation [alter], Material Focus [dirt/stone]), Destruction (energy focus [stone blast]), Telekinesis (Limited Telekinesis [earth]).

An earth-user can use only the Destruction, Nature, Creation, and Telekinesis spheres. An earth-user can only use the earth package from the Nature sphere, and cannot take the Change Material talent from the Creation sphere.

Fire-Adept

Fire-adepts command the power of fire. Fire adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

General Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata])

Sphere-Specific Drawbacks: Destruction (energy focus [fire blast])

A fire adept can only use the Destruction and Nature spheres, and can only use the fire Nature package.

Water-Adept

Water-adepts command the power of water. Water adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

General Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (water) Sphere-Specific Drawbacks: Creation (Limited Creation [alter], Material Focus [ice], Destruction (energy focus [frost blast]), Telekinesis (Limited Telekinesis [water/ice])

A water-user may take the Destruction, Nature, Creation, Telekinesis, and Life spheres. A water-user can only use the Water package from the Nature sphere, and cannot take the Change Material talent from the Creation sphere.

Manipulating Options

Sometimes, an option does what is needed, but the description or flavor is not quite correct. Descriptions, flavor, and rules may all be manipulated when necessary to better meet the needs of a game.

Example, continued: Although she originally decided to give each tradition the Energy Focus Destruction drawback (air blast for air adepts, stone blast for earth adepts, fire blast for fire adepts, and frost blast for water adepts), Sherri worries that a world so dependent on energy-based combat will quickly feel stale with such a limited scope of combat options, especially with so many of the other spheres removed. Looking through the (blast type) talents, she decides it would make sense for fire adepts to also be allowed to use electric blasts. The basic destructive blast sounds great for water adepts (battering the enemy with water), and given that water adepts gain an extra sphere no other adept can use (the Life sphere), making them start with just the base Destruction sphere isn’t a problem. Likewise, she can imagine earth adepts or water adepts pushing opponents instead of striking them (the equivalent of air blast), or using crystal blast (creating either ice crystals or normal crystal) with their element. In the end, she makes the following adjustments to her casting traditions:

Air-Adept

Air-adepts command the power of the wind. Air adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata])

Sphere Specific Drawbacks: Destruction (energy focus [air blast]), Weather (focused weather [wind])

An air-user can use only the Destruction, Telekinesis, and Weather spheres.

Earth-Adept

Earth-adepts command the power of the earth. Earth adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (earth)

Sphere Specific Drawbacks: Creation (Limited Creation [alter], Material Focus [stone]), Destruction (energy focus [stone blast]), Telekinesis (Limited Telekinesis [earth])

An earth-user can use only the Destruction, Nature, Creation, and Telekinesis spheres. An earth-user can only use the earth package from the Nature sphere, and cannot take the Change Material talent from the Creation sphere. Although earth adepts possess the energy focus drawback, they may also gain the air blast or crystal blast Destruction talents. In all cases, he uses earth to accomplish the effect, instead of the listed material or element.

Fire-Adept

Fire-adepts command the power of fire. Fire adepts gain +1 spell point, +1 per 3 levels.

General Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]) Sphere-Specific Drawbacks: Destruction (energy focus [fire blast])

A fire adept can only use the Destruction and Nature spheres, and can only use the fire Nature package. Although a fire-user possesses the energy focus sphere-specific drawback, he may gain the electric blast Destruction talent.

Water-Adept

Water-adepts command the power of water. Water adepts gain +1 spell point per odd level.

General Drawbacks: Somatic Casting, Skilled Casting (Perform [martial arts kata]), Material Casting (water) Sphere-Specific Drawbacks: Creation (Limited Creation [alter], Material Focus [ice], Telekinesis (Limited Telekinesis [water/ice])

A water-user may take the Destruction, Nature, Creation, Telekinesis, and Life spheres. A water-user can only use the Water package from the Nature sphere, and cannot take the Change Material talent from the Creation sphere. A water-user may only use the air blast, crystal blast, and frost blast (blast type) Destruction talents. In all cases, he uses water to accomplish the effect, instead of the listed material or element.

Advanced Magic

Advanced magic systems are listed as optional rules to ensure they cannot enter a campaign without GM permission. A GM should decide before a game begins which advanced magic rules will be included (if any) so that the players know what to expect from the campaign.

Example, continued: Sherri examines the advanced magic section, and decides that rituals simply don’t make sense for her world, and while she might use an incantation or two later on in the campaign, there aren’t any incantations she can think of that need to be decided at the beginning.

