Set's Stuff


Homebrew and House Rules

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The power to Smite Evil (Good, whatever) is utterly wasted on celestial / fiendish / etc. creatures, who so often have Charisma scores between 6 and 7. (Ooh, check out the big fancy high society balls on the celestial wolverine, with his way above average Cha 10! He's the gracious debutante socialite of the celestial animal cete! Still useless, with a modifier of +0.)

Also, it's annoying to have two different sorts of 'smite evil.' One for Paladins, updated for Pathfinder. One, still using the old 3.5 rules, for everyone else.

So, a feat to address this heinous blot on existence*;

Summoner’s Smite
Your strength of purpose empowers summoned creatures that share your ethical or moral bent.
Prerequisites: Must be able to cast summon monster or summon nature’s ally as a spell or spell-like ability. Cannot be true neutral.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier, when you cast a spell that summons one or more creatures with a template that matches your own alignment (celestial – good, fiendish – evil, resolute – lawful, entropic – chaotic), the smite ability of those creatures is based off of your Charisma modifier, or the creatures Charisma modifier, whichever is better. In addition, while the smite is in effect, the template creature gains a deflection bonus to its AC equal to the same Charisma modifier that determines its attack roll modifiers, and smite damage is doubled against creatures of the opposite alignment subtype or those that have a strong aura of the opposite alignment type (such as from the cleric class feature).

*Warning, sarcasm. Also, directed at self, so chill.

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Random necromancy spell;

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Ancestral Weapon
School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (an onyx cameo of an ancestor worth at least 25 gp)
Range personal
Effect one weapon
Duration 1 minute / level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You call up the shade of one of your ancestors, who hands you a translucent grey weapon to bear. This weapon can be any type with which you are personally proficient, or any weapon your race might be proficient with through racial Weapon Familiarity. This weapon has a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, and has the ghost touch quality. It gains an additional +1 enhancement bonus for every five caster levels beyond 5th (to a maximum of +4 at 20th) and is composed of spiritual energies that only inflict nonlethal damage to living creatures, lethal damage to undead creatures, and no damage at all to constructs or objects. It passes through mundane physical obstructions, ignoring armor and natural armor bonuses to armor class, and treating cover as concealment, with the exception of silver (or mithral), which it interacts with as a normal weapon. No other person can wield this weapon, and it disappears at the end of any round in which it leaves your grasp, ending the spell. Being composed of spiritual energy that passes through most other physical items, the weapon cannot be sunderered or disarmed, save by a weapon made of silver (or mithral, alchemical silver or weapon blanched with silver). A projectile weapon formed in this manner creates its own ammunition, and passes its properties on to that ammunition, but can only be fired 50 times in a single casting, before the spell ends.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Set wrote:

The power to Smite Evil (Good, whatever) is utterly wasted on celestial / fiendish / etc. creatures, who so often have Charisma scores between 6 and 7. (Ooh, check out the big fancy high society balls on the celestial wolverine, with his way above average Cha 10! He's the gracious debutante socialite of the celestial animal cete! Still useless, with a modifier of +0.)

Also, it's annoying to have two different sorts of 'smite evil.' One for Paladins, updated for Pathfinder. One, still using the old 3.5 rules, for everyone else.

So, a feat to address this heinous blot on existence*;

Summoner’s Smite
Your strength of purpose empowers summoned creatures that share your ethical or moral bent.
Prerequisites: Must be able to cast summon monster or summon nature’s ally as a spell or spell-like ability. Cannot be true neutral.
Benefit: A number of times per day equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier, when you cast a spell that summons one or more creatures with a template that matches your own alignment (celestial – good, fiendish – evil, resolute – lawful, entropic – chaotic), the smite ability of those creatures is based off of your Charisma modifier, or the creatures Charisma modifier, whichever is better. In addition, while the smite is in effect, the template creature gains a deflection bonus to its AC equal to the same Charisma modifier that determines its attack roll modifiers, and smite damage is doubled against creatures of the opposite alignment subtype or those that have a strong aura of the opposite alignment type (such as from the cleric class feature).

*Warning, sarcasm. Also, directed at self, so chill.

I would so totally take this for my Summoners...

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Archetypes can take up a lot of room. Or they can be really short and sweet. Here's one of the latter.

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Seekers of the Arcane Conjunction (Universalist Wizard Archetype)
The Seekers of the Arcane Conjunction refuse to limit themselves to a single specialization, but through their use of conjunctive magic, can weave intricate patterns of arcane energy that allow them to gain many of the benefits of a specialist, or even multiple specialists, so long as they can maintain these carefully balanced nexuses of arcane energy.

Spell Conjunction: As long as you have at least one spell of each spell level (including cantrips) prepared from a given school, you gain access to the specialization powers of that school. Once you no longer have a spell of each level prepared for a given school, you immediately lose all benefits of that specialization. You must be a Universalist, and this ability replaces hand of the acolyte and metamagic mastery.


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Set was kind enough create this spell for me.

Makeover
(Cуровую's Lingering Presence)

School Transmutation; Level Bard 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0, Witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes

With this cantrip, you can cause the most minor of alterations to the touched target, decorating skin and hair with cosmetics, and altering the length, type, style and color of hair and nails. You can use this spell to add or remove tattoos or henna decorations, temporarily. If you use this spell as part of a Disguise check to change only minor details, you can perform this action as a standard action, but the spell is of no use for more involved Disguise attempts, such as to change apparent gender, race, age category or size category, or to impersonate a specific person.

An appearance change generated with this spell might prove worth a +1 circumstance bonus to certain Bluff or Diplomacy checks, at the GM's discretion, particularly when dealing with a culture that has different standards of beauty than your own. (Such as finding a white pallor more dignified, long straight hair more alluring or finding tattoos unseemly.)


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Set,

I finally got around to writing out some of the things I wanted to ask you about regarding defilers in the Dark Sun setting. I know that you are not overly fond of wizards but, despite that, I am sure you would have some valuable insights as to the best way to choose from among the feats particular to wizards in this setting. Any response you make would be greatly appreciated.

Everything here is taken from Athas.org and is open game content that was written for 3.5E.

Spoiler:

Defilers leave behind an ashen circle when casting spells. The radius is 5 ft. x spell slot level expended (a 0‐ level spell defiles a single 5‐ft. square occupied by the caster). Creatures except the defiler caught within the defiling radius at casting time experience pain and suffer a –1 penalty to all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 round. Plant creatures also suffer 2 hp damage x spell slot level expended (a 0‐level spell inflicts 1 hp damage).

Defilerʹs ash is black and totally devoid of life‐giving properties. It is the telltale sign of wizardry. Nothing grows in a defiled area for years. Even if the defilerʹs ash moves with the wind, the ground remains a lifeless scar. A defiler cannot preserve, but a preserver can defile if desperate.

When defiling, a wizard can extend the casting time of her spells to 1 round and gain a +1 bonus to caster level. Her defiling radius increases by 5 ft. Spells with a normal casting time of 1 round or longer require an extra round to be cast in this manner. Experienced defilers often increase their spellcasting power further through Raze feats.

Terrain Modifiers
Terrain types affect arcane magic depending on the amount of plant life available. Barren and desolate terrains weaken spells, while fertile and abundant terrains boost spells. Spell save DCs and caster level checks are affected as indicated in Table 6–1: Terrain Modifiers.

The Obsidian Plains are completely devoid of plant life. If arcane spellcasters have no alternative energy sources, or magical items such as wands, they are unable to cast spells in this terrain.

Table 6–1: Terrain Modifiers

Spoiler:

Terrain Type Examples

Desolate (Salt flats, sea of Silt)
Spell DC Modifier –2 Caster Level Check Modifier –2

Barren (Boulder fields, stony barrens)
Spell DC Modifier –1 Caster Level Check Modifier –1

Infertile (Cities, rocky badlands, scrubland)
Spell DC Modifier 0 Caster Level Check Modifier 0

Fertile (Verdant plains, savannahs, swamps, mud flats)
Spell DC Modifier +1 Caster Level Check Modifier +1

Abundant (Forests, oceans, gardens)
Spell DC Modifier +2 Caster Level Check Modifier +2

Raze Feats

Spoiler:

Raze feats are feats that require an arcane spellcaster
to be a defiler. They can only be applied when defiling.
Multiple raze feats can be applied simultaneously. For
example, a defiler who has Distance Raze, Destructive
Raze and Fast Raze can benefit from all of them when
casting a single spell. A wizard’s bonus feats can be used
to acquire Raze feats if the wizard fulfills the feat
prerequisites.

Agonizing Radius
Your defiling techniques are particularly painful.
Benefits: The penalties for being caught within your defiling radius increase by one (i.e. from –1 to –2).

The penalty is not great but this is a prerequisite for Sickening Raze, below. On its own, I wonder if this is worth taking at all.

Controlled Raze
You increase your defiling radius and may specify unaffected squares.
Benefits: Your defiling radius increases by 5 feet. You can specify one 5 ft. square per 5 ft. radius of your defiling circle that is unaffected by your energy gathering. Creatures in unaffected squares do not suffer the adverse effects of being caught in the defiling circle, nor is vegetation in that square turned to ash.

I look at this much like the cleric feat Selective Channeling: it allows you to negatively affect foes with penalties to most rolls while sparing a small number of allies. My questions is whether this should be taken at higher levels because the caster can choose to spare one square per level of the spell being cast.

Distance Raze
You can gather energy for spells at a distance.
Benefits: You can move the center of your defiling circle (on the ground) up to 10 feet per caster level, in effect moving the entire circle of defiling.
Normal: Your defiling circle is centered on you.

The advantages here are that you can possibly conceal the fact that you are casting a spell (possibly even throwing suspicion on whoever is standing in the affected area) and that you can inflict a penalty on foes in the affected area while sparing adjacent allies. I would not take this feat until at least third level but I wonder if it would be wise to hold off until later than that.

Destructive Raze
You can focus the energy you absorb from plants to increase the damage your spells inflict.
Benefits: Add +1 to damage per damage die inflicted by evocation spells when defiling.

This does not seem to be anything special, unless one is planning on playing a blaster.

Efficient Raze
You can gather energy more efficiently, utilizing the maximum energy potential of a given terrain.
Benefits: Treat the terrain you gather energy in as one category better when you defile. E.g. a spell cast in barren terrain (–1 spell save DC and –1 penalty to caster level checks) is treated as if cast in infertile terrain (no spell save modifier and no penalty to caster level checks). In abundant terrain the bonuses to spell save DCs and spell checks are increased by an additional +1. This feat has no effect in the Obsidian Plains.

In my opinion, this is an obvious choice for a first level feat. It can reduce the penalty for casting spells in bad terrain or, possibly, even increase the power of a spell cast in good terrain. The NPCs in Athas.org products almost always have this feat.

Fast Raze
You can gather energy faster.
Benefits: When defiling, you can spend a move action to gain a +1 caster level bonus. Spells with a normal casting time of 1 round or longer still require an extra round to be cast in this manner. Your defiling radius increases by 5 ft. when using Fast Raze.
Normal: It takes one round to gain the caster level benefit.

As stated above, a defiler can increase the casting time of the spell to a full round in exchange for a one level increase in effective caster level. This strikes me as a poor choice for a low-level feat because it seems to make the caster vulnerable to several attacks that might disrupt the spell. At one time, I thought about taking this before Improved Initiative but now that seems like a bad idea.

Sickening Raze
Your defilement makes others sick.
Prerequisites: Agonizing Radius.
Benefits: Creatures within your defiling radius become nauseated (DMG 301) in addition to any other penalties for 1 round.

Is nauseated really that significant of a condition to inflict on enemies. Some people say that it makes characters helpless but others disagree and say that it only prevents offensive action and movement. If so then it appears to be only a stronger version of Dazed. If the former is correct the I would consider taking both this and Agonizing Raze at fifth level along with Distance Raze at third. Such a caster would be able to harm foes via penalties even separately from whatever spell is being cast. Even buffing allies would have offensive capabilities to use against enemies at a distance.

My overall concern is that, if I took most or all of these feats, I would be building a glass cannon. Do any of these feats seem to be significantly better than the typical feats you would choose for a wizard? Mind you, if I am going to play a defiler I would want at least some of these feats simply because it would make the character distinct from wizards from other settings.

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My thoughts;

Quote:
Defilers leave behind an ashen circle when casting spells. The radius is 5 ft. x spell slot level expended (a 0‐ level spell defiles a single 5‐ft. square occupied by the caster). Creatures except the defiler caught within the defiling radius at casting time experience pain and suffer a –1 penalty to all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 round. Plant creatures also suffer 2 hp damage x spell slot level expended (a 0‐level spell inflicts 1 hp damage).

As much as possible (or appropriate), I prefer to use pre-existing game mechanics. Instead of a -1 to X rolls, automatically, perhaps all (non-undead, non-construct!) creatures in the area must make a Fort save (DC 10 + level of the spell being cast) or be sickened for 1 round.

A later feat, instead of bumping it to -2, would instead increase the duration of being sickened to rounds equal to the spell level.

Quote:
Defilerʹs ash is black and totally devoid of life‐giving properties. It is the telltale sign of wizardry. Nothing grows in a defiled area for years. Even if the defilerʹs ash moves with the wind, the ground remains a lifeless scar. A defiler cannot preserve, but a preserver can defile if desperate.

Perhaps undead spellcasters always defile, in a setting with this distinction. Although if the setting also had positive energy undead, like 1st edition mummies or 2nd edition baelnorn or 3rd edition deathless, they could preserve.

Quote:
When defiling, a wizard can extend the casting time of her spells to 1 round and gain a +1 bonus to caster level. Her defiling radius increases by 5 ft. Spells with a normal casting time of 1 round or longer require an extra round to be cast in this manner. Experienced defilers often increase their spellcasting power further through Raze feats.

I'm not sure that defiling should be that easily seen as a bonus. From what I recall of Athas, it was more that preserving was a penalty (so that preservers might increase the casting time of all spells, so that all of their standard action castings took a full round), while defilers got to use the normal spellcasting rules, at the cost of ravaging the ecology.

Quote:

Terrain Modifiers

Terrain types affect arcane magic depending on the amount of plant life available. Barren and desolate terrains weaken spells, while fertile and abundant terrains boost spells. Spell save DCs and caster level checks are affected as indicated in Table 6–1: Terrain Modifiers.

The Obsidian Plains are completely devoid of plant life. If arcane spellcasters have no alternative energy sources, or magical items such as wands, they are unable to cast spells in this terrain.

Table 6–1: Terrain Modifiers

Spoiler:

Terrain Type Examples

Desolate (Salt flats, sea of Silt)
Spell DC Modifier –2 Caster Level Check Modifier –2

Barren (Boulder fields, stony barrens)
Spell DC Modifier –1 Caster Level Check Modifier –1

Infertile (Cities, rocky badlands, scrubland)
Spell DC Modifier 0 Caster Level Check Modifier 0

Fertile (Verdant plains, savannahs, swamps, mud flats)
Spell DC Modifier +1 Caster Level Check Modifier +1

Abundant (Forests, oceans, gardens)
Spell DC Modifier +2 Caster Level Check Modifier +2

This section works for me. I like that caster check modifiers are affected, and not just spell DCs. Is it just caster check mods for stuff like dispel magic and penetrating spell resistance, or caster level variables like range/damage/duration as well?

Quote:


Raze Feats

Spoiler:

Agonizing Radius
Your defiling techniques are particularly painful.
Benefits: The penalties for being caught within your defiling radius increase by one (i.e. from –1 to –2).

See above, if it's bumped up to sickened already, then increasing the duration might fit better than making it 'sickened plus.'

Quote:

Controlled Raze

You increase your defiling radius and may specify unaffected squares.
Benefits: Your defiling radius increases by 5 feet. You can specify one 5 ft. square per 5 ft. radius of your defiling circle that is unaffected by your energy gathering. Creatures in unaffected squares do not suffer the adverse effects of being caught in the defiling circle, nor is vegetation in that square turned to ash.

Like Precise Shot for archers, or Selective Channeling for negative energy channelers, or whatever the 'don't blow up my ally' feat is for Alchemists, I could see this become a 'must-have' feat.

Whether or not you like that or not is up to you. (I don't mind it so much, but I know that the 'everyone pretty much has to take this feat anyway, so why is it a feat?' argument has traction.)

Quote:

Distance Raze

You can gather energy for spells at a distance.
Benefits: You can move the center of your defiling circle (on the ground) up to 10 feet per caster level, in effect moving the entire circle of defiling.
Normal: Your defiling circle is centered on you.

I'm not a fan of this one, thematically. Defiling adding a debuff to enemies is already a free extra bonus to defiling magic, and being able to center it on a group of foes at a distance *in addition* to casting a spell at them (or perhaps an entirely different group! Or even getting a free debuff on the enemies while casting haste on your allies!) seems a bit much.

Thematically, it would seem to make sense that the debuff would happen first, so you'd 'gather energy' to cast a fireball, debuffing the very people you are about to hit with said fireball, and oh-so-conveniently giving them a -1 to their save versus that fireball. That order-of-operations should probably be made explicit, that the defile debuff happens before the spell goes off, and may affect the saving throw against the incoming spell.

On the one hand, that's cool. On the other hand, possibly over the top.

Putting that mechanical potential aside, I think, thematically, it would make more sense for the ranged defile to be centered wherever the spell is centered, so that you wouldn't be able to debuff a bunch of foes while casting haste on your party, but you *would* be able to debuff folks before hitting them with fireball (or slow, or glitterdust, etc.). If the caster can't choose anywhere to put the defile debuff, but has to center it where the spell is going off, that might be enough of a limiting factor (since he wouldn't get a free enemy debuff with every buff spell or whatever, only with distant area effects).

Quote:

Destructive Raze

You can focus the energy you absorb from plants to increase the damage your spells inflict.
Benefits: Add +1 to damage per damage die inflicted by evocation spells when defiling.

Only versus living creatures, as part of the life-razing effect? Of a different type, or untyped?

Or is the magic just generically more powerful, because of the life-energy stolen to empower it, and the extra damage of the same type as the spell normally inflicts?

