by Kyle Johnson
Ascendant Mana: Because you have unlocked vital mana, a greater form of nature mana, your domination mana is more potent and powerful, as described below.
Using Domination Mana: Domination mana can be used to control the actions of any sentient creature, including animals and sentient plants or undead. It is ineffective against non-sentient creatures and undead or any sort of automaton. Domination mana can be used to force a creature to act in a way that it might normally; it cannot be used to force a creature to behave in a manner that is dangerous or totally against its nature. An enemy creature can be forced to cease attacking, drop its weapon, or even run away; it cannot be made to harm itself or attack its companions unless it would naturally be inclined to do so. Any creature can resist domination Spells with an Opposed Check: the creature’s [Wis + Class level] versus the caster’s [Int + Spell level]. Success means that they cannot be affected by that Spell for 1 hour. If the creature fails, it can continue to make Checks every 10 seconds, with a cumulative +5 bonus to the check. If the caster is forcing the creature to do something that is its normal nature – forcing a Warrior to attack a weaker enemy, for example – the creature’s Opposed Check is halved.
Ascendant Effects: Your mastery of vital mana allows you to force a creature to perform actions that are against its nature or could indirectly harm it. You could, for example, force an enemy to attack a creature much more powerful than it or confess to a crime it didn’t commit. However, you can’t force the creature to harm itself directly, such as by stabbing itself, jumping into lava, or leaping off a cliff. You receive a bonus to the Opposed Check equal to your Class level.
Stat Damage: You can only use SP of domination mana equal to your combined Int and the higher of your Str and End Stats every hour safely. If you exceed this limit, you lose 1 point of Int, Str, and End per 3% of your max SP of additional domination mana you use. This damage heals at a rate of 10% per hour of rest or meditation.
Domination Mana and Barriers: Physical defenses and magical barriers are generally ineffective against domination Spells or effects unless specifically designed to ward against mind mana. Magic resistance, Mental Resistance, Charm Resistance, and Fortitude do function against domination mana normally, not at the reduced rate they usually protect against mind mana.
Ascendant Effects: Your domination Spells are more effective against various forms of resistance; any Skill, Spell, or Ability that would normally shield against domination mana has its effectiveness halved against your Spells.
Domination Mana and Corruption/Redemption: Controlling the thoughts and actions of others can present a temptation to any caster and is easily misused or abused. Using domination magic to force a creature to behave in a way that would grant it CP or RP instead gives those to the caster. For example, forcing an enemy to attack one of its companions in the heat of battle might not yield any CP, while commanding a creature to torture another or kill innocents would result in significant CP for the caster but none for the creature.
+450 XP
Spells Created!
Shield Mind
Rank: Novice 1
Protect an individual creature against mind-based attacks.
Effect: Choose a single creature for the target of this Spell. This creature gains resistance to all mind-based Spells equal to your [Int / 2]%. This resistance improves by +2% per level of this Spell. This applies to all mind-affecting Abilities and effects, as well.
Duration: 10 min + 30 s per Spell level.
Cost: 23 mind SP
A mind is a terrible thing to lose…
+250 XP
Wave of Emotion
Rank: Novice 1
Project a specific emotion in a cone-shaped area in front of you.
Effect: Choose any emotion. You can project this emotion out to all sentient creatures within a cone that extends 60’ in front of you and is 45’ wide at the base. If the emotion is one that the targeted creatures would not normally want to feel – such as panic in the midst of combat – they can make an Opposed Check to resist: the creature’s [Wis + Class level] versus your [Int + Mana Manipulation + Spell level]. Failure means the creature is overwhelmed by the new emotion and will tend to act appropriately. Cone size increased +1% per Spell level.
Special: While casting this Spell, you will feel the desired emotion for 5 s (Fortitude affects this).
Duration: 1 min
Cost: 61 mind SP
Your emotions are taking you over…
+250 XP
Dimensional Hop
Rank: Novice 1
Teleport a single creature to any location in sight range.
