She Blinded Me with Science! (Magitek That Doesn't Make Me Cry Myself To Sleep)

[Kellus]

Gramarie

Are you ready? I hope you are ready because I am ready

Table of Contents

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Introduction
Base Classes

• Gramarist

Disciplines

• Alchemetrics
• Arcanodynamics
• Biollurgy
• Eldrikinetics
• Geoccultism
• Heuristicism
• Kaleidomantics
• Imachination
• Yggdratecture

Prestige Classes

• Apogineer
• Arcanitect
• Ayuscientist
• Contractor
• Dreamason
• Graughtsman
• Lode-Bearer
• Prime Mover
• Masínist
• Shadowright

Miscellaneous

• Blueprints
• Bubbles
• DMing with Gramarie
• Pricing Gramarie
• Really Really Big Stuff

Glossary

Introduction
"I believe there are beautiful things seen by the astronauts."

HEY! This thread got far too big for its britches; there's a new thread over here which is up to date with the latest gramarie goodness!

Okay, so here's how it is. Magic is amazing, wonderful stuff, but I am really tired of having everything be about micromanaged combat all the time. I like fighting stuff, but I also really like worldbuilding and interacting with immersive and controllable game elements. I personally firmly believe that having consistent rules and predictable outcomes is fundamentally good for the kinds of games that I enjoy. To that end, I have written a system that creates the kinds of worlds that I want to play in.

This is going to be different from what you are expecting. Using these rules will change your setting, and a lot. This is a document all about using magic in creative and imaginative ways in order to replicate technology. It's incredibly open-ended. I've thought a lot for the last six months about stuff that you could do with it, and the main conclusion I've come to is that there's a lot more that I haven't thought of. I feel like that's something that's been missing in D&D lately. I'm tired of having tiny little arbitrary powers that have a small self-contained effect and which never have any impact on the game world as a whole. I'm tired of a DM-focused game that is all about controlling and disempowering players. If you enjoy that sort of thing, you will probably not enjoy the stuff in this document. This material is all about transparent world-building, that the players can interact with, and creating a world in which they can take actions that have foreseeable repercussions.

So, I hope that you check it out! This is possibly the most ambitious thing I've ever made, and it's certainly one of the most rules-heavy. It's probably the last really huge thing I'm going to make for D&D 3.5, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I hope you like it!

– Kellus (Chris Johnston), August 2012

HEY! There's an entire forum to talk about and discuss this project over on minmax boards! If you want to chat about any particular part of the system, like a particular prestige class or principle, that's an awesome place to do it! Or post here instead, that's cool too!

Change Log

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August 15th, 2012– Published
August 15th, 2012– Added notes from backup about multiple gramarists working on the same principle, and some stuff about radiomantic metal that must have gotten shifted from an early draft.
August 15th, 2012– Added a clause in eldrikinetics about being able to reduce Push output.
August 21st, 2012– Clarified the rules about maximum speeds and engines in parallel.
August 21st, 2012– Gave some hard rules on phlogiston. People that like ice rejoice!
August 21st, 2012– Modified the class table to include uses per day of spectroconstruction, and cleaned up the rules text on it.
August 21st, 2012– Added some rules text to clear up confusion on arcanodynamics and YGGD 241.
August 21st, 2012– Changed the rules substantially for numbers and fuels in engines. If you were doing anything with it previously, double-check your numbers. It should now be substantially easier to use.
August 21st, 2012– Added some text to kaleidomantics about rotation with a reference point.
August 21st, 2012– HEUR 302 is now more specific about activating embedded principles multiple times.
August 21st, 2012– Kaleidomantic filters now have rules about opposing the motion of a filter and the weight that they can support.
August 21st, 2012– ALCH 101 now stacks, and takes less time to prepare. Meanwhile, orichalcum is now somewhat harder to come by. Also, alkahest is a thing!
August 21st, 2012– Arcanodynamics can't drop the temperature below absolute zero.
August 22nd, 2012– Added a minimum value to the heat capacity of ALCH 101 so you don't end up dividing by zero. The universe is safe once more
August 22nd, 2012– Black filters stop summoning effects, since they rely on information passing through the filter
August 22nd, 2012– Prime Mover published
August 22nd, 2012– Blueprints are now a thing
August 22nd, 2012– Bubbles can take up less space if you want them to
August 22nd, 2012– Lode-Bearer published
August 22nd, 2012– The usurp space mother lode ability needed clarification
August 24th, 2012– Biollurgy published
August 24th, 2012– A few small updates to biollurgy. Xenoalchemist level, Hit Dice per inch of thickness, 0-level grafts.
August 24th, 2012– Wrote the first draft of the glossary
August 24th, 2012– Added a gestation period for custom species
August 24th, 2012– Rejiggered for alphabetical order after Biollurgy
August 24th, 2012– Added some notes on manipulative limbs and body slots for a chassis
August 25th, 2012– Corner scenarios for a semi-space, including the protruding weight a portal can support, cover and concealment behind one, and damage to it
August 25th, 2012– Toggle transformers on or off as a standard action and as a logical decision
August 25th, 2012– Added a density column for metal statistics and made it drastically easier to target stuff with Alchemetry
August 25th, 2012– Changed the caster check DC for a few effects to a predictable formula
August 25th, 2012– Tethering principles now offer a saving throw if you don't want something tethered to you
August 28th, 2012– New pricing rules: now with added value
August 28th, 2012– Better explanation, I hope, of Black filters
August 28th, 2012– Some fixes on Yggdratecture exploits, and the definition of the term inside
August 29th, 2012– Contractor published
August 29th, 2012– Changed gold output to not create crazy wtf amounts of energy!
August 29th, 2012– Modified the text to spectroconstruction to clarify the labour it provides
August 29th, 2012– Added some text about the labour provided from the contractor's capstone
August 29th, 2012– You can build a soul!
August 29th, 2012– Red filters: now with less murder!
September 1st, 2012– Added Heal as a class skill to the prestige classes
September 1st, 2012– Notes about bull rushing unattended objects with magnetic fields
September 1st, 2012– Graughtsman published
September 1st, 2012– Kaleidomantic filters now interact with other filters of the same colour
September 2nd, 2012– Caster level for eldritch blast
September 2nd, 2012– Added a new discovery for the graughtsman
September 2nd, 2012– Logical decision limit for an EI
September 2nd, 2012– Dreamason published
September 2nd, 2012– EI's burn ebbs for XP
September 2nd, 2012– Fixed a c/p in the dreamason
September 9th, 2012– Shadowright published
September 10th, 2012– Three new discoveries for the shadowright.
September 27th, 2012– Clarified rules text on the 10th level ability of the prime mover.
December 12th, 2012– Masínist published
December 12th, 2012– Added an important cap on the ruby ruination discovery so that you can't blow up the solar system. Darn!
December 12th, 2012– You now can't have a nigh infinite number of programmed wish-granting machines assembling, von Neumann style, other wish-granting machines.
December 12th, 2012– Tools for gramarie are now described in each section. Artifacts forthcoming
December 13th, 2012– Major in the universe
December 14th, 2012– Geoccultism published
December 14th, 2012– Changed the rules a little bit on how universalists and specialists work, hopefully to equally incentivize them! Also did lolwut page merging to fit geoccultism on the first page.
December 14th, 2012– Apogineer published
December 15th, 2012– Dungeonjammer published
December 16th, 2012– Sunmetal now ruins the day of geoccult poles in the area of a radiomantic explosion
December 17th, 2012– Platinum transformers are pretty awe-inspiring (religious pun!)
December 17th, 2012– Ayuscientist published
December 17th, 2012– Arcanitect published
December 18th, 2012– Platinum poles are aliiiiive
December 18th, 2012– Group chat enabled with whisperreed
December 18th, 2012– Hey, I caught one before everyone else! Acid transformers were using the wrong volume; a flask of acid is a pint, not a cubic foot.
June 30th, 2013 - Stellar Cartographer published
Canada Day! 2013 - Feats!
Canada Day! 2013 - Millwight published
July 2nd, 2013 - Asternomist published

[Kellus]

The Gramarist

"This is my world. It follows my rules."

Image credit evermind-design of deviantart.com

In a world as fabulous and frightening as we find ourselves, knowledge is a valuable commodity. Many marvels seem like magic to the uneducated, but the intellectual knows that all phenomena must follow certain rules and laws, even if we don't quite understand them, and even if they might potentially rip our faces off as they spawn tentacled horrors. Science is the great leveller, allowing for equalisation between those people who can arbitrarily shoot laser beams out of their eyes and those who can't. The mechanisation of the magical is collectively known as gramarie, and thus one who learns the skills to use and control it is a gramarist.

There are several different disciplines of gramarie:

• Alchemetry is the study of matter. More specifically, it's about quantifying and exploring the empirical principles at work in commonplace alchemy. Alchemetry is all about transforming substances and tweaking their properties.
• Arcanodynamics is the study of arcane power. Arcanodynamic principles explore the relationships between magical energy (commonly known as puissance) and more common forms of energy, such as heat and light.
• Biollurgy is the study of life. It explores the distinction between the living and nonliving, and can walk the fine line between the two.
• Eldrikinetics is the study of magical motion. The powers that propel magic vehicles, defy gravity, and generate momentum are the principal focus here.
• Geoccultism is the study of the environment and ley lines. It deals with thaumaturgic poles which tweak and modify the world around them, sometimes to extreme lengths.
• Heuristicism is the study of control systems and circuits. It allows you to link magic together in fascinating new ways.
• Imachination is the study of the real and the nonreal. It explores the mechanics of generating false sensations and illusionary interactions.
• Kaleidomantics is the study of the magical prismatism of light. Kaleidomantic filters are refracted curtains of colour which can be used to separate agents based on the nature of light.
• Yggdratecture is the study of other worlds and dimensions. The malleable nature of a fantasy planar cosmology sometimes works in your favour.

Game Rule Information

Abilities: Intelligence is far and away the most important skill for a gramarist. Gramarists who prefer to serve in battle as low-grade artillery will enjoy high Dexterity scores to make their eldritch blasts more accurate. However, it's important to recognize that gramarists are not focused on combat at all, and will not do well if that's their primary goal.

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The gramarist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Gramarist
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Principles Known

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Baccalaureate principles, eldritch wick, specialization|

1

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Eldritch blast +1d6|

2

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Spectroconstruction|

3

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Bonus feat, eldritch blast +2d6|

3

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Spectroconstruction (2/day)|

4

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Eldritch blast +3d6|

5

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Spectroconstruction (3/day), magisterial principles|

6

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Bonus feat, eldritch blast +4d6|

6

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Spectroconstruction (4/day)|

7

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Eldritch blast +5d6|

8

11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Spectroconstruction (5/day)|

9

12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Bonus feat, eldritch blast +6d6|

9

13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Spectroconstruction (6/day)|

10

14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|Doctorate principles, eldritch blast +7d6|

11

15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|Spectroconstruction (7/day)|

12

16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Bonus feat, eldritch blast +8d6|

12

17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|Spectroconstruction (8/day)|

13

18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Eldritch blast +9d6|

14

19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|Spectroconstruction (9/day)|

15

20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|Bonus feat, eldritch blast +10d6, the architect|

15

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the gramarist.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a gramarist you are proficient in all simple weapons and light armour. You are not proficient in shields of any kind. By spending two skill points when you take your first level in this class, you can claim a single martial weapon proficiency as a one-time bonus by spending some time on (shudder) physical education.

Eldritch Wick (Sp): The study of gramarie is very closely related to the study of pure magic. Arcane energy is one of the purest forms of puissance, and as you learn about the principles that govern the flow of magic, you also learn to generate that energy yourself. At 1st level you gain an eldritch wick, which is a touch attack that deals 1 point of damage. This ability can be used at will, and is treated like as a spell-like ability whose caster level is equal to your Hit Dice. Your eldritch wick is the equivalent of a 0th level spell.

Your caster level for your eldritch wick (and, later, your eldritch blast) qualifies you to take feats, prestige classes, and other such venues which require a generic caster level. It does not count as arcane, divine, or anything else more specific than a vanilla caster level.

Specialization: All initiates of gramarie tend to gravitate towards one discipline or another; at 1st level you must pick one discipline to specialize in. You gain a competence bonus of half your class level on the key skill of your chosen discipline, and can select principles from that discipline which are marked with the [Specialist] tag. A specialist cannot select any doctorate-level principles from other fields of study than their specialization.

You can choose "general studies" as your specialization, in which case you have chosen to major in "the universe". These gramarists are known as universalists, and while their guidance counselors might say they lack direction, they actually know exactly what they're doing. A universalist can select magisterial-level (200-level) specialist principles from any discipline as doctorate-level principles, but can never select doctorate-level specialist principles. They can, however, learn any non-specialist doctorate-level principle once they gain access to that tier. If you are a universalist, you also never qualify for prestige classes or other venues that require specialization.

A universalist adds this competence bonus to Knowledge (architecture and engineering) checks.

Principles of Gramarie: As a student of gramarie, you have many avenues of learning available to you. At 1st level, and again whenever indicated on your class table, you learn a new principle. Principles are supernatural (Su) abilities which bend or break the laws of physics, but not quite in the same way that most magic does. Principles can be used whenever you have the time, materials and inclination; they are effectively usable at-will if you are in an appropriate situation. Principles come in three grades: Baccalaureate, Magisterial, and Doctorate. You gain access to these higher grade principles as shown on your class table. Once you achieve the Doctorate level (at your 14th class level) you may refer to yourself as a doctor of your that discipline. You cannot put off learning a principle; if you do not qualify for one when you would otherwise receive it, it's lost. If a principle is marked [Specialist], it can only be learned by a specialist in that discipline.

A principle is not cast, it is prepared. By preparing a principle multiple times, you can change the volume or size of the target affected. For example, if a principle targets 1 cubic foot of material, by preparing it twice (and thus spending twice as long on it) you could target 2 cubic feet of the material instead. A special case is made for bubbles, which are spherical effects. For more information on the size of bubbles, refer to the miscellaneous section at the end of this document.

If a principle requires materials, you need extra materials every time you prepare it. You can also improve a principle later on my adding more materials to it (if applicable) and by spending more time on it. This also forces you to make a new skill check on it. Speaking of skill checks, you can always choose to use Knowledge (architecture and engineering) as the skill to prepare a principle instead of the discipline key skill, but you take a -10 penalty on the check. In the same vein, you can take 20 on key skill checks made to prepare a principle, but you can never take 10 on them. Bear in mind that taking 20 means taking 20 times as long as you normally would, which for gramarie can be very long indeed. To prepare a principle you must be within range of touch of the structure or object or location on which you are setting the principle for the duration of the preparation.

If multiple gramarists know the same principle, they can work simultaneously on the same project. For example, two gramarists could prepare the same principle at the same time, and the principle would count as having been prepared twice. Later a third gramarist who also knows that principle could show up and prepare it again, and the principle would then have been prepared three times. A gramarist can choose to 'lock' a principle that has been prepared, meaning that only he can continue work on it later. Bypassing the lock requires making a key skill check (based on the discipline) which beats the principle's current skill check by 5 or more.

Eldritch Blast (Sp): Once you move beyond a simple cursory understanding of arcana, you can learn to project your power in the same way as those whose magic is in their blood. At 2nd level your eldritch wick becomes an eldritch blast, which is a ranged touch attack that must be made within 60ft. Your eldritch blast deals 1 damage, plus 1d6 damage for every two class levels as shown on your class table. Aside from the small difference in damage, this blast is interchangeable with that gained from other classes, and additional eldritch blast damage from other sources adds to this eldritch blast. Your eldritch blast has an equivalent spell level of half your Hit Dice, and the caster level of the effect is equal to your Hit Dice.

Spectroconstruction (Su): Building super awesome architecture would take a while if you had to do it all yourself. Luckily you have at your beck and call an army of spectral labourers willing to take one for the team. Starting at 3rd level, every day you can cause an effect equivalent to a lyre of building (building effect) for 30 minutes. You gain an extra daily use of this ability at 5th level and every 2 levels thereafter. You can use this effect on its own merits, or as part of a project, as you see fit.

No Perform check is required to initiate this effect, but instead you must make a DC 18 Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check every time you activate it (+3 to the DC for every additional time per day you activate it). Failure indicates the daily use is wasted. You cannot split up individual uses of this ability; if you do not use all 7,200 man-hours during the activation period, they're lost.

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It's not always entirely clear how useful a man-hour is, because it's not always clear how to quantify labour. The lyre of building is an ambiguous wondrous item at best, so while it's the only reference that exists in this case, it's not exactly helpful in the strictest sense. So for your convenience here is a small list of commonly manufactured items and an estimate of the number of man-hours required to build them in the real world. This should provide a decent starting point for you to determine how many man-hours you'll need for a given project.

{table=head]Man-hours|Project
20|A well-made cart
50|One 5ft. cube of a tunnel
300|A gypsy's carriage
5,000|A nice house
7,200|Maximum labour from one spectroconstruction
44,000|A small boat
200,000|A large building
300,000|Industrial factory
600,000|A viking ship
1,000,000|The Colossus at Rhodes
2,000,000|A fortified castle
7,000,000|The Empire State Building
15,000,000|The Titanic
650,000,000|The Great Pyramid of Giza[/table]

It should also be prominently mentioned that the work from this effect is akin to unskilled labour. You can use it to build, essentially, anything that doesn't require a Craft check of any kind.

Bonus Feat: As a student, you inevitably pick up a few lessons along the way which aren't necessarily taught in a classroom. At 4th level, as well as every four levels thereafter, you gain a bonus feat you qualify for. A universalist can instead choose a principle which they qualify for in place of a feat.

The Architect (Ex): An amateur could do something right; a professional never does it wrong. At 20th level, you're far beyond being a master of magical engineering. Every Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check you make is maximised (treated as a natural 20), as well as the rolls for your specialization's key skill.

The true revelation at this level, however, is the perfect understanding you have achieved of the connection between magic rules and the convential laws of physics. Knowing how these principles of weird science interact allows you to transcend the normal preconceptions of what is and what is not 'possible'. All of your principles are now extraordinary in nature, and for all intents and purposes any machine or structure you build out of them is considered nonmagical in every way.

[Kellus]

Alchemetry

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Image credit Antuniey of deviantart.com

"We're made of star-stuff."

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Alchemetry is the careful application of magical charges to alter the fundamental properties of materials and objects. A master of alchemetry understands materials on a very deep level, and knows how to cause drastic changes with small applications of puissance. Any engineering project which calls for materials outside of the mundane requires someone skilled in alchemetry. Alchemetry was originally conceived as a scientific offshoot of the royal art of alchemy, and bears many outward resemblances to this pseudoscience. However, alchemetry actually deals with contacting and negotiating with the spirits of everyday matter, and convincing them to change the way they form materials.

Alchemetry often involves the use of astronomic gauges and astrolabes, employed to determine the alignment of heavenly bodies, as well as more traditional alchemical supplies such as flasks and scales. Any such specialized equipment counts as a masterwork piece of equipment, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Diplomacy check made to prepare an alchemetric principle. The Almagest is a mythical alchemetric treatise which is said to describe the motion of the planets in exacting detail.

Key Skill: Diplomacy


ALCH 101: Intro to Alchemetry
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: Solid material of no more than 8 cubic ft. and weighing no more than 5,000 lb
Preparation Time: 30 minutes

This principle alters the fundamental properties of material. The target must be a single body of uniform material. As part of this principle, you make a Diplomacy skill check to convince the atomic spirits of the material to rearrange themselves to your liking. At the end of the preparation, you can apply one of the following changes to the body. Any body can only have one modification to a given statistic at a time (for example, a body of iron can't have its durability raised twice).

• Durability: The hit points per inch of thickness of the target are increased or decreased by half your Diplomacy result (minimum 1 hit point per inch).
• Hardness: The hardness of the target is increased or decreased by one fifth of your Diplomacy result (minimum 0).
• Heat Capacity: Somewhat less common than most operations, the target increases and decreases in temperature by a different factor than it normally would from external heat sources and temperature conditions. Divide your Diplomacy result by ten (minimum 1), and pick either that number or its inverse (1/the result) as the new heat capacity factor. All temperature changes to the body are multiplied by this factor before being applied to it. This also affects fire and cold damage sustained by the target.
• Sturdiness: The break DC of the target can be increased or decreased by one quarter of your Diplomacy result (minimum DC 3). This change applies to anything that is made out of the material in the future.

ALCH 202: Irregular Properties
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: ALCH 101, Diplomacy 8 ranks
Target: Solid material of no more than 8 cubic ft. and weighing no more than 5,000 lb
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle applies strange elemental properties to a body of material. The target can be made of different materials, but must be touching while this principle is being applied. If the target is ever broken up after this point, all of the pieces carry the effect of the principle. At the end of the preparation, you can apply one of the following properties to the body. Material can only carry one of these properties at a time.

• Buffering: The target neutralizes acids and bases on contact. Acid damage deals half damage to it just like normal energy effects. If it comes in contact with a fluid that deal acid damage and is not destroyed by it after a number of rounds equal to the number of squares the fluid could cover, the fluid is rendered pH neutral (assuming the target remains in contact with the fluid).
• Flammability: The target becomes flammable. It loses all fire resistance or fire immunity, and fire damage ignores the hardness of the material. Fire deals full damage to the material instead of half damage.
• Magnetism: The target becomes magnetic, and is treated as ferrous for all purposes related to magnetics. Electricity deals double its normal damage to it, which for most metals means that it deals full damage to it instead of half damage.
• Resonance: The target hums with a resonant sensation, allowing it to transmit sound in a way most materials do not. Sonic damage no longer ignores the material's hardness, and it deals half damage just like normal energy effects.

ALCH 286: Mysterious Metallurgy [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: ALCH 101, Diplomacy 8 ranks
Target: Solid planetary metal body of no more than 8 cubic ft. and weighing no more than 5,000 lb
Preparation Time: 2 hours

This principle uses strange procedures involving astrology to realign a material's spirit with a different planet. The target must be a single body made of one of the planetary metals. As part of this principle, you make a Diplomacy skill check to realign the metal's alignment. The principle can be applied to any of the following metals: copper, gold, lead, mercury, iron, silver, and tin. The base metal is changed into one of the other planetary metals, chosen when the preparation is complete. Each metal also has a Diplomacy DC to achieve in order to transmute into; failure indicates wasted effort. Volume is conserved in the transformation, even if the weight of the metal body changes.

The planetary metals have the following statistics:

{table=head]Planetary Metal|Hardness|Hit Points Per Inch|Melting Point|Boiling Point|Break DC Modifier|Diplomacy DC|Density
Copper|8|20|1084 °C|2562 °C|+3|25|560 lb/cubic foot
Gold|5|10|1064 °C|2856 °C|+1|50|1,200 lb/cubic foot
Lead|2|30|327 °C|1749 °C|+5|20|700 lb/cubic foot
Mercury|5|15|-39 °C|357 °C|+0|35|840 lb/cubic foot
Iron|10|30|1538 °C|2862 °C|+10|30|490 lb/cubic foot
Silver|5|10|962 °C|2162 °C|+1|20|650 lb/cubic foot
Tin|2|5|232 °C|2602 °C|-2|15|360 lb/cubic foot[/table]

• Copper: Copper is exceptionally conductive to electricity. Electricity deals one-quarter damage instead of half damage to it.
• Gold: Gold created with alchemetry is real gold, but is also distinguishable from naturally occuring gold. An Appraise check (DC 20) indicates the gold's artificial nature. It is difficult enough to produce that it is often still accepted as a trade currency, albeit at a significantly lower exchange rate than natural gold. Gold is very inert, and does not rust.
• Lead: Lead is a durable material which is fairly easy to produce, but it is also poisonous. Anyone who spends a lot of time wearing or handling lead is susceptible to lead poisoning on a daily basis, which works like a poison with a DC of 16 and which deals 1d4 Con damage as the primary and secondary damage.
• Mercury: Note that at normal adventuring temperatures, mercury is a liquid. Mercury is a powerful poison, with a DC of 20 and dealing 1d6 Str damage as the primary and secondary damage. Mercury is exceptionally conductive to electricity. Electricity deals one-quarter damage instead of half damage to it.
• Silver: Silver created with alchemetry is real silver, but is also distinguishable from naturally occuring silver. An Appraise check (DC 10) indicates the silver's artificial nature. Alchemetric silver is so easy to produce that it is very close to worthless as a trade material. Silver is exceptionally conductive to electricity. Electricity deals one-quarter damage instead of half damage to it.
• Tin: Tin is an exceptionally flimsy material, but it is easy to produce. It is also very resistant to acids and corrosion; acid effects deal only a quarter of their normal damage to tin.

ALCH 325: Preternatural Fluids
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two ALCH principles, Diplomacy 15 ranks
Target: Material of no more than 8 cubic ft. and weighing no more than 5,000 lb
Preparation Time: 1 hour

Learning this principle allows you to affect fluid bodies with your alchemetric principles. All of your alchemetric principles can now be used to target liquid or gaseous bodies, although the fluid to be affected must be enclosed and separated from other freely moving fluids in order to alter it.

This principle in its own right allows you to convince the free spirits of fluids to change their motion slightly. As part of this principle you make a Diplomacy check. At the end of the preparation, you can apply one of the following changes to the body.

• Density: The density of the target is altered by a factor of up to a tenth of your Diplomacy result. This changes the weight of the target by the factor specified, and causes a fluid to exert a different amount of pressure.
• Phase Change: The melting or boiling point of the target is increased or decreased by a number of degrees Centigrade (or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit multiplied by this result), up to your Diplomacy result.

ALCH 364: Unexpected Materials [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three ALCH principles, Diplomacy 15 ranks
Target: Planetary metal body of no more than 8 cubic ft. and weighing no more than 5,000 lb
Preparation Time: 4 hours

This principle allows you to refine a planetary metal to a new level of supernatural purity. This principle targets a body made of a planetary metal, and ascends it to a higher form. As part of this principle, you make a Diplomacy check. You must meet the Diplomacy DC of the superplanetary metal you are trying to transform the material into. Each planetary metal has one higher level form which it can be turned into. These superplanetary metals have the same statistics as their normal counterparts, but gain a special property.

In addition to the normal planetary metals, this principle can target an 8th metal: platinum. Platinum is an odd case, and while it can be ascended with this principle, it is not a valid choice for ALCH 286. For all other purposes, it is treated as a planetary metal. Platinum and its ascended form have a density of 1,340 lb/cubic foot.

• Copper: Copper ascends into carmot, which is the key element to the philosopher's stone. Consuming carmot freezes the aging process in any living thing for 24 hours. Carmot in general is an element of preservation, and anything touching carmot does not decay, rot, rust, or otherwise wear out. Carmot has a Diplomacy DC of 60.
• Gold: Gold ascend into sunmetal, which is a radiomantic element. Radiomantic elements deal 1 negative level per round to anyone who handles them. The DC to remove a negative level from a radiomantic element is 25. If at least a cubic foot of radiomantic material is charged with at least 100 ebbs of puissance on a given round, it detonates in an explosion with a radius of 1 mile per cubic foot of metal. The explosion deals 1d10 negative levels to every living thing in the area, hellfire damage equal to the total number of ebbs channeled into the metal (Fortitude save for half damage against DC 25) and it poisons the earth; no living thing can grow there for the next 50 years. Geoccult poles in the area are affected by this. If the number of ebbs channeled in the explosion exceeds the Survival check of the pole, it is destroyed and the metal used in its construction disintegrated; other geoccult poles set up in the area in the next 50 years must beat this DC or disintegrate upon preparation. Sunmetal has a Diplomacy DC of 85.
• Lead: Lead ascends into cursed lead, which is a protective material that has antimagical properties. Any enclosed space made of cursed lead is filled as if with an antimagic field effect. Cursed lead has a Diplomacy DC of 55.
• Mercury: Mercury ascends into quicksilver, which carries the elemental nature of speed. Objects and structures made from quicksilver experience time at a faster rate than other materials. For all purposes, they experience two rounds for every normal round. Spaces, creatures, and objects completely enclosed by quicksilver experience the same effect, although it's usually impossible to interact with the outside world from such a location in order to take advantage of the property. Quicksilver has a Diplomacy DC of 70.
• Iron: Iron ascends into phlogiston, which gives off heat perpetually. Phlogiston always radiates heat as if it were on fire, but it never burns up. This heat radiates out 5ft. from the phlogiston body (with an additional 5ft. for every size category of the phlogiston body above Medium). This area is raised to an arbitrary temperature of at least 1,000 degrees Centigrade at all times. Anything that burns at those temperatures must make a DC 15 Reflex save every round it remains in the area or catch on fire. Phlogiston has a Diplomacy DC of 65.
• Platinum: Platinum ascends into orichalcum, which is the metal of the gods. It has the statistics of adamantine for all mundane purposes. Orichalcum can store gramaric energy as a battery; every cubic foot of orichalcum can hold up to 100 ebbs of puissance indefinitely; it's normally handled in beads, which can each store a single ebb. Orichalcum has a Diplomacy DC of 100.
• Silver: Silver ascends into moonsteel. Moonsteel gives off an unearthly silver glow, and extends onto the Ethereal Plane. It interacts with both the corporeal and the incorporeal. Moonsteel has a Diplomacy DC of 55.
• Tin: Tin ascends into alkahest, which is an agent of entropy. It has the normal statistics of tin, but breaks down in water to create an incredible solvent. This works like universal solvent, but can also dissolve any of the planetary metals. Any planetary metal body that spends time immersed in an alkahest solution takes a cumulative -1 penalty to its hardness every round. When its hardness reaches 0, it begins taking 1d6 nonlethal damage every round (even though objects don't normally take nonlethal damage). If the metal is removed before reaching 0 hit points, the nonlethal damage and penalty to hardness disappear. When the body's hit points reach 0, it is dissolved into the solution, adding its volume to the volume of the alkahest. If the alkahest solution is later dried out, dissolved metals can be retrieved in granular form from the solute. Alkahest has a Diplomacy DC of 50.

[Kellus]

Arcanodynamics


Image credit HeroDees of deviantart.com

"You can't win. You can't break even. You can't quit the game."

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It's well known that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only changed from one form to another. Although wizards don't really like to think about it much, it's generally understood that every fireball they throw channels some small portion of fire out of the vast elemental void, and as energy is lost in that translation the multiverse is a little poorer for it. Arcanodynamics is the study of the nature of magical energy exchange, and teaches techniques which can convert energy between forms. It is the root of nearly all sustainable gramarie, as it allows for self-powered machines and circuits which can run on things other than bolts of magic and intangibles such as hope or dreams.

Arcanodynamics requires the use of advanced mathematical formulae and referral to complex enthalpy tables to calculate the rates of energy transferrals. Such material is often collected and bound into thermodynamic reference tomes. A reference like this counts as a masterwork piece of equipment, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Use Magic Device check made to prepare an arcanodynamic principle. Maxwell's Skull is a powerful magical artifact said to house the spirit of a demon knowledgable in all aspects of energy change and transfer.

Key Skill: Use Magic Device


ARCD 101: Intro to Arcanodynamics
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisite: None
Target: 1 cubic foot of silver or wood
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle transforms a raw material into an arcanodynamic transformer. For a true energy conversion, you will need two arcanodynamic transformers which are touching, one designated as input, and one designated as output. As part of this principle, you make a Use Magic Device skill check to transform a volume of nonmagical material into either an input or output transformer; this decision cannot be changed later. An input transformer emits a field, a bubble with radius of up to 5ft. which absorbs a particular kind of energy in the area. If connected to an output transformer, the energy is transformed and emitted as a different kind of energy.

An input transformer's bubble (or 'net') radius depends on how many times you prepare the principle, as normal for bubbles. For an output transformer to alter the energy absorbed, the output principle must have been prepared at least as many times as the input principle. An input transformer without an output transformer dissipates the energy absorbed into the aether, which can be useful for less complicated problems. All energy is measured in ebbs, which is a generic unit of supernatural power. A transformed can only ever channel a number of ebbs in a given round equal to the Use Magic Device check. If the energy that could be absorbed exceeds this limit, the excess is not absorbed. Transformations which provide a rate at which energy is transformed is typically by round unless specified otherwise.

When you prepare this principle, you decide the way an input transformer will absorb energy, or you decide the way an output transformer will distribute energy. Different materials are keyed to different kinds of energy, and yes, you can mix an input and output transformer of the same material. If for any reason a single effect would be caught by two different nets at the same time, the net which was most recently set up in the area takes precedence. If it's still unclear for some reason, flip a coin.

Anyone touching a transformer can turn the input or output effect on and off with a standard action, suppressing the bubble field. These are also logical decisions that can be made in a circuit connected to the transformer.

This particular principle allows you to use silver and wood for arcanodynamics.

• Silver: A silver transformer channels magical energy by creating a field that dissipates spells or by transforming energy into eldritch power.
  
