Tome of Radiance

TOME Of

RadiancE

Light is everywhere. It springs from the candle at a child's bedside, warding off the monsters in the dark. It shines from the sun, high in the sky, bringing life and warmth to all the lands of the world. It hangs in the endless void between stars, bearing witness to the awesome splendor of the universe. It lingers in the Astral expanses between worlds. But more than anywhere else - more than in the brightest lamp, or fiercest fire - Light shines in the hearts and souls of mortals.

Not all of them can feel it. Most truly experience the surging of light a handful of times in their life. But for some, the light is a calling. It is a purpose, ingrained into their very nature - to live and breathe as the beacons to hold fast to the light in an often dark and terrible world.

The children of light fight for a bright new day. A morning that shines in innocence, where love and laughter drown out the wicked dark. Their hope burns strong and swift, though older and wiser heads will gently rebuke such fanciful dreams. For even the sternest admonition must falter before wide and innocent eyes.

After all... what wonders might be wrought if they are right?

Tome of Radiance

chapTER OnE

WiEldERs Of lighT

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chaMpiOn "Miracles happen! We can make them, with our own hands!

Just look at me - what more proof do you need?" -Sayaka, a Champion

Each individual has things they treasure. People or places or things they wish to protect. For some, the power of light is simply a tool to stand up and fight the battles they had always wished they were strong enough to fight. For others, the realization comes more gradually, a slow revelation of the precious world they have been charged with protecting. Regardless of how or when they understand their role, these are the champions of the light.

Such individuals often do not understand the power their wield. They know that they are stronger, and faster, and that when they call for aid they are answered by a mighty torrent of illumination, but they ultimately do not care. Their power is their own, and how they use it is all that concerns them. They are the guardians of light, its stalwart wardens, and its vanguard against the darkness of the world. With unshakable courage and boundless hope, champions forge a bright new sunrise with every ounce of sweat and tears they have to offer.

Role: A champion is, as with all evokers, a flexible and powerful combatant. More so than any of her peers, a champion's radiance imbues her with the strength and will to do battle with blade and bow, but it is ultimately her martial skill and luminous magic working in harmony that give the champion her power. While she will never match more focused classes for raw power, champions know full well that the most fleeting of effects, used well, can shift the tide of battle.

Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d10

Class Skills The champion’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Magical Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features The following are the class features of the champion.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A champion is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (but not tower shields).

Illuminations (Su): Infused as they are with the power of light, a champion is capable of crafting and calling upon powerful manifestations of radiant energy known as Illuminations. A champion knows a fixed number of illuminations, and may change any number of her known illuminations freely each time she gains a level in this class. To

use her known illuminations, a champion must first prepare them – preparing illuminations is a simple process requiring five minutes of introspection, weapons drills, or some other mentally relaxing activity. Once her preparation is complete, the champion may choose a number of her known illuminations to ready. Readied illuminations remain readied until the champion prepares new ones. A champion’s Evoker Attribute is Charisma.

Illuminations are explained more completely in their own section.

Radiant Armaments (Su): Upon awakening to the radiance within her soul, a champion establishes a bond with a particular weapon and suit of armor – respectively referred to as her Costume and her Device. How a champion finds the armaments that are hers by right varies widely; she may stumble upon them in a dream, only to awake clutching them in hand, or she might find them in the crater left behind by a falling star, but they always appear within a week of attaining her first level in this class.

Radiant Armaments are described more completely in their own section.

Merciful (Ex): Whenever a champion deals damage with an attack or an Illumination, she may choose to deal non-lethal damage instead with no penalty to attack or damage rolls.

The Power of Friendship (Ex): A champion is capable of swaying the alignment of captured foes, as described in the Power of Friendship section below.

Additionally, a champion may hasten the conversion process through the brutal honesty that lies in the language of battle. A champion may challenge a captive to fair and single combat in place of a session of conversation. This combat may follow any rules the champion dictates, but it must be reasonably fair, and the captive must be fully willing - no benefit is gleaned from simply shoving a helpless captive into an arena and beating her senseless. Should the champion emerge victorious from the duel, she immediately gains 5 successes towards that captive's total, and reduces the DC of all future redemption checks with them by 3. Win or lose, a champion can only duel a given captive once.

Cartridges (Su): While all evokers wield weapons and armor of light, champions possess a bond far stronger than most. Beginning at 3rd level, by storing quantities of condensed power within some physical receptacle, a champion can create a potent trinket known as a Cartridge. Despite the name, these can take any form imaginable, from metal-cased shells to glimmering gemstones to carefully-scribed prayer strips.

A champion may load a cartridge into her device as a swift action, and may activate it as a free action that can only be taken on her turn. A device may hold a single cartridge at a time.

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A champion can create cartridges with a small, personalized ritual lasting at least five minutes. If she wishes, she may create cartridges in the same ritual in which she readies her illuminations. A champion may initially carry only one cartridge at a time: at fifth level, and every five levels thereafter, she may carry an additional cartridge. There is no limit to the number of cartridges a champion can create in a day, but any cartridge that leaves its creator's possession fades back into nothingness in one round. It is impossible for one champion to use the cartridges of another.

Cartridges may be expended as a free action that may only be taken on the champion's turn. When a cartridge is expended, the champion selects one of her active costume effects, with the outcome of the cartridge expenditure varying based on the effect it is being used to fuel. A more complete explanation of various cartridge effects may be found below, in the section devoted to Radiant Armaments. A champion may prematurely end a cartridge effect as a free action.

Force of Personality (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a champion’s body is fundamentally fused with radiant energy, blurring the lines between spirit and flesh. The champion may add her Charisma modifier to any of her Strength or Dexterity checks, or checks with skills based in Strength of Dexterity.

The Meaning of Courage (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, whenever a champion is subject to a fear effect, she draws from her reserves of courage and faces it. A shaken champion negates the penalties and actually gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks against the source of fear; a frightened champion furthermore ignores the compulsion to run away and ignores difficult terrain and other natural impediments when drawing near the enemy; a panicked champion gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class. Penalties

to attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks still apply on the champion for any creature of object that is not the source of fear. If the champion manages to defeat or destroy the source of fear, she is healed from the condition.

Mettle (Ex): Beginning at 14th level, if a champion makes a successful Will or Fortitude save that would normally reduce the save’s effect, she suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a saving throw entry of “partial” or “half” are affected by this ability, and only for purposes of Will and/or Fortitude saves with these descriptors.

Font of Life (Ex): At 18th level, a champion lives and breathes luminous energy – it floods her veins, and keeps her standing when anyone else would have been felled by their wounds. She is never considered disabled or staggered, even if she has less than 0 hit points or her nonlethal damage exceeds her current hit point total, and gains a bonus equal to her Charisma modifier on saving throws against death effects.

Furthermore, she may continue to fight even if she has less than -10 hit points, but only to an amount of negative hit points equal to 10 plus her character level plus her Constitution modifier. Instant death effects and attacks that destroy the body still affect the champion if successful.

Sunlight Apotheosis (Su): The barrier between the champion and the radiant power she channels has all but dissolved. She is likely a very different person from the one who first set foot on her long adventure, but her blazing spirit has preserved against all odds in the darkness of the world, beaming forth with a fury that angels and demons might envy. At 20th level, a champion forevermore becomes a Native Outsider with one alignment subtype of her choice, with all the traits that implies. Further, she can no longer be aged by any means mundane or magical, and will never die of old age.

TaBlE 1-1: chaMpiOn

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save Special

Illuminations Known

Illuminations Readied Imbuements

1st +1 +0 +2 +2 Radiant Armaments, Merciful 4 1 1 2nd +2 +0 +3 +3 Power of Friendship 4 1 1 3rd +3 +1 +3 +3 Cartridges (1) 5 2 1 4th +4 +1 +4 +4 5 2 1 5th +5 +1 +4 +4 Cartridges (2) 6 2 2 6th +6/+1 +2 +5 +5 Force of Personality 6 3 2 7th +7/+2 +2 +5 +5 7 3 2 8th +8/+3 +2 +6 +6 7 3 2 9th +9/+4 +3 +6 +6 8 4 2 10th +10/+5 +3 +7 +7 The Meaning of Courage, Cartridges (3) 8 4 3 11th +11/+6/+1 +3 +7 +7 9 4 3 12th +12/+7/+2 +4 +8 +8 9 5 3 13th +13/+8/+3 +4 +8 +8 10 5 3 14th +14/+9/+4 +4 +9 +9 Mettle 10 5 3 15th +15/+10/+5 +5 +9 +9 Cartridges (4) 11 6 4 16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +10 11 6 4 17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 12 6 4 18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Font of Life 12 7 4 19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 13 7 5 20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Cartridges (5), Sunlight Apotheosis 13 7 5

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Additionally, the champion may craft a single, special illumination, binding it to the unfathomable wellspring of radiance that she has become. This illumination calculates the effect of its Foundation component as if it possessed a mote cost of (the champion's evoker level * 1.5), rounding down.

The champion may evoke this illumination once per encounter, and invariably pays 20m for it, regardless of its actual cost. The champion may alter or replace this illumination whenever she gains a permanent evoker level.

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sTaRgaZER "Such beauty and wonder! Truly, I have never seen its like. If

we could harness even the tiniest measure of the power in that distant sea of stars, the world would know no reason for

darkness." -Precia, a Stargazer

Mortals have always looked to the stars. They have sung songs in their honor, painted great masterpieces in a vain attempt to capture the beauty of the heavens above. It has been said that even angels, when seeking beauty not to be found in their eternal gardens, have gazed upwards in reverence at the most ancient of lights and whispered their praises. All beings look to the stars... and yet, so very few truly see them.

The light of the stars is faint. It may be drowned by the sun, by the moon - even the torches of mortals can hide them from view. Most who hear their song ignore it, if they notice it at all. But some seek it out. The task of these few is not an easy one - to extract from the vast emptiness the notes of a song older and more complex than any mortal mind could fathom. A song of beauty and ugliness both, and of the battles fought by the purest radiance the cosmos has ever known. Calling upon hidden secrets imparted by the very constellations above, stargazers shine as stars reborn in flesh, and with patience and foresight, they shall chart the path to an era bathed in light.

Role: A stargazer lacks the raw power of a true caster, but she more than makes up for it with her flexibility and versatility. Capable of empowering an ally with one hand even as she blasts a foe into oblivion with the other, a well-prepared stargazer can provide aid in nearly any sort of battle imaginable.

Alignment: Any Hit Die: d6

Class Skills The stargazer’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the stargazer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Stargazers are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light armor.

