Min/Max Boards

Well, it's the spring break of my senior year of college.  Should be a time to kick back and relax, no?

No.  I have assignments--a decent chunk of reading, a four-page paper proposal, and various other tasks.  Not a big deal, really--I mean, I always have work assigned over break.

Ah, but this time--by decree of maternal tyrant--I must spend eight hours every day working on job applications.  From when I wake up to when we eat dinner.  The fact of the matter is that I now have less free time than I do when at school.  Which is, you know, aggravating.

That is, unfortunately, just the tip of it.  I have a steady girlfriend of about two and a half years, and none of the jobs for which I am qualified are in the same town as her.  We've already been long-distance for a year and a half, and the closest I've found thus far is two hours away.  Apart from my own desire to see her, I know that she will melt down if we have to push the long-distance thing any further.  She's threatened to transfer institutions, and I really don't want to fuck up her graduate program.  She's already jumped ship once, after finding herself dreadfully unhappy with one university's program.  I don't want her to transfer again just for me, but I'm having difficulties finding any opportunities in her location that are at all viable for long-term security.

On top of that, the more I look into jobs, the more that I realize that I will enjoy none of them.  I don't like being intellectually challenged in my work.  I prefer mindless tasks, things that I can do without pressing my brain.  As a graduate from a high-ranked liberal arts college, though, I doubt that I'm going to find many options like that.  Last summer, I interned at a public relations firm that wasn't too bad, but that's partially because I contrived to make myself seem especially useful at bitch work, and volunteered to take it on whenever possible.  But, no matter the task, I know that I won't actively enjoy my job.  Even hobbies get stressful for me if they must be done--things that I do for fun, I do when I have the urge and the muse.  For example, writing homebrew for a living would quickly kill any enthusiasm I ever had for the task, since I'd be forced to write things even when I had nothing to write, so I'd never get to the state of enjoyable inspiration.

These issues are compounded by my relationship with my mother, who has raised me to be a perfectly fine young man who never questions authority--especially not hers.  She pushes me into doing certain things, and I simply don't have any mechanism for fighting back.  On one occasion, I very much wanted to stay in for the night, doing nothing.  She said that I should call one of my friends and see if he wanted to hang out.  I ended up on the floor, clinging to a chair, crying and screaming at her that I wanted to spend the night by myself.  I ended up calling him and spending the evening with him.  So, when she says that I need to apply for jobs in a certain type of bracket, and that location shouldn't matter, it is almost impossible for me to do anything to influence the outcome.

But all of this simply flows around the central problem, the reason that I suspect that I'm depressed, rather than stressed.  I have to deal with at least sixty more years of this shit.  No, not my mother.  Not job applications.  Not worrying about location.  But life.  This one has actually been a pretty strong current for as long as I can remember, but it's really being brought to the forefront with all these factors contributing.

I want to die.

Not immediately, necessarily--though, today, I figured out exactly how I would kill myself if I chose to do so.  But, you know, at some point.  Preferably sooner, rather than later.  I'm twenty-one years old and I already view death as a peaceful rest, rather than something to be feared.  It's inviting, rather than terrifying.  Whenever people start talking about medical advances, I sigh heavily.  Whenever people talk about the possibility for humans to live forever, I start to get sick to my stomach.  If we ever get to the point at which death by natural causes becomes obsolete, I will commit suicide.  Probably more or less immediately.

And, with all this shit swirling around me, and death as something to look forward to, it's getting increasingly hard to come up with a reason to care about myself.  Eventually--though not soon enough--I'll die, and all the bullshit will be done with.  I'll finally get to be at peace.  In the meantime, though, I have to deal with all this bullshit.  And bullshit it is.  Because, other than death, I cannot think of a single thing to actually look forward to.

It's getting damned hard to move towards ataraxia.  I had a grip on it for a while, but I seem to be losing it again.

I was first introduced to D&D a little over two years ago, joining a group with an experienced DM and a party of varying experience levels.  I caught on quickly, and--as the DM at the time really wanted a chance to play in something, rather than only DM--I ended up running the next campaign.  Since then, I've almost always been DMing.  I try to be a good DM, and put fun ahead of everything else.  Yet I am guilty of a sin that I have seen decried in many places: I bullshit magic.

D&D has a lot of spells.  A lot.  While most deal with combat, there are also a decent amount of non-combat effects.  So, realistically, I should be able to model most scenarios using published spells.  For some reason, however, I tend to just handwave out-of-combat effects for NPCs.

The event that really made me start thinking about this occurred this past Tuesday, in the most recent session of my current game.  The NPC currently traveling with the party uses a homebrew magic system written by my roommate.  At one point, tidings from home upset one of the PCs so much that she nearly left the party to go back.  Upon realizing the distance that she would have to travel, however, she turned to the NPC and demanded either magical transport or some way of seeing what was going on at home.  In my usual bullshit fashion, the NPC spun an enormous web, then enchanted it to serve as a temporary scrying display.  In the course of events, the display was modified to allow the PC to speak with one of the people in her village.

After the session, Hanako noted with amusement that the NPC had to be into epic advancement, since the actual effects I described weren't possible within the magic system.  Not even remotely, in fact.  As I boggled, Hanako also pointed out that the party can always tell when I'm using an actual spell or spell-like ability out of combat, as I tend to ask if anyone has Spellcraft.

