Akasha Expanded: Storms of Summer (Patreon)

Herald of Summer (Stormbound Archetype)

To the creatures of the fey realms the seasons are said to have once been ancient, primordial beings that warred over the realms. Some are blessed by these powers, and are referred to by the fey as their heralds. The heralds of summer are one such group; mystical wielders of extreme winds and encompassing heat that carry summer in their wake.

Summer’s Weave (Su)

The herald of summer gains access to a unique veil shot: the Storm slot. The herald of summer gains an additional veil each day that must be used to shape a Storm veil. Unlike a normal stormbound, a herald of summer may freely invest their essence to or from their storm veils.

The encompassing heat of summer permeates the herald of summer’s soul, allowing them to call upon unique and devastating summer storms from beyond the mortal realms. Whenever the herald of summer shapes a Storm veil with the Acid, Cold, or Electricity descriptors, they can choose to shape that veil with the Fire descriptor instead. Any acid, cold, or electricity damage dealt by this veil instead deals fire damage.

This replaces the stormbound’s stormweaving class feature.

Summerproofing (Su)

Due to their unique connection to the primeval forces of summer, the herald of summer’s protection from the natural elements and the protection from their storm veils only applies to weather that draws upon the power of summer itself.

The benefits of endure elements provided by the herald of summer’s weatherproofing class feature only applies to hot environments (from 15 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) and their weatherproofing’s ability to negate the damage of their Storm veils only applies to damage dealt by their veils with the Air or Fire descriptors, rather than all damage.

This modifies the stormbound’s weatherproofing class feature.

Summer’s Intensity (Su)

The herald of summer’s connection to the powers of fire and heat is so intense that it permeates their essence entirely, intensifying their fire-based akasha. Whenever the herald of summer deals fire damage to a creature with one of their storm powers or veils, they treat that creature's fire resistance as if it were 5 lower (to a minimum of 0). They treat their foe’s resistance as an additional 5 lower at 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter. This ability to reduce a creature's resistance to fire damage does not stack with other similar effects.

Scorching Powers

If the herald of summer gains a storm power that can be invested as if it were a storm veil, they may instead invest essence in it as if it were a normal essence receptacle. In addition, if they select a storm power which deals acid, cold, or electricity damage, when they select the storm power they can choose for it to deal fire damage instead.

This modifies the stormbound’s storm powers class feature.

Shifting Summer (Su)

The herald of summer’s command over scorching storms allows them to easily and effortlessly shift their storms into a new devastating shape. At 2nd level, when the herald of summer rolls initiative, or at the beginning of each of their turns, they can choose to take 2 points of essence burn to unshape a single shaped Storm veil, and immediately shape a new one in its place. If the Storm veil they unshape was bound to their chakra, the new Storm veil they shape in its place is also bound. If the unshaped Storm veil and the newly shaped Storm veil both have one of the Air or Fire descriptors, the herald of summer can use this ability without taking essence burn. A veil that has its descriptor changed to Fire using their Summer’s Weave ability counts as a Fire veil for the purposes of this ability.

This replaces the stormbound’s shifting storms class feature.

Summer’s Blessing (Su)

The herald of summer’s involvement with the primordial forces of summer grants them protection against its effects. At 2nd level, the herald of summer and any allies benefiting from their weatherproofing ability gain 5 fire resistance. This resistance increases by an additional 5 at 4th level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

Herald’s Essence (Ex)

At 11th level, the herald of summer’s internal pool of essence begins to swell with the primordial wellsprings of summer, granting them an additional point of essence. They gain an additional point of essence at 12th level, and every level thereafter.

This replaces the stormbound’s twinveil storm class feature.

Encompassing Heat (Su)

At 12th level, the herald of summer’s essence becomes so scorchingly hot that it becomes able to harm even those normally immune to summer’s enveloping heat. Whenever the herald of summer deals fire damage to a creature who has immunity to fire damage with a storm power or veil, they treat that creature as if it has 50 fire resistance instead. This resistance is then reduced by their summer’s intensity ability, as normal for fire resistance.

This replaces the stormbound’s improved stormweaving class feature.

Avatar of Summer: At 20th level, the primordial forces of summer infuse the herald fully with its power, transforming them into its avatar. The herald of summer’s type changes to fey, they gain low-light vision (or doubles the range of their low-light vision if they already possessed it), and immunity to fire damage. With their body fully sustained by the powers of summer they no longer age, need to eat or drink, or need to breathe. If the herald of summer is slain their body and equipment discorporeates into ash and flame and they are revived during the zenith of the next naturally occuring summer storm on the planet they died (or plane they died, if the plane they died on has no distinct planets). They are revived at full hit points with all of their equipment, and may immediately shape their veils as if they had rested for 8 hours. If summer storms do not exist on the planet or plane in which they died (such as the plane of cold), or if the planet or plane they died on has no natural weather (such as a demiplane without weather), the herald of summer cannot be revived with this ability. For the purposes of this ability, a summer storm is any storm that occurs during the summer season, or any storm which produces ash, fire, or intense heat.

