Dreamscarred Press Introduces: Akashic Mysteries

[PsyBomb]

Orange and red, to be specific. It is actually very hard for a Veil to get the Red rating, due to their modular nature. That said, I think the worst one I saw was the Polar Snowshoes. Only time I would EVER shape that is if I needed to lead an exodus over water. Infernal Blood on the Daevic list is also a waste of their best slot

Feats, though, get it at a decent rate. You can swap out a bad Veil. A bad feat sets you behind your entire career

[Gemini476]

I believe Psybomb's guide rates all of them for the guru and vizier, just look for yellow/red.

Orange/Red, actually -

YELLOW is medium-range. Something to take if you don’t have anything else to do. If it’s a class feature, then you will likely be using it whenever your main deal is offline for whatever reason.

From the Guru guide:

Orange:

Hands of the Bard (Hands): Pity the winning streak couldn’t keep up. You have no native abilities that would require a Concentration check, and the Fascinate is difficult to maintain while you’re trying to be sneaky.

Circlet of Brass (Headband): It has to deal fire DAMAGE, which is unfortunate. On top of that, you really don’t do much that deals fire damage in the first place unless you bind this (which is decent, but not great for you).

Martyr’s Toga (Body): You have much better ways to heal allies than this, the only time you’ll use it is if your Hands are taken or Immaculate Touch is used up. The Body bind is decent, especially when paired with the main ability, basically lets your group start every conflict at full health with no resources expended but time. Don’t count on it in battle, though, even at max it’s only 7-8 points of fast healing.

No red veils in there.

From the Vizier guide:
Orange:

Hands of the Bard (Hands): The Base and Essence effects are nigh-useless to you unless you are multiclassing, and very (VERY) few abilities are Pattern-based, all of which are mind-affecting Illusions (notoriously easy to get bonuses against or immunity to). Binding gives access to a Fascinate boosted by the Veil’s own effect, but that status is weak and falls off in effectiveness quickly. You may use this for a few levels, but don’t count on it for long.

Horns of the Minotaur (Head): I’m being generous here, since there may be a build I just can’t see. Free extra melee weapon is nice, but it’s MELEE and you are not built for it. Essence and Bind effects are more of the same. If you find a reason for this to be shaped on a Vizier build, please let me know, but otherwise leave it for the Daevics.

Bangles of the Jealous Seductress (Wrists): Again, a Fascinate effect. Not as good as the others, if only due to fighting for space. If you choose to shape this, make sure to vaccinate your allies by turning it on and off again with no Essence invested until each makes their save. The Bind is REALLY not worth your time. Its effect is laughable (all the way up to 1d4+8 maximum at level 19) and the trigger is reliant on the first effect succeeding.

Spiked Pauldrons (Shoulders): Anti-Grapple defense. Again, you don’t want to be anywhere near melee in the first place, but if your DM loves throwing crabs, chokers, and other such hazards at you then this goes up a half-notch. Problem is, unless all this happens in broad daylight, the Stalker’s Tabi Foot Bind is better for escapes. The Bind here allows you to spray spikes around you, but it is very short range and doesn’t avoid allies.

Vorpal Guards (Shoulders): Anti-Crit defense. To be honest, you’re allowed to wear Light armor anyway, so just buy some Fortification. The Bind is more of the same, you can get yourself all the way up to 50% crit resistance if you sink everything you have into this. Really, just not worth it unless you KNOW you’re facing crit-fishers and/or Vorpal weapons.

Stalker’s Tabi (Belt): Distinctly lackluster compared to its awe-inspiring Feet bind, but useful nonetheless if you find the opportunity for it.

Tauric Brace (Belt): An improvement over the Foot bind, the main purpose of this is not to damage. Rather, it’s to run over enemies to get to freedom. Usually not going to be worth shaping, but still a possibility.

Stone Giant’s Girdle (Body): Melee still isn’t your thing, but if you feel the burning need to mix it up then this is how you do it. Reach along with a good Strength increase that stacks with most effects.