Illuminations: Infused as they are with the power of light, a stargazer is capable of crafting and calling upon powerful manifestations of radiant energy known as Illuminations. A stargazer knows a fixed number of illuminations, and may change any number of her known illuminations freely each time she gains a level in this class. To use her known illuminations, a stargazer must first prepare them – preparing

illuminations is a simple process requiring five minutes of introspection, weapons drills, or some other mentally relaxing activity. Once her preparation is complete, the stargazer may choose a number of her known illuminations to ready. Readied illuminations remain readied until the stargazer prepares new ones.

Illuminations are explained more completely in their own section.

Radiant Armaments (Su): Upon awakening to the radiance within her soul, a stargazer establishes a bond with a particular weapon and suit of armor. How a stargazer finds the armaments that are hers by right varies widely; she may stumble upon them in a dream, only to awake clutching them in hand, or she might find them in the crater left behind by a falling star, but they always appear within a week of attaining her first level in this class.

Radiant Armaments are described more completely in their own section.

Merciful (Ex): Whenever a stargazer deals damage with an attack or an Illumination, she may choose to deal non-lethal damage instead with no penalty to attack or damage rolls.

Complex Formula (Su): A stargazer understands the workings of her power in ways other evokers could only dream of, coaxing their inner light into incredible displays of power. At 1st level, the stargazer may craft a single illumination as a complex formula, independent of her normal illuminations known. When evoking this illumination, the stargazer gains an effective +1 increase to evoker level for all purposes, and the illumination may be crafted using this increased evoker level for the purpose of determining mote limits. Any mote cost above the stargazer’s unmodified evoker level is paid for by this ability – she receives the full effect of the illumination, but will never pay a number of motes greater than her unmodified evoker level. A stargazer may use her complex formula once per encounter.

At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, the stargazer may use her complex formula an additional time per encounter, and the effective increase to evoker level increases by +1. At 8th level, and again at 16th level, the stargazer may learn an additional complex formula. All of a stargazer's complex formulae are considered readied at all times, and do not count against her normal limit of illuminations known or readied, but the encounter usage limits are shared between all of them. A stargazer may alter or replace any of her known complex formulae freely whenever she gains a permanent evoker level. Astral Celerity (Su): As she adapts to take in the distant starlight so closely tied to her power, a stargazer’s awareness of minor disturbances in her environment grows to be heightened by this spiritual alertness. At 2nd level and onwards, the stargazer may add her Intelligence modifier as a bonus to initiative checks, up to a maximum bonus of her class level.

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The Power of Friendship (Ex): A stargazer is capable of swaying the alignment of captured foes, as described in the Power of Friendship section below.

In addition, a stargazer is remarkably skilled at couching her arguments in rationality and healthy common sense. Appealing to head as much as heart, a stargazer may use her Intelligence score, rather than her Charisma score, when making redemption checks. And while such arguments may at times fall of deaf ears, they do not cease to be true with repetition – a stargazer may ignore any increase in DC that would result from the Jaded penalty.

Luminous Reservoir (Su): Most evokers are limited to shaping the surging light within them as they would untamable river, unable to meaningfully control it beyond the fleeting instant in which it passes through them. stargazers, however, develop the talent of quieting their inner fire, gathering portions of radiant energy for carefully-planned later use. At 3rd level, a stargazer gains a reservoir of bonus motes at the beginning of each encounter. These motes may not be invested in costume elements or feats, and do not refresh with her mote pool, but they otherwise may be spent exactly as normal motes. Whenever a stargazer spends motes, she may choose to draw them from her regular mote pool, her luminous reservoir, or any combination of the two she wishes. At 5th level, and every odd-numbered level thereafter, the number of motes in this reservoir expands by three.

Shining Schemata (Su): At 6th level, a stargazer’s understanding of her radiant power reaches a point where she can use it as fuel for the magic of others. Carefully channeling raw energy into frameworks devised by more traditional academics, a stargazer may use this power to craft

magical items, even if she does not know the spells required to make an item (although she must know the appropriate item creation feat). The stargazer can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + spell level) in place of a required spell she doesn’t know or can’t cast.

If the check succeeds, the stargazer can create the item as if she had cast the required spell. If it fails, she cannot complete the item. She does not expend the XP or gp costs for making the item; her progress is simply arrested. She cannot retry this Use Magic Device check for that spell until she gains a new level. For the purpose of qualifying for item creation feats, and for all purposes involved in the item creation process, treat the evoker as having a caster level equal to her evoker level.

Additionally, the stargazer may henceforth use either her Intelligence modifier or her Charisma modifier on Use Magic Device checks, and she gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat.

Sagacity (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, a stargazer’s graceful intellectualism and breadth of study grants her words a weight that cannot be accounted for with mere force of personality. When attempting to persuade a creature or sway its opinions, the stargazer may use a relevant Knowledge check in place of a Bluff of Diplomacy check. For example, a stargazer masquerading as a priest might use Knowledge (Religion) to fool ‘fellow’ devotees, or dissuade a king from declaring war by calling upon Knowledge (History). Applicability of a knowledge skill for use with this ability is ultimately a matter of DM discretion, but lenience is encouraged.

Grace of Aeons (Su): Radiance is the sword of the stargazer, and it is her shield. Its power infuses her, and the lesser ills of the world find little purchase in her gleaming

TaBlE 1-2: sTaRgaZER Level Base Attack

Bonus Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save Special

Illuminations Known

Illuminations Readied Imbuements

1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Radiant Armaments, Merciful, Complex Formula (1, +1)

6 4 1

2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Astral Celerity, The Power of Friendship 7 4 1 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Luminous Reservoir (6m) 8 5 1 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Complex Formula (1, +2) 9 5 1 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Luminous Reservoir (9m) 10 6 1 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Shining Schemata 11 6 1 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Luminous Reservoir (12m) 12 7 1 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Complex Formula (2, +3) 13 7 2 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Luminous Reservoir (15m) 14 8 2 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Sagacity 15 8 2 11th +5 +3 +3 +7 Luminous Reservoir (18m) 16 9 2 12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Complex Formula (2, +4) 17 9 2 13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Luminous Reservoir (21m) 18 10 2 14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Grace of Aeons 19 10 2 15th +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Luminous Reservoir (24m) 20 11 2 16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Complex Formula (3, +5) 21 11 3 17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Luminous Reservoir (27m) 22 12 3 18th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 23 12 3 19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Luminous Reservoir (30m) 24 13 3 20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Complex Formula (3, +6), Starlight Apotheosis 25 13 3

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essence. Beginning at 14th level, a stargazer adds her Intelligence modifier as a bonus to all saving throws.

Starlight Apotheosis (Ex): The barrier between the stargazer and the radiant power she channels has all but dissolved. She is likely a very different person from the one who first set foot on her long adventure, but her blazing spirit has preserved against all odds in the darkness of the world, beaming forth with a fury that angels and demons might envy. At 20th level, a stargazer forevermore becomes a Native Outsider with one alignment subtype of her choice and an Augmented subtype pertaining to her previous type, with all the traits that implies. Further, she can no longer be aged by any means mundane or magical, and will never die of old age.

Additionally, the stargazer’s powers have grown so precise, and so pure, that the cosmos truly cannot differentiate her radiance from its own, and her mastery over the lights around her is without reproach. With naught but the glimmer of a lantern, she can craft lights to rival the stars above. So long as there is a light source within 60’ of the stargazer, her illuminations and any supernatural abilities granted by this class cannot be suppressed by an anti-magic field or similar effect, regardless of its strength or origin.

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EMpaTh "Open your eyes, as I did - you will see a fire that burns

brighter than any in the distant sky." -Lain, an Empath

Mortals yearn for light - they have huddled around crude fires since the dawn of time. They build lights to the heavens, and chase away darkness with a thousand clever inventions. And yet, if you locked a mortal in the darkest of rooms, stole the sun and stars from the sky, and drowned every candle and torch in liquid night... light would remain.

An empath does not kindle some grand beacon within herself, or shout out for the lights of the world to awaken at her command. An empath simply opens her eyes. She looks within her fellow mortals and sees a sea of embers - a thousand-thousand candles, impossibly faint, which together illuminate the world below with a brilliance no celestial body could hope to match. The light of an empath is the light of mortals: from their victory fires to funeral pyres. From the darkest embers of rage, to the most resplendent beacons of love imaginable. It is the good, the wicked, and every shade between. And like the moon, the empath stands resplendent, blazing with the reflection of every heart and mind to ever grace the earth.

Role: An empath possesses almost unparalleled flexibility - she can access a number of potent utility powers outside of combat through her chosen aspects, and is capable of filling almost any role in a pitched battle. She lacks the focus to excel at individual tasks, but her versatility allows her to fill whatever niche is most needed at any given moment.

Alignment: Any Hit die: d8

Class Skills An empath reflects and channels a power formed from the sum total of all mortal experiences, and finds that no that task she sets her mind to will ever feel wholly unfamiliar. An empath may treat any skill as a class skill.

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features The following are class features of the empath.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Empaths are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light and medium armor.

Illuminations: Infused as they are with the power of light, an empath is capable of crafting and calling upon powerful manifestations of radiant energy known as Illuminations. The illuminations of an empath are intrinsically bound to her personas – each of her personas possesses a fixed illumination capacity. The empath crafts a separate illumination list, with a number of illuminations up to her Persona Capacity, to form the Illuminations Known list for each of her personas. While manifesting a persona, an empath can evoke any illumination

known by that persona – she does not require any form of preparation beyond donning the persona itself.

In addition to those illuminations bound to her personas, beginning at 4th level, the empath gains a small number of Innate Illuminations. These illuminations are always considered to be both Known and Readied, regardless of which of her personas an empath is currently manifesting.

Illuminations are explained more completely in their own section.

Radiant Armaments (Su): Upon awakening to the radiance within her soul, an empath establishes a bond with a particular weapon and suit of armor. How an empath finds the armaments that are hers by right varies widely; she may stumble upon them in a dream, only to awake clutching them in hand, or she might find them in the crater left behind by a falling star, but they always appear within a week of attaining her first level in this class.

Radiant Armaments are described more completely in their own section.

Merciful (Ex): Whenever an empath deals damage with an attack or an Illumination, she may choose to deal non-lethal damage instead with no penalty to attack or damage rolls.

Manifest Persona (Su): An empath draws her power from the teeming masses of life – from the sparks of light that reside within the souls of every being, living, dead, or immortal. In the great pool of thought and feeling that makes up the world of men and gods, each empath finds many reflections, each one binding her to another facet of the world. These reflections are an empath’s Personas – the primordial mantles that allow her to unleash the radiance she had gathered in patterns all her own.

An empath may manifest any of her personas (or dismiss her current persona) as a swift action. If she attempts to manifest a persona while manifesting a different one, the original persona is automatically dismissed without requiring any additional action. Shifting personas often has a profound visual effect on an empath’s costume, but this is not always the case, and such alterations are universally cosmetic.

