Spirits and Magic: Week 2 (Patreon)

Accursed One (Volur Archetype)

Born cursed, these enigmatic warriors have formed a bond with a spirit of nature to manage its effects, granting them the ability to turn their curse against their foes.

Accursed Warrior: The accursed one uses a d8 as their Hit Die for their volur levels, their bonuses to Fortitude and Reflex saves from volur levels are equal to their bonus to Will saves, and their base attack bonus from volur levels is equal to 3/4 their class level (equivalent to a rogue of their level).

Curse: The accursed one was born with a curse that affected their body or mind, but through a bond formed with their akashic spirit they have learned to manage its effects. The accursed one gains a single oracle curse, treating their volur level as their oracle level when determining the curse’s effects. If their oracle curse would add to their list of spells known, once per day the accursed one can select one of these spells and cast it as a spell-like ability, using their class level as their caster level. At 5th level, and again at 10th and 15th level, they may use one of these spells as a spell-like ability an additional time each day.

Cursed Strike (Su): The accursed one has learned to channel the effects of their curse through their body to affect their foes with a strike of accursed akasha. The accursed one gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. The accursed one can make a cursed strike in place of an unarmed strike; a cursed strike counts as an unarmed strike for all purposes, save that it deals damage equal to 1d6 + the accursed ones Charisma modifier (minimum 1) on a successful hit. This damage is from a pulse of accursed akasha that bypasses damage reduction, resistances, and immunities. At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the accursed one’s cursed strike deals an additional 1d6 points of damage. This additional damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

A cursed strike counts as a weapon attack, and benefits from any abilities that would add to the damage of their weapon attacks or unarmed strikes. If such an ability would add additional physical damage, that damage is instead added to the cursed strike’s base damage (bypassing damage reduction, resistances, and immunities).

This replaces the volur’s veilweaving class feature, their essence pool, and their chakra binds.

Cursed Flesh (Su): The accursed one has learned to turn the curse they were born with to jinx the attacks of their foes, driving them off target. The accursed one adds their Charisma modifier (minimum 1) to their armor class and their CMD. These bonuses apply even against touch attacks or while the accursed one is flat-footed. This bonus to AC and CMD increases by +1 at 4th level, and 4 levels thereafter. The accursed one loses these bonuses while wearing medium or heavy armor.

Branding Strike (Su): Whenever the accursed one would attempt to apply a brand to a creature as a standard or as part of a full-round action, they may attempt to deliver that brand with a cursed strike. The accursed one makes a cursed strike against that target with their full base attack bonus. If that attack hits, the struck creature is affected by the brand. If that brand requires a failed saving throw to apply its effects, the struck creature must make a saving throw against the effect, but they roll twice on their saving throw and take the lower roll. A creature must be within the accursed one’s reach to use their branding strike on it.

If the accursed one could apply multiple brands as part of a single standard or full-round action, they choose which of the brand veils they wish to apply with a cursed strike, and which they do not. They follow the targeting restrictions of the ability when making any cursed strikes using this ability. For example; a 4th level accursed one using their massbranding ability can brand two different creatures as part of a full-round action. They could replace one or both of the brand applications with a branding strike, but must still affect two separate creatures even if they choose to do so.

Cursed Resistances (Su): At 2nd level, the accursed one’s mastery over their curse has allowed them to further reverse its effects, providing a boon to their resistances. They add their Charisma modifier (minimum 1) to all of their saving throws.

Cursed Essence: At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the accursed one gains 1 point of essence. Unlike normal essence, the cursed one cannot invest this essence in their essence receptacles, and it is not recovered normally if burned. If burned, this essence recovers naturally at a rate of 1 point every 10 minutes.

Cursed Defenses (Su): At 5th level, once per round when the accursed one would be the target of an attack or when the accursed one would roll a saving throw, they may tap into the power of their curse to influence its effects. This requires no action on the accursed one’s part, and may be performed even if the accursed one is unconscious or unaware. The accursed one may choose to use this ability after the results of the initial roll are revealed.

If they use this ability when targeted by an attack, they may make the attacker roll a second time and treat the lower roll as their attack roll.