Red:

Polar Snowshoes (Feet): Aura of damage is good! Thing is, it harms people on the end of THEIR turn (which makes it easy to dodge), affects allies/mounts, allows Fort for half, and is the relatively easy-to-resist Cold. The damage isn’t great for the level to begin with, either. The Bind effect is a great visual (go Elsa!), but it’s a lot of hassle to go through for a sharable water walk.

[JusticeZero]

Yeah, i'm not sure how a couple of those should have gotten through playtest without being brought up somehow and tweaked, except by people looking at it, going "That's awful, not getting that", and promptly forgetting about them.

[Ssalarn]

yeah, I know; I feel that if I see abilities marked red on a guide, that the playtest system has failed in those regards. They slip through because unlike their equally broken I-win button cousins, nobody talks about them because nobody used them in the playtest. Any red ability should be errataed and changed to at least a situational ability in time for the next printing and on the SRD, in most cases.

The thing with the akasha system is that, much like incarnum before it, it's very friendly to multiclassing and while it might be orange or red for the class the guide is focused on, it might be much better on another chassis. There are veils and feats in Akashic Mysteries that were specifically written with the intent that they be used with multiclass characters, or even characters who just wanted to access them via feats. They still need to belong to at least one of the class' veil lists though. Others are mediocre on their own but much more impressive when combined with other veils; for example, Polar Snowshoes is really so situational that I've considered issuing an errata for it a few times (and still might) but it can be combo'd up with Gorget of the Wyrm to make all of your allies effectively immune to its negative effects while pumping out a decent amount of cold damage at no cost in action economy. And while cold damage may be the most commonly resisted element in the game, you're still talking about limitless, no action required damage that you can crank out round after round on top of whatever else you decide to do, and it'll still affect 4 out of every 5 monsters you meet (unless you happen to be running a themed campaign where the main creature type has cold resistance/immunity). The Vizier can also stack his Light Whip into the mix to trip-lock enemies inside the aura to make sure they keep getting hammered by it. So the only red veil on his list still complements several of his other abilities very nicely and can be situationally quite potent.

[PsyBomb]

Eh, we will agree to disagree on that one veil, Ssalarn. I am in favor of an erratum, myself, but the rating reflects my thoughts.

[stack]

A cold version of circlet of brass would help with the damage. Really feels like it's waiting for synergistic veils. Making the damage at the beginning of the turn might be a good idea though. Circlet of brass is nice for boosting breath damage at low levels, a human vizier can pull 3d6+4 Fire damage in a cone every round with extra essence and extra capacity.

[Ssalarn]

A cold version of circlet of brass would help with the damage. Really feels like it's waiting for synergistic veils. Circlet of brass is nice for boosting breath damage at low levels, a human vizier can pull 3d6+4 Fire damage in a cone every round with extra essence and extra capacity.

I've kind of been going back and forth on whether an Energy Admixture and/or Energy Substitution type ability sits better in a veil, or as a feat. One of the things I've been getting hung up on there a bit is what it means for other classes and how open I want something like that to be. I don't want to hand out the Kineticist's (DSP's Kineticist) main schtick to anyone who's interested, but I think it's also something that has a place in the system.

[stack]

I think more versatility in the system is preferable. Why should a monetizing be the only one to play with multiple elements? They should be the strongest psion in that field, but that's not a strong reason to prevent others from doing something similar. I suppose the question is if the psion discipline ability is worth more than a feat? Have to compare other discipline abilities at the same level to the various psionics feats. On phone, so I can't at the moment.

[PsyBomb]

One of the Metaveilweaving feats I am prepping to send over is a Substitution effect, just need to figure out how to word it so that the Circlet of Brass ends up shooting Cold rays and ALSO giving a bonus to Cold spells.

[stack]

Hmm, this discussion has given me an idea...PM in a few.

Sent. You'll never be done adding my submissions, never!

[PsyBomb]

Sent you mine as well, though I can pop it here for critique from the crowds if you want (same with the DSP Submissions forum).