The thing is, I'm not sure exactly how much of a problem this is.  While D&D is an incredibly structure-based system, in which every ability and capacity is codified, there are some small allowances that can be justified.  A guy who can throw fireballs at-will should be able to light a fire without flint and tinder, even if nothing says he can.  And I am very strict in combat.  I always stick to creatures' listed abilities and qualities--barring slight tweaking to account for any disconnect between my estimation of the party's offensive and defensive capabilities and their actual capabilities.  I only ever use bullshit in combat scenarios in two cases.  The first case is Plot Magic, which the party is usually previously aware of--indeed, more often than not, the Plot Magic is being used by the players themselves.  The second case is a little bit more fluid, but basically breaks down to "Well, [Player Name], that thing that you just asked or suggested is either: (a) entirely reasonable and not game breaking OR (b) so damn beautiful that it just has to happen."  The second case is almost always to the players' advantage, unless they've been kicking the encounter's ass and someone just pointed out something awesome that could happen to make the fight more interesting.

So, the combat sphere is sacred.  Outside of combat, however, anything goes.  I usually have one or more NPCs traveling with my parties, primarily to serve as mouthpieces to answer questions or possibly provide nudges in the right direction.  I almost never stat these NPCs, and they never participate in combat.  Encounters are for the players to enjoy, and adding an extra party member's turn makes rounds longer for no real benefit.  However, the NPCs usually have access to some type of magic, and that can see liberal use.  I never invoke their nebulous and mysterious powers to out-do the party--if someone in the party is a diviner, for instance, no NPC will ever use a single divination ability unless the party is specifically seeking out a great seer.  If someone in the party is a Big Dumb Fighter who wants to break down the sealed doors, the NPC won't happen to have an ability that opens the way.  However, if the party is sent to the City of Brass to capture a specific efreeti, a fire mage NPC might use his powers to create shackles from the surrounding metal--though only after the party has subdued their would-be captive.  Or a particularly impatient bureaucrat might gesture at the loud and talkative child and magically silence her and her alone, despite that not being how silence works.  In some cases, of course, an NPC will have certain abilities that lie outside the party's domain.  If the traveling NPC is a member of a specific magical discipline that regularly employs a portal network, the NPC will be capable of transporting the party through those portals, while the actual party members might not.

The opposition also has bullshit non-combat magic, though, and that's where I think the potential problems lie.  Perhaps a powerful mage is capable of teleporting in or out at a moment's notice, or perhaps some massive effect is triggered by Evil achieving a specific part of the plot.  I try to be sporting about these--if someone in the party notes that the effect is remarkably similar to Effect X, and they have Ability Y that interacts with Effect X in Manner Z, I'll allow it.  Even if they don't have examples or precedence, a fairly reasonable "Wait, my ability says...so does that mean...?" will often get an affirmative.  But the fact remains that, all justification aside, I just made up a Plot Magic.  Indeed, letting Ability Y interact with the thing in Manner Z is really only making up more bullshit.

I am nothing if not balanced in my bullshitting, mind you.  If a party member has an ability that feels relevant to the current non-combat situation, even if the rules have nothing to say on the matter, I'll often let them achieve a bullshit effect.  Realistically, manifesting mind link on a comatose individual whose dreaming mind was captured by the spreading intrusion of the Far Realm into Dream should do something.  I never use this to screw over the players, mind you.  Unless they are know that they are doing something really, really stupid--in which case, they usually acknowledge ahead of time that they'll have no one to blame but themselves--such bullshit is always beneficial.

So, for those of you who are still here, my question basically boils down to: Exactly how problematic is bullshit magic in the context of DMing?  It does tend to cater somewhat to those with less system mastery, as they are penalized less for their lack of knowledge.  At the same time, those who enjoy out-thinking the DM and implementing clever plans can find themselves stymied, as the bullshit magic may not follow the rules they expect it to.

I'm curious to see what people think.

Chapter 3: Classes
Those who wield magic in its primal form are known as spellshapers.  Rather than relying on the use of spells, spellshapers shape raw magic into powerful attacks and other forms.  Through the use of formalized somatic gestures known as arcane formulae, spellshapers can modify their basic attack forms into potent magical effects.
   The six spellshaping classes are the anchorite, elemental adept, impulse mage, savant, spellsage, and spellshape champion.  These six classes are summarized below.
   Anchorite: An introspective spellshaper whose power stems from self-realization and meditation, the anchorite possesses the unique ability to adopt aspects of the circles to which she has access.  As she learns more about herself, her magic grows more powerful and the aspects that she adopts become more complete.
   Elemental Adept: An elemental adept gains his powers through his bond to one of the four elements.  This devotion grants the adept unmatched talent with the circles associated with his chosen element, as well as an elemental companion that aids him in battle.
   Impulse Mage: Sometimes called mad casters, impulse mages act in the moment, without thinking about what has happened or what may come to pass.  Rather than carefully strategizing, she shapes her formulae as they occur to her, without any real plan.
   Savant: A wandering scholar with a thirst for knowledge, the savant does not focus his studies on any one topic.  Instead, he learns from as many fields as he can, granting him power both through his spellshaping and through the knowledge itself.
   Spellsage: A spellsage is an exemplar of complete mastery of one's inherent magical abilities.  Though he lacks the focus of the anchorite or elemental adept, a spellsage can learn more formulae than any other spellshaper, and he supplements these abilities with a rudimentary talent with spells.
   Spellshape Champion: Wielding his weapons with supernatural skill, the spellshape champion channels his magic through melee attacks.  Though he cannot shape his formulae from afar, his powerful attacks and quick recovery of formulae more than make up for that deficiency.