If they use this ability when making a saving throw, they may roll a second time and treat the higher roll as their saving throw.

At 8th level, and every 3 levels thereafter the accursed one may use this ability an additional time each round. At 20th level, this ability instead automatically applies against all attacks made against them, and on all saving throws they make.

Beldam (Volur Archetype)

Forming a bond with a creature possessed by a dark spirit, these veilweavers channel utilize black magic through their veilweaving and hexes to curse and debilitate their foes.

Beldam’s Familiar (Ex): At 1st level, the beldam forms a close bond with a familiar that grants them their dark powers in the form of veils. The beldam uses their volur level as their effective wizard level when determining the abilities of their familiar.

If their familiar is slain, the beldam cannot reallocate their essence to or from veils shaped from volur class levels, and has the essence capacity of their brands shaped using their brandshaping class feature halved (rounded down, minimum 0). In addition, if any of their veils shaped from volur class levels are sundered or temporarily dismissed, they are instead destroyed. The volur can reanimate their familiar by meditating for 1 hour, when they do so it is returned to life at 1 hit point in a square adjacent to them.

Their familiar is automatically returned to full hit points (and revived, if it was slain) each time the beldam prepares their veils for the day. If the familiar was suffering from any damage or drain to its ability scores, from negative levels, or from any other negative condition, those injuries and conditions are also healed when the beldam prepares their veils for the day.

This replaces the volur’s akashic spirit, spiritual embodiment, and spiritual alignment class features.

Hex: At 1st level, the beldam learns how to utilize dark magic known as hexes that grant them powers or weaken their foes. The beldam gains one hex at 1st level. They gain an additional hex at 2nd level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

The beldam uses their class level as their effective witch level when determining the effects of their hexes, and using their Charisma in place of their Intelligence when determining their effects and saving throw DCs.

Major Hex: Starting at 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, the beldam can choose a major hex whenever they could select a new hex.

Grand Hex: Starting at 18th level, and every two levels thereafter, the beldam can choose a grand hex whenever they could select a new hex.

Shadowbond (Volur Archetype)

Rather than forming a bond with a spirit of nature, these wielders of dark magic form an arcane bond with a spirit of darkness that inhabits their own shadow.

Class Skills: The shadowbond adds Stealth to their list of class skills.

Spirit of Shadow: The shadowbond does not select an aspectual circle, and their akashic spirit does not gain an aspect. Rather than merging with their essence, a spirit of shadow merges with the shadowbond’s shadow.

The a spirit of shadow has the following abilities in place of its normal aspect:

The spirit of shadow resembles a two-dimensional shadow of the shadowbond that paints itself against solid surfaces. It gains a climb speed of 30 feet, and a +8 racial bonus on Stealth checks.

Passive: The shadowbond and their spirit gain a +2 insight bonus on Stealth checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter.

Embodiment: The shadowbond’s physical body and their equipment is subsumed by semi-corporeal darkness. They are always treated as if they had partial concealment (20% miss chance), and they reduce any physical damage they suffer by 50% (rounded down, minimum 1). Physical damage dealt by a weapon with the ghost touch property (or similar ability) ignores this reduction in damage. This does not affect the damage the shadowbond deals with their own weapons and attacks.

This modifies the volur’s akashic spirit class feature, and replaces their spiritual alignment class feature.

Shadowbrands: The visual effects of the shadowbond’s brands are subsumed by their spirit of shadow as long as they are together. While the spirit of shadow is melded with the shadowbond’s shadow or while the shadowbond is embodying their spirit of shadow, the visual effects of the shadowbond’s shaped brand veils are suppressed. When applying a brand to a creature, it is not obvious the shadowbond is the source of the effect while the veil’s visual effects are suppressed. The brand has its normal visual effects when branding a creature. Veils affected by this ability can still be detected using abilities that sense magical effects or allow the user to see magical auras.

Shadowbonded Veils: The shadowbond’s spirit of shadow grants it knowledge of veils that allow the shadowbond to utilize or manipulate darkness. They add every veil with the [darkness] descriptor that can be shaped in one or more of the following slots to their veil list: Feet, Head, Shoulders, Headband, Neck, Belt, Body.