In addition to allowing her to access her Illuminations, an empath’s personas grant her a number of potent abilities, derived from their chosen Aspects. The aspects are potent forces in their own right, each one an infinitely complex face of the great mortal consciousness. When the empath forms a new persona, she chooses its aspect from the following list. Once chosen, a given persona’s aspect can never be changed (though the illuminations allocated to it can be still be changed normally as an empath gains levels). All aspects, save for one, exert some degree of mental influence over empaths who manifest them. Such influence can be ignored if need be, and never rises to the level of true compulsion, but empaths – particularly powerful ones – often find themselves slipping into the guise of their aspect in times of emotional stress.

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The Power of Friendship (Ex): An empath is capable of swaying the alignment of captured foes, as described in the Power of Friendship section below.

In addition, an empath is can open themselves to others in a way that can form bonds as strong and true as those she pushes forward with force of personality. Using a keen ear and open mind, an empath may use her Wisdom score, rather than her Charisma score, when making redemption checks. This particular method of reconciliation allows an empath to develop a powerful sense of her own identity, and redemption checks made against her experience a DC increase as if the empath possessed an alignment subtype.

Moonlight Apotheosis (Su): The barrier between the empath and the radiant power she channels has all but dissolved. Many like her have lost themselves along the path she walks, fading away in the face of something infinitely greater than themselves, but her blazing spirit has preserved against all odds, beaming forth with a fury that angels and demons might envy. At 20th level, an empath forevermore becomes a Native Outsider with one alignment subtype of her choice and an Augmented subtype pertaining to her previous type, with all the traits that implies. Further, she can no longer be aged by any means mundane or magical, and will never die of old age.

Additionally, the empath may open herself to the world in ways her less experienced sisters could scarcely imagine. The empath may partially manifest a second persona without dismissing her original. She does not gain the illumination list of this secondary persona, but she gains the granted abilities of both personas' aspects. Bonuses to saving throws and skills

from different personas do not stack, and she uses the better Base Attack Bonus progression of the two.

Empath aspects Every time an empath gains a new persona, she must choose one of the following aspects to associate with that persona. Once made, this choice can never be changed. An empath must be at least 5th level to select a Lesser aspect, 10th level to select a Greater Aspect, and 15th level to select a Sublime aspect.

The Fool (Least) The Fool reflects the innate curiosity and mad wisdom of the adventurous and the bold. The Fool is the first of the aspects, and will likely be the last, when all others have faded. So long as mortals walk the world, they shall invariably feel the urge to stick their noses where they do not belong. Empaths under the influence of the Fool often feel the urge to leave no chest unopened, no door closed, and no corner unmapped. Curiosity burns always in the back of their mind, and confidence fills their hearts.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Fool aspect treats all saves as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, beginning at 3rd level, the empath gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. Both bonuses increase by +1 at 6th level, and every three levels thereafter. These bonuses stack with any an empath may

TaBlE 1-3: EMpaTh

Level

Base Attack Bonus

Good Saves*

Poor Saves* Special

Persona Capacity

Personas Known

Innate Illuminations Imbuements

1st +0 +2 +0 Radiant Armaments, Merciful, Manifest Persona (Least Aspects)

2 2 0 1

2nd +1 +3 +0 Power of Friendship 2 2 0 1 3rd +1 +3 +1 2 2 0 1 4th +2 +4 +1 2 2 1 1 5th +2 +4 +1 Manifest Persona (Lesser Aspects) 2 3 1 1 6th +3 +5 +2 2 3 1 2 7th +3 +5 +2 2 3 1 2 8th +4 +6 +2 3 3 2 2 9th +4 +6 +3 3 3 2 2 10th +5 +7 +3 Manifest Persona (Greater Aspects) 3 4 2 2 11th +5 +7 +3 3 4 2 2 12th +6/+1 +8 +4 3 4 3 3 13th +6/+1 +8 +4 3 4 3 3 14th +7/+2 +9 +4 3 4 3 3 15th +7/+2 +9 +5 Manifest Persona (Sublime Aspects) 3 5 3 3 16th +8/+3 +10 +5 4 5 4 3 17th +8/+3 +10 +5 4 5 4 3 18th +9/+4 +11 +6 4 5 4 4 19th +9/+4 +11 +6 4 5 4 4 20th +10/+5 +12 +6 Moonlight Apotheosis 4 6 5 4 *Without a persona manifested, an empath treats her Will, Fortitude, and Reflex saves as Poor Saves. Most aspects allow her to treat one or more saves as Good Saves while manifesting them.

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possess by virtue of the Trap Sense class feature. Lastly, she gains a bonus to Acrobatics, Escape Artist, and Disable Device checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Magician (Least) The Magician reflects rationality and creativity, twined into the singular drive that leads mortals to create and advance their lives through knowledge. So long as men and women of the world seek to tame the world through learning, the Magician shall thrive. Ambition and pride run strong in the veins of those wearing this aspect; for they know themselves full well that the key to working miracles lies no further than their own mind. The form such ambitions takes varies, but in any wearer, the aspect tends to focus ones thoughts to a great extent: driving out idle daydreams and forever seeking answers to the problems at hand.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Magician treats Will and Reflex as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, with a full-round action, she may manifest spiritual essence to craft items out of seemingly nothing. To perform such a feat, the empath must make a craft check against the craft DC of the object she wishes to manifest. If she is successful, she immediately crafts the object in question, bypassing normal crafting times and costs. However, items created by this ability are, without exception, extremely short-lived and obviously so. They are translucent and shimmer with slowly fading energy, dissolving completely after a number of hours equal to the empath’s class level. An empath may only create mundane items with this ability (though she can create masterwork items, if she can meet the craft DCs), and may only have a number of objects conjured at any one time up to their wisdom modifier. Lastly, she gains a bonus to Craft checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The High Priestess (Least) Any magical girl knows well the call to action, but sometimes a softer touch is needed. The High Priestess is the embodiment of the world’s passivity. It is not weak, but it is tranquil, and will not move save to counter the unrest of others. Empaths manifesting the High Priestess feel themselves borne aloft by a supernal calm. Disorder and chaos can chafe against those manifesting this aspect, and it can be difficult at time for an empath to rouse herself to action under its effects, but the level head of the High Priestess can prove invaluable in situations where an evoker’s hot blood might otherwise get the best of them.

An empath manifesting a persona with the High Priestess aspect treats Will and Reflex as good saves. Additionally, she gains the ability to wield concentrated bursts of luminous energy as a potent form of counterspell. This functions identically to normal counterspelling, save that the empath expends motes, rather than prepared spells, to counter the magic of her enemies. Countering a spell consumes a number

of motes equal to (Countered Spell’s Level * 2). If the empath does not have enough motes, the counterspell fails, but the motes are not consumed. Lastly, she gains a bonus to Acrobatics, Handle Animal and Sense Motive checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Empress (Least) Where there is weakness or sorrow; there are always those willing to lend their aid. The Empress is the spirit of compassion and healing in all beings, reflecting all those who create and cherish life. It is a protective aspect, but not necessarily a passive one – empaths manifesting it can have difficulty not lending their aid to those in obvious suffering, even when seeing the pain of their sworn foes. Some empaths revere the kindness brought forth by the Empress, but others resent it or develop a simmering envy of their own persona’s saintly temperament. The most sensible would warn that however one may view it, the aspect should not become a crutch. Such external empathy, no matter how strong, must not be allowed to replace the feelings in an empath’s own heart.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Empress aspect treats Will and Fortitude as good saves. Additionally, she can close wounds and ease pain with the merest touch. An empath manifesting the Empress can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to [twice her empath level * her Wisdom bonus]. She may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using this ability is a standard action. The empath may refresh her pool of healing by spending five minutes in peaceful meditation. Lastly, she gains a bonus to Heal, Handle Animal, and Perform checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Emperor Strength is arguably the oldest of all virtues. Before good or evil, the mighty reigned supreme, and the mortal psyche has never forgotten the days of might-make-right. The Emperor is both the iron fist and the stalwart shield – it is the ancient right of the mighty to stand over the weak, regardless of whether that position is used to protect or oppress. Empaths manifesting the Emperor often find themselves driven to establish their dominance in any situation, and can struggle with accepting any authority but their own. The Emperor is an aspect of intense and forceful action… but its aggression can be an unwanted burden if left to run unchecked when a soft touch would be better suited.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Emperor aspect treats Fortitude as a good save, and she uses the Fighter’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Emperor gains an unyielding resistance to the will of others. She gains a bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting abilities equal to 1/2 her class level (to a minimum bonus of +1). This bonus is doubled against fear effects. At 10th level,

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this ability strengthens to the point where would-be maestros cannot help but cower as their strings are cut: whenever the empath saves successfully against a mind-affecting spell or power, she may turn it against its original wielder as an immediate action. A spell or power reversed in this manner retains all its original parameters - only the target changes. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Intimidate, Escape Artist, and Survival checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Hierophant (Least) Loneliness is among the greatest fears of mortality. As death looms eternally, solace is found in becoming a piece of something grander and stronger than any one of its parts. The Hierophant is group thought and conformity made manifest. It is the guiding hand the shifts willing cogs in a grand machine, and the mouthpiece of mercy that brings faith and hope to the masses. Empaths manifesting the Hierophant can find themselves growing squeamish at the thought of working outside existing systems, and scornful of those who would think themselves loners. Depending on one’s viewpoint, the aspect may be a herald of cooperation… or of manipulation.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Hierophant aspect treats Will as a good save, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Hierophant may drive others into her designs with a few well-spoken words. She may make a Diplomacy check as a standard action without any penalties for rushing, and may attempt to Fascinate a target to whom she has spoken for at least a full minute. Resisting this fascination requires a Will save with a DC of (10 + half of empath’s class level + her wisdom modifier). At 8th level, the empath may attempt to implant a Suggestion (as the spell) in the mind of a creature she has fascinated. Resisting this suggestion requires a Will save with a DC of (10 + half of empath’s class level + her wisdom modifier). If a creature successfully saves against this ability it becomes aware of the attempted mental manipulation, and its fascination is immediately broken. At 16th level, the empath may place a Geas (as the spell Geas/Quest) on a target instead of a Suggestion, using the same save DCs. The empath may only have one creature under such a geas at any one time, and placing a new geas immediately breaks her hold on any previously-affected targets. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Diplomacy checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Lovers (Lesser) Everyone has those things that they cannot live without. People, places, even objects for some. The aspect of the Lovers embody these bonds, drawing strength from the greatest treasures of a mortal heart. Empaths manifesting the Lovers often find their loved and treasured things rising to the forefront of their thoughts. This can bring forth great valor and strength of will in some… but in others, such thoughts pave the road to paranoia and miserliness. One way or