[stack]

Reading back through the thread; there are a few ideas I had forgotten. Have to develop them a bit, someday.

Also noticed that Ssalarn seems to face many mishaps. Might not want to stand next to him in a storm.

[Milo v3]

I'm currently writing up a few Magic Schools for each Dreamscarred Press subsystem using Inner Sea Magic's school subsystem, but I'm unsure what to call the School "type". So far I'm calling them Vihara, but I wasn't sure if you guys knew a more appropriate term.

[Ssalarn]

Also noticed that Ssalarn seems to face many mishaps. Might not want to stand next to him in a storm.

You're not even joking, this has been a rough year.

[PsyBomb]

You're not even joking, this has been a rough year.

I think I'd like to stand next to you, the Murphy Magnet effect would pull the bad luck away from me...

... and with that, I propose a "Ssalarn's Lodestone" Veil, Hands slot, that has an effect to give an opponent -1 (+1/essence) to all d20 rolls for three rounds, Will negates, Bind effect of Bestow Curse usable once per target per day. If you want to support the PoW:Ex disciplines, make the first effect also count as a Curse. I'd shape it on BFC builds

EDIT: For better balance, theme, playability, and formatting...

Ssalarn's Lodestone
Descriptors: none
Class: Guru, Vizier
Slot: Headband
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Subtle shadows gather around your forehead, congealing into a dull black stone. A dread feeling suggests that something will not go your way.
The wearer of this Veil gains the ability to manipulate the luck of others as a standard action with a range of 30 feet. The target of this manipulation gains either a luck bonus or penalty to their next d20 roll made within the next three rounds. This starts at 1, and increases by 1 for every four Veilweaver levels the user possesses (maximum of +6 or -6 at level 20). If this is a penalty, it is considered a curse effect. The user is subject to the curse effect with no save, and cannot use this power again until it is discharged.
Essence: For each point of Essence invested in this ability, decrease the penalty the user is subjected to by one. If there is more Essence invested than the magnitude of the luck penalty, the excess becomes a bonus.
Chakra Bind (Headband): Binding this Veil to your Feet slot allows you to replace the Luck penalty with the effects of a Bestow Curse. Range, self-curse, limitations on use, and action remain the same.

[Ssalarn]

The Amplifier playtest has been updated. Changes are very small but should have a substantial impact:

Levels of Amplifier now advance your Essence Pool as though you'd gained a level in the associated veilweaving class.

Veils shaped requirement lowered to 3.

Minor corrections to verbage to fix copy/paste errors.


The changes should both boost your veilweaving potential and open up the option for you to still be able to access the highest level spells/powers of your spellcasting/manifesting class, making the PrC a little more appealing and more closely aligned with similar PrCs.


I'll be working on reviewing and uploading more updates throughout the day. Thanks all!

[PsyBomb]

The Amplifier playtest has been updated. Changes are very small but should have a substantial impact:

Levels of Amplifier now advance your Essence Pool as though you'd gained a level in the associated veilweaving class.

Veils shaped requirement lowered to 3.

Minor corrections to verbage to fix copy/paste errors.


The changes should both boost your veilweaving potential and open up the option for you to still be able to access the highest level spells/powers of your spellcasting/manifesting class, making the PrC a little more appealing and more closely aligned with similar PrCs.


I'll be working on reviewing and uploading more updates throughout the day. Thanks all!

Yay! Just need to dig for the link to the class, it never made it to the OP and I forgot to save it.

EDIT: HERE we are. Question: did you intend to have both sets of bonus increases start on Amplify III, or was one of them intended to get a boost on II? I suspect that the Energize/Vivify increase was meant to go on 2 and 4, not 3 as written

[Ssalarn]

Yay! Just need to dig for the link to the class, it never made it to the OP and I forgot to save it.

EDIT: HERE we are. Question: did you intend to have both sets of bonus increases start on Amplify III, or was one of them intended to get a boost on II? I suspect that the Energize/Vivify increase was meant to go on 2 and 4, not 3 as written

It should have been 3 and 5 and 2 and 4. I've fixed it and updated that in the playtest doc.