  • Input: Eldritch input absorbs spells and spell-like abilities which enter the net. This applies only to effects which are normally vulnerable to spell resistance. Any spell or spell-like ability which targets anything inside the net or which passes through the net in the case of a projectile spell (such as an magic missile is subject to the absorption effect. The net has an effective spell resistance of 5 + 5 for every ARCD principle you knew when you prepared this principle (preparing this principle again lets you update the DC later on). A silver net generates 1 ebb per spell level absorbed.
  • Output: Eldritch output transforms energy either into raw magical power or into a specifically prepared spell. The choice is made when this principle is used and the transformer is first established. If raw magical power is selected, the field spontaneously generates a bolt of magical power whenever a transformation happens. By default this bolt strikes the nearest living creature for 1d6 untyped damage per ebb (this is a supernatural ability), as a ranged touch attack; the transformer is treated as a weapon in this case. The bolt can be aimed by anyone holding the transformer. In either case, there is a maximum range on the bolt of 100ft. per ebb transformed.
    Alternatively, a spell can be cast into the transformer when it is first prepared. If the transformer then absorbs a number of ebbs at least equal to the spell level of the particular spell it is keyed to, it then activates the spell in its memory. If the spell chosen has costly material components or an XP cost, 50 times that amount of the resource must be sacrificed when the transformer is first created. All relevant decisions as far as targetting or other controlled aspects of the spell are decided ahead of time by the gramarist preparing the transformer, or can be overridden by someone holding the transformer. If a lesser number of ebbs are absorbed, the energy is instead transformed into a raw magical bolt as described above. A silver output can be used to charge further transformers with the same spell, but the same price for XP costs and material components needs to be paid. A transformer or a heuristical circuit which it is attached to cannot pay XP themselves, but a willing subject touching the circuit can contribute their XP towards the project.
  
  
• Wood: A wooden transformer channels puissance, which is a gramaric charge. Please note that this is a fairly complicated ability which is primarily used in conjunction with the discipline of heuristicism. This also deals in manipulating raw puissance, and the ebbs generated or absorbed with this kind of net are actual ebbs which can be used in a circuit. This should not be confused with most nets which simply use ebbs as a unit to represent the magnitude of the energy being moved around.
  
  • Input: Puissance input absorbs a gramaric charge which enters the net. This can be primarily used to interrupt or redirect a circuit created with a principle of heuristicism. If a circuit is running through the net and gramaric energy flows along it, the energy is absorbed into the transformer instead. This generates a number of ebbs for the transformer equal to one less than the number of ebbs absorbed.
  • Output: Puissance output releases a raw gramaric charge to power some component or another. The transformer must be hooked up to a circuit to use this option, as it simply releases the energy into it. This option releases a number of ebbs equal to one less than the number of ebbs transformed.

ARCD 204: Nonlinear Waves
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisite: ARCD 101, Use Magic Device 8 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of crystal or gold
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ARCD 101, except that it allows you to use crystal and gold for your arcanodynamics in addition to any other materials you know.

• Crystal: A crystal transformer channels sonic energy by absorbing or creating vibrations.
  
  • Input: Sonic input absorbs sound and resonance within the net. This creates a silence effect inside the net. Any sound which is negated is transformed into energy. Regular noise from four creatures is transformed into one ebb per round. Sonic effects are also transformed. For every 6 sonic damage negated, one ebb is generated.
  • Output: Sonic output releases, appropriately enough, sound. This can either be in the form of controlled sound or as a sonic blast. Controlled sound generates a create sound effect, with a manifester level equal to the number of ebbs transformed. The sound created is specified when the transformer is first prepared, but can also be altered by anyone holding the transformer. Alternatively, if a sonic blast is created, it takes the form of a cone of sonic damage. The cone is aimed in a predetermined direction, but can be turned by anyone holding the transformer. It has a cone size of 10ft. per ebb and deals 1d6 sonic damage per ebb transformed. The cone offers a Fortitude save for half damage against a DC of the Use Magic Device check.
• Gold: A golden transformer channels luminous energy by absorbing or emitting light.
  
  • Input: Luminous input transforms ambient light into energy, creating a field of darkness inside the net. It generates energy every turn based on the ambient light. Full daylight generates 3 ebbs per round, normal light generates 2 ebbs per round, and shadowy illumination generates 1 ebb per round. Alternatively, any effect which specifies bright or searing light dealing damage, such as searing light which passes through the net is negated, and transformed into 1 ebb per caster level (or per 8 points of damage, if not a magical effect).
  • Output: Luminous output generates illumination within the bubble. The level of the illumination depends on the amount of energy transformed. If 2 ebbs are transformed, shadowy illumination is generated. If 3 ebbs are transformed, normal light is generated. If 4 ebbs are transformed, full daylight (including all benefits related to daylight, such as its effects on vampires) is generated. A specific level of radiance can be set when the transformer is first prepared, and the level can be modulated by anyone holding the transformer. Excess energy is transformed into a bolt of searing light, which can be released in a predetermined direction or aimed by anyone holding or directing the transformer (or as a logical decision). The bolt of light deals 1d8 damage per ebb, and works as a ranged touch attack with a maximum range of 100ft. per ebb.

ARCD 230: Interpretive Charges [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisite: ARCD 101, Use Magic Device 8 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of copper or tin
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ARCD 101, except that it allows you to use copper and tin for your arcanodynamics in addition to any other materials you know.

• Copper: A copper transformer channels electric energy by generating or dissipating loose electrons at a molecular level.
  
  • Input: Electric input absorbs electric damage. Any effect that deals electric damage which either targets something inside the net or which passes through the net is absorbed. 1 ebb is generated for every 6 electricity damage negated. Specifically magnetic effects that target any metal inside the net are negated as well (including from mundane magnets or a repel metal or stone effect). For every 100 lb. of metal which is prevented from moving due to a magnetic effect, 1 ebb is generated, to a maximum of 10 ebbs every round.
  • Output: Electric output releases an electric current. This can take the form of a generic bolt of lightning or a sustained charge. Bolts of lightning released deal 1d6 electricity damage per ebb transformed, and take the form of a line with 20ft. of length per ebb. By default bolts of lightning target the nearest metal object within range but outside of the net, but they can be aimed by anyone holding the transformer. Alternatively, a sustained current is transferred into conductive metal touching the transformer, and creates an electric potential of 1 volt per ebb transformed. The form of transformer to be used is determined when the transformer is first prepared.
• Tin: A tin transformer channels acidic energy by generating or dissipating protons at a molecular level.
  
  • Input: Acid input neutralizes acidic media that enter the net. Every pint of acid neutralized like this generates 1 ebb. Neutralized acid is considered to have all of its original properties, except it deals no acid damage. This neutralizes loose acids, but not acid which is required for life, such as stomach acid while it is still in the stomach. Pure acid damage is also absorbed; any effect which deals acid damage against a target inside the net or which passes through the net is absorbed, generating 1 ebb for every 6 acid damage negated.
  • Output: Acid output transforms a liquid into an acid. It targets a reservoir of liquid with a volume of at least 1 pint which is within the net; by default the closest such body to the transformer is targetted. The reservoir becomes acidic, and is treated as a body of acid from a flask of acid. Every pint of liquid is equivalent to a single acid flask; excess ebbs increase the acid damage, at a rate of 1 ebb for every 1d6 extra acid damage for every pint. For example, if the transformer targets a 3-pint container of water, 12 ebbs transformed would create the equivalent of 3 acid flasks worth of acid which each deal 4d6 acid damage (or 4 damage to creatures within 5ft. of a hit). Anyone controlling the transformer can choose which reservoir within the net to target. The target liquid retains all of its original properties, it just also deals acid damage as a splash weapon.

ARCD 350: Unlikely Thermodynamics
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisite: Any two ARCD principles, Use Magic Device 15 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of ice or mercury
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ARCD 101, except that it allows you to use mercury and ice for your arcanodynamics in addition to any other materials you know. These uses very much oppose one another, and a lot of the time anything you could do with one can be done with a clever application of the other.

• Ice: A transformer made of ice channels fire by absorbing or emitting heat. Note that solid ice is required; if the transformer melts, it's effectively destroyed.
  
  • Input: Heat input creates a field of room temperature (20 degrees Centigrade), unless the ambient temperature is less than that, in which case the net maintains the ambient temperature instead. If the ambient temperature is greater than the temperature in the net, the extra heat is absorbed into the net, at a rate of 1 ebb generated for every 10 degrees Centigrade greater than the temperature in the net. Fire damage is also transformed; any effect which deals fire damage against something within the net or which passes through the net is absorbed, at a rate of 1 ebb generated for every 6 fire damage.
  • Output: Heat output warms the area of the net by 5 degrees Centigrade for every ebb transformed. Alternatively, the temperature can be fixed to a specific point warmer than the ambient temperature, in which case the excess energy is transformed into a bolt of flame. A specific temperature difference can be chosen when the transformer is first prepared, or selected by anyone holding the transformer. Extra energy becomes a line of fire, with a size of 20ft. per ebb. This is aimed in either a predetermined direction or aimed as chosen by someone holding the transformer. The fire bolt deals 1d6 fire damage per ebb used in it, with a Reflex save (DC equal to the Use Magic Device check) for half damage. Note that the specific temperature selected can actually just be 'ambient temperature', in which case all of the energy absorbed is channeled into the fire bolt.
• Mercury: A transformer made of mercury channels cold energy by directly controlling molecular motion. Note that solid mercury is required, and if the transformer melts, it's effectively destroyed.
  
  • Input: Cold input creates a field of room temperature (20 degrees Centigrade), unless the ambient temperature is greater than that, in which case the net mainains the ambient temperature instead. If the ambient temperature is lower than the temperature in the net, the extra cold is absorbed into the net, at a rate of 1 ebb generated for every 10 degrees Centigrade lower than the temperature in the net. Cold damage is also transformed; any effect which deals cold damage against something within the net or which passes through the net is absorbed, at a rate of 1 ebb generated for every 6 cold damage.
  • Output: Cold output chills the area of the net by 5 degrees Centigrade for every ebb transformed. Alternatively, the temperature can be fixed to a specific point colder than the ambient temperature, in which case the excess energy is transformed into a cone of cold. A specific temperature difference can be chosen when the transformer is first prepared, or selected by anyone holding the transformer. The ambient temperature can never fall below -373 degrees Centigrade. Extra energy becomes a cone of cold, with a size of 10ft. per ebb. This is aimed in either a predetermined direction or aimed as chosen by someone holding the transformer. The cone deals 1d6 cold damage per ebb used in it, with a Fortitude save (DC equal to the Use Magic Device check) for half damage. Note that the specific temperature selected can actually just be 'ambient temperature', in which case all of the energy absorbed is channeled into the fire bolt.

ARCD 365: Unsubstantiated Light [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisite: Any three ARCD principles, Use Magic Device 15 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of lead or platinum
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ARCD 101, except that it allows you to use lead and platinum for your arcanodynamics in addition to any other materials you know.

• Lead: A leaden transformer channels nuclear energy by capturing and controlling the energy contained within radiomantic materials.
  
  • Input: Radiomantic input absorbs the negative levels that a radiomantic element normally gives off (typically sunmetal, as described in alchemetrics). Every cubic foot of radiomantic material that is inside the net produces 10 ebbs every round. A single cubic foot of radiomantic material can provide up to 10 minutes of energy before it becomes inert. While it is within a lead input net, radiomantic material can be handled safely and cannot explode.
  • Output: Radiomantic output deals negative levels to everyone in the area at a rate of 1 per round. The DC to remove them is 25. Every negative level given out requires 5 ebbs; the field starts by targeting the lowest Hit Die creature in the area, and working its way up from there. Excess ebbs are transformed into 1d6 hellfire damage each that is dealt as a lump sum to every creature inside of the net (Fortitude save against the Use Magic Device check for half damage).
• Platinum: A platinum transformer channels faith by refracting the prayers of the faithful and interceding in the flow of the divine.
  
  • Input: Prayer input creates a field where prayers do not reach their target deity. This blocks the ability for a deity to hear or acknowledge the prayers of their followers. Even a salient divine ability such as True Knowledge is unable to penetrate the divine firewall established in the area. This field absorbs prayers and chants of faith, as well as attempts to regain divine spells. Particular spells which specifically request a boon from a patron deity, such as a miracle spell or a commune spell are similarly absorbed. Every round, a single devout being inside the area praying generates 1 ebb of puissance; this petitioner must be truly of the faith, and not merely going through the motions. Churches that can afford them regularly use platinum transformers to test their congregation's faithfulness (and who says science and religion can't get along?). If a divine spellcaster attempts to regain their spells while in a platinum inpur field, they fail to regain any spell slots, and 1 ebb is generated for every spell level that they would have regained. A specific spell that requests intercession which is cast in the field similarly fails, and also produces 1 ebb per spell level.
  • Output: Prayer output transforms energy into prayers which are sent to a particular pantheon or deity. A platinum transformer can be prepared to specifically target one patron, or it can be built more generally, in which case the target deity or pantheon can be changed as a logical decision for the transformer. Prayers take many forms, but in general this consists of a message effect, sent directly to the patron (or to their agents, depending on how that deity deals with prayers). The message can contain a number of words equal to the amount of puissance put out in ebbs. This is often a convenient way of providing gods with raw power, as many of them can make use of puissance themselves; typically the target deity generates 1 ebb for every five words in the message. If at least 3 ebbs are transmitted in this way, a consecrate effect occurs in the output net for a good-aligned deity, and a desecrate effect occurs for an evil deity. Prayers sent to neutral deities can generate either kind of field, as chosen with a logical decision. The effect lasts for 1 hour per word transmitted. If at least 15 ebbs are sent to a deity using this kind of tranformer, a temporary hallow or unhallow effect occurs, as appropriate, for the same amount of time (no material component required). If at least 100 ebbs are transformed into prayer, a miracle is generated in the area. The exact details of the miracle vary, and can be chosen as a logical decision, but are limited to any of the effects which do not require an XP expenditure.

[Kellus]

Biollurgy


Image credit kachima of deviantart.com

"You must know life to see decay."

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The meaning of life has always been one of the biggest fascinations of intelligent species, as they try to divine some purpose to the chaos they find themselves in. The question of whether life inherently has some preordained purpose is much more interesting when you actually have a bunch of superpowerful creatures that claim to be deities that created you. However, some gramarists explore other possibilities for the nature of existence, and their studies inevitably lead them to the discipline of biollurgy. This discipline allows a gramarist to explore the nature of the living and the material, and to create order from random mutation; it allows them to explore the kinds of systems that might have once led to their own existence.

Biollurgy involves typical medical supplies, including syringes, knives, and anatomical charts. More interestingly, it also requires rudimentary electrical equipment, including wiring, voltaic cells, and an archaic form of welder known as a phlogistifier. Any specialized equipment like this is treated as a masterwork item, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Heal check made to prepare a biollurgical principle. The Vitruvian Man is a legendary schematic which shows the secret geometry of the flesh and how it can be worked into the cold precision of a machine.

Key Skill: Heal


BIOY 101: Intro to Biollurgy
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisite: None
Target: 1 cubic foot of organic material or solid planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle transforms either inanimate or organic material into a kind of material which lies somewhere in-between: biostructure. Biostructure shares traits with both creatures and objects. As part of this principle, you make a Heal check. You can target either living or dead organic material, or any kind of planetary metal (copper, lead, gold, iron, mercury, platinum, silver, or tin) with this principle. However, you can only target one kind of metal or one creature with every preparation, and you must prepare this principle consecutively enough times to target the entire metal body or creature (or at least a part of the creature that has been separated from the whole). Biostructure is a kind of organic metal material, and looks like flesh, bone, muscle, and metal twisted together in a semblance of life.

Biostructure is treated as both a creature and an object. A mass of biostructure has the Aberration type, and although it has Strength and Dexterity scores of 0 and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of –, it does have a Constitution score. Biostructure has a Constitution score of your Heal check divided by 5, plus 10. A mass of biostructure has one Hit Die per inch of thickness (the first one is maximized, as normal). It receives bonus hit points based on its Constitution modifier, as normal for a creature. Biostructure is mindless, and thus is immune to any effect requiring a Will saving throw. It is also treated as an unattended object, and automatically fails any effect requiring a Reflex saving throw. It makes Fortitude saving throws as normal.

Biostructure also has hardness; if it was created from a metal, it has the hardness of that metal. If it was created from a creature with damage reduction /–, it uses that number instead. Otherwise, it has a hardness of 2. Biostructure also continually repairs itself, and has fast healing of half its hardness (minimum 1). Like an object, biostructure can also be broken with a sharp application of force. The break DC of biostructure is 10 + its Hit Dice + its Constitution modifier. Unlike most objects, biostructure is living matter and is vulnerable to critical hits, precision-based damage, death effects, bleeding effects, and so on. Biostructure has the same energy resistances of most objects, receiving half damage from electricity and fire, and one-quarter damage from cold. If the biostructure was made out of a metal with different energy resistances, these resistances are used instead. Similarly, it also retains any alchemetric modifications, up to and including special properties of ascended metals. Biostructure is not automatically destroyed at 0 hit points, but instead bleeds out like a living creature.

Biostructure is always treated as either a living creature or an object for any effect which specifically targets one or the other; for example, it receives full benefit from mundane healing with the Heal skill, a cure light wounds effect, or an effect that repairs objects such as the Craft skill. In general, biostructure can have any of the same conditions applied to it as a living creature, except where its non-ability scores would invalidate it (for example, it can be lit on fire, but cannot be fascinated). Biostructure does not melt or boil, but instead burns like an organic material. It weighs as much as the material that you used to create it.

You can also use this principle to join two masses of biostructure together into a single one. The combined mass has the worst of all of the individual statistics between the two masses, but adds the volume of them together. Preparing this principle also lets you shape the biostructure however you like based on its volume. Living creatures who object to you transforming part of them into biostructure or attaching more biostructure to them are allowed a Fortitude save to resist the procedure, against a DC of 10 + 5 for every BIOY principle you know.

Whenever you prepare this principle, you set a new Heal check for the mass as normal, which potentially changes its hit points. You can also reshape it, potentially changing its thickness and thus Hit Dice. If any change would add new hit points, it receives them healed on top of its previous hit points. However, preparing this principle doesn't heal damage that was previously dealt to the biostructure. If Hit Dice or hit points are removed from, hit points that the biostructure still has are removed first, potentially destroying the biostructure if it has received unhealed damage in any given location.

Biostructure doesn't need to eat or drink, but it does breathe (usually through noisy, rasping lungs that gasp at the air), which means that it can convert gases from one form to another. Your options for this conversion are between any two of the following gases: oxygen, carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, or water vapour. One cubic foot of animate structure can transform up to a quarter of a gallon of gas every round. The particular gas conversion performed by a mass of biostructure is set when you prepare this principle, and can be changed by preparing it again; joining biostructure lets you pick either gas conversion to be dominant for the joined mass. Similarly, it also can only survive in a set temperature range (no more than a 100 degree Centigrade spread). You can set this range when you prepare the principle; ambient temperatures outside this range are treated as extreme weather for the biostructure.


BIOY 228: Animate Construction
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisite: BIOY 101, Heal 8 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of biostructure OR a finished chassis
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle transforms a freestanding mass of biostructure into what's known as a biollurgical chassis. A chassis is a collection of biostructure given a form of actual life. It gains a Strength score and a Dexterity score, which combined equal twice the Constitution score of the mass. The exact values are set when this principle is first prepared, and neither the Strength nor the Dexterity can be more than twice the value of the other. The chassis has an Intelligence of 1 or 2 (chosen by you), a Wisdom score of 10, and a Charisma score of 2. This change makes it vulnerable to a wider range of effects, and it responds to many things like a creature now (such as effects requiring Reflex saves). However, it is still made of biostructure, and counts as an object for all relevant purposes as described in BIOY 101; it also keeps its hardness (but loses its fast healing).

This principle is possibly unique in that once a chassis has been created, this principle cannot be reprepared on it to add mass or change its fundamental statistics. Instead, it is immutable after taking on life of its own. Thus, to create a chassis larger than 1 cubic foot, a longer amount of time must be spent on multiple preparations of this principle at the point of original conception. For example, by spending eight hours at the outset, the chassis could be 8 cubic feet in volume, unchangeable afterwards. As part of this principle you make a Heal check, which must match or exceed the Heal check originally made to create the biostructure; upon success, this becomes the new Heal check of the chassis. Failure indicates the principle doesn't take hold, but the time spent on it is still wasted.

A chassis has different Hit Dice than a normal mass of biostructure. It trades its normal Hit Dice for a single Aberration Hit Die, and gains an additional Hit Die for every size category above Medium. It has a full complement of senses, including colour vision, normal human hearing, scent, taste, and touch. A biollurgical chassis cannot advance by nature of its racial Hit Dice, and never seems to wear out or grow old. It is never at risk of dying from old age, but also cannot reproduce. Now that it has true life, it also requires a normal diet, including water to drink and food to eat. When you prepare this principle you can decide whether the chassis subsists on vegetable matter (herbivorous), animal matter (carnivorous), or both (omnivorous). Whatever you decide, a chassis requires its own body weight in food every month. It also requires a full 8 hours of sleep every night. The chassis has a maximum ground speed of 20ft., plus 10ft. for every size category above Small. You can also decide exactly what the chassis looks like: it can either resemble dead and decayed flesh, sewn-together body parts, a horrifying monstrosity of protruding eyes, flesh, bone, and metal, or a robot. Your DM may allow other aesthetics upon request.

Your chassis does not have any natural weapons or other features normally. However, you can add some features later on by preparing this principle again on a finished chassis. This causes the chassis to twist and mutate and grow in strange new ways; this procedure works very much like a xenoalchemical graft. You don't need to have the normal class features to perform this, or any monstrous material. A chassis can have up to three features grown onto it in this way, and each one requires a new preparation of this principle. Every time you add a feature you need to match the Heal check originally made to create the chassis. Success indicates that you can add a single graft of 1st or 2nd level. These grafts are not restricted by normal body slots, since there's no telling what the chassis looks like at this point. This principle can also grow one 0-level graft as well, representing mundane appearances or handicaps built into the chassis. This doesn't take up a normal slot. The xenoalchemist level for any graft grown like this is equal to the Hit Dice of the chassis, and the saving throw against one of these grafts' effects has a DC of 10 + 1/2 the chassis' HD + the chassis' Constitution modifier.

By default a chassis has up to two manipulative limbs, such as arms or pincer claws. It also has a full complement of body slots to wear magic items or to receive further grafts. However, if you want to get a little more creative with the anatomy, you can trade out body slots in either of these two cases at a rate of 2:1 at the moment of conception. That is, by removing two body slots you can add another of an existing slot, such as removing the Legs and Throat graft slots to add another Arms graft slot. Once you decide on the anatomy like this, it can't be changed.


BIOY 273: Artificial Reckoning [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisite: BIOY 101, Heal 8 ranks
Target: A finished chassis
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle grants some kind of advanced control or intelligence to a biollurgical chassis. As part of this principle, you make a Heal check, which must match or exceed the original Heal check made to create the chassis. Upon success, you must choose one of the following options. A chassis can have more than one of them (aside from Circuited and Sentience simultaneously).

• Circuited: The chassis loses its Intelligence score entirely again, and becomes mindless. However, it is now a valid node for a heuristical circuit (created by HEUR 101) to target, and the actions of the chassis are now considered a logical decision for such a circuit. Commands can be given in plain language through the circuit, and it can relay sensory information back into the circuit. Advanced features, such as triggers and responses, can be placed on the chassis' behaviour like normal for any part of a heuristical circuit. An exotic intelligence in the circuit can control the chassis as if it was the brain of the creature. A sentient chassis is allowed a Will saving throw to resist this, against a DC of 5 + 5 for every BIOY principle you know.
• Instincts: The chassis receives up to 10 broad instructions that dictate its general behaviour, although it is unable to think beyond them. These are more instincts than anything else, such as 'search for food', 'follow directions', 'hunt birds', and so on. If you prepare this principle multiple times, you can add additional instincts. A sentient chassis is allowed a Will saving throw to resist this, against a DC of 5 + 5 for every BIOY principle you know.
• Sentience: The chassis' Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores increase to 10. It is now fully sentient and self-aware, and can take actions in its own self-interest. It automatically learns and can speak Common, and is eligible to take levels in any NPC or PC class that it qualifies for (although until it does, it keeps its first Aberration Hit Die, like any intelligent creature). This also grants the chassis a soul.

BIOY 340: Erratic Mutations
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisite: Any two BIOY principles, Heal 15 ranks
Target: A finished chassis
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle allows further alteration and mutation of a biollurgical chassis. As part of this principle, you make a Heal check, which must match or exceed the original Heal check made to create the chassis. Upon success, you can cause a new graft to grow from it, as if you were using BIOY 228. However, this principle targets three new graft slots, which can hold 3rd or 4th level grafts. Otherwise, this works exactly like the grafting version of BIOY 228.


BIOY 381: Eccentric Genetics [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisite: Any three BIOY principles, Heal 15 ranks
Target: A finished chassis
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle allows you to modify the genetics of a biollurgical chassis, allowing it to grow and propagate beyond its original design. As part of this principle, you make a Heal check, which must match or exceed the original Heal check made to create the chassis. The chassis can now advance in Hit Dice like a normal creature, and it advances by one size category with every 5 extra Hit Dice (to a maximum of up to three size categories beyond its original size; the maximum size is set when you prepare this principle). You can also set one method of your choice for the chassis to reproduce, such as asexual budding, normal mammalian reproduction (in which case the chassis gains gender, and you can immediately spend 12 hours making an identical chassis of the other gender), egg-laying, and so on. Along with these changes, the chassis loses its immunity to old age; you can set a maximum age, anywhere up to your Heal check result in years. Adult age, middle age, old age, and venerable age are determined accordingly.

When the chassis reproduces, certain features are passed down. Instincts are inherited, or sentience if the chassis is sentient. Grafts are also inherited, although every child has a 1% chance per graft (1 on a d100) of an inherited graft being the graft 1d4 spots down its list instead (looping around to the top of the list if the roll would take it past the final graft, and moving down one graft further if the new requires a prerequisite the chassis doesn't have). Only one such mutation can occur per child. 0-level grafts are also always mutated, causing similar but slightly different appearances from the parent; they don't count as a primary mutation, however.

Reproduction requires a certain gestation period, based on the size of the initial creature to be born (that is, the size category at the lowest Hit Dice). The gestation period is 1 month, with an additional four months for every size category above Tiny. Reproduction is possible when a chassis reaches adulthood.

Otherwise, the species breeds true, and is for all intents and purposes a new creature fresh from the Monster Manual.


Playing as a Biollurgical Creature: A chassis is viable as a PC. With your DM, follow the guidelines with these principles to design a race, or your DM might use them to design new artificial species for her campaign setting. A chassis has a Level Adjustment of +1 for a basic Medium-sized race that has a Heal check of 10, sentience, and three 1st or 2nd level grafts. A chassis that also has three 3rd or 4th level grafts instead has a Level Adjustment of +3. Being made out of exceptionally sturdy or alchemetrically altered materials could also raise the Level Adjustment by an additional +1 or +2 based on the extra advantage.

[Kellus]

Eldrikinetics


Image credit Osokin of deviantart.com

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings"

Spoiler

Show

The nature of motion is one of the oldest problems of mankind; as a species we seem to be addicted to speed, and other humanoid races are no better. The ability to transport materials at high speeds and across great distances makes many amazing feats of civilization possible. Eldrikinetics is the study of magical principles which can create this movement using powerful thaumaturgical engines. An eldrikinetic ship scoffs at gravity!

Eldrikinetics typically makes use of predrawn sets of blueprints, schematics, and parametric drawings of various engines and vehicles. Other useful supplies include pendulums and springs to test various principles of motion. Any piece of equipment like this counts as masterwork, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Concentration check made to prepare an eldrikinetic principle. A particularly famous kinetic device is the Foucalt Pendulum, which is said to be able to control the motion of the earth itself.

Key Skill: Concentration


ELDK 101: Intro to Eldrikinetics
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: 1 cubic foot of material
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle transforms a mass of material into an eldrikinetic engine. An engine can generate a certain amount of Push, which is a kind of imparted momentum. Every engine has a particular kind of fuel which can be used to generate its Push, although all of them can also run off of pure puissance if they're hooked up to a circuit. When an engine generates Push, it moves itself in a certain direction, and brings anything attached to it along for the ride.

To determine how fast a structure moves, you need two things: the magnitude of the Push, and the Bulk rating of the object (including the engine). The Bulk rating can be found from the following chart:

{table=head]Size Category|Bulk Rating
Fine|1
Diminutive|8
Tiny|27
Small|64
Medium|125
Large|216
Huge|343
Gargantuan|512
Colossal|729
Enormous|1,000
Immense|1,331
Behemothic|1,728
Cavernous|2,197
Mountainous|2,744
Vast|3,375
Unusally heavy (stone, metal, etc)|x 2
Unusually light (cotton candy, paper, etc)|x 1/2[/table]

For example, a single simple orthogonal engine has a Bulk rating of 54 (Tiny size for a 8 cubic foot block, multiplied by 2 for being unusally dense).

Determining the speed is the fun part, and is slightly more maths-requisite. Get a calculator! You divide the Push generated by the Bulk rating of the thing moving. Then round down. Multiply this value by 30 feet per round. Ta-da! You now have the speed your object moves every round. Control systems are relatively simple to install (DC 20 Knowledge [Architecture and Engineering] check) in order to steer the craft.

Like any principle, if this principle is prepared more than once you can end up with an engine much larger than normal. For every additional time you prepare this principle you need an additional 8 cubic feet of the appropriate material; the engine must be a single solid unit no matter the size. If you supply enough fuel for the extra size you get extra Push out of it. So, for example, if you spend three hours preparing an engine which is three times as large as normal and feed it three times the normal fuel required, it generates three times the normal Push. If you feed it less fuel than the maximum, the entire engine still moves, but only produces Push equivalent to the fuel used. When you combine into a larger engine like this, you're said to have multiple engines in parallel.

For ease of reference, here's the speed of some basic Bulks, against up to five engines in parallel. Note that there are certain benchmarks for speed. At a speed of 1,800ft. objects can now be considered as projectiles for ranged attacks (this speed is hereafter known as projectile speed). These objects deal damage based on their weight, as described in Complete Warrior. At a speed of 6,698ft. the speed of sound is broken, also known as mach 1. Similarly, mach 2 is a speed of 13,397ft. and mach 3 is a speed of 20,096ft.

At certain Bulk Ratings you run into a maximum speed. This is the maximum speed that can be achieved from a single engine or set of engines in parallel. In order to exceed the listed maximum speed, an object would need two or more entirely separate sets of engines acting on it simultaneously.

{table=head]Bulk Rating|Example Object|100 Push|200 Push|300 Push|400 Push|500 Push|Maximum Speed
1|Wood chip|Projectile|Projectile|Mach 1|Mach 1|Mach 2|Mach 3
2|Bullet|1,500ft.|Projectile|Projectile|Projectile |Mach 1|Mach 3
8|Arrow|360ft.|750ft.|1,110ft.|1,500ft.|Projectile |Mach 3
27|Spitoon|90ft.|210ft.|330ft.|420ft.|540ft.|Mach 2
64|Chest of drawers|30ft.|90ft.|120ft.|180ft.|210ft.|Mach 2
125|Human with a jetpack|-|30ft.|60ft.|90ft.|120ft.|Mach 1
216|Automotive|-|-|30ft.|30ft.|60ft.|Mach 1
343|Light aircraft|-|-|-|30ft.|30ft.|Mach 1
512|Pirate ship|-|-|-|-|-|Projectile
729|Tarrasque with a jetpack|-|-|-|-|-|900ft.
1,000|Small house|-|-|-|-|-|450ft.
1,331|Big house|-|-|-|-|-|240ft.
1,728|Temeraire|-|-|-|-|-|120ft.
2,197|The Chrysler Building|-|-|-|-|-|60ft.
2,744|The Hindenburg|-|-|-|-|-|30ft.
3,375|Flying island fortress|-|-|-|-|-|30ft.[/table]

At mach 1, objects are considered projectiles for ranged touch attacks. At mach 2, they also catch enemies flat-footed unless the target has uncanny dodge. At mach 3, they deal double their normal damage, with the extra damage being sonic energy damage.

An engine has a set amount of Push that it generates, but that is a maximum. When this principle is first prepared, you can set the Push output to any number you like up to the maximum value. This can be changed later with a comparable Concentration check to the one made when the engine was set up. It should also be noted that an engine produces Push (and, consequently, speed) which occurs in the space that the engine is inside. This means that the engine must have more than 50% of its volume inside of the dimension where it's producing its Push.

As part of this principle you make a Concentration check. The Concentration check doesn't really come into play much, but if anyone tries to dismantle the engine, the Disable Device DC is equal to your Concentration check.

This principle allows you to make the following engine:

• Simple Orthogonal: A simple orthogonal engine uses wood as a fuel source and is made out of iron. It requires 1 pound (about 1 log) of wood for 1 minute of operation, during which it generates 100 points of Push per round. This engine pushes orthogonally to the gravity in the area, which means that it moves horizontally along whatever plane it is on. A simple orthogonal engine can also be sustained for one round with 6 ebbs of puissance.

ELDK 219: Atypical Ballistics
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: ELDK 101, Concentration 8 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of material
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ELDK 101, but you can also build the following engine:

• Ballistic: A ballistic engine uses bone as a fuel source and is made out of copper. It requires 1 pound of bone (about a human armbone), at which point it can be activated three times before refuelling. Unlike most engines, a ballistic engine imparts its Push to an object it's touching instead of to itself. The object is then launched at any angle the operator likes. This allows the engine to make actual ranged attacks with the object being launched if it is moving fast enough. Every time the engine is activated it generates a one-time burst (instead of sustained motion) of 400 points of Push. A ballistic engine can also be charged for a single use with 6 ebbs of puissance. Objects launched with a ballistic engine have a range increment of 1/20 their speed (round down).

Ballistic engines are treated as ranged weapons, and can be enchanted or enhanced just like one.