Effect: Choose a spot within sight range. You open a portal directly in front of you that allows one creature or object no larger than a standard humanoid to pass through it and land at the spot you’ve chosen. So long as the target location is relatively safe and not magically warded, your portal will always open in the correct spot. If the target location is dangerous or protected magically, the chance of the Spell functioning normally is equal to: your [(Wis + Mana Manipulation + Spell level) / 2], rounded down. If the Spell fails, it will instead open immediately outside the dangerous or warded area.
Note that the portal is bi-directional and will allow only one creature or object of no larger than standard humanoid size to pass through it, from either direction, before collapsing. If no creature passes through it, the portal will last for 5 s before dissipating.
Cost: 141 dimensional SP
It’s just a jump to the front and a step through the hole…
+250 XP
Gravity Well
Rank: Novice 1
Create an area of extreme gravity that slows all creatures within it.
Effect: Choose a spot within sight range. All creatures less than 30’ of this spot are drawn toward the spot as if falling at twice standard speed and take 6 – 11 LP damage when impacting an object in the center (71 – 130). They continue to take half this damage every second as more objects and creatures impact them, until the Spell expires. If the center of the Spell is high in the air, creatures take half damage every second but take additional falling damage when the Spell expires and drops them to the ground. Note that having additional weight and mass does not reduce the damage a creature takes from this Spell, but it may increase the damage that creature does to others upon impact. Armor reduces this damage normally.
Creatures 30’ – 60’ from the center of the Spell instead find their movements reduced to a percent equal to their distance from the Spell – 30%. Thus, a creature at 60’ moves at 30% of their normal rate, one at 45’ moves at 15% speed, and one at 30’ is frozen and unable to move.
Damage is increased by 2% per Spell level.
Duration: 1 min + 1 s per Spell level
Cost: 74 gravitational SP
Oh, what a feeling, I’m falling toward the ceiling…
+250 XP
Mindlink
Rank: Novice 1
Communicate telepathically with a friendly creature.
Effect: Choose one creature that is sentient and friendly to you. By touching the creature, you establish a mental link that allows you both to communicate telepathically across any distance, so long as you are in the same region. Communication is two-way and deliberate; neither party will hear any thoughts or feelings from the other unless they are directed at the linked partner. Creatures may be limited in their ability to communicate by their Intelligence; a creature with low Intelligence might only be able to communicate the simplest emotions or concepts.
Duration: 1 hour.
Channeled Spell: This Spell may be Channeled in order to extend it past its duration, paying the normal SP costs as detailed in your Mana Mastery Skill.
Cost: 35 mind SP
Can you hear me? Let me think a little louder…
+250 XP
Sorcerer Ascendant Ability Successful! Your Spell has spontaneously Evolved!
Spell Created: Great Enthrallment*
Rank: Novice 1
Effect: Choose a single creature in sight range. You take complete control of the creature for the duration of the Spell and can command the creature mentally at any distance. The target can make an Opposed Check to resist this domination: the target’s [Wis + Class level] versus your [Int + Class level + Spell level]. If this Check is failed, the target can make a new Check every 10 s with a cumulative +5 bonus to the Check.
You can command the target to take any action that will not cause them to directly harm themselves and the target will obey unfailingly to the best of their ability.
Once the Spell duration lapses or the target breaks free, they receive a +20 bonus to any further Opposed Check against the same Spell for 24 hours.
Evolved: You receive a +10 bonus to your Opposed Check for this Spell. If the target fails it, they do not receive another Check for the duration of the Spell. You can order the target to take an action that causes them direct harm, but they receive another Check to resist and gain a +20 bonus to that Check. If the Check succeeds, they throw off all effects of this Spell.
Corruption/Redemption: If you cause the target to commit acts that would grant you CP or RP if you performed them yourself, you take CP or RP just as if you had committed the acts and the target does not.
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: 173 domination SP
Channeled Spell: This Spell can be channeled to maintain its effect beyond the normal duration, paying the normal SP cost determined by your Mana Mastery Skill.
