Patreon Drop: Akashic Core Week 6: Elves, Wizards, and Spells

Hey there patrons! Today I have for you the sixth and penultimate drop for Akashic Core: this time focusing on Elves, Wizards, and some new Akashic Spells!

Wizard Arcane School: Akashic Magic

Instead of specializing in one of the standard eight schools of magic, a wizard can choose to specialize in the esoteric arts of akashic magic which interact with essence and veils. The wizard still selects two opposition schools when selecting the akashic magic school.

School Spells: The following spells are the school spells for the akashic magic school. You never treat these spells as belonging to an opposition school, even if they would normally belong to one of your opposition schools.

• 0-Level: detect akasha

• 1st Level: break investment, chakra disruption I, essence bolt, restore essence, restore veil

• 2nd Level: dampen essence I, drain essence, shatter veil I

• 3rd Level: essence lock, lesser coalesce veil*, lesser infuse essence, mending essence

• 4th Level: chakra disruption II, dampen essence II, essence detonation, shatter veil II

• 5th Level: corrupt essence, infuse essence, greater restore veil

• 6th Level: coalesce veil*, dampen essence III, shatter veil III

• 7th Level: akashic apotheosis, antiaakasha shell, greater infuse essence

• 8th Level: chakra disruption III, dampen essence IV, greater coalesce veil*, ultimate restore veil, shatter veil IV

• 9th Level: essence annihilation, shatter veil V, reactualization, ultimate infuse essence

* You treat these spells as wizard spells of the listed level rather than their normal level. When creating magic items of these spells, they are always treated as their normal spell level and you must be able to cast them at their normal level to create magic items using them (such as when scribing scrolls or crafting wands).

Akashic Knowledge: At 1st level, you learn detect akasha and a school spell of your choice of a level you can cast. At 3rd level, and every two levels thereafter, you learn one additional school spell of a level you can cast. You can always prepare these spells from memory; they do not need to be scribed in a spellbook. You can choose to scribe these spells to a spellbook from memory if you wish, paying the normal costs for doing so (such as if you wish to scribe them to a spellbook to allow others to learn the spells).

Additionally, starting at 5th level you add Akashic feats to those you can select with your wizard bonus feats. You must meet the prerequisites for these feats as normal.

Essence Pool: At 1st level, you gain a pool of essence which you can invest in your veils and essence receptacles to increase their power. You gain 1 point of essence at 1st level, 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter.

Focused Veilweaver (Su): At 1st level, you have learned to shape and utilize a particular akashic veil as a focus for your magical abilities. When you gain this school, choose one of the following veils: Book and Quill of the Akashic Record, Orb of Recorded Time, or Records of Akasha. You gain the ability to shape the chosen veil and gain 1 veil slot which you must use to shape the chosen veil each day.

You also treat your wizard levels as veilweaving levels, using your Intelligence as your veilweaving modifier. The saving throw DC of your veils is equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + your veilweaving modifier.

If you choose to take a bonded object with your arcane bond, you can choose to form a bond with this veil instead of the listed objects. The veil must be unsuppressed and shaped to use it to cast a spell using your arcane bond ability.

Improved Essence Capacity: At 3rd level, your training in utilizing akashic spells has further honed your ability to manipulate your essence. At 3rd level, and again at 9th, and 15th level, the essence capacity of your veils and essence receptacles increases by 1.

If your class levels already grant you the improved essence capacity class feature, you instead gain 1 point of bonus essence at 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level.

Enhanced Capacity: At 8th level, you treat your essence capacity with the veil you shape using your focused veilweaving ability as 1 higher. This doesn’t stack with the Enhanced Capacity feat, or similar effects to that feat.

New Arcane Discovery: Quillmaster (Su)

You must have the akashic magic arcane school and have chosen Book and Quill of the Akashic Record as your veil with the school’s focused veilweaving ability to select this arcane discovery.

You have mastered the art of using your veil’s quill as both a tool of writing and a weapon of war. You treat your base attack bonus as 1 higher when making attacks using the Book and Quill of the Akashic Record’s quill, treating it as an additional 1 higher at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. Your effective base attack bonus cannot exceed your level, and you can use this effective base attack bonus increase to meet prerequisites. When meeting a prerequisite in this way, it only applies to attacks made using your quill unless you meet the prerequisites normally.

Special: If you are a wizard with the aessentialist archetype and take this arcane discovery, its benefits also apply to the attacks you make with any manufactured weapon produced by a veil you shaped that was inscribed in your spellbook.

Aessentialist (Wizard Archetype)

What these wizards may lack in raw magical output, they more than make up for with the veils they wield alongside the spells they sling.

