Mages (full-caster classes):
In this system, clerics and wizards are prepared casters, oracles and sorcerers are spontaneous casters, and bards, druids, and witches can choose to be either spontaneous or prepared casters. Class features are mostly unchanged, except as follows:
- Spontaneous casters gain spells known as a sorcerer of their level. Spontaneous casters can choose to use either Wis or Cha as their primary casting stat; once chosen, this cannot be changed. In addition, at the indicated levels, characters gain one or more bonus spells based on their spellcasting class: Druids learn either the summon nature’s ally spells or the druid spells listed below (in addition to the spells from their domain, if they choose that version of Nature Bond), oracles learn spells from their mystery, sorcerers learn bloodline spells, and witches learn the spells granted by their patron. These bonus spells are gained at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th, rather than the sorcerer’s normal delayed progression.
The bonus spells available to druids include either the summon nature’s ally spells or speak with animals (1st), barkskin (2nd), speak with plants (3rd), aspect of the stag (4th), wall of thorns (5th), transport via plants (6th), creeping doom (7th), animal shapes (8th), and world wave (9th).
Spontaneous casters have an ability called sorcery, which allows them to modify their spells on the fly, expending more (or occasionally less) spell energy to change the parameters of a specific spell. For instance, a sorcerer who casts fireball as a 5th level spell can have the explosion send creatures flying, while a sorcerer who casts detect thoughts as a 5th level spell can probe deeply into his subject’s mind instead of just detecting surface thoughts.
Spontaneous casters gain Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at 1st level. They also ignore the normal prerequisites for the Spell Perfection feat; if they do not have any metamagic feats upon taking it, they can instead permanently modify one spell of their choice with the Extend Spell, Reach Spell, Silent Spell, or Still Spell feat.
All spontaneous casters have average BAB and d8 HD (as a rogue of their level). They have simple proficiency with all weapon groups, martial proficiency with a single weapon group of their choice, and proficiency with light armor and shields (but not tower shields). They can cast spells in light armor without incurring the normal chance of arcane spell failure, but shields and medium or heavy armor inflict the normal risk of arcane spell failure. Druids must still abide by their spiritual oaths.
- Prepared casters must prepare their daily spell selection (including metamagic feats) using the spells per day of a wizard of their level (including bonus spells due to domain, school specialization, or patron), and gain spells in their spellbook or familiar as a wizard or witch of their level, with the ability to learn additional spells as normal. Prepared casters can choose to use either Int or Wis as their primary casting stat; once chosen, this cannot be changed. In addition, at the indicated levels, characters learn a bonus spell based on their spellcasting class: Clerics learn the spells from each of their domains, druids learn the summon nature’s ally spells (and their domain spells, if they have chosen a domain as their Nature Bond), witches learn the spells granted by their patron, and wizards learn a spell from their specialized school. Spellcasters who do not normally have a familiar or spellbook gain a spellbook by default, but can choose the Obtain Familiar feat as one of their feats known; druids usually have familiars and clerics typically have spellbooks (that double as holy texts), but this is not mandatory. All prepared spellcasters gain Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at 1st level, and qualify for the Spell Mastery feat as a wizard of their caster level.
Prepared casters have poor BAB and d6 HD, and have simple proficiency with all weapon groups. They are not proficient with any armor or shield and incur spell failure chance when wearing any type of armor or using a shield.
All full spellcasters (including bards, clerics, druids, oracles, sorcerers, witches, and wizards) have free access to the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Oracle, Sorcerer/Wizard, and Witch spell lists. There is no distinction between arcane and divine magic. If a spell appears at different levels on more than one spell list, assume it has the lower spell level (exception: Bard spells are weird. Check with me first if you’re looking at a spell from the Bard list.)
All spellcasters have 4 + Int mod spell points per level, good Will saves, and poor Fortitude and Reflex saves.
Multiclassing between different full-casting classes of the same type (prepared or spontaneous) increases caster level (including spells known, bonus spells known, spells per day, and so forth) on a one-for-one basis, rather than granting a secondary spellcasting progression.
Multiclassing between spontaneous and prepared casting classes is not possible. (I’ll come up with a specific reason why later.)