Looking through the advanced talents, she decides she likes the look of the Fabricate Creation advanced talent, the Restore Mind and Body Life advanced talent, as well as the Nature and Destruction advanced talents, and decides they will be made available for her players.

At this point, Sherri has completed all of the adjustments to Spheres of Power necessary to create her world, and passes all of this information along to her players so they can begin character creation.

Creating New Options

While expansive, the options presented within Spheres of Power are not exhaustive of the possibilities of magic. Indeed, the very concept of magic makes it impossible to set finite limitations on what it could ever be across any world.

At times, a player or GM may wish to expand the options available with Spheres of Power by creating new talents to cover a possibility not handled in the core this system book.

When this happens, the player or GM needs only to decide which sphere the ability will fall under, then compare the desired effect to other talents within the sphere. Since most spheres have a uniformity across their abilities (range, duration, etc.) the only important variables are those presented by the sphere itself. While there can be no finite mathematical formula for the creation of new talents, a player or GM can compare the desired effect to other abilities from the sphere to determine what would be a balanced effect. Remember: abilities too powerful to be used at-will cost a spell point, with additional spell points being required as the ability increases in power.

Example: Garrett is creating an eliciter, and wants his eliciter to be able to affect people’s memories. However, after looking through the Mind sphere, Garrett realizes there is no talent for altering memories. Not wanting to be deterred, Garrett decides to create his own.

As the Mind sphere works with charms, Garrett decides the easiest way to get what he wants is to create a new charm. All Mind sphere charms are set up with three tiers, and Garrett sees no reason to do his charm any differently.

At first, his notes appear as follows:

Amnesia (charm)

You can cause a target to forget a select piece of information. This is a permanent effect, and as such can be detected and dispelled.

Lesser Charm: The target permanently forgets the last few seconds, or a single detail of something they have seen, heard, felt, or experienced (Will negates).

Greater Charm: The target permanently forgets the last hour (Will negates).

Powerful Charm: The target permanently forgets the last day (Will negates).

Of course, ‘forget something’ is a rather vague ability in game terms, so Garret asks his GM what sorts of things he would allow this ability to do in-game. The GM decides that forgetting details would allow Garrett’s eliciter to reroll a failed Diplomacy check or force a target to re-roll a Bluff check, but otherwise it would depend on the given situation what this particular charm would or wouldn’t do.

As Garrett looks over his new ability, he suddenly gets another idea: if this new charm makes a target forget something, couldn’t his Eliciter then use the Vision charm to create a new memory to take its place? This sounds like Spellcrafting to him, so he creates the following spell for his eliciter:

Alter Memory

Sphere Mind
Cost 2 spell points
Casting Time full-round action
Range Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft. per caster level)
Target 1 creature
Duration permanent
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
Prerequisite(s) Mind sphere (Amnesia, Vision, Expanded Charm, Ranged Mind)
Crafting Time 5 days

Effect

This charm rewrites the target’s most recent memories (up to 1 hour of time), changing them to reflect whatever the caster wishes. While the target gets no new saving throw after the initial saving throw to discover the altered memories, a clever creature may discover clues that what they believe happened to them is not what actually happened.

Example 2

Ashley is creating a thaumaturge to serve as a major villain for an upcoming plot line. She imagines this thaumaturge transforming into a giant snake to attack the PCs, but upon looking through the Alteration sphere realizes there is no serpentine transformation ability. She decides to create one.

Looking up snakes in the bestiary, the common trait between them seems to be the ability to swim, climb, and move over land at the same time, with most of their special qualities being either poison, a grab attack, or a constrict attack. Taking the Aquan form as a base (as it also has no arms or legs), Ashley decides to switch out the ability to breath underwater, blindsense, and the increased swim speed for the ability to swim, climb, and move over land at the same time, and adds the poison, grab, and constrict abilities from other talents as optional traits.

In the end, her new talent looks like this:

Serpentine Transformation

You may grant the form of a snake-like creature. The form has a head and no arms or legs, but still possesses a land, swim, and climb speed of 30 ft. +10 ft. per 5 caster levels. The form has low-light vision and a bite attack (Primary, 1d6, 1d4 small). The form also gains a +2 natural armor bonus that increases by 1 per 5 caster levels.

In addition, you may grant the following traits to your forms:

Guidance

Sphere Divination; Level 1st
Skill Checks Profession (priesthood) 1 success, DC 20
Casting Time 1 hour
Components V
Target personal
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

By praying and meditating on a course of action, a worthy individual may gain insight. The one invoking this ritual must decide on a course of action they are planning to take sometime during that day and present it to Ire, listening for the subtle promptings of his council. If successful, the one performing this sacrament has a 30% chance +1% for every point rolled above 20 on their Profession check of receiving council, either ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘both’ or ‘neither’. If the percentage roll is unsuccessful, the answer returns ‘unclear’. While multiple people may invoke this sacrament for the same course of action, if a single creature asks about the same course of action twice, the answer always returns ‘unclear’.