I could see an argument for either.

Quote:

Efficient Raze

You can gather energy more efficiently, utilizing the maximum energy potential of a given terrain.
Benefits: Treat the terrain you gather energy in as one category better when you defile. E.g. a spell cast in barren terrain (–1 spell save DC and –1 penalty to caster level checks) is treated as if cast in infertile terrain (no spell save modifier and no penalty to caster level checks). In abundant terrain the bonuses to spell save DCs and spell checks are increased by an additional +1. This feat has no effect in the Obsidian Plains.

Fast Raze
You can gather energy faster.
Benefits: When defiling, you can spend a move action to gain a +1 caster level bonus. Spells with a normal casting time of 1 round or longer still require an extra round to be cast in this manner. Your defiling radius increases by 5 ft. when using Fast Raze.
Normal: It takes one round to gain the caster level benefit.

Still not a fan of this extra caster level benefit for essentially getting a free debuff.

If it was more punitive, so that a +1 CL required one to double the destructive radius, and it was made clear that an area that has been defiled is now treated like the obsidian plains, and can support no more defiling in it's area at all (save perhaps, years later), that might be more palatable to me.

It would also have a tactical consideration, as defilers would have to move around *a lot* during combat, as their devastate the area around them, and have to move to an undefiled area to cast another spell.

A feat that allowed a defiler to get around that by drawing on his own life energies (1d6 hp / spell level) might also be an interesting side version of this, or one that allowed an undead defiler to power spells even in a lifeless area by using stolen life-energy from others garnered through the use of whatever touch attack they have.

Quote:

Sickening Raze

Your defilement makes others sick.
Prerequisites: Agonizing Radius.
Benefits: Creatures within your defiling radius become nauseated (DMG 301) in addition to any other penalties for 1 round.

That's probably too much, and, at minimum, should have either a Fort save to resist (or downgrade to sickened) or affect only one specific target in the defiling area that you 'focus your energy on' or something. Nauseated is a really good debuff to be potentially applying to a bunch of people (and, with Distance Raze, perhaps a bunch of people far from your own party!).

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I know I'm totally inconsistent on this, suggesting buffing the initial defilement penalty right up to Sickened off the bat (with a save to negate), and then whining about how great it is that the 'drawback' of being a defiler is that you get a free debuff on people you are throwing spells at, but I'm contrary that way. :)

If it's explicitly spelled out that, once you defile, you've got to move to a 'fresh' area before you can defile again, then the power is quite often going to be in the GM's hands when you can and cannot defile (since plenty of encounters can happen on city streets or in caverns or ancient ruins or narrow canyons, where you can't just run from spot to spot willy-nilly), and, even when you have wide open space and aren't surrounded by people waiting to area-of-attack you into chutney for trying to run around and find some fresh ground to defile, it's going to make for an interesting tactical situation, and perhaps result in a defiler having to spent a round in between spellcastings to find a new position from which to draw energy (or spend a longer action preserving, or tapping into his own life-energy and hurting himself!).

That could be neat, and a lot more physically / visually interesting than just standing in one place and throwing a new spell each round, and yet also a bit frustrating, when terrain or circumstances prevent you from using this neat defiling trick you blew three feats on being really good at... I'm on the fence as to how that might play out.


Thanks for the replies, Set.

I can see how defiling might be seen as getting a free de-buff along with any spell, as you said.

In 2E, a defiler could cast repeatedly from the same spot but the area of ash would expand outward with each spell after the first. There was a mechanism to add additional defiled land so that the cost increased beyond simply adding on a one-for-one basis. However, I cannot recall what the rule was. Also, the original defiling rules only imposed a penalty to initiative of -1 per spell level cast, but could not prevent victims from taking action entirely.

I always liked the idea that a patch of land would eventually become completely devoid of life energy and, as a result, the defiler would need to move around more instead of relying on a safe place to cast from. As a consolation to the game and player fun I would at least allow the feat Distance Raze in that case. As another concession, I might rule that, in exchange for distance, the de-buff must be sacrificed.

I think Paizo did a piece on Dark Sun in Dragon Magazine that included penalties for defilers that increased with level. If memory serves, they suffered a -1 penalty to all Charisma-related skills for every second level they took in the class.

In regard to your question about the terrain modifiers applying to caster level checks: It applies to everything, I believe. So it infertile land would cause a 5th level caster to effectively cast as if he were 4th level instead.

Certainly, these feats could lead to a great deal of power-gaming. Personally, I am opposed to that approach to play. Oh well, it is not like I am likely to get a chance to play in a game set in Athas, anyway.

P.S.

If you want to see feats that strike me as overpowered then look at these two from the same source.

Path Dexter
Preservers tend to lean towards spells of protective
nature and those that increase knowledge.
Prerequisites: Preserver.

Benefits: Choose two spells at every spell level. These
spells must be selected from the abjuration and/or
divination schools. You gain +1 caster level when casting
the chosen spells.

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies
to a new set of spells from the abjuration and/or
divination schools.

This feat can be selected only by preservers.

Path Sinister
Defilers tend to lean towards spells of a darker nature.
Prerequisites: Defiler.

Benefits: Choose two spells at every spell level. These
spells must be selected from the evocation and/or
necromancy schools. You gain +1 caster level when
casting the chosen spells.

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies
to a new set of spells from the necromancy and/or conjuration schools.

Dark Archive

The Preserver feat is much weaker than the Defiler feat, obviously, given the difference utility between the relevant schools.

Necromancy seems like a perfect fit for the defiler feat, but evocation feels like it was picked out of thin air.

I do kind of like that Preserving is connected to abjuration, and Defiling to necromancy, but the two schools are quite differently balanced. I'd be inclined to keep the two schools for the Preserver feat, but reduce the Defiler feat to necromancy only. But that's just my gut feeling.


Getting a +1 bonus to two spells per level via this feat seems to me to be a bit much. But then again, I last played in anything other than PbP about 18 years ago, so what do I know?

Your suggestion that the defiler feat only apply to necromancy is a good one. If I ever run a Dark Sun game I would institute that change.

Regarding the raze feats, do you think many of them are worth taking in place of things like Improved Initiative and Combat Casting? For that matter, do you think those two feats are essential for wizards?

Thanks again for all the responses.

Dark Archive

I usually go for Improved Initiative and Toughness as my 'must have' non-magic feats (for pretty much everyone), but I do see the usefulness of Combat Casting, even if I rarely take it (preferring to just try to keep positioned in such a way that a 5 ft. step can move my spellcaster out of melee, although that's obviously something that the GM's placement of monsters dictates more than my wishful thinking, sometimes...).

If Distance Raze works the way it does, Selective Raze is less of a 'must-have,' since you can just put your defiling area way over yonder or whatever, if allies and foes are all mixed up and couples-tangoing. If Distance Raze isn't quite as awesome (or just flat out not available), then Selective Raze seems like a must have (even more so than Selective Channeling often is, for clerics, since they can still cast their spells, which is pretty much 90% of their utility, without worrying about healing foes or harming allies), unless you are flying solo and your 'companions' are all immune (constructs and / or undead or whatever) to the defiling debuff.

A bonus to both abjuration and divination sounds fine, for one feat, since neither of those schools have a bunch of caster-level-dependent damage or whatnot (even if divination doesn't necessarily feel as 'preserver-y' as abjuration, and the spells I would consider, conjuration - healing spells, might fit thematically, but aren't available to Defilers anyway, so, go figure...). But yeah, for the Defiler feat, necromancy only seems the way to go.

That all said, I played an elemental cleric, a psionicist and a ranger (some combination of halfling, half-giant and thri-kreen, but I can't remember which was what...) in Dark Sun, so I'm probably not the world's best expert on preserving and defiling. :)

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Random thought, unrelated to Dark Sun (although an unwholesome conjunction between plants and defiling and necromancy may well be to blame...).

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Gorgeroot Companion (Druid alternate class feature)

Certain evil druids have learned unwholesome blood rites from hags that visit them in their dreams on moonless nights, and by spilling the life’s blood of hapless souls, they have learned to twist saplings into dreadful bloodthirsty creations, seeking to strangle and exsanguinate warm-blooded prey for their dark masters. The ritual can only be performed at the dark of the moon, so a druid who loses his gorgeroot companion may have to wait as long as a month to replace it. The sacrifice (or multiple sacrifices) must be sentient creatures, with Hit Dice equaling those of the gorgeroot to be created (or replaced), and the druid himself must spend his own blood to forge a connection to the creature, accepting unto himself 1 pt. of ability damage to Constitution for each Hit Die of the creature to be awakened (although the ritual takes an hour, and the blood need not be shed all at once, so he may have time to recover some of his vitality magically before completing the necessary bloodletting, for a more powerful ritual…).

Once the sapling (or adult tree, for a higher level druid replacing a lost companion) has been gorged on blood and sacrifice, it uproots, awakened to a malign intellect, becoming both evil and intelligent, far more so than a mere animal, and resembling more the intellect of a wizard’s familiar.

When the druid reaches 6th level, he must perform the ritual anew, sacrificing six Hit Dice worth of intelligent creatures, and feeding it his own blood sufficient to cause him six points of ability damage to his Constitution score, to cause the gorgeroot to grow to the size of a man, becoming stronger and tougher, as well. Failing to perform this ritual in a timely fashion (at the first dark of the moon after reaching 6th level) may result in the gorgeroot abandoning the druid, and wandering off to become a threat on it's own, or, in some cases, taking root and remaining a danger only to those who wander within reach of its limbs. This is also a common result when a druid chooses to abandon a gorgeroot deliberately, for whatever reason, or perishes, such that 'rogue' gorgeroots are not unknown, and some druids may well create and abandon these creatures deliberately, out of sheer spite, making some regions of the deeper forest vastly more dangerous...

At 8th level, and again at 14th level, he can choose to repeat this ritual, requiring seven and twelve Hit Dice worth of victims, and ‘pints’ of his own blood, respectively, increasing the gorgeroot again to size Large, and then Huge, with greatly increased abilities. These latter rituals are optional, and some druids choose not to perform them, or to dismiss over-large gorgeroot companions to re-create smaller ones, if they find themselves in need of a more ‘portable’ companion.

The gorgeroot companion is treated as an animal companion in all other particulars, although it never gains the Evasion or Improved Evasion qualities, instead gaining similar properties that apply to Fortitude and Will saves instead at the respective levels. This option replaces Nature’s Bond, and is only available to an evil druid.

Gorgeroot
This twisted tree seems almost dead, it’s leaves brown and limp, rattling as if in a breeze as it lurches forward on gnarled roots, seeking to grasp, strangle and drain of blood any creature that it can seize.
...Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 20 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack 1 slam (1d4); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 7; Special Qualities hardness 5, low-light vision, plant traits*.
...6th-level Advancement: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; Attack 2 slams (1d6); Ability Scores +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con.
...8th-level optional Advancement: Size Large; Speed 30 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack 2 slams (1d8 + grab); Ability Scores +8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con.
...14th-level optional Advancement: Size Huge; Speed 30 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack 2 slams (2d6 + grab); Ability Scores +8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con; Special Qualities constrict

*Gorgeroots are possessed of a malign intelligence, giving them both a Neutral Evil alignment and an Intelligence score of 6. They do not possess the Mindless trait, and are not immune to mind-affecting effects.

The stats (and special qualities) are pretty much ripped right out of the Animated Object Bestiary entry, since I didn't feel like re-inventing any wheels on this score (and the advice for Awakening a tree is to use Animated Object rules as a rough guideline, IIRC. Plus? Lazy.). Note that, while thirsty for blood, it doesn't have any sort of actual blood drain 'super-power.' It just beats the crap out of people and then squeezes the blood out of their dying bodies and rubs it all over itself, 'cause that's way more thematically creepy, IMO.

It's only a single sort of plant companion, and far less versatile than the plethora of animals it replaces (and not as quick or easy to replace or advance, which is all by design, since it's potentially brutishly strong, at higher levels, and no joke.

I was originally going to base it much more off of the Animated Object Bestiary rules, and less off of the Druid Companion rules, but the numbers didn't work out, and one of the ways they *did* work out was for a druid to be able to have multiple of these evil tree 'animated objects,' which seemed like a mess for action economy purposes, and also like they would be speed bumps at higher level, since your 14th level druid would have four 7 HD animated 'trees,' which sounded like a pain in the butt, in two different sorts of ways. 3.5 got rid of animal friendship for just this reason. Nobody wants to roll dice for what the 10th level druids four 5 HD trained bears fail to hit this round... Huge waste of time! So I axed that and went for a single bigass tree.

And now that it's done, it's way too tough. Need to either tone it the heck down, or add some more costs, like spending feats for the optional additional growth cycles, and / or modifying Wild Shape to help 'take some back.' Eh. Tomorrow.

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A thing that did not appear in Wayfinder 10. (Note that this was one of several articles, that, given a choice, I chose to cut from the running, as it was a bit fluffier than I liked, and the symbol of the group, an eyeball impaled on a pesh cactus spine, was very much *not* something I wanted to see illustrated...)

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Secrets of the Peshwalkers

South of an abandoned temple to Lamashtu near Katapesh’s Twilight Gate, what was once a fine villa has been repurposed as The School of the Pierced Eye, which can be recognized by the grim sign of a human eye pierced with the spine of a pesh cactus and serving as headquarters to the Peshwalkers. Originally founded by sahir-afiyun, practitioners of ‘pesh magic,’ the school now seeks insights beyond the studies of magic, to unlock insights that even a warrior or scholar could turn to their advantage.

Their most successful students learn to perceive the threads of fate in their pesh-induced visions, and, unlocking the power of pesh, the students choose which of those fates shall come to pass!

Students at The School of the Pierced Eye consume great quantities of pesh as part of their ‘studies,’ and sometimes spend years chasing this vision, only for many, perhaps even most, to end up on the streets, their wits forever dulled and their limbs a-tremble from the effects of long term pesh addiction, minds and bodies wasted in failed journeys down the path of the Peshwalker.

Peshwalker Feats

Peshwalker Originate
You have begun your journey and can just glimpse the possibilities that lie before you. Your familiarity with pesh also helps you recognize the drug.
Prerequisite pesh addict or sahir-afiyun
Benefits When under the effects of pesh, you can call upon the twisted visions of the drug to see alternate outcomes, and choose your own fate from among them. As an immediate action, you can purge the pesh from your system, losing all benefits and penalties of the drug, to allow yourself to roll twice for any attack roll, saving throw, ability check or skill check, and choose the best result. This decision must be made before you make the die roll in question. This ends the effect of pesh, and you become fatigued as normal for that condition, but not until the end of the current round. If you attempt to call upon pesh insights in this manner while under the effect of any spell or ability that requires you to roll twice and choose the worst result (such a pugwampi’s Unluck Aura or a witch’s Misfortune hex or ill omen spell), the effect backfires as you are tormented with visions of failure, and you must roll *three times* and choose the worst result, instead!
You also gain a +5 competence bonus to Appraise or Craft (alchemy) rolls to identify or determine the value of pesh, or detect adulterated or false pesh.

Peshwalker Sojourner
Your time on the path has inured you to the effects of pesh.
Prerequisites Peshwalker Originate, Con 13+
Benefits Whenever you take a dose of pesh, you take only one point of ability damage to Constitution and Wisdom, suffer -1 to saves vs. illusion and mind-affecting magic, and are fatigued for only one hour when the initial effect ends. The initial effects of pesh now last for a number of hours equal to your Con modifier (at least 1 hour).
When you are under the effects of refined pesh, and use the Peshwalker Originate feat, you are allowed a Fortitude save (DC 20) to not become fatigued. If you take another dose of pesh while fatigued from a previous use of pesh or peshwalking, the fatigued condition ends immediately.

Peshwalker Destinari
Your journey complete, you have unlocked the deeper insights of pesh, which now permeates your body, even when you are not actively using the substance.
Prerequisites Peshwalker Sojourner, 5 or more Hit Dice
Benefits So long as you have taken pesh in the last day, you can call upon the insights of the Peshwalker Originate feat to modify die rolls, even if your system is currently clean, but the first such attempt requires a DC 20 Fortitude save. Whether it succeeds or not, you take 1d8 hit points of damage and are fatigued for 1 hour, as your body cannibalizes lingering traces of pesh in your tissues. Each time after the first that you attempt to call upon these pesh insights, the Fortitude DC for success increases by 5 and the amount of damage taken increases by 1d8. If you attempt use this ability while already fatigued, you are instead exhausted, and if you attempt to use this ability again while exhausted, you are reduced to unconscious, lose any remaining hit points and gain the dying condition (-1 hit point, if not already lower) as your heart fails under the strain.

In keeping with my personal mandate to come up with options for all sorts of classes, I wanted a school that taught a means of using pesh, and it's revelatory insights, that *didn't* necessarily involve spellcasting. A 'pesh magic' sort of option for fighters and monks and rogues.

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The Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting mentioned disciplined ogre mercenaries working in the armies of Qadira. IIRC, the Inner Sea World Guide changed that reference to disciplined elemental mercenaries, but still made some mention of ogre tribes north of the city of Omash being used to harry the Taldan border. In any event, I liked the idea of an Archetype designed to play with that, and train Ogres as 'battle-buddies' (and potentially 'catch and release' them, to take over local wild ogre tribes and steer them more to the interests of Qadira, by pointing them at their rivals to the north.

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Omashi Ogre Handler (Cavalier or Ranger Archetype)
In Omash, City of Fortresses, bold warriors harness the might of the fearsome ogres of the eastern mountain tribes, bending them to the service of the Padishah Emperor. A mixture of knights and scouts, each bringing their unique gifts to this great project, some ogre handlers train and release their charges, so that their disciplined recruits can serve in the armies of Qadira, or return to seize control of untamed mountain tribes, while others keep the same ogre companion by their side for many campaigns. An ogre handler has the following class features.

Skills: An ogre handler gains Intimidate (Cha) as a class skill.

