Patreon Drop: Expanded Core Week 1

Hey there patrons and welcome to the first week of drops for a project I am (currently) calling Akasha Retold — Expanded Core. This project is adding a bunch of new akashic options for PF1e core races and akashic archetypes and features for the eleven core PF1e classes!

This week features Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, Bards, and Barbarians!

Rageshaper [Retold] (Barbarian and Unchained Barbarian Archetype)

Wrathful Veilweaving: The rageshaper has learned to shape their rage into powerful akashic veils. They do not shape veils like a normal veilweaver and do not gain any veil slots. They do however have a veilweaving level equal to their class level and their Charisma as their veilweaving modifier. The DC of their veils is equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + their veilweaving modifier.

The rageshaper does not gain the normal morale bonus to Strength when they rage (or the morale bonus to melee attack rolls and melee and thrown damage rolls, if they are an unchained barbarian). The Strength bonus (or the bonus to attack and damage rolls) granted by their rage is not increased by any effect that would normally increase it, such as greater rage or mighty rage.

When the rageshaper begins their rage they instantly shape a passion veil from the retold wrath daevic passion of their choice. This veil can be shaped alongside other veils in the same chakra slot, and it is unshaped when the rage ends. If they have the ability to bind a veil shaped in this way to its chakra slot, they may bind it as part of shaping it in this way. They also gain the ability to shape the Daevic Aspect veil using this ability, even if they cannot normally shape veils to the Blood chakra slot. They always choose the Wrath aspect when shaping it using this ability. The rageshaper can never bind essence to veils shaped using this ability. If any of the abilities of one of these veils would require concentration and be unable to be used while raging (such as a spell-like ability), or provide a bonus to a skill that normally cannot be used while raging, the barbarian can use those abilities and skills while raging with that veil shaped using this ability.

When they begin their rage they also gain an amount of temporary essence equal to 1/2 their class level, rounded up, and can instantly invest it into their essence receptacles upon gaining them. This temporary essence is lost when their rage ends.

At 2nd level, and 6th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the rageshaper shapes one additional veil when they begin their rage.

This modifies the barbarian’s rage, greater rage, and mighty rage class features and replaces their rage powers gained at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. 

Expanded Rageveils: At 2nd level, and again at 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the rageshaper chooses one veil from the daevic veil list; they add that veil to the list of veils they can shape using their wrathful veilweaving. If they choose a veil able to be shaped in the Blood chakra slot, they can shape it to that slot even if they cannot normally shape veils to the Blood chakra slot. Whenever the rageshaper gains a level, they can change a veil chosen using this ability for a different veil.

Wrathful Binds: As the rageshaper grows in power, so too does their ability to bind the veils they shape with their rage. At 2nd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the rageshaper gains the ability to bind the veils they shape using their rage directly to their chakra, unlocking binds in the following order: Hands, Feet, Head, Wrists, Shoulders, Headband, Belt, Neck, Chest, and Body. At 9th level, they also gain the ability to bind Blood veils shaped using their rage to the Blood chakra slot.

Improved Essence Capacity: At 3rd level, the rageshaper attunement to their akashic rage has further empowered their ability to utilize essence. At 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level, the maximum essence capacity of the rageshaper’s essence receptacles increases by 1.

Wrathful Essence: At 11th level, the amount of temporary essence granted when they begin their rage increases to be equal to their class level.

Apotheosis: At 20th level, the rageshaper is fully subsumed by the burning akasha they use to empower their veils, changing them into a creature of rage-fueled akasha. Their type changes to Outsider with the native subtype, they no longer need to eat or sleep, and they gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet (or a 60-foot increase to their existing darkvision). The veils they shape using their wrathful veilweaving are now shaped continuously; they aren’t unshaped when their rage ends. Whenever they begin their rage, they can choose to unshape any of those veils and shape new veils in their place. If any of these veils become unshaped or suppressed through other means, they become unsuppressed and the rageshaper can reshape them when they begin their rage. While they are raging, the essence capacity of all of their veils shaped as part of their rage increases by 1.

Additionally, the temporary essence granted by their rage and their wrathful essence class feature now becomes permanent essence, rather than temporary essence. Rather than gaining temporary essence when they begin their rage, they may instead reinvest their essence as a free action each turn while they are raging.

Resonant Song [Retold] (Bard Archetype)

Hypnotic Resonance (Su): At 1st level, the resonant song gains the ability to shape their songs into physical form. They gain the ability to shape the Hands of the Bard (Retold) veil and gain the ability to shape 1 veil each day. They use their Charisma as their veilweaving modifier and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The DC of the resonant song’s veils is equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + their veilweaving modifier.