Backlash There is no backlash for this sacrament.

Failure On a failure, the one using the sacrament has misunderstood the subtle promptings of Ire’s council, and gains a false answer.

Healing

Sphere Life; Level 1st
Skill Checks Profession (priesthood) 1 success, DC 20.
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components S, V, M (a drop of oil)
Target 1 creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fort negates (harmless); Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

The one using this sacrament lays their hands on the target’s head and calls upon Ire to grant them health. If successful, the target gains a +2 bonus to any saving throw made against a poison or disease they are suffering from, and any Heal check made that day to heal the target gains a +5 circumstance bonus. These bonuses increase by +1 for every 5 by which the Profession check exceeded the DC of 20. The target is also healed 1 point of damage for every point by which the Profession check exceeded the DC of 20. A target may only benefit from the sacrament of Healing once per day.

Backlash There is no backlash for this sacrament.

Failure On a failure, the target gains no benefits, but otherwise suffers no penalties.

Last Rites

Sphere Death; Level 1st
Skill Checks Profession (priesthood) 1 success DC 20
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components S, V
Target 1 corpse
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

The one invoking this sacrament dedicates a corpse and its departed spirit to rest in the afterlife. Any attempt to turn this body into an undead creature, summon the corpse’s spirit, or in any way defile the dead creature’s rest requires the caster to make an MSB check against the result of the Profession (priesthood) check. On a failure, they cannot affect the target body or spirit, and cannot make the attempt again until they have gained at least 1 level.

Backlash There is no backlash for this sacrament.

Failure On a failure, the target does not gain any benefit from this sacrament, but otherwise does not suffer any drawbacks.

Miracle

Sphere Fate; Level 9th
Skill Checks Profession (priesthood) 9 checks, DC 40
Casting Time 90 minutes
Components S, V
Range Varies (as mimicked ritual)
Saving Throw varies (as mimicked ritual); Spell Resistance varies (as mimicked ritual)

DESCRIPTION

When a creature uses this sacrament, they invoke power to directly affect the world. This can accomplish an effect similar to any ritual of 8th level or lower. At the GM’s discretion, greater feats (such as swinging the tide of a battle in your favor, protecting a city from a natural disaster, or planeshifting allies without a chance of error) can also be accomplished, but the DC is increased by +10.

Backlash A creature must invest a part of themselves into any petition for a miracle. The target becomes exhausted and gains 1 permanent negative level.

Failure You have attempted to touch the divine but were unworthy to do so. You gain 2 additional permanent negative levels.

Runes: While there are too many runes and Great Runes to list them all here, a few are given below as examples.

Prophecy

Sphere Divination; Level 3rd
Skill Checks Profession (Priesthood) 3 successes, DC 25
Casting Time 3 hours
Components S, V
Target personal
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

When using this sacrament, make one check per hour. By spending this time in deep supplication, you can ask a question concerning a specific goal, event, or activity that is to occur within 1 week. The advice gained can be as simple as a short phrase, or it might be an omen or even a vision. If you don’t act on the information, the conditions may change so that the information is no longer useful. The base chance for a correct divination is 50% + 1% per point rolled above the target DC of 25 by the highest Profession (priesthood) check. If the percentage roll fails, the target receives no answer. While multiple people may invoke this sacrament to ask the same question, if a single creature asks about the same goal, event, or activity twice, they gain no answer.

Backlash Petitioning in this manner leaves the creature exhausted.

Failure On a failure, the creature misunderstood Ire’s inspiration and suffers a false answer.

Warding

Sphere Protection; Level 3rd
Skill Checks Profession (priesthood) 3 successes, DC varies
Casting Time 30 minutes
Components S, V
Target a house, village, town, or city
Duration Permanent
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

You create an area where undead and evil outsiders cannot enter. This area may be a building (DC 20), village (DC 25), town (DC 30), small city (DC 35), or large city (DC 40), or any other area of designated housing. Undead creatures and evil outsiders cannot enter this area unless invited in by someone who calls the location home, or created within the warded area. Once undead or evil outsiders have entered the area (or if they were in the area when the sacrament was performed), the ward is broken for all. This sacrament can only be performed by someone who can call the location to be warded home.

Backlash This sacrament has no backlash.

Failure On a failure, an evil spirit or demon appears, defiling your warding and tormenting those who reside in the dwelling.