This modifies the volur’s veilweaving class feature.

Meld with Shadows (Ex): At 7th level, the shadowbond’s spirit of shadow gains the ability to seamlessly meld with shadows, including the shadows of other creatures. While in dim light or darkness, the spirit of shadow can use Stealth to hide even while being observed.

Additionally, as a standard action the spirit of shadow can attempt to touch a willing or unaware creature of its size or larger and merge itself with their shadow. Against an unwilling creature, this requires the spirit of shadow to make a touch attack against it. This touch does not alert the creature to the spirit of shadow’s presence. If successful, the spirit of shadow makes a Stealth check to remain undetected within that creature's shadow.

While merged with a creature’s shadow the spirit of shadow shares that creature's space, and moves automatically when the creature moves. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. When merged with a creature’s shadow it does not need cover or concealment to hide, and being moved along with the creature does not cause it to stop hiding. The spirit of shadow can be affected by effects that target an area while merged with a creature’s shadow in this way, and it can be attacked or targetted normally if detected. The spirit of shadow can remove itself from a creature’s shadow as a free action, even if it isn’t its turn, and is automatically removed if it takes a standard, move, or full-round action. If it leaves a creature’s shadow in an area of dim light or darkness as a free action or as part of moving, it can make a Stealth check to hide itself when it does so.

Shadowed Embodiment (Su): At 16th level, while the shadowbond is embodying their spirit of shadow, they gain the benefits of the meld with shadows ability as if they were the spirit.

Wrathcaller (Volur Archetype)

Nature itself can know wrath, a desire to right the natural order of the world through pure and righteous violence. The wrathcaller has learned to call upon spirits attuned to that particular desire.

Spirit of Wrath (Su): At 1st level, the wrathcaller’s akashic spirit gains the ability to take on a wrathful form to mete out its judgement upon the wrathcaller’s foes. The akashic spirit may begin or end its wrathful form as a free action. The akashic spirit can remain in its wrathful form for a number of rounds each day equal to 4 + the wrathcaller’s veilweaving modifier. At each level after 1st, the akashic spirit can remain in wrathful form for an additional 2 rounds. The number of rounds of wrathful form are renewed each day after the wrathcaller rests and shapes their veils each day.

While in their wrathful form, the akashic spirit’s base Strength score increases to 18, its size increases to Small, it gains a +2 bonus to its natural armor, and the damage of its slam natural attack increases to 1d6, and it uses the wrathcaller’s class level as its effective base attack bonus. The akashic spirit cannot merge with the wrathcaller’s essence while in its wrathful form. If the akashic spirit is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, its wrathful form automatically ends.

Additionally, while in its wrathful form the akashic spirit gains 2 temporary hit points per each of the wrathcaller’s class levels. If the akashic spirit leaves its wrathful form it loses these temporary hit points. If the akashic spirit enter’s its wrathful form within 1 minute, it regains the temporary hit points it lost. If it spends more than 1 minute before entering its wrathful form, it gains the maximum number of temporary hit points.

This replaces the akashic spirit’s alertness ability.

Growing Wrath (Su): At 3rd level, when the akashic spirit takes its wrathful form it can choose to increase its size to Medium, increasing its Strength by an additional +4, gaining an additional +2 bonus to its natural armor, and increases the damage of its slam natural attack to 1d8. It gains the normal size bonuses and penalties for its new size.

At 9th level, when the akashic spirit takes its wrathful form it can choose to increase its size to Large. In addition to the bonuses granted by increasing its size to Medium, it gains an additional +4 bonus to its Strength score, a +2 bonus to its natural armor, a -2 penalty to its Dexterity, the damage of its slam attack increases to 1d10, and the natural reach of its slam attack increases by 5 feet. It gains the normal size bonuses and penalties for its new size.