Ogre Companion (Ex): At 4th level, an ogre handler gains an ogre companion. This companion progresses along the animal companion chart (Core rulebook p 52), as if its handler was a druid three levels lower than their handler’s cavalier or ranger level. An ogre juvenile begins with 2 humanoid hit dice when this class feature is gained at 4th level, gains another humanoid hit die at 5th level, and its final humanoid hit die (for a total of 4 HD, at which point it advances to size Large and becomes an adult ogre) when its handler reaches 7th level in cavalier or ranger. All further advancements are warrior NPC levels, to a maximum of warrior 10 (with 4 humanoid HD) at cavalier or ranger level 20.
The Boon Companion feat can accelerate this progression, to a maximum of class level +4, or total character level.
An ogre companion only gains bonuses to natural armor or Str/Dex at half the normal rate on the Animal Companion Base Statistics chart, so that the ogre companion of a 10th level handler only gains the +2 natural armor bonus and +1 Str/Dex bonus that would normally be granted to the animal companion of a 3rd level druid (effective druid level equaling class level -3, and then halved). An ogre companion does not learn tricks or bonus tricks, nor does it benefit from the Special features of link, share spells, evasion, multiattack or improved evasion, although it does receive the benefits of Devotion when its handler reaches effective druid level 6 (generally 9th level).
Ogre companions gain feats and skill ranks as appropriate to their current humanoid hit dice and / or warrior class levels, and add one to a single attribute every 4 HD as normal.
A slain companion can be replaced by locating an ogre of suitable size and power and defeating it in single combat, which can take less than a day, in Omash proper, or many weeks, if recruiting from wild ogre tribes.
This ability replaces Hunter’s Bond, for a ranger, or Mount, for a cavalier.

Shared Antagonism (Ex): A ranger with this archetype and the Favored Enemy class feature can grant half of his favored enemy bonus against a single favored enemy target to his ogre companion as per the effects of the first Hunter’s Bond option (Core rulebook p 66). This ability replaces Wild Empathy.

Superb Teamwork (Ex): A cavalier with this archetype and the Tactician ability can grant his ogre companion the use of any of his teamwork feats for one round as a swift action, as often as desired, so long as the companion is within 30 ft. and can see and hear the handler. This ability replaces Cavalier’s Charge, Expert Trainer, Mighty Charge and Supreme Charge.

Juvenile Ogre
A juvenile ogre resembles a brutish misshapen man, thick of limb and dull of intellect.
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; AC +2 natural armor; Attack by weapon; Ability Scores Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 7; Special Qualities darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision.
7th-level Advancement: Size Large; Speed 40 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Attack by weapon; Ability Scores +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con.

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And a feat, that might be relevant, to make Omashi Ogre 'battle-buddies' a little more customizable.

Feat
Ogrekin Corruption
You are prone to mutation. While many deformities manifest at birth, others may spontaneously arise in response to disease, toxin or magical affliction, as your freakish body spits forth new limbs, or twists old ones, in a futile attempt to escape what ails it.
Prerequisites ogre or ogrekin
Benefits You can choose a single beneficial ogrekin deformity (Bestiary 2 p 204), but must also pick a single disadvantageous ogrekin deformity to accompany it.
Special This feat can be taken multiple times, but no deformity may be chosen more than once, and each beneficial deformity chosen must be accompanied by a new disadvantageous deformity.

There's some sort of unspoken rule (more of a guideline, really...) that an Archetype is only supposed to be for one class. Eh. This one's for either Rangers or Cavaliers, with the differences spelled out in the AT itself. Seemed more practical than writing it up for only one class, and cutting it's potential utility in half.

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Random desert themed spells, nothing terribly sexy, so, given a choice between some new witch hexes and some new rogue talents and some new spells, the witch hexes and rogue talents felt much more 'new' to me.

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Desert Power

Awaken Pesh
School transmutation; Level druid 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 hour
Components V, S, M (a living pesh cactus)
Range touch
Effect creates one dose of awakened pesh
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You carefully coax a single dose of unnaturally potent pesh from a pesh cactus, which cannot be milked for pesh again for a full season. The awakened pesh detects as faintly magical, and retains its supernatural potency for 30 days, having the effects of traditional pesh, but also conferring +1d8 temporary hit points to the imbiber for the duration of its initial effect, and increasing the chance of success for divination spells such as augury, contact other plane and divination by 5% (to a maximum of 95%).

This spell should totally be on the sahir-afiyun spell list. If only the writer had thought of that. :/

Conjure Stones
School conjuration (creation); Level druid 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 free action
Components V, S
Range personal
Effect creates one stone
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You can create a stone as a free action, even casting this specific spell multiple times per round. The stone can appear in your hand, on your person (such as in a pocket) or even loaded into a sling. Each stone is ideally-suited for use as a projectile, weighing about a pound and able to be used as sling ammunition (with the effectiveness of a sling bullet), or thrown by hand as a simple weapon that causes 1d3 hit points of damage (1d2 for a size small caster) and has a 10 ft. range increment. At the end of the spells duration, a stone conjured by this spell disappears.

Oh hey, it's a cantrip! And using it would allow a sling user to make iterative attacks! Woo!

Grasping Sands
School transmutation; Level druid 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a handful of powdered iron and quartz)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes

You cause sparkling ruddy sands to form around the feet of a target creature, and quickly slither up its body to entangle it. The sand moves and multiplies like a malicious living thing, clinging to the target and actively resisting attempts to remove it, weighing about 20 pounds and possibly encumbering weaker creatures, in addition to giving them the entangled condition. Each round, the target can attempt another saving throw to break free and slough off the confounding sands, ending the spell.

Super-basic soft crowd control spell, using entangled, which is not a terrible condition (not like being knocked unconscious by color spray, or sent running by cause fear). I like the visual, 'though.

Hungry Sands
School transmutation; Level druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a handful of powdered iron and quartz, steeped in the casters blood)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one creature / level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes

This spell acts as grasping sands, but affects multiple targets and roughly abrades those entangled so that they suffer 2d4 damage for each round entangled.

Same dealio, more peeps.

Rockslide
School transmutation; Level druid 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a handful of small stones marked with runes of prosperity in the casters blood)
Range 60 ft., 30 ft. or 20 ft.
Area a 5 ft. wide line, a 10 ft. wide line or a 20 ft. cone-shaped emanation.
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance no

As you toss a handful of rune-marked pebbles at your target(s), they swell and multiply a hundred fold in both size and number, becoming a barrage of boulders that inflict 1d6 bludgeoning damage + 1d6 additional damage for every 2 levels past 1st, up to a maximum of 5d6 at 9th level, to all in their path of travel. When you cast this spell, you decide whether to throw the pebbles in such a way as to generate either a 60 ft. long 5 ft. wide line, a 30 ft. long 10 ft. wide line, or a 20 ft. cone shaped burst. Regardless of the shape chosen, anyone in the area who makes a Reflex saving throw avoids the worst of it and only takes half damage. At the end of the round, damage done, the boulders crumble into dust.

Three different possible areas of effect, depending on how you throw the stones. That's a bit more complicated than a spell with only one possible area of effect, but I don't think it's too complicated for anyone who's already playing this game.

Summon Sand Scavengers
School conjuration (summoning); Level druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (scraps of meat equal to a full meal)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You summon a pack of jackals, hyenas or dire hyenas that seem to burst up from the earth. Unbidden, they attack your enemies to the best of their ability, and the can be ordered to take other actions, if you can communicate with them, or direct their actions with Handle Animal. You can summon a number of jackals (treat as small Dogs, Bestiary 87) equal to your caster level, one hyena for every 2 caster levels, or one dire hyena for every 3 caster levels. All animals summoned with a single casting of this spell must be the same type.

Another one with three options. Jackals, hyenas or dire hyenas, depending on the casters choice.

Summon Sand Serpents
School conjuration (summoning); Level druid 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (a handful of pebbles or sand)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You summon a number of serpents that seem to boil forth from the ground itself. These snakes attack your enemies to the best of their ability, and can be ordered to take other actions if you can communicate with them or direct their actions with Handle Animal. You can summon tiny vipers or venomous snakes equal to your caster level, constrictor snakes or non-venomous snake swarms (Bestiary 2 249) equal to half your caster level, one venomous snake swarm (Bestiary 2 249) for every 4 caster levels, an emperor cobra (Bestiary 3 252) for every 5 caster levels, or a giant anaconda (Bestiary 3 252) for every 10 caster levels. All animals summoned with a single casting of this spell must be the same type.

Snakes instead of dogs, also a versatile yet specific kind of summoning spell. More wordiness might have specified pebbles shaped like small eggs, or a mixture of sand and crushed eggshells, in the material components, but words are at a premium in Wayfinder submissions, and the PF style format of sticking material components in a parenthetical in the Components line doesn't really play well with wordy component descriptions.

Sunrays
School evocation [light]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a small mirror)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one or more rays
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

You create dazzling rays of sunlight. You may fire one ray, plus one additional ray for every two levels beyond first (to a maximum of five rays at 9th level). Each ray requires a ranged touch attack to hit, and inflicts blindness upon the target struck for 1 round, followed by one round of being sunstruck (20% miss chance to strike any foe, -4 Perception checks, -2 attack rolls), and a third round of being dazzled. The rays may be fired at the same or different targets, but all rays must be aimed at targets within 30 ft. of each other and fired simultaneously. A target struck by multiple rays multiplies the duration of each effect by the number of rays that strike, so that a target struck by three rays will be blinded for 3 rounds, then sunstruck for 3 rounds, then dazzled for 3 rounds. This spell can only be cast in direct sunlight, or the magical equivalent (such as a daylight spell).

It's like the awesome scorching ray and the kind of junky dazzle cantrip had a baby! Me and my debuffs.

Waves of Sand
School transmutation; Level druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S
Range personal
Area the casters space and all adjacent squares
Duration 1 hour / level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

Unseen forces cause the ground below you to roil and ripple, carrying you along in whatever direction you wish at a speed of 30 ft. You can stand or sit or even lie down as you please, and the moving patch of earth proceeds either as you direct it (as a move action, able to increase to a double move or even Run action, at your direction) or along whatever course you set for it last. You are not impeded by the moving earth, but any others who attempt to stand upon it find it to be difficult terrain, the sensation of attempting to ‘ride’ such a carpet of moving earth to be so unsettling that an animal companion or mount may require a DC 18 Handle Animal check to keep it from stepping off of the affected earth. The moving patch of earth is elevated a few inches above the surrounding terrain and travels over muddy ground, grassy plains, loose gravel and snow-covered fields alike, pushing small puddles and grass and light coverings of snow out of the way. Areas of bare stone, water more than a few inches deep, or ice stop the wave of sand in its tracks, and the caster must find a way around the obstruction (or remove it, in some way) or the spell ends. Even a small stream is impassable to this earthen transport, as it cannot cross a bridge or any but the shallowest fording.

Sand surfing! Another one pretty much all about the visual. So much cooler (and desert appropriate) than flying. Probably should have specified that when you use the Run action to increase the speed of this transport, it's not tiring.

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And something for Clerics (Druids, Inquisitors, whatever). Irori, Nethys and Sarenrae are the gods mentioned most in the regions covered, so I gave each of them a pair of specialized sub-Domains.

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Subdomains of the Desert Gods

Irori
Chi Subdomain
Associated Domain: Healing
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the healer’s blessing power of the Healing Domain.
...Blacken Chi (Su) At 6th level, when you inflict hit point damage on a creature within 30 ft., you can use a swift action to prevent it from healing or regenerating any of the damage you caused with this rounds attacks for 1 minute. You can use this effect a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Spells: 3rd – blindness/deafness, 4th – death ward, 7th – destruction

Restraint Subdomain
Associated Domain: Strength
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the strength surge power of the Strength Domain.
...Strength to Endure (Su) When an ally within 30 ft. suffers damage, you can use an immediate action to negate half of the damage and take it yourself. You can use this effect a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier, but no more than once per round.
Replacement Spells: 2nd – shield other, 5th – waves of fatigue, 7th – waves of exhaustion

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Nethys
Cataclysm
Associated Domain: Magic
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the dispelling touch power of the Magic Domain.
...Arcane Devastation (Su) At 8th level, when you damage one or more foes with a clerical evocation spell that you have cast, on your next turn, as a swift action, you can cause the magic to echo, inflicting half of the previous rounds damage to those who were damaged. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Spells: 2nd – shatter, 4th – detonate (APG), 6th – chain lightning, 9th – winds of vengeance (APG)

Countermagic
Associated Domain: Magic
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the hand of the acolyte power of the Magic Domain.
...Abjurant Counterspell (Su) When you have prepared an action to counterspell, you can use any prepared abjuration spell of equal or higher level to attempt to counter a spell that you have identified. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Replacement Spells: 1st – shield, 2nd – resist energy, 4th – lesser globe of invulnerability

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Sarenrae
Dawn Subdomain
Associated Domain: Sun
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the sun’s blessing power of the Sun Domain.
...Revealing Rays (Su) When you take the counterspell action, you can use a prepared light descriptor spell of equal or higher level to counter any dark descriptor spell that you have identified. Any ally within the radius of illumination of a light descriptor spell you have cast gains a +1 morale bonus to saves vs. illusion and a +1 bonus to Perception checks for every level of the spell (+0 from a light cantrip). Any enemy struck by or within the radius of illumination of a light descriptor spell you have cast suffers double the usual penalties from light blindness (blinded for 1 round, then -2 to attack and Perception checks) or light sensitivity (-2 to attack and Perception checks) they may possess for the duration of exposure (or 1 round, for an instantaneous effect).
Replacement Spells: 1st – faerie fire, 2nd – light lance* (APG), 4th – wandering star motes (APG), 5th – pillar of life (APG)
*produces a shortspear, spear or longspear of light, unless you worship a god with lance as a favored weapon

Renewal Subdomain
Associated Domain: Healing
...Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the rebuke death power of the Healing Domain.
...Best Results (Su) Whenever you channel positive energy or cast a cure spell, you heal additional hit point damage equal to your Wisdom modifier, although you cannot heal more hit point damage through this bonus than the maximum you could have rolled. Additionally, whenever you cast a beneficial spell that does not restore hit point damage on a willing target, that target is healed of a number of hit points equal to the level of the spell. These effects do no increased damage to undead.
Replacement Spells: 1st – celestial healing*, 4th – greater celestial healing**
*treat as infernal healing, but the material component is an angel’s tear or a flask of holy water, and it is a [good] spell that causes the recipient to detect as good for the duration.
** treat as greater infernal healing, but the material component is an angel’s tear or a flask of holy water, and it is a [good] spell that causes the recipient to detect as a good cleric for the duration.

Yeah, those last two replacement spells are probably going to go over like a lead balloon. :)

Revealing Rays is too fiddly, three things going on is two things too many. Countermagic is kinda weak (counterspelling *still* wouldn't be a worthwhile action, IMO). But I'm fond of Blacken Chi, Strength to Endure, Arcane Devastation and Best Results.


Great stuff as always. On the Dawn subdomain power would metamagic affect the bonus? In other words if the cleric cast an Extended light spell that raised the effective cantrip to a 1st level spell would that grant multiple hours of +1's or would it still use the ORIGINAL level of the spell?


Ogre Handler is the most awesome!

Somehow I missed the channel foci the first time around, so I'm really glad I caught those now.

Loving this. Keep up the good work!

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Mark Hoover wrote:
Great stuff as always. On the Dawn subdomain power would metamagic affect the bonus? In other words if the cleric cast an Extended light spell that raised the effective cantrip to a 1st level spell would that grant multiple hours of +1's or would it still use the ORIGINAL level of the spell?

I hadn't considered that (good catch!), but I think I'd go with only a Heightened spell being treated as a higher level spell, for most purposes, with a Stilled Silent Light spell still only counting as a cantrip, even if it took a 2nd level slot to cast.

Thanks for the kind words!

Wow. 'Dark' descriptor spells? What was I thinking. It's darkness, not 'dark.'

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Tacticslion wrote:

Ogre Handler is the most awesome!

Somehow I missed the channel foci the first time around, so I'm really glad I caught those now.

Loving this. Keep up the good work!

Thanks! Yeah, I love the idea of having a Ranger (or Cavalier) whose 'animal companion' is an Ogre!

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A random other thing, like the Peshwalkers, with more flavor text wrapped around the mechanics and not just a list of new spells / rogue talents / etc.

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Secrets of the Bone Shakers

Located near Katapesh's Pyre Crest, in a region dotted with bubbling pools of tar, hundreds of gnolls comprise the recently formed Bone Shaker tribe, who have begun to forge a name for themselves, primarily through dredging forth the blackened bones of long-dead creatures from the pits that befoul the area, and animating them through fell necromancy to serve their brutish schemes. Their leader, who calls herself Black Blood, survived an attempted assassination during which she was thrown into the tar pits, only to claw her way forth, without life or breath, yet more powerful than ever (CE female gnoll ghast cleric of Lamashtu 7). Black Blood gnaws greedily upon the tar-soaked bones of the ancient dead consigned to these pools for unspeakable crimes in ages past and claims that these grim feasts grant her lost and forbidden secrets of necromancy. Uncommonly mercenary, even for a gnoll, she eagerly spreads the lore she has mastered, not merely among her followers, but even to strangers willing to meet her arbitrary and cruel prices, seeking to spread this newly unearthed lore far and wide, and so demonstrates her power.

The Bone Shaker tribe has temporarily filled a gnollish power vacuum in northern Katapesh, but find their defenses increasingly tested by the other tribes of the area, who do not welcome competition, especially not from a tribe who bend their necks before an undead creature, even if that creature was a gnoll in life. Whispers spread from fanged mouth to tufted ear, that she means to turn her entire tribe into ghouls, to overwhelm competing tribes and make a kingdom of death all her own, that she secretly serves Urgathoa, and has betrayed her oaths to Lamashtu, that her true loyalties lie with some legendary ‘kingdom of ghouls’ deep within the sands of Osirion, and more besides. Time will tell if the Bone Shaker tribe will thrive or be destroyed, by their own kind, if not by more righteous hands.