Variants

While supernatural and spell-like abilities function as normal in this variant, all other forms of magic are accomplished by use of runes. Runes are formed from a special kind of crystal, which must be prepared by one with the Craft (runes) skill. Runes are normally invisible to the naked eye when fused with a creature (although they can be seen with detect magic) but glow brightly when in use. Every creature possesses 3 rune slots: one in each of their main hands, and one in their head. Even creatures with multiple arms or heads do not possess more than 3 rune slots, although a creature can lose rune slots if they lose the slot’s associated limb.

There are many potential runes in the world both common and rare, but only 30 Great Runes. Each rune possesses a base sphere (and possibly sphere-specific drawbacks), and a series of magic talents arranged in a set of tiers. Great Runes possess a sphere and talents as well, but often grant multiple talents per tier, and possess one or more advanced talents as well. If a creature possesses a Great Rune, they also gain immunity to age and disease; while not immune to injury, they are otherwise immortal.

A creature can only possess one Great Rune at a time.

To create a rune, a target must possess the Craft Rune feat (an item creation feat, prerequisite 1st caster level) and must use the Craft (rune) skill when making the required check. Runes are magic items with a base price equal to 100 gp x the number of tiers squared. The one crafting the rune decides which talents and tiers it possesses. Unlike other magic items, a crafter doesn’t need to possess the rune’s base sphere to craft it, and runes cannot be further improved once finished. Runes have a caster level equal to the number of included tiers. Great Runes always have a caster level of 20 and are considered artifacts.

To fuse a rune into a target, the prepared crystal containing the rune must be placed on one of the target’s rune slots until the rune fuses with the target (a full-round action). At any time, a new rune may be fused into that same rune slot, in which case the old rune transfers to the crystal. Great Runes function similarly, but require a diamond with a value of at least 25,000 gp. It is possible to extract a rune from an unwilling target with an empty crystal or diamond, also as a full-round action. If a diamond containing a Great Rune is destroyed or the bearer of a Great Rune dies, the rune transfers itself to the nearest living creature, overriding one of their own runes if necessary.

Instead of selecting spheres and talents, a character using this variant assigns each of their magic talents to one of his rune slots. Once a talent is assigned to a rune slot, it cannot be changed. When a creature equips a rune, they unlock a number of tiers included in that rune equal to the number of talents attached to that rune slot. If a creature equips two runes that grant the same sphere or talent, they may choose to unlock the next-highest tier on one of his runes instead of gaining the duplicate ability.

Example: A 3rd level soul weaver possesses 5 magic talents (2 bonus talents + 1 per soul weaver level). She has placed two of these talents in each of her hand slots, and one talent in her head. Later, she equips the Soul rune in her left hand. Since she has 2 magic talents associated with that slot, she gains all Soul rune abilities in its first 2 tiers.

Later, she equips a second copy of the Soul rune in her right hand, gaining the 3rd and 4th tier talents for that rune as well.

There are no rituals in this variant, and advanced talents are only usable by those wielding Great Runes.

Traditions: Rune-users possess the Magical Signs drawback because their runes glow when used, allowing creatures to identify the source, type, and location of the magic used.

A rune-user cannot manifest their magic without the proper rune. However, rune-users gain no additional spell points, as rune-users also have the ability to change their magical skills as needed.

Sample Runes

While there are too many runes and Great Runes to list them all here, a few are given below as examples.

Death Rune

CL: 8 (6,400 gp)

Drawbacks: Necromatic Limit (Death, reanimate only)

Talents

Tier 1: Death Sphere/Greater Reanimate.
Tier 2: Greater Reanimate.
Tier 3: Empowered Reanimate.
Tier 4: Greater Reanimate.
Tier 5: Expanded Necromancy.
Tier 6: Lingering Necromancy.
Tier 7: Necrotic Senses.
Tier 8: Mass Reanimate.

Fire Rune, Minor

CL: 1 (100 gp

Drawbacks: None

Talents

Tier 1: Nature (fire package).

Health Rune

CL: 7 (4,900 gp)

Drawbacks: Limited Restoration (Life, restore only)

Talents

Tier 1: Life Sphere/Greater Restore.
Tier 2: Restore Health.
Tier 3: Restore Mind.
Tier 4: Restore Soul.
Tier 5: Break Enchantment.
Tier 6: Restore Movement.
Tier 7: Restore Senses.