This replaces the stormbound’s avatar of the elderstorm class feature.

New Storm Veils

The Flash Flood

Descriptors: Water

Class: Stormbound

Slot: Storm

Saving Throw: None

Water pours from the sky, pooling and churning upon the ground and threatening to pull creatures from their feet.

Investing at least one point of essence in this veil causes a torrential downpour of spectral rain that begins to pool on the ground within the storm’s area. This water is only semi-real, evaporating as soon as it leaves the storm’s area. This water does not waterlog or damage any objects submerged in it. It otherwise counts as water for all other purposes.

This water pools to a depth of six inches per point of essence invested in this veil. Creatures treat the area of the Storm as difficult terrain when the depth of the water is equal to half the height of their space, rounded down (2.5 feet/30 inches or 5 essence for Medium or Small creatures, 18 inches or 3 essence for Tiny creatures, etc).

Creatures must swim in this water when it reaches a depth equal to the height of their space, rounded down (5 feet/60 inches or 10 essence for Medium or Small creatures, 2.5 feet/30 inches or 5 essence for Tiny creatures, etc).

As a standard action, you can cause a wave of water to surge and attempt to trip or bull rush a creature within it. This wave forms a 5-foot length line starting from any point within the Storm. Make either a trip or bull rush attempt and compare it to the CMD of each creature in the area. If this line passes outside of the Storm, it has no effect on creatures outside of it. If your trip attempt fails by more than 10 you are not tripped.

When determining your CMB using this veil, you use your veilweaving level in place of your base attack bonus and your veilweaving modifier in place of your Strength modifier. Making combat maneuvers using this veil doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

Essence: For each point of essence invested in this veil, you gain a +2 insight bonus to your CMB when making combat maneuvers using this veil and you may increase the length of the line created by this Storm by 5 feet.

Chakra Bind (Storm): Binding this veil to your Storm chakra causes the waves of the storm to surge with dangerous riptides, threatening to pull those caught within them below the water. Whenever you use the ability of this veil, you can choose to make both a trip and bull rush attempt against each creature caught in its area rather than only one or the other. Make a single roll and treat it as your roll for both of these combat maneuver checks.

In addition, whenever you both successfully trip and bull rush a creature using this ability, and if that creature is still within your storm, you may make a grapple check against that creature as a free action.  If this ability would apply to multiple creature’s from a single use of this ability, make a single check and apply it against each of their CMDs.

On a successful attempt, instead of being grappled the creature is entangled and immobilized in its current space and cannot stand up from prone. It can attempt to break free from this entanglement as if it were breaking free from a grapple. If that creature leaves the area of your storm, the effect ends immediately. Creature’s entangled by this veil must hold their breath to avoid suffocation if they cannot breath water.

When determining your CMD for this effect, you use your veilweaving level in place of your base attack bonus and your veilweaving modifier replaces both your Strength and Dexterity modifiers (you only add your veilweaving modifier once). You also gain a +2 insight bonus to your CMD for this effect for each point of essence invested in the veil

At the beginning of each of your turns, you must make a new check to maintain this entanglement against each affected creature, making a single check and applying it against each of their CMDs. If you fail this check, the creature breaks free from the entangling current.

The Hurricane

Descriptors: Air

Class: Stormbound

Slot: Storm

Saving Throw: None

Clouds swirl in a massive ring around you, safety only found at the eye of your storm.

Shaping this veil causes wind and clouds to form within the area of your storm that circle you either clockwise or counter-clockwise, chosen when you shape this veil or whenever you reinvest your essence. A 5-foot radius area surrounding you (or the center of the storm, if you have the ability to center your storm on a location instead of on yourself) is the eye of the storm in which these winds do not circulate. You can choose to increase or decrease the radius of the eye (to a minimum of a 5-foot radius) each round at the beginning of your turn.

As a standard action, you can make a special bull rush attempt against a creature within your storm but not within the eye, using your veilweaving modifier in place of your base attack bonus and your veilweaving modifier in place of your Strength modifier. On a success, that creature takes 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage, is pushed 5 feet in the direction the storm is spinning or towards the eye of the storm (plus an additional 5 feet by every 5 your check beats its CMD) and is put off-guard until the end of your next turn. The forced movement from this storm ends early if the creature leaves the storm’s area, or enters the storm’s eye. This ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Off-guard creatures suffer a -1 penalty to their AC, CMD, and Reflex saves and can be affected by abilities as if they were denied their Dexterity bonus to AC. The penalties for being off-guard do not stack with themselves.

Essence: For each point of essence invested in this veil you gain a +2 insight bonus to CMB when making bull rush attempts using this veil and creatures bull rushed by the veil take an additional 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage. For each odd point of essence invested, the penalty to creatures put off-guard is increased by 1.

Chakra Bind (Storm): Binding this veil to your Storm chakra allows you to channel the true devastation of a tropical storm. You can use the ability of this veil as a move action, rather than as a standard action. In addition, as a full-round action you can use the ability of this storm against every creature within the area but not within its eye. Make a single check, and apply it to the CMD of each affected creature.