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Bone Shaker
Blasphemous rites learned from the adepts of the Bone Shaker tribe have taught you to conjure up skeletons of ancient mythic beasts immured in the tar pits that they frequent, as well as some carrion creatures embraced by their corrupt faith.
Prerequisites Must be able to cast summon monster or summon nature’s ally as a spell or spell-like ability, non-good alignment.
Benefits The secret teachings of the Bone Shakers allows you to add the following creatures to the list of creatures you can summon with summon monster or summon nature’s ally. Using summon monster or summon nature’s ally to call up any of these creatures gives the spell the [evil] descriptor.
Special After learning this feat, if you attempt to summon a creature modified by the celestial creature simple template, or one with the [good] subtype, that summoning attempt fails and you lose all benefits from this feat until you seek atonement from a cleric of Lamashtu.

SM/SNA I – 1d3 fiendish vultures (as hawks), fiendish great vulture (as eagle), blackened bone compsognathus
SM/SNA II – ghoul, fiendish hyena
SM/SNA III – blackened bone velociraptor (variant deinonychus), ghast
SM/SNA IV – fiendish hyaenodon (dire hyena), abyssal hyena (as hell hound, but CE), blackened bone deinonychus, blackened bone pteranodon
SM/SNA V – blackened bone ankylosaurus, blackened bone megaraptor (variant deinonychus)
SM/SNA VI – blackened bone allosaurus, blackened bone stegosaurus, blackened bone triceratops
SM/SNA VII – blackened bone tyrannosaurus, fiendish great vulture (roc), abyssal hyena matron (as nessian hell hound, but CE)
SM/SNA VIII – blackened bone spinosaurus, fiendish two-headed great vulture (roc with two heads, giving it +2 to perception checks and a second bite attack)
SM/SNA IX – advanced blackened bone colossal fiendish tyrannosaurus*
*The advanced template will grant this creature an Int 4, allowing it to retain the feats and skills typical to a tyrannosaur. Increasing it to size colossal will give it the benefits of the giant simple template, plus an additional +4 Str and +2 natural armor.

Both the creatures conjured by her followers, and those blackened bone dinosaur skeletons that she has had dredged up from the tar pits surrounding her domain are modified by the following template.

Simple Template
Blackened Bone Creature (CR +0)
The tar-coated skeletons of blackened bone creatures are tougher than normal burning skeletons.
As the Burning Skeleton template (Bestiary 251-252), with the following modifications;
*AC is equal to half that of the original dinosaur (round down), or that of the skeleton template for its size, whichever is better.
*Replace bonus Improved Initiative feat with bonus Toughness feat.

A feat and a template, based on a completely-made-up clan of gnolls who summon tar-blackened dinosaur skeletons from also completely-made-up La Brea-style tar pits! A longer version of this article might have had the advanced blackened bone colossal fiendish tyrannosaurus statted out, not that any of the Bone Shaker clan would ever be able to call up such a terror! (Save perhaps by burning a candle of invocation, and having Lamashtu gate one in for them, and wouldn't that just be the cruelest use of NPC loot against the party?)

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The Venicaan College of Medicaments and Chirurgy in Katheer sounded like a cool place, focused as much on mundane healing techniques as magical curative solutions. Here be a pair of feats and traits inspired by that place.

The Venicaan College of Medicaments and Chirurgery in storied Katheer may well be the most prominent school of the healing arts in all the Inner Sea, practicing arts mundane, alchemical and magical, and demonstrating great synergies through combining such disparate traditions.

Feats
Venicaan Chirurgeon
Prerequisites Heal 3 ranks or Skill Focus (Heal)
Benefits Heal is always a class skill for you. When you use the Heal skill to provide first aid or treat wounds from caltrops, spike growth or spike stones, the recipient also receives 1 hit point of healing. When you use the Heal skill to provide long-term care, your patients receive additional hit points of healing equal to your Wisdom modifier for 8 hours of rest, and additional hit points of healing equal to your ranks in the Heal skill for 24 hours of complete rest (above and beyond the additional hit points gained for 8 hours of complete rest). You gain a +2 trait bonus to Heal checks to treat disease or poison. Finally, when you use the Heal skill to Treat Deadly Wounds, you can do so in only 10 minutes and you can attempt to Treat Deadly Wounds on the same patient more than once per day, at a +5 to the DC for each attempt after the first.
Special The benefits of this feat include those of the Venicaan Medic trait (PC Qadira: Gateway to the East p. 19), and they do not stack. If you have that trait, and gain this feat later, you may replace that trait with another you are eligible for.

'you may replace that trait with another you are eligible for?' Ended sentence with preposition, you have. Talk like Yoda, you must.

Venicaan Apothecary
Prerequisites must be able to use cure light wounds as a spell or infusion, must maintain ranks in the Heal skill equal to your character level
Benefits You have learned to augment your healing magic with your mundane surgical skills, and vice versa. Whenever you make a Heal check to provide first aid, long-term care, treat caltrop wounds or treat deadly wounds, you add an insight bonus to the check equal to the highest level cure spell (or infusion) you have prepared or available to cast (if a spontaneous caster). Whenever you make a Heal check to treat disease, you gain a +3 insight bonus if you have remove disease prepared. Whenever you make a Heal check to treat poisoning, you gain a +2 insight bonus if you have delay poison available or a +4 insight bonus if you have neutralize poison available.
Whenever you cast a spell or use an infusion that cures hit point damage and has cure in the name, you can make a DC 20 Heal check as a move action to also Treat Deadly Wounds, as per the Heal skill. With the exception of the time taken, this is treated as a normal use of Treat Deadly Wounds, including bonus healing if you exceed the DC by five, expending 2 uses from a healer’s kit and needing to occur within 24 hours of an injury. This magically-enhanced use of Treat Deadly Wounds can however be applied to a single individual more than once in a 24 hour period, although the Heal check DC increases by 5 for each attempt after the first.
Additionally, whenever you use remove disease or neutralize poison as a spell or infusion, you gain a bonus to your caster level check equal to half your ranks in Heal.
Special If your total ranks in the Heal skill ever fall behind your character level, you lose the benefits of this feat until you catch up your training.

Shades of 3.5s Reserve feats, in that you gain bonuses for having spells prepared (or available), without having to actually cast them, but also working in the other direction, with your mundane Heal skill enhancing your use of some magical healing options.

Traits
Shared Healing (Qadira): If you have the Share Spells feature with one or more creatures, when either you or an adjacent bonded companion receive the effects of a conjuration (healing) spell, you can choose whether you or your companion gain the benefits of that spell, or you can multiply any numerical healing benefit by 1.5 and then divide the healing equally between yourself and your companion(s).

Venicaan Herbary (Qadira): You worked for or apprenticed at the Venicaan College of Medicaments and Chirurgery, sent often during your employment to find the herbs and mineral salts needed to keep the college’s supplies well-stocked. You can make a Survival check at DC 15 to forage for the materials needed to replenish a healer’s kit, gaining one such use either after a dedicated eight hour search, or while traveling at up to half your normal traveling speed. For every 5 points by which you exceed your DC, you find another use. Survival is always a class skill for you.

Shared spells = shared cures! And hey, finally a way to replenish those healer's kits, without just throwing it out and buying a new one!

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Summoning feats that seemed so basic and intuitive that I got bored just coming up with them, since they kind of logically flowed off of each other. Yawn.

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Secrets of Sedeqi Summoning
The conjurers of Sedeq have many techniques to barter with creatures of the elemental planes. The clergy of Sarenrae endeavor to steer the more mercenary among them to call upon celestial creatures, and treat their elemental companions as allies, instead of slaves.

Celestial Summons
...Prerequisites: Must be good aligned and able to use summon nature’s ally as a spell or spell-like ability.
...Benefit: When you summon animals or vermin with the summon nature’s ally line of spells (or spell-like abilities), you can grant them the celestial simple template for the duration of the spell.
...Special: This feat can also be taken as Entropic Summons, Fiendish Summons or Resolute Summons, requiring the user to be chaotic, evil or lawful, respectively, and allowing you to modify summoned animals or vermin with the entropic, fiendish or resolute simple template, as appropriate. If you have two eligible alignments, such as a LG ranger, you can buy this feat once for each qualifying alignment, and your summoned animals or vermin can have the benefits of one or both templates.

Elemental Empowerment
...Prerequisites: 3 ranks Knowledge (the planes)
...Benefit: When you summon or call an elemental, genie, mephit or creature modified by the elemental template via a spell, spell-like ability or class ability (such as Summon Familiar), the elemental appears with temporary hit points equal to twice its Hit Dice, and these temporary hit points are regained whenever you prepare spells.

Ooh, it also benefits elemental or mephit familiars!

Elemental Engorgement
You can strengthen an elemental’s ties to its home plane, increasing its size and potency for a short time.
...Prerequisites: Must have a Small or Medium elemental companion as a class feature, or a small elemental as an Improved Familiar, 3 ranks Knowledge (the planes).
...Benefit: A number of rounds per day equal to your class level, as a swift action, you can advance your elemental companion or familiar one size category (from Small to Medium or from Medium to Large), gaining the traits of an elemental of that size.
If you have 9 ranks of Knowledge (the planes), you can instead advance your elemental companion or familiar by two size categories (from Small to Large or from Medium to Huge).
If you have 15 ranks of Knowledge (the planes), you can instead advance your elemental companion or familiar by three categories (from Small to Huge or from Medium to Greater Elemental).
If you have 20 ranks of Knowledge (the planes), you can instead advance your elemental companion or familiar by four categories (from Small to Greater or from Medium to Elder Elemental).
...Special: If you have the ability to advance an elemental companion in this fashion already as a class ability, this feat adds 3 rounds to the number of rounds per day you can exercise this ability. You can take this feat multiple times. Each additional time it is taken adds another 3 rounds to the number of rounds per day you can advance your companion.

What is this class ability to advance an elemental companion? To be mentioned in a later post...

Elemental Summons
...Prerequisites: Must be able to summon monster I or summon nature’s ally I as a spell or spell-like ability.
...Benefit: When you summon a creature that could be modified by the celestial, entropic, fiendish or resolute template, you can instead apply an elemental creature2 template. If you wish to modify a creature with both an elemental template and a celestial, entropic, fiendish or resolute template, you can do so as if it was a creature from the previous summon monster list.
You can modify any animal or vermin that you summon with summon nature’s ally with an elemental creature template.

Another reference to a different post, in this case the elemental creature template, which would have appeared in a bestiary entry. This makes this article submission pretty much dependent on one or two others, which is all sorts of incestuous and wrong.

Redeemers Call
...Prerequisites: Must be good-aligned and able to cast summon monster I or summon nature’s ally I and at least 3 spells with the fire or light descriptor.
...Benefit: When you summon a creature modified by the celestial simple template, you can choose for it to also be modified by the elemental creature (fire) template. When you summon any creature with the fire subtype that is not already modified by the celestial creature template, you can add the benefits of that template to the creature for the duration of the spell.
...Special: If you can cast a spell of the conjuration (healing) school that heals hit point damage, you can expend a spell of that sort up to the level of a summon monster or summon nature’s ally spell you are casting as a free action during the casting, granting any creature(s) summoned by that spell fast healing equal to the level of the spell sacrificed for the duration of their stay.

Could be called 'Sarenrae's Call,' but would then require renaming later for OGL compliance anyway. So 'Redeemer's Call.' No Product Identity there, and it's not like other settings don't have gods of both sun and healing (Pelor, Lathandar, Madriel the Redeemer...).

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And the Elemental Creature templates mentioned above, as well as both smaller and bigger Mephits.

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Templates
Elemental Creature (CR +1)
This template can be applied to any animal, magical beast or vermin. The new creature retains its original type, but adds the elemental and extraplanar subtypes, as well as the appropriate elemental subtype (air, earth, fire or water). Creatures modified by this template have a minimum Int 3 (losing the Mindless trait, if applicable) and can understand (but possibly not speak or read) the appropriate elemental language. A size Large elemental creature also gains DR 5/-, and one that is size Huge has DR 10/-.

Air
Rebuild Rules: Senses add darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities elemental traits; Speed add fly speed equal to twice its highest movement rate (maximum 100 ft.) with perfect maneuverability, remove any burrow speed; Special Attacks air mastery; Attributes +2 Dex, minimum Int raises to 3

Earth
Rebuild Rules: Senses add darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Defensive Abilities elemental traits; Speed add burrow speed equal to ground speed, remove any fly speed; Special Attacks earth mastery; Attributes +2 Str, minimum Int raises to 3; Special Qualities earth glide

Fire
Rebuild Rules: Senses add darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities elemental traits, immunity to fire; Weaknesses vulnerability to cold; Speed double ground speed (maximum 60 ft or normal speed, whichever is higher), remove any swim speed; Special Attacks burn; Attributes minimum Int raises to 3

Water
Rebuild Rules: [bb]Senses[/b] add darkvision 60 ft.; AC +3 natural armor; Defensive Abilities elemental traits; Speed add swim speed equal to double ground speed (to 90 ft. or highest speed of any type, whichever is higher); Special Attacks drench, water mastery; Attributes +2 Str, minimum Int raises to 3

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MEPHITLINGS
These tiny mephits appear the same as their larger kin, but have even more exaggerated personalities, however unlikely that seems.
MEPHITLING CR 1/2
XP 200
N Tiny outsider (varies)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 6 (1d10+1); fast healing 1
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
DR 5/magic
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee 2 claws +6 (1d2-3)
Space 2-1/2ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (15 ft. line, effect based on type, Reflex DC 11 for half)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3, concentration +3)
1/day – summon mephitling (level 1, 1 mephitling of the same type, 25%)
additional abilities based on mephitling type
STATISTICS
Str 5, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 14
Base Atk +1, CMB -4, CMD 9
Feats Weapon Finesse (B), Dodge
(4) Skills Bluff 1 (+6), Fly 1 (+15), Perception 1 (+4), Stealth 1 (+11)
Languages Common, one appropriate elemental language (Aquan, Auran, Ignan or Terran)
ECOLOGY
Environment any (elemental planes)
Organization solitary, pair, gang (3-6) or mob (7-12)
Treasure standard
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su) Each type of mephitling can unleash a particular breath weapon as a standard action, up to once per hour. The DC is Constitution based and includes a +1 racial bonus.

Mephitlings are immature mephits, treated like underlings by their larger kin, until such a time as they grow to join them, and immediately begin flaunting their new status and lording it over their former peers. Outside of regions dominated by mephits, they are rarely seen, but in those territories, they are as thick as rats, and about as well-regarded. A spellcaster can choose a mephitling as a 3rd level Improved Familiar choice.

Each type of Mephitling uses the abilities of their respective Mephit type, with the following modifications;

* Fast healing is reduced to fast healing 1.
* Cone-shaped breath weapons are reduced to a line effect, and are only usable once per hour. A breath weapon that imposes a sickened condition does so only for a single round. Breath weapon damage is reduced by one die size (1d4 becomes 1d3, 1d8 becomes 1d6).
* Spell-like or supernatural abilities take effect at caster level 3, and those usable 1/hour are instead usable 1/day, while those usable 1/day are unavailable.

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MEPHIT TYRANT
These man-sized mephits appear much the same as their smaller kin, but are more composed, and have slightly more humanoid features and mannerisms, and carry weapons and armor crafted for their lanky frames.
MEPHIT TYRANT CR 5
XP 1,600
N Medium outsider (varies)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+4 chain shirt, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural)
hp 51 (6d10+18); fast healing 3
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +6
DR 5 / magic
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average)
Melee mw longspear +10 (1d8+4) or 2 claws +9 (1d4+3)
Ranged mw (mighty +3) longbow +9 (1d8+3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with longspear)
Special Attacks breath weapon (20 ft. cone, effect based on type, Reflex DC 15 for half)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9, concentration +8)
2/day – summon (level 3, 1 mephit or 1d3 mephitlings of the same type 50%)
additional abilities based on mephit type
STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +6, CMB +9, CMD 21
Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Toughness
(30) Skills Bluff 5 (+10), Fly 5 (+10), Knowledge (planes) 5 (+7) Perception 5 (+9), Sense Motive 5 (+9), Stealth 5 (+10)
Languages Common, one appropriate elemental language (Aquan, Auran, Ignan or Terran)
SQ elemental affinity
ECOLOGY
Environment any (elemental planes)
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure standard (chain shirt, mw longspear, mw (Str +3) longbow, weapon cords on both)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su) Each type of mephit tyrant can unleash a particular breath weapon every 4 rounds as a standard action. The DC is Constitution based and includes a +2 racial bonus.
Elemental Affinity (Ex) Tyrant oracles or sorcerers with the appropriate elemental type are treated as if their Charisma is 2 points higher, if their Mystery or Bloodline suits their elemental type. Divine spellcasters with the appropriate elemental Domain cast bonus spells and use domain powers as if one level higher, as do Earth specialist wizards.

A mephit tyrant has endured the worst the elemental planes have to offer, and grown stronger than his capering kin. No longer satisfied to run errands for the powerful genies that dominate their planes, they often find themselves still lacking the power to break free of their subordinate roles, making them surly servants at best, prone to spectacularly unsuccessful (but often disastrously timed, for all concerned) attempts at rebellion, if not closely supervised. Mephit tyrants, unlike their smaller kin, arm and armor themselves, in addition to wearing as much flashy and poorly-coordinated jewelry and ‘finery’ as they can lay their hands on, appearing as caricatures of those of higher station. They jealously protect their ‘treasures,’ and are loathe to allow a single item leave their grasp for even a moment.

The most ambitious and inspired among them often take class levels in ranger, rogue, sorcerer or oracle, although such power makes them, if anything, even more desirable as slaves to the greater powers of the elemental planes.

