Akashic Spheres Unleashed: Champions and Might (Patreon)

Akashic Inventor (Technician Archetype)

Manipulating veils is a science to the akashic inventor, able to effortlessly alter their veils to improve or add to their functions.

Veilweaving: Akashic inventors gain the ability to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which they draw from the daevic veil list. The akashic inventor uses their practitioner modifier as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The saving throw DCs of the akashic inventor's veils are equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the akashic inventor’s veilweaving modifier.

At 1st level, the akashic inventor gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their veils and other essence receptacles to increase their power. The akashic inventor gains 1 point of essence at each class level except 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 (for a total of 15 points of essence at 19th level).

The akashic inventor can only shape a limited number of veils per day. They can shape 1 veil at 1st level, and gain the ability to shape 1 additional veil each day at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

This replaces the akashic inventor’s gadgets and technical insights class features.

Akashic Inventions (Su): Rather than creating inventions with objects as a base, the akashic inventor has learned to directly modify the veils they shape. Rather than having specific objects as a prerequisite, their inventions have a veil of a certain slot as a prerequisite. Their inventions modify this veil rather than an object. As long as they have the veil shaped and unsuppressed they gain the benefits of any improvements they grant that veil. The effects of these improvements are considered supernatural effects. The akashic inventor cannot create grand gadgets or independent inventions.

Whenever the akashic inventor shapes their veils, they can adjust all of improvements modifying their veils. If they unshape and reshape a modified veil, they may apply modifications to the newly shaped veil immediately.

Inventions for the akashic inventor have the following prerequisites instead of their normal listed prerequisites:

• Improved Armor: Any [Enhanced (armor)] veil. These modifications affect the armor produced by the modified veil.
• Improved Backpack: Belt or Shoulders slot veil.
• Improved Boots: Feet slot veil.
• Improved Crossbow: Any [Enhanced (weapon)] veil that produces a crossbow. These modifications affect the crossbow produced by the modified veil.
• Improved Firearm: Any [Enhanced (weapon)] veil that produces a firearm. These modifications affect the crossbow produced by the modified veil.
• Improved Gloves: Hands or Wrists slot veil.
• Improved Goggles: Head or Headband slot veil.
• Improved Melee Weapon: Any [Enhanced (weapon)] veil that produces a melee weapon. These modifications affect the melee weapons produced by the modified veil.
• Improved Shield: Any [Enhanced (shield)] veil that produces a shield. These modifications affect the shield produced by the modified veil.
• Improved Suit: Chest or Body slot veil.

This modifies the technician’s inventions class feature.

Sidebar: Akashic Constructs

If your game is using the Akashic Construct optional rules, the akashic inventor can create an akashic construct as one of their inventions. This akashic construct takes up one of their shaped veils. Unlike a normal akashic construct, it does not gain akashic upgrades at 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level. Instead, the akashic inventor applies akashic upgrades to their akashic construct using their improvements. These akashic upgrades granted as improvements otherwise follow all the other rules for akashic upgrades.

Low Chakra Binding: At 2nd level, the akashic inventor gains access to a low chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Feet or Hands slot. At 4th level, they additionally can choose between the Head slot, and can choose two binds rather than one.

Improved Essence Capacity: The akashic inventor’s continual tinkering and modification of their veils has expanded their ability to invest them with essence. At 3rd, 9th, and 15th level the maximum essence capacity of all of the akashic inventor’s essence receptacles increases by 1.

Middle Chakra Binding: At 8th level, the akashic inventor gains access to a middle chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Wrists, Shoulders or Headband slots. At 12th level, they choose two binds rather than one.

High Chakra Binding: At 16th level, the akashic inventor gains access to a high chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Neck, or Belt slot.

Pinnacle Chakra Binding: At 20th level, the akashic inventor gains access to a pinnacle chakra bind. Each day when they shape their veils, they can choose whether they wish to bind veils to the Chest, or Body slot.

Enveiled Cultist (Reaper Archetype)

Reapers know that magic comes from the blood, and the enveiled cultist directly draws upon that power in the form of essence to shape potent veils to hunt down and slay their chosen foes.

Combat Training: An enveiled cultist may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Enveiled cultists are considered Proficient combatants and use their choice of their Intelligence, Wisdom or their Charisma as their practitioner modifier.

This replaces the reaper’s casting, spell pool, and blended training class features.

Cult of Veils (Su): The enveiled cultist’s specialized training has granted them the ability to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which are drawn from the promethean veil list. They know and can shape any veil from this list. The enveiled cultist uses their practitioner modifier as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The saving throw DCs of the shadowcad’s veils are equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the enveiled cultist’s veilweaving modifier.