Most 1st-level domain and bloodline abilities that would normally be usable a limited number of times per day are instead usable at will. This does not include the necromancer’s Power Over Undead ability, however.
New feats increase a multiclassed character’s class features on a limited basis–for example, Advanced Bloodline lets a character treat their sorcerer level as 4 levels higher (to a maximum of their total character level) to determine what bloodline powers they have access to and the effectiveness of those powers. These include Advanced Bloodline (bloodline powers, but not bonus feats), Advanced Channel Energy (improve damage dealt or healed), Boon Companion (animal companion or familiar level), Improved Revelation (the effectiveness of your revelations), and Improved Wild Shape (wild shape). In all cases, these increase your effective class level by 4 (to a maximum of your total character level) to determine the effectiveness of the appropriate class feature.
Miscellaneous changes:
Spell school changes:
Conjuration: Remove trap the soul, all planar ally spells, and all Conjuration (healing) spells.
Enchantment: Add cause fear, scare, fear, and symbol of fear.
Evocation: Remove consecrate, desecrate, and cleanse. Evocation spells that deal energy damage ignore SR.
Necromancy: Remove cause fear, scare, fear, and symbol of fear. Add all Conjuration (healing) spells, consecrate, desecrate, trap the soul, and cleanse.
Specific spell changes:
0-level attack spells (acid splash, ray of frost, disrupt undead) add ½ caster level to the damage dealt. Add electric jolt, ray of fire, and sonic beam to the list of 0-level evocation spells (close-range ranged touch attacks, 1d3 damage, dealing electricity, fire, and sonic damage, respectively).
Arcane mark can create writing in any script the caster can speak. This writing can appear in any color the caster wishes, and can even glow if desired (enough to be legible in the dark, but not enough to illuminate an area.) The mage must speak and write the text to make it appear; if he has the Silent Spell and/or Still Spell feats, then he can remove the need to speak and/or physically write the text. The mage can cause this arcane text to appear as quickly as he could normally write it. Each mage can also write his own personal rune with this spell, and only that individual can create that particular rune. If a mage tries to create another’s rune, then the mark twists itself into the shape of the caster’s own mark in only a few seconds. This spell otherwise functions as normal.
Animate dead does not have the [evil] descriptor.
Commune, discern location, divination, legend lore, and vision can use the following modified components if desired: V, S, M (black lotus powder worth 250 gp). The caster must inhale the black lotus powder when casting the spell, suffering the full effects of the drug. Legend lore requires the caster to spend the casting time in a drug-induced, dream-filled sleep-state (amplifying and extending the effects of the material component), at the end of which time he awakens with the relevant knowledge.
Fireball, lightning bolt, cone of cold, and all other cold/electricity/fire-based damage dealing spells have versions corresponding to each energy type (cold, electricity, and fire) which may be learned separately–i.e. lightning ball, cold bolt, and cone of fire, for instance. Spells that deal acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage ignore SR.
Magic vestment, magic weapon and greater magic weapon can be used to add special properties to equipment, instead of simply increasing the enhancement bonus. Each special property uses up an amount of enhancement bonus equal to its cost. For instance, a spellcaster could use magic weapon to add the flaming property to a sword.
Magic circle against evil/good/etc. and protection from evil/good/etc. are no longer alignment-specific.
Raise dead, resurrection, and true resurrection cannot be cast by ordinary mortals. Outsiders and dragons can still cast these spells as normal, and spell-like abilities that duplicate the effects of these spells still function as normal. Breath of life, miracle, wish, and similar high-level magic can still restore creatures to life, as described in those spells’ descriptions.
Scrying requires either a mirror, a crystal ball, or the smoke of special hallucinogenic herbs (as per visions, from Conan).
Telekinesis is replaced by telekinetic force (3rd level) and telekinetic maneuver (4th level).
Teleport can only teleport the caster (and any additional creatures) from one waystone to another. Getaway, greater teleport, word of recall and other teleportation spells are not subject to this limitation.