Each type of mephit tyrant uses the abilities of their respective mephit type, with the following modifications;

* Fast healing is increased to fast healing 3, and additional fast healing 1 for every full 3 HD after 6.
* A mephit tyrants breath weapon not only a larger damage die (1d8 to 1d12, 1d4 to 1d6), but also an additional die of damage, and another additional die for every 3 HD after 6. A breath weapon that imposes a sickened condition does so for a number of rounds equal to the HD of the mephit tyrant. Cone-shaped breath weapons increase in size by 5 ft. at 6 HD, and by another 5 ft. for every additional 3 HD, up to a maximum of a 30 ft. cone at 12 HD.
* Spell-like or supernatural abilities take effect at a caster level equal to HD +3. Abilities usable 1/day are usable 2/day at 6 HD, 3/day at 12 HD. Abilities usable 1/hour are usable an additional time per day (at any time during that day, regardless of hourly uses) equal to HD / 6. At 12 HD, a mephit lordling becomes capable of plane shifting 1/day to the appropriate elemental plane.
Special: The Change Size ability of an earth mephit tyrant uses the size advancement rules on p 296 of the Bestiary, instead of the enlarge person modifiers.
* A mephit tyrant can summon another mephit of the same type with a 50% chance of success at 6 HD, or with a 100% chance of success (as a level 3 equivalent spell) at 9 HD. This ability is also usable 2/day at 6 HD and 3/day at 12 HD. Alternately, it can attempt to summon 1d3 mephitlings with the same chance of success, or another 6 HD mephit tyrant with a 25% less chance of success. At 12 HD, it can choose to summon a 6 HD mephit tyrant with a 100% chance of success.
* A mephit tyrants’ damage reduction increases to DR 10/magic when it reaches 10 HD.

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And my most ambitious archetype, one with three different possible outcomes, depending on a choice made at 1st level (and the reason why I wanted both an elemental creature template *and* rules for tiny Mephitlings and man-sized Mephit Tyrants.

As this Wizard Archetype required a completely different Bestiary entry to function, and would probably be easier to grok in different colors of text (making all elemental options red, all mephit options blue, all template-enhanced familiar options in green, etc.), it never really had a chance.

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Qadiran Elemental-Binder (Wizard Archetype)
In the slave-city of Sedeq, a secretive cabal of wizards call up the most unusual slaves in the Satrap’s armies, recruited from the elemental planes themselves. Mephits, elementals, and elemental variants of more common animals and vermin fill the ranks of their summons, with only the most highly trained among them summoning the mysterious genies themselves.
...Elemental Alliance (Su): At 1st level, you must be able to call a familiar, and that familiar must either be a mephitling1 or a standard familiar modified by the elemental creature template2. You gain Improved Familiar as a bonus feat. A mephitling familiar does not use your HD, saves or skills as a standard familiar, but gains an additional HD for every two wizard levels you gain beyond 1st, plus an additional HD at 10th, 15th and 20th levels, becoming a full size 3 HD mephit when you reach 5th level, and a 6 HD mephit tyrant3 when you reach 10th level, to a maximum of 13 HD at 20th level. Regardless of what sort of elemental ally you call, you can immediately replace a lost or dismissed ally a ritual that takes 24 hours and costs 100 gp per wizard level. This modifies arcane bond, and replaces Scribe Scroll.

Only two options, currently, a tiny mephitling, or a standard animal/vermin familiar, modified by the elemental creature template.

...Elemental Attunement (Su): At 5th level you can summon a Small elemental to serve as your familiar, or an animal companion (chosen from those available to a Ranger, Core p. 66) modified by an elemental creature template2 that advances as if you were a druid of your wizard level -4, replacing any pre-existing familiar. If you choose a Small elemental familiar, you can use a swift action to advance the familiar to become a Medium elemental of the same type, modified by its familiar traits, for a number of rounds per day equal to your wizard level. Ending this effect is a free action, and these rounds do not need to be consecutive. A standard familiar modified by the elemental template can use a standard action to augment spellcasting whenever you are in contact with it and casting a spell of the same elemental subtype, adding +1 to the save DC of that spell. This replaces your 5th level bonus feat.

The third option, a small elemental, now is added, and you can make it bigger for a number of rounds per day, much like the Elemental Engorgement feat, two posts up. A fourth option, an animal/vermin from the druid list, modified by the elemental creature template, also exists, for those seeking a more fight-capable companion. If you stick to an animal/vermin familiar modified by the elemental creature template, you get a small bonus.

...Elemental Augmentation (Su): At 10th level, when you advance a Small elemental familiar, you can advance it to a Medium or Large Elemental of its type. If you instead have a bond with a mephit tyrant3, you are unaffected by its breath weapon, spell-like abilities or area-affecting supernatural abilities, should you be in their area of effect. Additionally, you can spontaneously cast the spell-like abilities (or supernatural abilities with a spell level equivalent) of your mephit by expending prepared spells of equal or greater level. When a template modified familiar augments your spellcasting, it also adds +1 CL to that spell. When you use the planar binding line of spells to call a creature with the elemental, air, earth, fire or water subtype, you impose a +1 to the save DC and gain a +2 bonus to penetrate spell resistance. This bonus is doubled against creatures who have the same elemental type as your familiar or companion. This replaces your 10th level bonus feat.

A general bonus to planar bind creatures of your elemental buddies type, for everyone. Better 'upsizing' of an elemental. Some bonuses if you have a Mephit companion, and an elemental template familiar animal further enhances your spellcasting, situationally. Nothing new for those with elemental versions of animal companions, but they are still advancing normally.

...Elemental Ascension (Su): At 15th level, when you advance a Small elemental familiar, you can grant it the traits of a Medium, Large, Huge or Greater Elemental of its type. When a template modified familiar augments your spellcasting, it also adds +2 to caster level checks for concentration rolls or to penetrate spell resistance. When you summon creatures with the same elemental type as your elemental ally, they gain the empathic link quality and a natural armor bonus to AC as if they were familiars to a wizard of half your level, and you gain a +4 bonus to any opposed Charisma checks to barter for services with a called creature of that elemental subtype. This replaces the bonus feat you would gain at this level.

Another bonus for anyone, when summoning creatures of the same elemental type as your buddy. More betterer at embiggening of an elemental companion. Elemental type familiar animals even better enhance your relevant elemental spellcasting. Nothing new for mephit-masters or elemental-animal-companion-wranglers (although both still advance normally).

...Elemental Apotheosis (Su): At 20th level, when you advance a Small elemental familiar, you can grant it the traits of a Medium, Large, Huge, Greater or Elder Elemental of its type. When a template modified familiar augments your spellcasting, it also adds +1 damage per die to that spells damage. You gain a +4 bonus against paralysis, poison, sleep and stunning effects, a +4 AC bonus against rolls to confirm critical hits, and take only half damage from sneak attack dice or other forms of precision damage. This replaces the bonus feat you would gain at this level.

Capstone! Bunch of elemental-themed resistances to yourself. Grande size embiggenment of your elemental companion (if you went that route, allowing you, for X rounds per day, to emulate what the 3.X Bonded Summoner had for an elemental companion). Yet another upgrade to what your elemental template familiar can add to your elemental spellcasting. Still nothing special extra for Mephit or elemental template Druid Companion choosers, other than the usual advancement benefits (both ending around 13 HD at 20th, but the (elemental template enhanced) animal companion option being upgradable through the usual Boon Companion feat).

With this template, four different 20th level wizards could have, respectively;

an elemental-template viper familiar, that can use it's standard action to enhance his casting of a [relevant elemental type] spell, giving it +1 DC, +1 CL, an additional +2 CL to penetrate spell resistance or for a concentration check and +1 damage / die.

a 13 HD Mephit Tyrant, to whose breath weapon, spell like abilities and supernatural area effecting abilities you are immune, and whose spell like abilities (that have a spell level equivalent) you can cast spontaneously by expending a prepared spell of equal level.

a 13 HD elemental template Small Cat (as if a 16th level Ranger, or, if Boon Companion is taken, a 16 HD Small Cat, as from a 20th level Ranger).

a small elemental familiar that you can enlarge into a Medium, Large, Huge, Greater or Elder elemental of the same type up to 20 rounds per day.

Each has it's ups and downs. The elemental template version of a Ranger companion is a mini-tank (opening it up to the Druid companion list, or the various Bestiary options, would, IMO, overpower this option). The elemental template version of a standard familiar is a boon to spellcasting. The mephit(ling/tyrant) is more of a grab bag of utility. The embiggenable elemental might be a different sort of tank.

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And some feats for the Daivrat, which I wrote up so fast that I didn't stop to think 'does anyone, *in the world* want feats for a PrC that was designed before PF even existed, and, most likely, nobody in the world has ever played?' Eh. It was written before I had that thought, so, done. By tying one or two also to the APG Elemental Focus feat, I at least made those few useful for non-Daivrat.

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Secret Lore of the Daivrat
The genie-calling Qadiran spellcasters of the Daivrat usually specialize in a single type of element, reflecting their own experiences with genie-kind, but some broaden their studies, to master more than one element, or even seek to master them all!

Daivrat Feats

Expanded Elemental Focus
Prerequisites Elemental Focus feat (APG p. 158) or the Daivrat Elemental Focus class ability
Benefits You expand your elemental focus so that the bonus granted by Elemental Focus or Greater Elemental Focus (whether gained as feat or Daivrat class ability) applies to related spells.
If you possess Elemental Focus (air or electricity), your bonus now applies to all spells with the air or electricity descriptors, as well as any spells with the words air, breeze, storm, weather or wind in their name.
If you possess Elemental Focus (acid or earth), your bonus now applies to all spells with the acid or earth descriptors, as well as any spells with the words boulder, dust, earth, rock, sand or stone in their name.
If you possess Elemental Focus (cold or water), your bonus now applies to all spells with the cold or water descriptors, as well as any spells with the words aqueous, ice, snow or winter in their name.
If you possess Elemental Focus (fire), your bonus now applies to all spells with the fire or light descriptors, as well as to any spells with the words blinding, dawn, heat, light or sun in their name.
Special A Daivrat with this feat treats any spell acquired through the Spell-Fetch class feature that fits the above descriptors or naming conventions as one spell level lower. A spell already on his class list is prepared or known at the same level it would be normally, while a spell that is not on his class list is only prepared or known as a spell of one level higher than it appears normally.

Elemental Mastery
Prerequisites Elemental Focus (APG p. 158) or the Daivrat Elemental Focus class ability
Benefits As a swift action when casting any spell to which your Elemental Focus applies, you can choose to reduce its total metamagic adjustment by 1 or cast it at +2 caster level. You can use this feat a number of times per day equal to the ability modifier that determines your spellcasting save DCs (Int for witches and wizards, Wis for clerics and druids, Cha for oracles and sorcerers).
Special You can take this feat more than once, adding three more daily uses to this ability each time.

Many-Fingered Fetch
Prerequisites Daivrat 2
Benefits Instead of learning a single spell with the Spell Fetch class feature, you can learn a number of lower level spells equal to the total spell level you could normally gain in this manner, with none of the spells called being more than half the spell level of the original option for that level. For example, a 2nd level Daivrat would normally be able to call a single 3rd level spell via Spell-Fetch, but could instead call for three 1st level spells instead. A 5th level Daivrat could call for a single 6th level spell, or up to six levels of lower level spells, but none higher than 3rd level.

Truth Seeker
Prerequisites Daivrat 4, must know at least 2 elemental languages (Aquan, Auran, Ignan or Terran)
Benefits You have widened your once narrow elemental focus, and now may choose a second elemental focus. All benefits of the Elemental Focus, Elemental Attunement, Greater Elemental Focus and Genie-kin class features are expanded to include both of your chosen elements.
Special If you have or later call a Zhyen familiar, it gains the benefits of being a creature of both elements, allowing it to choose between two forms of energy damage when it attacks another, and possibly gaining a swim speed, if one of your choices was water.

Unbound Master
Prerequisites Daivrat 9, Truth Seeker, must know all four elemental languages (Aquan, Auran, Ignan and Terran)
Benefits You have widened your once narrow elemental focus, and now apply your benefits to all elemental magics. All benefits of the Elemental Focus, Elemental Attunement, Greater Elemental Focus and Genie-kin class features are expanded to include all of the element choices available to a Daivrat.
Special If you have or later call a Zhyen familiar, it gains the benefits of being a creature of all elements, allowing it to choose to inflict acid, cold, electricity or fire damage on a touch, and the swim speed of a water Zhyen.

Dark Archive

And a blast from the past, which I dug up as a possibility for Wayfinder 10.

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Not all sorcerers are blessed by their contact with the elemental genies, but instead share the curse of Ahrimanes, when their genie patron falls to corruption.

Ghul-Touched Bloodline
Your connection to one of the enigmatic genie-kin has served as a conduit by which a terrible curse has passed on to you, tainting your sorcerous gifts with the gruesome characteristics of a fallen genie-turned-ghul.
... Class Skill: Survival.
... Bonus Spells: enlarge person (3rd), minor image (5th), gaseous form (7th), create food & water (9th), major creation (11th), permanent image (13th), plane shift (15th), control undead (17th) and wish (19th)
... Bonus Feats: Combat Casting, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Focus (necromancy), Toughness, Track
... Bloodline Arcana: You are unaffected by the damaging or negative effects of any spell you cast that has the Acid, Cold, Electricity or Fire descriptors.
... Bloodline Powers: The unnatural combination of elemental forces and necromantic energies has combined within you, twisting your flesh, but filling it with great power, as well.
... Claws (Ex): Starting at 1st level, you can grow thick horn-like claws as a free action, resembling the hooves of a donkey, more than the claws of some great cat or talons of a hunting bird. These claws are treated as natural weapons, allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deals 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are considered magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming DR. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws are also considered cold iron for the purpose of overcoming DR, and any living creature struck by them begins to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds do not result in cumulative bleed damage. A critical hit does not multiply this bleed damage. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this bleed damage. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 10 Heal check. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
... Ghul Resistances (Su): At 3rd level, your body becomes attuned to the undead and necromantic forces of your cursed heritage, giving you Energy Resistance versus acid, cold, electricity and fire equal to half your Sorcerer level (to a maximum of 10, at 20th level), as well as an equal amount of DR vs. nonlethal damage.
... Hidden Horror (Sp/Ex): At 9th level, you gain the ability to become invisible, as if by greater invisibility, as a swift action. You can remain in this state a number of rounds per day equal to your Sorcerer level, and these rounds do not need to be consecutive. Additionally, you become immune to the paralyzing touch of ghouls or ghasts, to the effects of Ghoul Fever, and to the sickening stench of a ghast.
... Fleshly Mirage (Su): At 15th level, you gain the ability to transform into a medium hyena or a small vulture (stats as eagle) as a standard action, as a beast shape I spell. At 17th level, you can assume the form of a large dire hyena, with the effects of beast shape II. At 20th level, you can assume the form of any humanoid, as the alter self spell, although the humanoid form you assume will always appear to be of venerable age.
You can spend a total number of hours per day equal to your Sorcerer level in one of these alternate forms, and returning to your normal form is a free action. These hours do not need to be consecutive, but you always expend at least 1 hour worth of the effects duration when you assume one of these alternate forms.
... Assumption (Su): A 20th level, you can now alter your form into an air, earth, fire or water elemental of small or medium size with your Fleshly Mirage power, as if under the effects of elemental shape I or elemental shape II. Regardless of your form, you possess 60 ft. darkvision, and can choose to ignore either the healing or damaging properties of either positive or negative energy, if you wish, as your body is suspended on the cusp of life and death. For the purposes of the Elemental Channel feat, you are treated as an elemental creature.

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Thanks to this thread, amusing myself with ideas for composite demi-gods, like Shimye-Magallah (sp?), the composite faith to Desna and Gozreh mentioned in Heart of the Jungle, IIRC.

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Sheython, Sheybral or Sheyzon (composite Shelyn and Zon-Kuthon) - god(dess) of pleasure and pain, of artistic expression both cruel and sublime, revered through deliberately difficult and exhausting works of art, body modification, mortification or dance performances.

Asmodar (Asmodeus and Abadar) - god of the mint, master of coin, holder of the scales of perfect balance, patron of the greedy, holder of the key to the eternal vault, through concepts of debt, obligation and personal responsibility, holding the world to a higher standard of law.

Caydna, Desnan (Cayden Cailean and Desna) - god(dess) of freedom and liberation, of the unfettered limb and the free soul, provides inspirations to those who dream, and especially to those who use strong drink, or less accepted means, to expand their consciousness beyond the false world of mortal flesh and touch the true dream.

Calistum, Calistrum, Goristria (Calistria, Gorum) - god(dess) of wrath, rage and retribution, bringer of chaos and strife, war and excess.

Erasteh, Gozril (Erastil, Gozreh) - god of the wild places, beasts of the earth, great forests and orderly seasons alike, lord of natural law, who draws the boundaries between wholesome creatures and forces, and the unnatural which must be opposed, between the untrammeled wilderness and the homes of men.

Iomer, Noradae (Iomedae, Norgorber) - god(dess) of nobility, rulership, politics and intrigue, of the lawful order of things, where select men have the right and responsibility to hold the lives of others in their hands.

Pharashtu (Lamashtu, Pharasma) - goddess of birth and death, matron of midwives and nannies, embalmers and executioners, mistress of the underworld, midwife to prince and monster alike, to whom every soul has the same weight, and will be judged with the same loving dispassion.

Rovenrae (Rovagug, Sarenrae) - god(dess) of the great burning, the fire that cleanses the world and burns away impurity, infirmity and stagnation, only to bring new life in it's wake, symbolitized by a massive couatl that is equal parts phoenix and linnorm, devouring itself in Ouroboran fashion, Rovenrae is the god(dess) of destruction, purification and rebirth.

Urgori, Iroathoa (Irori, Urgathoa) - god(dess) of transcendence, immortality and the triumph of pure spirit over weak flesh, self-ascended master of discipline and sheer will surpassing all fleshly desires and weakness, shedding the corporeal for pure shining incorruptible spirit.

Torthys, Nethyg (Nethys, Torag) - god of artifice and discovery, mad genius that built the world and every beautiful and terrible thing within it, patron of creation, magic and innovation, but also of reconstruction, of tearing apart things to create other things, ever more complex, always pushing the boundaries.