Anchorite


Elemental Adept


Impulse Mage


Savant


Spellsage


Spellshape Champion

So, as I searched desperately for a new name for homebrew class, I realized that there's no generic fantasy term for the concept of a gish.  The archetype is there, all right, but it has no general name.

For magic-users, we have a slew of generic words: mage, witch, wizard, sorcerer, and so on.  Some of these are class names, yes, but they make sense as things to say in-universe.  For example, a commoner can refer to a "mighty wizard" that lives in a nearby tower.  Hell, even if the character sheet doesn't say wizard, such statements make sense and are acceptable.

For melee characters, we have fewer words, but still some terms: warrior, champion, and even fighter.  Contextually, you can have combatant and other words.  There are also some specifics bouncing around: the word "knight" clearly evokes a melee-type character, but it's more accurately a representation of a profession than a training.

Gishes, however, have no generic term that I've been able to call to mind.  There are specifics--paladins, for instance--but those are often restrictive in their definition.  In a game in which paladins exist, one wouldn't think of using "paladin" to refer to a fighter who just happens to be religious.  Hell, the word "gish" itself was originally pretty specific: a Githyanki fighter/wizard.

While gish is a fine word, and a very useful one away from the table, it can't exactly be introduced in the standard game universe.  Gishes tend to be referred to as mages or warriors.  Sometimes, a hyphenated "mage-warrior" is used.

Maybe I'm a stickler, but I really think that it could be worthwhile to come up with a good, campaign-transcending word for the gish.  Anyone have any ideas?

So, a while ago, I became disillusioned with Colossal creatures.  Sure, it was fun plunking a box set of The Silmarillion on CD onto the table when my party faced the Tarrasque--the box was actually perfectly six squares to a side--but...they just didn't seem that big.  Six squares to a side?  Not even as big as a building!

Well, I started thinking about it today, and I realized that I need to start making smaller buildings.

A Colossal creature takes up a space that is 30 feet to a side.  That's 900 square feet, or roughly the size of a two-bedroom apartment.  That's pretty nice, considering that we're just talking about this thing's standing space.

So, simply by standing, this thing takes up enough space for two humans to live in comfortably.  On top of that, the minimum height for a Colossal biped is listed as 64 feet.  Doesn't sound like much, does it?  I mean, compared to that two-bedroom apartment...

Well, apparently, that's roughly the height of a five-story building.  Now, think about that for a moment.  In the standard medieval setting, you mostly have villages and a few keeps.  Five stories is far higher than anything in a village, and few castle keeps exceeded five floors.  From what I remember from my medieval history course, most castles would probably be around three or four.  Now, their stories might be taller than those of a modern building, but the point is that this thing stands in a space larger than the average commoner's hut and is around the same height as the lord's keep.

Maybe this isn't news for anyone else, but I had never really thought about the translation of size.  I had just thought: "Oh, 30 feet.  That's, what, six times as large as a human?  Feh."

Never again will I make that mistake.  This has had a serious impact on the way that I view creatures on the battlemat.


Has anyone else had one of these moments of realization?  Share your stories, if you have them!

Elemental
Elementals are incarnations of the elements that compose existence.  They are as wild and dangerous as the forces that birthed them.

Combat
Elementals have varied combat abilities and tactics, but all have the same elemental qualities.

Spellshot Marksman
"Go ahead and run.  It'll be funny."
--Maaya Vangren, spellshot marksman

Much as a spellshape champion channels magical potential through weapons in close combat, the spellshot marksman wields her power through ranged weapons.  Training simultaneously as a magic-user and a ranged combatant, a spellshot marksman imbues her every shot with magic, devastating enemy fighters without ever allowing them to approach.
   While spellsages and other spellshapers might view her reliance on a ranged weapon as a deficiency, mastery with such a weapon allows a spellshape marksman greater precision and control than any other spellshaper.  Though she may look like a simple archer, her ability to shape formulae at a distance and with her unparalleled skill with her chosen weapon make a spellshot marksman a force to be reckoned with.

Making a Spellshot Marksman
The spellshot marksman is an unusual character, combining spellshaping prowess with a mastery of ranged weapons.  Her magical abilities set her apart from common archers, while her reliance on a weapon makes her an oddity among spellshapers.  However, these idiosyncrasies are far from a disadvantage: a spellshot marksman's magic allows her to perform supernatural maneuvers with her weaponry, while her use of a ranged weapon allows her to shape her formulae against foes from a greater distance than most spellshapers.
   Abilities: Your two most important ability scores are Dexterity and Intelligence, which govern your ranged attacks and your spellshaping, respectively.  A high Charisma score can also be helpful in allowing you to take full advantage of your command projectile ability, and the extra hit points from a high Constitution score are always desirable.
   Races: As the magical talent necessary to practice spellshaping can be found in members of nearly every race, a spellshot marksman can belong to any race that is not entirely cut off from arcane energies.  Spellshot marksmen are especially common in regions where hunting for food is the norm.
   Alignment: Spellshot marksmen tend towards no specific alignment.  The precision and care required to effectively wield a ranged weapon is more common among those of a lawful world-view, but the combination of magic and weaponry is a concept that buds more often in the minds of the chaotic.
   Starting Gold: 4d4x10 (100 gp).
   Starting Age: As ranger.
   Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Formulae Known	Formulae Prepared
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Careful aim (+1, +10 ft.), spellshot channeling	3	3
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Uncanny dodge	4	3
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Evasion	5	4
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Careful aim (+2, +20 ft.), command projectile	6	4
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Opportunity shot 1/day	7	4
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Imbued shots	8	5
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Ammunition mastery	9	5
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Careful aim (+3, +30 ft.)	10	6
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	--	11	6
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Opportunity shot 2/day	12	6
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	--	13	7
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Careful aim (+4, +40 ft.)	14	7
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	--	15	8
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Countershot	16	8
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Opportunity shot 3/day	17	8
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Careful aim (+5, +50 ft.)	18	9
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	--	19	9
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Free movement	20	10
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	--	21	10
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Careful aim (+6, +60 ft.), opportunity shot 4/day	22	11

   Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Rope (Dex)

   Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a spellshot marksman, you are proficient with all simple weapons and with martial and exotic ranged weapons.  You are also proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
   As a spellshot marksman, you can shape formulae while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.  However, like any other arcane spellcaster, you incur a chance of arcane spell failure when wearing medium or heavy armor or when using a shield.  This only applies to the formulae you know as a spellshot marksman, and you might incur arcane spell failure chance for formulae received from other spellshaper classes.

   Formulae: You begin your career with knowledge of three arcane formulae.  You have access to three circles of your choice, which you select at 1st level.
   Once you know a formula, you must prepare it before you can use it (see Formulae Prepared, below).  A formula usable by a spellshot marksman is considered a spell-like ability unless otherwise noted in its description.  Unlike most other spell-like abilities, arcane formulae are subject to arcane spell failure chance, as described in Weapon and Armor Proficiency above.  The save DC for a formula that allows a save is 10 + formula level + your Intelligence modifier.
   You learn additional formulae at  higher levels, as shown on the class table.  To learn or shape a formula, you must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the formula level, as well as meeting the formula's prerequisite.  See page 36 of The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles to determine the highest-level formula you can learn.
   Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered spellshot marksman level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new formula in place of one you already know.  In effect, you lose the old formula in exchange for the new one.  You can choose a new formula of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level formulae you know; you need not replace the old formula with a formula of the same level.  For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, or 4th-level formula for a formula of 5th level or lower.  You can swap only a single formula at any given level.

   Formulae Prepared: You can prepare all three of the formulae you know at 1st level, but as you advance in level and learn more formulae, you must choose which formulae to prepare.  You prepare your formulae by meditating and exercising for 5 minutes.  The formulae you choose remain prepared until you decide to meditate again and change them.  You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to prepare your formulae; any time you spend 5 minutes in meditation and exercise, you can change your prepared formulae.
   You begin an encounter with all of your prepared formulae unexpended, no matter how many times you might have already used them since you chose them.  When you shape a formula, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your prepared formulae can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).
   You can recover your expended formulae by using a move action to quickly meditate.  Doing this does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  If you complete your meditation, you recover all of your expended formulae, with the exception of any that you shaped in the current round.  If you have not shaped any formulae in the current round, you instead recover all of your expended formulae with the exception of any that you shaped in the previous round.
   In addition, once per encounter, you can change your prepared formulae with a swift action.  However, changing your prepared formulae in this way leaves all of your formulae expended--even those that had already been prepared.

   Careful Aim (Ex): You can aim your shots with uncanny precision, allowing you to strike well-defended and distant foes.  You gain a +1 competence bonus on all ranged attacks and a 10 ft. increase to your range increment with all ranged weapons as long as you have not moved since the beginning of your last turn.  These bonuses increase to a +2 competence bonus and a 20 ft. increase at 4th level, a +3 competence bonus and a 30 ft. increase at 8th level, a +4 competence bonus and a 40 ft. increase at 12th level, a +5 competence bonus and a 50 ft. increase at 16th level, and a +6 competence bonus and a 60 ft. increase at 20th level.
   The competence bonus only applies to ranged attacks made against enemies that you have been able to see since the beginning of your last turn.  If you have the Far Shot feat, apply the increase to your range increment after the benefits of the feat.
   You lose this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.  If you gain the careful aim ability from another class, the bonuses stack.

   Spellshot Channeling (Sp): As a spellshot marksman, you have the ability to shape magical energy into attacks with a ranged weapon.  You learn to use the three spellshape attacks associated with the circles to which you have access.  However, unlike other spellshapers, you cannot simply manifest these energies freely.  Instead, you channel this energy into a ranged weapon and shape your formulae through arrows, bolts, or bullets.
   Once per round during your turn, you can channel a spellshape attack into a ranged or thrown weapon as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  Until the end of your turn, your ranged attacks with that weapon deal their damage as the damage type of the spellshape attack of your choice.  This damage is equal to your normal ranged damage, and you still gain all the normal benefits from feats and other effects that increase your ranged weapon damage.  If the spellshape attack you are channeling normally allows spell resistance, you must succeed on a shaper level check in order to damage a creature with spell resistance with your attack.  If you fail to overcome a creature's spell resistance, your attack deals normal weapon damage, but any channeled formula fails to affect your target.  You otherwise attack with your weapon as normal, and you do not gain any bonuses on your attack roll from the channeled spellshape attack.
   When channeling a spellshape attack through a ranged weapon, you may treat attacks with that weapon and its ammunition as though they were made with the spellshape attack for the purpose of shaping major and minor formulae.  Shaping a formula in this way provokes attacks of opportunity normally.  When shaping a formula in this way, you can use your weapon to complete the formula's somatic components.
   Though you do not shape them in the same way as other spellshapers, you still possess a basic knowledge of your spellshape attacks, and are treated accordingly for the purposes of learning formulae and qualifying for feats or prestige classes.  If an ability refers to the damage that you would deal with a spellshape attack, it refers to the damage that you would deal with that spellshape attack according to your shaper level and any feats or class features that increase a spellshape attack's damage, such as the Spellshape Focus feat.  Additionally, if a feat or class feature would add damage or an effect to one of your spellshape attacks, you deal that extra damage or apply that effect with any attack that channels that spellshape attack.
   If you learn a new spellshape attack, such as from a prestige class, you can shape that spellshape attack normally or channel it through your weapon as you choose.

   Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, you cannot be caught flat-footed and react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so.  See the barbarian class feature, page 26 of the Player's Handbook.

   Evasion (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, you can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save.  See the monk class feature, page 41 of the Player's Handbook.

   Command Projectile (Su): When you reach 4th level, you gain the ability to exert your will on projectiles that you fire.  As a free action following a ranged attack, you can choose to command your projectile, keeping it aloft and allowing it to follow impossible trajectories.
   A commanded projectile is not destroyed, even if it hits its target.  Instead, it remains in the air under your command.  You can make attacks and channel spellshape attacks and formulae through the projectile as though you were firing it normally, except that you determine range, cover, and other combat modifiers as though you were firing the projectile from any square adjacent to the projectile's most recent target.
   You may only command one projectile at a time, and you can only maintain control for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier.  Maintaining control of a commanded projectile is a free action.  You can abandon a commanded projectile at any time as a free action, destroying the projectile in the process. 

   Opportunity Shot (Su): Once per day beginning at 5th level, when a creature within 60 feet performs an action that would normally provoke attacks of opportunity, you can take an immediate action to channel the energies of a spellshape attack through your weapon and use a ranged attack to deliver an arcane formula, as with your spellshot channeling ability.  You may only shape a single formula, and it must be directed against the creature that performed the provoking action.
   You can use this ability twice per day at 10th level, three times per day at 15th level, and four times per day at 20th level.

   Imbued Shots (Su): Starting at 6th level, you imbue every projectile that you fire with the force of your personality.  You add your Charisma modifier as a bonus on damage rolls with all ranged weapons.

   Ammunition Mastery (Ex): When you reach 7th level, you master the art of loading and reloading ranged weapons.  The time required for you to reload any ranged weapon that you carry is reduced to a free action, no matter how long it normally takes to reload such a weapon.  You may fire such a weapon as many times in a full attack as you could attack if you were using a bow.
   You lose this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

   Countershot (Ex): Starting at 14th level, your skills with ranged weaponry allow you to counter the ranged attacks of your foes.  Once per round when you would normally be hit with any ranged attack (including spells or abilities that require ranged touch attacks), you may make an attack with your own ranged weapon at your highest base attack bonus.  Use the higher of your AC or your attack roll as your effective AC against the incoming attack, using the full result of your attack roll even against touch attacks.
   Countering a ranged attack in this way takes no action.  You can't use this ability if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC against your attacker, or if you are wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load.

   Free Movement (Ex): At 18th level and higher, you can slip out of bonds, grapples, and even the effects of confining spells easily.  This ability duplicates the effects of a freedom of movement spell, except that it is always active.  You lose this benefit when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

Playing a Spellshot Marksman
While you must train carefully in order to master both your magic and your weaponry, you are not possessed of the single-minded drive of most spellshape champions.  As you fight from a great distance, you must be able to analyze the whole battlefield quickly, leading you to a very open-minded approach to most problems.  Though you cannot make attacks without your weapon, your ability to do so from far away allows you to remain safe from even the most monstrous of foes.
   Your motivations are often personal, rather than ideological.  While you certainly don't mind fame and renown, you do not charge into action simply in order to hear the bards sing your name.  Instead, you look out for yourself and your well-being.  Just as you fire your projectiles with pin-point accuracy, you precisely plan events to suit your needs.

Religion
The path of the spellshot marksman is not ideologically restrictive, so you can pursue religion--or not--as you choose.  Of those spellshot marksmen who do actively worship gods, most revere Wee Jas, Boccob, or Vecna out of gratitude for their magical gifts.

Other Classes
While spellsages view you as foolish and spellshape champions might view you as unwilling to commit to the warrior's path, you get along well with most other spellshapers.  In general, you are friendly towards those who are friendly towards you, as you are more interested in the individual than in their ideology.

Combat
Your fighting style is mostly defensive in nature, as you can stay far out of your enemies' range.  However, you are most effective when not moving, so keeping a close eye on your surroundings at all time is of paramount importance.  Enemies that attempt to sneak up on you during combat may have an easier time of doing so, as you will not be moving very much.
   Your careful aim ability allows you to make accurate shots at great distances, so make the most of the advantage that it gives you.  While other spellshapers must be within a few dozen feet in order to connect with their attacks, a high-level spellshot marksman with the right weapon can make shots from nearly half a mile away.