another, any empath wielding this aspect must eventually come to terms with their desires.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Lovers aspect treats Will and Reflex as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Lovers may forge a spiritual link with others as a standard action. This effect functions identically to an unaugmented use of the Mindlink power, save that it has a duration of 24 hours/level and functions even across different planes. The empath may have a maximum number of such links active equal to her Wisdom modifier – creating new links beyond this limit automatically breaks one existing link, chosen by the empath. At 10th level, the empath gains the benefit of a constant Status spell targeting any individual with which she has established a link, and may Scry on them (as if casting the spell) by spending five minutes in a meditative trance. At 15th level, the empath’s mindlinks no longer have a limit to their duration – they will last until released by the empath, and will otherwise re-establish themselves automatically in 5 rounds if broken or dispelled. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Appraise, Perception, Perform and Sense Motive checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Chariot (Lesser) There are corners of the multiverse unseen by any explorer, untouched since the dawn of time. Like the Fool, the Chariot is formed of the spirit of exploration. However, the Chariot concerns itself not with the journey, but with the destination alone. It is the triumph born of conquering a mighty mountain or fearsome foe, and the unparalleled thrill of victory absolute. Empaths manifesting the Chariot are driven to push themselves to their limits and seek out challenges worth of their stature. They chafe at half-finished tasks, and can find themselves struggling to accept defeat or withdrawal in any form.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Chariot aspect

treats Fortitude and Reflex as good saves, and she uses the Fighter’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Chariot may leap into the fabric of the cosmos itself, hurtling past trivial things in search of her elusive goals. This functions as the spell Dimension Door, with the empath’s effective caster level equaling her class level. Unlike the spell, this effect require one minute of concentration to activate. At 10th level, the empath can replicate the spell Teleport, rather than Dimension Door. Doing so requires ten minutes of concentration, rather than one minute. At 15th level, she can replicate the spell Greater Teleport. Doing so requires one hour of concentration, rather than one minute. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Acrobatics, Climb, Perception, Survival, and Swim checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

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Strength (Lesser) Mortals aspire to greatness, almost without exception. Greatness of mind, or spirit, or body – the specifics vary, but all gaze upwards at the heroes who came before and picture themselves upon a similar pedestal. The aspect of Strength is formed of collective vision of such paragons and heroes. It does not act itself, but rather inspires those around it to cast off their weakness and seek out their true potential. Empaths manifesting the aspect of Strength find themselves driven to lead by example, and to help others rise to become the best they can be.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Strength aspect treats Fortitude and Will as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting Strength may exert an aura of quiet power that fortifies the weary bodies of her allies. By spending one minute in meditation, the empath heals one point of ability damage from each of her ability scores. A number of allies up to the empath’s Wisdom modifier may join in this meditation, sharing in its benefits so long as they remain within 30 feet of the empath. At 10th level, this effect may restore ability drain. At 15th level, this ability may restore ability burn, bypassing the normal restriction against restoring ability burn through magical means. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, and Perform checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Hermit (Lesser) If one wishes to find true enlightenment, she must first learn to tune out the ramblings of madmen and fools. The Hermit embodies the ivory tower of knowledge and isolation from which the greatest minds of the mortal world do their work. It is the silent stillness of truth, and the lonesome monolith of study. Empaths manifesting the Hermit often experience a sort of crystalline clarity in their thoughts, processing and responding to information at a speed that can leave interactions with others feeling aggravatingly sluggish and dull. Cautionary tales abound of empaths who grew addicted to this sensation, manifesting this aspect without pause until the very thought of speech or interacting is enough to cause bouts of nausea and disgust.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Hermit aspect treats Will as a good save. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Hermit may slip into a hypercognitive trance in which answers to the most difficult question seem to materialize out of thin air. By entering a trance for one minute, the empath may analyze the likely results of a course of action. This effect functions as the spell Augury, save that the empath is aware if the augury fails. The empath may use this ability a number of times each day equal to her class level. At 15th level, this ability gives much more detailed answers – it now yields equivalent results to the spell Divination. Lastly,

the empath gains a bonus to Knowledge checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Wheel of Fortune (Lesser) Some mortals embrace it, while others reject it fiercely, but there is a simple truth to the world that none would deny – luck matters. The Wheel of Fortune is the form giving to the ever-whirling crucible of mortal opinions on the sheer randomness of the universe. It carries every cry of joy at some improbable miracle, and every furious curse at a ruinous roll of the dice. Empaths manifesting the Wheel are prone to violent mood swings, at times shifting between emotional extremes with little warning or moderation.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Wheel of Fortune aspect treats all saves as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, while manifesting the Wheel of Fortune, she gains the ability to throw her fate to the black-and-white caprice of luck. A number of times each day equal to ½ her class level, the empath may replace any single d20 roll she is about to make with a coin toss as a free action. If she is able to correctly call the coin toss, the roll resolves as if she had rolled a natural 20. If she calls the toss incorrectly, the roll resolves as if she had rolled a natural 1. At 15th level, this ability may be used to intercede in any action made by a creature within 30’ – including the actions of enemies. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, and Perform checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Justice (Greater) Even in situations where the very concept seems absurd, most mortals adhere to some sort of code. Fairness, morality, karma… all such things manifest themselves in Justice. The aspect of Justice embodies the laws that bind mortal races, both written and unwritten. It is the promise upheld, the edict spoken, the trust of one individual for another and the punishment when such trust is violated. Empaths manifesting Justice can have difficulty making light promises, and will often feel compelled to go to great lengths to uphold those she has made in the past.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Justice aspect treats Fortitude and Will as good saves, and she uses the Fighter’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, while manifesting Justice, she may brand a creature with a Mark of Justice, which functions as the spell of the same name using her Empath level as her effective caster level for all purposes. The empath may only have up to her Wisdom modifier creatures thus marked at any given time, and may release any of her subjects from their mark at any time as a free action. At 10th level, the empath in instantly alerted whenever one of her Marks of Justice is activated though a violation of its terms, and may innately sense the distance and direction to bearers

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of activated Marks so long as they are on the same plane. At 15th level, the empath’s Marks of Justice can no longer be removed by any effect other than a Wish, Miracle, or the willing release of the mark by the Empath herself. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Intimidate and Sense Motive checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Hanged Man (Greater) Wherever there are mortals, there are the weak and the strong. The high, and the low. The pious and the heretic. Those below will always dream of grand reversals of roles, and sometimes even act upon those dreams. The aspect of the Hanged Man is a tumultuous soul, forever in flux. It is the riotous mob, the thief who steals from the rich, and the bullied apprentice burying a dagger in her abusive mentor’s back. Empaths manifesting the Hanged Man often find themselves fighting off an uncharacteristic bitterness – every hardship seems tailored to victimize them personally, and successes of allies cannot help but be tainted with a faint lining of envy.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Hanged Man aspect treats Fortitude and Reflex as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, as a standard action, the empath may induce a calamitous reversal with a single touch. This effect is delivered as a melee touch attack, and an unwilling target may attempt to resist the effect with a Will saving throw with a DC of (10 + half of empath’s class level + her wisdom modifier). If the target is willing, or fails its saving throw, it immediately exchanges hit point totals with the empath. This exchange can bring neither party above their normal maximum health, and any hit points beyond that limit are lost. Once used, regardless of its success or failure, an empath cannot use this ability again for one minute. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Stealth and Sleight of Hand checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Death (Greater) Endings are a two-faced coin – for all that mortals fear the eternal spectre of their demise, their every action brings about other, smaller deaths. The aspect of Death embodies the demise of ideas, of beliefs, of traditions and nations and cultures – and yes, at times, evens the deaths of other mortals. Without death, the world would stagnate and rot from within, but that is little consolation to those who it claims. Empaths manifesting the aspect of Death find the ties of sentimentality loosened. Letting go is less painful, and silver linings present themselves easily. Beings prolonged past their time tend to incite faint feelings of disgust, and the empath may at times feel an urge to let defeated enemies die cleanly, rather than capturing them alive and subjecting them to the messy processes of justice.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Death aspect treats Will as a good save, and she uses the Cleric’s Base

Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, as a standard action, an empath manifesting Death may strike out with a cleansing tide of negative energy, burning pain and impurity from her target’s very soul. This effect is delivered as a melee touch attach, and an unwilling target may attempt to resist the effect with a Will saving throw with a DC of (10 + half of empath’s class level + her wisdom modifier). If the target is willing, or fails its saving throw, it immediately gains one negative level. Further, it restores two points of damage or drain to each damaged or drained ability score, and heals (5 * target’s HD) hit points to its target. Negative levels inflicted by this ability fade at a rate of one per minute. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Disable Device, Heal, Survival, and checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Temperance (Greater) In the land of mortals, none stand alone. For every blade or suit of armor brought to battle, there is a smith. For every artful maneuver, there is a teacher. For every lasting peace, there is a magnanimous victor. Temperance lies not in greatness, but in those that bring greatness to fruition. It lies in the bruises dealt by the wizened master who trains the hero before his quest, and in the words of the sage who offers their advice to the girl who would be queen. Empaths manifesting Temperance are often driven to push others, and themselves, up to any beyond their normal limits. Wasted potential evokes feelings of faint disgust, and honing existing tools always often like a more appealing option than attempting to craft new ones.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Temperance aspect treats Will and Fortitude as good saves. Additionally, with a ritual requiring one minute of meditation between the empath and a single willing target, an empath manifesting Temperance may imbue another being of equal or lesser power with an echo of the greatness that could one day be theirs. The target receives a number of virtual Hit Dice equal to (empath’s class level – target’s HD). Each virtual HD thus granted increases the benefactor’s maximum HP by (5 + benefactor’s Con modifier), and grants them a +1 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, skill and ability checks, saving throws, and effective Hit Dice for the purposes of any spells or abilities that might target them. An empath may have up to (her Wisdom modifier) creatures blessed with this ability at any given time, and may revoke her blessing from any one of them as a free action. Otherwise, the blessing possesses an unlimited duration. At 15th level, an empath may also choose to grant her beneficiaries the ability to evoke a single illumination, chosen by the empath from those assigned to any of her personas with the Temperance aspect. The target may evoke this illumination despite lacking a mote pool or evoker level, and the effect manifested is in all aspects identical to an illumination evoked by the empath herself (including save DCs, effective evoker level, and the like). Once