Rituals: Certain spells—those with long casting times—are classified as Rituals. Prepared casters automatically learn one Ritual per level, in addition to the two free spells they normally gain. Spontaneous casters can learn Rituals from scrolls, spellbooks, or other mages, and these spells do not count against their normal limit of spells known. The following spells are considered Rituals:
0- Mending
1st- Alter winds, Bless water, Curse water, Restful sleep
2nd- Ancestral communion*, Animal messenger, Augury, Create treasure map, Deathwine*, Eagle eye, Fire trap
3rd- Blood biography, Clairaudience/clairvoyance, Create food and water, Glyph of warding, Guiding star, Hide campsite, Illusory script, Irrisen mirror sight*, Lesser dream†, Lover’s vengeance*, Make whole, Nap stack, Oneiromancy†, Phantom steed, Rune of durability*, Secret page, Sepia snake sigil, Speak with dead
4th- Arcane eye, Divination, Grove of respite, Hallucinatory terrain, Imbue with spell ability, Lesser planar ally, Lesser planar binding, Minor creation, Reincarnate, Restoration, Sacrifice*, Scrying, Secure shelter, Sending, Shadow projection, Traveling dream*
5th- Atonement, Awaken, Break enchantment, Commune, Commune with nature, Contact other plane, Dream, Hallow, Mage’s private sanctum, Major creation, Mark of justice, Nightmare, Phobetor†, Prying eyes, Raise dead, Secret chest, Symbol of pain, Symbol of sleep, Unhallow
6th- Contingency, Create undead, Geas/Quest, Getaway, Greater glyph of warding, Guards and wards, Heroes’ feast, Ironwood, Liveoak, Move earth, Planar ally, Planar binding, Spellstaff, Stone tell, Symbol of fear, Symbol of persuasion, Sympathetic vibration, Unconscious agenda*
7th- Control weather, Greater dream†, Greater restoration, Recorporeal incarnation*, Resurrection, Simulacrum, Symbol of stunning, Symbol of weakness, Teleport trap*, Vision of Lamashtu*
8th- Antipathy, Binding, Clone, Create greater undead, Demand, Discern location, Greater planar ally, Greater planar binding, Greater prying eyes, Screen, Symbol of death, Symbol of insanity, Sympathy
9th- Astral projection, Elemental swarm, Summon elemental steed*, Teleportation circle, True resurrection
Spells in italics are from the Advanced Player’s Guide. Spells marked with a * are from Archives of Nethys (www.archivesofnethys.com), and spells marked with a † are from the Dream Magic supplement. Additional spells may be added as new supplements come out or characters create their own.
New spells:
1 Light rejuvenation 1
2 Moderate rejuvenation 2
3 Serious rejuvenation 3
4 Critical rejuvenation 4
5 Mass light rejuvenation
6 Mass moderate rejuvenation
7 Mass serious rejuvenation
8 Mass critical rejuvenation
9 n/a
Light rejuvenation
School: Necromancy (healing); Level 1
Casting time: 1 minute (Ritual)
Components: V, S
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute
Saving throw: Will negates (harmless); Spell resistance: Yes (harmless)
The target gains fast healing 1 for the duration of the spell. Unlike cure spells, this healing applies to lethal and nonlethal damage alike.
Light rejuvenation, mass
School: Necromancy (healing); Level 5
Range: Close (25′ + 5′/2 levels)
Target: one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30′ apart
Duration: 1 minute + 1 rd/level
As light rejuvenation, except as noted above.
Moderate rejuvenation
School: Necromancy (healing); Level 2
As light rejuvenation, but the target gains fast healing 2 for the duration of the spell.
Moderate rejuvenation, mass
School: Necromancy (healing); Level 6
As mass light rejuvenation, except as noted above.