Advancement
Spellshot marksmen have no institutions, and only rarely does a master take on a student.  For the most part, you must see to your own training, perfecting your skills on your own.  In time, your natural talents and quick wits will lead you to mastery of your art.
   Invest skill points in keeping your Listen and Spot skills high, as you must always be aware of your surroundings.  You would also do well to take feats that enhance your skills with your ranged weapon, such as Precise Shot.  Finally, always be sure that your weapon of choice is the best that you can obtain, as you will rely on it heavily.

Spellshot Marksmen in the World
“So, she aims at the apple on my head and fires, right?  I hear a crunch, then a scream.  Turns out, there was an assassin on the other side of the wall.  Looked kind of funny with the apple speared on the arrow in his eye.”
—Gendo Moonson, traveling bard

Most spellshot marksmen are relaxed, easy-going individuals who are as comfortable firing into combat as they are drinking in the local tavern.  Their situational awareness makes them useful contacts, and their skills in battle make them dangerous enemies.  Though spellshot marksmen are not openly connected to nature in the way that rangers are, they often wander the wilderness, finding a simple joy in hunting for their food.
   The wide range of skills available to a spellshot marksmen make her a useful addition to any party, as she can hold her own in both social settings and physical trails.  While she does not adhere to a strict code, her willingness to compromise and think outside of the box can make her an excellent party leader.

Daily Life
Spellshot marksmen, more than other spellshapers, are free to do with their time what they wish.  They do not need to train constantly, as spellshape champions do, nor do they feel the need to engage in constant meditation.  Instead, a spellshot marksman often spends her time engaged in one hobby or another, or else seeking out adventure.

Notables
Though most spellshot marksmen do not always actively pursue fame, some have become known for their skills in battle.  Maaya Vangren, a vampire spellshot marksman, was well-known for her deadly skill with a musket, and often chose to carry only a single bullet at a time.

Organizations
Spellshot marksmen, for the most part, prefer to develop their skills on their own.  As such, they have no schools or other centralized body to which they belong.  In rare cases, a master of the craft might train a student, but these relationships are far from the norm.

NPC Reactions
For the most part, common folk tend not to notice spellshot marksmen unless they draw attention to themselves.  A traveller with a bow on her shoulder is far from uncommon, and she is usually treated just like any other adventurer.  Some marksmen, however, put on shows and demonstrations of their skills to impress the populace.  These demonstrations are often popular among the common folk, who are entertained by such feats as arrows changing course midair, targets exploding into flame, and other such tricks.

Spellshot Marksmen Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) can research spellshot marksmen to learn more about them.  When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
   DC 10: Some individuals possess the unique ability to shape arcane formulae through attacks with ranged weapons.  Such individuals are known as spellshot marksmen.
   DC 15: Spellshot marksmen possess uncanny aiming abilities, allowing them to make more precise attacks from greater distances if they remain completely still.
   DC 20: In addition to combining spellshaping with ranged attacks, some spellshot marksmen have demonstrated the unusual ability to exert control over a projectile while it is still in the air, making them incredibly deadly foes.

Spellshot Marksmen in the Game
Spellshot marksmen are an easy addition to any game that uses spellshaping material, as they are a natural progression from the precedent set by the spellshape champion.  As they are prone to wandering, they are easy to introduce to the party in remote locations.  If the party has wronged some powerful person, a spellshot marksman might also show up to collect the bounty on their heads.  In either situation, quick thinking and fast talking can prove to be the difference between a new ally and a bloody combat.

Adaptation
While the spellshot marksman is presented as a generalist class, without any specific views or organizational ties, it could easily be adapted to a campaign setting by aligning it with a particular group or cause.  For example, spellshot marksmen with access to the Natural Balance circle could represent an order of ranger-like figures, who revere nature and employ their skills to defend the natural world.

Ashbound Oracle
"You speak of hope?  Of a better tomorrow?  I have seen what the future holds, friend.  The only hope left to me is the hope that we can change it."
--Demetria Toivonen, ashbound oracle

Ever since sentient beings first arrived at the concept of tomorrow, they have wished to know what it holds.  Through the use of divination, wizards and clerics part the mists of time, peering into the secrets of the future.  Scrying and auguries allow these magic-users to know exactly what the future holds, and to plan accordingly.  However, magic often performs in unexpected ways.  In some cases, for no known reason, individuals without the ability to cast divination spells are assaulted by visions of the end of the world: a hellish, fiery apocalypse.
   After the first vision, these unfortunate adepts continue to be plagued by such flashes of prescience.  The key to their salvation lies in the path of the ashbound oracle: by burning away their own eyes, these emotionally scarred mages can gain a level of control over their visions.  However, this act of self-destruction is only a part of a larger ritual, which further binds the would-be oracle to certain vows.  Many accept these vows readily, glad simply to be free of their hellish torments.  This is only the first step of the oracle's path, however, and only the beginning of the new diviner's journey.
   All initiate ashbound oracles are given knowledge of a simple truth: the future can be changed.  Every vision, no matter how real it may seem, only shows one of many possibilities.  Through her actions, an ashbound oracle can change the future that her ashen vision allows her to see.  However, the vows that allow her to control her visions restrict her abilities: she may only shape her magic through weapons, but she also cannot wear heavy armor.  These restrictions force the oracle to hone her combat abilities if she wishes to effect any change in the future...and every ashbound oracle wants to avert what she has seen.