ELDK 276: Unnatural Propulsion [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: ELDK 101, Concentration 8 ranks
Target: 8 cubic feet of material
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ELDK 101, but you can also build the following engines:

• Ascending: An ascending engine uses daylight as a fuel source and is made out of silver. It requires full daylight to operate, but as long as it is in an area of full daylight it generates 200 points of Push per round. In the light of the full moon it is even more effective, and can generate twice this amount. This engine pushes upwards, opposing the direction that gravity is acting on the engine. An ascending engine can also be sustained for one round with 8 ebbs of puissance.
• Submerging: A submerging engine uses blood as a fuel source and is made out of flesh. It requires 1 gallon of fluid blood for 1 minute of operation, during which it generates 200 points of Push per round. This engine pushes downwards, in the same direction as gravity is acting on the engine. A submerging engine can also be sustained for one round with 8 ebbs of puissance.

It's also important to note that if a vehicle has both a powered ascending or submerging engine as well as a powered simple orthogonal engine, it can act as if it had a special movement speed. This is called a two-part engine. The combination of ascending and orthogonal provides a fly speed, and the combination of submerging and orthogonal provides a swim speed (assuming the vessel is otherwise suitable). The speed is equal to the lower of the two speeds per round available from the composite engines. With a fly speed the vessel is treated as having an average maneuverability for any relevant purposes. That being said, if you'd rather work out the actual logistics of the exact activations and headings of the two Pushes, feel free. This is merely a simplification for ease of gameplay.


ELDK 355: Strange Locomotion
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two ELDK principles, Concentration 15 ranks
Target: 8 cubic feet of material
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ELDK 101, but you can also build the following bizarre engines:

• Badgerdrawn: A badgerdrawn engine uses nuts and acorns as a fuel source and is made out of stone. It requires 5 pounds (about a cubic foot) of nuts or acorns for 1 minute of burrowing, during which it generates 200 points of Push per round. This engine can only be used when it is in contact with dirt or loosely packed earth, and allows the engine and whatever it is attached to to burrow through the dirt. The engine can pull its structure through dirt or loose earth in any direction, but cannot pull it out of the earth. A badgerdrawn engine is also sustained for one round with 10 ebbs of puissance.
• Beeform: A beeform engine uses honey as a fuel source and is made out of amber. It requires 1 gallon of honey for 1 minute spent in bee form, during which it generates 200 points of Push per round. This engine, while active, transforms the engine and whatever structure it is attached to into a swarm of bees. The affected structure and any creature on board into an intelligent swarm, temporarily giving it the Swarm subtype. The Push can be used to move it in any direction above ground, and counts as a fly speed appropriate to the speed granted by the Push. It counts as having a perfect maneuverability for all relevant purposes. A beeform engine can also be sustained for one round with 10 ebbs of puissance.
• Lightningleap: A lightningleap engine uses electricity as a fuel source and is made out of solid mercury. It requires 10 volts of electric potential for every leap it makes. Every leap provides the equivalent of 200 points of Push in any direction, as the engine and whatever it is attached to transforms into a bolt of lightning. The vehicle reconstitutes into its original form at the other side of the leap. It also deals electricity damage to everything it passes through during the leap (10d6 damage with a Reflex save for half damage, against a DC equal to the Concentration check of the engine). A lightningleap engine can also be activated for a single leap with 10 ebbs of puissance.
• Stonefish: A stonefish engine uses seawater as a fuel source and is made out of diamond. It requires 10 gallons of seawater for 1 minute of stone swimming, during which it generates 200 points of Push per round. This engine can only be used when it is contact with stone, metal, or any other kind of earth material. The engine allows movement in any direction while the vehicle is submersed in the stone, and allows it to move through stone or metal like a fish swims through water. It counts as having a swim speed equal to the the speed granted by the Push. A stonefish engine can also be sustained for one round with 10 ebbs of puissance.

ELDK 399: Immaterial Travel [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three ELDK principles, Concentration 15 ranks
Target: 8 cubic feet of material
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like ELDK 101, but you can also build the following engines:

• Aetherial: An aetherial engine uses moonsteel as a fuel source and is made out of cold iron. It burns 1 cubic foot of moonsteel for every minute spent travelling incorporeally. While active, the engine and the vehicle it is attached to becomes incorporeal, and it generates 400 points of Push per round. It can travel in any direction on the Ethereal Plane during the effect, and for all intents and purposes has a perfect maneuverability and a fly speed with a speed equivalent to that granted by the Push. An aetherial engine can also be sustained for one round with 15 ebbs of puissance.
• Planejumping: A planejumping engine uses sunmetal as a fuel source and is made out of adamantine. It requires 1 cubic foot of sunmetal for every jump that it makes. Every time it's activated, it pulls itself and the structure attached to it through the planar void, to another Plane as if by a gate effect (travel version only). It generates the equivalent of 1,000 points of Push, although it doesn't physically move. Instead, there must be at least enough Push generated from the engine to impart a speed of 30ft. to the vehicle. A planejumping engine can also be powered for a single jump with 30 ebbs of puissance.

[Kellus]

Geoccultism


Image credit Holicia of deviantart.com

"Everything must go somewhere."

Spoiler

Show

Geoccultism is an intricate art that involves thaumaturgically aligning the essence of a place to a particular orientation through a combination of manipulating ley lines and magnetic fields. Through the use of a ruling pole, a skilled geoccultist can create a variety of weather conditions and terrains, suitable for everything from ideal agriculture climates to advanced meteomantic warfare. To truly master geoccultism, one must know the land like they know themself, and often better.

Geoccultism is aided with enchanted compasses and ancient atlases, to locate and track ley lines across the surface of the earth. Dowsing rods are also commonly employed to pinpoint the location and orientation of geoccult poles. An aid like this counts as a masterwork piece of equipment and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Survival check made to prepare a geoccult principle. The Imago Mundi is perhaps the most famous arcane atlas ever compiled, and always shows the exact alignment of seven 'ley plates', islands of geolomantic power which move inexorably below the surface of the earth.

Key Skill: Survival


GEOC 101: Intro to Geoccultism
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisite: None
Target: At least 100 lb of planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle transforms a continuous mass of metal into a geoccult pole, which emits a field geomagnetically attuned to a specific biome. The metal transformed emits a bubble-shaped field, except that it has a different size than normal. The field begins at a radius of 500ft., and every additional preparation of this principle adds an additional 100ft. of radius to it. The particular biome created depends on the planetary metal used to create the pole. A geoccult pole is immobile once created; it is fixed in the geography of the land. It can be broken out of geomagnetic alignment with a DC 30 Strength check (+5 for every GEOC principle you know), but this ruins the principle and returns the pole to its original state. Molten metal can be transformed into a geoccult pole, but enough mass must remain in the fluid body to maintain the required amount; otherwise the effect is similarly broken. A biome condition spreads slowly, at a rate of 5ft. per round out from the pole, until it reaches its ultimate radius.

Geoccult poles slowly consume themselves to provide the fuel for their biome. Every day they consume 5 lb for every 100ft. of radius. If this consumption reduces the mass of the pole below the critical mass, the pole collapses. The critical mass is defined as 100 lb multiplied by 1 + the number of times the radius has been increased (that is, the required mass to use the principle itself). Additional mass can be added to a geoccult pole by placing appropriate metal so that it touches the main body. The mass is slowly subsumed into the body of the pole over the following ten minutes. If a geoccult pole is hooked up to a heuristical circuit, puissance can be used to pay for mass which would otherwise be consumed, at a rate of 1 ebb for every 10 lb of metal that would be needed.

If a feature requires upkeep, that is, additional expenditure of metal or puissance to maintain itself, this can happen over time. An appropriate amount of puissance must be supplied to the pole to pay for the feature's upkeep; the full amount of puissance must be provided in 10 rounds. That is, at least one-tenth of the puissance must be supplied once a round for ten rounds, or until the full cost is paid. Payment is due at either midnight or midday, as chosen when the pole is established. If on a Plane without such times, payment is still due every 24 hours, starting from the establishment of the pole.

If there are multiple features which need to be supplied puissance to maintain, they can be paid one after the other, with no round in-between when no puissance is being transferred. If there is such a break, all of the necessary metal for remaining features is drawn from the body of the pole. If there is ever not enough mass in the pole to keep it above the critical limit, the pole collapses.

A geoccult field does not overwrite everything in the area, only natural elements. Trees, rocks, leaves, grass, dirt, and so on, are subsumed into the pole; if the field is broken later on, the old terrain elements reassert themselves as if nothing had happened. Animals and artificial elements such as houses, are not subsumed like this; instead, the landscape changes around them. Things that a geoccult pole creates are real and tangible, and last if taken out of the area. Once removed, they don't disappear if the pole collapses.

As part of this principle, you make a Survival check. This check determines the potency of the biome. You must make a certain DC in order to create the pole in the first place, or the principle is wasted to no effect; this critical DC is shown in the condition entry. For every 5 points you beat the critical DC of the check, any effects caused by the biome have their saving throw DC increased by 1, the skill check they require increased by +3, and any damage dice increased by 1 die. As the biome spreads, the baseline terrain of the area changes to that of the biome. This is essentially the foundation of the land.

If two biomes come into contact, one of them overwrites the other; whichever has a higher Survival check is dominant.

The poles that you can use include:

{table=head]Planetary Metal|Critical DC|Biome|Baseline Terrain
Copper|20|Forest|Rich soil
Gold|25|Arctic|Permafrost
Iron|25|Desert|Sand
Lead|20|Swamp|Peat
Platinum|20|City|Basalt
Tin|15|Grasslands|Dirt[/table]

• Arctic (Permafrost): Permafrost is essentially frozen soil. The ground in this biome remains frozen year round, and the air temperature also grows fairly chilly thanks to convection. The ground is inhospitable to plants; only the hardiest arctic plants can grow roots deep enough to penetrate the frozen topsoil. In practice, this biome typically ends up creating a cold desert. An arctic biome has an average temperature of 0 Centigrade during the day to -40 Centigrade at night. Arctic biomes receive 50% less precipitation than most biomes, and what they do receive is typically in the form of blinding snowstorms.
• City (Basalt): Basalt is pretty much just simple cobblestone. Nothing grows on it, although it's nice for walking along and riding horses on. A platinum pole doesn't have much effect on the local climate, although wind patterns tend to be broken up by large structures and sharp corners.
• Desert (Sand): Speaking of which, a desert is primarily filled with sand. This is a wasteland that has little nutritional value stored in the ground, which leads to a vicious cycle where plants can't grow in the area to provide nutrients for other plants. Sand is incredibly inhospitable, and also hard to travel on, since it's loose. You cannot run on sand, and horses only cover half their regular distance in a day. A desert biome has an average temperature of up to 40 Centigrade in the day, and as low as freezing (0 Centigrade) at night. A desert biome receives 50% less precipitation than normal biomes.
• Forests (Rich Soil): This is a dark carbon-rich soil perfect for trees and general agriculture. Profession (farmer) and similar checks made to grow things in the soil gain a +2 bonus, and annual yield using this soil (assuming it's used over the entire growing season) is increased by 25%. Rich soil depletes quickly, and consecutive yields after a boom year yield only 75% of their normal potential. Forests have a temperate climate, ranging from 5 to 25 Centigrade.
• Grasslands (Dirt): The dirt created here is very sturdy and enduring. Although not as rich in nutrients as the dark soil of the forest, grasslands dirt perseveres. This is the baseline soil which is assumed in general. Grasslands typically have a pleasant climate, with similar temperatures to a forest.
• Swamp (Peat): Peat is very wet, very mucky soil. It's filthy to move around in, and requires a DC 10 Balance check every round you move through it to avoid getting really muddy. It's got a huge moisture content, and is very well-suited to some kinds of plants. Traditional crops like grain can't grow here at all, but any species of plant which can cope with the extremely wet conditions can do quite well; oak trees, tea trees, and other plants with shallow roots find themselves at home. Any plant well suited to the terrain grows 50% faster than it would elsewhere. Swamps often have very humid and muggy climates; 10 to 25 Centigrade is common, with a consistent relative humidity of up to 70%.

GEOC 235: Bizarre Biomes
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: GEOC 101, Survival 8 ranks
Target: At least 100 lb of planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like GEOC 101, except that you can place features into the biomes that you are creating. By maintaining contact with the pole during the spread of a biome, you can place terrain features, such as trees or mineral deposits, inside of the area as it grows. Alternatively, these can be changed as a logical decision or by preparing the principle again. Changes introduced like this after the fact also spread from the pole at a rate of 5ft. per round, overwriting previous features (you must still remain in contact with the pole during the spreading effect to place terrain features). If a pole's effect is broken, the old terrain reasserts itself at the same rate. Every biome has a baseline feature, which is a characteristic of the land itself which is intrinsic to the biome's nature. The baseline terrain of the biome is free; additional terrain features require the immediate consumption of metal from the mass of the pole, as described in the feature entry.

Some features require upkeep; features which need to replenish themselves (such as a tree which has been cut down) do so over a period of one day, consuming again as much material as was required to station them in the first place. Features can be placed on top of things that already exist, such as manmade structures in the area. However, the primary owner of a structure is allowed a Will saving throw (DC 10 + 5 for every GEOC principle you know) to resist the encroachment of the geoccult field. Success indicates that that pole cannot place any features inside, on, or in the structure in question. This spread also does not grant you any special insight into what is inside such as structure; if you don't know what it looks like inside, you're essentially just placing features randomly in the dark.

Many of the features described here are fairly rudimentary. If you have access to additional supplementary material, such as the supplements Frostburn: Mastering the Perils of Ice and Snow (for a gold pole) or Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (for an iron pole), feel free to make use of their more extensive geography choices. Work with your DM to determine what would be a reasonable price for various natural terrain features from these supplements. Note that supernatural terrain elements are not appropriate for this principle.

The features you can place are:

Arctic [Gold]: A gold pole allows you to spread an arctic biome. An arctic area has permafrost as its baseline, and additional terrain features include black ice, ice, rock, scrub, snowdrifts, and trees. The arctic is a cold, inhosbitable place, filled with many frozen dangers.

• Black Ice: Black ice is exceptionaly dangerous ice, in that it's very unreflective and also very slippery. This makes it hard to notice until you're actually on it. To even notice black ice, someone needs to succeed on a DC 20 Spot check. This works like ice (see below), except that a DC 10 Balance check is required even to move normally on it. If someone on black ice fails to notice that it's there, the Balance check DC to move across it doubles, and failure indicates that they fall prone. Black ice costs 25 lb for every 5ft. sheet.
• Ice: Ice is frozen water, and this describes an ice sheet on the ground. it could cover up a frozen body of water, or just packed smooth snow. It costs 2 squares of movement to enter a square covered in ice, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks there increases by 5. A DC 10 Balance check is required to run or charge across ice. Ice costs 5 lb for every 5ft. sheet.
• Rubble: This is either light or dense rubble strewn across the ground by avalanches in the past. Light rubble increases the DC of Balance and Tumble checks by 2. Dense rubble costs 2 squares of movement to enter into, and increases the DC of Balance and Tumble checks by 5, and of Move Silently checks by 2. Light rubble costs 5 lb for every 20ft. patches, while dense rubble costs 5 lb for every 10ft. patch.
• Scrub: Scrub is hardy, reasonably nutritious plantlife which can survive the harsh conditions of the tundra. One 5ft. patch of scrub will sustain a herbivorous Medium-sized creature (including omnivorous humanoids, although not for prolonged periods of time) for a day, but they'll be unsatiated until they get more filling food. Scrub costs 2 squares of movement to enter into, and it provides concealment. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Hide checks. Scrub costs 5lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Snowdrifts: Snowdrifts are large shifting bodies of snow. This snow is typically lighter and more powder than normal, and is very difficult to move in. When moving in a snowdrift, one is treated as if it's 20 degrees Centigrade colder than it actually is. It costs double movement to travel through a snowdrift, and Balance, Hide, Survival, and Tumble checks all take a -5 penalty. Snowdrifts are mobile terrain features which blow with the wind, and can cover other terrain elements. Snowdrifts cost 25 lb for every 10ft. drift.
• Trees: These are nearly always coniferous trees which thrive at high latitudes. Trees tend to be fairly sparse in a tundra environment, but it's not uncommon to see lone trees eking out their survival. These work like the light trees described in the SRD. Light arctic trees cost 5 lb, and occupy a negligible space; they cannot be placed any closer than 10ft. separation.

City [Platinum]: A platinum pole allows you to spread a city biome. A city has cobblestone as its baseline, and additional terrain features include bridges, buildings, fountains, roads, sewers, and walls. A city is a generally hospitable place, designed to be inhabited by humanoid creatures.

• Bridges: Bridges are roadways that extend over chasms, bodies of water, and other otherwise dangerous terrain. A bridge extends the cobblestone basis of the biome out into a gentle arch, which can hold 200 lb for every 5 ft. of width at once. A bridge costs 5lb for every 5ft. section.
• Building: Buildings are where people tend to live. A single application of this particular terrain feature is called a storey. A single storey is a 20ft. by 20ft. by 10ft. room, with doors and windows arranged to taste on the walls, floor, and ceiling. If multiple stories are stacked on top of each other, a staircase can be installed which connects the two, positioned either along one of the outer walls or in the center of the storey. If two stories are placed immediately adjacent to each other, the two rooms can be merged into a single larger room. Each storey, upon creation, generates a deed, which allows the holder to create or remove subdividing walls, windows, doors, staircases, and balconies inside that storey. This task requires 10 minutes for each feature to be added or removed, and can only be done by the legal owner of the deed. In fact, a deed may only be transferred via legal means, such as inheritance, sale, dowry, and so on, unless the original creator of the deed decides otherwise at the time of placement. A single storey costs 50 lb.
• Fountain: A fountain is a pleasant landmark that allows free access to clean, drinkable water. A fountain constantly emits a stream of fresh water, flowing out at a rate of 5 gallons every round. A fountain that isn't connected to a source of water consumes 10 lb of metal each round to produce the necessary liquid. A fountain costs 60 lb of metal to produce; in addition, if there is any statuary that the creator of the fountain wishes to incorporate, the fountain costs an additional 30 lb. Intricate ornamentation may require an appropriate Craft check, as decided by the circumstances.
• Road: A road is a surface intended to be easy to walk along. Creatures following a road can travel overland 20% faster than they otherwise would be able to. In addition, if a stretch of road has a width of 20ft. or more, this feature can also produce bullseye lanterns that hang 7ft. above the ground every 60ft. along the road, supplying constant light. Four 5ft. sections of road costs 10 lb to produce.
• Sewer: A good sewer allows you to pipe water (or other liquids) to a fountain, or take wastewater away from a road. Sewers are usually created 10ft. below ground, and cost 10 lb for each 125 cubic foot block of ground altered. In addition, by spending an additional 10 lb on a section of sewer, a pipe is created that connects it to either a fountain or a road; this is either a release or a drain, respectively. If a sewer connects to a body of liquid, it consumes it at a rate of 10 gallons per round. Furthermore, a pipe can fuel two fountains for every body of liquid it taps into. If a fountain is fueled by a pipe connected to a body of liquid that isn't fresh water, it produces that liquid instead. Liquid waste has to go somewhere, which means that it doesn't just disappear when it goes into the sewer. Every sewer needs to end somewhere, and for an initial cost of 20 lb plus an additional 5 lb for daily operation, you can install a water purification system in your sewer line. This is a 5ft. block (125 cubic foot) which is placed at some point along your sewer; liquid which goes in is purified, as if with a purify food and drink effect. A single water purification system can handle 7.5 gallons of liquid every round.
• Wall: A good wall keeps the city safe! Each of the costs on the table below are for a single 10ft. section; each section has an AC of 3 and a Hardness of 8. A gate can be added to a wall for no additional cost.
  
  {table=head]Wall Dimensions|Hit Points per Section|Cost
  20ft. tall, 5ft. thick|450 hp|20 lb
  30ft. tall, 10ft. thick|720 hp|60 lb
  40ft. tall, 15ft. thick|1170 hp|120 lb[/table]

Desert [Iron]: An iron pole allows you to spread a desert biome. A desert has sand as its baseline, and additional terrain features include cacti, packed earth, quicksand, rubble, sand dunes, and undergrowth. Deserts are dangerous wastelands, unsuited to normal life. Only the hardiest survive their brutal conditions.

• Cacti: A cactus is a desert plant typically spiny and sharp to the touch. Cacti provide concealment, and a +1 bonus to AC and Reflex saves to anyone in the same square. However, one can only make use of these bonuses by moving in close quarters around the cactus, dealing 2d3 piercing damage every round. You cannot climb a cactus, but it is filled with liquid that can be harvested with a DC 15 Survival check. Cactus juice will hydrate people, but those who drink it report hallucinations and fevers (-4 penalty to mental ability scores until they get eight hours of rest out of the sun). Cacti otherwise work like light trees, as described in the gold (arctic) pole section. A cactus costs 15 lb and cannot be closer than 10ft. to another cactus.
• Packed Earth: Packed earth is useful for desert trails, and for leading pack animals. It's solid enough to walk on easily, but it's impossible to grow anything in it. Pack earth costs 5lb for every 5ft. square.
• Quicksand: Quicksand is an imfamous desert danger. This is ground that appears solid until any weight is put on it, at which point it begins to suck the mass inside of it. Quicksand costs 25 lb for every 5ft. patch of it.
• Rubble: Desert rubble works like the rubble described in the gold (arctic) pole section. Desert rubble is cheaper, however, being a more common sight without snow everywhere. Desert rubble costs 5 lb for every 40ft. patch, and dense rubble costs 5lb for every 20ft. patch.
• Sand Dunes: Sand dunes are huge moving swathes of sand which envelop the landscape. They arrange themselves with a gentle slope facing into the wind, and a steep slope on the opposite side. Sand dunes are loose terrain, and maneuvering in them costs twice as much movement as normal. Sand also gets everywhere, which you'll be noticing for weeks afterwards. Balance and Tumble checks have their DC's increased by 5 in a sand dune, and standing up from prone is a challenge as it's nearly impossible to get a good hold on anything to stand up; standing from prone is a full-round action unless you have a special ability to speed this up (such as kip up, in which case it's unchanged). Sand dunes are mobile features which move with the wind, and can cover other terrain elements. Sand dunes cost 5 lb for every 50ft. patch.
• Undergrowth: Undergrowth is mostly composed of vines, roots, and bushes, and it restricts movement. Undergrowth created with an iron pole is the light type descibed. Undergrowth costs 5 lb for every 5ft. patch.

Forest [Copper]: A copper pole allows you to spread a forest biome. A forest has rich soil as its baseline, and additional terrain features include fungus, logs, moss, streams, trees, and undergrowth. Forests are ideal for providing natural resources such as wood and to scavenge for food. Forest soil is exceedingly fertile, and can be very useful for agriculture.

• Fungus: Fungus is reasonably nutritious and can grow in the absence of light as long as it has a decent supply of nutrients and peace and quiet; however, anyone untrained in Survival (0 ranks) has a 5% chance of picking a poisonous mushroom when gathering food from a fungus patch (Fortitude DC 15, initial and secondary damage 1d4 Con). Someone trained in Survival can make a DC 25 Survival check to gather up to three such poisonous mushrooms from any given 5ft. patch. Fungus patches are softer than the ground; falls onto them count as being 20ft. shorter than they actually are. Mushrooms, once picked, take a day to grow back. Fungus patches cost 50 lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Logs: Logs are a common sight in a forest. They provide cover like small walls, and typically stand from 1ft. to 3ft. high. They can be placed to run over streams, although travelling longitudinally on a log requires a DC 10 Balance check and twice as much movement as normal. A log takes up a space of 5ft. by 10 to 200ft., decided at placement. Logs cost 5 lb for every 10ft. in length.
• Moss: Moss is a light covering of greenery on the ground. It is very soft, and aside from being pleasant to the touch, it is very easy to move quietly on. All Move Silently checks made on moss gain a +4 circumstance bonus. If moss is placed on a log, the Balance check to move on it is doubled. Moss is reasonably nutritious, and some species can survive on it. It also grows ridiculously fast, and replenishes itself every six hours instead of every day. Moss costs 5 lb for every 10ft. patch.
• Streams: A stream is no wider than 5 to 10ft. wide, and no more than 5ft. deep. These are freshwater streams, but unless connected to an outside water supply the water will quickly grow stagnant and gross. Streams cost 5 lb for every 10ft. in length.
• Trees: Trees are of course the most important feature of any forest, useful for hiding, climbing, tactical positioning, wood, and so on. The trees created with a copper pole can be light or massive. Light trees require negligible space, while massive trees require a 5ft. square. Light trees cost 5 lb, and massive trees cost 20 lb. Trees can be placed at a discount when grouping them together in a forest; up to four light trees can be placed in a single 5ft. square, and the third and fourth are free. Similarly, up to two light trees can occupy the same square as a heavy tree, and they are also free.
• Undergrowth: This works like the undergrowth described in the iron (desert) pole section. Undergrowth created with a copper pole is the light type descibed. Undergrowth costs 5 lb for every 5ft. patch.

Grasslands [Tin]: A tin pole allows you to spread a grasslands biome. Grasslands have a baseline terrain of dirt, and additional terrain features includes clay, grass, shale, streams, tall grass, and trees. Grasslands are fairly straightforward terrain with not too many surprises. It's excellent terrain to settle on, and the ground is very reliable for agriculture. Grass is a perfect foodstock for domesticated animals, and in general grasslands are ideal for developing some measure of civilization.

• Clay: Clay is a useful material which exhibits plastic behavious when it's mixed with water. This makes it very important for artisans and craftsmen to use for their work. The clay this pole creates is a solid deposit near the surface, which is rocky and solid, which acts like light rubble. Balance and Tumble checks made on clay have their DC increased by 2, and a failed check smashes the clay, destroying 25% of it every time. A single clay feature contains 2d6 lb of clay and takes up a 5ft. square. Every 5ft. square of clay deposit costs 25 lb.
• Grass: This is the main reason you'd be using this biome. Grass is a very hardy, useful plant that can be created in large quantities. It is ideal as a feedstock, and livestock raised on this grass grows 10% larger than normal livestock of their kind. The grass created is still growing, and thus has an 80% moisture content; it must typically be dried out before being used as feed. Grass costs 5 lb for every 10ft. patch.
• Shale: If clay is hard to balance on, shale is even worse. Ride, Balance, and Tumble checks across shale have their DC increased by 5. A failure causes the person attempting the action (including the mount, if applicable) to fall prone on the shale, taking damage as if from a 20ft. fall. Running and charging across shale is impossible on foot. Shale costs 5lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Streams: These are the same kinds of streams described in the copper (forest) pole section.
• Tall Grass: Tall grass is especially dangerous and easy to hide in. Hide and Move Silently checks gain a +4 circumstance bonus in it. Beyond that, this grass provides twice as much grass material as the grass baseline terrain, and is dry to start off with. This feature is placed in 5ft. squares. Tall grass costs 15 lb for every 10ft. patch.
• Trees: These are the light trees described in the copper (forest) pole section, although they tend to be deciduous instead of coniferous.

Swamp [Lead]: A lead pole allows you to spread a swamp biome. A swamp has peat as its baseline, and additional terrain features include acid bog, mucky ground, quicksand, standing water, sulphur jets, and trees. Swamps are generally not very nice places to be, but there are some hard to come by materials that often show up in them. Swamps can be dangerous, and tend to attract the worst sorts of black magic. Most people stay no longer than strictly necessary.

• Acid Bog: Acid bog has a faint green hue, making it difficult to notice except in good light. Spotting an acid bog bog before entering it requires a DC 20 Survival check. If the moving creature succeeds on a DC 10 Survival check but not a DC 20 check, he notices that the square is with bog but does not identify it as acid bog. Acid bog deals 1d6 points of acid damage per round of exposure, or 6d6 points of acid damage with total immersion. Most acid bog is only about 1 foot in depth, making total immersion unlikely (although prone creatures count as fully immersed). It costs 2 squares of movement to move into a square with acid bog, and the DC of Balance and Tumble checks in such a square increase by 2. Acid bog imposes a –4 penalty on Move Silently checks. Acid bog costs 10 lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Mucky Ground: This is ground that is half water and half dirt, resulting in a sticky, sloshy ground that is difficult to move in. As a result, characters traveling in mucky ground must move at half speed and make DC 10 Balance checks every 60ft. If a character fails that check, they fall prone and get mucky. Alternatively, a character may attempt to move at standard speed through the ground, but must make a DC 15 check every 60 ft. A character that is running or charging through murky ground must make DC 20 Balance checks every 30 ft., making it nigh-impossible to move quickly on the mucky ground. Mucky ground costs 5 lb for every 10ft. patch.
• Quicksand: This is the quicksand described in the iron (desert) pole section, except with mud instead of sand. Anyone who gets stuck in a swamp quicksand pit gets unavoidable filthy from head to toe. Swamp quicksand is more common than desert quicksand, and thus is cheaper: it costs 20 lb for every 5ft. patch of it.
• Standing Water: Standing water is a common occurence in swampy areas, and is super gross. It's not at all useable for cooking or cleaning, and usually has lots of nasty stuff living in it. It is, technically, water, so it could be purified with magic to be useable. Any standing water which is left on its own (typically for at least a week) tends to attract mosquitoes and especially stirges. Every 5ft. square of standing water can sustain a flock of stirges, who lay their eggs in the filthy water. Standing water costs 10 lb for every 5ft. square.
• Sulphur Jets: These are jets emerging from the moist ground or standing water bodies which give off a mixture of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide gas (known as swamp gas). They're not really very pleasant, and actually very dangerous to people not equipped to breathe them. Anyone that breathes in swamp gas must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or become nauseated. Swamp gas is super-flammable, and the tiniest flame or spark inside of a sulphur jet can cause a fireball effect (effective caster level equal to the number of adjacent sulphur jets inside the radius, to a maximum of 10) centered on the source of the flame. Detecting swamp gas is kind of hard, and usually done by scent. Anyone with the scent special ability just knows when they're in an area filled with swamp gas. Everyone else needs to succeed on a DC 15 Survival check first. Sulphur jets cost 25 lb each, and occupy a 5ft. square. They can be placed in standing water as well as peat.
• Trees: These are the light or massive trees described in the copper (forest) pole section. Trees in a swamp are placed at the same discount as in a forest, and get vines besides. Vines allow easy climbing and swimming; anyone can climb a swamp tree with a DC 5 Climb check, and can move at double speed through a swamp without touching the ground if they succeed at a DC 15 Climb and Jump check every round (they don't have to touch the ground, either, which is pretty awesome when you think about how much horrible stuff there is on the ground in a swamp). To use this movement, they must move only through squares containing trees. Light trees require negligible space, while massive trees require a 5ft. square. Light trees cost 5 lb, and massive trees cost 20 lb.
  
  
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  A special thank you to the people I worked with on the SWAMPGAS project all that while ago, you guys were awesome. And also the best organized and actually completed and released project I've yet seen on these boards!

GEOC 291: Unknown Oceans [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: GEOC 101, Survival 8 ranks
Target: At least 100 lb of planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like GEOC 101, except that it allows you to use the final two planetary metals in your geoccultism: mercury and silver.

In addition, you can now change the topology inside any biome that you create; this is called (appropriately) a topology feature. This works like a terrain feature, but can be placed concurrently with pretty much any other terrain feature. A topology feature can be placed concurrently with basically any normal feature, but there are limits to how it can be set up. You cannot have two adjacent 5ft. squares with a difference in slope between them of more than 10 degrees. Every 5ft. you want to raise or lower a 5ft. square relative to its original height costs 5 lb of metal.

Note that this is actually pretty much useless for silver and mercury biomes, since the actual topology of the area is far below the surface of the water. However, it can technically still be used if you really want to dig an underwater trench or something.

{table=head]Planetary Metal|Critical DC|Biome|Baseline Terrain
Mercury|35|Wetland|Freshwater
Silver|40|Ocean|Saltwater[/table]

• Wetland (Freshwater): This creates essentially a freestanding body of freshwater, sometimes known as sweetwater. Essentially a lake, although the exact term would describe on the geography and placement. Freshwater bodies are typically several hundred feet deep in the middle, tapering up sharply at the edges. When you spread this terrain, you can decide the exact depth, although it cannot be more than 450ft. deep at any point. Freshwater is amazing for any kind of life, and is very important for settlements and civilization. This freshwater is created pure and free of contaminants.
• Ocean (Saltwater): This creates a freestanding body of saltwater; essentially a salt lake, although it could also be connected to an outside ocean. This works basically the same as the wetland, except that it can be much, much, much deeper. It can be as deep as six miles down in the middle. Saltwater can't be drunk by most humanoids, although sahuagin and many other aquatic races find it prime habitat.

There are also a few features you can place around these bodies. These terrain features can be places around the edge of your body of water, and are at ground level instead of below the earth. Wetland can have mudflats and reeds around it, and ocean can have sandbars and tidepools around it.