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There's endless permutations, but I, for the most part, picked some gods with pre-existing connections (Shelyn and Zon-Kuthon, Cayden and Desna) or gods who were right next to each other in the book (Rovagug and Sarenrae, Asmodeus and Abadar) whether or not they were totally appropriate to mash-up. (Half the fun of mashing up gods is to pick gods who don't seem like they'd *ever* be mashed up, like Iomedae and Norgorber, or Pharasma and Lamashtu!)

I tried to keep the alignments mostly out of this, although a couple are indisputably lawful or chaotic (since that's kind of a common theme with Abadar and Asmodeus, or Calistria and Gorum). If I'd been thinking ahead, I would have deliberately mated them up to cancel out alignment extremes, but that might have made them a little too bland, and / or made it harder to find common themes for these blended aspects.

Anywho, all that matters is that this is out of my head, and I can go back to my writing. :)


Did you ever include any of that Geryon/heresies content in a game? If so, how'd it go?

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Reminded of this thread, and the many names of Empyreal Lords, Rakshasa Immortals, Oni Daimyo, etc. splashed around the Bestiaries, I decided to make an Empyreal Lord, using a format sort of like the one in Chronicles of the Righteous.

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COCIDUS
Hawk-Keeper
LG male archon empyreal lord of animal taming, birds of prey and the four winds
Domains / Subdomains Air, Animal, Good, Law / Archon, Feather, Fur, Wind
Favored Weapon shortbow
Holy Symbol an eagles head over four talons, surmounted by four wings
Temples kennels, stables and mews, parade-grounds, mountain-top shrines
Worshippers animal trainers, knights, falconers
Minions LG celestial or half-celestial giant eagles, LG celestial thunderbird
Obedience Spend an hour interacting with, teaching or caring for an animal that you have either already trained, or are in the process of training. Gain a +4 sacred bonus to Handle Animal checks or wild empathy checks.
BOONS
1. Master of Hawks (Sp) summon monster III (1 lantern archon, 1d3 celestial small air elementals or 1d4+1 celestial or axiomatic eagles) 1/day, charm animal 2/day, summon monster I (1d3 celestial or axiomatic hawks or 1 celestial or axiomatic eagle) 3/day
2. Flight of Fortune (Su) As an immediate action, any animal companion, animal familiar or bonded animal mount you possess can reroll a single d20 roll after it has been rolled and choose which result to use. This can be done up to three times per day, but any uses must be divided among bonded companions if you have more than one eligible animal. If you have no eligible animal companion, familiar or mount, you can instead use this ability yourself, but only once per day.
3. Winged Vengeance (Sp) Once per day as a standard action you can summon a celestial roc with the advanced simple template, as if by using summon monster VII. This creature speaks and understands celestial, and you can direct it as if you shared a bond with the creature similar to that shared with an animal companion.

Born aloft on four feathered wings, and never touching the ground, even when he sleeps, Cocidus has the head of a crowned eagle, and four taloned limbs resembling an eagles legs in of arms, flying in an upright position, like a winged humanoid, although having only a slender humanoid torso and legs dangling from his avian upper body.

Able to speak to any domesticated beast, and turn them to his will, Cocidus is patron to animal companions and familiars and mounts of all types and species, regarding the bond between man and beast as a sacred gift, and one not to be abused or taken lightly, meant to ennoble the beast, and yet also make pure and unclutterd the instincts of man, so easily led astray by conflicting and over-complicated notions. 'Taming' is not merely for the animals of the wild, lacking self-discipline or an understanding of morality, but also a necessary tool for the trainer himself, to recognize that he is not merely training a horse or hound or hawk, but, perhaps even more importantly, training the man who is to command that animal. He will not hesitate to use his authority to sever the companion or familiar bonds of of those he finds unworthy, or even 'un-awaken' those he considers unworthy (or not properly respectful) of the gift of intelligence, reducing them to the primal instincts of a mundane animal.

Cocidus is always surrounded by a circling cloud composed of dozens of hawks, functioning much like a rending swarm, when he is threatened. In his claw-like hands, he carries a pair of shortbows, and his talon-tipped arrows continue swooping to attack foes after being launched, like the shield of living hawks accompanying him.

While he greatly respects Erastil, and willingly follows his lead in all things, he is also a proud creature, and any assumption that he is subordinate to Old Deadeye leaves him quietly seething.

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Detect Magic wrote:
Did you ever include any of that Geryon/heresies content in a game? If so, how'd it go?

Oh hey, my thread exists!

I have not, but I'm still a fan of the idea of heresies being a part of the setting.

A random other heresy I had lying around;

The Order of She

This Geryon-created heretical order claims that Aroden had three demigod-wives (and that polygamy was a common Azlanti custom, which records do not seem to bear out), Iomedae, Arazni and a forgotten third, a former servant of darkness that saw the light and betrayed her kind to join the crusade for the Age of Enlightenment and the (inevitable, in her view) end of the Age of Darkness. Like Aroden himself, his third wife was a creature of law, but not good, making her the clear favorite, as she was most sympatico with her husband's own moderate moral position, and this led to her downfall.

Her old name, as an agent of darkness (possibly a kyton demagogue?), was foresworn, and she similarly was stripped of her new name after being betrayed by Arazni and Iomedae, jealous of this new favored wife. And so now the third wife of Aroden is now known only as ‘She who is Nameless’ or ‘She’ for short. Her order was designed to complement the orders of Iomedae (paladins, clerics and cavaliers), Arazni (magi, wizards and cavaliers of a more intelligent / tactical nature), being composed at the time primarily of rangers and inquisitors specialized in hunting orcs, undead and other creatures of darkness that threatened humanity during the Age of Darkness, although, in recent times, they are more focused on demons (and still the undead, to a lesser degree) than orcs.

The Order of She's three primary headquarters are in northern Ustalav, northern Numeria and the eastern Realms of the Mammoth Lords, and each is led by a mute priest who is called ‘the Keeper of the Name,’ reputed to be one of the few on the planet who remember the name of ‘She,’ keeping it safe until such a time as those forces seeking not merely her destruction, but to erase all knowledge of her from the world, have been defeated. (Those forces said to be those of Zon-Kuthon, the dark lord she betrayed initially, the Knights of Ozem, last servants of the fallen Arazni, and the church of Iomedae.)

While the secretive initiates of the Order fight the forces of the Worldwound, and also undead in the region of Gallowspire, they do so using unique methods, turning the forces of darkness against itself, with many learning techniques to bind the dead into service, or separate their own shadows to attack enemies, in a manner similar to that of the Shadow Dancers. They also mix and match Ranger and Inquisitor abilities, sharing special training that allows an Order of She Inquisitor to select a few spells from the Ranger list, and vice-versa.

The exact end-goals of this heretical order, in the eyes of Geryon, remains unclear. The Orders’ claims throw shadowy insinuations on the churches of Aroden and Iomedae, and the Knights of Ozem, as well as encouraging the practice of necromancy and shadow-binding, all non-good acts, but, as heresies go, the order doesn’t seem to be as actively undermining the faiths of other gods, or causing schisms in rival churches. It’s possible that the order remains a lingering remnant of an original faith meant to undermine the faiths of Aroden and Arazni, making much of their original goal moot, and leaving them only to cast a shadow on the faith of Iomedae, and, secondarily, fight demons, rivals with the devils for the souls of mortals.

It's entirely possible that Geryon has all-but abandoned this failed experiment, the death of Aroden (and Arazni's ignoble fate) having robbed it of much of it's intended purpose, and that the Order of She is simply maintaining itself out of inertia, at this point, although the Order's Inquisitors (and Rangers) do not seem to be lacking in divine power.

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Huh, thought I posted this ages ago...
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Less ‘simple’ templates for infernal, abyssal and daemonic creatures, angelic, archonic and azatan creatures, inevitable, formic and axiomatic creatures and proteanic creatures, for those times when generic 'celestial' and 'fiendish' aren't thematically appropriate.

Hit Dice........Resists.........DR
1-4..............5.................-
5-10............10...............5/X
11+.............15..............10/X

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Agathion
Modifications – Add the good and extraplanar subtypes, Alignment NG; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite evil 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against evil foes; smite persists until target is dead or the agathion creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Celestial.

Resistances cold, electricity, sonic; DR evil or silver; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. electricity and petrification

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Aeonic
Modifications – Add the extraplanar subtype, Alignment N; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities gains energy resistance as noted on the table, 50% fortification vs. critical hits, deflection bonus to AC equal to ¼ HD; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks none, Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages envisaging (nonverbal 100 ft. range telepathy).

Resistances cold, electricity, fire; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. cold and poison

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Angelic
Modifications – Add the extraplanar and good subtypes, Alignment NG; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite evil 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against evil foes; smite persists until target is dead or the angelic creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Celestial.

Resistances acid, cold, electricity, fire; DR cold iron or evil; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. acid, cold, petrification and poison

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Archonic
Modifications – Add the extraplanar, good and law subtypes, Alignment LG; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite chaos or evil (choose when the power is activated) 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against chaotic or evil foes; smite persists until target is dead or the archonic creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Celestial.

Resistances electricity; DR evil; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. electricity, petrification and poison

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Azatani
Modifications – Add the chaos, extraplanar and good subtypes, Alignment CG; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite evil or law (choose when the power is activated) 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against evil or lawful foes; smite persists until target is dead or the azatani creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Celestial.

Resistances cold, electricity, fire; DR cold iron or evil; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. electricity and petrification

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Daemonic
Modifications – Add the extraplanar and evil subtypes, Alignment NE; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite good 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the daemonic creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Abyssal and Infernal.

Resistances acid, cold, electricity, fire; DR good or silver; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. acid, death effects, disease and poison

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Abyssal
Modifications – Add the chaos, extraplanar and evil subtypes, Alignment CE; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite good or law (choose when the power is activated) 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against good or lawful foes; smite persists until target is dead or the abyssal creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Abyssal.

Resistances acid, cold, electricity, fire; DR cold iron or good; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. electricity and poison

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Infernal
Modifications – Add the extraplanar, evil and law subtypes, Alignment LE; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite chaos or good (choose when the power is activated) 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against chaotic or good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the infernal creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Infernal.

Resistances acid, cold, fire; DR good or silver; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. fire and poison

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Div
Modifications – Add the extraplanar and evil subtypes, Alignment NE; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite good 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the div creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Abyssal, Celestial and Infernal.

Resistances acid, electricity, fire; DR cold iron or good; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. fire and poison

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Inevitable
Modifications – Add the extraplanar and law subtypes, Alignment LN; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Defensive Abilities 50% fortification against critical hits, fast healing equal to Hit Dice, gains DR as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite chaos 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against chaotic foes; smite persists until target is dead or the inevitable creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Celestial and Infernal.

DR chaos; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). They also have a +4 bonus to any saving throw or check to avoid the effects of nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain or death from massive damage.

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Proteanic
Modifications – Add the chaos and extraplanar subtypes, Alignment CN; Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsense 30 ft.; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table, 25% fortification vs. critical hits; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite law 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against lawful foes; smite persists until target is dead or the proteanic creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Protean.

Resistances acid, electricity, sonic; DR good or silver; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. acid, effects that would restrain its movement, effects that would cause physical blindness or deafness or polymorph effects.

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Qlippothic
Modifications – Add the chaos, extraplanar and evil subtypes, Alignment CE; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Defensive Abilities gains DR and energy resistance as noted on the table; SR gains SR equal to new CR+5; Special Attacks smite good or law (choose when the power is activated) 1/day as a swift action (adds Cha bonus to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD against good or lawful foes; smite persists until target is dead or the qlippothic creature rests), Abilities Minimum Int 3; Languages understands (but may not speak) Abyssal.

Resistances acid, cold, electricity, fire; DR cold iron or good; Racial Save Bonuses +4 vs. cold, mind-affecting effects and poison

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There's probably no real need for a Qlippothic or Div or Agathion creature simple template (and, if there is, at least as much 'need' for a Kyton or Psychopomp or Oni or Rakshasa creature simple template, but, eh, that's what I've got done). :)

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Because, of course I would, I was looking at the ninja class the other day and thought to myself 'take out all the culture-specific stuff, and this is a good chassis for a witch hunter...'

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Witch Hunter (Ninja Archetype)
In the lands bordering Irrisen, specialized warriors move quietly from community to community, rooting out witchery and supernatural menaces, their own gifts making them almost as unwelcome as the forces they oppose. Originally a Kellid tradition, and still found in Numeria and the Realms of the Mammoth Lords, witch hunting has found favor with the Ulfen and Varisian populations of the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Ustalav. Often covered with intricate patterns of scarification or protective runes tattooed upon their flesh, to protect them from the effects of witchery and allow them to channel their own inner force, and bearing distinctive weapons, these ‘marked men’ uses specialized lore and their focused talents to take the fight to supernatural threats.

Skills A witch hunter does not gain Appraise, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Knowledge (nobility), Linguisitics or Perform as class skills, but adds Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft to their class skills.
A witch hunter has 6 + Int modifier skill ranks per level.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies A witch hunter does not gain proficiency with the kama, katana, kusarigama, nunchaku, sai, siangham or wakizashi, instead gaining proficiency with battle axes, bolas, hand axes, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, throwing axes and whips (including scorpion whips). The shuriken used by witch hunters resemble metal spikes, even smaller than darts, and are called hex nails. They function identically to shuriken, otherwise, and anyone proficient with shuriken is proficient with hex nails, and vice versa.

Resist Witchery (Ex): If you succeed at a Spellcraft check to identify a spell being cast that would affect you, your specialized training and distinctive tattoos afford you a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws versus that spell. You can continue to make Spellcraft checks to identify a continuing spell each round to gain this benefit, if you do not initially succeed, so long as it is either affecting you, or has a visible effect you could identify.
You can also use Spellcraft to identify a spell-like ability or witch’s hex as it is being activated. The DC to identify a spell-like ability as it is being activated is the same as the DC to identify the same spell +5. The DC to identify a hex being activated is DC 20 for a standard hex, 30 for a major hex and DC 40 for a grand hex. If the spell-like ability or hex would affect you, and you succeed, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your saving throw. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 20th level.
This ability replaces poison use.

Witchery (Su): A witch hunter has a reserve of innate power, sometimes called cruor, or sang, or heat, depending on culture. This power functions identically to a ninja’s ki pool, but is based off of Intelligence instead of Charisma. For any class feature or trick that uses Charisma to determine uses per day or saving throw DCs, use Intelligence instead.

Know Your Enemy (Ex): At 3rd level, when you can make a Knowledge check of the appropriate type to identify the special powers or vulnerabilities of a creature, you gain a +1 bonus to your armor class versus those creatures attacks for the duration of that encounter, and a +1 bonus to save against their special abilities. This bonus increases to +2 at 10th level and +3 at 20th level.
This ability replaces no trace.

New Witch Hunter Tricks
Disruptive Attack* (Ex): A target that takes damage from your sneak attack must make a concentration check (DC 10 + number of sneak attack dice + spell level) to cast any spell for 1 round.

Severing Strike* (Su): A target that takes damage from your sneak attack loses their empathic connection to animal companions, eidolons, familiars or special mounts for a number of rounds equal to your sneak attack dice. While this connection is suspended, the benefits of Link and Share Spells are suspended.

Spell-Rending Attack* (Su): A target that takes damage from your sneak attack has the duration of their lowest level active beneficial or harmless spell or spell-like ability shortened by one duration increment per die of sneak attack (so if your sneak attack is +3d6, and you strike someone with mage armor and shield active, mage armor would lose 3 hours of duration, or shield would lose 3 rounds of duration). If the target has more than one applicable spell active, you can choose one, if you know which spells are active, or the result is determined randomly.

Dark Archive

More Ninja Tricks, two of which (Cold Iron Attack and Mage Killer) would be of particular interest to Witch Hunters;
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Ninja Tricks
Distracting Attack* (Ex): When you damage a foe with a sneak attack, it immediately provokes an attack of opportunity from any foes that threaten it.

Cold Iron Attack* (Su): When you sneak attack a foe with a cold iron weapon, you leave behind cold iron residue in the wound, forcing the target to make a Concentration check (DC 10 + the number of dice of sneak attack you possess + spell level) to cast any arcane spells.

Ninja Master Tricks
The Blood is the Life* (Su): When a target within 30 ft. suffers bleed damage from your Bleeding Attack, you gain fast healing equal to the amount of bleed damage caused for that round. This only occurs once per round, on your action, and does not stack if you have inflicted bleeding wounds to multiple targets. You must have Bleeding Attack before selecting this trick.

Ki Devouring Strike* (Su): When a target within 30 ft. is subject to your Ki Block, you can spend a standard action to steal a single point of Ki from them, reducing their daily uses of Ki by one and increasing your own by one, to a maximum of your daily limit (although you can continue to drain Ki from them, even if your Ki pool is already full). You must have Ki Block before selecting this trick.

Mage Killer* (Su): When you strike an arcane spellcaster with Cold Iron Strike, they lose a number of prepared spells or arcane spell slots equal to your sneak attack dice, starting with the highest level spell allowable, but otherwise chosen randomly. You must have both Cold Iron Strike and Dispelling Attack before selecting this trick.

Dark Archive

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I just noticed that the Hag Racial Traits for Changelings in the Advanced Race Guide only include traits for Changelings of Annis, Green Hag and Sea Hag ancestry.

That's unacceptable! :)

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New Changeling Hag Racial Traits:

Dark Dreamer (Night Hag): You only suffer a -5 penalty to Perception checks when asleep, and to be aware of your activities, a sleeping person suffers a -15 to their Perception check to detect you. The only effect a nightmare spell has upon you is to cause you to awaken refreshed and exhilarated, having recovered 1d10 additional hit points overnight.

Fire for Blood (Blood Hag): Anyone striking you with a natural attack that inflicts piercing or slashing damage suffers 1 pt. of fire damage as your blood combusts upon contact with air.

Mold Flesh (Mute Hag): You have a +2 bonus to Disguise checks, and can attempt to twist flesh to create a temporary disguise in only 1d3 rounds, but the changes will wear off in 10 minutes.