Becoming an Ashbound Oracle
While most ashbound oracles are driven to their path by uncontrolled visions of the world's end, any individual with the appropriate magical talent can perform the required ritual and take the vows of the ashbound oracle.  However, the decision to remove one's own eyes is not one that most individuals make lightly, and few go through with the ritual unless they are driven to it.  Even among those who are willing to perform such an act, only the strong of body can hope to survive as ashbound oracles.  Those who cannot fight cannot hope to bring change to the future.
   The divinations of an ashbound oracle do not come from her own power.  The ritual and vows conducted by an oracle bind her to the same magic that fuels the apocalyptic visions.  Even those who have never had such visions can bind themselves to this power, gaining the same benefits from its blessing.  While the source of these visions remains unknown, many oracles believe that such knowledge will be gained only when it is already too late to prevent the end.

Entry Requirements
   Base Attack Bonus: +3
   Skills: Listen 4 ranks, Sense Motive 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
   Arcane Formulae: Ability to shape 2nd-level formulae, must know at least three Searing Flame formulae
   Special: Must burn out your own eyes in a special ritual that takes 1 hour


THE ASHBOUND ORACLE         HIT DIE: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Formulae Known	Formulae Prepared	Special
1st	+1	+0	+2	+2	1	0	Ashen eyes (60 ft.), secrets of the ash, spellshape channeling, visions in flame (augury, omen of peril), vow of the ashbound
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+3	1	1	AC bonus, lesser oracle's sight
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+3	1	0	Fire sight (clairvoyance)
4th	+4	+1	+4	+4	1	1	Fire mastery, visions in flame (divination)
5th	+5	+1	+4	+4	1	0	Ashen eyes (90 ft.), figments of smoke
6th	+6	+2	+5	+5	1	1	Fire sight (scrying)
7th	+7	+2	+5	+5	1	0	Visions in flame (commune)
8th	+8	+2	+6	+6	1	1	Greater oracle's sight, wings of flame
9th	+9	+3	+6	+6	1	0	Ashen eyes (120 ft.), fire sight (greater scrying)
10th	+10	+3	+7	+7	1	1	Undying flame, visions in flame (discern location)

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex)

Class Features
All the following are class features of the ashbound oracle.

   Weapon and Armor Proficiency: When you become an ashbound oracle, you gain proficiency with all martial weapons.

   Formulae: At each level, you gain a new formula known from the Searing Flame circle or any other circle to which you have access.  In addition to meeting the formula’s prerequisite, your spellshaping ability score must be equal to at least 10 + the formula’s level in order to learn it.  You add your full ashbound oracle levels to your shaper level to determine your total shaper level and your highest-level formulae known.
   At each even-numbered level, you gain an additional formula prepared per day.

   Ashen Eyes (Su): Though you no longer possess functioning eyes, your divinatory abilities allow you to maneuver and fight just as well as a sighted creature, though with a few limitations.  This oracular vision does not allow you to discern color, though you can perceive fine details normally.
   Your ashen eyes allow you to ignore the normal penalties for being blind.  However, you still automatically fail on Spot checks to see creatures and objects outside the range of your ashen eyes ability, and such creatures and objects still have total concealment against you.  Any effect that would render a creature or object undetectable to creatures with blindsight makes that creature or object undetectable to your ashen eyes.  Unlike most blind creatures, you are affected normally by visual effects, the visual aspects of illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.  However, you are only subject to such effects if you would be able to see them with your ashen eyes ability.
   At first, this ability only allows you to "see" out to 60 feet, but you perceive your surroundings as though you had darkvision.
   When you reach 5th level, your ashen eyes improve, allowing you to "see" out to 90 feet.  In addition, you gain blindsense out to 30 feet.
   At 9th level, your ashen eyes improve once more, allowing you to "see" out to 120 feet.  In addition, the range of your blindsense increases to 60 feet, and you gain blindsight out to 15 feet.


   Secrets of the Ash: As a part of the pact that binds you to fire, you give up other avenues of magic.  When you become an ashbound oracle, you lose the ability to make spellshape attacks associated with any circles other than the Searing Flame circle.  However, you retain the ability to shape and learn formulae from those circles to which you already had access.  When shaping formulae from such circles, you shape them as though they had been altered by the Reshape Formula feat, treating them as though they belonged to the Searing Flame circle.  For the purpose of learning formulae from one of these circles, you are treated as knowing the spellshape attack associated with it.


   Spellshape Channeling (Sp): As a part of your vows, you give up the ability to shape spellshape attacks in the conventional way.  When you become an ashbound oracle, you lose the ability to shape spellshape attacks normally.  In exchange, you gain the ability to channel your arcane attacks into your weapons, allowing you to shape arcane formulae in close combat.
    Once per round during your turn, you can channel a spellshape attack into a melee weapon as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.  This can be a manufactured weapon, a natural weapon, or an unarmed strike (in which case your attacks with that unarmed strike are treated as armed for the duration of the effect).  Until the end of your turn, your melee attacks with that weapon deal their damage as the damage type of the spellshape attack of your choice.  This damage is equal to your normal melee damage, and you still gain all the normal benefits from a high Strength score, feats, and other effects that increase your melee damage.  If the spellshape attack you are channeling normally allows spell resistance, you much succeed on a shaper level check in order to damage a creature with spell resistance with your attack.  You otherwise attack with your weapon as normal.
   When channeling a spellshape attack through a melee weapon, you may treat attacks with that weapon as though they were made with the spellshape attack for the purpose of shaping major and minor formulae.  Shaping a formula in this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you are immune to the harmful effects of formulae that you shape in this way.  When shaping a formula in this way, you can use your weapon to complete the formula’s somatic components.
   Though you do not shape them in the same way as other spellshapers, you still possess a basic knowledge of all basic spellshape attacks, and are treated accordingly for the purposes of learning formulae and qualifying for feats or prestige classes.  If an ability refers to the damage that you would deal with a spellshape attack, it refers to the damage that you would deal with that spellshape attack according to your shaper level and any feats or class features that increase a spellshape attack's damage, such as the Spellshape Focus feat.  Additionally, if a feat or class feature would add damage or an effect to one of your spellshape attacks, you deal that extra damage or apply that effect with any attack that channels that spellshape attack.
   If you already possessed the spellshape channeling ability before becoming an ashbound oracle, you instead gain the ability to fully manifest spellshape attacks (see Spellheart Weapons and Spellshape Channeling) through any melee weapon that you hold, as if it were a spellheart weapon.