Also, reached out to Stack, we're going to be adding his Swarm Master archetype (and possibly a few other things of his) to the playtest docs, but I need to take care of a couple things with him. Psybomb, I'll be looking at adding some of your veil submissions in as well, but I'm still working on consolidating the veil list from the main three classes first, and then adding new veils in to that list for the supplemental (and ultimately final) release.

[Ssalarn]

Sorry for the double post-
There is an updated Daevic document in the playtest link. If you all could look over it and get notes back to me, that'd be awesome. Working on adding more updates to the archetypes document now.

***EDIT***

Just realized that I still hadn't updated the Bind entry to bring it in line with the class table. That fix is now in place.

***EDIT 2***

Akashic Archetypes document updated with Swarm Master archetype.

[PsyBomb]

Sorry for the double post-
There is an updated Daevic document in the playtest link. If you all could look over it and get notes back to me, that'd be awesome. Working on adding more updates to the archetypes document now.

HAPPYDANCE!

Looking it over now

[stack]

The returning property is...not good. It doesn't enable full attacks and you can't move after using the weapon. If it returned instantly after resolving the attack it would be a useful thrown weapon enabler; as is, blah.

[PsyBomb]

Heartsblood Caress and Lover's Tread are missing from this document, more to come later after I get a full look through. Do you have a change log for this version? Makes it easier to compare.

[Ssalarn]

The returning property is...not good. It doesn't enable full attacks and you can't move after using the weapon. If it returned instantly after resolving the attack it would be a useful thrown weapon enabler; as is, blah.

The goal there was to basically reinforce your ability to adequately use thrown weapons without draining your WBL. Returning + Called + the free action ability mean that at pretty much any given level you're able to successfully full attack with thrown weapons each round. Then when the level 16 ability comes online, you can force enemies to come to you, letting you leverage your melee veils more effectively.

[Milo v3]

Upon my latest reading of Daevic I realized that I could stat my ex perfectly as a Daevic with Passion (lust) desire, I find this hilarious and want to buy the creator a drink

[PsyBomb]

The goal there was to basically reinforce your ability to adequately use thrown weapons without draining your WBL. Returning + Called + the free action ability mean that at pretty much any given level you're able to successfully full attack with thrown weapons each round. Then when the level 16 ability comes online, you can force enemies to come to you, letting you leverage your melee veils more effectively.

Level 16 is VERY late to start leveraging different abilities or veils. What you get at that point needs to either fit the theme or enhance it, or it will be largely ignored. Now, specializing in Thrown can be done, but I do not think this is quite the way.

As well, the Love Paramour is still a full Cohort, which can get problematic. As currently written, it is distinct from a Leadership one, so you can have both.

[Ssalarn]

Level 16 is VERY late to start leveraging different abilities or veils. What you get at that point needs to either fit the theme or enhance it, or it will be largely ignored. Now, specializing in Thrown can be done, but I do not think this is quite the way.

As well, the Love Paramour is still a full Cohort, which can get problematic. As currently written, it is distinct from a Leadership one, so you can have both.

Thank you for reminding me; I'll add the note that paramours don't like sharing their affections and that you cannot gain a cohort from another source (like Leadership) while you have a paramour. I may steal some of the eidolon exclusion verbage from the Spiritualist's phantom so that I follow the Paizo standard for that.

I thought an at-will spell with a decently scaling DC that also allows you to apply an attack was a pretty good level 16 ability... The important abilities for thrown weapon fighting are all in place much earlier, and then you get what is basically a "taunt" that you can use with your thrown weapon. That particular taunt has the advantage of temporarily incapacitating your opponent and bringing them into melee reach so you can pull tricks like "lust-locking" an opponent ; a term I just made up for characters who combine that ability with Lover's Tread.

***EDIT***

And I just saw that there are a ton of veils missing from the Daevic update. I'm looking into seeing what happened.