At 15th level, when the akashic spirit takes its wrathful form it can choose to increase its size to Huge. In addition to the bonuses granted by increasing its size to Medium and Large, it gains an additional +4 bonus to its Strength score, a +2 bonus to its natural armor, a -2 penalty to its Dexterity, the damage of its slam attack increases to 2d6, and the natural reach of its slam attack increases by 5 feet. It gains the normal size bonuses and penalties for its new size.

This replaces the volur’s brand reach ability.

Branded Spirit (Su): At 3rd level, as a standard action the wrathcaller can touch their akashic spirit to transfer the effects of one of its brand veils to their akashic spirit. The veil is treated as being shaped on the akashic spirit for all purposes (such as determining the range the spirit must remain within to maintain the brand, sundering the brand, etc), but uses the wrathcaller’s feats, veilweaving level, and veilweaving modifier when determining its effects. If the wrathcaller has the brand veil bound, it is treated as being bound for the akashic spirit as well. The akashic spirit cannot invest or remove essence from this veil, it is still treated as one of the wrathcaller’s essence receptacles.

The wrathcaller can return the brand veil to themself as a standard action by touching the akashic spirit, and the brands are automatically returned to the wrathcaller if the akashic spirit is slain. The wrathcaller is always considered to be touching an akashic spirit merged with their essence for the purposes of this ability.

Once per round when the akashic spirit hits a creature with their slam attack, they may attempt to apply the effects of a brand shaped on them to the struck creature as an immediate action.

This replaces the akashic spirit’s deliver akasha ability.

Spirit’s Ascendence (Su): At 6th level, the wrathcaller can cause their spirit to ascend in power by further tapping into its aspect by touching their spirit as a move action. While ascending to its aspect, the akashic spirit gains the benefit of its current aspect’s spiritual embodiment ability, and both the akashic spirit and the wrathcaller lose the benefit of the aspect’s passive ability. The akashic spirit cannot merge with the wrathcaller’s essence while ascended.

The wrathcaller can end this ability by touching their akashic spirit again as a move action, and it automatically ends if the akashic spirit is slain.

This replaces the volur’s spiritual embodiment class feature.

Brandsense (Su): The wrathcaller can sense the creatures their akashic spirit has branded using this ability as if they had branded the creature themself.

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

Brandsight (Su): The effects of this ability apply to creatures the akashic spirit has branded as if the wrathcaller had branded that creature themself.

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

Wrathful Ascendence (Su): At 20th level, the wrathcaller’s type changes to outsider with the native subtype, and they no longer age. The wrathcaller’s akashic spirit gains the benefits of the spirit’s ascendence ascendance ability as a continuous effect, and the wrathcaller and their akashic spirit do not lose the passive effect’s of the spirit’s aspect while their spirit is ascended.

This replaces the volur’s one with the spirit class feature.

Akashic Spirit Aspectual Circles

Circle of the Weather

The circle of the weather manifests as the powers of storms that shape the natural world. Spirits who manifest an aspect of this cycle gain abilities that allow them to manipulate the weather around them.

Aspect of Gales

Spirits who adopt this aspect take on the form of a miniature cyclone of clouds that carries dust and debris in its wake. These spirits gain a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Passive: Wind continuously swirls around you and your spirit that deflect ranged attacks. You and your spirit gain a +2 bonus to AC against ranged attack rolls made with projectiles (such as arrows, bolts, bullets, or rocks). This bonus applies against touch attacks and while you are flat-footed. At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, this bonus increases by an additional +2.

Embodiment: A vortex of wind surrounds you out to a range of 15 feet + 5 feet at 9th level and every 3 levels thereafter. You can interact with objects within this area as if they were in your natural reach. When holding items using this ability, you use your Charisma score - 10 when determining your carrying capacity. As a move action, you can attempt to use your wind to push or pull a creature within this area. That creature must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your volur level + your Charisma modifier) or be pushed or pulled 5 feet in a direction of your choice. At 12th level, and again at 18th level, the distance you may push or pull a creature using this ability increases by up to 5 feet. Creatures larger than Medium size gain a +2 bonus to their saving throw against this ability for each size category above Medium, and creatures smaller than Medium gain a -2 penalty to their save for each size category below Medium. If this movement would push or pull a creature into inherently dangerous terrain (such as into the air or off a cliff for creatures who cannot fly, or into lava or flames) they receive a +5 bonus to their saving throw as well.