Master Aessentiamancer: Aessentialists are master of an esoteric art of magic known as aessentiamancy; the art of using arcane power to shape veils directly rather than drawing the knowledge of veils directly from the akashic record. All aessentialists are students of the Akashic Magic wizard school and must select it at 1st level, and they also must choose the focused veil of their school as their bound object. They cannot select a familiar.

This modifies the wizard’s arcane school and arcane bond class features.

Improved Essence Pool: The amount of essence granted by the aessentialist’s akashic magic arcane school’s essence pool ability increases to 1 per class level.

Reduced Spells: An aessentialist prepares and casts two fewer spells each day of each spell level except for cantrips, to a minimum of 0 spells each day. This reduction applies to the bonus spell slots granted by high ability scores, but does not affect their school spell slots.

This modifies the wizards’s spells class feature.

Aessentiamancy (Su): Aessentialists gain 1 additional veil slot each day at 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th level. These veil slots can be used to shape any veil they know, such as those they learn using the Shape Veil feat, or those they prepare from their spellbook (see below) as part of shaping their veils each day. They can prepare and shape veils from their own spellbook much like preparing a spell, and can shape veils from borrowed spellbooks as well with a Knowledge Arcana DC equal to the DC to identify the scribed veil. When shaping their veils for the day, the aessentialist can prepare their wizard spells during the same period of time.

Unlike traditional veilweavers, aessentiamancers do not have a list of known veils they can freely shape from; they learn and scribe veils within a spellbook which they prepare and shape during their daily preparations much akin to an arcane spellcaster preparing spells from a spellbook. All aessentiamancers can only scribe and prepare spells from the Vizier veil list, and they do not gain the ability to scribe or prepare Ring veils, nor do they gain the ability to shape those veils.

Scribing a veil to a spellbook functions much like scribing a spell to a spellbook, and each veil has an effective spell level equal to its chakra bind. Veils with multiple chakra binds are considered different veils for the purposes of scribing to an aessentiamancer’s spellbook; one for each of their different binds (though they must follow the normal restrictions for duplicate veils when shaping those veils as normal). When shaping a veil inscribed in their spellbook, they can only shape and bind it in the veil slots they have inscribed for that veil in their spellbook. Much like a normal arcane spellcaster, an aessentiamancer cannot scribe a veil to their spellbook of an effective level higher than the maximum level they can cast.

An aessentiamancer can always choose to scribe only the base effects of a veil to their spellbook, making it both easier and more affordable to learn. Base veils have an effective spell level of 0, but a shaped base veil can never be bound to its chakra. If a base veil that can be shaped in multiple veil slots is inscribed in their spellbook, the chakra slot it is able to be shaped in is chosen as part of scribing it as a base veil. To shape a base veil in multiple different slots, it must be inscribed once for each slot.

Scribed veils can be copied from another aessentiamancer’s spellbook, much like copying spells. They can also be learned from another veilweaver who has that veil shaped and is willing to demonstrate the effects of that veil for the duration it takes to scribe it. The aessentiamancer must be able to identify the effects of the veil to know how to scribe it (whether it be by identifying the demonstrated veil or the scribed veil within a borrowed spellbook). In most cases, veilweavers charge a fee for the time spent demonstrating their veil in such detail that it can be scribed; this fee is usually equal to half the cost to inscribe a spell of the veil’s equivalent spell level into a spellbook.

Whenever the aessentialist gains the ability to learn a 1st-level or higher wizard spell of their choice, such as those they begin the game with or gain through leveling up, they can choose to scribe a veil to their spellbook in place of any of those spells.

The effective spell levels for each chakra bind level are as follows:

• Hands: 1st level

• Feet: 2nd level

• Head: 3rd level

• Wrists: 4th level

• Shoulders: 5th level

• Headband: 6th level

• Neck: 7th level

• Belt: 8th level

• Chest and Body: 9th level

This replaces the wizard’s scribe scroll and bonus feats class features.

Selectable Binds: At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, 19th, and 20th level the aessentialist gains a selectable chakra bind. When they shape their veils for the day, they choose one chakra bind slot for each selectable chakra bind they possess and gain the ability to bind veils to the chosen slots. They cannot select the same bind multiple times. The class level requirements to select each chakra bind slot are as follows:

• Hands: 2nd level

• Feet: 4th level

• Head: 6th level

• Wrists: 8th level

• Shoulders: 10th level

• Headband: 12th level

• Neck: 14th level

• Belt: 16th level

• Chest: 18th level

• Body: 20th level

Feats

Elven Akasha (Akashic, Elf)

Your people have trained as much in the arts of akashic magic as they have more traditional schools of knowledge, expanding their knowledge through the use of the Akashic Record.