• Mudflats (Wetland): Mudflats are, appropriately enough, flat planes of mud which are really easy to get stuck in. It's basically normal dirt and soil which is so wet from the nearby body of water that it's become a huge mass of mud. It's impossible to move in, like at all. Someone would have to make a superhuman (DC 25) Balance check to move freely across the surface of it, and they still couldn't run or charge. Anyone who gets stuck in it is moving at 5ft. per round, if that (DC 10 Balance to move at all). Seriously, this stuff is just not fun. Mudflats cost 50 lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Reeds (Wetland): Reeds are a little more pleasant. These are big cattails, rice paddies, and similar. They can be used to make really cool wind instruments, and also are great to hide in. They grant a +8 circumstance bonus on Hide checks made in them. Unfortunately, they grow in ankle-deep water, which is kind of gross. Rice is also an amazing crop, and the same amount of land used growing rice instead of wheat can feed twice as many people. Reeds cost 10 lb for every 5ft. patch.
• Sandbars (Ocean): Sandbars are the shorelines that people normally associate with oceans. This works like the sand described in the desert section, except that there's a hell of a lot more water in it. In general, you can find water just by digging down a little bit. Sandbars are free.
• Tidepools (Ocean): Tidepools are a clever way to trap fish without line or net. Tide comes in, deposits fish, and backs out. Tidepools are really cool tiny little ecosystems, and you find all sorts of neat edible stuff in them. A 5ft. patch of tidepools delivers enough food for four people every day assuming there are edible fish in the saltwater body, and that the tidepools are close enough to the shore to catch the tide. Tidepools cost 30 lb for every 5ft. patch.

[Kellus]

Geoccultism (Part II)

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GEOC 323: Curious Climates
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two GEOC principles, Survival 15 ranks
Target: At least 100 lb of planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like GEOC 101, except that it allows you to spread an additional kind of feature from your geoccult poles: a climate condition. This principle allows you to connect your geoccult poles to fundamental meteorological gradients, producing appropriate climate change inside of the biome. Whenever you set up a geoccult pole, you can choose to introduce a climate to the area as well as more tangible environmental features. Similarly, you can update a previously constructed geoccult pole to contain a climate element by preparing this principle on it once (no matter the size) and matching or exceeding the Survival check made to construct it. The climate change introduced can be turned on or off, or set to a specific level, as a logical decision. Alternatively, the climate feature can be modulated as a standard action when touching the pole by making a matching Survival check.

Climate conditions are tied to a particular metal, but thanks to your new mixing ability (see below) you can have interesting weathers in strange biomes. Climate changes can be implemented either globally (in the entire field of the pole's effect) or locally (in circles of 100ft. radius). Every hour that a climate change is in effect, it consumes metal as described in its description. Note that metal is consumed for each separate weather change, so if you decide to split up the area and have different climate conditions in different parts of it, you pay for all of them. They also have more extreme forms; A geoccult pole can be manipulated either physically or through a heuristical citcuit to trigger an extreme weather condition with additional instantaneous metal consumption. Controlling a climate condition, either standard or extreme, is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

In addition, you can now mix your biomes slightly. By incorporating a second metal into the body of a pole, you can make use of a single terrain feature off of that biome's list, or even that biome's climate condition (although you can only have one climate condition at a time). However, metal consumed to place and sustain the feature is drawn from this secondary reserve, and additional masses of the second metal must be added to replenish it. Once you pick the specific terrain feature for the pole to have access to, it cannot be changd. It can be placed as many times as you like inside the biome within these constraints. If the smaller pole falls below its critical mass, the parent pole starts to burn itself to pay for the feature instead, at a ratio of 10:1 (and not in your favour, either).

{table=head]Planetary Metal|Terrain|Climate Condition|Extreme Weather Condition
Copper|Forest|Heat Wave|Wildfire
Gold|Arctic|Snow|Hailstorm
Iron|Desert|Sandstorm|Earthquake
Lead|Swamp|Fog|Flood
Mercury|Wetlands|Cold Wave|Cold Snap
Platinum|City|Smog|Acid Rain
Silver |Ocean|Rain|Thunderstorm
Tin|Grasslands|Wind|Tornado[/table]

Note that you must know GEOC 291 to use mercury or silver poles.

• Copper (Heat Wave): An iron pole allows you to cause heavy heat waves, which can be big risks of sunstroke in places that are already hot. A heat wave raises the ambient temperature by up to 20 degrees Centigrade. This might be balmy in the arctic, but deadly in a desert. Every hour that a heat wave is in effect it consumes 5 lb for every 5 degree temperature increase from the pole.
• Gold (Snow): Snow is basically the king of nasty weather conditions. If you don't live in Canada or somewhere else northern (or really far southern, I guess), you probably think snow is kind of cute and fluffy. I just want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that I hate you. Falling snow has the same effects on visibility, ranged weapon attacks, and skill checks as rain (see the ocean section below), and it costs 2 squares of movement to enter a snow-covered square. A day of snowfall leaves 1d6 inches of snow on the ground. You can also choose heavy snow, which has the same effects as normal snowfall, but also restricts visibility as fog does (see the swamp section below). A day of heavy snow leaves 1d4 feet of snow on the ground, and it costs 4 squares of movement to enter a square covered with heavy snow. Heavy snow accompanied by strong or severe winds may result in snowdrifts 1d4×5 feet deep, especially in and around objects big enough to deflect the wind—a cabin or a large tent, for instance. Snow has the same effect on flames as moderate wind. Light snowfall costs 15 lb of metal for every hour of effect, and heavy snowfall costs a whopping 40 lb of metal every hour.
• Iron (Sandstorm): Technically sandstorms are really just strong wind in the desert, but we treat them like they're their own separate thing (so that you can enjoy having sandstorms in a swamp). A sandstorm reduces visibility to 1d10×5 feet and provides a -4 penalty on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A sandstorm deals 1d3 points of nonlethal damage per hour to any creatures caught in the open, and leaves a thin coating of sand in its wake. Driving sand creeps in through all but the most secure seals and seams, to chafe skin and contaminate carried gear. Every hour that a sandstorm is in effect it consumes 15 lb of metal.
• Lead (Fog): Fog can be pretty dangerous in a fight, since you can't really see anything. A lead pole produces fog, mist, whatever you want to call it (okay, technically it has to do with the visibility from the air between 3/8 and 5/8 of a statute mile). Fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5ft. Creatures 5ft. away have concealment (attacks by or against them have a 20% miss chance). Fog consumes 10 lb of metal for every hour that it's in effect.
• Mercury (Cold Wave): A cold wave, as you'd expect, is the opposite of a heat wave. It lowers the temperature by up to 15 degrees Centigrade. Every hour that a cold wave is in effect, it consumes 5 lb for every 5 degree temperature decrease from the pole.
• Platinum (Smog): Smog is a huge breathing hazard associated with urban areas. Though the danger is not immediately apparent, smog obscures all sight beyond 10ft., including darkvision. Creatures 10ft. away or further have concealment in smog (attacks by or against them have a 20% miss chance). In addition, creatures with the scent special ability cannot detect creatures beyond 20ft. due to the sharp, acrid scent of the smog. Finally, every hour a creature spends inside smog inflicts 1 nonlethal damage to them, which cannot be healed naturally while they remain in the cloud. Smog consumes 10 lb of metal for every hour that it's in effect.
• Silver (Rain): Rain makes things wet, and in general is not very pleasant. It reduces visibility ranges by half, resulting in a -4 penalty on Spot and Search checks. It has the same effect on flames, ranged weapon attacks, and Listen checks as severe wind. It also gets things wet after three full rounds of exposure. You can also choose heavy rain as an option, which doubles the normal penalties and gets anything exposed for even a single full round soaking wet. Normal rain costs 5 lb per hour, and heavy rain costs 10 lb per hour.
• Tin (Wind): A tin pole allows you to cause windstorms, inciting winds of up to 70 mph as a regular thing. The pole can be controlled to produce wind between 0 and 70 mph. Strong winds consume metal every hour they're in effect equal to 5 lb per wind category.

The extreme weather conditions include:

• Copper (Wildfire): Okay, maybe it's not a weather condition per se, but it's still pretty awesome. This is a huge brush fire that engulfs everything flammable in its path. It burns through the area, leaving ash behind. Basically, all of the flammable features will have to replenish themselves the next day. Natural wildfires are unpredictable, but a geoccult wildfire is controlled from the pole. A wildfire can be between 50ft. wide and however wide you want (out to the limits of the zone). A wildfire can advance at up to 120ft. per round, scorching the land behind it. A wildfire has three main dangers: heat damage, catching on fire, and smoke inhalation.
  Breathing the air in a wildfire causes a character to take 1d6 points of damage per round (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 rounds (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. A character who holds his breath can avoid the lethal damage, but not the nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a -4 penalty on this save. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell. Additionally, characters engulfed in a wildfire are at risk of catching on fire when the leading edge of the fire overtakes them, and are then at risk once per minute thereafter. Finally, wildfires naturally produce a great deal of smoke. A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Also, smoke obscures vision, providing concealment to characters within it. A wildfire is very destructive, but potentially also very useful. It only costs 50 lb to get it started, and every round spent controlling it costs 10 lb of metal.
• Gold (Hailstorm): Hail is not pleasant. This works like a sleet storm effect, with an effective caster level equal to half of the Survival skill check of the pole. Additionally, creatures out in the open take 2d6 bludgeoning damage every round (Reflex DC 15 for half damage) from the massive hailstones, far larger than what nature normally spits out. A hailstorm can effect an area of any size, up to the full pole area, costs 75 lb to get started, and lasts for 1 round per effective caster level.
• Iron (Earthquake): Earthquakes technically also aren't weather, but they are really cool. This works basically like a earthquake effect, with an effective caster level of half of the Suvival skill check of the pole and an effective spell level of 7. The earthquake starts with an 80ft. radius, but can be expanded over subsequent turns to target adjacent areas inside of the geoccult zone. An earthquake costs 200 lb to begin, and 175 lb every subsequent round that it's maintained (hitting additional area sections). You cannot target the same area twice with the same earthquake.
• Lead (Flood): A flood is a lot of water that comes out of nowhere. I mean, in real life it comes from lots of rain or something, but this actually just appears out of thin air. It's a wave of water from 10 to 12ft. high which just starts somewhere in the zone, up to 80ft. in length. It travels in a direction you choose, and basically just wipes out everything along the way. Anything loose is swept up and carried with it. A flood wave travels at up to 100ft. per round, and does everything you would expect. It's basically treated as a Colossal creature with a Strength score of 40 bull rushing everything that it touches. Everything it strikes takes 5d6 points of bludgeoning damage (Fortitude DC 20 for half damage). The flood causes massive infrastructure damage to any structure in strikes, if it doesn't destroy it completely. The flood travels for 5 rounds, at which point it dies down. You can control the exact speed of the wave, as well as making small adjustments to its trajectory of up to 10 degrees per round. A flood costs 200 lb to kick off, but only needs 25 lb of metal to control every round.
• Mercury (Cold Snap): A cold snap is a super brutal wave of cold. It drops temperatures by 40 degrees Centigrade, which is a hell of a lot. This is just brutal, antarctic style cold. Exposed vegetation just dies. Non-salinated water snap-freezes to 50ft. down, killing aquatic wildlife. Creatures exposed take 4d6 points of cold damage every round (Fortitude DC 25 for half damage). Flames are extinguished, and any character touching or holding metal is affected as if with a chill metal effect. A cold snap thankfully doesn't last for long. It costs 150 lb to start, and costs 100 lb every round to maintain.
• Platinum (Acid Rain): This is not weather that you want to be caught in; acid rain is identical to heavy rain, except that every round that a creature spends exposed causes it to take 2d6 acid damage. Even when an exposed creature gets out of the rain, they take 1 acid damage until they dry off. Acid rain costs 100 lb to kick off, and lasts for an hour.
• Silver (Thunderstorm): A thunderstorm is devastating. It includes winds of up to 50 mph, as well as heavy rain. Every round that it's active, you can call down a lightning bolt that deals 1d10 d8's of electricity damage in a 5ft. radius to a specific point in the affected area. These bolts offer a Reflex save (DC 20) for half damage. A thunderstorm costs only 50 lb to get started, and every bolt costs an extra 25 lb. A storm lasts for an hour before petering out.
• Tin (Tornado): This is strong wind. Like, really really strong wind. All flames are extinguished. All ranged attacks are impossible (even with siege weapons), as are Listen checks. Instead of being blown away, characters in close proximity to a tornado who fail a DC 30 Fortitude save are sucked toward the tornado. Those who come in contact with the actual funnel cloud are picked up and whirled around for 1d10 rounds, taking 6d6 points of damage per round, before being violently expelled (falling damage may apply). While a tornado’s rotational speed can be as great as 300 mph, the funnel itself moves at up to 250ft. per round at your discretion. A tornado uproots trees, destroys buildings, and causes other similar forms of major destruction. A tornado is 75ft. in radius, and can be controlled from the geoccult pole. Tornados cost 175 lb to start, and an additional 125 lb every round that it's maintained and controlled.

GEOC 374: Supernal Ecologies [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three GEOC principles, Survival 15 ranks
Target: At least 100 lb of planetary metal
Preparation Time: 1 hour

You've reached the pinnacle of geoccult knowledge, and have discovered secrets of ecology that nature itself hasn't found yet. You've discovered supernatural terrain features that you can place in your biomes just like normal features.

Arctic [Gold]: Arctic supernatural terrain features include deadsnow, living glacier, and mirror ice.

• Deadsnow: Deadsnow is like regular snow, but those who pass beyond the mortal coil in it find their souls frozen in the shell of their bodies. At the following midnight, the body is reanimated as a zombie. The zombie is controlled by the geoccult pole as a logical decision; the pole can have a number of Hit Dice of deadsnow zombies under its thrall at a time equal to twice the Survival check made to prepare it. Deadsnow costs 100 lb for every 5ft. patch; it only snares the soul if the victim's body lies in the patch of snow at midnight.
• Living Glacier: Living glacier is like a sheet of fluid ice which is a living thing unto itself. It's essentially a guardian of the area, but more than that it works like a body for the pole. The glacier itself is an elder ice elemental, but its senses can all relay information to the pole. Anyone controlling the pole can take over the body of the living glacier and control it as if it were them, although this leaves their body helpless for the duration of the control. A living glacier costs 300 lb to place, and there can only be one of them for every 500ft. of radius of the zone.
• Mirror Ice: This is basically like a regular sheet of ice, except it refracts and bends light in amazing and interesting ways. Anybody standing on a sheet of mirror ice projects four mirror images. However, the image of anyone who stands on the ice is stored in the pole's memory; it stores the information to later make a clone of the creature, and anyone who can cast the spell can use the pole's memory as the piece of the creature required for the casting. The clone later created will be able to communicate telepathically with the geoccult pole, no matter where it is (even on other Planes). Mirror ice becomes inert and dull if removed from the geoccult zone. Mirror ice costs 400 lb to place a 5ft. patch.

City [Platinum]: City supernatural terrain features include bizarchitecture, power ribbons, and zeitgeists.

• Bizarchitecture: Sometimes you just have to have a pair of roads in the same place; that's where bizarchitecture comes in. Unlike a normal feature, bizarchitecture is applied to a group of features, hereafter referred to as a set. When designing the features for an area, up to two sets can be placed in the same location; a single set is designated the default set, and the other set is designated as the secondary set. Once the sets have been placed, the secondary set cannot be accessed or observed by any means except under conditions designated when the sets were originally created; these conditions can be restricted to any conditions that would be able to trigger a magic mouth spell. When the conditions for accessing a secondary set are met, any creature that meets the criteria treats the secondary set as if it were the default set, and vice-versa. Creatures who are inside a set of features always treat that set as the default set, regardless of whether or not they still meet the conditions. This means that, for example, if a pair of buildings are in different sets and are in the same location, creatures in one building cannot interact with or observe creatures or objects in the other building by any means. A true seeing effect allows simultaneous observation of both sets of features, but the observer can still only interact with the set that is currently real for them. Creating bizarchitecture multiplies the cost of each component feature for a set by 10.
• Power Ribbons: Power ribbons carry puissance inside of a biome; this allows for an even spread of ebbs throughout the biome's features. A single gramaric component or heuristical citcuit can be attached to a given end of a power ribbon. Thereafter, every heuristical circuit that contains a section of that power ribbon is treated as if it were overlapping every other heuristic net that the power ribbon runs through. Power ribbon costs 100 lb for every 50ft. extent.
• Zeitgeists: A zeitgeist is a spirit that instinctively derives demographic information from a biome. More simply, a zeitgeist is an exotic intelligence whose heuristical bubble includes only the pole of the biome, but whose telepathy covers the entirety of the biome zone. In addition, its Mindsight allows it to automatically know the age, race, gender, and legal and marital status of every creature that it can sense. If a zeitgeist is present in the pole, a bizarchitectural set's condition in order to be accessed can make use any information which the zeitgeist is able to automatically derive. A zeitgeist cannot be fooled with conventional methods, but a misdirection effect causes the zeitgeist to read the demographic information of the misdirected proxy instead. A zeitgeist costs only 100 lb to create, but multiplies the rate at which the pole consumes itself every day by 10.

Desert [Iron]: Desert supernatural terrain features include brassbrush, firesand, and mirage oases.

• Brassbrush: This is living brass which grows from the ground. It can be harvested as brass, but more importantly as it grows it reproduces gramaric modifications, and it counts as copper for all gramaric purposes; it does not count as metal for any other purpose. That is, it's plant matter which you can prepare gramaric principles on as if it were copper. Any gramaric principle which is prepared on the brassbrush remains stored in the plant. If it is cut and regrows, it regrows with the principle prepared on it. This includes all sorts of things, including ELDK principles, ALCH principles, and even further GEOC principles. Brassbrush retains its metallic memory outside of the zone, but it only grows in hot, dry, desert conditions. If it regrows in the pole's zone, this costs new metal like normal. However, if it's taken outside it takes a week to grow to its full size, but requires no input aside from nutrients. Brassbrush costs 500 lb for a single 5ft. patch, and a single 5ft. patch of it itself weighs 25 lb.
• Firesand: Firesand is exactly like regular sand, except that it burns on contact with water. This makes the rare rainfalls in the desert quite spectacular, but more importantly it's very useful for gramarie. One tablespoon of firesand when mixed with sufficient water will produce flame even hotter than phlogiston (2000 degrees Centigrade) for five minutes before burning out. It also produces 50 cubic feet of superheated dry steam at 500 degrees Centigrade from this reaction. Firesand costs 250 lb for a single 5ft. patch.
• Mirage Oases: A mirage oasis is somewhere between a trick of the light and a true illusion. It's a part of the terrain of the desert where the particular combination of arcane resonance and heat patterns create some a very convincing illusion. Any IMCH illusion which is placed in this illusion finds that a visual component creates itself to fit the illusion perfectly, no matter what the rest of the illusion does. This essentially means that it's impossible for the visual component to cause a sensory mismatch. Thanks to the connection to the pole's knowledge of the area, the mirage uses this knowledge to create as convincing an illusion as possible, making fundamental disconnects based on sight almost impossible to occur as well. A mirage oasis is actually a very pleasant locale beneath the illusion, and is always both fertile and a pleasant climate no matter what weather condition is going on in the rest of the desert. A mirage oasis costs 200 lb for a single 5ft. square.

Forest [Copper]: Forest supernatural terrain features include ancient oaks, heartwood, and nymph pools.

• Ancient Oaks: Ancient oaks are semi-intelligent trees which can read the memory of the ground beneath them. You can communicate with them through the pole telepathically, and they can answer any question about the land or the history of it back several hundred years (treat it as having a +20 modifier for all Knowledge checks related to its field of expertise). An ancient oak is also a sentinel (it has the same senses as a treant) and alerts the pole when anything unusual happens in the geoccult zone. Ancient oaks are otherwise not intelligent; they serve their puspose, but nothing more. They are merely spirits of history that have a mandate to protect their forest. An ancient oak costs 500 lb, and is otherwise the same as a massive tree. It needs to grow for a month before it can communicate with the pole.
• Heartwood: Heartwood is a living deciduous wood which has intriguing properties when it comes to gramarie. It can be directed to grow in any shape that the pole dictates, as if with wood shape, except that much finer detail than normal is possible. Anyone directing the pole or making logical decisions for it can use their own Craft ranks to form the heartwood into the shape of something that requires a Craft check. Heartwood physically works like darkwood but also has the interesting property of connection. If a heartwood tree is taken from a geoccult zone and planted in another geoccult zone where it can grow, the two poles can communicate telepathically with each other. Someone controlling one pole can also impose their will over the other; if this is resisted by someone controlling the second, resolve it as an opposed Will save. The victor can make logical decisions for the other pole (and, if it's connected to one, its circuit) for the following round. Heartwood otherwise works like a light tree, and costs 400 lb to place. The second pole takes over the upkeep on it if a tree of it is planted in its zone.
• Nymph Pools: A nymph pool is a special place to the fae. It's one of the few mystical secluded places of nature left to them, and they treasure it. After a month undisturbed, a nymph pool attracts a nymph who acts as an emissary between the one who controls the zone and her court. More tangibly, she can sanction a faerie wish once a month as long as the pool is undisturbed (although subject to the standard sidhe word games). A nymph pool is a standing body of water that must be at least 100ft. away from all other bodies of water, trails, and paths. If anyone comes within 100ft. of it except for the one who controls the geoccult pole, the nymph flees from them. A nymph pool costs only 100 lb, but the water in it needs to be replaced daily at a cost of 50 lb per day to maintain its purity.

Grasslands [Tin]: Grasslands supernatural terrain features include ghostgrass, lightning pools, and standing stones.

• Ghostgrass: Ghostgrass is prized mostly for its ability to interact with the incorporeal. It is tangible to both the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane, and is often used to send signals back and forth between them. Anyone who eats ghostgrass straight from the ground becomes incorporeal for the following five minutes. This has been exploited to great effect in the past to lead spectral charges against fortifications. Ghostgrass grown outside of the zone loses this special property, but still interacts with both material and incorporeal creatures. Ghostgrass costs 250 lb per 5ft. patch, and is otherwise like normal grass.
• Lightning Pools: Lightning pools are perhaps some of the most interesting terrain features available. These work like batteries for puissance, but with a key difference. A single 5ft. pool can store up to 100 ebbs, but if the water is taken from the pool then the communal store of puissance can be accessed by tying the water sample into a circuit. Each pool can potentially split into 100 separate reservoirs of water, each of which can access the shared bank of puissance and make deposits or withdrawals. Lightning pools charged with puissance hold an arcane potential, and crackle the occasional static discharge, which is what led to their fanciful name. If the lightning water is diluted with other fluids later on, the effect is lost, but the bank of puissance is not adversely affected unless all of the lightning water is destroyed like this. A single lightning pool costs 5,000 lb and does not replenish itself until all of the water has been drawn from it and destroyed. The geoccult pole can also be used as a way to tap into the bank of puissance stored in a pool.
• Standing Stones: This is a mysterious set of standing stones arranged in a circle, which are commonly used to chart astronomical events. Any kind of predictions, divinations, foretellings, prophecies, or fortune telling effects all gain a +2 bonus to their caster level for being made inside of a set of standing stones. Standing stones also offer refuge from the ravages of the outside world. Creatures within the citcle find that transient effects on them, such as spells with set durations, do not wane as long as they remain in the circle. For good or ill, time spent in the circle of standing stones is apart from outside of them, and does not count against the duration of any transient effect (up to a maximum of five transient effects on any given creature inside of the circle). A set of standing stones takes up a 20ft. radius circle and costs 800 lb of metal to erect.

Ocean [Silver]: Ocean supernatural terrain features include krakenhaunts, truewater crevices, and prismatic reefs.

• Krakenhaunts: Krakenhaunts are whirlpools on the surface of the ocean which draw guardians from the deep to protect the zone. As a standard action, puissance can be channelled through the geoccult pole into the krakenhaunt to conjure up a guardian as if with a summon nature's ally effect, but only for saltwater aquatic animals. This costs a number of ebbs of puissance equal to 1 + the spell level being imitated. The caster level (and thus duration) of the effect is equal to half the Survival check of the pole. The conjured guardian is under the control of whoever is making logical decisions for the geoccult pole. A krakenhaunt costs 500 lb, and though it otherwise is a dramatic piece of the ocean, it has no effect on swimmers.
• Truewater Crevices: This crevice must be placed on the ocean floor, a full four miles down. It is a portal to any other ocean on another Plane, and the exact location is set when it is placed with the pole. Once opened, the portal cannot truly be shut again, only blocked off or sealed with mundane means. The portal can be any size so long as it is at an appropriate depth. A truewater crevice costs 1,000 lb per 5ft. square of the portal.
• Prismatic Reefs: A prismatic reef is a coral structure found built up from the ocean floor, even above the sea level.. It has the intriguing property that it can be grown in specific shapes (as if with a stone shape effect), and it absorbs pigmentation in a unique way. As long as it is still alive (hasn't been cut), if a kaleidomantic filter touches it, the entire reef assumes the colour and properties of the filter, as if it were just a very complicated 3D structure built out of the filter and fixed in space. If the filter is later removed, the reef returns to its normal solid state. Prismatic reef costs 250 lb for every 125 cubic feet of it, and it must be affixed on the ocean floor. It cannot grow more than 30ft. above the free surface.

Swamp [Lead]: Swamp supernatural terrain features include black lagoons, haunted bogs, and ignes fatui.

• Black Lagoons: A black lagoon is a frightening locale filled wih spooky voodoo power. Necromancy spells cast from a black lagoon add +2 to their caster level and DC in a black lagoon, and it's also inextricably linked to the haunted bogs feature. Anyone who dies while in a black lagoon has their soul stolen as if with trap the soul and stored in the geoccult pole. A black lagoon costs 500 lb per 5ft. patch.
• Haunted Bogs: Souls which have been stolen in a black lagoon find use in a haunted bog. These are basically factories which transform souls into one of several forms. Souls can be transferred into a haunted bog from the geoccult pole as a logical decision, and then the bog can be directed how to use them. It takes two hours to process a soul, and a single patch of bog can only be working on one of them at a time. A soul can be transformed into 10 ebbs of puissance to be put into a circuit, a tablespoon of anitu dust (a drug popular among fiends), 100 XP for an Exotic Intelligence controlling the circuit (although it can't gain XP from creatures with an ECL more than 10 below its own) or for use in crafting, or, interestingly, memories: all of the knowledge and memories the soul had accumulated in its life is transferred to the geoccult pole, where it can be accessed later. Whatever use the soul is put to, it's utterly destroyed. Whatever was left of the creature becomes a wraith, which haunts the haunted bog. Haunted bogs cost 250 lb per 5ft. patch.
• Ignes Fatui: Ignes fatui, or wil 'o' the wisps, are a common sight in swamps meant to lead astray the unwary. When you place an ignus fatuum in the zone, it is visible from anywhere in the zone, no matter where you are, glowing faintly and dancing to an unheard tune. Normal measurements and directions don't work out correctly within 500ft. of the ignus. Any measurement or calculation made from a compass, map, astrolable, or other such instrument is off by up somwhere between -50% and +50% of the true value. Particular instruments or objects can be made immune to this effect by linking them with the geoccult pole as a standard action. An ignus fatuum costs 400 lb of metal, and every time it falsifies a measurement it draws an additional 50 lb of fuel.

Wetlands [Mercury]: Wetlands supernatural terrain features include cryptid caverns, healing springs, and whisperreeds.

• Cryptid Caverns: These are an actual change to the geography of the lakebed, cutting out caverns below the surface of the water in the side of the shoreline. Things can hide in these caverns and never be discovered, no matter how closely people might look. The caverns are blocked as if by a nondetection effect and a screen to resemble the regular lakebed wall (both effects have a caster level equal to half the Survival check, and a save DC of 10 + 5 per GEOC principle you know). However, things in the caverns can still communicate normally to the pole. Cryptid caverns cost 300 lb for every 5ft. square to be cut out and blocked. The exact image of the screen can be changed as a logical decision through the pole.
• Healing Springs: Healing springs are basically just what they sound like. This is a fountain of healing water that perpetually flows up through the lake in a particular spot. Water taken from the fountain cures any disease, including magical diseases. They also heal 2d8 hit points and restore 2d6 points of ability damage. If someone drinks it while suffering from a negative level (but before making the saving throw to turn it permanent), the negative level is removed. Healing spring water taken outside of the geoccult zone transmutes into mud. A single healing spring costs 1,000 lb, and needs to be replenished every day.
• Whisperreeds: Whisperreeds are just like normal cat-tail reeds, except that they transmit sound across huge distances. When two whisperreeds are cut from the same stalk (after it grows back the following day, obviously) any sound or vibration which affects one of them will instantaneously affect the other, as well. This allows the transmission of area effects that deal only sonic damage; if one reed is inside of the area, the effect spreads out from the second reed as if it were the originator of the effect. Sonic damage can only be channeled once like this before it degrades to harmlessness. This is a form of quantum entangling, and thus is not limited by the speed of light. Multiple reeds cut work in the same way, transmitting an equal amount of sound from all of them. However, the total sound level is distributed between all of the extra receptors, dividing it up accordingly. For example, one reed being used to talk to three others would have its transmitted sound level reduced to one third of its original intensity. Whisperreed costs 200 lb per 5ft. patch, and otherwise works like normal cat-tail reeds.

Heuristicism


Image credit griffsnuff of deviantart.com

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."

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Heuristicism is a really strange meta-discipline, which deals with rules, triggers, contingencies, and control. Any magic, even the most mundane, is useless to us if there is no way to control it. Heuristicism offers a way to manipulate and control even absurdly complex systems which can grow out of gramarie. Although it's not especially useful in its own right, heuristicism is possibly the single most important discipline (except maybe for arcanodynamics) for building amazing and wondrous things. It's no understatement to say that without heuristical circuits, gramarie wouldn't be nearly as ubiquitous and marvelous as it is.

Heuristicism can be improved with visual and tactile aids during the preparation to simulate the connections that are being made. Braided cords are often tied around objects to be connected in a circuit, and grinding stones can be employed to score components with matching marks, improving the sympathetic connection between them. Props like this count as masterwork pieces of equipment, and provide a +2 circumstance bonus on the Autohypnosis check made to prepare a heuristical principle. A particularly famous circuit material is the Dmu Thag, a superplanar cord supposedly woven by an ancient race of giants when they built a machine to break into heaven.

Key Skill: Autohypnosis


HEUR 101: Intro to Heuristicism
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: Two or more pieces of gramarie
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle joins two or more works of gramarie together into a heuristical circuit. The things you can join with this principle include: eldrikinetic engines, yggdratectural spaces, semi-spaces, fluxes, and demiplanes, arcanodynamic transformers, and imachinary illusions. These pieces do not need to be touching, but this principle creates a bubble with a radius of up to 5ft. Each piece to be joined must touch or be be contained within the bubble to be considered part of the circuit. You can also choose to exclude particular pieces when you first prepare this principle. The circuit field is tethered to a point in space, or to a particular object or creature. If one of the components moves outside the field or is destroyed, the circuit falls apart (although it reestablishes if the component returns).

When you set up a circuit, you can choose the path that puissance takes through it, and you can redefine any choices which were originally made when the individual components were set up. For example, if you have a circuit which includes a polarcane magnetic flux, when you prepare this principle you can choose to change the direction of the magnetic force inside the flux. These are called logical decisions. If anything in the circuit generates puissance (typically an arcanodynamic transformer), you can control the flow of the puissance inside of the circuit as a logical decision as well. For example, you can route the puissance from there to an eldrikinetic engine, or to another transformer, and so on.

As part of this principle, you make an Autohypnosis check. Logical decisions can be changed by anyone who is within the bubble of the circuit and who makes a Autohypnosis check of equal or greater result than the original check. Attempting to control a circuit is a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity. Circuits are visible on the Ethereal Plane, where they look like silver cord joining the components together.

You can join two heuristical circuits together, but only to channel puissance between them. You cannot make logical decisions for one circuit by controlling an adjoining circuit.

If you try to tether a circuit to an unwilling target, they are allowed a Will saving throw to resist it at the end of the preparation. The Will DC is 10 + 5 for every HEUR principle you know.


HEUR 245: Nonstatic Instruction
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: HEUR 101, Autohypnosis 8 ranks
Target: Heuristical circuit
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle targets a heuristical circuit whose bubble you are inside. It places a control point into the circuit, at the location and in the form of your choice. This is a point where anyone can access the circuit and make a decision for the components that are inside of it as if they were controlling the principle. No Autohypnosis check is needed, since this is intended to allow the untrained to control parts of the circuit. They can also control the flow of the puissance in the circuit, and can change the path it takes or turn the flow on or off from the control point. Making any single decision from a control point is a standard action, so large circuits can benefit from having multiple control points in them. When you prepare this principle, you can choose exactly what authority each control point in the circuit has, and what decisions or changes they can make to the circuit. To place a control point you must make an Autohypnosis check as part of preparing this principle which meets or exceeds the original check of the circuit.


HEUR 266: Unorthodox Triggers [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: HEUR 101, Autohypnosis 8 ranks
Target: Heuristical circuit
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle targets a heuristical circuit whose bubble you are inside. You can place a single trigger and response in the circuit, which is a particular decision that is reached in the logic of the circuit (turning a component on or off, changing a component's effect, redirecting puissance, and so on). The trigger can be any plain language circumstance which would be reasonable for a contingency effect. This trigger and response, once created, is embedded in the circuit. To place a trigger you must make an Autohypnosis check as part of preparing this principle which meets or exceeds the original check of the circuit.

By making an Autohypnosis check inside of a circuit which beats the circuit's check by 5 or more, someone could discern any sets of triggers and responses in the circuit. This is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

The wording of a trigger and its response can be modified by other trigger and response pairs, or by someone controlling the circuit.


HEUR 302: Abnormal Behaviour
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two HEUR principles, Autohypnosis 15 ranks
Target: Heuristical circuit
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle targets a heuristical circuit whose bubble you are inside. As part of this principle you must also prepare a principle which has an immediate effect such as an alchemetric transformation or a kaleidomantic filter (the time required for this principle is in addition to the preparation time of HEUR 302, but you only need to prepare it a single time). You may program this active principle into the heuristical circuit, to be activated at some physical location within the bubble of the circuit. By routing puissance to this embedded principle, you can cause it to start preparing itself just as if it was being prepared for the first time. This has a drain of 1 ebb per round while the principle is being prepared.