***EDIT 2***

If anyone still has a copy of a playtest that shows the Heartsblood Caress and Lover's Tread veils, please let me know. I can't access any doc that still has them and I'm fairly certain they're notably different than the versions in my notebook.

[stack]

in their possession for 24 consecutive hours (24 was missing)

Could be hosed if an enemy readied an action to grab it, thus it isn't in your possession anymore.

Just adding returning for the love option is basically useless after a few levels though. Returning really doesn't cut it when iteratives come online. Since it doesn't allow for rapid shot it falls short even sooner, requiring spare weapons and a feat for quickdraw to get maximum attacks. Extra feats required are bad with the ranged combat feat taxes already in place. If you want to go with thrown weapons, you'll get a blinkback belt anyhow, negating its utility.

Lust is better off, but you still can't use rapid shot until 11. It works okay if you are getting maneuvers from somewhere so don't mind the limited attacks, but that would eat into your limited feats or take signifigant dips to make worthwhile.

[PsyBomb]

Quick PDF rip of the two missing Veils before I head to bed:

Heartsblood Caress
Descriptors: (compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]
Class: Daevic
Slot: Blood
Saving Throw: Will
With akashic energy surging through your veins and enhancing your natural charisma, you can bring any creature to their knees just by blowing a kiss.
With this veil bonded to your blood, you gain the ability to drive creatures mad with desire. As a full round action you may blow a kiss, wink, or perform some other sensual action against a target within 25 feet, investing the action with potent energy and simulating an unnatural lustUM spell.
Essence: For each point of Essence invested in this ability its range increases by 5 feet. For every 2 points of Essence invested in this ability, its duration increases by 1 round.
Chakra Bind (Blood): [D12] By binding this veil to your Blood slot, you are able to bring your power to bear more quickly and efficiently. You may activate this veil’s granted ability as a move action instead of a full round action.

Lover’s Tread
Descriptors: none
Class: Daevic
Slot: Feet
Saving Throw: Will
The first being to shape this unusual veil truly believed that one could fall head over heels in love.
The wearer of this veil gains a +2 insight bonus to CMB to perform a trip combat maneuver with an unarmed strike. As part of this attempt, the wearer may make a Bluff check (DC = target’s CMD). If this Bluff check is successful, this trip attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the target.
Essence: For each point of Essence invested in this ability increase the bonus to CMB when performing the trip combat maneuver by +1 and gain a +1 insight bonus to Bluff attempts against the target of your trip.
Chakra Bind (Feet): [D1] By binding this veil to your feet slot, you are able to release an intoxicating burst of akashic energy into your opponent. This energy serves to simulate a charm person spell targeting the tripped opponent. If you succeeded at the Bluff attempt granted by this veil, the opponent’s Will save has a -2 penalty to resist this effect. If you have at least 3 points of Essence invested in this veil, the effect instead simulates charm monster.

Not too big a fan of them, but here they are. I'll give a more detailed analysis of it tomorrow as I have time, but both would be Orange on my guide.

[stack]

Aside from the mind affecting limitation I would say both are powerful. Mind control and action denial with unlimited uses, save dc's boostable with another veil.

[Gemini476]

Aside from the mind affecting limitation I would say both are powerful. Mind control and action denial with unlimited uses, save dc's boostable with another veil.

The first one has you trade your entire turn for your opponent maybe losing their entire turn, which kind of seems like a net loss until you get the move-action activation. Unless you're fighting a single boss-type enemy, in which case your hilarious action economy advantage gets even more hilarious. Investing Essence makes it more useful, but you kind of need to weigh that against other options. Compare the value of making them lose two turns with a full-round action with making them charmed for hours.

The second one... While it is Charm as an attack action, it also has two points of failure - CMB vs. CMD, and a Will save. It's a bit better if you optimise for tripping, though, since you can get out a few attacks per full attack and that means that you're that much more likely to put the Charm on them. Although do note that they probably get a +5 bonus to the save since you're attacking them.