Prerequisites: Elf, elven magic racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: Your racial bonus to Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties of magic items also applies to Knowledge (Arcana) checks made to identify the properties of veils. This feat can be invested with essence; for each odd point of essence invested, you gain a +1 insight bonus to Spellcraft checks and on Knowledge (Arcana) checks made to identify veils, and for every even point invested your racial bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance increases by +1.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Honed Elven Immunities (Akashic, Elf)

You have learned to hone your natural elven immunities using the essence of your soul.

Prerequisites: Elf, elven immunities racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: This feat can be invested with essence; for each point of essence invested, you gain a +1 insight bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Akashic Spells

Akashic magic is more primordial than other forms of magic, more able to be wielded and learned. The following spells belong to all spell lists.

Essence Descriptor

Spells with the essence descriptor can be infused with the power of your essence as you cast them. When you cast such a spell, you can choose to take a number of points of essence burn up to your essence capacity to grant the spell additional benefits, as described by the spell. If that spell has an ongoing effect you cannot restore the burned essence by resting while the effect is ongoing. The maximum number of points of essence you can burn as part of casting one of these spells is equal to 1 + 1 per three caster levels.

Chakra Disruption I

School necromancy (essence); Level all 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Range touch

Target one creature

Duration 1 round

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

You attempt to disrupt one of the target’s chakra slots with a melee touch attack. If you hit, select one of the target's chakra slots; you disrupt the selected slot. Veils shaped in that slot have their saving throws DC reduced by 2 (including the saving throws of any spheres or talents granted by that veil), their maximum essence capacity reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 0), and the target suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and CMB when using the abilities of veils shaped in that chakra slot (or the abilities of any spheres granted by that veil, or any weapons created by that veil).

A creature can be affected by this spell multiple times, but each individual chakra can only be affected once.

Essence: For each point of essence burned as part of casting this spell, the spell’s duration increases by 2 rounds.

Chakra Disruption II

School necromancy (essence); Level all 4

This functions as chakra disruption I, but the saving throw DC penalty, essence capacity reduction, and penalty to attacks and CMB increase to -3. This spell can be undercast.

Chakra Disruption III

School necromancy (essence); Level all 8

This functions as chakra disruption I, but the saving throw DC penalty, essence capacity reduction, and penalty to attacks and CMB increase to -4. This spell can be undercast.

Dampen Essence I

School abjuration (essence); Level all 2

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Area 5-foot radius emanation centered on you

Target self

Duration 1 min./level (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

DESCRIPTION

You manifest an aura that dampens akasha within its area. The essence receptacles of all creatures and objects in the area, including yourself, have their maximum essence capacity reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0). If this effect would cause an essence receptacle to be invested with more essence than its maximum essence capacity any excess essence is immediately uninvested.

Essence: For each point of essence burned as part of casting this spell, the radius of the aura increases by 5 feet.

Dampen Essence II

School abjuration (essence); Level all 4

This functions as dampen essence I, but the essence capacity reduction is increased to 2. This spell can be undercast.

Dampen Essence III

School abjuration (essence); Level all 6

This functions as dampen essence I, but the essence capacity reduction is increased to 3. This spell can be undercast.

Dampen Essence IV

School abjuration (essence); Level all 8

This functions as dampen essence I, but the essence capacity reduction is increased to 4. This spell can be undercast.

Mending Essence

School conjuration (essence); Level all 3

CASTING

Casting Time 1 swift action

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Range personal

Target you

DESCRIPTION

You ignite your essence in a sudden burst of power, soothing your body and soul and regaining hit points for each point of essence burned.

Essence: For each point of essence burned as part of casting this spell, you regain 1d8+3 hit points.

Reactualization

School divination; Level all 9

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Range personal

Target you

DESCRIPTION

You instantly reactualize your essence, instantly allowing you to reshape your veils as if you had rested and then had meditated to reshape them for the day and ignoring the normal once per day limit for doing so. You also instantly restore any essence burn you are suffering from as if you had rested to restore it. 

Restore Veil, Ultimate*

School transmutation; Level all 8

CASTING

Components: V, S

EFFECT

Range touch

Target one creature

Duration instantaneous

DESCRIPTION

This spell functions as per restore veil, save that it restores every one of the touched creature’s suppressed veils.

*This spell is designed around updates to Akashic Spells coming in the future with Spellweaver Retold; if you are using the original spells, it currently overlaps in effect with the original version of greater restore veil.