Any relevant decisions for the embedded principle, such as target, shape, effect, number of times prepared, and so on, are valid logical decisions which can be made when you first prepare HEUR 302 or which can be controlled through programming triggers or a control point. If the principle requires raw materials, they must be within the heuristical circuit bubble at the time that the embedded principle is activated.

The embedded principle remains embedded after activation, and can be prepared by the circuit multiple times if all the other requirements are met.

To embed a principle you must make an Autohypnosis check as part of preparing this principle which meets or exceeds the original check of the circuit.


HEUR 328: Exotic Intelligence [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three HEUR principles, Autohypnosis 15 ranks
Target: Heuristical circuit
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle targets a heuristical circuit whose bubble you are inside. You must prepare this principle as many times as the heuristical circuit was prepared to begin with (based on the radius of the bubble). As part of this principle, you must make an Autohypnosis check which meets or exceeds the original check of the circuit. If successful, you install an artificial intelligence into the circuit which is a real thinking consciousness. The consciousness has an Intelligence between 3 and your own Intelligence -2, chosen when you prepare this principle. The intelligence can have any alignment you like, as well as any number of goals, aims, and ideals. You can also establish parameters for behavious which the intelligence is not allowed to break, or rules that they are required to follow.

Once established, the intelligence cannot be modified or changed. It takes on its own personality and mannerisms, although it is bound to your original rules. It has control over every aspect of the circuit, and can make all relevant logical decisions as it sees fit as a free action. The intelligence created has a Wisdom and Charisma score equal to its Intelligence score, and can take purely mental actions. It has no Hit Dice, but can take 10 on any kind of mental skill check. It has telepathy and mindsight within the heuristic bubble, but otherwise no senses. An intelligence like this (commonly called an EI) can make up to 100 logical decisions in the circuit per round.

If someone tries to control the circuit through a control point or with a Autohypnosis check, the intelligence is allowed to make an opposed Intelligence check in order to stop the attempt from succeeding.

The intelligence can also maintain the circuit if it is disrupted. Even if a component is removed, the intelligence can keep the rest of the circuit running as long as they don't depend on the function of the missing component. However, every time a component is removed from the circuit, the intelligence must make a Will save against a DC of 10 or be destroyed.

[Kellus]

Imachination

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Image credit TheBroth3R of deviantart.com

"No, don't you get it? If you die in Canada, you die in REAL LIFE!"

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The marvelous art of illusion is a dying tradition these days. In the past it is said that there were practicioners of the art with unsurpassed cleverness and guile, while now it seems relegated to the most obvious and tired uses possible. It seems the world has outgrown the use of illusion and the creativity it requires; at the very least, the kind of creativity and outside-the-box thinking it requires are punished and repressed in traditional colleges of magic. However, there exist those who remember some of the old tricks and knacks clever magicians invented to fool the unwary. The discipline of imachination is in many ways a modernization of the oldest and (many say) outdated school of magic. But then again, those with surpassing disdain for the marvelous art are often those most at its mercy, for they believe only what their eyes and ears tell them. And as any student of imachination could tell you, your eyes and ears lie to you all the time...

Imachination often involves using material which naturally distorts sensory information to more easily mold an illusion. Prisms to refract light, exotic perfumes and spices, and musical instruments are all common aids to imachination. Any such equipment counts as a masterwork item, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Bluff check made to prepare an imachinary principle. The Full Moon Cello is a legendary instrument which is said to weave colours and sounds together in mysterious ways when played.

Key Skill: Bluff


IMCH 101: Intro to Imachination
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle causes a field of space to give off sensory elements that are not actually there. As part of this principle, you make a Bluff check and target an immobile point in space or an object or creature which will serve as the centre of the effect. This is known as the spatial reference. The reference point gives off a bubble-shaped field of radius 5ft. which has an illusory component to it.

Illusions created with this principle work differently than normal illusions (although please bear in mind that for the rest of this discipline whenever I mention 'illusion' I'm talking about the illusions generated by these principles). They do not offer saving throws to disbelieve them just by interacting with them. Instead, you are allowed a sensory check whenever something about the illusion is unbelievable for some reason. The sensory check is a skill check against a DC of the Bluff check made when this principle was first prepared. The particular skill to use is specified in the sensory output list.

If the sensory check is prompted by an illusion which seems to be missing a sensory component you would normally expect it to have, such as a painting that you can see but not feel, this is called a sensory mismatch. You can make (or the DM will make for you) a skill check against every sensory component present in the illusion, with a +5 bonus on the check for every component that is missing. You gain a +10 bonus on the check for every component which is actually mismatched, which means you are receiving contradictory information (for example, a beverage that tastes like apple juice but smells like rhino urine). You can only make one skill check per day per sensory component present in the illusion.

If the sensory check is prompted by an impossible scenario that you sense, such as a solid wall which a thrown rock goes through, this is called a fundamental disconnect. You can immediately make (or the DM will make for you) a skill check against the unbelievable sensory output with a +20 bonus. You can make as many kinds of checks against the same illusion as you like, but each must have a different triggering event.

Once an illusion is disbelieved, it's sort of like one of those optical illusion 3D puzzles from the 90's. Once you know the trick to it, it's like a switch flips in your head and you can see through it at will. As a free action someone who knows the truth of the illusion can choose to believe or disbelieve the illusion, whichever is more convenient to them at the time. When you disbelieve an illusion, you can still sense a harmless translucent overlay (or echo, or faint whiff...) of it, allowing you to sense what it is and what it's doing.

Illusions can not actually harm people. If for any reason they seem to hurt people or cause a condition that hurts them, or makes them think they're being hurt, they only take nonlethal damage, and then only until they disbelieve the illusion, at which point they laugh it off. That being said, it's entirely possible for an illusion to lead someone to actually hurt themselves, such as an illusionary covering over a pit of lava.

Illusions by default only have one sensory output, but by preparing this principle multiple times you can add extra senses. However, that can end up taking a while for big bubble effects, since you have to prepare it the same number of times for the appropriate size bubble for each sense. So to make things simpler, for every extra sense you want to tack on inside the field, add +30 minutes to each preparation of this principle. You use the same Bluff check for every sensory output in an illusion.

Any illusion created has a sense output, a form, and a function. You choose all three of these components when you first prepare this principle. This principle allows you to make illusions with the following form:

• Additive: An additive form illusion generates a sensory output on top of the sensory output normally coming from the bubble. This could be adding a smell that wasn't there previously, making it feel like there is a wall in the field, or anything else you can imagine. However, it does not remove any sensory component that already existed in the field. So while you could create the image of a hippo, you can't remove the image of the emu that is actually in the space (although you could place the image of the hippo overtop of the emu if you like).

This principle also allows you to make illusions with the following function:

• Static: A static function illusion creates an unmoving, unchanging sensory output. It doesn't change, either with response to stimuli or to your commands after being constructed. They can be mobile if fixed to a spatial reference that is moving, but they do not move themselves. For example, a visual illusion of a hippo fixed to an arrow being loosed would seem like an unmoving and nonresponsive hippopotamus was being shot through the air.

Lastly, when you prepare this principle, you must select one of the following senses to target:

• Auditory: An auditory illusion targets the sense of hearing. It's opposed by a Listen check. Auditory illusions can replicate any kind of sound you can imagine, which seems to be emanating from any point inside the field that you like. Trying to replicate someone's voice or a specific sound requires some kind of check like normal, or something like the mimicry ability (see the kenku racial features for more details). Noises can be pretty damn loud, but not loud enough to cause actual hearing impairment, deafness, headaches, sonic damage, or to shatter glass or crystal. Static examples of auditory illusions could be a looped conversation or message, a repeating noise, and so on. An example of a real-life auditory illusion is the condition of tinnitus.
• Gustatory: A gustatory illusion targets the sense of taste. It's opposed by a Survival check. Gustatory illusions can create any combination of salty, sour, bitter, savoury, or sweet taste sensations in a food which is within the field. This kind of illusion is usually best used when fixed on the food itself as a reference point, since it's pretty useless if the food leaves the area of effect. If you try to replicate a particular taste you are not familiar with, anyone who is familiar with it gets an automatic chance for a fundamental disconnect when they taste it for the first time. An example of a real-life gustatory illusion is a hot pepper.
• Olfactory: An olfactory illusion targets the sense of smell. It's opposed by a Survival check. Anyone without the scent special ability is termed scent-dumb, and takes a -20 penalty on Survival checks against an olfactory illusion (seriously, the difference between a human and a dog smelling things is intense). An olfactory illusion works much the same as a gustatory illusion, except without the five particular components. In general your best bet is to specify particular odors that the area smells like, or mimic the smell of a particular person, creature, location, object, or so on. If you yourself don't have the scent special ability, it's assumed that you're not familiar with any scent you create, as described in the gustatory illusion section. An example of a real-life olfactory illusion is the condition of phantosmia.
• Tactile: A tactile illusion targets the sense of touch, and this is where stuff starts to get a little weird. It's opposed by a Survival check. A tactile illusion makes it feel like there's something in the field of the illusion that is not actually there. Anyone who believes the illusion, for all intents and purposes, treats the tactile component as if it were an actual object. However, it's important to note that this illusion is not actually there. You cannot walk across an illusionary bridge or up illusionary stairs, because it will not actually support weight. But someone who believes that it is real will actually feel like the stairs or the bridge is there right up until they actually try to put their weight on it. For example, someone who believes in an illusionary wall can push against it, lean on it, feel detail in it, all without even generating a disbelief check of any kind, because their own muscles and nerves are lying to them about what's actually there. Their body is actually supporting itself when they lean on the illusion. It's only if they try to jump through the wall, throw a rock through, or anything else that can't be cheated by misfiring neurons, that they will get a chance to disbelieve it. If you don't see the distinction right away, that's okay. This kind of illusion is really strange in a lot of ways, but also incredibly potent, since the victim's own body does the work of convincing them for you. An example of a real-life tactile illusions is the cutaneous saltation effect.
• Visual: A visual illusion targets the sense of sight. It's opposed by a Spot check. Visual illusions are some of the most common and well-known illusions, and for the most part it's the same here. You generate the image of something that doesn't actually exist. If you try to replicate something instead of just making it up, you'll probably have to make some kind of additional Bluff or Forgery or Knowledge or Disguise check like normal in order to show you know your stuff. I wish I could be more specific, but visual illusions are probably the most versatile overall, and there are a million different things you could do with them. In general, if you have to make a secondary skill check for authenticity, anyone with experience with the thing being illusioneered should be able to make an opposing skill check for a one-time chance at a fundamental disconnect. An example of a real-life visual illusion is a rainbow.

Any further principles you learn which augment these three lists can be mixed together when making illusions.

If you try to tether an illusion to an unwilling target, they are allowed a Will saving throw to resist it at the end of the preparation. The Will DC is 10 + 5 for every IMCH principle you know.


IMCH 267: Unbound Expectations
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: IMCH 101, Bluff 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like IMCH 101, except that it provides you with two additional forms for your illusions:

• Ablative: An ablative form illusion removes a sensory output which already exists in the field of effect. Depending on the sense used, this could be either removing everything of that sensory output (such as every smell in the area) or particular parts or components of that sensory output (such as removing the taste of almonds from a cup of tea). Static ablative illusions can be a little tricky, and a lot of the time end of being just fields where things become invisible or silenced or whatever when they go inside of them. That being said, more subtle erasures are usually more effective.
• Differential: A differential form illusion alters a sensory output that already exists in the field of the effect. These are some of the most advanced illusions, because they can actually cause subtle variations in the sense, not just blunt extra sensations or removed sensations. For example, a differential gustative illusion could cause all tea in the area to taste spicier than normal, or for someone to seem somewhat taller than they actually are. If you're trying to work out when something is additive, ablative, or differential, just remember that differential illusions usually work with what's there and modify it, rather than just inventing or deleting things whole-cloth.

IMCH 295: Imperfect Images [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: IMCH 101, Bluff 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like IMCH 101, except that it provides you with additional functions for your illusions:

• Adaptive: An adaptive function illusion is much like a static illusion, except that it adapts to its surroundings in the same way as something real that it is based on. For example, this can create the image of grass which bends when someone steps on it, or blows in the wind, or which turns brown in the autumn. This doesn't provide any kind of intelligence or interactivity to the illusion, just an added layer of realness.
• Programmed: A programmed function illusion can be either static or adaptive in nature, but it also has explicit programming built into it as well as any number of triggers for the behaviour. For example, this can generate auditory illusions which interact with people speaking to it, illusionary people who can cook an illusionary meal at the request of a real person, and so on. This is entirely a set of triggers and responses which are built into the illusion when you first construct it.
• Controlled: A controlled function illusion is neither static nor adaptive, but instead changes sensory outputs based on the direction of someone who is either standing at the centre of the effect or who is holding an object that the spatial reference is tied to (or who is themselves the spatial reference). At will, as a free action, the controller can modify the sensory output of the illusion. They cannot change the actual sense targetted or the form of the illusion, and they cannot even change the fundamental nature of it (although this is a murky area at best rules-wise, again because of the freeform nature of illusions). In general, controlling an illusion allows someone to control its responses personally, allowing them to decide how the illusion responds to the environment and outside stimuli.

IMCH 334: Nonsensical Senses
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two IMCH principles, Bluff 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like IMCH 101, except that it provides you with obscure new sensory outputs for your illusions:

• Mental: A mental illusion targets the sense of mindsight. It's opposed by a Concentration check. Anyone without the mindsight special ability doesn't even recognise that this sensory component is present, and thus doesn't interact with it in any way. A mental illusion allows you to generate the sensation that there are living intelligent people present in the field of the illusion. These false intelligent creatures can be shaped to seem to be whatever race, class, or alignment you like. They also seem to be present for any effect that would detect their thoughts, which you set when you first invent them.
• Thermal: A thermal illusion targets the sense of thermoreception. It's opposed by a Survival check. Thermal illusions can make something feel hot, cold, tepid, or anything in between. This includes anything like objects, creatures in the field, the air itself, or really whatever you can imagine. It doesn't actually change the temperature, but it can make people think that something is warmer or colder than it actually is.
• Vestibular: A vestibular illusion targets the sense of equilibrioception. It's opposed by a Balance check. The stability special ability grants its bonus to skill checks to detect the false nature of a vestibular illusion. Vestibular illusions interact with the sensations of ascension or descension, like in an elevator. Alternatively, they can make people in the field feel like they are turning, accelerating, or moving in any direction the illusion dictates. Unlike many sensory outputs, vestibular illusions only exist in the minds of people who are actually in the field of effect. Something like a visual illusion can only create visual constructs that are in the field, but those constructs can be seen from far away. A vestibular illusion only exists in the minds of people who are actually inside of the illusion bubble.
• Vibratory: A vibratory illusion targets the sense of tremorsense. It's opposed by a Survival check. Anyone without the tremorsense special ability doesn't even recognise that this sensory component is present, and thus doesn't interact with it in any way. A vibratory illusion can make it seem like any kind of false sensory output you like which would normally be detectable to tremorsense is in fact in the field of the illusion. Vibratory illusions typically must be of something in contact with the ground or a nearby object in order to send the illusionary vibrations through the medium.

IMCH 388: Glamourous Gramarie [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three IMCH principles, Bluff 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like IMCH 101, except that it creates illusions that are so realistic that people can convince themselves that they're actually being hurt. As they say, lit on imaginary fire is still lit on fire. Illusions you create can now actually bestow the following conditions until the illusionary nature of them is realised: ability damaged, ability drained, blinded, blown away, checked, confused, cowering, dazed, dazzled, deafened, energy drained, entangled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, frightened, knocked down, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, petrified (yes, really, although they don't actually turn to stone; they just think they did), shaken, sickened, staggered, and stunned. For all intents and purposes they will act as if they actually had these conditions until they are no longer sensing the illusion or they realise its illusionary nature. Damage these conditions or your illusions in general create is now real damage, as the victim's body makes it real for them.

One of the stranger things about this principle is that, quite literally, it's all in your head. So while an illusion really can make you think you're dying of lead poisoning, that only works if you know that lead is poisonous in the first place. In this instance, it's very much a case of what you do know can hurt you. Illusions make you sense something that isn't actually there, but unless you know what the shape of the illusion is, you can't really be expected to know that it can hurt you. It's not reasonable at all to assume that everybody in the game setting is intimately familiar with the capabilities of every monster and can identify them by sight, any more than they should be expected to know toxic chemicals from their smell.

In general, whenever this becomes an issue (that is, whenever the effects of an illusion depend on the subject knowing a piece of trivia), the DM should decide how obscure the knowledge is based on an appropriate Knowledge skill. Recall that really obvious facts typically have a Knowledge DC of 10, basic questions have a DC of 15, and really tough questions have a DC of 20-30. To determine if the subject knows the fact necessary to complete the illusion, have them take 10 on the appropriate Knowledge skill (even untrained) as a sort of 'common sense' check. This is to determine their off-the-cuff knowledge about the subject, and whether they are familiar enough with it to be able to prey on their expectations. Which is, of course, the essence of illusion.

[Kellus]

Kaleidomantics


Image credit k-tim of deviantart.com

"The colour of truth is grey."

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Being one of the most useful disciplines for any kind of structural engineering project, kaleidomantics allows the selective filtration of external factors from an area. By careful application and construction of a filter, many seemingly impossible projects become not only possible, but simple. Kaleidomantic filters are much like a cross between a wall of force and a mundane sieve, except that the things they filter out are much more bizarre and intriguing than spaghetti.

Kaleidomantics involves the use of various kinds of dyes and pigments to dilute and purify various hues. Cloth of vibrant colour is exceptionally useful to create a filter, as some of the essence of the colour is drawn from the fibres of the specimen to reinforce the barrier. Any such gear counts as masterwork, and thus provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Spot check made to prepare a kaleidomantic principle. There is a legendary fabric known as the Technicolor Dreamcloth, which is exceptionally powerful for use in the construction of kaleidomantic filters.

Key Skill: Spot


KALD 101: Intro to Kaleidomantics
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle creates a kaleidomantic filter, which is a magical barrier that excludes an external factor. A filter acts exactly like a wall of force, except that, well, it's not made of force. Kaleidomantic filters are typically 1/16 of an inch thick, and can take any 2D shape, oriented in space however you like. As part of this principle you make a Spot check, which determines the durability of your filter.

Every time you prepare this principle you can add area to the filter. Each preparation gives you 25 square feet, although this can be laid out however you like. However, every part of the filter must be connected, and the surface of the filter must be at least 1/16 of an inch thick at all points.

Any given filter has one particular factor which is excluded from entry, and one particular vulnerability. To that factor alone the filter acts like a full-on wall of force, while to literally everything else the filter remains completely permeable. Each filter excludes one particular factor, although you can set up more than one filter over the same area in space; they can even intersect.

A kaleidomantic filter is located in space based on a reference point that you set when you prepare this principle. You can also base it on an item or a creature, which allows it to be moved later. Once established, a filter is permanent unless it's hit by it's vulnerability. A filter can be disassembled by striking the filter with its particular vulnerability, as noted in the entry.

If a kaleidomantic filter is fixed to something which then rotates, the filter rotates through space as well. It keeps the same orientation to the reference point established at preparation. Kaleidomantic filters also can interact with other filters of the same colour; they cannot pass through each other.

If a moving kaleidomantic filter is opposed in its movement by some agent, this works exactly like trying to push a solid object (if it's moving fast enough, it can also deal damage as a projectile). If the agent is pushing against the movement of the filter, there is an opposed Strength check between the person (hereafter known as the controller) moving the filter (by moving the object it is fixed to or by having the filter fixed to themselves) and the person being pushed. If the controller succeeds, they can make an immediate bull rush check using the size category modifier of the filter and their own Strength modifier in order to push the agent in the direction they like. If the agent succeeds on the Strength check, they can move the filter based on their carrying capacity, treating the filter as weightless and moving whatever it's attached to along with it until the start of the controller's next turn.

On the other hand, a single filter fixed in space can support as much weight as an immovable rod, and can be moved in the same way. Every additional preparation beyond the first adds 2,000 pounds of support to the filter.

If you try to tether a filter to an unwilling target, they are allowed a Will saving throw to resist it at the end of the preparation. The Will DC is 10 + 5 for every KALD principle you know.

The first filters typically taught are the red and orange filters, which are useful for a broad range of applications:

• Red: A red filter excludes heat. Changes in temperature or external sources of hot or cold do not pass through the filter or have any effect on the temperature of the other side. Any physical objects which move through a red filter which are warmer than the ambient temperature on the other side have their temperature reduced to match the temperature on the other side of the filter. Living creatures cannot have their internal temperatures forcibly changed by this effect, but all inanimate material is subject to the filtration. A red filter is vulnerable to extremely low temperatures. If it absorbs a total amount of cold damage equal to the Spot check, it collapses.
• Yellow: A yellow filter excludes solid stone and metal. Metals dissolved in a liquid can move through, but any of these natural materials in the solid phase are blocked from passage. This filter cannot be established so that it intersects solid stone or metal; any attempt to do so fails. A yellow filter is vulnerable to disintegrating effects. Any effect which would destroy inanimate matter or which specify that they destroy a corpse can cause the filter to collapse. A yellow filter's AC against a disintegrate effect is equal to the Spot check.

KALD 207: Unearthly Colours
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: KALD 101, Spot 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like KALD 101, except that you learn two new colours which are important for large-scale civil engineering projects:

• Blue: A blue filter excludes water. Water which is contained in some other container or body can be carried through, but freeflowing water cannot pass through the filter. If the water is mixed with something else or has something dissolved in it, it is still blocked by the filter up until it has 1000 parts per million of impurities (that is, 1 part other agent for every 1000 parts water). A blue filter is vulnerable to force effects. The filter collapses if it sustains a total amount of damage equal to the Spot check from effects that are specifically made of force or which specifically strike incorporeal creatures.
• Orange: An orange filter excludes loose gases. Gases which are inside of something else can be carried through the filter (such as the oxygen in someone's lungs), but anything in the gaseous phase cannot of its own accord pass through the barrier. An orange filter is vulnerable to strong winds. Whenever it is struck by winds with a speed in mph exceeding the Spot check, it collapses.

KALD 238: Extrareal Hues [Specialist]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: KALD 101, Spot 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like KALD 101, except that you learn two new colours which are especially useful for handling dangerous substances:

• Green: A green filter excludes poisons. Poisonous vapours and the like cannot pass through the filter, and liquid poisons which are carried through are purified of toxins and poisons. Agents which are eliminated in this way typically leave a harmless gritty residue on the surface of the filter. Poisons inside of creatures which are vital for survival are unaffected, but all natural poisons which are used as part of a special attack or attack routine are rendered harmless until the body replaces them (typically half an hour or more). A green filter is vulnerable to extradimensional effects. It collapses if an extradimensional space with a volume in cubic-ft. of at least the Spot check is established inside of, or moved through, the filter.
• Indigo: An indigo filter excludes acids and bases. Any agent with a pH of lower than 6 or greater than 8 cannot of its own accord pass through the filter. Again, an exception is made for acids or bases which are inside of a living creature and necessary for survival. However, acids and bases inside of an artificial container which are carried through have the pH pushed to 6 or 8, whichever is closer to its current acidity (this typically leaves the substance incapable of causing acid damage). An indigo filter is vulnerable to sunlight. It collapses in an area of full daylight, or when it sustains a total amount of damage from effects which specifically mention sunlight or radiance equal to the Spot check.

KALD 347: Superlunar Pigments
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two KALD principles, Spot 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like KALD 101, except that you learn the final filter, which has some rather obscure applications:

• Violet: A violet filter excludes living things. Anything which is alive cannot pass through the filter, although things which were previously alive pass through with no problem. This blocks the undead, but allows the passage of artificial constructs such as golems, which has led to some interesting ethical, legal, and theological debates. This filter cannot be established to intersect a living creature; any attempt to do so fails. A violet filter is vulnerable to antitheurgical effects. If any dispelling or antimagic effect is used against the filter, the caster level is tested against a DC of 5 + 5 for every KALD principle you knew when you prepared this principle (you can prepare this principle again later to update the DC). Success for the dispeller indicates that the filter collapses.

KALD 379: Imperceptible Shades [Specialist]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three KALD principles, Spot 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

When I said that was the final filter, I was lying. This is the super-secret actual final filter. This principle otherwise works like KALD 101.

• Black: A black filter excludes information. For all intents and purposes, whatever happens on one side of the filter is literally unknowable from the other side. It blocks every traditional sense, as well as any other means of gaining information about what's going on on the other side of it. Supernatural senses, magical attempts to perceive, scry, or otherwise circumvent the barrier, all fail. Effects that rely on retrieving information from the other side of filter, such as a summon monster effect, also fail if the caster is enclosed by black filters. Even deities attempting to pierce the veil with a salient divine ability must make a Will save against the key skill check roll of the filter in order to perceive beyond it. Essentially, all sensory information of any kind is blocked from passage. Physical means of passing through the filter still work perfectly well, and brains can pass through a Black filter with no ill effects. However, sensory information cannot pass beyond the boundary of the effect. The quantum mechanical ramifications of this I'll leave up to your group to decide. A black filter is vulnerable to certain prismatic effects. It collapses if a prismatic effect is used on it when the result rolled for the colour of the effect results in 'roll twice more'.

[Kellus]

Yggdratecture


Image credit arsenixc of deviantart.com

"But there's a world beyond what we can see and touch, and that world lives by its own laws. What may be impossible in this very ordinary world is very possible there, and sometimes the boundaries between the two worlds disappear, and then who can say what is possible and impossible?"

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The simple knowledge that there are infinite Planes and spaces beyond the world we perceive has massive ramifications on almost every field of study. From the philosophical implications to the simple physical construction of the cosmos, planar cosmology has a very tangible impact on those within it. Yggdratecture is, broadly speaking, the study of space and time. And in true dungeoneering spirit, what can be studied can be twisted to your advantage. This discipline teaches how to shape and reshape space-time into an image you find more suitable.

Yggdratecture is a non-linear discipline, and is often one of the most difficult to wrap one's mind around. It's almost a requirement to have at hand at least one mathematical textbook on multi-dimensional space-time. Abstruse physical objects can also be a great aid to capturing the essence of warped space, such as 6-dimensional möbius strips, or boxes which only have a single surface. Any reference like the counts as a masterwork piece of equipment, and provides a +2 circumstance bonus on the Forgery check made to prepare an yggdratectural principle. Gabriel's Horn is a legendary multidimensional device purportedly created by an archangel to combat the planar incursions of the forces of Baator.

Key Skill: Forgery


YGGD 101: Intro to Yggdratecture
Grade: Baccalaureate
Prerequisites: None
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle creates an extradimensional bulge, which is a small space that is bigger on the inside than the outside. This is known as a semi-space. A semi-space is tethered to the Plane on which it is created, and can only be accessed from there. A semi-space connects to its home Plane through a portal with a radius no smaller than 1/16" and no larger than the width of the space itself. This decision is made when the semi-space is first prepared, and can be changed by anyone touching the portal from the inside. A semi-space cannot be completely closed, or it disappears permanently. Material inside of the space at the time is ejected into its home Plane.

A semi-space requires a spatial reference as to its location on the home Plane. This can either be a fixed point in space, or an object or creature. For example, it could be tied to a bag such that the opening of the bag is the same as the opening of the portal, and moving the bag moves the entrance to the semi-space. Alternatively, the portal could be fixed in space in a chosen orientation. Weight inside of a semi-space is not counted, but anything that protrudes from the portal has weight. This weight is applied to whatever the portal is tethered to (a creature or an object), adding to its own encumbrance. If a portal is instead fixed to a point in space, it supports protruding weight like an immovable rod. Every further preparation of this principle can add 2,000 lbs of carrying capacity to a portal fixed in space. If it is torn from its reference with a Strength check or from overburden, a semi-space collapses permanently.

A semi-space can be at most 2ft. by 2ft. by 2ft. Unlike most principles, you cannot prepare this principle multiple times in order to create larger spaces. As part of this principle you make a Forgery check, which determines the DC for Spot checks to notice the portal in space.

A semi-space portal is opaque from the back-end (it looks like a sheet of static), and the opening can be used to provide concealment based on its size. It provides partial concealment (20% miss chance) to a creature the size of the portal or up to one size category larger. Creatures smaller than the portal can use it for total concealment (50% miss chance). Depending on the orientation in space, a portal can also provide basic cover. However, any effect which misses a target because of an open portal instead deals damage to the space itself. A semi-space also takes damage from area effects such as a fireball when there is an open portal in the area of effect. A semi-space is always treated as failing Reflex saves against area effects. A space has effective hit points equal to the Forgery check made to create it, and collapses permanently when it sustains this much damage. A semi-space can be repaired by preparing this principle again on it, in which case the new Forgery check sets the amount of effective hit points it has.

A semi-space which collapses closes from access and shunts all matter inside of it into the nearest space to its opening on the Plane on which it was tethered. Bubbles and other area effects which are created on one side of a portal do not pass through the portal to the space on the other side. In order to affect the area on the other side of the portal, whatever is causing that effect must be inside the other space. This effectively means that the area effect from, for example, an arcanodynamic transformer, doesn't pass beyond the boundaries of the portal, and the transformer must be more than 50% on whatever side of the portal the bubble is going to take effect on.

If you try to tether a space to an unwilling target, they are allowed a Will saving throw to resist it at the end of the preparation. The Will DC is 10 + 5 for every YGGD principle you know.


YGGD 212: Polarcane Geometry
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: YGGD 101, Forgery 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like YGGD 101, but with some special exceptions. First of all, instead of creating a semi-space, it creates a bulge in the home Plane known as a flux. This takes the form of a bubble-shaped field of radius 5ft. that has different rules than the normal space on the Plane. Unlike YGGD 101, you can prepare this principle multiple times as normal for a bubble in order to make a larger flux. A flux is tethered, like a semi-space, either to a physical object which is at the centre of the flux (and thus can be moved around) or to an arbitrary point in space from which the flux permanently radiates. This decision must be made when the principle is first prepared.

Polarcane fluxes have special properties. You can choose one of the following flux properties to occur inside of the space:

• Gravity: This kind of polarcane flux has different gravity than normal. Inside of the bubble, gravity moves in a different direction than normal. You can set the direction of gravity when you first prepare the principle, and it can also be changed by anyone touching the center of the flux or the object to which it is tethered as a standard action. If you prefer, you can lock the gravity when you first prepare the flux, so that it cannot be changed later. Otherwise, treat this like a reverse gravity effect, except with gravity pointing in the relevant direction. The Reflex save DC to grab something is equal to the Forgery check of the flux.
• Magnetic: This kind of polarcane flux has special magnetic properties associated with it. As part of this principle you make a Forgery check, like with YGGD 101. This check determines how powerful the push or pull of the special magnetic forces in the flux are. When you prepare the flux, you can decide whether it is an attractive flux or a repellent flux. Whenever magnetic or ferrous metal objects (or creatures) enter into the flux, they are immediately subject to the magnetic force. This effect is equivalent to a bull rush, either directly towards or away from the centre of the flux. The effective attack roll for the bull rush is equal to the Forgery check of the flux. Objects and creatures which start their turn inside of the flux are immediately subject to another magnetic bull rush. If obstacles prevent them from completing the forced movement, they take damage as if from falling the same distance. Unattended objects are treated as taking 10 on their 'opposed' Strength checks for a magnetic bull rush, and the flux is treated as being Medium in size, although it can affect any sized object or creature. Anyone touching the center of the flux or the object to which it is tethered can change the direction of the magnetic force as a standard action. If you prefer, you can lock the direction of the magnetism when you first prepare the flux, so that it cannot be changed later.

YGGD 241: Incongruous Pathways [Specialist Only]
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisites: YGGD 101, Forgery 8 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like YGGD 101, but with some special exceptions. The semi-spaces you create with this principle can be closed from the inside, causing the portal to disappear from sight on the home Plane. In addition, you can prepare this principle successively up to eight times on a single space, allowing for a semi-space with a maximum volume of 64 cubic ft. (eight 2ft. x 2ft. x 2ft. cubes). Finally, whenever you prepare this principle you can choose to join the semi-space you are creating with another semi-space you've made in the past. This creates a second, connecting portal inside of each semi-space which exits into the other semi-space. Any particular semi-space can only be connected to two other semi-spaces, and you cannot remove a connection once it has been made.

If you have the ability to create a flux, you can choose to have a special flux property occur inside of semi-spaces you create, at your option when you first prepare it.


YGGD 353: Uncanny Cosmology
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any two YGGD principles, Forgery 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like YGGD 101, but with some special exceptions. You can successively prepare this principle as many times as you like, allowing you to make spaces which are as large as you have time to build. When you prepare this principle, you can also choose to separate it from its tethered Plane, turning it into a true demiplane. If you're building a demiplane instead of a semi-space, every preparation of this principle requires twice the normal time. However, you get to set the planar traits of the demiplane, including the morphic (excluding sentient morphic), elemental and energy, alignment, and magic traits. You cannot change the time trait of your demiplane. Any relevant decisions about the traits of your demiplane are made with the first preparation of this principle, and cannot be changed afterwards. A demiplane continues to exist if it is closed off from the Plane it is tethered to; the portal can be reopened, but only to the same Plane it is tethered to. Otherwise, the demiplane can be accessed with normal planar travel.