Aspect of Lightning

Spirits who adopt this aspect take on the form of a billowing cloud that crackles with electricity. These spirits gain a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Passive: Arcing bolts of lightning surround you and your spirit that energize your ability to react to danger. You and your spiti gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks, increasing by an additional +1 at 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter. If you gain or lose this bonus after you have already rolled initiative, your place in the turn order is adjusted. If you have already acted this round, you do not gain an additional turn this round. If you have yet to act and your initiative changes to a higher position in combat than the current turn, you act immediately after the current turn.

Embodiment: Dark clouds crackling with electricity surround you, sending out bolts of lightning to strike your foes. At the end of each of your turns while you embody this aspect, you can cause a bolt of electricity to strike out against a creature or object within 30 feet of you as a free action. That creature takes 2d6 points of electricity damage, increasing by an additional 1d6 and 9th level and every 3 levels thereafter. A successful Reflex saving throw  (DC 10 + 1/2 your volur level + your Charisma modifier) halves this damage.

Aspect of Rain

Spirits who adopt this aspect take on the form of a dark cloud that pours ethereal rain. These spirits gain a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Passive: A soft ethereal rain falls upon you and your spirit, granting you a +1 bonus to saving throws against effects that deal fire damage or have the [fire] descriptor, and on saving throws to resist heat. This bonus to saving throws increases by +1 at 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter. Additionally, you and your spirit automatically succeed on saving throws to avoid catching on fire while under this effect, and if you gain this effect while on fire the fire is immediately extinguished.

Embodiment: Dark clouds wick from your body into the sky around you, causing ethereal rain to fall in a cylinder that has a 30-foot radius centered on you. This cylinder spans 30 feet above and below you. Surfaces within this area become slick with rain, causing them to be treated as difficult terrain for creatures other than you. They are treated as slippery for the purposes of Acrobatics and Climb checks. This ethereal rain does not otherwise pool, and cannot be collected. Perception checks made against creatures and objects within this area suffer a -3 penalty, and ranged attacks made within or into the area suffer a -3 penalty. These penalties worsen by an additional -1 at 9th level, and every 3 levels thereafter.

Aspect of Snow

Spirits who adopt this aspect take on the form of a white cloud that ethereal snow falls from. These spirits gain a fly speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.

Passive: Ethereal snow falls and swirls around you and your spirit, causing attacks made against you to suffer a 5% miss chance due to the snow’s obscurement. This does not count as concealment for the purposes of hiding, and does not stack with other sources of concealment. At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, this miss chance increases by 5%.

Embodiment: A vortex of swirling snow springs into existence centered on you that expands outwards to a radius of 30 feet. This vortex of snow obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 20 feet. A creature within 20 feet of their target has concealment (20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attack can’t use sight to locate the target. At 9th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the distance that the snow obscures sight is reduced by 5 feet. At 18th level, this reduces the range at which creatures can see within the snow to 0 feet, causing all creatures in the area to have total concealment. You can change the range which creatures can see in the area between 30 feet (causing no creatures in the area to ever have total concealment) and your current minimum range (based on your level) when you first embody this aspect, and as a free action at the end of each subsequent turn.

New Feats

Accursed Armaments [Combat]

Prerequisites: Cursed strike class feature

Benefits: You may wield melee weapons and use them to deliver your cursed strike. When wielding a melee weapon in this way, you add your Charisma modifier to damage rolls in place of your Strength modifier. This is not multiplied by 1.5x if the weapon is wielded in two hands, and is not halved when wielded in an off-hand. The base damage dealt by the weapon is of the normal type for the weapon, but damage added by your Charisma modifier bypasses the target’s damage reduction, resistances, and immunities. When you reach 3rd level in the class that grants you the cursed strike class feature, and every 3 levels thereafter, you deal an additional 1d6 points of damage when using a weapon to deliver your cursed strike. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit, and bypasses the target’s damage reduction, resistances, and immunities.