You’ll do what I say, because I said so!
+250 XP
Aranos had also spent some time using some of his new Enhanced Mana to tweak his existing Spells, giving them boosts in effectiveness:
Spell Evolutions!
Piercing Bullet^ has become Kinetic Bullet^
Rank: Adept 9
Hurl a compacted bullet of spirit-enhanced and kinetic-driven mana at an enemy, doing elemental and piercing damage to the target.
Effect: Does 18-54 LP damage to a single target within sight range (324-871), +7.5% per Spell level. This is a combination of piercing, air, earth, fire, and water damage and is boosted by spirit mana; immunity to any of these types will reduce damage by 10% (cumulative per immunity type)
Evolved: Reduces the effect of all physical or magical barriers by 100%. Increases Critical Hit chance by 3% per Spell level.
Hollow Point: Add damage of one additional mana type. This does 50% of base damage and increases the SP cost by 50%
Hypersonic: Reduces Dodge and Shield bonuses by 50%. Can strike creatures that are normally immune to projectiles due to a Dodge Ability.
Cost: 110 SP + 3 spirit SP + 2 kinetic SP
I am Death, Destroyer of anthills…
Composite Armor^ has become Arcane Armor^!
Rank: Adept 2
Coat yourself in armor made of compressed layers of Enhanced and Primary mana
Effect: Protects against 1.5 LP of physical, elemental, or Spell damage per 1 SP invested. Can be repaired at a rate of 1 SP per 1 LP restored. SP cost reduced by 1% and LP protection increased by 2% per Spell level
Enhanced: Gives full protection against armor-piercing attacks.
Evolved: All Primary mana or necrotic damage is reduced by 25%. Protects normally against attacks using Enhanced mana, including mind-based attacks.
Cost: Up to 90% of Max SP, 50% of max mind, soul, spirit, and spatial mana.
Sticks and stones won’t touch my bones…
Enhanced Flight* has become Massless Flight^!
Rank: Adept 1
Fly or hover freely with excellent maneuverability
Effect: You can fly at speeds up to twice your True Manipulation Skill, in mph. You can turn in a radius equal to your body length when traveling at velocities less than your True Manipulation Skill in mph; if you are traveling faster than your True Manipulation Skill in mph, this radius increases by 50%; it rises by 100%, or double the turning radius, when you are moving at twice your True Manipulation Skill in mph, your maximum velocity. Max speed increased and turning radius decreased by 1% per Spell level.
Enhanced: Your max velocity is three times your True Manipulation Skill. Your turning radius at three times your True Manipulation Skill is increased by 150%. Max speed increased and turning radius decreased by 2% per Spell level.
Evolved: Your max velocity is five times your True Manipulation Skill. Your base turning radius is half your body length and increases by 50% at twice your True Manipulation Skill, 100% at three times your Skill, 150% at four times your Skill, and 200% at five times your Skill.
Cost: 350 SP + 5 gravitational SP
Channeled Spell: This Spell can be channeled for 25 SP / s and 1 gravitational SP / min to maintain flight. Increasing speed to double your True Manipulation Skill doubles the base SP cost, triple speed triples the cost, and so on. The gravitational SP cost is not increased by increasing your speed.
I float through the air, with a fair bit of unease…
Aura of Movement^ has become Zone of Speed^!
Rank: Student 4
Effect: You suffuse an area 45’ in radius with life and kinetic magic. All allies in this radius gain a bonus to their movement speed up to [Int / 2 + Spell level x2] %. This bonus is lost if they move beyond the radius of the Spell for any reason. This does not increase attack or casting speed.
Channeled Spell: This Spell must be channeled to be maintained, reducing the caster’s SP regen by 50% of the boost percentage (so a 30% boost reduces SP regen by 15%.) Maintaining the Spell requires 1 kinetic SP per min.
Cost: 325 SP + 4 kinetic SP
Try and keep up with me!