A demiplane's fabric is not as fragile as that of a semi-space, and it cannot be destroyed from damage.

If you know YGGD 212, you can apply a special flux property to your demi-plane when you prepare it. You can also choose to shape your demiplane like a bubble. Instead of a flux property, you can choose to set a gravity trait on a demiplane you create.

If you know YGGD 241, you can also connect semi-spaces to a demiplane. Unlike a normal semi-space, any number of semi-spaces can be connected to a single demiplane. You can also connect multiple demiplanes together.


YGGD 371: Abstruse Causality [Specialist Only]
Grade: Doctorate
Prerequisites: Any three YGGD principles including YGGD 353, Forgery 15 ranks
Target: Spatial reference
Preparation Time: 1 hour

This principle works like YGGD 353, except it allows you to set the time trait of any demiplane you create. If you have already created a demiplane before learning this principle, you can retroactively set a time trait with a single preparation. Time traits that you can set include:

• Double Time: For every round that passes on the Material Plane, two rounds pass on this demiplane.
• Erratic Time: Time randomly slows down and speeds up on this demiplane, as described here.
• Normal Time: Time on this demiplane flows the same way as on the Material Plane.
• Slow Time: For every round that passes on this demiplane, two rounds pass on the Material Plane.
• Timeless Magic: This demiplane is timeless with respect to magic. All spells cast with noninstantaneous duration are permanent until dispelled.

[Kellus]

Prestige Classes

Prestige classes are a little interesting in a gramarie setting, because of the strange relationship gramarists have with the technology level of the setting. Each of these prestige classes has special powers and perks of gramarie available to them, but these boons aren't generally available to the market or society as a whole. Prestige classes are prestigious, and the implication behind that is that they're generally unique in a campaign setting. These are avenues of focused learning that specific characters and villains might explore, but which aren't generally available to the world itself. The ramifications of this are that you can't normally purchase or commission something that requires a unique discovery from one of these prestige classes; these special bonuses and abilities are for personal use by those that make it into the class.

Another question people might ask, is, "why are these classes so awesome?". It's absolutely true that most of these represent a straight-up power-up for the gramarist. It's sort of like the basic wizard class. A very simple core class, with a lot of possible options to branch out into. These prestige classes might feel busy, but all it is is giving gramarists interesting things to do while still giving them new directions for their gramarie, too.

The Contractor

Spoiler

Show

"Let's make a deal."


Image credit MamonnA of deviantart.com

Power comes in many shapes and sizes, but perhaps the most underrated and most useful of all is the power of persuasion. Convincing other people to do your work for you is way better than actually having to learn to do stuff yourself. Gramarists who discover this tend to delve into more exotic ways of getting people to do stuff for them, and those who delve deep enough and dark enough might become contractors. Contractors are gramarists who have reached an agreement with the powers of the Lower Planes to requisition fiendish labourers and Outside help. Beyond these terms, contractors also learn to spread their talent for coercion to the great forces beyond the cosmos, the vestiges that lie between Planes. A contractor is a master of manipulation, deception, and above all else, control.

Requirements: To become a contractor you must meet all of the following requirements.
Feats: Negotiator
Gramarie: Any two ALCH principles
Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Diplomacy 10 ranks, Knowledge (the Planes) 3 ranks
Special: Must make contact with a high-ranking entity from the Lower Planes
Specialization: Must be specialized in Alchemetry

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The contractor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Contractor
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Principles

|

Maximum Vestige Level

|

Soul Binding

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Fiendish license, soul binding|

+0

|

1

|

1

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Alchemastery|

+1

|

2

|

1

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|–|

+2

|

3

|

1

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Alchemastery|

+3

|

4

|

1

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|–|

+3

|

4

|

2

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Alchemastery|

+4

|

5

|

2

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Doctorate principles|

+5

|

6

|

2

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Alchemastery|

+6

|

7

|

2

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|–|

+6

|

7

|

3

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Alchemastery, solomon's key|

+7

|

8

|

3

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the contractor.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a contractor, you gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Fiendish License (Ex): As a contractor, you have a fiendish license to do business on the Lower Planes, which gives you some precedent and prestige in negotiations with Outsiders from those regions. Your fiendish license is an actual piece of ID that you need to carry on you whenever you want to make use of any of the abilities it authorizes. You gain various abilities based on your fiendish rank, which is the sum of your class level and your Charisma modifier. Only permanent changes to your Charisma result in an increase in your fiendish rank. This rank is also what various baatezu can detect your rank as, as described in Fiendish Codex II.

{table=head]Fiendish Rank|Licensed Ability
1|Silver Tongue
2|Faust's Enclosure
4|Negotiation
6|Overseer
7|Outside Insurance
8|Talented Negotiator
10|SOP
12|Expert Negotiator
13|Not in it for the Money
16|Grand Negotiator
19|Indentured Service[/table]

• Silver Tongue: Your dealings with the denizens of the Lower Planes have granted you some insight into their manipulation and deal-making techniques. You gain an unholy bonus to Diplomacy and straight-up Charisma checks equal to half your class level, and this bonus is doubled against Good-aligned creatures.
• Faust's Enclosure: To conduct a deal you need to lay down certain ground rules, which is difficult to do when people can just teleport away from you. At will you can use magic circle against evil and dimensional anchor effects as spell-like abilities. Your caster level for these effects is equal to your Hit Dice.
• Negotiation: You've been authorized to contract fiends for assignment in the Material Plane. You can use a lesser planar binding effect at will as a spell-like ability and with a caster level equal to your Hit Dice. You can only call Outsiders with the Evil subtype with this binding, and you gain a +3 bonus on the Charisma check to compel them to do your bidding if the task or assignment furthers the aims of your fiendish patron.
• Overseer: It's important to make sure that a job gets done and done well. You can include a clause in your bindings that allows managerial oversight. If you beat the opposed Charisma check on your negotiation ability by at least 5, you can initiate a sense link effect with the fiend at will. Your manifester level for this effect is equal to your Hit Dice. Fot every 4 ranks beyond 6, you can link to an additional sense simultaneously.
• Outside Insurance: It always pays to have insurance. If you beat the opposed Charisma check on your negotiation ability by 10 or more, you can place the fiend on retainer as insurance. The fiend is dismissed from immediate service, and they can keep any payment you've offered them. However, if a specific set of circumstances occurs (such as your death, but really anything that's specified during the binding) they are placed under a geas to follow a specific set of instructions determined during the negotiation. Once they have fulfilled the instructions, they are released from the geas and the transaction is complete.
• Talented Negotiator: The Hit Die limit for your negotiation ability increases to 12 HD.
• SOP: It's standard procedure to have the personal identification of any fiendish employee on file. If you beat the opposed Charisma check during your negotiation ability by 5 or more, the fiend is obliged to give you their name. If you beat the check by 15 or more, they are compelled to tell you their truename, if they know it.
• Expert Negotiator: The Hit Die limit for your negotiation ability increases to 18 HD.
• Not in it for the Money: You can now pay for service in a currency that fiends actually care about: souls. Instead of money or gold, you gain a bonus on the Charisma check for your negotiation ability if you present the fiend with a soul (trapped such as with a trap the soul effect) equal to +1 for every 6 Hit Dice of the trapped soul. Speaking of which, you're now authorized to collect souls. Once per day per point of your Charisma modifier, you can use a trap the soul effect as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your Hit Dice.
• Grand Negotiator: The Hit Die limit for your negotiation ability increases to your ranks in Diplomacy (if that would be greater than 18).
• Indentured Service: There's no service like continual service. For every 10 points you beat the opposed Charisma check of a negotiation by, the fiend is compelled to assist you for one additional task beyond the first. Extra tasks are determined after the initial roll, and can be only as hazardous or dangerous to the fiend as the initial task.

Soul Binding (Su): Your powers of negotiation are not just limited to fiends and atomic spirits. They extend into the furthest reach of the cosmos, and the trapped spirits that reside there. You can contact a vestige and make a pact with it. At 1st level, you can make a pact with only one vestige, but you can make a pact with another simultaneous vestige at your 5th and 9th class levels. You must complete the summoning and binding process with each vestige separately, so that each has its normal chance to influence you. You bear the physical sign of binding of each one. Unlike most binders, your effective binder level (EBL) does not determine your maximum vestige rank; instead, refer to the class table. Your EBL is equal to your fiendish license rank, and determines all other functions related to binding vestiges. If the vestige you are trying to contact is of a higher level than your indicated maximum, you cannot summon it.

To contact a vestige, you must draw its unique seal visibly on a surface, making the image at least 5ft. across. Drawing a seal requires you to mark a surface, and 1 minute of concentration. A seal not used within 1 minute of its drawing loses all potency, and must be redrawn. Some vestiges also have special requirements for contact, as noted in their entries. Once you have drawn the seal, you must perform a ritual calling of the vestige as a full-round action, which fails if you cannot be heard. An image of the vestige appears after this calling, and disappears 1 round after you finish addressing it.

To make a pact with a vestige you must make a binding check, which for you uses a check of 1d20 + your class level + your Cha modifier (the silver tongue ability applies to this check). This requires 1 minute, although you can choose to rush it as a full-round action by taking a -10 penalty on the check. You must make this check alone; others cannot help you with it. Whether the check succeeds or fails, you gain the powers granted by the vestige for 24 hours. If you fail the binding check, the vestige influences your personality and your actions, and you are said to have made a poor pact. If your check is successful, you show no ill effects and maintain control over your personality.

While under the influence of a vestige, you must adhere to its requirements to the best of your ability. If you are conscious and free-willed, and you encounter a situation in which you cannot or will not refrain from a prohibited action or perform a required one, you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and checks until that vestige leaves you. These penalties stack if you disobey multiple vestiges.

The Difficulty Class (DC) for a saving throw against any supernatural power granted by a vestige is equal to 10 + your class level + your Cha modifier. For more information on vestiges and the binding thereof, refer to the Tome of Magic.

Alchemastery (Ex): Your fiendish insight allows you to delve deeper into your command of the atomic. In particular, the elder engineers of the Lower Planes can lend you their advice about the highest forms of metal. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you learn a new discovery which relates to the discipline of Alchemetry from the following list.

• Amazing Alkahest: Your alkahest is an incredibly great solvent. Any alkahest solution that you create can now dissolve any inanimate object, not just a planetary metal. Otherwise, this follows all of the same rules for dissolving a planetary metal.
• Continual Carmot: Carmot that you create now provides not only preservation, but restoration as well. Any object under its effects repairs itself at a rate of 1 hit point per round. Similarly, any creature under its effects gains fast healing 1.
• Lethargic Lead: Enclosures surrounded by your cursed lead are now extremely slow, to the point where they have an equal and opposite effect to that of quicksilver. Objects and structures made from your cursed lead now experience time at a slower rate than other materials; for all purposes, they experience one round for every two normal rounds. Spaces, creatures, and objects completely enclosed by your cursed lead experience the same effect
• Mysterious Moonsteel: Moonsteel that you create is partially made out of moonbeams. It weighs nothing at all, no matter how much of it there is. Anything inside of a moonsteel enclosure is treated as being under a perpetual blink effect.
• Oefficient Orichalcum: You must be at your 10th class level to select this discovery. Orichalcum that you create is especially great at channeling puissance in it. Circuits that are set up between a wood transformer and a battery made out of your orichalcum no longer lose an ebb to inefficiency in the transfer. In addition, your orichalcum can now hold twice the number of ebbs that the same volume could normally hold.
• Phlegmatic Phlogiston: Your phlogiston is especially pfiery! The heat aura around it radiates out an additional 5ft., and the area that would have been in the aura before now burns white-hot at a temperature of 2,000 degrees Centigrade.
• Platinum Standard: You must be at your 10th class level to select this discovery. You can now transmute other metals into platinum with ALCH 286, but at a 10:1 ratio (that is, you only end up with 1/10 the volume you started with). The DC for platinum is 65.
• Quixotic Quicksilver: Your quicksilver's especially quick. Quicksilver's elemental time trait now applies to anything that is touching at least half a cubic foot of quicksilver (479 fluid ounces).
• Square-Cube Law: Learning this discovery allows you greater insight into the nature of three-dimensional structures. Your ALCH principles can now target any applicable body which has a volume of no more than 81 cubic feet and a weight of no more than 350,000 lb.
• Sublime Sunmetal: Sunmetal that you create is now extremely radiomantic. It produces an aura with a radius of 5ft. (plus 5ft. for every size category of the sunmetal body beyond Medium) in which its handling effect occurs. The negative levels from the sunmetal exploding are now equal to one-tenth of the ebbs channeled into it (minimum 10 negative levels).
• Very Irregular Properties: Energy exists not in a vacuum, but in conjunction with other kinds of energy. Discovering this allows you to place two ALCH 202 qualities on a given body at the same time.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

Solomon's Key (Su): At 10th level, your talent in negotiating extraplanar favours has reached its zenith. Whenever you make use of the spectroconstruction class feature, you're no longer just calling up unskilled labourers. Instead, the spirits you invoke are borrowed from the souls of architects and engineers who wound up in the Lower Planes. Spectroconstruction now allows you to craft things which require intricate craftsmanship, using your Diplomacy check instead of any necessary Craft check for the labour. In addition, you can trade regular labour for a single preparation on your behalf of ALCH 101, at a rate of 100 hours of unskilled labour for every use of the principle over the half-hour of spectroconstruction.

The Craft skills used in your spectroconstruction must still be normal crafting skills which exist in your game. If you're in doubt about whether a technology level is appropriate for your game setting, consult your DM about the intended craft. You can use this ability to perform the labour for magic item crafting, but you must have the required Craft feat and supply the materials and XP required for it as normal.

The Lode-Bearer

Spoiler

Show

"This is my burden to bear, and no one else's. The fact that it's actually pretty bitchin' doesn't really enter into it."


Image credit SANTI-IKARI of deviantart.com

It's said that in the past, there was an ancient civilization that was much smarter and more advanced than the races today. Whatever that civilization might have been, some accounts refer to the loden, a martial branch of that society which studied the exotic properties of magnets. Thanks to gramarie, today it's possible for those with an interest in magnetism to explore the ancient techniques and lores of that group. These individuals, known as lode-bearers, are the most martial of gramarists, as they study ways to manipulate magnetism to give them an unfair advantage in combat. In order to become a lode-bearer, one must first learn to twist the fabric of space and time, especially in ways that shape magnetic fluxes.

Requirements: To become a lode-bearer you must meet all of the following requirements.
Base Attack Bonus: +3
Gramarie: YGGD 212
Skills: Forgery 10 ranks, Knowledge (geography) 4 ranks, Martial Lore 2 ranks
Special: Eldritch blast class feature
Specialization: Must be specialized in Yggdratecture

Hit Die: d8
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Skills: A lode-bearer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Lode-Bearer
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Principles

|

Maneuvers Known

|

Maneuvers Readied

|

Stances Known

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Heir to the loden, loden lore|

+0

|

3

|

2

|

–

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Eldritch blast +1d6, mother lode|

+1

|

4

|

2

|

–

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Loden lore|

+2

|

4

|

2

|

–

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Eldritch blast +2d6, mother lode|

+3

|

5

|

3

|

+1

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|Loden lore|

+3

|

6

|

3

|

–

6th|+6|+5|+2|+2|Eldritch blast +3d6, mother lode|

+4

|

6

|

3

|

–

7th|+7|+5|+2|+2|Loden lore|

+5

|

7

|

4

|

–

8th|+8|+6|+2|+2|Eldritch blast +4d6, mother lode|

+6

|

8

|

4

|

+1

9th|+9|+6|+3|+3|Loden lore|

+6

|

8

|

4

|

–

10th|+10|+7|+3|+3|Eldritch blast +5d6, mother lode|

+7

|

9

|

5

|

–

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the lode-bearer.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: As a lode-bearer you are loded for bear and ready to rock. You gain proficiency with all martial weapons. You're also proficient with light and medium armour, as well as light and heavy shields. You are not proficient with heavy armour or tower shields.

Heir to the Loden: The soldiers of the loden were powerful warriors who used magnetic talents to cheat in combat. Be part of that proud tradition. With an hour of meditation on the secrets of the ancients and a DC 20 Forgery check to mimic ancient rituals, you can designate a single metal weapon as your lodenblade (or lodenhammer, or lodenaxe, or whatever). Your lodenblade is your connection to the wisdom of the ancients, and is the channel through which you activate your magnetic abilities. You must be wielding it in order to activate any of your martial maneuvers, loden lores, or stances from this class. You can designate a new lodenblade at any time with another skill check.

By drawing an electromagnetic field around your lodenblade, you can energize it with a static charge. As a swift or move action, you can charge your lodenblade with electricity. All successful attacks you make with your lodenblade before your next turn deal additional electricity damage equal to the damage from your eldritch blast.

Loden Lore (Ex): At 1st level and every two levels thereafter, you discover a secret martial technique to apply magnetic principles to combat. Every time you gain this class feature, you learn one of the following techniques. These abilities mimic the strange magnetic combat styles of the ancients, and depend on successfully copying their techniques. They can be used at will as a swift action by making a successful Forgery check (failure indicates the swift action is wasted). Every technique you learn also grants you a permanent +1 bonus on Forgery checks.

• Attractive Blow (DC 15): This technique charges your metal weapon with magnetic power for 1 round. If you attack someone armed with a metal weapon during the round, your weapon automatically gets a disarm attempt with a +4 bonus if you beat the touch AC of your opponent with your normal attack. This disarm attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity. All attacks you make until your next turn have this ability.
• Heavy Metal (DC 25): This technique causes metal to weigh more heavily on your enemy. You make a single ranged touch attack using your lodenblade against a target made of or wearing substantial amounts of metal, within your ground speed of you. On a successful hit, you deal no damage but the weight of all the metal objects that the target is carrying or wearing is doubled. For every 10 points your Forgery check beats the DC, the weight is doubled again (that is, another x2 modifier using normal additive multiplication rules for D&D).
• Intercept Projectile (DC 20): You can activate this ability as an immediate action when a projectile is aimed at you. You must decide whether or not to activate this ability after you know that you are being targetted but before you know if the attack succeeds. An unattended metal object weighing no more than 5 lb which is within a 30ft. radius of you leaps into the path of the projectile, protecting you. The attack is resolved normally as if the projectile had been aimed at the metal object instead of at you. For every 10 points your Forgery check beats the DC, you can intercept one additional projectile before the start of your next turn.
• Magnetic Freefall (DC 25): You gain a magnet speed of twice your ground speed until the start of your next turn. A magnet speed lets you use magnetic fields to quickly maneuver around metal. As a normal move action, you may fall directly towards any ferrous metal object or structure which weighs at least half as much as you. You move directly towards the metal object, even if something nonmetal is in the way. In such a case, you end your movement adjacent to the barrier, in such a way so that it stands directly between you and the metal target. If you beat the DC of this loden lore by 10 or more, you don't have to spend a swift action to activate it. You may target a metal object from a distance equal to your magnet speed. No matter how far you actually move with your magnet speed, it still consumes your entire move action. A magnet speed will allow you to move against gravity, but at the end of the movement gravity begins to affect you normally (although you don't start to fall until your next turn, giving you the chance to keep freefalling if you activate this technique again). Magnet movement is similarly unaffected by rough terrain and the like. Initiating a magnetic movement takes hardly any time at all, and thus doesn't occupy you very much. As such, movement with a magnet speed does not provoke attacks of opportunity for moving through threatened spaces (the enemy's gate is down). A magnet speed may not be used to move to a metal object that you are already touching, no matter the size.
• Molten Mail (DC 15): This technique calls up ambient metals around you, condensing them into a molten layer of armour which fits you like a second skin. You gain a circumstance bonus to your armor bonus to AC of +1, with an additional +1 for every 5 points you beat the Forgery check by. You gain damage reduction of the same amount, penetrated only by adamantine. The armour lasts until the start of your next turn, at which point the metal sloughs off you harmlessly.
• Rock and Roll (DC 25): By striking your lodenblade, it produces a resonating tone (or heavy metal music, at your option). This is equivalent to the inspire courage bardic music effect. It lasts until the start of your next turn. The bonus granted by this effect is +1, although for every 10 points you beat the Forgery DC the bonus increases by +1. If you have the inspire courage ability from another source, you can add the bonus to this ability. This effect only lasts until the start of your next turn, although you can use it on consecutive rounds.
• Thrash Metal (DC 20): You immediately make a ranged touch attack using your lodenblade against a target made of or wearing substantial amounts of metal, within your ground speed of you. On a successful hit, you deal no damage but can make a free bull rush attempt against them.

Maneuvers Known: At 1st level, you gain knowledge of three martial maneuvers. These maneuvers can be selected from the Iron Heart, Shocking Sky, or White Raven disciplines. Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it. Your maneuvers are considered extraordinary abilities unless otherwise noted in its description. Your maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you initiate them. You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels. Upon reaching level 4, and every even-numbered level afterwards (6th, 8th, and 10th) you can choose a maneuver to replace a maneuver you already know with a maneuver of the same or lesser level which you have access to. This class provides a full initiator level for the purposes of selecting martial maneuvers.

Maneuvers labelled 'supernatural' in the Shocking Sky discipline are extraordinary when you use them, because you activate them by the natural manipulation of electromagnetic fields with your magnetic talent.

Maneuvers Readied: You can ready two maneuvers you know at 2nd level, but as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you can ready additional maneuvers at the same time. You ready maneuvers by stretching and practicing swordplay for 5 minutes. You need not sleep or rest to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes attuning yourself with your weapons, you can change your readied maneuvers. You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended.

To recover your maneuvers in battle, you must call lightning from the sky to strike your weapon. This is a swift, move, or standard action which deals electrical damage to everything and everyone within 10ft. of you equal to your eldritch blast damage (Reflex save for half-damage, DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Int modifier), and renews all of your readied maneuvers. This can only be done outside under the sky; otherwise it takes a full-round action to renew a single maneuver. This refreshing technique is an extraordinary ability, special effects to the contrary.

Eldritch Blast: At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, your eldritch blast deals an additional +1d6 damage. Levels in this class stack to determine the caster level and effective spell level of your eldritch blast.

Mother Lode (Ex): At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, you learn a secret art that the loden used to reshape the fabric of the world. You can choose one of the following discoveries. If a discovery relates to an yggdratectural space, semi-space, flux, or demi-plane that you create, you can retroactively apply a discovery to a field you have established in the past with an hour's work and a matching key skill check to its current value.

• Flux Capacitor: A polarcane flux can have any number of flux traits, although only one of any given kind (for example, you can't have gravity pulling in two different directions). If you have the ability to apply flux traits to other spaces, you can place multiple such traits in them as well.
• Going Nowhere: To learn this discovery, you need to be able to join semi-spaces together with portals. You can now join a portal to a place that you haven't seen before; this works like a teleport effect, with the same chance of making a mistake in the coordinates of the point you're joining. The portal you create in the unknown space is immovable, and fixed in space once established.
• Intense Causality: To learn this discovery you must know YGGD 371. Whenever you prepare an YGGD principle, you can twist the fabric of space-time in order to cause one of the following effects:
  
  • Reduce the time to prepare the principle by half.
  • Roll the skill check twice and select the result you prefer.
• Keeper of the Keys: You can close spaces without them being destroyed permanently. You can also lock portals to semi-spaces and demiplanes, by touching it and making a Forgery check which meets or exceeds the original. In order to open the portal, a matching Forgery check needs to be made.
• Plane Sense: By touching a portal, you can tell the size of the space that it connects to and any flux traits or planar traits in effect on the other side.
• Reverse Geometry: When you set up a flux, you can choose to reverse its dimensionality. Instead of a semi-space which is bigger on the inside than the outside, this is a flux which is bigger on the outside than the inside. This counts as the flux trait; the area is actually two size categories smaller than the space it takes up in the outside world. Anything which enters into the flux is squeezed into that space as if they were in a small constrained area.
• Usurp Space: By making a Forgery check that matches or exceeds the check of a space you are inside, you become the creator of the flux for all intents and purposes, including joining that space with other spaces.
• Weird Time: To learn this discovery, you must know YGGD 371. To use it, you must be inside of a demiplane that you created with the Erratic Time trait. By spending an hour and making a Forgery check of equal or greater value to the check of the demiplane, you can reroll the Erratic Time Trait's time flow roll.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

Stances Known: At 4th level, you gain knowledge of one stance from the Iron Heart, Shocking Sky, or White Raven disciplines. At 8th level you gain knowledge of a new stance from one of these disciplines. Stances labelled supernatural from the Shocking Sky discipline are considered extraordinary when you use them.

The Prime Mover

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"Being he who moves without being moved. A perfect unmoved mover, a cause without cause, and thus one who can build without being built upon in turn. In short, an island of considered rationality amidst the disorder of life."


Image credit A-Teller of deviantart.com

There are people who think, and then there are the thinkers. In the fast-paced modern world that gramarie makes possible, there are few who take the time for true introspection and meditation. Those who do might join the ranks of the prime movers, those scientists and dreamers whose thoughts take them places others couldn't even imagine. The deepest and most profound secrets of the physical world can only be reached with true depth of thought, and a prime mover is as much a philosopher as she is a mechanic or engineer or physicist. Also, she learns how to kill stuff with her brain, because this is fantasy after all.

Requirements: To become a prime mover you must meet all of the following requirements.
Gramarie: Any two ELDK principles
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Knowledge (any two) 8 ranks each
Specialization: Must be specialized in Eldrikinetics

Hit Die: d4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifer

Class Skills: A prime mover's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Prime Mover
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Principles

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Meditant, telekinesis (minor)|

+0

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Elder kinetic, telekinesis (levitate)|

+1

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Telekinesis (force)|

+2

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Elder kinetic, telekinesis (thrust)|

+3

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Initiate mediant, telekinesis (maneuver)|

+3

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Elder kinetic, telekinesis (embiggened)|

+4

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Doctorate principles, telekinesis (fabricate)|

+5

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Elder kinetic, telekinesis (multitask)|

+6

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Master meditant, telekinesis (swift)|

+6

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Elder kinetic, telekinesis (simple)|

+7

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the prime mover.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a prime mover, you gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Meditant (Ex): You think deeply about a lot of things. Even if you don't have power points, you can use the Concentration skill to gain psionic focus. You gain a bonus of 1/2 your class level on Concentration checks whenever you have psionic focus.

At 5th level, this ability improves. Whenever you have psionic focus, you can treat all Knowledge skills as trained, and substitute a Concentration check for any Knowledge check (albeit at a -5 penalty).

At 9th level, this ability improves. By expending your psionic focus when making a Knowledge or Concentration check, you can take 10 on the check even if stress or distraction would normally prevent you from doing so. This includes taking 10 on checks to prepare principles.

Telekinesis (Su): Through sheer force of will, you can move things with your mind. You gain various innate powers, which are only available to you when you have psionic focus. Your caster or manifester level for these effects is always equal to your class level. If these abilities imitate powers, you cannot augment them. Except where otherwise specified, these abilities work like spell-like abilities or psi-like abilities.

• At 1st level, you can use matter agitation and mage hand effects at will.
• At 2nd level, you can use a levitate effect at will. Your weight limit for this effect is 100 lb per rank in Concentration.
• At 3rd level, you can use a telekinetic force effect at will. Your weight limit for this effect is 50 lb per rank in Concentration.
• At 4th level, you can use a telekinetic thrust effect at will, and are under a touchsight effect whenever you are psionically focused. Your weight limit for the thrust effect is 50 lb per rank in Concentration.
• At 5th level, you can use a telekinetic maneuver effect at will.
• At 6th level, all of your telekinetic abilities are automatically Enlarged without having to expend your psionic focus in order to activate this effect.
• At 7th level, you can telekinetically shape things to your desire. You can use a fabricate effect at will. If you lack the appropriate Craft skill, you can use the Concentration skill to imitate any Craft skill for this effect at a -10 penalty on the check.
• At 8th level, you can maintain concentration on a number of simultaneous telekinetic abilities equal to your Intelligence modifier as long as you have psionic focus.
• At 9th level, you can activate any of your telekinetic abilities as a swift or move action instead of a standard action, if applicable.
• At 10th level this class feature becomes an extraordinary (Ex) ability instead of a supernatural (Su) ability, and the granted telekinetic abilities become extraordinary (Ex) instead of spell-like or psi-like (Sp/Ps).

Elder Kinetic (Ex): At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, you discover a peak of learning known to the ancient meditants about the nature of motion. You can choose one of the following discoveries. If a discovery relates to eldrikinetic engines that you create, you can retroactively apply a discovery to an engine you have built in the past with an hour's work and a matching key skill check to its current value.

• Aeronautical Savant: Any eldrikinetic engine you create which generates a fly speed can be controlled more finely; this increases the maneuverability by 1 stage, to a maximum of perfect (this even applies to a two-part engine). They also generate a flat 50 more points of Push over their normal amount (if you know both this and the overclock discovery, this modification is applied after overclocking the engine).
• Artillery Expert: Ballistic engines that you create treat projectiles being launched as if they were one size category smaller than they actually are for the purposes of determining their speed, but one size category larger than they actually are for determining the damage that they deal.
• Badger Badger Snake: Badgerdrawn engines that you create can be pushed into a frenzy. This is a burst effect that requires 10 times the normal amount of fuel, but it causes the engine and whatever is attached to it to shapechange temporarily into a badger of the appropriate size category. The badger can take a single round of actions, under the control of whoever is controlling the engine. During this turn, its burrow speed is multiplied by 10. At the end of its action, the badger transforms back into its original shape. This is a transmutation effect.
• Electric Innovation: Lightningleap engines that you create can take advantage of the mutable nature of energy. Whenever a lightningleap engine is activated, whoever controls the engine can choose an alternate energy form from the following types: acid, cold, fire, and sonic.
• Fish out of Water: Stonefish engines that you create can now allow a vessel to leave the earth medium they travel through. By burning up 5 rounds of stone swimming from the minute normally provided, the stonefish engine can launch a vessel through the air like a Ballistic Engine (except launching the engine, as well). The Push generated for this leap is multiplied by 5 (1,000 points of Push normally available for every leap from every engine in parallel). The engine must be immersed in stone, dirt, or metal at the start of the jump.
• For the Swarm: Beeform engines that you create are now more intricate. While in bee swarm form, whoever is controlling the engine gains telepathy out to 1 mile for every 200 points of Push generated, but only with bees. They can usurp the bees' senses, as if with a sense link effect, but for every sense the bees have. They can also control all bees in the area, as if with a control plants effect, but for vermin. Both of these effects last for as long as the engine is in bee swarm form. Intelligent bees can resist the controlling effect with a Will saving throw (DC equal to the Concentration check of the engine).
• Green Energy: Any eldrikinetic engine that you create can be sustained for one round or one burst with 1 less ebb of puissance than listed in its description (if you know both this and the overclock discovery, this modification is applied after overclocking the engine).
• Intricate Engineering: Any eldrikinetic engine that you create has its size reduced. An engine that normally requires 1 cubic foot per preparation now only requires a 6" cube per. An engine that normally requires 8 cubic feet per preparation now only requires 1 cubic foot per.
• Overclock: Any eldrikinetic engine that you create has its Push output increased by up to 20%, but its fuel requirements increase by 50% (including puissance) when you exceed its normal output.
• Size Matters Not: Any eldrikinetic engine that you create ignores the modifier to Bulk for unusually dense or heavy materials. You can treat any kind of material as being normal density for its size category.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

[Kellus]

The Graughtsman

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"I'll show you some intelligent design."


Image credit Light-Schizophrenia of deviantart.com

There are many charlatans who claim to have some secret knowledge of the workings of flesh. Physicians and their ilk scrape the surface, clinging to the desperate need to maintain some facsimile of life. Xenoalchemists are parasites, chopping nature's beauty apart in their reckless abandon to find something interesting. However, there are those whose study of life and death takes them deeper into the workings of biology than any other. These fleshworkers, known as graughtsmen, are unsurpassed in their manipulation of life. Where a physician preserves, or at best repairs, a graughtsman creates. Where a xenoalchemist severs, a graughtsman invents. They are engineers, thinkers, scientists, to whom life is nothing so much as a blank slate waiting to be engraved with their vision of the future.

Requirements: To become a graughtsman you must meet all of the following requirements.
Feats: Extraordinary Artisan^ECS
Gramarie: Any two BIOY principles
Skills: Appraise 4 ranks, Heal 10 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks
Specialization: Must be specialized in Biollurgy

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The graughtsman's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Graughtsman
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Graft Level

|

Principles

|

Craft Reserve

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Biocraft, harvest material, xenomachinery|

1

|

+0

|

100

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Master grafter|

1

|

+1

|

200

3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Bonus feat|

2

|

+2

|

300

4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Master grafter|

2

|

+3

|

400

5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Gramarie graft|

3

|

+3

|

500

6th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Bonus feat, master grafter|

3

|

+4

|

600

7th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Doctorate principles|

4

|

+5

|

700

8th|+4|+6|+2|+6|Master grafter|

4

|

+6

|

800

9th|+4|+6|+3|+6|Bonus feat|

5

|

+6

|

900

10th|+5|+7|+3|+7|Master grafter|

5

|

+7

|

1,000

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the graughtsman.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a graughtsman, you gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Biocraft (Ex): You can use your ranks in Heal less 3 (-3) as your caster level for the purpose of crafting magic items. You also gain a craft reserve every level, as shown on your class table. You can use this reserve in place of XP for the purpose of crafting magical items. You do not keep your previous reserve when you gain a new class level, instead replacing it with your new reserve. In other words, spend 'em while you got 'em.