Gale Walker (Storm Hag): You are treated as one size category larger in regard to wind effects, and treat wind effects as one category less for their effect on your ranged attacks.

Blizzardborn (Winter Hag): You can move across icy surfaces without penalty and do not have to make Acrobatics checks to run or charge on ice. You can see perfectly well in snowy conditions and do not take penalties on Perception checks because of snow.

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Random magic items inspired by the planar magic traits in the Gamemastery Guide (p 187-193). Kind of a no-brainer item for followers of demons, angels, etc. and pretty much the exact opposite of an RPG Superstar item, since they are boring as all heck, even if they would be pretty useful for an aligned caster, or one with spells based on an elemental theme.

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HEART OF FIRE
Aura moderate evocation; CL 7th
Slot neck; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This obsidian amulet is shaped like a stylized flame. While worn, spells with the [fire] descriptor, or that use manipulate or create fire (including those of the Fire domain or the elemental [fire] bloodline) are enhanced (+2 caster level) and spells with the [water] descriptor, or that use or create water (including spells of the Water domain, spell-like abilities of the elemental [water] bloodline, and spells that summon water elementals or outsiders with the water subtype, are impeded (concentration check DC 20 + level of the spell or lose the spell). The negative effects linger for 24 hours, even if you remove the amulet.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, wall of fire; Cost 2,500 gp

HELL’S HEAVY HAND
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 7th
Slot neck; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This cold iron amulet resembles a mailed fist with cruel spikes. While worn, spells that you cast with the [evil] or [law] descriptor are enhanced (+2 caster level) and spells with the [chaos] or [good] descriptors are impeded (concentration check DC 20 + level of the spell or lose the spell). If you are chaotic or good, you suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks (this penalty stacks if you are both chaotic and good). The negative effects linger for 24 hours, even if you remove the amulet.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV; Cost 2,500 gp

HEAVENLY HALO
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 7th
Slot head; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This mithril circlet is decorated with golden wings and encircled with script in the celestial tongue. While worn, spells with the [good] or [law] descriptor are enhanced (+2 caster level) and spells with the [chaos] or [evil] descriptors are impeded (concentration check DC 20 + level of the spell or lose the spell). If you are chaotic or evil, you suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks (this penalty stacks if you are both chaotic and evil). The negative effects linger for 24 hours, even if you remove the circlet.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV; Cost 2,500 gp

ELYSIAN SONGBIRD
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 7th
Slot neck; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This delicate-looking crystal songbird sparkles with rainbow colors and is as hard as granite. While worn, spells with the [chaos] or [good] descriptor are enhanced (+2 caster level) and spells with the [evil] or [law] descriptors are impeded (concentration check DC 20 + level of the spell or lose the spell). If you are evil or lawful, you suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks (this penalty stacks if you are both evil and lawful). The negative effects linger for 24 hours, even if you remove the amulet.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV; Cost 2,500 gp

HERESY’S HORNS
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 7th
Slot head; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This twisted wire circlet supports a pair of bull’s horns carved with spiraling epithets in Abyssal. While worn, spells with the [chaos] or [evil] descriptor are enhanced (+2 caster level) and spells with the [good] or [law] descriptors are impeded (concentration check DC 20 + level of the spell or lose the spell). If you are good or lawful, you suffer a -2 circumstance penalty to Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks (this penalty stacks if you are both good and lawful). The negative effects linger for 24 hours, even if you remove the circlet.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster IV; Cost 2,500 gp

BLOOD SKULL MASQUE
Aura moderate necromancy; CL 5th
Slot face; Price 5000 gp; Weight 1 lb
DESCRIPTION
This reddish-brown petrified bone skull mask is fastened to the head by black iron chains with tiny hooks.
While worn, spells that you cast with the [death] descriptor, or spells from the Death or Repose domains (or sub-domains thereof) are enhanced (+2 caster level). A living creature does not heal naturally while wearing this mask. This negative effect lingers for 24 hours, even if you remove the necklace.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, inflict critical wounds or enervation; Cost 2,500 gp

Dark Archive

Spells that relate to caster class features, 'cause I'm all practical like that.

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Arcane Transference/Transcription
School transmutation; Level witch 1, wizard 1
Casting Time 1 hour or more (see text)
Components V, S, M (see text), F (one or more spell books or a new familiar)
Range touch
Duration Instantaneous

This spell allows a wizard or witch to transfer all spells currently prepared to a new familiar (in the case of a witch who has lost her previous familiar) or one or more spellbooks (in the case of a wizard whose spellbook has been destroyed). Every memorized spell (except for a witches Patron spells) is expended and lost when this spell is cast, even if the new familiar or spellbook already knows or contains one or more of the spells memorized (or the wizard choose not to transcribe one or more spells to save money). A witch incurs no additional cost, but a wizard must expend materials equal to the cost to copy spells from another’s spellbook or a scroll to transfer each spell (Core p 219), although he can choose to not transcribe specific spells to save on material costs on a case by case basis. A wizard also can transcribe any spells he knows through Spell Mastery, and read magic, even if he does not have those spells currently prepared, as long as he is willing (and able) to expend the necessary material costs (which can be in coin, precious materials or crafted goods, as the spell draws upon their value and they are reduced to ashen ink, which is used to transcribe the selected spells). Whether spells are being transferred to a familiar or transcribed to spellbooks, the process takes 1 hour per level of spell transferred (30 minutes for a cantrip), with a minimum casting time of 1 hour.

Witchy familiar bite the big one? Wizardy spellbook catch fire or fall overboard? At least you can salvage the few spells left in your brain, and download them into the new familiar / transcribe them into a new book, before they are lost and gone forever and you have to go hunt them down again! Well, at least if you had this spell prepared, or on a scroll, or something...

ARCANE HARVEST
School transmutation; Level druid 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 minute per level of the spell or slot to be recovered
Components V, S, F (an object bearing a magical aura)
Range personal
Duration Instantaneous

If you have a 1st level domain power, bloodline power or school power that is usable a number of times per day as a standard action, such as acidic ray, grave touch or telekinetic fist, you can expend a use of that ability to recover a used 1st level sorcerer spell slot or recall an expended prepared 1st level wizard spell. When you become capable of casting 2nd level spells, you can expend three uses of such an ability to regain a 2nd level spell slot (or recall an expended 2nd level prepared wizard spell), and when you become capable of casting 3rd level spells, you can expend 5 uses to restore a 3rd level slot or spell. 4th level or higher spells or slots cannot be recovered by this means.

And for people who find those 1st level bloodline/school powers to be a useless joke, might as well give them a means to burn them up and turn them into additional spell slots. I did not extend this to clerics, because they have two domains, and the potential to have two separate pools to draw upon for this, which seemed, if not overpowering, at least 'more than intended.' Inquisitors don't get cantrips, and it's kind of a fool's errand to cast this as a 1st level spell, so Domain Druids are pretty much the only divine casters who can take advantage of this.

BLOODLINE EMPOWERMENT I
School transmutation; Level sorcerer 1
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, F (a drop of blood from a creature of your bloodline)
Range personal
Duration 24 hours

For the duration of the spell, the effectiveness of the bloodline power you gained at 1st level is calculated as if your effective Sorcerer level was equal to your Sorcerer level plus your current Charisma modifier.

Your Sorcerer might want to put this into a wand, rather than use a 1st level spell slot on it... I worded that 'current' Charisma modifier just because of vague memories of people in 3.X jacking up their casting stat with eagle's splendor or whatever before using abilities that calculated their effect on the attribute-at-the-time-of-use. I have no idea if that's still a thing, but I don't want to be the jerk who brings it back into vogue.

BLOODLINE EMPOWERMENT II
School transmutation; Level sorcerer 2

This spell acts as bloodline empowerment I, except that it enhances the bloodline power you gained at 3rd level.

BLOODLINE EMPOWERMENT III
School transmutation; Level sorcerer 5

This spell acts as bloodline empowerment I, except that it enhances the bloodline power you gained at 9th level.

BLOODLINE EMPOWERMENT IV
School transmutation; Level sorcerer 8

This spell acts as bloodline empowerment I, except that it enhances the bloodline power you gained at 15th level.

The premise is pretty much the same. You are enhancing the effectiveness of your bloodline powers by chewing away at your spell slots (and probably spells known, a more precious resource for spontaneous casters). An 8th level Sorcerer with a 24 Charisma can treat his effective Sorcerer level as 15 for the purposes of calculating his bloodline powers and their effects (so an Aberrant Sorcerer's acidic ray would do 1d6+7 instead of 1d6+4, and his Long Limbs would give him +10 ft. reach, instead of +5 ft. reach, but he wouldn't have early access to the powers that require him to be 9th or 15th level), but would need to know and cast both the 1st level and 2nd level bloodline empowerment spells). This spell has the most fun interaction with powers like the Arcane bloodline's 'new arcana,' adding some nice versatility there.

ENHANCED ARCANA
School transmutation; Level sorcerer 1 to 9 (special)
Casting Time 1 move-equivalent action
Components V, S
Range personal
Duration Instantaneous

If you have a 1st level Sorcerer bloodline power that can be used a number of times per day as a standard action, such as acidic ray or touch of destiny, you can learn this spell as a Spell Known at any level from 1 to 9, casting it as a move-equivalent action before using that ability, enhancing an effect that inflicts dice of damage (such as acidic ray, elemental ray or heavenly fire) by +1 die of damage for each level of the spell, or an effect with a duration measured in rounds (such as claws, touch of destiny, laughing touch, corrupting touch or grave touch) by an additional round for each level of the spell. Once you have learned a version of this spell at one spell level, whenever you gain access to a new level of spells, you can automatically advance it to the next spell level, and replace the old spell with a new spell of the previous level.

It's like you're a 3.X Warlock, turning 2nd level spell slots into 2 extra dice of effect with your elemental ray or whatever (or adding two rounds to the effects of your touch of destiny). Spells that synergize with the 'new' PF class abilities for Sorcerers, Wizards and / or Clerics are a mostly unexplored niche.

ESOTERIC CONVERSION
School transmutation; Level cleric 1-9, sorcerer/wizard 1-9 (special)
Casting Time 1 full round
Components V, S
Range personal
Duration Instantaneous

If you have a 1st level domain power, bloodline power or school power that is usable a number of times per day as a standard action, such as acidic ray, fire bolt, grave touch, hand of the acolyte or telekinetic fist, casting this spell refreshes a single use of that ability. If this spell is learned in a higher level slot, for a sorcerer, or prepared as a higher level spell, if a cleric or wizard, it refreshes a number of daily uses equal to the level of the spell. You cannot have more uses of that ability than your normal maximum, and the spell is wasted if you are already fully refreshed.

Convert prepared spells (or spell slots) into more uses of that 1st level Domain/Bloodline/School power! Barring some of the options above, this would almost never be a wise choice, since spells are almost always better than those 1st level 'barely better than a crossbow' powers, but still, it's an option.

Random damage spells, not at all practical, just to cleanse the palette of all the thinky stuff.

SHOCKING SURGE
School evocation [electricity]; Level sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions as shocking grasp, except at range. At 5th level, if the initial attack hit, the surge arcs to a second target, which must be within 15 ft. of the initial target. At 10th level, 15th level and 20th level, the surge can arc again, so long as no target is struck more than once, and each new target is within 15 ft. of the last target, inflicting full damage on each target, although a miss (or successful spell resistance on the part of any target) ends the effect.

Lightning bolt and chain lightning's little brother.

ICY BARRAGE
School conjuration [cold]; Level sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a flask of meltwater or snow, or chunk of ice)
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell creates a pair of projectiles of ice and propels them at one or more targets in range. The projectile can manifest as ‘boulders’ of ice that inflict bludgeoning damage, giant snowflake shuriken that inflict slashing damage, or large icicles that inflict piercing damage. Whatever form they take (and all projectiles from a single casting must take the same form), they inflict 1d6 damage, and have a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage, as well as the frost property (+1d6 cold damage). At 5th level, the enhancement bonus increases by +1, and by another +1 per 5 additional levels, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. Every two levels beyond 3rd level, you conjure an additional projectile, to a maximum of six projectiles at 11th level, each requiring its own ranged attack roll.

Power Components: A flask of liquid ice used as a Focus component causes the projectiles to inflict 1 pt. of cold damage to any within 5 ft. of the target(s) struck. If one of the projectiles scores a critical hit, you can expend the flask of liquid ice as an immediate action to give that projectile the icy burst property for the purposes of that hit.

I wanted a spell that allowed the visual of throwing icicles or giant spinning icy snowflake 'shuriken' at people. Snowball may be a fine spell, mechanically, but, visually, it's the pits!

Dark Archive

Calistria and wasps goes together like bullets and guns, or something...

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Wasp Handler
The church of Calistria regards the training of ‘sacred wasps’ as a holy duty, and millennia of interbreeding both mundane and giant wasps with wasps called forth from the goddesses domain in Elysium has led to the formation of a bond with a unique strain of ‘blood wasps.’
...Prerequisites: Follower of Calistria, must be able to cast divine spells.
...Benefit: You can summon a blood wasp to serve as familiar or companion. A familiar wasp must be a blood wasp worker (size Tiny) and advances as a familiar using your divine spellcasting class levels in place of Wizard levels. A companion wasp is a blood wasp royal (size Medium, then Large, advancing as a Giant Wasp companion but starting with Int 2, the great agility quality, appropriate feats and skills, and lacking the mindless trait) and advances as a Druid companion as if you were a Druid of one half your divine spellcaster levels. Summoning a wasp ally replaces any familiar or companion creature you already possess, and levels you possess in a class that provides access to a familiar or animal companion stack (to a maximum of your character level) for determining the advancement of your wasp ally. A blood wasp familiar grants its master a +2 to Reflex saves.

If your wasp ally dies, you can replace it by replicating the original summoning ritual, smearing yourself with blood and honey. A wasp swarm appears and inflicts one round worth of damage upon you before disappearing (this damage cannot be avoided or mitigated without causing the ritual to fail). Afterwards, a larval wasp emerges from your flesh (generally from the abdomen). This process takes 24 hours, and you cannot heal the damage inflicted by the swarm’s damage or poison until the larva emerges without ruining the ritual.

...Special: At 5th level, you can take this feat a second time, allowing you to choose to add the celestial, entropic or fiendish template to your wasp familiar or companion (you cannot be evil, if you choose the celestial template, lawful if you choose the entropic template or good if you choose the fiendish template, no matter your alignment, you can only choose one template). Any new blood wasp familiar or companion you summon can also have this template, if you so choose. Additionally, if your blood wasp is a familiar, you can choose to advance it to a size small blood wasp soldier, if you wish.

Wasps from Elysium (or crossbred with wasps from Elysium…) seem a natural to potentially have the celestial or entropic templates. But where do the Savored Sting’s less ‘kindly’ followers get wasps with the fiendish template? Could she have a ‘summer home’ in the Abyss? She’s not telling. And Aolar wasn’t using it anymore anyway…

BLOOD WASPS
This unusually large wasp is banded like a yellowjacket, but the yellow bands are darker, almost the color of mustard, and the black bands or more of a reddish-brown, like brick. It’s buzz is even larger than its size would suggest, and it looks angry…
BLOOD WASP WORKER CR 1/2
XP 200
N Tiny vermin (augmented)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee 1 sting +6 (1d2-3 plus poison)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 4, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +0, CMB -2, CMD 9
Feats Weapon Finesse
(1) Skills Climb 0 (+4), Fly 1 (+14), Perception 0 (+9); Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Great Agility (Ex) Blood wasps have Good Reflex saves.
Intelligent (Ex) Blood Wasps are uncannily intelligent, more like animals than vermin, and lack the mindless trait. They have feats and skills, and treat Climb, Fly and Perception as class skills.
Poison (Ex) Sting-injury; save Fort DC 12; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, group (3-6), nest (7-19) or hive (20-50)
Treasure incidental

Blood wasps come in a bewildering array of sizes, with a small number of wasps the size of large dogs sharing a hive with a half-dozen or dozen the size of smaller dogs, and as many as a hundred worker wasps as small as hawks. Blood wasps feed on both nectar, which they make into ‘blood honey’ to raise their young (and used by the elves to craft a bittersweet honey mead that they prize highly), and on flesh, paralyzing prey and either draining it of blood on the spot, before carving away meat to bring to their hive, or bringing the entire creature back to the hive, if it is light enough to carry.

Only the largest hives, carefully tended by elven handlers, contain the largest blood wasps, called gigants, which are large enough that some fearless and slender elves have been able to tame enough to ride.

BLOOD WASP SOLDIER CR 1
XP 400
N Small vermin (augmented)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 11 (2d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft,. fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee 1 sting +5 (1d3-1 plus poison)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +1, CMB -2, CMD 11
Feats Weapon Finesse
(2) Skills Climb 0 (-1), Fly 2 (+11), Perception 0 (+9); Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Great Agility (Ex) Blood wasps have Good Reflex saves.
Intelligent (Ex) Blood Wasps are uncannily intelligent, more like animals than vermin, and lack the mindless trait. They have feats and skills, and treat Climb, Fly and Perception as class skills.
Poison (Ex) Sting-injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair, group (3-6) or nest (7-19)
Treasure incidental

BLOOD WASP ROYAL CR 2
XP 600
N Medium vermin (augmented)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft,. fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee 1 sting +5 (1d4+1 plus poison)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +2, CMB +3, CMD 15
Feats Dodge, Weapon Finesse
(3) Skills Climb 0 (+1), Fly 3 (+10), Perception 0 (+9); Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Great Agility (Ex) Blood wasps have Good Reflex saves.
Intelligent (Ex) Blood Wasps are uncannily intelligent, more like animals than vermin, and lack the mindless trait. They have feats and skills, and treat Climb, Fly and Perception as class skills.
Poison (Ex) Sting-injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, pair or group (3-6)
Treasure incidental

BLOOD WASP GIGANT CR 3
XP 800
N Large vermin (augmented)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, -1 size)
hp 38 (4d8+16+4)
Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft,. fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee 1 sting +7 (1d6+7 plus poison)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +3, CMB +9, CMD 20
Feats Dodge, Toughness
(4) Skills Climb 0 (+1), Fly 4 (+9), Perception 0 (+9); Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Great Agility (Ex) Blood wasps have Good Reflex saves.
Intelligent (Ex) Blood Wasps are uncannily intelligent, more like animals than vermin, and lack the mindless trait. They have feats and skills, and treat Climb, Fly and Perception as class skills.
Poison (Ex) Sting-injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dexterity damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure incidental

Boring stat blocks. Various sizes of wasp, smarter and more agile than the average.