He had also begun creating a few larger, more complex Spells that he hadn’t completed, yet. One was a larger version of his Wave of Emotion; it would cover an entire battlefield and instill fear and panic on enemies while boosting the morale of allies. Another created a zone of telekinesis, allowing him to move any objects within that zone using his mind for the duration of the Spell, while a third combined kinetic, gravitational, and dimensional mana to create an area where space itself was, in all honesty, totally messed up. Gravity would increase and decrease randomly, portals to nearby locations popped up throughout the space, and sudden bursts of force would hurl enemies in every direction. That Spell was meant to be one of his ambush Spells; it looked like it would take a lot of spatial mana – more than he could easily cast without converting a large chunk of his standard SP, at least – so it would be better cast slowly and left hanging.
When he finally emerged from the training room, most of the others were out of sight. A quick glance at his party status showed that none of them were in trouble, so he assumed they’d found training rooms of their own. Hector and Meridian were still out in the main area, though, sitting at a table and chatting. From how close they were sitting and the way they seemed to occasionally brush one another, Aranos was hesitant to intrude, but as he emerged, Hector waved to him and beckoned the younger man over. Aranos obligingly walked over and took a seat at the table opposite the pair, stretching his sore back as he did so.
“Have a good training session?” Hector asked, his eyes twinkling. “Or did you just need a nap? That’s a lot of groaning for somebody who’s supposed to have been training.”
Aranos snorted. “That’s your training, not mine. You train by waving sharp things around and trying to learn how to do that better than the other guy. I train by sitting down, meditating, and trying to puzzle out how to turn a life sprite into a baratmu or a sitchie. Oh, and working out how to give you an inherent resistance to magic. It’s easier on the arms but rough on the back.”
“Wait, did you figure out how to help Sparky?” Meridian asked, leaning forward excitedly. “Can you – I mean, will you…?”
Aranos held up a hand, his chuckle mirroring Hector’s. “I think so, although you have to decide how you want Sparky to Evolve. From what I can see, a life sprit
e can Evolve down one of two paths, depending on its nature and the actions it takes as a sprite. You’ll have to pick which one to do, and I won’t be able to cast the Spell. I’ll have to teach it to you.”
“Me?” Meridian asked doubtfully. “I can’t cast the kind of stuff you can, though. Heck, I can’t even get new Spells unless I improve my bond with my totem spirit!”
Aranos nodded. “That bond is why you have to cast the Spell, and I’m pretty sure I can teach it to you. I can barely cast it, and it’s not very effective when I do, but your bond should boost it to the point that Sparky can Evolve.”
Meridian looked unconvinced but shrugged. “So, what are my choices?”
“The two options are the sitchie and the baratmu. A sitchie is kind of like a white bird with a human face and legs, about the size of a large crow. They’re all about healing and regeneration; they’ve got auras of healing and peace and no way to physically attack someone except through light magic. A baratmu is a white, furry snake about 3’ long. They’ve got poisonous bites, an aura that damages Shadowborn, and they generate fear in creatures of the Dark.”
Meridian rested her chin in her hands, her eyes lost in thought. “So, it’s a kind of specialization,” she reasoned. “Do I focus more on healing or more on battle? I’m guessing if I take the sitchie – and I’m leaning that way because even the name sounds cute – my heals will get better but my damage will get worse. And vice-versa for the baratmu.”
Aranos shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you,” he admitted. “That makes sense, but you know how your Class works way better than I do.”
Meridian glanced over at Hector. “What would you pick?”
Hector’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Why do you care what I’d pick?”
“I don’t, I’m just curious. Are you the gentle, nurturing bird-guy, or the aggressive snake-man?”
Hector laughed. “I can be both, depending on my mood, but if I had to pick?” He touched his axe. “Look what I chose for a weapon. Not particularly gentle or subtle. I’d go for the snake.”
“Aggressive. I like it,” Meridian purred. She looked back at Aranos, who was barely refraining from rolling his eyes. “Hey, we put up with you and stabby elf-girl. You can do the same.” She grinned at the Sorcerer, ruining the rebuke. “So, when do I decide?”