In addition, any special bonuses you might possess such as Skill Focus which apply specifically to the Heal skill you can apply to Craft skills, although this does not allow you to attempt such checks untrained. Speaking of which, you gain a bonus to Heal checks of half your class level.

Harvest Material (Ex): As a graughtsman you can quickly identify, catalogue and remove for future use the pieces of monsters which make them so dangerous. Harvesting remains requires two minutes of work with a helpless creature or recently dead (within one hour) corpse. It requires two skill checks.

First, you must make a Knowledge check relating to the monster's type. The relevant Knowledge skill required is described under the uses of Knowledge, but since that's kind of obscure I'll just list them here for you. It's worth noting that if you don't know what type the monster was you can simply attempt a broad Knowledge check and the DM will choose the appropriate skill for you.

{table=head]Knowledge Skill|Monster Types
Knowledge (arcana)|Constructs, dragons, magical beasts
Knowledge (dungeoneering)|Aberrations, oozes
Knowledge (local)|Humanoids
Knowledge (nature)|Animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin
Knowledge (religion)|Undead
Knowledge (the Planes)|Outsiders, elementals[/table]

The DC for the Knowledge check is equal to 10 + the monster's HD. You can always attempt these checks, even untrained thanks to your broad training in general monstrous physiology.

If the Knowledge check is successful, the DM shall describe to you the pieces available for harvest. In general, this consists of informing you about supernatural and extraordinary abilities, breath weapons, natural weapons, movement modes, and so on. This might seem a little vague, but you can always request particular information about an aspect of the monster. If there is a piece of the monster you wish to harvest for one of your grafts, you can move on to the second skill check. You can only harvest material if it's appropriate for a graft you currently have access to.

Once you decide which piece of the monster you want (each graft has a particular requirement in the original monster and you can harvest one graft's worth of material from any given monster) you make a Heal check at the same DC. If successful you manage to procure the material needed for the chosen graft. The material is usable for about three days. If it's not used before then it begins to go rancid and becomes unusable unless you store it in a freezing environment (time spent in such a state effectively pauses the time limit).

If the Heal check is unsuccessful you cannot try again to harvest that material from the monster, but you can attempt additional pieces that you find useful. If you successfuly harvest one, however, the rest of the monster becomes contaminated and unusable. You can store as many of these monster pieces as you want, but the DM should decide on their weight and the space required to store them based on the monster they came from.

Xenomachinery (Ex): Xenomachinery takes pieces of monsters and turns them into wacky gizmos and gadgets. In general, there are two kinds of xenomachines: tools and accessories. A tool is, well, a usable tool. It's a held item which has an active power stapled to it from a graft. Any graft which grants a power which is activated, such as a draconis fundamentum or an oceanic infusion is suitable for being placed on a tool xenomachine. An accessory grants passive effects, which come from any graft which provides an 'always-on', non-activated effect. This includes grafts such as demon skin and an extra limb.

Creating a xenomacine requires the graft component to be attached, and the item for it to be attached to. Tool xenomachines are held items, which typically include things like weapons, wands, shields, and so forth, but could actually be anything that people hold in their limbs, such as a stick off the side of the road. When someone holds a tool xenomachine, they can access the graft as if it was attached to an appropriate body slot on them. If there is a daily limit or other restriction on a graft's use, the limit is carried with the graft itself, and is independant of who might be using it at any given time. Accessory xenomachines are attached to worn pieces of apparel or wondrous items which occupy non-graft body slots. Anyone wearing an accessory xenomachine has access to the graft power as if it was attached to them. You need to match up compatible slots, but the item slots and the body slots don't sync up exactly. Here's a conversion for you.

Body Slots vs Item Slots
{table=head]Body Slot|Usable Item Slot
Arms|Arms
Body|Body (armour)
Eyes|Face
Hands|Hands
Head|Head
Legs|Feet
Shoulders|Shoulders
Throat|Throat
Torso|Torso
Waist|Waist[/table]

You cannot put a graft onto a ring. Any given wondrous item or piece of clothing or tool can only have a single graft attached to it at a time. Higher level grafts also require more powerful items to be attached to, as shown on the following chart.

Xenomachine Caster Level Requirements
{table=head]Graft Level|Minimum Caster Level of Item
1|–
2|1
3|5
4|10
5|15[/table]

This restriction applies equally for tool and accessory xenomachines.

Actually attaching a graft to a xenomachine is a fairly straightforward process. It takes half an hour per caster level of the item, plus half an hour per Hit Die of the creature that provided the graft component. Afterwards, you make a Heal check against the Craft check that was made to make the item in the first place (for items the party didn't make, or if you just forget, assume the crafter took 10 on the check with the bare minimum ranks necessary for the construction). Success indicates the graft is successfully attached. Removing a graft from a xenomachine is possible, but takes the same amount of time, a Heal check at least as great as the original one to attach the graft, and destroys the graft component in the process. If you beat the original Heal check by 10 or more, you master it, and can remove the graft without destroying it; alternatively, this lets you claim it as if you had built it. With a half-hour process you can touch up a xenomachine you built to raise its grafter level to your current level of achievement.

At 1st level you can only attach 1st level grafts to items. You gain access to grafts of higher levels as shown on your class table. Your grafter level for your xenomachines is equal to your ranks in Heal less 3.

Master Grafter (Ex): Your mastery of the flesh continues to expand. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you learn a new discovery about the nature of biollurgy and fleshworking that allows you greater insight into the natural form. Every time you gain this feature, choose an ability from the following list.

• Artificial Fleshshape: You can now choose to create a biollurgical chassis of a different type. Whenever you use BIOY 228 to create a chassis, you can choose for it to be a Construct. If you do make it a Construct, you can choose to install a cockpit inside of it, which any intelligent creature can use to operate the chassis. If you install a cockpit, the chassis loses its Intelligence score entirely, and cannot be affected with BIOY 273. Instead, any creature of a size of at least two size categories below the chassis can ride in the cockpit and operate it with a DC 10 Knowledge (arcana), Disable Device, or Ride check for one round. While operating it, the riding creature is considered entirely subsumed in the chassis, and for all intents and purposes acts as the chassis for that round. Constructs gain additional hit points based on their size categories, as described here
• Bizarre Fleshshape: You must be at least at your 6th class level to select this discovery. You can now choose to create a biollurgical chassis of a different type. Whenever you use BIOY 228 to create a chassis, you can choose for it to have one of the following types: Plant, Ooze, Outsider, Undead, or Vermin. An Outsider has a native Plane of whatever Plane it was created on. A vermin is inherently mindless, and does not gain an Intelligence score; it can still be made sentient with BIOY 273, but it loses its mindlessness at that point.
• Genetic Gramarie: You must be at your 10th class level to select this discovery and know BIOY 381. If a chassis that you create counts as an arcanodynamic transformer or an eldrikinetic engine and breeds, its descendants inherit the principles of gramarie that have been prepared on it from those two schools.
• Heart of the Matter: You must be at your 10th class level to select this discovery, and know BIOY 340. You can use BIOY 340 to place a single 5th level graft on a chassis. This is a separate slot apart from the normal graft slots on the chassis.
• Infinite Faces: You can place any number of 0th level grafts on a chassis, instead of just one.
• Material Fleshshape: You can now choose to create a biollurgical chassis of a different type. Whenever you use BIOY 228 to create a chassis, you can choose for it to have one of the following types: Animal, Dragon, Giant, Humanoid, Magical Beast, or Monstrous Humanoid.
• Real Steel: The nature of metal is malleable, and the skilled artisan can mold it to his liking. Whenever you create biostructure, you can choose for it to have the statistics of iron as far as hardness and hit points per inch of thickness goes, no matter what metal went into it. Biostructure treated this way is alway considered ferrous.
• Volcanic Ventilation: In addition to the other gas processing options you have, you can choose to have biostructure that you create process sulfur dioxide.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

Bonus Feat: At 3rd level and again at 6th level and 9th level, you learn a bonus feat which must have the [Item Creation] tag.

Gramaric Graft (Ex): At 5th level, you unlock a special skill that transcends the borders between xenoalchemy and gramarie. You learn a special graft which imbues knowledge of a gramaric principle in someone. This works like a normal graft, except that you must spend an additional amount of time on the procedure as normal for preparing the principle in question. For xenomachinery, you spend this additional time while 'attaching' the graft (even though there is no monstrous material) to the item. Gramaric grafts are treated as accessory xenomachines, since they simply imbue knowledge of a principle.

You must know the principle you wish to imbue the subject with, and you must be able to implant grafts of that level. After the procedure, the subject can use the principle as if they had learned it themselves. They must still make any relevant skill checks involved with the principle themselves. The subject does not need to meet any of the normal prerequisites to know the principle, but they also do not count as "knowing" the principle for the purposes of meeting prerequisites on prestige classes, other principles, and other such venues. They can prepare the principal, but that's it.

This is a 2nd level graft for a Baccalaureate-level principle, a 4th level graft for a Magisterial-level principle, and a 5th level graft for a Doctorate-level principle. Gramaric grafts fill the Head body slot, and no other.

The Dreamason

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"What have your dreams done for you lately?"


Image credit MichaelO of deviantart.com

Many marvels and spectacles exist in the world, but these pale in comparison to the wonders that can only be constructed in the imagination. Every night, countless beings drift off to sleep, and dream of amazing, brilliant ideas which must disappear with the morning like so much dew upon grass. To most, this is simply the way life proceeds. To some, however, this is an unconscionable waste. These gramarists, known as dreamasons, believe that dreams are nature's greatest resource, and that we cannot afford to squander them on meaningless diversions and fantasies. Dreamasons belong to a secret society who work on behalf of all humanity (and monstrous humanity) to harness the power of dreams for the greater good.

Requirements: To become a dreamason you must meet all of the following requirements.
Feats: Body Fuel
Gramarie: Any two HEUR principles
Psionics: Power point reserve of at least 1 point
Skills: Autohypnosis 10 ranks, Craft (basket weaving) 1 rank, Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks
Special: Eldritch blast class feature
Specialization: Must be specialized in Heuristicism

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The dreamason's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Dreamason
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Maximum Power Level

|

Powers Known

|

Principles

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Dreamcatcher (psionic), eldritch blast +1d6, stream of consciousness|

1

|

1

|

+0

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Oneirotecture|

2

|

2

|

+1

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Eldritch blast +2d6|

2

|

3

|

+2

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Dreamcatcher (lucid), oneirotecture|

3

|

4

|

+3

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Dreamaster, eldritch blast +3d6|

3

|

5

|

+3

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Oneirotecture|

4

|

6

|

+4

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Dreamcatcher (strengthsapping), eldritch blast +4d6|

4

|

7

|

+5

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Oneirotecture|

5

|

8

|

+6

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Eldritch blast +5d6|

5

|

9

|

+6

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Dreamcatcher (mindfuel), oneirotecture|

6

|

10

|

+7

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the dreamason.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a dreamason, you gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Dreamcatcher (Ps): A dreamcatcher is a special kind of circuit which draws energy from perhaps the greatest untapped source of puissance: the mind. Whenever you set up a circuit with a HEUR principle, you can choose to make it a dreamcatcher. A dreamcatcher draws puissance from intelligent living creatures within the area of the circuit. This draining effect occurs automatically when an applicable creature enters the net, although certain creatures can be excluded from the dreamcatching as a logical decision in the circuit. Energy that has been caught is stored in a 'dream reserve', which is a dispersed energy field in the circuit; it has no physical location. A dream reserve can store up to an amount of puissance equal to 10 times the Autohypnosis check of the circuit in ebbs. However, only an amount in ebbs equal to the check can be moved around in the circuit in any given lump-sum at a time. Instead of spending puissance in the dream reserve normally, an Exotic Intelligence in the circuit can burn it to gain XP, at a rate of 10 XP for every ebb burned. Note, however, that an Exotic Intelligence can only gain XP from creatures within 10 ECL's of its own level. It also can never transfer this XP to any creature, through any mechanism.

As you advance in this class your dreamcatchers can drain different kinds of energy. At 1st level you can only weave psionic dreamcatchers. Once you learn additional dreamcatchers, you can decide which kind to weave whenever you establish a circuit. Whenever you would be able to change the Autohypnosis check of a circuit, you can change the kind of dreamcatcher.

• Psionic: At 1st level, you learn how to weave a psionic dreamcatcher. This kind of circuit drains power points from living intelligent psionic creatures in the circuit. Every round, creatures with power point reserves inside of the circuit's area of effect must make Will saving throws (DC 10 + your class level + your Intelligence modifier) or lose up to 2 power points each. The dream reserve gains 1 ebb for every power point drained like this.
• Lucid: At 4th level, you learn how to weave a lucid dreamcatcher. This kind of circuit drains dreams from sleeping living intelligent creatures in the circuit. Every round, sleeping creatures inside of the circuit's area of effect must make Will saving throws (DC 10 + your class level + your Intelligence modifier) or suffer a nightmare (caster level equal to your Hit Dice). The dream reserve gains 1 ebb every round for every creature currently suffering a nightmare inside its area. Removal from the area ends the nightmare immediately, and a creature that saves against the effect is immune to the nightmare for 10 minutes. You can program the details of the nightmare into the dreamcatcher when you set it up, or allow their subconscious to create it.
• Strengthsapping: At 7th level, you learn how to weave a strengthsapping dreamcatcher. This kind of circuit drains bodily health from living creatures in the circuit. Every round, living creatures with Con, Str, and Dex scores inside of the circuit's area of effect must make Fortitude saving throws (DC 10 + your class level + your Intelligence modifier) or be affected as if with your Body Fuel feat. They take 1 point of damage to every physical ability score, and the dream reserve gains 2 ebbs.
• Mindfuel: At 10th level, you learn how to weave a mindfuel dreamcatcher. This kind of circuit drains mental capacity from living intelligent creatures in the circuit. Every round, intelligent creatures with Int, Wis, and Cha scores inside of the circuit's area of effect must make Will saving throws (DC 10 + your class level + your Intelligence modifier) or take 1 point of ability damage to each of their mental abilities. The dream reserve gains 3 ebbs every time this happens. Unless otherwise specified, an Exotic Intelligence in the circuit is vulnerable to this effect. Creatures who die from this effect have their souls transformed into puissance, generating a one-time burst of 10 ebbs. However, they cannot be raised from the dead short of a wish spell or similar effect.

Eldritch Blast (Ps): Your eldritch blast continues to improve with your advanced mental powers. It deals additional damage as shown on your class table, and now counts as either a psi-like ability or a spell-like ability, whichever would be more useful to you at the time. You have a manifester level for your eldritch blast equal to your Hit Dice.

Psionics: As an architect of the mind, you have access to special psionic powers. Whenever you achieve a new level, you unlock the knowledge of a new power. Choose the powers known from the psion/wilder power list. You cannot choose powers from restricted discipline lists or from other class power lists. You can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than your manifester level. Your maximum power level is shown on your class table, and your manifester level for your powers is equal to your Hit Dice.

The number of times you can manifest powers in a day is limited only by your power point reserve. You do not regain power points every day like most psionicists, but instead you can use your eldritch blast to steal the consciousness of other intelligent beings to fuel your psionics.

As a dreamason, you simply know your powers; they are ingrained in your mind. You do not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells). The Difficulty Class for saving throws against your powers is 10 + the power’s level + your Intelligence modifier.

Stream of Consciousness (Ps): Your eldritch blast is like an extension of your will. Whenever you succeed on striking an intelligent enemy (Int of 3 or greater) with your eldritch blast, you regain a number of power points equal to the number of damage dice dealt with the blast. You add your ranks in Autohypnosis to your power point reserve to figure out how many power points you can hold at any given time. However, you do not gain bonus power points from an ability score, and you do not regain these power points from rest. You have a bonus on Autohypnosis checks of one half your class level, and this special bonus also adds to your power point reserve; other such bonuses to your Autohypnosis skill do not.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

Oneirotecture (Ex): As you gain knowledge in the secret schemes of dreams, you can apply these advances to your gramarie. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you learn a new discovery from the following list to advance your heuristical calculations and circuits.

• Backdoor: You (and only you) no longer need to meet the Autohypnosis check required to modify triggers, responses, or control points in a circuit that you (and only you) built. You are always treated as passing these checks.
• Hidden Code: You can choose for triggers and responses that you place in your circuit to be hidden from normal view, or even appear masked as something else. Someone must beat your Autohypnosis check by 15 or more to see past this camouflage.
• Moore's Law: The number of logical decisions which an EI that you create can make in your circuits per round doubles. You can take this discovery multiple times, and it follows mathematical multiplication rules instead of D&D additive multiplicative rules.
• The Most Exotic: You must be at your 10th class level to select this principle, and you must know HEUR 328. Your EI's are now much more resilient than normal; they never have to make saves to avoid being destroyed when components of the circuit are destroyed or removed. They can also be as intelligent as you, instead of having a maximum Intelligence of your own Int less 2.
• Rabbit Hole: Your heuristical circuits now penetrate the fabric of space and time. If there is a portal inside the area of one of your heuristical circuits, the circuit penetrates the portal. On the other side of the portal, it spreads out in a bubble of the same size as the original size around the portal. The two bubbles are for all intents and purposes the same circuit. Information and puissance can be seamlessly transferred back and forth between them.
• Variable of Volume: If you work out the maximum volume of your circuit based on the formula of volume being equal to (4/3)*pi*radius^3, you can set up circuits which are other shapes than bubbles. This principles do not have a minimum number of preparations, and the circuit field can be formed into any shape that you like using the volume available to you. The shape must be continuous, and at no point can be less than 6 inches by 6 inches thick.
• We Are All Connected: You must be at your 10th class level to select this principle. Overlapping circuits that you set up can communicate with each other and connect to nodes inside of each other. Each circuit can only communicate and interact with circuits it is personally overlapping with, not other circuits further down the line.

Dreamaster: At 5th level, you learn the secret to transforming puissance back into psionic potency. Whenever you are standing inside of one of your dreamcatchers, you can tap into the dream reserve and use it to fuel your psionic powers as if it was your own personal power point reserve. However, one power point is lost to inefficiency whenever you activate this ability; this lost power point does not count against your maximum spent on the power.

The Shadowright

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"And for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green."


Image credit DolphyDolphiana of deviantart.com

Secrets by their nature lie outside normal knowledge, and as long as secrets exist there will be those who seek only to uncover them. Everything in the world has a reflection, and just as light reflects upon a mirror, so does truth cast a reflection of falsehood. All reflections ultimately wind up in the realm of shadows, the hidden places that sit aside our world. Those who seek secrets from this desolate place often find more than they bargained for– shadowrights are some of those who go looking for reflected truths, and discover more truth than they could possibly handle. These gramarists learn secrets about the colours of the world which reshape the way they see it. For weal or woe, nothing can hide from a shadowright's black gaze...

Requirements: To become a shadowright you must meet all of the following requirements.
Gramarie: Any two KALD principles
Skills: Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Spot 10 ranks
Special: Must be exposed to the Plane of Shadow at some point
Specialization: Must be specialized in Kaleidomantics

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Skills: The shadowright's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

The Shadowright
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

Priciples

|

Mystery Level

|

Shadowsight

1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Mysteries, shadowsight|

+0

|

1st

|

Midnight

2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Colour of magic, shadow seal (red)|

+1

|

1st

|

Catoptric

3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Shadow seal (yellow)|

+2

|

2nd

|

Ranging

4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Colour of magic, shadow seal (blue)|

+3

|

3rd

|

Connected

5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Shadow seal (orange)|

+3

|

3rd

|

Thermal

6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Colour of magic, shadow seal (green)|

+4

|

4th

|

Fluid

7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Shadow seal (indigo)|

+5

|

5th

|

Primal

8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Colour of magic, shadow seal (violet)|

+6

|

5th

|

Penetrating

9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Shadow seal (black)|

+6

|

6th

|

Frequent

10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Colour of magic, shadow seal (white), shadowrong|

+7

|

7th

|

Intimate

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the shadowright.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: As a shadowright, you gain no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.

Principles of Gramarie: You continue to advance your study of gramarie. At 2nd level, and again whenever indicated on the class table, you learn a new principle of gramarie that you qualify for. At 7th level you gain access to Doctorate-level principles, and can refer to yourself as a doctor of any discipline you attain that level of knowledge in.

Mysteries: As a shadowright you are privy to many secrets of darkness that others might never know even exist. You learn mysteries of shadowcasting; you have a caster level equal to your Hit Dice for these mysteries. At midnight, dawn, midday, and dusk, you can realign your shadow's spirit, granting you different mysteries. You can be aligned to a number of mysteries at a time equal to your Charisma modifier; these mysteries can be used at will. Your maximum mystery level is shown on your class table. The save DC against your mysteries is equal to 10 + your class level + your Charisma modifier. Mysteries are described futher in Tome of Magic. Additional mysteries can be found in the Descent of Shadows project.

Shadowsight (Ex): A shadowright's distinguishing feature are her eyes of blackest night, which see into dark corners of the Plane of Shadows which mortal creatures cannot penetrate. You have a bonus on Spot checks of half your class level, and as you advance you gain many strange and useful augments to your sight:

• Midnight: At 1st level, you gain eyes of midnight, which render you colourblind. This is not just normal red/green colourblindness, either; a shadowright sees only in shades of grey. Your eyes become a deep and opaque black.
• Catoptric: At 2nd level, you gain catoptric vision. All of the Plane of Shadow is but a reflection, and now your gaze penetrates such images. Your eyes now see through reflections; mirrors are transparent for you, and your sight is permanently polarized. This eliminates bright light reflected off of shiny surfaces.
• Ranging: At 3rd level, you gain ranging vision. Your vision becomes something wild and alive, and returns to you. Your eyes can now measure distances. Whenever you look at a surface, object, or creature, you can tell at a glance the distance between you.
• Connected: At 4th level, you gain connected vision. The Plane of Shadow has many ties to the material realm, and your eyes now see the connections between seemingly disparate things. Your eyes can now see gramaric circuits as a shadow floating in space, as well as the connections that join its components.
• Thermal: At 5th level, you gain thermal vision. There exists no hot or cold on the Plane of Shadows, only light and dark. You can tell the temperature of anything you look at, out to a distance of 60ft. This thermal sight penetrates objects and surfaces, and allows you to distinguish living creatures inside of the area whose internal temperature is different from the ambient temperature.
• Fluid: At 6th level, you gain fluid vision. Shadows are fluid, variable things that are dynamic and ever-changing. You can tell the composition of any fluid (liquid or gas) that you look at.
• Primal: At 7th level, you gain primal vision. The Plane of Shadow is a thing alive, and a piece of it resides inside of every animate thing. You can pinpoint animate creatures within 120ft. of your sight, whether they are alive, undead, or constructs.
• Penetrating: At 8th level, you gain penetrating vision. Darkness allows us to tell day from night, and now your vision allows you to tell the real from the nonreal. You automatically get a chance for a fundamental disconnect whenever you look at an illusion with a visual sensory component. You only get one such free attempt per illusion.
• Frequent: At 9th level, you gain frequent vision. Just as fast as the speed of light is the speed of the darkness that it casts. With your sight moving at such speeds, how can mortal barriers obstruct you? As a free action, you can turn this ability on or off; while active, you can see through obstacles within 120ft. of you. You can choose how many layers to penetrate inside of the area of effect. Lead is the only thing that blocks your vision; however, while this ability is active, you give off radiation like a radiomantic metal with the same volume as your body (and can explode like one).
• Intimate: At 10th level, your sight ascends to its highest form, and you gain intimate vision. All places are one when they are bathed in shadow. Any location you look at is now treated as being "familiar" to you for the purposes of scrying, teleporation, and other such effects, no matter the distance separating you.

Colour of Magic (Ex): Magic has many colours, and only you can see all of its shades. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, you learn a special discovery about kaleidomantics from the following list:

• Unimpeachable Pigmentation Technique: Your filters are exceptionally well stuck in space. Whenever you fix a kaleidomantic filter to a point in space (instead of to someone or something), the Strength DC to move it increases by 5 and every preparation of it can hold an additional 1,000 lb.
• Charcoal Chicanery: Whenever you construct a black filter, you can program it with an imachinary sensory component that you know. Any attempt to retrieve information from beyond the filter returns instead the illusory sensory component. This is essentially a new way to deliver an imachinary illusion, except instead of being fixed on a point in space, the illusion is based around the filter. By its nature a black filter blocks normal sensory information of all kinds, and thus this illusion works like a combination of an ablative effect and an additive effect. You prepare the illusion on top of the filter for the purposes of time use, although you can use the filter's Spot check instead of the normal key skill check for the illusion.
• Colourgami: If you're willing to do the math to work out the surface area, you can construct curved kaleidomantic filters instead of flat 2D shapes. You can join them together like normal, but any one preparation of a filter can only have one radius of curvature.
• Orange Originality: Whenever you construct an orange filter, the filter imprints itself with the first gas to contact it (or you can set a particular gas when you construct it). It becomes selective only to that kind of gas, and is completely permeable to other gases. Concentrations must be accurate to within 1,000 parts per million to trigger the filter.
• Purple Perception: Whenever you construct a violet filter, the filter imprints itself with living things it comes in contact with. Whenever you (and only you) touch the filter, you can see the face and alignment of every living creature that touched the filter in the last day, in reverse order.
• Ruby Ruination: Whenever you construct a red filter, heat that's blocked from passage is absorbed into the filter, like an ice arcanodynamic transformer. However, you cannot remove ebbs from it with a circuit or connect it to an output; instead, if the filter ever collapses it releases a fireball centered on itself, with a radius of 5ft. per ebb of heat absorbed, and dealing 1d6 fire damage per ebb. This fireball offers a Reflex save for half damage against the same DC as your mysteries. A red filter like this can store up to 1,000 ebbs of heat before it tops off; any excess heat is nullified like normal.
• Teal Telemetry: Whenever you construct a blue filter, you (and only you) can tell just by touching it the volume and pressure of water pressing on it.
• Ultramarine Ultimatum: Whenever you construct an indigo filter, protons and electrons accumulated by the filter can be recombined into their natural state. Whenever an acid is neutralized, the filter gains a number of 'proton points' equal to the damage per round the acid dealt, multiplied by the cubic feet of it neutralized. Whenever a base is neutralized, the filter gains a number of 'electron points' equal to the damage per round the base dealt, multiplied by the cubic feet of it neutralized. When the filter collapses, it spontaneously generates a volume of liquid water equal to 100 cubic feet of water for every pair of proton and electron points it's holding.
• Verdant Venom: Whenever you construct a green filter, instead of eliminating toxins you can refine them. Fluid poisons that pass through your filter are not made inert, but instead they become more concentrated; as long as there is fluid for the venomous agent to reside in, someone can use your filter to purify such a poison. Refining a fluid poison works by moving part of the fluid through the filter, and thus concentrating the poison in the rest of the fluid. At least half of the fluid must be passed through the filter, and if additional volume of fluid is added to the poison later, the refinement is lost. Refining a poison increases the save DC by 4, and it deals an additional damage die of ability damage.
• Xanthous Xception: Whenever you construct a yellow filter, you can program a single planetary metal into it as an exception. This metal can pass through the filter as if it weren't stone or metal, while the filter retains its impermeability to every other kind of stone and metal.

Shadow Seal (Su): All colours are but pale imitations of black. Shadow is the purest expression of the colour of the cosmos, and you learn various ways to harness its might. At 2nd level, you learn to seal a colour of magic; this is an area effect that extends around you to a radius of 50ft. Inside of the area, all colour of that type disappears. Prismatic effects and kaleidomantic filters which are composed of that colour might collapse. You can make an immediate Hit Die check (against the caster level of a prismatic effect) or an opposed Spot check (against the Spot check of such a filter) to collapse the coloured effect. You can only try to collapse a given effect once per day, when it first enters your seal area.

You activate or deactivate this ability as a free action, and every time you turn it on you select which colour you want to seal. You gain various benefits from sealing a colour, as its power is locked away inside of you. At 2nd level, you can only seal the colour red. However, as you advance in level, you learn to seal additional colours.

• Red: At 2nd level you learn to seal the colour red. This grants you immunity to any effect that would change your temperature unless you wish to accept it. You gain fire and cold immunity while sealing the colour.
• Yellow: At 3rd level you learn to seal the colour yellow. This seal grants you the equivalent of a constant stoneskin effect (caster level equal to your Hit Dice), but only against stone and metal weaponry or objects.
• Blue: At 4th level you learn to seal the colour blue. This seal grants you immunity to the effects of pressure and dehydration effects.
• Orange: At 5th level you learn to seal the colour orange. This seal relieves you from the need to breathe. This grants you immunity to drowning and inhaled dangers.
• Green: At 6th level you learn to seal the colour green. This seal grants you immunity to poisons.
• Indigo: At 7th level you learn to seal the colour indigo. This seal grants you immunity to the corrosive effects of acids and bases; this works like acid immunity.
• Violet: At 8th level you learn to seal the colour violet. This seal grants you immunity to positive and negative energy effects unless you wish to accept them.
• Black: At 9th level you learn to seal the colour black. This seal provides you with a constant nondetection effect, and immunity to sonic damage as well as damaging effects which specify blinding or searing light.
• White: At 10th level you learn to seal the colour white. This seal provides you with immunity to radiomantic effects, including radiomantic negative levels and radiomantic hellfire damage.

Shadowrong (Ex): At 10th level, you learn the super-duper secret 9th kaleidomantic filter! Knowing this ability allows you to construct white filters; add the following choice to your list of filter colours:

• White: A white filter excludes radiomantics. It works like lead for the exclusion of radiomantic negative levels and radiomantic hellfire damage. As an interesting side effect, it also blocks detecting effects which are specifically blocked by lead. A white filter is vulnerable to darkness. It collapses if the entire filter is enclosed in an area of total darkness.

The Masínist

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This class can be found here!

The Apogineer

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This class can be found here!

The Dungeonjammer

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This class can be found here!

The Ayuscientist

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This class can be found here!

The Arcanitect

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This class can be found here!

The Stellar Cartographer

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This class can be found here!

The Millwight

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This class can be found here!

The Asternomist

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This class can be found here!

[Kellus]

Miscellaneous Topics

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

Feats

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Advanced Placement [Gramarie]
Tutoring and extra studying pays off; you've written an advanced placement exam to qualify you for a more challenging course load.
Benefit: Select a single principle that you would normally not qualify for based on specialization or class. You now qualify for that principle. You cannot select a principle of a higher grade than you have access to yet, and this does not remove prerequisites consisting of either specific principles or a number of prerequisite principles of a certain discipline.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, choose a different principle that you would not normally qualify for.

Alternating Arcane Current [Gramarie]
I'll collapse your waveform, if you know what I mean
Prerequisite: Arcane Current, Complex Mathemagics, Int 19
Benefit: You can apply your Complex Mathemagics feat to your eldritch blast whenever you use it to power gramaric devices. You also gain two additional uses per day of the feat.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, you gain two additional uses per day of Complex Mathemagics.

Arcane Current [Gramarie]
dQ/dt, where the Q stands for MAGIC
Prerequisite: Eldritch blast class feature
Benefit: Your eldritch blast can now be used to power gramaric devices. If released into a circuit or a device which has been set up to receive a puissant input, you can power it with 1 ebb for every five points of damage it would normally deal.
Special: You can take this feat up to five times. Each time, the efficiency increases by 1 such that it requires one less point of damage for each ebb of puissance generated.

Basic Mathemagics [Gramarie]
And who says math is useless in the real world?
Prerequisite: Int 13
Benefit: If you succesfully identify the purpose of a gramaric device, you can activate this feat in order to obtain a numerical analysis showing the possible range of values of the output (the RNG of the device's effects). You can use this feat a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier.

Complex Mathemagics [Gramarie]
You've studied the mathemagical quantization of the imagination!
Prerequisite: Basic Mathemagics, Int 15
Benefit: Whenever you activate a gramaric device which rolls a random result, you can activate this ability as a swift action immediately afterwards in order to take the complex conjugate of the result, which causes the new result to be the maximum possible roll minus the original result. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier.

The Colour out of Space [Gramarie]
You've discovered a horrifying new colour! You call it pink.
Prerequisite: KALD 101, Spot 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Spot checks. In addition, you have discovered a strange new colour which doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the cosmos. Just looking at it causes lesser peoples' minds to snap like a twig. Whenever you succeed on the Spot check to create a kaleidomantic filter by 5 or more, you can infuse this bizarre new colour into the filter, which causes anyone looking at it to make a Will save (DC 13 + your Cha modifier at the time of construction) or be [url=http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#confused]confused[/colour] for the next round. This effect can be avoided by averting one's eyes, like a gaze attack. Saving successfully against this effect does not imply protection on following rounds. Aberrations are immune to this effect; this is a supernatural mind-affecting pattern effect.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Spot).

Carbon Copy [Gramarie]
Theft is really just the ultimate expression of artistic appreciation; they should actually be honoured, not outraged
Prerequisite: YGGD 101, Forgery 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Forgery checks. In addition, whenever you create a mundane forgery, you can instantly prepare YGGD 101 as an immediate action to create a tiny semispace of no larger than 1ft. in any dimensions in order to envelop the original work if it is at hand. As soon as the object is removed from the semispace, the space collapses.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Forgery).

Creative Surgeon [Gramarie]
What do you call the person who graduates last in their medical class?
Prerequisite: BIOL 101, Heal 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Heal checks. In addition, whenever you successfully use the Heal skill to create a biollurgical chassis, you can trade out graft slots at a 1:1 ratio, giving you much more freedom to create twisted monstrosities.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Heal).