The enveiled cultist can only shape a limited number of veils per day. They can shape 1 veil at 1st level, and gain the ability to shape 1 additional veil each day at 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

At 1st level, the enveiled cultist gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their veils and other essence receptacles to increase their power. The enveiled cultist gains 1 point of essence at each odd-numbered class level.

Magic from Essence (Su): Whenever one of the enveiled cultist’s reaper class features or feats granted by reaper class features (such as the Counterspell feat granted by the magekiller archetype) would require an expenditure of spell points, they may instead take 1 point of essence burn for each spell point they would normally spend. Unlike normal points of essence burn, this essence burn cannot be recovered by meditating. It instead automatically recovers 1 hour after it was spent. If they would be refunded spell points as part of a reaper class feature, it instead restores 1 point of this essence burn per point refunded.

Additionally, the enveiled cultist treats their reaper levels as levels in a spherecasting class for the purposes of determining their MSB and MSD for the purpose of their reaper class features or feats granted by their reaper class features.

Chakra Binds: At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, the enveiled cultist gains the ability to bind veils directly to their chakra, unlocking potent new abilities. The enveiled cultist gains the ability to bind chakra slots in the following order: Hands, Feet, Head, Wrists, Shoulders, Headband, Neck, Belt, Chest, Body.

Enveiled Reaper Techniques: The enveiled cultist does not gain the ability to select the Champion or Skilled Magic reaper techniques. They instead add the following techniques to the list of techniques they can select:

• Akashic Enlightenment: The enveiled cultist gains a single Akashic feat they meet the prerequisites of as a bonus feat. This reaper technique can be selected multiple times, each additional time it is selected grants an additional feat.
• Skilled Combatant: The enveiled cultist gains a single Combat feat they meet the prerequisites of as a bonus feat. This reaper technique can be selected multiple times, each additional time it is selected grants an additional feat.

This modifies the reaper’s reaper techniques class feature, but not for the purposes of archetype compatibility.

Unveiled Prey (Su): At 3rd level, Whenever the enveiled cultist would use a veil effect, make an attack using a veil, or make an attack with a weapon or natural weapon created by a veil against their favored prey, they treat that veil as if it were invested with an additional 1 point of essence when determining the effects of the veil effect or attack (including saving throw DC, damage, and any other numerical effects based on essence). This essence is considered to be invested as the effect is activated, allowing any range increases to be used as well. At 8th level and every 5 levels after, they are treated as invested with an additional 1 point of essence.

If an effect of a veil would effect multiple creatures, it only gains the benefits of this ability if it only targets creatures that belong to the enveiled cultist’s favored prey.

This replaces the reaper’s prey casting bonus class feature.

Shadowcad (Mountebank Archetype)

Rather than focusing on illusions, these mountebank have specialized in veils that manipulate the dark itself to carry shadows to hide their nefarious deeds.

Combat Training: A shadowcad may combine combat spheres and talents to create powerful martial techniques. Shadowcads are considered Proficient combatants and use either their Intelligence or their Charisma as their practitioner modifier.

This replaces the mountebank’s casting, spell pool, and  blended training class features.

Shadowcad’s Training: Any time one of the shadowcad’s class features would refer to their casting ability modifier, they instead use their practitioner modifier.

Shadowed Veilweaving (Su): A shadowcad veilweaver learns to shape the magical power known as akasha into powerful veils, which are drawn from the eclipse veil list. They know and can shape any veil from this list. The shadowcad uses their practitioner modifier as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level. The saving throw DCs of the shadowcad’s veils are equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the shadowcad’s veilweaving modifier.

The shadowcad can only shape a limited number of veils per day. They can shape 1 veil at 1st level, and gain the ability to shape 1 additional veil each day at 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level.

At 1st level, the shadowcad gains access to a pool of essence which can be invested into their veils and other essence receptacles to increase their power. The shadowcad gains 1 point of essence at each class level.

Shadowcad’s Guile: The shadowcad gains the Scoundrel sphere as a bonus talent at 1st level. They cannot select the natural rogue drawback when gaining this talent. If they already have this drawback, this bonus talent must be used to buy off that drawback. If they already possess the sphere and don’t have that drawback, they gain a bonus combat talent of their choice instead.

This replaces the mountebank’s natural scoundrel class feature.