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Where Set reveals his glassy eyed incomprehension of how to make a Fighter Archetype, most likely...

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One Hit Killer (Fighter Archetype)
A flurry of unfocused blows can never match a precise single strike, carrying all the force to a pinpoint location.

...Brutal Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a one hit killer who exceeds the attack roll necessary to bypass a foes AC inflicts bonus damage equal to the number by which he exceeded the targets AC. If this attack is made with an off-hand weapon, the damage bonus is 1 point for every 2 points by which the target AC was exceeded. If the attack is made with a two-handed weapon, the damage bonus is 3 points for every 2 points by which the target AC was exceeded. This replaces the bonus feat gained at this level.

...Integrated Focus (Ex): At 6th level, a one hit killer gains Vital Strike as a bonus feat. A one hit killer can Vital Strike as part of an attack action that otherwise requires a separate standard or full-attack action, such as Cleave, Spring Attack or Whirlwind Attack, although the bonus damage only applies to the first successful blow (in the case of actions like Cleave or Great Cleave). This replaces the bonus feat gained at this level, and the ability to make an iterative attack.

...Accurate Focus (Ex): At 11th level, a one hit killer gains Improved Vital Strike, and can choose to forgo the bonus damage dice that would normally accrue from a Vital Strike to instead add a +4 to that attack roll. A one hit killer can also apply his extra Vital Strike damage to a single attack of opportunity per round as the base Vital Strike feat. This replaces the bonus feat that would be gained at 12th level, and the ability to make a second iterative attack.

...Exclusive Focus (Ex): At 16th level, a one hit killer gains Greater Vital Strike, and can choose to forgo the bonus damage die when making a Vital Strike to instead add a +6 bonus to that attack roll. If the one hit killer chooses to strike for extra damage, his Strength bonus to damage is multiplied by the number of iterative attacks he would have normally had (damage bonuses from Specialization, weapon enhancements, etc. are not increased in this fashion, and this extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit). This replaces the bonus feat gained at this level, and the ability to make a third iterative attack.

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Random faith, that breaks some of the rules. But they're really more like guidelines, anyway...

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SHIMYE-MAGALLA
The Starry Sea
Goddess of freedom, journeys and the sea and stars
Alignment CN
Domains Chaos, Travel, Void, Water
Subdomains Azata, Exploration, Oceans, Stars
Favored Weapon sickle
Symbol flying fish, trailing stars
Sacred Animal flying fish
Sacred Colors green, gold
Centers of Worship Mwangi Expanse (Senghor), the Shackles (Drenchport)
Nationality Mwangi (specifically Bonuwat)

It's unclear who or what answers prayers to Shimye-Magalla, perhaps Desna, perhaps Gozreh, perhaps both, or an Empyreal Lord in service to either or both of them, but the prayers are answered, although the Shimye-Magalla grants no rites of Obeisance, unlike many gods and empyreal lords, demon lords or archdevils.

While Shimye-Magalla's tenets are free from association with morality, as the more 'civilized' faiths measure such things, the prayers of evil clerics are not answered, limiting clerics of this entity to CG, CN or N alignments.

Wiki on Shimye-Magalla

Shimye-Magalla is a funky one to find Domain options for. Desna and Gozreh have, between them, Chaos, Good, Liberation, Luck, Travel, Air, Animal, Plant, Water and Weather. Travel seems like a no-brainer. Chaotic Neutral was a compromise between Desna's Chaotic Good and Gozreh's Neutral, and so Chaos was a required choice, even if, like many aligned gods, Shimye-Magalla isn't really a 'god of Chaos.' Associated with fishing and the sea, Animal and Water seemed to fit, and with freedom and free spirits, Liberation and Luck. Obviously not all of those could happen, so I picked Water as the most relevant of them for a sea-god. And then there's stars. My first instinct was to go with the Sun domain and Light subdomain, but I changed my mind to the Void domain and Stars subdomain, if only because it feels even more 'Desna than Desna,' and I had to have it. There's not nearly enough Void (or Scalykind) available to non-evil / non-monster-god clerics, so this opens that up a little more.

The sickle as a favored weapon just felt right, and, again with the 'more Desna than Desna,' looks all crescent-moon-y, and also works well with Gozreh's druid-ish associations (being the weapon carried by Lini, the 'Iconic Gozreh/Green Faith worshipper'). Colors and sacred animal kind of flowed from a combination of what worked, and what would look good together. If Shimye-Magalla was nothing more than a by-the-numbers mashup of Desna and Gozreh, a butterfly with water-dripping leaves for wings would have been the perfect 'syncretic symbol,' but didn't feel appropriate for a sea and stars goddess who has little (if anything...) to do with bugs or plants.

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A couple new spells, both being a product of my fascination with spells that do multiple things, particularly important when one is playing a Sorcerer, and desperately needs some versatility in those few Spells Known.

The first one was also inspired by a joke that I probably took too far by giving it an option to cause 'random access memory' by hitting you in the head with a 'ram' of force...

The second one is a product of that contrary part of me that wants sorcerer and wizard spell lists to have some spells that don't necessarily work for the other class (either by playing off of the Bloodline or School powers, or the spell preparation / spell book mechanic or the spontaneous casting mechanic).

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LISA'S ARTISANAL RAM
School evocation [force]; Level witch 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (see text)
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none (see text); Spell Resistance yes

This spell allows the caster to create a brightly colored manifestation of force shaped like a charging horned animal or battering ram (chosen at time of casting). This force construct automatically hits and inflicts 1d6 force damage +1 hp. / 2 levels (to a maximum of 1d6+10 at 20th level), and can be aimed for a variety of effects. If aimed at the legs, it resolves as a trip combat maneuver, using the spellcasters caster level in place of BAB, and her spellcasting-modifying attribute in place of Strength (usually Intelligence for a witch or wizard, and usually Charisma for a sorcerer). If aimed at the arms, it functions as a disarm maneuver, using the same mechanics (only one item, of the casters choice, is disarmed, if the target is carrying items in both arms). If aimed at the torso, it acts as a bull rush maneuver, and is assumed to pursue the target as far as it can move it. Finally, if aimed at the head, the target must make a Will save or be confused, and is allowed another Will save each round to end the effect. The force manifestation is treated as size medium, for the purposes of adjudicating the combat maneuver checks, and gains any other bonuses (or penalties) that the caster does, such as from a feat like Improved Disarm or Greater Trip.
The material component is a small brightly painted figurine of a horned animal, such as a ram or bison or aurochs, composed of strands of woody fiber, vine and fungal material, which must be hand-crafted by the spellcaster, with a final value of 12 silver pieces.

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SORCEROUS MISSILES
School evocation [force]; Level sorcerer 2
Casting Time 1 standard action (see text)
Components V, S
Range Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level; see text)
Targets up to ten creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

This spell functions similarly to magic missile, with the following differences;
The spell produces an additional missile per two caster levels above 9th, to a maximum of of 10 at 19th level.
Additionally, the sorcerer can choose to cast this spell using a higher level spell slot, with the following options;
* The damage dice of the missiles can be increased to 1d6+1, by casting it in a slot one level higher, or 1d8+1, if cast using a slot two levels higher.
* The range can be increase to Long range (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) by casting it with a slot one level higher.
* The spell can be cast as a move equivalent action, but not in the same round as another spell cast (or produced from a spell activation or spell trigger item) as a standard or move-equivalent action, by casting it with a slot one level higher. (Such a spell can be cast in the same round as a spell that is Quickened, or cast as an immediate, swift or free action.)
* The spell can be infused with positive energy (x2 damage to undead, who are allowed a Will save to negate the extra damage, no damage to living targets or constructs) or negative energy (x2 damage to living targets, who are allowed a Will save for half damage, no damage to undead creatures or constructs), if the spell is cast with a slot one level higher. This modification adds the positive energy or negative energy descriptor to the spell, as appropriate.
The entire spell must be modified the same way. Individual missiles cannot be positive or negative, increased range or damage.
Using this spell, a 13th level sorcerer could cast sorcerous missiles using a 6th level slot, generating 7 missiles as a move-equivalent action (+1 spell level), that inflict 1d8+1 damage each (+2 spell levels) and are infused with positive energy and do double damage to their undead targets (+1 spell level), despite the spell remaining only a 2nd level Spell Known (and any saving throw, or similar effects, such as whether or not a minor globe of invulnerability would stop it, being determined as if it was a 2nd level spell).


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The ram's duration is "instantaneous." How long then does the Confusion effect from a head shot last? The spell states that they get a will save to end the effect; does this mean they just keep attempting the save until they make it?

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Mark Hoover wrote:
The ram's duration is "instantaneous." How long then does the Confusion effect from a head shot last? The spell states that they get a will save to end the effect; does this mean they just keep attempting the save until they make it?

Ooh, good catch, that version should last 1 round / level, or until the victim saves.

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Guess what Set got for Christmas? Well, a buncha books, obviously, but one of them was a ginormous collection of H.P. Lovecraft stories (800-something pages of them!). Woo!

And here's something kicked loose by that reading;

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Sight From Beyond
School divination; Level witch 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (a human pineal gland)
Range 60 ft.
Area 60-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell creates a pale violet radiance that outlines an area in which all living creatures gain an unnatural perception of beings that live in realms unmapped by current planar theories. Additionally, the denizens of that place become aware of those within the affected area, dangerously so. While the vaguely aquatic creatures are not corporeal, and seem unaffected by any form of attack, they become agitated by movement within the illuminated radius, and swarm to devour living creatures (including the caster and their allies!) that draw their attention (undead and constructs neither see these creatures nor are perceived or attacked by them). For every 5 ft. of movement taken within the lit area, a living creature suffers 1d6 damage, as these quasi-real creatures take ‘bites’ from them. Additionally, for every action or attack taken that involves physical movement (such as drawing a weapon, getting to one’s feet, firing a bow, swinging a sword, casting a spell with somatic components, or swiping with a claw), an additional 1d6 damage attack is suffered. This damage is not reduced by any form of damage reduction or energy resistance, and the ‘attacks’ of these ‘creatures’ passes through any form of armor. A creature that leaves the affected area will suffer damage only for movement or actions performed within the area of unnatural illumination. Any creature killed by the damage from these attacks is devoured, leaving behind their physical possessions, but only fragmentary remains, insufficient for revival by raise dead.

And it’s another divination spell that can kill people by revealing to them things that are dangerous to know, a very Lovecraftian trope. We can always use more divination and / or abjuration spells in general, and ones that can hurt people are just icing on the cake. Thanks H.P.!

Obviously this spell is niche, being most useful when one’s allies are capable of single powerful attacks, via Vital Strike, or the like (to minimize the amount of damage they take), or moving without drawing attention (via a Conjurer or Monk or Shadowdancers unique options), or while facing foes with many attacks (monks, hasted foes, many tentacled beasties, raking pouncing cats) or who make great use of movement (quicklings, chargers, pouncers, monks, again). Undead or construct allies (of foes) would operate unaffected, while unintelligent or animal intelligence foes, such as insect swarms or pouncing dire tigers, might not realize exactly how much their ’50 ft. charge-pounce, claw, claw, bite, rake, rake’ routine is contributing to the 15d6 damage they just took…

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And I just picked up Familiar Folio, and on page 3, there's a cool picture of Ezren summoning a bunch of owls to harry some pesky goblins. He's got an owl familiar, so it occurred to me that this would be a nifty spell, to temporarily multiply your familiar into a flock that could swarm an enemy. (But without actually endangering your actual familiar, since that way lies madness!)

I've always loved, A) spells that derive from cool scenes in fantasy art (or, more to the point, RPG art that actually shows the spells, effects and abilities available to the characters), and B) spells that interact with class features, like spellbooks, familiars, arcane bonded objects and / or wizard school abilities.

So here's something in that vein;

Parliament of Owls
School conjuration (summoning); Level witch 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, F (your familiar)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration concentration + 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell causes your familiar (which must be within range when the spell is cast) to vanish for the duration, replaced by a pack of identical animals (or vermin) in any area within range, which move and act at your mental direction. These creatures must all appear adjacent to each other (and usually being size Tiny, may be able to share the same space) share all of the traits of your standard familiar, but share a single pool of hit points equal to your familiar’s normal hit points (generally equal to half of your own). They do not benefit from any spells or effects currently affecting your familiar, whether beneficial (such as protective spells) or baneful (such as the effects of poison or disease), and appear at ‘full’ hit points for your familiar. If you affect one of these creatures with a shared spell, you can choose to share the spell with any others within touch range of an affected creature, possibly placing a spell such as mage armor on multiple creatures with a single casting, although the duration of the effect is divided among the creatures affected. If the total pool of hit points available to the familiars is reduced to less than the number of familiars present, as many as possible are left with a single hit point, and excess familiars are reduced to zero hit points and vanish into smoke and feathers (fur, scales, etc.). When all are destroyed, or the spell ends, your actual familiar reappears at its previous location, unaffected by effects or damage that the conjured familiars suffered, but still under any effects (such as buff spells or poison or hit point damage) it was under when it disappeared.

While Ezren refers to this spell as parliament of owls, and uses it to create a small flock of owls to harry goblins and the like, it affects any normal animal or vermin familiar, and could be called skulk of foxes by Feiya or unkindness of ravens or knot of snakes by a spellcaster with a different familiar. Improved Familiars are not affected by this spell, with the exception of standard animal or vermin familiars that have been enhanced with the celestial, entropic, fiendish or resolute templates, and casting this spell to conjure a group of these sorts of familiars counts as a [good], [chaos], [evil] or [law] spell, respectively.

The logical, yet terrifying, conclusion to this line of thought, ignoring the even-more-horrible thought of a 6th level Summoner spell to create a 'pack' of temporary Eidolons...

In the Company of …
School conjuration (summoning); Level druid 6, ranger 4
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, F (your companion)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration concentration + 1 round / level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

With the exception of affecting your animal companion or mount (which must be an animal, plant or vermin companion or mount available to your class, and not an unusual creature such as a pegasus), this spell functions identically to parliament of owls, including that the creatures summoned share a single pool of hit points equal to the total hit points of your current animal companion.


Set wrote:

My thoughts;

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Defilers leave behind an ashen circle when casting spells. The radius is 5 ft. x spell slot level expended (a 0‐ level spell defiles a single 5‐ft. square occupied by the caster). Creatures except the defiler caught within the defiling radius at casting time experience pain and suffer a –1 penalty to all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks for 1 round. Plant creatures also suffer 2 hp damage x spell slot level expended (a 0‐level spell inflicts 1 hp damage).

As much as possible (or appropriate), I prefer to use pre-existing game mechanics. Instead of a -1 to X rolls, automatically, perhaps all (non-undead, non-construct!) creatures in the area must make a Fort save (DC 10 + level of the spell being cast) or be sickened for 1 round.

A later feat, instead of bumping it to -2, would instead increase the duration of being sickened to rounds equal to the spell level.

Quote:
Defilerʹs ash is black and totally devoid of life‐giving properties. It is the telltale sign of wizardry. Nothing grows in a defiled area for years. Even if the defilerʹs ash moves with the wind, the ground remains a lifeless scar. A defiler cannot preserve, but a preserver can defile if desperate.

Perhaps undead spellcasters always defile, in a setting with this distinction. Although if the setting also had positive energy undead, like 1st edition mummies or 2nd edition baelnorn or 3rd edition deathless, they could preserve.

Quote:
When defiling, a wizard can extend the casting time of her spells to 1 round and gain a +1 bonus to caster level. Her defiling radius increases by 5 ft. Spells with a normal casting time of 1 round or longer require an extra round to be cast in this manner. Experienced defilers often increase their spellcasting power further through Raze feats.
I'm not sure that defiling should be that easily seen as a bonus. From what I recall of Athas, it was more that preserving was a penalty (so that preservers...

DARK SUN FOR LIFE

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I got the notion of creating a reversed version of the sanctuary spell, that curses someone to become the focus of the attacks of anyone within thirty feet who fails a will save.

A version that affects only undead, causing *other* undead in the area to turn on them, seemed like a logical spell to have been fashioned by the clergy of Pharasma.

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Surge of Malevolence
School enchantment (compulsion); Level cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a miniature black banner or flag)
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation, centered on the target
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

If the target of this spell fails their saving throw, they emanate an aura that causes anyone who fails a save within thirty feet of their position to regard them as an imminent threat, targeting them over any other foe in the area until your next turn, when the effect ends.

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Lingering Malevolence
School enchantment (compulsion); Level cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a miniature black banner or flag)
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation, centered on the target
Duration 1 round / level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

With the exception of the duration, this spell functions identically to surge of malevolence. The target radiates the aura for the full duration, and any new creatures entering a thirty foot radius of the afflicted subject must save or also attack the subject for the duration of the effect.

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Undying Malevolence
School necromancy; Level cleric 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 30-ft.-radius emanation, centered on the target
Duration 1 round / level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

With the exception of only affecting undead targets, both as initial target and secondary subjects, this spell functions identically to lingering malevolence. Mindless undead, such as skeletons and zombies, do not get a saving throw to resist this spell.

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Set, saw this cat and wondered if you could turn him into some type of Necromancers' familiar.

Along the line's of "Ash Cat," maybe able to steal the breath of a dying (in the negatives) humanoid.

Also I need another familiar for a follower of Dream of the Endless, Sandman.

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Freehold DM wrote:
DARK SUN FOR LIFE

A harsh and very short one.


baron arem heshvaun wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:
DARK SUN FOR LIFE
A harsh and very short one.

wooooooooooooot

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