Life Rune

CL: 10 (10,000 gp)

Drawbacks: Limited Restoration (Life, cure/invigorate only)

Talents

Tier 1: Life Sphere/Healthy Invigorate.
Tier 2: Greater Healing.
Tier 3: Fount of Life.
Tier 4: Greater Healing.
Tier 5: Greater Invigorate.
Tier 6: Greater Healing.
Tier 7: Resuscitate.
Tier 8: Greater Healing.
Tier 9: Ranged Healing.
Tier 10: Mass Healing.

Mortal Rune

CL: 9 (8,100 gp)

Drawbacks: Necromatic Limit (Death, ghost strike only)

Talents

Tier 1: Death Sphere/Greater Ghost Strike.
Tier 2: Sickening.
Tier 3: Bleeding Wounds.
Tier 4: Weakening.
Tier 5: Inflict Disease.
Tier 6: Killing Curse.
Tier 7: Cryptic Strike.
Tier 8: Vampiric Strike.
Tier 9: Necrotic Feeding.

Nature Rune

CL: 6 (3,600 gp)

Talents

Tier 1: Nature (Plant package).
Tier 2: Grow Plants.
Tier 3: Thorns.
Tier 4: Towering Growth.
Tier 5: Greater Range.
Tier 6: Speak with Plants

Spirit Rune

CL: 10 (10,000 gp)

Drawbacks: Necromatic Limit (Death, ghost strike only)

Talents

Tier 1: Death Sphere/Greater Ghost Strike.
Tier 2: Manipulate Undeath.
Tier 3: Command undead.
Tier 4: Curse.
Tier 5: Greater Ghost Strike.
Tier 6: Cryptic Strike.
Tier 7: Killing curse.
Tier 8: Drain.
Tier 9: Vampiric Strike.
Tier 10: Necrotic Feeding.

Sword Rune

CL: 10 (10,000 gp)

Drawbacks: Destructive Touch (Destruction)

Talents

Tier 1: Enhancement sphere.
Tier 2: Destruction Sphere/Energy Blade.
Tier 3: Versatile Weapon.
Tier 4: Deadly Weapon.
Tier 5: Energy Weapon.
Tier 6: Lingering Enhancement.
Tier 7: Deep Enhancement.
Tier 8: Ranged Enhancement.
Tier 9: Ranged Enhancement.
Tier 10: Mass Enhancement

Wall Rune

CL: 10 (10,000 gp)

Drawbacks: Limited Protection (Protection, ward only), Wall (Creation, the caster may only create walls), Energy Wall (Destruction, the target cannot make destructive blasts except for through the Energy Wall talent).

Talents

Tier 1: Protection sphere/Greater Barrier.
Tier 2: Creation/Expanded Materials.
Tier 3: Destruction Sphere/Energy Wall.
Tier 4: Lengthened Creation.
Tier 5: Larger Creation.
Tier 6: Crafted Blast.
Tier 7: Distant Creation.
Tier 8: Distant Protection.
Tier 9: Extended Range.
Tier 10: Extended Range.

Great Fire Rune

CL: 20

Drawbacks: Energy Focus (Destruction, Fire Blast)

Talents

Tier 1: Destruction Sphere (Fire Blast)/Nature Sphere (Fire Package).
Tier 2: Sculpt Blast/Explosive Orb.
Tier 3: Extended Range.
Tier 4: Calamity.
Tier 5: Move Fire.
Tier 6: Extended Range.
Tier 7: Feed on Fire.
Tier 8: Volcano.

Great Life Rune

Talents

Tier 1: Life Sphere/Resuscitate.
Tier 2: Greater Healing.
Tier 3: Fount of Life/Greater Healing.
Tier 4: Greater Healing x2.
Tier 5: Regenerate.
Tier 6: Restore Mind and Body.
Tier 7: Resurrection.
Tier 8: Greater Resurrection.

Great Lightning Rune

Drawbacks: Energy Focus (Electric Blast)

Talents

Tier 1: Destruction Sphere/Electric Blast/Weather Sphere.
Tier 2: Sculpt Blast/Explosive Orb.
Tier 3: Greater Weather.
Tier 4: Calamity.
Tier 5: Greater Size.
Tier 6: Focused Weather.
Tier 7: Storm Lord.
Tier 8: Climate.

Great Spirit Rune

Drawbacks: Necromatic Limit (Death, ghost strike only)

Talents

Tier 1: Death Sphere/Greater Ghost Strike.
Tier 2: Manipulate Undeath/Command Undead.
Tier 3: Curse/Drain.
Tier 4: Summon Spirit.
Tier 5: Project Spirit.
Tier 6: Possession.
Tier 7: Necrotic Feeding.
Tier 8: Soul Trap.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Spheres of Power © 2014 Drop Dead Studios LLC, Author Adam Meyers

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