Well of Darkness: At 1st level, when the shadowcad shapes their veils for the day they select one veil belonging to either the Eternal Black or Void’s Embrace veil sets. This veil is considered to be shaped on the shadowcad, and does not count against their total veils shaped or veil slots. They may invest essence in it normally, as well as bind it if they have unlocked the bind slot for it.

Eyes of Night (Su): At 1st level, the shadowcad gains darkvision out to 60 feet; if they already have darkvision, it is increased by 30 feet. This increase stacks with other effects that increase the range of the shadowcad’s darkvision. The shadowcad may invest essence into this ability to increase its effects; for every point of essence invested, the range of the shadowcad’s darkvision increases by an additional 20 feet. If the eclipse has at least 4 points of essence invested in this ability, they gain the supernatural ability to see in darkness using their darkvision and can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper darkness.

Enshadowed Veils (Su): At 3rd level, the shadowcad’s veils become particularly hard to see or decipher the effects of. To even notice the shadowcad’s veils a creature must make a Perception or Spellcraft check with a DC equal to 15 + the shadowcad’s number of ranks in Stealth + their Pracitioner modifier. The DC to determine the effects of one of the shadowcad’s veils if that veil is even noticed is increased by an amount equal to the ranks in Stealth as well.

Whenever the shadowcad uses a veil effect they can further enshadow it, making it appear like they are doing nothing at all and potentially hiding the fact they were involved in its effects. Whenever the shadowcad uses an effect of a veil with an action cost, they can choose to increase the action cost required to activate the effect to hide its effects with their enshadowed essence. Veil effects that normally take a swift action now take a move action, veil effects that take a move action now take a standard action, and veil effects that take a standard action now take a full-round action, and veil effects that normally take longer than a standard action take twice as long (free action spells still take a free action). This ability cannot be used with weapons created by veils.

To discover the shadowcad’s ruse, a creature must succeed at a Perception or Spellcraft check (the creature receives an automatic check with whichever of those skills has the highest bonus) against a DC equal to 15 + the shadowcad’s number of ranks in Stealth + their practitioner modifier.

If an opponent fails its check, the shadowcad’s veil effect doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity if it normally would, and an opponent that fails its check can’t use readied actions that depend on realizing that the shadowcad is using an effect of their veils. Veils that create an additional obvious effect still create that effect, though it might not be obvious who activated the veil unless it emanates from the shadowcad (such as the aura produced by the Pooling Black veil).

If a character interacts with the shadowcad long enough to attempt a Sense Motive check without realizing they have been using the effects of a veil, that character can use Sense Motive to gain a hunch that they are behaving unusually.

This counts as the veiled magic class feature for the purposes of the mountebank’s swift veil class feature.

This replaces the mountebank’s veiled magic class feature.

Trick Veilweaving (Ex): At 3rd level, whenever a shadowcad has hidden their activation of a veil effect, once per round as a free action, they can expend their martial focus to attempt to feint against a creature within 30 ft. of themself. This feint attempt resolves before the activation of the veil effect, and the creature is unaware of the feint being used against them.

This counts as the trick casting class feature for the purposes of the mountebank’s advanced trickery and master trickster class features.

This replaces the mountebank’s trick casting class feature.

Chakra Binds: At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter, the shadowcad gains the ability to bind veils directly to their chakra, unlocking potent new abilities. Shadowcads gains the ability to bind slots in the following order: Feet, Hands, Head, Wrists, Shoulders, and Belt.

Improved Essence Capacity: The shadows empowering the shadowcad’s veils grows in power alongside them, granting them insights into how to further invest them with essence. At 3rd, 9th, and 15th level the maximum essence capacity of all of their essence receptacles increases by 1.

Secretive Veilweaving (Ex): At 6th level, the saving throw DCs of the shadowcad’s veils increase by +1 when used against a creature denied their Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not). This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 12th and 18th level.

This replaces the mountebank’s secretive casting class feature.

New Conscript Combat Specializations

Arsenal of Akasha (Su) (3 points)

At 1st level, the conscript gains a limited ability to shape veils that grant them weapons, armor, or shields. The conscript uses their practitioner modifier as their veilweaving modifier, and has a veilweaving level equal to their class level when shaping veils using this combat specialization. The saving throw DCs of these veils is equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the conscript’s veilweaving modifier. The conscript may change the veils they shape using this veil by resting to reshape their veils. Veils shaped using this class feature cannot be invested with essence; they are always treated as if they were invested with the maximum amount of essence. This effective essence doesn’t count towards the conscripts pool of essence for the purposes of abilities that determine their effects based on their essence pool. Veils shaped using this combat specialization do not count against the number of veils they may have shaped each day, and it does not count against the slot it is shaped in.