New spells (from Psionics Unleashed; all scale with level rather than requiring augmentation):
1st- Bite of the wolf, Claws of the beast, Conceal thoughts, Control flames, Control light, Demoralize, Empathy, Matter agitation, Mindlink (no augmentation), Missive, Sense link, Stomp
2nd- Chameleon, Detect hostile intent, Energy push (1d6/2 levels, max 5d6), Energy stun (1d6/level, max 5d6), Inflict pain, Mental disruption, Mass missive, Object reading, Psionic scent, Sense link forced, Sensitivity to psychic impressions
3rd- Hostile empathic transfer, Hustle, Mental barrier, Psionic blast, Strength of my enemy, Telekinetic force (+50 lb per spell level), Touchsight
4th- Correspond, Telekinetic maneuver
5th- Clairtangent hand, Energy current
6th- Crystallize
8th- Hypercognition
9th- Genesis, Metafaculty, True creation
New spells (from Mind Unveiled; no augmentation or scaling unless noted):
1st- Localized teleportation, Mind assault, Untouchable aura
2nd- Force burst (1d8/level, max 5d8)
3rd- Mindhunter, Sickening touch
4th- Fear cascade
5th- Nauseating touch (sickening touch w/4 pt augment)
Casting a spell of the highest level you can cast requires a minimum of 1 full-round action (unless it can normally be cast as a swift or immediate action). Lower-level spells have their normal casting time.
Spellcasting deals nonlethal damage equal to the level of the spell. Abilities that would normally require you to expend a spell slot (such as the Arcane Blast feat) instead require you to suffer nonlethal damage equal to the spell slot that would normally be expended. The maximum spell level you can cast is unchanged.
Optional system: Healing magic converts lethal damage to nonlethal damage. Magic cannot heal nonlethal damage. Fast healing and regeneration heal nonlethal damage as normal.
Once you have taken damage (from any source, whether lethal or nonlethal) equal to ½ your total hp, you are fatigued. If you are already fatigued, you become exhausted instead. Once you have taken damage equal to ¾ your total hp, you are exhausted. This fatigue and exhaustion cannot be removed until the hp damage is raised above the necessary amount, but healing the damage automatically removes the fatigue or exhaustion.
Spell save DCs are based on caster level rather than spell level. The save DC of any spell is equal to 10 +1/2 your caster level +your primary spellcasting ability score modifier.
Metamagic feats increase the cost of the spell as though it were a spell of the higher-level slot. The maximum spell level you can cast is unchanged. Unlike in the normal rules, spontaneous casters do not increase the casting time of their spells, and prepared casters can apply metamagic feats to their spells on the fly. Spells prepared with metamagic feats automatically gain the benefits of Heighten Spell without requiring that feat–for instance, an empowered fireball is treated as a 5th level spell in all ways, including concentration DCs and the ability to bypass a globe of invulnerability. A spontaneous caster who enhances his spells through sorcery
Ravaging: Whenever a spellcaster casts a spell, he can spend a swift action to ravage his environment, transferring the cost of spellcasting to the nearby environment. Every living or undead creature within 30’ of the mage takes 1 point of lethal damage per spell level (a successful Fort or Will save, whichever is better, negates this damage; DC 10 + spell level + mage’s spellcasting ability score modifier). Within this radius, all plant life is affected as by the “stunt growth” option of diminish plants. If an area is ever ravaged more than once in 24 hours, the land begins to wither, and over the next week all plants in the area die. Nothing will grow in that area until it has been cleansed and restored using hallow and plant growth or more powerful magic such as miracle or wish. If there is no life (or unlife) within 30’, the character cannot ravage and must use his own personal reserves.
Ravaging is an indescribably evil act; any spellcaster who ravages gains an aura of evil as a cleric of his caster level for 24 hours; anyone using detect evil or a similar effect can sense whether the mage has ravaged an area within that time. Mages who ravage frequently are called nulthari. However, mages continue to ravage their environment for magical energy because of the numerous benefits they gain from the practice. Beginning at 1st level, any spell cast in the same round that a mage ravages the environment does not inflict nonlethal damage on the mage.
At 5th level, any spell cast in the same round that a mage ravages the environment has its effective caster level increased by +1.
At 9th level, any spell cast in the same round that a mage ravages the environment has its save DC increased by +1.
At 13th level, any spell cast in the same round that a mage ravages the environment can be modified by any one of the following metamagic feats without affecting the casting time or effective spell level, even if the mage does not possess the metamagic feat: Disruptive Spell, Ectoplasmic Spell, Enlarge Spell, or Extend Spell.
At 17th level, any spell cast in the same round that a mage ravages the environment has its save DC increased by +2.