While the resonant song has the Hands of the Bard veil shaped and unsuppressed, they gain the ability to cast summon instrument as an at-will spell-like ability once each round as a free action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. They may only have one instrument created in this way, and when casting the spell in this way it has no maximum duration; the instrument persists until the resonant song chooses to dismiss it as a free action, the instrument leaves their hands, or their Hands of the Bard becomes suppressed or unshaped.

This replaces the bard’s fascination, suggestion, mass suggestion, and dirge of doom performances.

Essence Pool:  At 1st level, the resonant song gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their veils and other essence receptacles to increase their power. The resonant song gains 1 point of essence at 1st level, 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter.

Hands Bind: At 2nd level, the resonant song gains the ability to bind veils to their Hands chakra.

Improved Essence Capacity: At 3rd level, through their practice and study of the performing arts the resonant song has better learned to wield their essence. At 3rd level, 9th level, and 15th level, the maximum essence capacity of the resonant song’s essence receptacles increases by 1.

Song of Simulated Life (Su): At 8th level, the resonant song has learned to further improve their performances, singing false life into their Hands of the Bard veil. When the resonant song begins a bardic performance, they can choose to animate their Hands of the Bard veil, causing it to separate from their body in an adjacent space and then move up to 20 feet. It is not considered a creature, and exists within a single 5-foot cube. It is not affected by gravity or difficult terrain, allowing it to move in any direction. Whenever the resonant song maintains their performance, they may move the Hands of the Bard up to 20 feet. 

The resonant song can use their own actions to take actions using the Hands, allowing them to use any action they could normally take with their own hands (such as lifting or carrying objects). They may also use the Hands to deliver touch spells they cast, or to act as the origin for any spells they cast (they still determine line of sight from their own space, and determine line of effect from the Hands’ space when doing so).

If the resonant song is wielding a weapon or holding an instrument when they animate the veil, they can choose for the Hands of the Bard to take it the weapon or instrument; that weapon or instrument is still considered to be wielded by the resonant song for all purposes, such as if determining whether the instruments produced using this archetype’s summon instrument spell-like ability are dismissed. 

If the Hands of the Bard are wielding a weapon, the resonant song can use the Hands to attack using that weapon as if they are wielding it, using the Hands’ space to determine their threatened area and reach. The resonant song uses their own actions to attack in this way, and when wielding a weapon the hands threaten attacks of opportunity and flank with your allies. When attacking using the Hands of the Bard, the resonant song uses their Charisma modifier in place of their Strength and Dexterity modifiers for weapon attack and damage rolls.

If the Hands of the Bard is holding an instrument that the resonant song used to start the performance, they may have the Hands of the Bard continue playing that instrument to maintain the performance in their stead.

The Hands of the Bard can be sundered as normal when animated in this way by targeting the Hands itself, and the Hands use the resonant song’s CMD for sunder attempts made against them. If the resonant song ends their turn with their Hands of the Bard further than Medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per class level) from them, the veil is immediately suppressed. If it is suppressed, or the resonant song ends their performance, the veil immediately returns to them and any items it is holding are dropped in its space.

Feats

Delved Adaptability (Akashic, Half-Elf)

Your mind is particularly adaptable, delving into the Akashic Records as you sleep and allowing you to achieve great things.

Prerequisites: Half-elf, adaptability racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: As part of your daily preparations, you can change the skill you have selected using the Skill Focus feat granted by your adaptability racial trait. You treat the chosen skill as a class skill. If you are using your previous Skill Focus feat to meet prerequisites, you lose the benefits of any abilities it is used as a prerequisite for until you meet those prerequisites again.

This feat can be invested with essence; for each point invested you gain a +1 insight bonus to the chosen skill. This bonus is a supernatural effect.

You gain 1 point of essence.

Ferocious Soul (Akashic, Half-Orc)

The ferocity of your soul is empowered by your essence, allowing you to persist long beyond when your body would normally succumb to its wounds.

Prerequisites: Half-orc, orc ferocity racial trait, essence pool or akashic subtype

Benefits: This feat can be invested with essence; for each point of essence invested in this feat, you can fight for 1 additional round using your orc ferocity before falling unconscious. 

Whenever you would be brought to below 0 hit points but not killed, you can reinvest your essence as a free action (even outside of your turn). If you do not have a daily use of your orc ferocity remaining, you may bind 1 point of essence to this feat as part of reinvesting your essence in this way to gain 1 additional use of your orc ferocity, which you can choose to immediately activate if you wish to.

You gain 1 point of essence.