At 1st level, the conscript gains the ability to shape a veil with the [Enhanced (weapon)] descriptor from the Kheshig veil list each day.

At 3rd level, the conscript may always treat their [Enhanced (weapon)] veils shaped using this combat specialization as bound to its appropriate chakra slot, even if they do not normally have the ability to bind veils to that slot.

At 8th level, the conscript gains the ability to shape a veil with the [Enhanced (armor)] descriptor from the Kheshig veil list each day.

At 14th level, the conscript gains the ability to shape a second veil with the [Enhanced (weapon)] descriptor from the kheshig veil list each day.

At 18th level, the conscript may always treat their [Enhanced (armor)] veil shaped using this combat specialization as bound to its appropriate chakra slot, even if they do not normally have the ability to bind veils to that slot.

New Crimson Dancer Hemolytic Arts

Bloodweave Binding (Su) (requires Veilwoven Blood, crimson dancer 12)

The crimson dancer treats their Blood veil shaped using their veilwoven blood as if it were bound to the crimson dancer’s Blood chakra slot.

Veilwoven Blood (Su)

When the crimson dancer successfully rests to recover their spell points they choose a single Blood veil from the daevic’s veil list. This veil is considered to be shaped on the crimson dancer, and does not count against their total veils shaped or veil slots. The crimson dancer uses their Charisma as their veilweaving modifier for this veil, and their class level as their veilweaving level. The saving throw DCs of this veil is equal to 10 + the essence invested in the veil + the crimson dancer’s veilweaving modifier.

By spending 1 point of vitae as a swift action, the crimson dancer can treat this veil as if it were invested with its maximum amount of essence until the beginning of their next turn. At 3rd level, and again at 9th and 15th level, the essence capacity of this Blood veil increases by 1. This increase does not stack with the improved essence capacity class feature, the Capacity Increase talent, or other similar abilities.

Necroveilor (Necros Archetype)

Rather than mastering the powers of death directly, these necromancers weave death magic into powerful veils to trade direct power for more versatility.

Necroweaving (Su): A necroveilor must select the Veilweaving sphere as their 1st level talent and uses their class level as their caster level with the Veilweaving sphere. This stacks normally with caster levels gained from other sources. A necroveilor cannot select a drawback for the Veilweaving sphere that removes the shape veil ability. If they already have the Veilweaving sphere with such a drawback, this talent must be used to buy off that drawback. If they already have the sphere without a drawback, they may select a magic or combat talent of their choice instead.

The necroveilor adds the following veils to their veil list instead of selecting veils of their choice when they gain the Veilweaving sphere: Coronet of the Gravelord, Cryptbreaker's Greatcloak, Deathchannel Ring, Grasp of Undeath, Heart of the Wight, Plaguebringer Gauntlets. This ability counts as a (tradition) talent. If the necroveilor already has a (tradition) talent they must retrain it upon gaining this ability. Additionally, the necroveilor gains the ability to shape Ring slot veils.

This replaces the necros’ deathbound class feature.

Bands of the Dark Lord (Su): At 1st level, the necroveilor gains the ability to shape the Dark Lord’s Ring of Essence-Binding using the rules of the Veilweaving sphere. Unlike a normal veil, this veil does not count against their veils shaped each day or their chakra slots. This veil is always treated as if it were invested with its maximum amount of essence, and cannot be suppressed or unshaped through any means.

At 9th level, the necroveilor may treat this veil as it were bound to their Ring chakra even if they do not otherwise have the ability to bind Ring slot veils.

This replaces the necros’ corpse puppet class feature.

Soul of the Necroveilor (Su): At 2nd level, the necroveilor gains the ability to shape the Soul of the Unliving veil using the rules of the Veilweaving sphere. Unlike a normal veil, this veil does not count against their veils shaped each day or their chakra slots. This veil is always treated as if it were invested with its maximum amount of essence, and cannot be suppressed or unshaped through any means. Whenever the necroveilor rests to recover their spell points, they choose whether this veil is treated as shaped in their Belt or Body slot.

At 12th level, when the necroveilor treats this veil as shaped in their Belt slot they may consider it bound to their Belt chakra even if they do not otherwise have the ability to bind Belt slot veils.

At 20th level, when the necroveilor treats this veil as shaped in their Body slot they may consider it bound to their Belt chakra even if they do not otherwise have the ability to bind Body slot veils.

This replaces the necros’ undead affinity, decaying form, fear aura, and lich form class features.