Patreon Drop: Akashic Core Week 3 — Dwarves, Clerics, Fighters

Hey there Patrons! I am here today to present the second week of Akashic Core content, this time with new feats for Dwarves, and an akashic archetype for Clerics and Fighters!

Akashic Warrior [Retold] (Fighter Archetype)

These warriors have honed the essence of their soul to a lethal point, granting them a supernatural edge.

Akashic Warrior: While not a true veilweaver, the akashic warrior is trained in the use of essence and magic. They have an effective veilweaving level equal to their class level, treat their fighter levels as levels in a veilweaving class, and use their Wisdom as their veilweaving modifier.

Bonus Feats: The akashic warrior can select Akashic feats using their fighter bonus feats in addition to the normal available feats. 

This modifies the fighter’s bonus feats, but not for the purposes of archetype compatibility.

Essence Pool: At 1st level, the akashic warrior gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their essence receptacles to increase their power. The akashic warrior gains 1 point of essence at each class level.

Mighty Soul, Hardened Body (Su): At 1st level, the akashic warrior can harness the power of their soul to harden their body and ward themself from harm. This ability can be invested with essence; at the end of each of the akashic warrior’s turns, they gain 2 temporary hit points per point of essence invested. These temporary hit points persist until the end of their next turn.

Akashic Resolve (Su): At 2nd level, the akashic warrior can utilize their essence to enhance their resolve and fortify their mind. This ability can be invested with essence; for each point invested, the akashic warrior gains a +1 insight bonus to saving throws against emotion, fear, and mind-affecting effects.

This ability replaces the fighter’s bravery class feature, but not for the purposes of compatibility with other archetypes that replace the feature; if another archetype would replace bravery, it replaces this class feature instead.

Essential Armaments (Su): At 3rd level, the akashic warrior has learned to fortify their equipment with their essence, making it lighter and more responsive. This ability can be invested with essence; for each point invested, the akashic warrior treats the armor check penalty of their worn armor and wielded shields as 1 lower (to a minimum of 0), and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus of their worn armor and wielded shields by 1. 

When at least one point is invested, the akashic warrior’s worn armor and wielded shields are treated as magical.

When at least two points are invested, the akashic warrior can move at their normal speed while wearing medium armor.

When at least three points are invested, the akashic warrior can move at their normal speed while weaving heavy armor as well.

This ability replaces the fighter’s armor training class feature, but not for the purposes of compatibility with other archetypes that replace the feature; if another archetype would replace armor training, it replaces this class feature instead.

Improved Essence Capacity: The akashic warrior’s constant training with their essence has granted them greater insight into its use. At 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level, the maximum essence capacity of the akashic warrior’s veils and essence receptacles increases by +1.

Steel Bond (Su): At 5th level, the akashic warrior has learned to channel their essence into their wielded weapons, allowing them to be wielded with greater accuracy and force. This ability can be invested with essence; for each point invested, the akashic warrior gains a +1 bonus to weapon attack and damage rolls.

When at least one point is invested, the akashic warrior’s weapons are considered magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

When at least three points are invested, they are also treated as cold iron and silver.

When at least six points are invested, they are also treated as adamantine for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.

This ability replaces the fighter’s weapon training class feature, but not for the purposes of compatibility with other archetypes that replace the feature; if another archetype would replace weapon training, it replaces this class feature instead.

Soul Tender (Cleric Archetype)

Enigmatic clerics highly attuned to the powers of the soul, a soul tender’s purpose is to guide the souls of both the faithful and unfaithful through the beliefs and tenants instilled by their faith; whether that be through blessings or through punishment.

Proficiencies: Soul tenders are proficient with all simple weapons. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

This modifies the cleric’s proficiencies.

Aligned Energies: At 1st level, the soul tender becomes aligned with the powers of good or evil, based on their own alignment or the alignment of the deity they worship:

• Good Aligned: A good-aligned soul tender (or a neutral soul tender who worships a good-aligned deity) has their energy aligned towards good.

• Evil Aligned: An evil-aligned soul tender (or a neutral soul tender who worships an evil-aligned deity) has their energy aligned towards evil.

• Neutral: A neutral soul tender who worships a neutral deity (or one not devoted to a particular deity) must choose whether their energies are good or evil aligned at 1st level; once this choice has been made it cannot be changed.

The alignment of their energy determines their veilweaving, the abilities of their akashic bond class feature, and their spontaneous casting.

Limited Domain: A soul tender only chooses and gains one domain.

This modifies the cleric’s domains class feature.

Reduced Spells: A soul tender prepares and casts two fewer spells each day of each spell level except for orisons, 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 domain spell slots.

This modifies the cleric’s spells class feature.

Soul Tender’s Veilweaving (Su): A soul tender learns to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which are drawn from the radiant veil list. They know and can shape any veil from the list. The soul tender uses their Wisdom as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The DCs of the soul tender’s veils are equal to 10 + the number of points of essence invested in the veil + the soul tender’s veilweaving modifier. 

At 1st level, the soul tender gains the ability to shape a limited number of veils each day. They can shape 1 veil at 1st level, and gain the ability to shape 1 additional veil at 11th, and 20th level.

Aligned Veilweaving: At 1st level, the soul tender gains the learns the ability to shape additional veils based on the alignment of their energy. They do not learn the ability to shape esoteric veils from the below lists (those that can be shaped in non-standard veil slots such as Blood or Ring).

• Good-aligned: If the soul tender’s energies are good aligned, they add all veils with the Healing, Good, or Positive Energy descriptors to their veil list. 

• Evil-aligned: If the soul tender’s energies are evil aligned, they add all veils with the Death, Evil, or Negative Energy descriptors to their veil list. 

Essence Pool: At 1st level, the soul tender gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their essence receptacles to increase their power. The soul tender gains 1 point of essence at each class level.