The Sweltering

Descriptors: Fire, Light

Class: Stormbound

Slot: Storm

Save: Fortitude (see text)

A miniature sun hovers above the pinnacle of the storm, beaming down pure sweltering light.

Investing at least one point of essence in this veil causes a miniature sun of pure akasha to bloom to life at the pinnacle of your storm’s height, increasing the light level within the area of the storm by one step (to a maximum of bright light) and causing dehydration and heat damage to creatures in the storm’s area. This light is not the equivalent of sunlight for the purposes of creatures that are damaged or destroyed by such light.

Each round a creature ends their turn within the area of the storm, they must make a Fortitude saving throw. The DC of this save increases by +1 for each consecutive round they spend within the area of the storm. On a failed save, they suffer 1d6 points of nonlethal fire damage as the moisture within their body is burned away and are fatigued until the damage dealt to them by this storm is healed. Once affected by this ability, they instead suffer an additional 2 points of nonlethal fire damage at the end of each turn they remain within the storm rather than its normal effects.

Essence: For each point of essence invested beyond the first, creatures suffer an additional 1d6 points of nonlethal fire damage when they fail their saving throw, and an additional 2 points of nonlethal fire damage for each round they spend within the storm thereafter. For every two points of essence invested beyond the first, the light level within the storm increases by an additional step (to a maximum of bright light).

Chakra Bind (Storm): Binding this veil to your Storm chakra imbues the storm with the potent energies of the sun, further dehydrating creatures and becoming anathema to those harmed by sunlight. Creatures that take penalties in bright light or are negatively affected by sunlight take lethal fire damage instead of nonlethal fire damage from this veil, the damage they suffer is increased by 50% (rounded down), and they must make saves against this veil even if they would normally be immune to Fortitude saving throws (such as undead). They also suffer the effects of fatigue and exhaustion imposed by this veil, even if they are normally immune to those conditions.

In addition, creatures fatigued by this veil must make a Fortitude save at the end of each turn they end within the storm (in addition to the normal nonlethal damage dealt). The DC of this save increases by +1 for each consecutive turn they spend within the storm while fatigued by it. On a failed save, they suffer 1d6 points of nonlethal fire damage per point of essence invested in this veil, and their fatigue worsens to the exhausted condition. They cannot be cured of this condition until they are healed of the damage dealt by this veil.

The Wildfire

Descriptors: Fire

Classes: Stormbound

Slot: Storm

Saving Throw: Reflex (see text), Fortitude (see text)

The air surrounding you shimmers with an eerie heat as small embers and flecks of ash fall from the air around you.

Investing this veil with at least one point of essence causes embers and ash to begin to fall within the area of your storm, igniting creatures and objects. Unattended flammable objects within the area of the storm immediately ignite, but these flames do not consume those items and automatically extinguish if this veil is uninvested or suppressed, or if the flames leave the area of the storm. Most objects formed of biological material are considered flammable objects for the purposes of this veil (such as grass, trees, corpses of living creatures, etc). If a burning object becomes attended, the flames go out at the beginning of the turn it becomes attended. If a flammable attended object becomes unattended, it ignites at the end of the turn it becomes unattended.

Creatures who enter a space containing a burning object, end their turn in the space of a burning object, or attempt to interact or are forced into contact with a burning object must make a Reflex saving throw. If they fail, they take 1d6 points of Fire damage and catch on fire. A creature who is already on fire does not suffer this effect. Interacting with a burning creature (such as by attacking them, touching them, or entering their space or ending their turn in their space) also causes them to suffer these effects. A creature cannot be affected by this ability more than once each round.

Creatures set on fire by this veil must make a Reflex saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns or take an additional 1d6 points of Fire damage. A success means the fire has gone out, dealing no damage and ending the effects. The effects also end if the creature leaves the area of the storm. The creature may also extinguish the flames by jumping in enough water to douse themself. By rolling on the ground to extinguish themself as a full-round action they can make an additional save against this effect with a +4 bonus (only if the ground isn’t on fire). A failed save doesn’t cause additional damage.

Essence: For each point of essence invested in this veil beyond the first, creatures interacting with burning objects and creatures suffer an additional 1d6 fire damage, and burning creatures suffer an additional 1d6 fire damage.

Chakra Bind (Storm): Binding this veil to your Storm chakra causes burning creatures and objects to emit a choking smoke which makes it difficult to see and breath within the area of the storm. While invested with at least one point of essence, the area of the storm fills with choking smoke which conceals the entire area of the storm as the fog cloud spell. Wind does not disperse the effects of this storm.

Creatures who end their turn in the storm without holding their breath must make a Fortitude saving throw or become sickened until they spend one full round outside of the storm. They also suffer from a coughing fit, dazing them until the beginning of their next turn. The saving throw DC of this effect increases by +1 for each consecutive round a creature spends within the area of the storm (even if they are holding their breath).