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used, such a borrowed illumination may not be evoked again for 1d4 rounds. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Appraise, Diplomacy, and Perception checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Devil (Greater) Some mortals are revolutionaries, or leaders. They stand tall, defying fate and convention to change the course of the world itself. However, for most, such aspirations are simply… too much work. The Devil is the ballast of idleness that anchors the mortal races of the world – the font of laziness and apathy that dissuades change and brings one to simply go with the flow of events. Though heroes might scorn the everyman’s simple life, such lack of ambition also lies at the foundation of every endeavor of his more active peers. Empaths manifesting the Devil often feel lethargic, whether physically, mentally, or both. It is tempting to leave even urgent tasks for later, orders seem less worth arguing with, and the status quo gain a certain charming appeal, however flawed it may be.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Devil aspect treats Reflex and Fortitude as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Devil oozes an air of profound normalcy, discouraging suspicion or investigation. Viewers will see the empath as whatever seems least conspicuous to them – a castle guard might note them as an inconspicuous clerk, while a general might view them as just another soldier going about her duties. This deception does not actually alter the empath’s appearance in any way, meaning they may be called out for dressing or acting inappropriately, but they will not be accosted or questioned unless they draw undue attention to themselves. Any creature who interacts directly with the empath may attempt a Will save with a DC of (10 + half of empath’s class level + her wisdom modifier) to shake off the supernatural acceptance. If the empath is doing something blatantly out of place – such as attacking the observer or his allies – this save automatically succeeds. This is a mind-affecting ability. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Bluff, Disguise and Linguistics checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Tower (Sublime) Some would say that mortals define themselves through violence. They would say that beings incapable of grasping eternity are truest to their natures when obliterating the permanence of others. The Tower does not, contrary to what some frightened empaths will warn their younger sisters in the dead of night, embody hatred, or malice, or rage. It embodies violence, pure and untainted by lesser emotions. The urge to shatter, break, and destroy bears a power few others can match. Empaths manifesting the Tower feel the urge to strike first, strike hard, and keep on striking until all before them has been reduced to blood and rubble. It is said to feel far more hostile and invasive than most aspects, and

many empaths forswear this aspect for fear of the changes it might evoke in them.

An Empath manifesting a persona with the Tower aspect treats Fortitude as good saves, and she uses the Fighter’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Tower continuously exudes an aura with a radius of (5 * empath’s Wis mod) feet. Whenever damage is dealt to the empath, all other creatures within the aura (including the empath herself) take half that amount, rounded down, as retributive damage. Damage that the empath deals herself through this ability is converted into nonlethal damage, unless she is immune to nonlethal damage. Retributive damage inflicted by this aura does not trigger any additional effect. The effect of this aura targets friends and foes without discrimination, and the empath may not exclude a creature the influence of her aura – she may, however, deactivate or reactivate her aura as a swift action. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Autohypnosis and Intimidate checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Sun (Sublime) Rare indeed are great deeds accomplished without hardship or setback – and indeed, were they achieved simply, their greatness would be lessened in the eyes of many. But for all these obstacles, mortals still reach for the heavens with all their might, heedless of that which would hold them back. The Sun is a manifestation of confidence and drive, rational and unwarranted alike. Empaths manifesting the Sun tend to lapse easily into obsession and mania in their pursuit of whatever their goal of the hour may be.

An Empath manifesting a persona with the Sun aspect treats Fortitude and Will as good saves, and she uses the Fighter’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally as a swift action, an empath manifesting the Sun can call forth and release a blazing explosion of light that shatters the bonds on all those around them. This effect grants the benefits of both Freedom of Movement and Mind Blank for one round, and affects all creatures within a radius of (5 * empath’s Wis mod) feet, centered on the empath. This effect targets friends and foes without discrimination. Once used, this ability may not be used again for one minute. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Sense Motive and Survival checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Moon (Sublime) Life is built upon lies. Lies bring mortals pain and comfort alike, and are told for every reason imaginable. Philosophers may seek truth, but for the average mortal, deception is as much a part of existence as eating or breathing – and just as vital. Few are those with the fortitude to face down truth, unmasked and unfiltered, and the silver miasma of half-truths and guises provides welcome shade against the harshness of

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light. Alone of all Aspects, the Moon inflicts no foreign thoughts or otherworldly compulsions. Empaths, who shroud themselves in the hopes and dreams of others, have always shown a special affinity for the moon – in a grand fit of cosmic irony, they are truest to themselves when dancing in a masquerade of lies.

An Empath manifesting a persona with the Moon aspect treats Reflex and Will as good saves, and she uses the Cleric’s Base Attack Bonus progression to determine the BAB granted by her empath levels. Additionally, an empath manifesting the Moon continuously exudes an aura with a radius of (5 * empath’s Wis mod) feet. For the purposes of skills, spells, and abilities, all words spoken by individuals within this radius are considered ‘true’ – Sense Motive checks will reveal only honesty, and lie-discerning magic will pass over such utterances without a trace. This does not inflict any form of compulsion upon listeners, nor even compel them to believe in the factual truth of a statement, but they will always view claims by creatures within the aura to be of utmost honesty. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Bluff, Disguise, Linguistics and Perform checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

The Star (Sublime) In deepest darkness, and blackest night, hope endures. In the fiercest fire, and most ruthless storm, hope endures. By an ancient legend, hope is the cruelest blessing and most wonderful curse the mortals of the world have ever shouldered. This may be so, and without a doubt hope has brought pain to many – but in the caprice of fortune, hope too is what permits such victims to carry on anew. The Star is the distant glimmer of a better tomorrow that all mortals hold dear to their hearts. It is unreachable, unattainable, ethereal, and beautiful beyond words. Empaths manifesting the Star often take on a detached, farsighted demeanor, pondering the future… at times to the determent of their focus in the present.

An Empath manifesting a persona with the Star aspect treats all saves as good saves. Additionally, an empath

manifesting the Star continuously exudes an aura with a radius of (5 * empath’s Wis mod) feet. Creatures within this aura may use their own saving throw modifiers or those of the Empath, at their discretion. This effect benefits friends and foes without discrimination, and the empath may not deny a creature the benefit of her aura – she may, however, deactivate or reactivate her aura as a swift action. If the empath is unconscious, her aura is automatically suppressed. Lastly, the empath gains a bonus to Diplomacy, Perform, and Heal checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

Judgment (Sublime) Mortals yearn for absolutes. While scholars and sages may delve into the fine gray lines between right and wrong, good and evil, or fact and fabrication, most would rather feed their minds with the succulent dish of certainty. The aspect of Judgment embodies every cry ever voiced for a god, king, or parent – cries to strip away the miasma of doubt and replace it with the comforting pillars of the absolute. Empaths manifesting Judgment often struggle to accept or process any new information that might conflict with their beliefs… though when those beliefs are challenged, they will hold fast to their values with unshakable resolve.

An empath manifesting a persona with the Judgment aspect treats Will as a good save. Additionally, an empath manifesting Judgment may cut through superficial traits to know the truth of a creature’s essence with nothing more than a glance. The empath continuously gains the benefits of the Arcane Sight and See Invisibility spells. The empath’s arcane sight functions as the spell, and additionally allows the empath to discern surface thoughts, alignments, and the presence or absence of duplicitous intent in any creatures the empath observes. However, any creature observing the empath gains identical benefits, which apply only for the purpose of observing the empath herself. Lastly, she gains a bonus to Appraise, Sense Motive, and Knowledge checks equal to her Wisdom modifier.

chapTER TWO

pOWER Of lighT

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illUMinaTiOns Illuminations are an evoker’s greatest power – the ability to harness the awesome energies of light and channel them into mystical effects. This power presents itself to each individual differently, and as such, it is impossible to compile a singular list of illuminations. Instead, a magical girl must feel out her own powers as she develops them, crafting a suite of abilities unique to her.

An evoker’s Illuminations are powered by Motes of radiant energy. Such power is almost inexhaustible, but it does have limits. An evoker’s Mote Pool is equal to [Evoker Level * 2]. An evoker’s mote pool refreshes at the beginning of each of her turns, restoring itself to its full value.

When a magical girl learns new illuminations, she does not select them from a list, but rather crafts them from a wide array of components. Each illumination begins as one of three base effects, which an evoker can enhance with a wide array of components. Every component has an associated mote cost, and many allow that mote cost to be raised in exchange for more powerful effects. The final cost of an illumination is equal to the total cost of its base effect added to the cost of its components. A magical girl may not craft any illumination with a cost greater than her evoker level in motes. While certain components suggest particular manifestations, the cosmetic aspects of an illumintion are entirely up to the evoker crafting it - a functionally identical illumination might manifest as a javelin of lightning to one and a flurry of shots from conjured rifles to another.

Whenever an illumination offers a saving throw, unless otherwise noted, the save DC is equal to [10 + half the magical girl’s evoker level + the modifier of her evoker attribute]. The evoker attribute varies between the various styles of magical girl: champions use Charisma, empaths use Wisdom, while stargazers harness their powers with Intelligence. Many components are restricted in what type of evoker may access them, and each individual component lists those classes that it is compatible with. Further, it is impossible to craft or evoke any illumination with a cost of less than 1m. Any illumination with a lower mote cost must select components to raise its cost until it reaches a positive value.

To craft an illumination, one must select a base illumination type (Blast, Barrier, or Surge), a Foundation component to determine the base effect, and must purchase at least one rank in a Shape component to determine the illumination's basic targeting. It is impossible for any illumination to possess more than one Shape or Foundation component. If the evoker wishes, she may then add as many Secondary components as she can budget into her mote limit. Foundation components scale automatically, at varying rates, with the cost of an illumination. All other components increase the illumination's mote cost. If she wishes, an evoker can independently raise an illumination's mote cost without adding any additional components or ranks.

Further, it is impossible to craft or evoke any illumination with a cost of less than 1m. Any illumination with a lower mote cost must either select components or manually raise its cost until it reaches a positive value.

Regardless of the number of motes or actions available, an evoker may only use spend a number of motes up to her evoker level on illuminations of a given base type (Blasts, Barriers, and Surges) in a round.

An evoker may alter or replace any of her known illuminations freely whenever she gains a permanent evoker level. Illuminations are Supernatural effects.

illUMinaTiOns and MUlTiplE EVOKER

classEs The three evoker classes take radically different approaches to channeling their radiance, but they nonetheless share a common root. An evoker may add a total to her Evoker Level in each illumination-using class equal to one half of her total Evoker Level in all other illumination-using classes, rounded down. She learns and readies her illuminations for each class separately. For any ability other than an illumination that would refer to Evoker Level, use her highest evoker level.

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BlasTs The rawest, purest form of radiant power a magical girl can evoke, blasts do precisely what their forthright moniker promises. Blasts pummel, scorch, or otherwise inflict raw damage on an evoker's enemies, scouring them away in a maelstrom of light.

Evoking a Blast illumination is a standard action.