Akashic Bond: At 1st level, the soul tender gains both the akashic bond ability of the retold radiant, and the enervating bond ability of the enervant archetype. They use their cleric level as their effective radiant level for these abilities, and these abilities are limited based on the alignment of their energies: 

• Good-aligned: The soul tender can only use their akashic bond on living creatures, and can only use their enervating bond on undead creatures.

• Evil-aligned: The soul tender can only use their akashic bond on undead creatures, and can only use their enervating bond on living creatures.

If the soul tender takes levels in radiant, their cleric and radiant levels stack (to a maximum of their character level) when determining the effects of their akashic bond (if their radiant levels grant akashic bond) or their enervating bond (if their radiant levels grant enervating bond).

This replaces the cleric’s channel energy class feature.

Improved Essence Capacity: As the soul tender expands their knowledge over both spells and veils, so too do they expand their ability to utilize their essence. At 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level, the maximum essence capacity of the soul tender’s veils and essence receptacles increases by +1.

Selectable Binds: At 3rd, 13th, and 20th level the soul tender 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

Vivifications: At 5th level, 9th, and 13th, and 17th level, the soul tender gains a vivification, as per the retold radiant class feature. The vivifications they gain in this way function as per a bright enervation for the targets of their enervating bond, as per the enervant class feature.

Bonded Grasp: At 7th level, the soul tender treats any creature they have formed an akashic bond or enervating bond that is within Close range (25 feet + 5 feet per two class levels) as is they are always within touch range for the purposes of their touch-range spells and the touch-range abilities of their veils; they do not need to have line of sight or effect or line of sight when using a touch range spell or ability on a creature using their bond.

At 15th level, this range extends to Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per class level).

At 19th, this range extends to Long range (400 feet + 40 feet per class level).

Feats

Ancestral Hatred (Akashic)

The history of all your ancestors and their grudges are stored within the Akashic Record and by learning to tap into those histories you too can temporarily take on their long-dead ire.

Prerequisites: Hatred racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: As part of your daily preparations, you can choose to have your hatred racial trait apply to a single creature type of your choice rather than to the normal types and subtypes of creatures affected by your hatred racial trait. If you choose Humanoid or Outsider, you must choose a subtype that your hatred racial trait applies to rather than all creatures of that type. This feat can be invested with essence; for each point invested you gain a +2 insight bonus on Knowledge checks made to identify creatures affected by your hatred racial trait, and you can make Knowledge checks to identify them untrained.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Greed-Filled Gaze (Akashic, Dwarf)

Your greed is so great that your soul is naturally attuned to it, allowing your gaze to more easily determine value at a glance, especially the value of veils.

Prerequisites: Dwarf, greed racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: You may use Appraise to identify veils and their effects, and the bonus to Appraise checks granted by your greed racial trait applies when using Appraise to do so. This feat can be invested with essence; for each point of essence, you gain a +1 insight bonus on Appraise checks.

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.

Honed Hardiness (Akashic, Dwarf)

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

Prerequisites: Dwarf, hardy racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: Your hardy racial trait now also applies to saving throws against the supernatural effects of veils. This feat can be invested with essence; for each point of essence invested, you gain a +1 insight bonus on saving throws against poisons. For every three points invested, you gain a +1 insight bonus on saving throws against spells, spell-like abilities, and the supernatural effects of veils.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Soul of Stone (Akashic, Dwarf)

Your very soul is tied to the earth, granting you even deeper insight into the workings of the stone that surrounds you.

Prerequisites: Dwarf, stonecunning racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: This feat can be invested with essence. When it is invested with 1 or more points of essence, you gain tremorsense out to a range of 10 feet and the bonus granted by your stonecunning racial trait increases by an amount equal to the essence invested.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Stone’s Listener (Akashic, Dwarf)

You have further honed your souls’ attunement to the earth, allowing you to further listen to its mysteries.

Prerequisites: Soul of Stone, essence capacity 3 or higher with Soul of Stone

Benefits: For every two points of essence invested in your Soul of Stone feat beyond the first, the range of the tremorsense granted by that feat and the range at which you receive an automatic Perception check using your stonecunning racial trait both increase by 5 feet.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Stone’s Speaker (Akashic, Dwarf)

Your soul’s connection to earth and stone has further evolved, granting you even deeper insight into the knowledge of the earth.

Prerequisites: Stone’s Listener, essence capacity of 5 or higher with Soul of Stone

Benefits: When at least 5 points of essence are invested in your Soul of Stone feat, you gain the ability to speak to and hear the responses of the stones you walk upon. By meditating for 10 minutes, you gain the benefits of stone tell until you move from your current space, or until Soul of Stone has essence removed from it. You can only speak with stones within the range of your tremorsense granted by Soul of Stone, but you can speak with any stone you can sense rather than just those within line of effect of you. 

You gain 1 point of essence.

Veiled Stability (Akashic, Dwarf)

You have learned to leverage your grounded stability to protect your veils from harm.

Prerequisites: Dwarf, stability racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: This feat can be invested with essence. When it is invested with 1 or more points of essence, your stability racial trait also applies to your CMD against sunder attempts made against your veils while you are standing on solid ground. If you shape a Title veil, this only applies while the entitled is standing on solid ground for that veil. If you shape a Brand veil, this only applies while the branded creature is standing on solid ground for that veil.

For each point of essence invested, the bonus to CMD granted by your stability racial trait increases by 1, this increase is considered an insight bonus for the purposes of stacking, and the hardness of your veils is treated as 1 higher while you are standing on solid ground (or when the entitled is standing on solid ground for Title veils, or the branded is standing on solid ground for Brand veils). This doesn’t stack with other effects that increase the hardness of your veils.

You gain 1 point of essence.