Desperate Improvisation [Gramarie]
We need to make this fit in a hole made for this, using nothing but that.
Prerequisite: Must be able to prepare Magisterial-grade gramaric principles, Ingenious Engineer, Wis 17
Benefit: You can either work frantically or ingeniously when you prepare a principle with a material requirement. If you work frantically, you can prepare the principle in half the time with twice the material. If you work ingeniously, you can prepare the principle in twice the time with half the material.

Diplomatic Immunity [Gramarie]
It's just been revoked!
Prerequisite: ALCH 101, Diplomacy 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks. In addition, whenever you argue an alchemetric principle, you can include a clause which invalidates one of the obscure energy types: this includes things that technically aren't energy types, but are treated like them in sourcebooks, such as positive or negative energy, hellfire, desiccation, and so on. The material being affected gains immunity to this obscure energy in addition to the other effects of the principle.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Diplomacy).

Double-Blind Transformations [Gramarie]
The best way to figure out what kind of transformer it is is really just to poke it until it works
Prerequisite: ARCD 101, Use Magic Device 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks. In addition, you can use a Use Magic Device check to activate arcanodynamic transformers blindly. This is a full-round skill check which provides an amount of pseudo-puissance to the transformer equal to your Use Magic Device result. If this meets the limit on ebb transfer for the transformer, it converts the energy into its output form, which you can then target or control as if you were making the logical decision for the circuit. You can only successfully use this skill check type on any transformer once, and you cannot use it on a transformer you created.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Use Magic Device).

Equivalent Circuits [Gramarie]
Resistance is futile
Prerequisite: HEUR 101, Autohypnosis 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Autohypnosis checks. In addition, whenever you connect two gramaric devices with a heuristical circuit, you can choose for the connection to be a short circuit or an open circuit if you succeed on the Autohypnosis check by 5 or more. If you make a short circuit, the circuit can only connect those two devices; nothing else can be hooked up to it, and they cannot be part of any other circuit. However, the flow of puissance between the two devices is improved; any supply of puissance from one to the other is increased by 10%. If you choose to make an open circuit instead, the bubble is 5ft. in radius larger than it otherwise would be, but the flow of puissance through the circuit is dampened, decreasing all transfers of puissance inside the circuit by 10%.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Autohypnosis).

Extra Credit [Gramarie]
You took additional credits for either the love of learning, or because you're a keener.
Benefit: You learn a gramaric principle that you qualify for. Characters without any previous gramaric training can learn 101 principles, and can prepare them just like an actual gramarist. You cannot use this feat to learn an additional theory.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, until you have a number of bonus principles equal to your Charisma modifier. However, you can only have a single bonus principle of your highest grade (Baccalaureate, Magisterial, or Doctorate).

Force of Mind [Gramarie]
Your engines work at the speed of thought!
Prerequisite: ELDK 101, Concentration 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Concentration checks. In addition, if you succeed on the Concentration check to build an eldrikinetic engine by more than 5, the engine can be powered by pure willpower. Psionic characters can transfer power points into the engine to activate it in place of normal fuel or puissance at a rate of 1 power point per ebb normally required. They remain limited in the number of power points they can spend in any given round on any given task, just like manifesting a power. Psionic characters must be either touching the engine, or be in telepathic range of it if they have telepathy. They are allowed to make logical decisions for the engine while powering it.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Concentration).

Imachinary Friends [Gramarie]
You're so good at imitating people, you don't even need the real thing!
Prerequisite: IMCH 101, Bluff 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff checks. In addition, whenever you create an illusion which contains a component designed to imitate a specific individual, you can make a special Bluff check which works like a Disguise check in order to imitate that specific person. Anyone interacting with the illusion needs to see through the disguise as normal for disguises before they are allowed a chance for a fundamental disconnect (note that a sensory mismatch can still prompt a chance to reveal the illusion).
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Bluff).

Ingenious Engineer [Gramarie]
When the chips are down, you figure out a way to put them back up such that they can support an optimal load. At least for a little while.
Prerequisite: Must be able to prepare gramaric principles, Wis 15
Benefit: You can prepare a principle in a single full-round action, but it only lasts for the next five rounds.)

Mystic Huntsman [Gramarie]
The best defense against magic is CONSTANT VIGILANCE
Prerequisite: GEOC 101, Survival 4 ranks, Track
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Survival checks. In addition, you can use the Track feat to follow heuristical circuit connections (DC 15) or locate geoccult poles inside of biomes (DC 20). You can also sense the presence of imachinary illusions within a mile with a DC 40 result, although this doesn't tell you the exact for the illusion takes.
Special: Taking this feat means you cannot take Skill Focus (Survival).

Reverse Engineering [Gramarie]
Engineering is so much easier when someone else does the hard part for you.
Prerequisite: Must be able to prepare gramaric principles, Int 17
Benefit: By spending an hour examining a gramaric device, you can reverse engineer the blueprint for it by making a Knowledge (architecture and engineering) check which matches the original skill check made to create it.

Blueprints

A blueprint is a schematic describing exactly how to prepare a principle to the unenlightened. Creating a blueprint requires a gramarist who knows the principle to spend eight times the normal preparation time. She also needs to have appropriate materials of course, including paper or parchment and some sort of writing implement, and usually engineering tools such as a compass and straight-edge.

Any principle can be scribed into a blueprint, but a principle with the [Specialist] tag can only be read by another gramarist specialized in the same discipline. A principle can be prepared from a blueprint by anyone with an understanding of gramarie at least one tier lower than the level of the blueprint itself:

{table=head]Tier of Blueprint|Minimum Tier of Reader
Baccalaureate|Untrained
Magisterial|Baccalaureate
Doctorate|Magisterial[/table]

Reading the blueprint and preparing the scribed principle requires a key skill check as normal, but it must also meet a certain benchmark. This is DC 20 for a Baccalaureate principle, DC 40 for a a Magisterial principle, and DC 60 for a Doctorate principle. Preparing a principle from a blueprint takes twice the normal amount of time. Upon successful completion of using the blueprint, it can only ever be used thereafter to improve upon the original principle from it; it cannot be used for a separate activation. However, anyone reading from the blueprint can use it to modify or improve the original work, as normal.

Blueprints generally cost the normal rate based on the time it takes for them to be scribed (that is, about eight times the cost of simply hiring a gramarist to prepare the principle in the first place).

Bubbles

Many principles create or affect bubbles of radius 5ft. A gramarist can create bigger bubbles by preparing principles multiple times like any principle, but there are certain benchmarks that must be met to create a larger bubble:

{table=head]Bubble Radius|Minimum No. of Preparations
5ft.|1
10ft.|8
15ft.|27
20ft.|64
25ft.|125[/table]

And so on in that fashion. A bubble can actually take any shape you like that would fit into the bubble of the appropriate size, but you still need to prepare the principle enough times to create that volume of effect. Essentially, you can always choose to have the bubble fill less than the full volume of the bubble if you like.

DMing with Gramarie
How to gramarie (and you can too!)

Games that involve gramarie are very very different from games that do not. The entire point of the system is to allow interaction by players into the technology level and culture of the world that you've constructed. The important thing to understand are the ramifications of the different levels of power that gramarie allows.

In general, there are three levels to gramarie. The first is what I call "low-impact magitek". This is the setting that comes from having only Baccalaureate-level principles around, it's what's in E6, and in general it's what you'll find in default low-magic campaign settings where few people even make it to 7th level. The tech level of this kind of setting is pretty close to normal D&D, and is similar to what you might find in Eberron, for instance. Some of the interesting things that you can probably expect in a low-impact magitek setting are rudimentary automobiles, materials that are stronger and more durable than you'd find in most settings, and some interesting construction techniques that leverage kaleidomantic and arcanodynamic abilities to build stuff that would be hard to build in the real world. Yggdratectural semi-spaces allow for things like portable cover for armies and excellent food and supply storage, which makes warfare much more plausible than a setting where half the population eats dirt for a living. In general, there are some interesting technologies available at this point, but they aren't necessarily widespread, and anything complicated requires a skilled psychic technician to operate (heuristical circuits still need Autohypnosis checks to operate at this point). If that's a tech level that you feel comfortable with, feel free to keep it nailed there for your entire campaign. There's not much impact from higher level technologies if the PCs are the only ones with it, since the abilities and techniques can't be leveraged for society as a whole. This approach is also pretty good for an introduction to gramarie, and to explore if it's something you want to go more in-depth into.

The second level of tech is probably my personal favourite, which I call "magitek renaissance". It comes online at 7th level with magisterial principles. In a magitek renaissance you've really got technology blossoming. This level allows rayguns, airships, giant robots, cannons, submarines, and a lot of other really cool stuff. This is where the applications start to open up, and more importantly, they become accesible to an untrained citizenry. It's like the difference between having the internet in universities and government, and putting it into the hands of the people. With control points and programming now available in circuits, anyone can use gramarie, or it can even basically run itself. In general, this level of technology is great for exploration and having fun with the ideas and world-building gramarie makes possible. I'd recommend it for any kind of magical empire or high-magic society. A great approach for a group that wants to have a little more fun and invent crazy stuff.

The final level of tech is pretty extreme; I call it "doomsday magitek". This is a post-scarcity, post-everything setting. It's pretty nuts, but then, it only exists when the population is 14th level and higher, so yeah. Anything you can imagine is pretty much possible here, from building artificial intelligences to manage a demiplane, to flying island fortresses that jump between Planes and bring their citizenry with them in giant alternate-dimension prisons that they use to power their nuclear weapons. I reserve this level of tech for PCs that make it to that point and want to have some high-level fun, or for extraplanar societies that are explicitly supposed to be lightyears more advanced than the Material Plane. This is seriously crazy-town, and is just incredible as a toolkit for a clever DM. This is the stuff that you can use to actually show how the magical empire operates, while still having the rules to allow PCs to interact with it. This is why you're here.

Now, a super-important point to make here which I touched on in the renaissance section is that the level of the PCs is not the same as the tech level of the setting. Any particular player character is limited by both his particular field of study (remember that a lot of the coolest tricks are Specialist only) and his time that he can invest. As a DM you're totally in control of how much time the PCs have to invent, practice, and explore the options that this system allows. Just because a player character has doctorate level principles doesn't mean your setting will implode, because there's only so much that one PC working on his own can do with this system. Massive societal changes require groups of high-level gramarists working together to get huge stuff accomplished.

Basically, there are a lot of possibilities with this system, but that's not a bad thing. It's sort of an equalizer between the DM and the players. Players have access to abilities which can cause permanent, visible changes in the world, but the DM has all of the same tools to construct a setting around. However you use it, just remember to have fun!

Pricing Gramarie

This is a really interesting topic. How do you price something made out of gramarie? The answer depends very much on the technology level of your setting, and the gramarie-tech that's already out there. That being said, when you get right down to it, gramarist is a job. It happens to be a very well-paying job, but then, so is manufacturing walls of iron as a wizard or binding efreeti in your spare time. Gramarists have to make a living somehow; the primary resource for a gramarist, as you may have noticed, is time. They can make a lot of really awesome stuff, but it takes some time, and in some cases that amount of time is ludicrously large. The only stuff that they will be able to churn out in fast production cycles are small-scale personal equipment, like rayguns and jetpacks. Large-scale engineering projects are going to require massive investments of time, large teams of gramarists working together, or preferably both.

When you buy something made of gramarie, you're essentially buying a set of principles that have been prepared on your behalf, and you're buying the raw materials. Every principle that has been used has a value of anywhere from 1 to 9. Every principle starts at a value of 0 for price. Principles that have been prepared multiple times are treated as separate principles for pricing.

{table=head]Factor|Value
Baccalaureate Principle|+1
Magisterial Principle|+3
Doctorate Principle|+5
Baccalaureate Tech-Level Setting|+2
Magisterial Tech-Level Setting|+1
Doctorate Tech-Level Setting|+0
[Specialist] Principle|+2[/table]

Once you establish the value of each principle that went into the thing you're buying, check this chart for the price of purchasing it:

{table=head]Value|Price
1|3 gp
2|9 gp
3|27 gp
4|81 gp
5|243 gp
6|729 gp
7|2,187 gp
8|6,561 gp
9|19,683 gp[/table]

Now, this means that in most settings, gramarists (even at 1st level) can make a pretty decent wage. If you're going to include gramarie at those levels, you're going to have to get used to that reality. Gramarists do awesome stuff for the setting, and they get rewarded for it. If you have an aversion to this kind of economic power, feel free to place things like tariffs on gramarie profits, taboos against comissioning it, political reasons they can't sell their work, and so on. But seriously, making money is not as big of a deal as most people feel like it is, because any adventurer can make money if they decide to start up a business or farm for a hundred years or something. Please consider allowing people to make money in your game and buy stuff with it that people actually do buy with money, like land, property, people, and bling.

Really Really Big Stuff

Some of the stuff that gramarists make is big. Really, really big. Colossal just doesn't cut it when you're talking about actually making flying islands. Here's an expansion of the size category rules which clarifies some of the numbers about size categories beyond Colossal. I realize that this is just delaying the problem, since you might need bigger stuff, but it's a pretty good start. If in doubt about some of the qualities of things this size, continue normal mathematical progressions for all size qualities as you move beyond Colossal.

Space and Height of Really Really Big Stuff
{table=head]Size Category|Space Limit|Height Limit
Colossal+ [Enormous]|1,600 sqft. (64 squares)|128ft.
Colossal++ [Immense]|2,500 sqft. (100 squares)|256ft.
Colossal+++ [Behemothic]|4,900 sqft. (196 squares)|512ft.
Colossal++++ [Cavernous]|10,000 sqft. (400 squares)|1,024ft.
Colossal+++++ [Mountainous]|19,600 sqft. (784 squares)|2,048ft.
Colossal++++++ [Vast]|36,100 sqft. (1,444 squares)|4,096ft.[/table]

Glossary

There is a lot of terminology that goes together with gramarie. I've tried to make the new key words and phrases as self-explanatory, consistent, and easy to follow as I can, but if you're curious what a particular term means, check this reference guide!

Alchemetry: A discipline of gramarie that deals with altering material statistics. Fantasy analogue to materials engineering.
Ambient Temperature: The average temperature in degrees Centigrade of the environment, not any particular object in it. More than half of the area must be this temperature for it to be the ambient temperature.
Arcanodynamics: A discipline of gramarie that deals with converting energy from one form to another. Fantasy analogue to energy engineering.
Ascended Metal: A planetary metal can be ascended with ALCH 364, which gives it some kind of supernatural property.
Biollurgy: A discipline of gramarie that deals with creating life and shaping it. Fantasy analogue to biomedical engineering.
Biostructure: A gross building material that shares traits with both objects and creatures.
Blueprint: A written reference of a principle. Allows a layman to use the principle.
Bubble: A spherical shape commonly used by gramarie.
Bulk: A rating that provides an estimate of how bulky something is. Based off of size and density.
Chassis: A mass of biostructure given life.
Circuit: A heuristical bubble that connects various things together into a control system.
Controller (Kaleidomantics): The person controlling the motion of a kaleidomantic filter.
Control Point: A location built into a circuit where anyone can make logical decisions for the circuit.
Eldrikinetics: A discipline of gramarie that deals with motion and engines. Two main focuses are ballistics and transport. Fantasy analogue to mechanical engineering.
Energy Damage: There are five kinds of energy damage in D&D: acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.
Engine: A machine you build with eldrikinetics which transforms fuel or puissance into motion of some kind.
Ferrous: Ferrous metals are in this document defined as any kind of metal which either is a magnet or reacts to a magnet.
Filter: A 2D shape of light that separates out some agent based on its colour.
Flux: An yggdratectural field where some weird physics effect occurs.
Form (Imachination): The way an illusion interacts with what it's covering. This can be adding, changing, or removing the sensory information already present.
Function (Imachination): The way an illusion interacts with the rest of the world through its behaviour.
Fundamental Disconnect: Happens when an illusion presents information which is logically impossible. Offers a chance to disbelieve the illusion.
Geoccultism: A discipline of gramarie that deals with the environment and ecology. Fantasy analogue to environmental engineering.
Gramarie: Fantasy equivalent of science and technology which provides a different way to interact with magic.
Gramarist: Someone who uses gramarie, or more specifically a character class that teaches principles of gramarie.
Heuristicism: A discipline of gramarie that deals with control and programming. Fantasy analogue to computer engineering.
Imachination: A discipline of gramarie that deals with senses and false information. Fantasy analogue to social engineering.
Inside: The term inside describes what space an object is on. In Yggdratecture it means that that object is more than 50% on one side of a portal or another, and the effect it produces takes place on the space it's inside.
Kaleidomantics: A discipline of gramarie that deals with light and filtration. Fantasy analogue to civil engineering.
Key Skill: Every discipline has a key skill which is used when you prepare a principle from it. Gramarists can substitute Knowledge (architecture and engineering) checks for a key skill check at a penalty.
Logical Decision: Any kind of decision which changes the way a principle or component works. Logical decisions can also be changed in a circuit.
Planetary Metal: There are eight metals that are very important to gramarie, and are based on the alchemical planetary beliefs from real life. They are copper, gold, iron, lead, mercury, platinum, silver, and tin.
Portal: The entryway to an extradimensional space or other plane.
Principle: The gramarie equivalent of spells. Principles come in three grades: Baccalaureate, Magisterial, and Doctorate. Some principles are marked with the [Specialist] tag, and can only be learned by a specialist in that discipline.
Puissance: Puissance is a generic form of magical energy. Think of it like the electricity that drives magic. Puissance is measured in ebbs (eb).
Push: A kind of imparted momentum granted by an engine. It creates a speed for the target for one round.
Radiomantic: A metal which gives off arcane decay continually. Very dangerous and hard to handle.
Semi-Space: A small extradimensional space created by yggdratecture.
Sense Output: The sensory component given off by an illusion. Keyed to a particular sense.
Sensory Mismatch: Happens when two senses don't agree about what's they're sensing. Offers a chance to disbelieve an illusion.
Spatial Reference: A point in space designated as a reference point to the location and orientation of some effect. Can be fixed in space, or attached to a creature or object. Moving a reference moves the effect.
Spectroconstruction: The way that a gramarist gets mundane construction and labour accomplished on his own. References possibly the most ambiguous magic item ever, sorry about that.
Transformer: An arcanodynamic transformer is a chunk of metal which either absorbs energy or emits energy. By sticking two of them together you can convert energy from one form to another.
Trigger/Response: A combination of a specific set of circumstances or requirements to be met, and the decision that a circuit will make in such an event.
Two-Part Engine: An abstraction created when you have a powered simple orthogonal and an ascending or descending engine. You can treat the vessel as if it had a fly or swim speed for ease of gameplay.
Yggdratecture: A discipline of gramarie dealing with extradimensional spaces, planes, and magnetism. Fantasy analogue to structural engineering.

To-Do

• Arcanitect prestige class
• Stellar Cartographer (Asternomist?) prestige class
• 400-level theories
• Traditions, perks that specialists in the gramarist class can pick up
• Saboteur base class
• Sapper base class
• Feats

[Zale]

I have no words.

This is wonderful.

Awesome.

[radmelon]

Looks like Welknair has some competition. I haven't had a chance to read through it yet, but it's obvious that a massive amount of work has gone into this.

[Amechra]

This is gorgeous.

I think I'll start designing things now.

But tell me; can you use non-Wood transformers to power a Circuit? And are there, for a lack of better words, "switches" on the transformers?

For example, if I were to make an Input transformer and an Output transformer, and I connected them, would I get to control when the spell got cast without the addition of a circuit? Or would it be automatic upon generation of the necessary amount of ebbs.

I'm kind of wondering how societies would view Submerging engines; after all, they are powered by blood...

Edit: Also, do you gain more Principles known and of a higher grade if you were to enter the Eldritch Theurge PrC, for example?

[jojolagger]

I have done my first read through. That ssaid, not best critiqueing mindset right now, so will post comments later. I'll likely also have a few schematics for you.

That said, a note right away if you can have circuits tell other circuits what to do by a complex interface thing that needs batteries.

Now I'm going to lose focus on this for a bit, so as to avoid giving my self a headache due to the innate possible complexity caused by including FPGA's in D&D. and dimensional stuff.

[Kellus]

This is gorgeous.

I think I'll start designing things now.

But tell me; can you use non-Wood transformers to power a Circuit? And are there, for a lack of better words, "switches" on the transformers?

For example, if I were to make an Input transformer and an Output transformer, and I connected them, would I get to control when the spell got cast without the addition of a circuit? Or would it be automatic upon generation of the necessary amount of ebbs.

I'm kind of wondering how societies would view Submerging engines; after all, they are powered by blood...

Edit: Also, do you gain more Principles known and of a higher grade if you were to enter the Eldritch Theurge PrC, for example?

Good questions!

1. No, a transformer needs to be made of wood in order to actually output puissance into a circuit. The other kinds of transformer use ebbs as a unit to describe the amount of energy being moved around, but you need a wood output transformer to actually use it as puissance.

2. No. An input transformer continually gathers energy. If there is an output transformer touching it, the energy moves to the output side and is transformed (hence the name). So as an easy way to break the process, just separate the two of them. But otherwise, as long as there is the right kind of energy being supplied to the input side, the output side will generate whatever it is that it generates.

3. Yes, it would automatically cast when it had gathered enough energy to cast the memorized spell. A heuristical circuit trigger would allow you to deploy it whenever you want.

4. I imagine that would depend on the society!

5. No, normal prestige classes don't advance gramarie, since it's an entirely separate ability set. That being said, I've got some PrCs coming for some fairly simple hybrid classes to diversify a little.

Glad you like it!

Looks like Welknair has some competition. I haven't had a chance to read through it yet, but it's obvious that a massive amount of work has gone into this.

Hey, thanks! I've been working on this for literally months, there are just so many pieces that have to fit together just so for the idea to work. Welknair's done some really cool stuff there, and I liked his material for this, but it wasn't what I was looking for for the games I want to run.

I have no words.

This is wonderful.

Awesome.

Thank you! I hope you enjoy using it!

EDIT

That said, a note right away if you can have circuits tell other circuits what to do by a complex interface thing that needs batteries.

Circuits can interact with each other, but only to move puissance between them. So, you could move puissance being generated inside of one circuit to a battery which is inside both it and a second circuit, and then have the second one programmed to remove the puissance from the battery, for example. The easiest battery, if you're looking for one, is orichalcum. It can store energy up to 100 ebbs per cubic foot.

[Amechra]

A few things that will tell me exactly what I think of this project:
1. Is there a way to diminish the amount of Push that an Eldrikinetic engine produces?

2. What senses does the Heurisistic intelligence get?

3. Is there any way that a certain principle can be automated?

4. Can you apply stuff like Alchemetry to constructs?

Because if 1 is a no, then I can't design a precise filing system.

Because if 2 is a "seeing and hearing like a human within 60' of the circuit", then I can make you TV, the Internet, and a buncha other things.

Because if 3 is a no, then my dreams of a factory churning out super-steel or whatever is a wash.

Because if 4 is a no, then anyone who wants to make a better Golem will be saddened.

I can make a foundry, though: it's as simple as having a crusher (an exercise left for the reader) on a tilt, which goes over an Orange kaleidomantic filter that is covered by the bubble produced by an Ice Output Transformer (just raise the melting point on the ice, and Bob's your uncle), generating enough heat to melt the metal.

The metal then drips through, into a vat that has been treated to have a low Heat Capacity, which has been set up mechanically like one of those little drinky-birds, which means it dumps into a groove that leads to a set of bar molds, which are on a specialized dispenser.

The molds, still containing molten metal, are then slid down into a small container where an Ice Input Transformer flashes on and off, which removes all of the heat in the bars instantly, without introducing the cracking and warping that dumping it in cold water would have.

The bars are then sent off to be manipulated further by a team of Gramarists, and then are sent off to smiths and the like as high-quality metal.

You need high hardness? No problem. You need it to be light? No problem.

If Intelligences can see, then all you need is an Intelligence with instructions to faithfully reproduce anything that it has read, connected to an Controlled Additive Visual illusion, replicating any page that the Intelligence has seen, to basically have a Kindle.

You can combine Imachination and Kaleidomantics to mess with an enemy's head; after all, once you've figured out that a Purple barrier always blocks living things, you aren't going to try to pass through, even though it might just be a hastily set up Red barrier with a Tactile and Visual Static Additive Illusion slapped on top. Or, hell, even just the illusion.

Yggdrarchitecture is invaluable for any minituarization you perform; after all, where else are you going to store your jet-pack? Seriously, gramarie is pretty heavy stuff.

[Kellus]

A few things that will tell me exactly what I think of this project:
1. Is there a way to diminish the amount of Push that an Eldrikinetic engine produces?

Um... no, but there should be and I'll put one in. BUT (and it's a big but) Push generates a speed. You never have to move your speed. The only time it would be an issue is if you're throwing projectiles that can't choose to reduce their speed, and for whatever reason you want them flung slowly. But it's still a good point, I'll edit it in there.

2. What senses does the Heurisistic intelligence get?

I believe I specified they get telepathy and mindsight inside of the circuit bubble, and they're effectively senseless outside of that. I imagine they'd be most effective with someone (underling?) inside of the bubble to act as a sense array for them.

3. Is there any way that a certain principle can be automated?

Yes, in fact there's a whole principle about it: HEUR 302. It lets you program a principle into the circuit, which can then be activated and prepared at a later date when conditions are met.

4. Can you apply stuff like Alchemetry to constructs?

Yes. They are made out of materials.

Because if 1 is a no, then I can't design a precise filing system.

Because if 2 is a "seeing and hearing like a human within 60' of the circuit", then I can make you TV, the Internet, and a buncha other things.

Because if 3 is a no, then my dreams of a factory churning out super-steel or whatever is a wash.

Because if 4 is a no, then anyone who wants to make a better Golem will be saddened.

Sorry about crushing your dreams for number 2.

I can make a foundry, though: it's as simple as having a crusher (an exercise left for the reader) on a tilt, which goes over an Orange kaleidomantic filter that is covered by the bubble produced by an Ice Output Transformer (just raise the melting point on the ice, and Bob's your uncle), generating enough heat to melt the metal.

The metal then drips through, into a vat that has been treated to have a low Heat Capacity, which has been set up mechanically like one of those little drinky-birds, which means it dumps into a groove that leads to a set of bar molds, which are on a specialized dispenser.

The molds, still containing molten metal, are then slid down into a small container where an Ice Input Transformer flashes on and off, which removes all of the heat in the bars instantly, without introducing the cracking and warping that dumping it in cold water would have.

The bars are then sent off to be manipulated further by a team of Gramarists, and then are sent off to smiths and the like as high-quality metal.

You need high hardness? No problem. You need it to be light? No problem.

If Intelligences can see, then all you need is an Intelligence with instructions to faithfully reproduce anything that it has read, connected to an Controlled Additive Visual illusion, replicating any page that the Intelligence has seen, to basically have a Kindle.

You can combine Imachination and Kaleidomantics to mess with an enemy's head; after all, once you've figured out that a Purple barrier always blocks living things, you aren't going to try to pass through, even though it might just be a hastily set up Red barrier with a Tactile and Visual Static Additive Illusion slapped on top. Or, hell, even just the illusion.

Eee hee hee hee hee I love it

Yggdrarchitecture is invaluable for any minituarization you perform; after all, where else are you going to store your jet-pack? Seriously, gramarie is pretty heavy stuff.

Weight has nothing to do with it!

[Answerer]

You have no idea how unbelievably excited this makes me.

[Amechra]

The Encumbrance system creates an abstraction of weight and volume, and squashes it into one "weight" type dealy.

I should have said "bulky". I'm sorry.

And the ability to program Principles into a circuit is amazingly useful; I do have one question, though:

How unbalanced would it be to have some method to speed up Principle use?

You see, I had an idea about having a Warship that has a circuit ready to ramp up the hull's Hardness really quickly upon entering battle.

But, hmm, a little math...

Let's say you don't have much to do, and the Barbarian is worried about his little steel sword being sundered.

So you go off somewhere, and let's say that you are a level 2 half-Elf Gramarist; you just want to increase the hardness of the metal, no biggy.

So you roll a Diplomacy check; Alchemetry is your Specialty, and you took Skill Focus (Diplomacy), and that half-elf feat that gives you +3 for Synergies instead of +2, and have a masterwork tool of Diplomacy.

You also have a friend come over, who can make a Diplomacy check with you; how grand!

You also spend skill points getting 5 ranks of Bluff and Sense Motive, for the synergy bonuses.

You rolled middling on your Charisma, getting only a 15.

So, for your check, you roll 1d20+23, for an average of 33, for a +6 to Hardness. Your range is 4-8 points of hardness added or subtracted from your item. Or you could cut the weight of all that coinage you found to around a sixth of its normal weight.

Fast forward to level 4; your bonuses have now increased, so you are rolling a 1d20+27, for a 5-9 point range.

This goes great in Gestalt with a build that gets crazy-high Diplomacy checks (I think the record is about a +120 to Diplomacy by 20th; that's a +24-+28 bonus to Hardness, for real fun!)

But yeah, I hope at least one of the prestige classes is going to mix it with Truenamer, because using Truename checks instead of the skill checks normally needed (within limits, of course), is rather snazzy.

[Pyromancer999]

Hmmmm....a bit complex, but nice.

Most important question: Can I make robots with this? As in, is it possible to do that?

Also, can the effects of principles be done on the fly?

[Kellus]

You have no idea how unbelievably excited this makes me.

Haha, awesome.

I should have said "bulky". I'm sorry.

No, I was just going for the cheap quote. You're entirely right that the stuff you make weighs a hell of a lot.

How unbalanced would it be to have some method to speed up Principle use?

Unfortunately, very unbalanced. The key limiting factor for a gramarist is time, between spectroconstruction and principles that take an hour+ to prepare. And there are already a few ways to get around that, with time traits on demiplanes and solid quicksilver buildings.

But yeah, skill checks are nice because they can get crazy good pretty fast with some optimization, but nothing in the system really breaks with wtfbig skill numbers. Most of the results are for benchmarks or opposed checks.

[jojolagger]

Hmmmm....a bit complex, but nice.

Most important question: Can I make robots with this? As in, is it possible to do that?

Probably, yes, but very complex ones. However, I'm fairly sure you can do it without any specialist principals.
Also, I'm fairly sure it's complex enough that if won't fly, in most games. Seriously.

Also, can a Herusitic Circuit use if statements and/or Boolean logic? ex. (if [(Battery A above 5 ebb) and (triggered)] then release all ebb via silver out)

[Kellus]

Probably, yes, but very complex ones. However, I'm fairly sure you can do it without any specialist principals.
Also, I'm fairly sure it's complex enough that if won't fly, in most games. Seriously.

Also, can a Herusitic Circuit use if statements and/or Boolean logic? ex. (if [(Battery A above 5 ebb) and (triggered)] then release all ebb via silver out)

I tend to agree about the robot, although there's an 8th discipline in the works dealing with animate things.

If you can describe the condition in plain language that most people could understand, it's fair game. Not, and, if, or, are all pretty reasonable.

[Garryl]

This is very cool and reminds me of Spacechem. I'm poring over things, trying to grok how Heuristics and Arcanodynamics work (and interact). Fun little puzzle you made, Kellus. For example, right now I'm trying to puzzle out something to use a random time trait plane as a time multiplier. Drop something in, do some automated tests to check the time differential somehow, and pull it out if it's not fast enough.

I am concerned that there isn't anything this can do (as far as I've read, which isn't all of it) that existing magic can't, especially with copious use of magic traps. Even without, computers have been made with undead (Deep Rot), and from there it's only a small step to most of the automation possible with this system. Still looking for whatever it is I may have missed.

[Amechra]

Probably, yes, but very complex ones. However, I'm fairly sure you can do it without any specialist principals.
Also, I'm fairly sure it's complex enough that if won't fly, in most games. Seriously.

Also, can a Herusitic Circuit use if statements and/or Boolean logic? ex. (if [(Battery A above 5 ebb) and (triggered)] then release all ebb via silver out)

Actually, robots are fairly easy; you just need to have a circuit that does movement and energy loops, and an Intelligence, and it is fairly easy.

But yeah, otherwise, since there aren't any sensors, I would be at a loss for making a simple robot.

Seriously, Kellus, would it have killed you to make a sensor that doesn't have a resolution of a square foot to a pixel? It would have made making a Bremmerman Device so much easier.

Of course, our hardest test will be making the simplest possible Turing complete device/von Neumann Machine with this system...

[Kellus]

I am concerned that there isn't anything this can do (as far as I've read, which isn't all of it) that existing magic can't, especially with copious use of magic traps. Even without, computers have been made with undead (Deep Rot), and from there it's only a small step to most of the automation possible with this system. Still looking for whatever it is I may have missed.

This is actually a really good point, and brings up something I want to talk about. There actually shouldn't be anything that you can do with this system that you can't do with enough effort with normal magic (okay, that's a lie, normal illusions are awful). The thing is, in normal D&D magic doing cool awesome engineering is usually about finding loopholes and exploits in combat-oriented spells. The tricks are obscure, needlessly complicated, and are often criticized as not being RAI.

I went at it from the other direction. I started from the premise that what I want is a game world that has all of these wonderful pieces of magical engineering in them, and tried to design a rules set that made them possible. Other advantages that you'll find with this system are the nice delineation into tiers of tech-level, a system that's more integrated for everybody (not just spellcasters), and rules that are in general more transparent and accessible.

Glad you like it!