Foundation Components

Clinging (Stargazer) While most blasts are near-instantaneous effects, some skillful evokers are capable of enticing them to linger on. This weakens the initial burst of power... but continues to eat away at the blast's target to devastating effect. A blast with this foundation deals 1d4 damage for each mote of the illumination's cost. Further, when you successfully deal damage to a target with an illumination possessing this component, they must make a fortitude save. If they succeed, this component has no further effect. If they fail, they take damage equal to half the original damage dealt by the blast at the beginning of each of their turns for a number of rounds equal to one third the illumination's mote cost.

Demolitions (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Much of the time, a magical girl must hold back. Show restraint. As fun as it may be to unleash a furious cascade of destructive potential, it is generally deemed morally unsound to reduce random bystanders to smears of assorted vital fluid on the ground. The demolitions component, however, optimizes a blast for peerless devastation. While it is less than ideal for dealing with animate foes, the heavy-handed destructive force is capable of obliterating even the most resilient obstacles. A blast with this foundation deals 1d4 damage for each mote of the illumination's cost, and ignores any hardness its targets may possess. Additionally, the blast deals double damage against objects. For every 4m in the illumination's final cost, the damage multiplier against objects increases by one.

Flare [Empath, Stargazer) There is a limit to the radiant power a mortal body can hold. Evokers are capable of regulating their personal flow of luminescence almost instinctively, but other creatures are far less fortunate. A blast with this foundation rolls damage as usual, dealing 1d8 damage for each mote of the illumination's cost. However, targets do not take this damage immediately. Instead, the blast lies dormant within them, discharging as soon as the target takes damage from another source. If the target does not take any damage within a number of minutes equal to the number of motes in this illumination's final cost, the latent energy dissipates harmlessly. Latent damage from multiple application of Flare blasts stacks. Any damage dealt with the

same action as the blast, such as the weapon damage of an Assault illumination, does not trigger this effect. If the latent damage on a target is about to discharge, the evoker may choose to prevent the discharge as an immediate action.

Power (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Blasts are, at their heart, nothing more than untamed surges of energy, amplified to incredible levels. While it is possible to refine this further, most magical girls simply do not bother - what such an rough-hewn blast might lack in finesse, it makes up for in raw power. A blast with this foundation deals 1d6 damage for each mote of the illumination's cost.

Tremors (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Imbuing their blast with pure kinetic force, a magical girl can use this illumination to literally blow her enemies away. A creature struck by a blast augmented with this effect (or who fails their reflex save for half damage in the case of area of effect blasts) is knocked away from the blast’s origin point a distance of 5 feet for each mote of the illumination's cost. At the end of this movement, the target is rendered prone, and takes 1d6 points of damage for each 10 feet of distance traveled. If the target's motion is stopped before completion (such as by a wall), they take an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 5 feet they would have traveled beyond their stopping point.

Shape Components

Cascade (Champion, Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 0m + 3m/rank beyond the first

A single blast of power is the calling card of many magical girls. Brutal, overpowering... and incredibly inelegant. For situations calling for a measured hand and precise aim, it is common for magical girls to configure a barrage of lesser blasts, annihilating enemy forces with the precision of a laser blade. The illumination targets up to one creature per rank in the Cascade component within a 60' base range with a ranged touch attack. The evoker makes only a single attack roll, comparing it to the touch AC of each of her targets.

Assault (Champion, Empath] Mote Cost: 1m

Among more martially inclined magical girls, a direct assault is often a far more intuitive strategy than fiddling about with channeling illuminations independently. Born of this mentality, the Assault component allows a blast to be delivered in the form of an attack (not a touch attack) with your device, delivering the effects of a blast along with those of an ordinary attack on a successful hit. Although an assault blast is normally a standard action, it may be also used in place of a single attack in a full attack routine, or in place of the attack made at the end of a charge.

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Imbue (Champion, Empath) Mote Cost: 1m

When a warrior of the light wishes to exercise a measure of finesse beyond that of a simple, brute-force assault, it is not uncommon for her to by stymied by the volatile nature of her own power. Designed as a means to work around this instability, the Imbue component infuses an evoker's weapon with radiant energy, ready to be discharged at a moment's notice. A blast with this component is activated as a swift action, rather than a standard action, empowering any single weapon she is currently wielding. The next time the magical girl makes a successful attack with that weapon, the target of her attack suffers the effects of the imbued blast along with those of the attack itself. If it is not discharged, the imbuement fades at the beginning of the evoker's next turn.

Beam (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 2m/rank beyond the first

On occasion, one comes across a situation that would be best resolved by an enormous laser of radiant destruction. For some magical girls, this occasion is 'always', and the beam component is the tool with which they carry out their tasks. The illumination becomes a line with a length of 15’ for every rank of this component applied to the blast. Targets within the area of effect can attempt a Reflex save for half damage. For every four ranks of this component, the evoker may increase the width of their line attack by 5'. The width of a beam illumination is chosen upon its crafting.

Explosion (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 2m/rank beyond the first

Following the ancient wisdom that a sufficiently large blast radius can solve any problem, the explosion component converts a blast from a single-target attack into a radial burst. The illumination may be targeted anywhere within a base range of 60', and possesses a blast radius of 5’ for each rank of this component Targets within the area of effect can attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

Storms (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 2m/rank beyond the first

By carefully shaping a burst of radiant energy, an evoker can carpet entire swathes of terrain with a furious storm of power. The illumination becomes a cone with a length of 10’ for every rank of this component. Targets within the area of effect can attempt a Reflex save for half damage.

Bombs (Stargazer] Mote Cost: 2m/rank

Radiant power is inherently unstable - it can be channeled, refined, and redirected, but its eventual eruption is all but inevitable. The illumination no longer requires an attack roll, instead allowing the magical girl to scatter a number of energy

bundles equal to (2 * ranks) anywhere within a base range of 20'. Energy bundles may only be placed in unoccupied squares, and no more than one bundle may be placed in any given square. Whenever a creature enters an energy bundle's square, that bundle detonates with a blast radius of 5'. Targets within the area of effect can attempt a reflex save for half damage. At the beginning of the evoker's next turn, all remaining energy bundles detonate. Creatures caught in multiple simultaneous detonations only make a single saving throw, and only take the illumination's damage once, but the reflex save DC increases by +2 for every overlapping explosion beyond the first.

Eruption (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 2m/rank

Calling upon the maelstrom of radiant energy in a magical girl’s soul, this component converts a blast into a raw, unbridled eruption of power. The illumination gains a blast radius of 10’ per rank of this component, centered on you. The illumination no longer can be used at range, no longer requires an attack roll, and allows its targets the opportunity to make a Reflex save. On a successful save, the blast deals half damage.

Chains (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 4m/rank

It is a relative rarity for a magical girl to face a lone foe. All too often, she is outnumbered many times over, beset by foes on all sides. Designed to allow an evoker to wield her blast as a warrior wields their weapon, the Chains component gives her a measure of control over her blast after it is fired, allowing the magical girl to guide it seamlessly from one target to the next. The evoker makes a ranged touch attack against a single target within a base range of 30'. Upon a successful hit, the blast may immediately jump to another target within a range equal to half the base range of the blast, making an attack roll in a manner identical to the first. The illumination is capable of jumping targets once for each rank of this component that has been purchased. Against each target after the first, the luminous chain suffers a cumulative -2d6 to damage as its energy slowly wanes. Any given creature may only take damage from a single chains illumination once.

Secondary Components

Horizon (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m/rank

Boosting the cohesion and longevity of a blast, this component allows the range of an illumination to be dramatically increased. For each rank of the Horizon component applied to an illumination, its base range doubles. This does not affect the radius, length, or other measurements of any potential Shape effects, and does not benefit illuminations whose Shape does not specify a base range.

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Prism (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 2m/rank

Refracting the polychromatic purity of light into its manifold components, the Prism component converts a blast into one of the more common forms of energy. Upon readying this illumination, you may select an energy type (Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, or Sonic). The damage dealt by the blast becomes energy damage of that type, rather than untyped damage. Each rank of this component allows you to select an additional energy type to apply to the blast. When damaging an enemy with energy resistance, immunity, the ability to heal from damage taken, or similar damage reducing abilities that would apply to one or more component damage types, only the least effective such ability applies against the amalgam damage, or none if none of them would apply to one or more of the component damage types. All other effects apply as though the amalgam damage was the most damaging of its component damage types with respect to that ability.

Sharpshooting (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 2m

Using pre-designed targeting aids and automatic aim compensation, an illumination with this component allows you to target your foes with all the accuracy and precision of a master marksman. When attacking with a blast augmented with the Sharpshooting effect, you may treat your BAB as equal to your HD for the purpose of determining your attack bonus. You do not gain the benefits of an improved BAB for any other purpose.

Dissonance (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m

Born of the unsettling discoveries of magical girls who have strayed far from the path of the righteous, the Dissonance component converts the radiance of a blast into a sickly cacophony that rends the very life-force of its targets. Damage dealt by blast augmented with this effect is considered negative energy damage in addition to any other damage types it may possess, healing undead and otherwise acting as any other negative energy effect.

Vile (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 5m

Not all light is clean - the fires of Hell and the Abyss bear their own sickly radiance, and less scrupulous evokers can tap into that light to bright forth blasts of a terrible potency. Damage dealt by blast augmented with this effect is considered to be both evil-aligned and vile damage in addition to any other damage types it may possess. Non-evil evokers may make use of this component, but such a horrendous tool must be used with great care if they wish to carry on long with their alignment intact.

Sundering (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m/rank

No shield is perfect - the strongest armor has chinks, and the hide of even the mightiest dragon has loose scales a hawk-eyed attacker might exploit. Most warriors know their weaknesses, and work to guard them and disguise them from their foes - but like so many deceptions, these tactics are burned away in the face of the light, leaving weakness blazing from within and exposed to all. For each rank of this component, the target of the blast suffers a -1 penalty to their AC. This penalty lasts one round.

Tactics (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 6m

Most commonly applied to blasts with wide areas of effect, this component grants far more precise control over the targeting of an illumination. When you evoke an illumination with the Tactics component, you may choose to omit any number of targets from its effects.

Volatility (Stargazer) Mote Cost: 7m/rank

Life is a powerful force, and as it fades or dims it is possible to use such vital energy to fuel a potent chain reaction of luminous effects. When an enemy is killed or knocked unconscious by a blast with the Volatility component, you may immediately re-evoke that blast at no mote cost, using the fallen target as the origin point for this secondary blast. When a blast is re-evoked in this manner, it loses one rank of this component, but is otherwise identical. Volatility may only be triggered by the initial damage of a blast - secondary damage, such as that from the Clinging component, will not activate this effect.

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BaRRiERs By channeling her powers toward warding and defense rather than obliterating her foes, a magical girl can generate potent constructs known as barriers.

Unless otherwise specified, any effect granted to the edge of a barrier is two-way and indiscriminate, equally affecting those on both sides (including the evoker herself). Barriers have a base duration of one round.

Evoking a Barrier illumination is a move action.

Foundation Components

Barricades (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) A powerful tool in the hands of those that know how to use

it, the component of Barricades allows a tactician to partition a battlefield as she pleases – or a warrior to prevent the escape of her prey. So long as the barrier's mote cost is at least 1m, the edge of the barrier is a quasi-solid object capable of blocking movement. Moving through this edge costs 10 feet of movement, though this cost can be ignored with a successful strength check against a DC equal to the save DC of the evoker's illuminations. Alternately, a creature may force their way through the barrier regardless of speed or strength with a full-round action. If a creatures does not wish to pass through the barrier, they may interact with it as they would any solid surface, including climbing or standing on top of it. For every 3m of this barrier's cost, movement through the edge of the barrier costs an additional 5 feet and the DC to force through it increases by +2. If the barrier costs at least 12m, it is impassable without use of a strength check or a full-round action. Despite its seeming solidity, a barrier with this component does not affect targeting or line of effect in any way.

Carnage (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) There is something invigorating about combat - the

hammering of hearts, the pumping of blood, the glorious fountains of crimson that fly with every blow. Whenever a creature other than the evoker takes damage while standing within the interior of the barrier, the evoker regains 1 hit point for every 6 points of damage dealt by the triggering attack. For every 4m of this illumination's cost, the ratio of triggering damage to healing improves – 4m raising the ration to to 1:5, 8m to 1:4, 12m to 1:3, 16m to 1:2, and 20m to 1:1.

Shadows (Empath, Stargazer) By bending and distorting light, this component allows a

magical girl to hide areas or individuals from view. At the evoker’s discretion, this can manifest as either a dome of darkness or as a completely empty space. This decision is purely cosmetic - the barrier itself can be seen either way, whether as a sphere of darkness or a rippling distortion in the air. So long as the barrier's mote cost is at least 1m, the edge of the barrier

grants a limited form of concealment. This functions identically to normal concealment, but inflicts a 10% miss chance, rather than 20%. If the barrier's cost is at least 4m, the miss chance increases to 20%. At 8m, the miss chance increases to 30%. If the barrier costs at least 12m, it instead grants a limited form of total concealment. This functions identically to normal total concealment, but inflicts a 40% miss chance, rather than 50%. If the barrier costs at least 16m, the miss chance increases to 50%.

Shelter (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) A barrier is normally a relatively diffuse effect, spreading

protective magic thin over an area. However, by augmenting an illumination with the component of Shelter, the radiant energy condenses to the point where even the most potent attacks will be stopped short at the sparkling threshold. So long as the barrier's mote cost is at least 1m, the edge of the barrier grants a limited form of cover. This functions identically to normal cover, but gives only +2 to AC, and a +1 bonus to reflex saves against attacks that burst from the other side of the barrier's edge. Every 2m of this barrier's cost increases the AC bonus by +1, and every 4m of cost increases the bonus to reflex saves by +1. If the barrier costs at least 12m, the edge of the barrier instead grants total cover. Despite its seeming solidity, a barrier with this component does not hinder movement in any way. It is possible for melee attacks to strike through the barrier, even if it grants total cover, but targets still receive the benefits of cover.

Tempests (Empath, Stargazer) Not all great barriers in the world are forged of brick and

mortar. A mighty storm of ice and snow can bar passage for thousands, and no sane sailor would cast off when the seas are roused. Crafting her power in emulation of such might wardens, a magical girl can engulf a battlefield in a tempest of her own devising. So long as the barrier's mote cost is at least 1m, the interior of the barrier experiences torrential precipitation that inflicts a -4 penalty on Spot and Search checks to find anything contained within. Traditionally, this takes the form of snowflakes, and act as such - but almost any replacement is theoretically possible. If the barrier costs at least 5m, heaps and drifts of material begin to pile up, and the movement cost to enter any space contained within the barrier doubles. If the barrier costs at least 10m, any creature within the barrier must make a reflex save whenever they move more than half their speed to avoid falling prone in the final square of their movement. If the barrier costs at least 15m, movement costs within the barrier are quadrupled, rather than doubled.

Zone (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Sometimes, the more potent effects of a barriers only get in

the way of its true purpose. This foundation component has no effect of its own, allowing the barrier to rely entirely on secondary components for its functionality.

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Shape Components

Strongholds (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 2m/rank beyond the first

Even in the most hostile of lands, beset by foes on all sides, a magical girl is not without sanctuary. The center of the barrier may be placed anywhere within a 20' base range, and possess a radius of 5 feet for every rank of this component.

Borders (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 2m/rank beyond the first

Sometimes it is not enough to protect a single individual. At times, a line in the sand must be drawn. The barrier is a 10’ high wall with one inch of thickness and a length of 15’ for each rank of this component applied. All components of the barrier must fall within a 20' base range, but its length can be shaped in any manner the evoker deems fit - it can be turned horizontally to form an impromptu floor or ceiling, or stacked atop other wall segments to create a border with more than 10' of height. This wall possess all the traits that would be applied to the edge of a barrier, but does not possess any actual interior.

Dominions (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m/rank

At times, the land itself can be counted among an evoker's fiercest allies. Where realms and fortresses fail her, a magical girl can awaken the field of battle itself to serve in her defense. The evoker designates a number of squares within a 50' base range equal to [3 * ranks in this component]. Each of these squares is affected as if it were on the interior of the barrier. A barrier with this shape has no actual edges, and effects that would apply to the edge of a barrier do not impact the illumination's functionality.

Ramparts (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 4m/rank

With friends at her back, her armaments at her side, and the will to stand against all aggressors, a magical girl can forge a rampart of radiant power that knows no equal in the artifice of mortals. The barrier is a 10’ high wall with one inch of thickness and a length of 10’ for each rank of this component applied. All components of the barrier must fall within a 20' base range, but its length can be shaped in any manner the evoker deems fit - it can be turned horizontally to form an impromptu floor or ceiling, or stacked atop other wall segments to create a border with more than 10' of height. Additionally, one side of the barrier radiates effects identical to those that would be found on the interior of a barrier. These effects extent 5' beyond the wall for each rank of this component.

Secondary Components

Pilgrimage (Champion, Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 1m/rank

Boosting the cohesion and longevity of a barrier, this component allows the range of an illumination to be dramatically increased. For each rank of the Pilgrimage component applied to an illumination, its base range doubles. This does not affect the radius, length, or other measurements of any potential Shape effects, and does not benefit illuminations whose Shape does not specify a base range.

Radiance (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m/rank

Where evokers walk, light follows. One of the simplest of all components, the power of radiance allows an evoker to bring light into the dark places of the world. The interior of her barrier becomes brightly lit, and sheds bright light 10' beyond its borders, and shadowy illumination for twice that distance. For each rank of this component beyond the first, the radius of bright light (and consequently, shadowy illumination) doubles. Multiple doublings stack as usual - for example, a barrier with three ranks of this component sheds bright light in a radius of 30', and shadowy illumination for 30' beyond that. This effect counters or dispels any darkness spell with a spell level equal to or less than half the number of ranks in this component.

Returning (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 2m/rank

There is power in the place one calls home. While the children of light often do battle far from their native lands, they may use this component to tap into the same eternal ties that bind them to their distant homes. Once placed, any ally within 15' of the barrier may, as a move action, call upon this effect to teleport to any unoccupied space contained within the barrier. Each rank beyond the first increases the maximum distance over which an ally can be recalled by 15'. A barrier augmented with this effect may not be placed on a targeted creature - it must be placed on a location.

Ancients (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m/rank

Channeling the timeless endurance of light, the component of Ancients grants barriers added longevity, allowing a tactically-minded evoker to shape the battlefield over the course of several rounds. The barrier lasts an additional round for each rank of this component.

Breath (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m/rank

Breath is life, and there is no breath greater than the winds that sweep the world. With an illumination wielding this

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component, a magical girl can rouse the winds to her her command, conducting them as a maestro might lead a symphony. The interior of the barrier is subjected to Light Wind, blowing in a direction of the evoker's choosing. For each rank of this component beyond the first, the severity of the wind force increases by one step.

Alignment (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 5m

The ideals of a magical girl are unyielding, and this strength of character can be extended to the illuminations she manifests. The edge of the barrier functions as the border of a Magic Circle against one alignment chosen when the illumination is crafted. Like its spell-fueled cousin, the circle may be focused inwards or outwards, but the short lifespan of illuminations renders it of dubious use as a long-term prison.

Anchors (Stargazer) Mote Cost: 5m/rank

The grip of earth and stone might seem implacable to most. But magical girls know full well that the edicts of gravity are in truth mere suggestions. Some take this beyond simple flight, coaxing leniency from entire swathes of terrain - such practices are difficult to master, but the potency of such effects cannot be denied. The interior of the barrier experiences a shift in gravity - upon evoking the illumination, the magical girl may choose to impose Light Gravity or Heavy Gravity. If at least two ranks of this component have been applied to the barrier, the magical girl may may also choose to impose No Gravity. If at least three ranks have been applied, she may choose to impose Objective Directional Gravity in a direction of her choice.

Visions (Stargazer) Mote Cost: 5m

A great tool of tricksters and masters of misdirection, the component of Visions fills a barrier with false phantasms summoned by the magical girl. The interior of the barrier contains a vivid illusion, identical to that created by the spell Major Image. Viewers are permitted a Will saving throw to disbelieve the effect upon viewing it.

Silence (Stargazer) Mote Cost: 10m

In light, there is harmony. In light, there is stillness. In light, there is serenity. Calling upon the great constants of the world, this component quells the riotous tumult of mortals and enforces a state of mystical serenity. The interior of the barrier experiences the effects of an Antimagic Field. If a barrier with this effect is placed upon a targeted creature, rather than an area, that creature may attempt a new Will saving throw at the beginning of each of their turns.

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sURgEs

Foundation Components

Battles (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Awed bystanders have whispered often of the alacrity of the most powerful magical girls. They move not with the precise form and motion of a master swordsman, but with a blinding swiftness born of passion and the very light they wield. If this illumination costs at least 7m, when the recipient of the surge makes a full attack, she may make an additional attack at her highest base attack bonus. For every additional 7m of cost, the illumination grants its target an additional attack at her highest base attack bonus. These extra attacks do not stack with those granted by Haste or similar effects.

Consumption (Stargazer) To an evoker, light is life, and wonder, and beauty untold. But such radiance can be an awful thing to those who have not been touched by its power - a ghastly-bright inner fire that consumes their very souls. The target of the surge must make a Fortitude save or contract a supernatural illness known as Radiant Wasting, the result of a shard of tainted light embedded deep in their essence. This functions just as any other supernatural disease, with a save DC equal to the evoker's illumination save DC, an incubation period of one day, and no infection vector beyond use of this surge. Radiant Wasting deals 1d4 damage to one ability score, chosen by the evoker when she crafts an illumination with this component. For every 4m of this illumination's cost, she may select an additional ability score to deal 1d4 damage to, or increase the damage to an already selected ability by +2. Radiant Wasting may be cured like any other disease, but effects that emulate diseases (such as the spell Contagion) are unable to mimic it: Radiant Wasting's symptoms are too volatile, and too closely tied to individual evokers, to be reproduced with any sort of coherency. An individual who contracts Radiant Wasting from a surge with this component retains their affliction even after the surge's duration would otherwise end.

Courage (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) The few against the many. The small against the great and terrible. The weak against the strong. Such are the battles faced by en evoker, and if she is to weather them she and her allies must stand fast with the courage to withstand any storm. For every 2m in the illumination's final cost, its target receives a +1 radiant bonus to AC, to a minimum bonus of +1. Denunciations (Empath, Stargazer) To be a magical girl is to be the very embodiment of mercy and forgiveness. It is rare for such beings to express true hatred... but simple anger is a different story entirely. The cosmos

shudder at the righteous fury of an evoker, and the targets of their wrath feel fate itself conspiring against them. For every 4m of this illumination's cost, targets of the effect suffer a -1 penalty to all saving throws, to a minimum penalty of -1.

Diamonds (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Not easily is the light snuffed out, and a magical girl wields power to grant herself and her allies the strength of the candle that remains lit even in the fiercest of storms. The recipient of this surge gains DR 1/- for its duration. For each 2m of this illumination's cost, the DR granted by this component increases by 1.

Isolation (Empath, Stargazer) There is power in a glorious alignment of comrades-at-arms. A whole that is often greater than the sum of its components parts. With the application of ruthless logic, then, the obvious way to strike at such a force is to shatter the very ties that lend it its power, leaving each to be ground into a lonely pile of dust. The target of this surge must make a will saving throw or be afflicted with a dire curse of isolation. The afflicted creature gains a Spell Resistance and Power Resistance of 15 + [the final mote cost of this illumination]. This resistance is controlled by the evoker - she may choose freely whether to allow any given effect to pass through or whether to force it to roll spell or power resistance as usual. Additionally, for every 3m of this illumination's cost, the evoker may suppress a single ongoing magical effect currently affecting her target, chosen at random. The evoker may deliberately exclude any effects from this random selection, so long as she is aware of its presence on her target.

Justice (Empath, Stargazer) The world is an unfair place, but where walk the wielders of light, justice follows close behind. Those marked by this surge receive a brand of either Innocence or Prosecution, chosen when the illumination is crafted. Whenever a target with a brand of Innocence is dealt damage, their attacker suffers 1 point of retributive damage for every 6 points of damage dealt. Whenever a target with a brand of Prosecution deals damage, they suffer retributive damage equal to 1 point for every 6 points of damage dealt. The application of either form of brand can be resisted with a successful will saving throw. For every 4m of this illumination's cost, the ratio of provoking damage to retributive damage improves – 4m raising the ration to to 1:5, 8m to 1:4, 12m to 1:3, 16m to 1:2, and 20m to 1:1.

Might (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) The ideal warrior has no weakness, but even the most rigorous training will leave sometimes leave one cursing that their skills are hindered by their own feeble body. Unsurprisingly, given how young many evokers are when they first begin to wield their power, one of the most common surge components is one

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to reinforce and fortify natural potential. The recipient of the surge receives a +2 Enhancement bonus to an ability score chosen when the illumination is crafted. For every 3m of the illumination's cost, the evoker may add a +2 Enhancement bonus to another ability score. The same ability score can be chosen for this boost multiple times, and its effects stack.

Mockery (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Laughter is death to fear. The most dreadful of villains can often be reduced to a spluttering buffoon with a few well-placed jibes, and devious plots are merely foolish when theatrics are countered by satire. When no targets for jest readily present themselves, the component of Mockery can induce the sort of catastrophic pratfall that might bring shame to even the most egotistical foe. For every 1m of the illumination's cost, its target suffers a -1 penalty to their next attack roll or skill check. This effect can be negated by a successful Will saving throw. When the target misses an attack, the effect of this component immediately ends. Other effects of the illumination persist for the usual duration.

Resolve (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) When her allies are worn and battered by the trials they face, a magical girl may lend her radiance to bring new vigor to weary flesh and bone. For every 1m of this illumination's cost, targets of the surge are cured of 1d6 points of damage. After receiving healing from an illumination with the Resolve component, the target cannot benefit from the effects of this component for one minute. Targets under this restriction still receive the benefit of any other effects of an illumination, and benefit from other sources of healing normally.

Sanctity (Empath, Stargazer) There are many strange and wicked things in the world, and at times it seems that each offers more gruesome torments than the last. Against such manifold terrors, an evoker must at times shield herself and her allies against attacks bearing all manner of unwholesome effects. For every 3m of this illumination's cost, targets of the effect gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws.

Shape Components

Awakening (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 0m

There is power buried deep within every evoker to rival the mightiest of heroes. To call upon that wellspring, even unknowingly, is to tap a near-limitless source of potential, and even the mightiest of surges can seem effortless when turned inward. The surge targets the evoker.

Smiting (Champion, Empath) Mote Cost: 1m

Traditionally, crafting a surge is an act of finesse and meticulous control, gathering radiant power in precise ratios to eventually unleash in a cascade of power. Still, some evokers prefer to just power up their weapon and hit things. A surge with this component empowers any single weapon she is currently wielding. The next time the magical girl makes a successful attack with that weapon, the target of her attack suffers the effects of the imbued surge along with those of the attack itself. If it is not discharged, the imbuement fades at the beginning of the evoker's next turn.

Bolts (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 4m/rank beyond the first

Arcing power over great distances, the component of Bolts allows an evoker to provide aid to her allies (or woe to her enemies) even from across a battlefield. The surge is a ranged touch attack. Willing targets are hit automatically, but enemies must be struck with a ranged touch attack normally. The effect can target a single creature within a 30' base range. Each rank beyond the first allows the evoker to target an additional creature within range.

Pulses (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m + 3m/rank beyond the first

While many struggle to channel them into singular applications, some evokers find it easier to simply let their surges of power wash out around them in a great flood. The suge is an aura affecting valid targets within a burst possessing a 5' radius for each rank of this component. Upon crafting the illumination, an evoker may choose if she wants the aura’s effect to target only allies, only enemies, or both.

Secondary Components

Amplitude (Champion, Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 1m/rank

Boosting the cohesion and longevity of a surge, this component allows the range of an illumination to be dramatically increased. For each rank of the Amplitude component applied to an illumination, its base range doubles. This does not affect the radius, length, or other measurements of any potential Shape effects, and does not benefit illuminations whose Shape does not specify a base range. Purity [Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 2m/rank

True healing is beyond the powers of light, save in the rarest of circumstances, but the illuminations of a magical girl can nonetheless drive away many ills of the world – even if only for a time. The target of the surge may, for its duration, ignore one of the following effects for each rank of this component; Blinded, Confused, Cowering, Dazed, Dazzled, Deafened, Energy

Tome of Radiance

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Drained, Exhausted, Fascinated, Fatigued, Frightened, Nauseated, Panicked, Paralyzed, Shaken, Sickened, or Turned. Which effects are suppressed must be chosen at illumination creation. Each selection of ‘Energy Drained’ suppresses only one negative level. The evoker must suppress Shaken before she can suppress Frightened, Frightened before Panicked or Cowering, Fatigued before Exhausted, Sickened before Nauseated, and Dazed before Paralyzed. These effects are not removed from their target, nor are they re-applied when this surge fades - this illumination merely suppresses the effects of the conditions affected.

Awe (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m]

Throughout history, wielders of the light have held a special place in the hearts of the common people. In modern times, magical girls are revered as heroes and idols, and in ancient ones, it was not uncommon for them to bask in worship as the resplendent goddesses of their people. There is a fundamental awe in beholding the radiance and purity of light, capable of making knees weaken and bend. The target of the illumination must make a will save or fall prone.

Burdens (Empath, Stargazer) Mote Cost: 3m]

No heart is entirely free of darkness - nor should it be. The traces of shadow are what allow the mortal races to grasp the light with such fervor. Yet, the radiance of a magical girl can make even the lightest of hearts feel too heavy to bear, and the component of Burdens serves to convert metaphorical chains into literal ones, binding a creature with their own regrets. The target of the illumination must make a reflex save, or be entangled.

Echoes [Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 3m/rank

A magical girl’s surges of power burn brightly, but their effects fade all too swiftly at times. Though the initial rush of power lasts but a moment, it is possible with practice to maintain the echoes of power long enough to leave a lasting mark on the battlefield. For each rank of this component, the surge’s effects last an additional round.

Mirage [Stargazer] Mote Cost: 4m/rank

Calling upon the capricious nature of relative light and space, the Mirage component is a powerful defensive measure against those unable to pierce its trickery. The recipient of the surge gains a number of illusory duplicates equal to the number of ranks in this component. These duplicates share her space and mimic her actions, functioning identically to those created by the spell Mirror Image.

Emptiness [Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 4m/rank

Better than most, evokers understand that there are few torments more terrible than loneliness and isolation. This isolation is not only a fitting punishment, but also at times a potent tactic in battle, leading to the inception of the rather brutal component of Emptiness. If one rank of the component is applied, the target of the surge must make a will save or be blinded or deafened, chosen when the illumination of crafted. If two ranks of the component are applied, the target suffers both effects on a failed save.

Promises [Champion, Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 4m/rank

A promise instilled by the power of light is not an easy thing to break, and the powers of a magical girl can give even fiends pause to question their attacks. The target of the illumination must make a will save or be rendered unable to attack a single target of the evoker’s choice for each rank in this effect. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Heartbreak [Empath, Stargazer] Mote Cost: 8m]

Among the cruelest and darkest of all illuminations, the component of Heartbreak was born of unspeakable pain and tragedy. Those who wield it knowingly are dangerously close to a long fall into darkness, if indeed they still stand in the light at all. The target of the surge must make a will saving throw or experience a traumatic and ruthlessly focused memory suppression effect, binding all memories of friendship or kindness behind wrought doors of sickly radiance and sending the target into a blind rage of fear and betrayal. The target will spend each turn attacking the nearest creature, and is completely heedless of the difference between friend and foe. If the duration of the illumination is extended, each new round offers the victim of this illumination another opportunity to make a will save and shake off its effects. This is a mind-affecting effect.