   Visions in Flame (Sp): As an ashbound oracle, you can catch glimpses of the future by focusing your ashen eyes on a fire.  A number of times per day equal to your class level, you can use augury or omen of peril as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to your shaper level.  In order to use this ability, you must focus on source of fire that is Tiny or larger, which must be within 10 feet of you.
   As you gain levels, you learn to use increasingly more accurate and precise divination abilities.  At 4th level and higher, you can expend two daily uses of this ability to use divination as a spell-like ability.  At 7th level and higher, by focusing on a source of fire that is Medium or larger, you can expend four daily uses of this ability to use commune as a spell-like ability.  At 10th level, by focusing on a source of fire that is Large or larger, you can expend five daily uses of this ability to use discern location as a spell-like ability.

   Vow of the Ashbound: In becoming an ashbound oracle, you adopt certain vows that must not be broken.  You are prohibited from wearing medium or heavy armor, and are forbidden from healing your eyes or regaining your normal vision.  If you ever willingly wear prohibited armor, you lose access to all of your supernatural or spell-like class abilities (including your ashen eyes ability) while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.
   The penalty for restoring your eyes is far more severe: if your eyes are healed or your vision permanently restored, you lose all of your ashbound oracle abilities and may not advance further in levels as an ashbound oracle until you burn out your eyes again in the same 1-hour ritual that a new ashbound oracle performs.  In addition, you must atone for the violation of your vows (as by the atonement spell).

   AC Bonus: As an ashbound oracle, you learn to compensate for your lost sight by sensing attacks before they land, allowing you to avoid even unanticipated attacks.  Starting at 2nd level, you can add your your spellshaping ability modifier (if any) as a bonus to Armor Class, so long as you wear light or no armor, are unencumbered, and do not use a shield.  This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when you are flat-footed.  However, you lose this bonus when you are immobilized or helpless.
   This bonus does not stack with similar AC bonuses.

   Lesser Oracle's Sight (Sp): Starting at 2nd level, your oracular powers grant you the ability to sense nearby spells and see through magical deception.  You benefit from a permanent arcane sight effect, except that the range is restricted to that of your ashen eyes ability.  In addition, you gain the ability to use see invisibility at will as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to your shaper level.

   Fire Sight (Sp) Starting at 3rd level, you can project your mind through fire, allowing you to see distant locations.  By focusing on a source of fire that is Small or larger, you can project your senses to a distant location.  This ability functions like a clairaudience/clairvoyance spell, except that you must concentrate in order to maintain the effect.  You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to twice your shaper level, but these rounds do not need to be consecutive.
   As you advance as an ashbound oracle, you gain increasing mastery with your ability to project your senses.  At 6th level and higher, you can use this ability to mimic the effects of a scrying spell.  You still much concentrate in order to maintain this effect.  Each minute spent scrying in this way counts as only one of your daily rounds of clairaudience/clairvoyance, but you must spend this time in 1-minute increments.
   Starting at 9th level, you can use this ability to mimic the effects of a greater scrying spell, allowing you to use your lesser oracle's sight and greater oracle's sight abilities through the sensor.  You still must concentrate in order to maintain this effect.  Each hour spent scrying in this way counts as only two of your daily rounds of clairaudience/clairvoyance, but you must spend this time in 1-hour increments.

   Fire Mastery: At 4th level, your bond with fire grants you the ability to burn creatures that would normally shrug off your attacks.  Your fireblast attacks, arcane formulae, and other fire effects ignore the resistance to fire of creatures affected by them, and they still deal half damage to creatures with immunity to fire.

   Figments of Smoke (Sp): Starting at 5th level, you can manipulate and control smoke, allowing you to create images.  This ability functions like a major image spell, except that the illusion cannot extend beyond the range of your ashen sight.  In order to use this ability, you must be within 10 feet of a source of fire that is at least Small in size.  You can use this ability at will.
   You can create figments of smoke while using your fire sight ability without breaking your concentration on either effect, allowing you to share the results of your divinations with your allies.

   Greater Oracle's Sight (Sp): When you reach 8th level, you gain the ability to tap into your divinatory powers in order to see through all barriers and deceptions.  As a swift action, you can gain the sight of a greater oracle.  This ability functions like the true seeing spell, except that you also gain the ability to see through solid objects as easily as if they weren't there.  This vision negates concealment, including that caused by fog and the like.  You automatically see through mundane disguises, spot creatures who are simply hiding, or notice secret doors hidden by mundane means.  You can still see solid objects and the like as ghostly outlines, so you can avoid walking into walls and otherwise function normally.
   You can end this effect at any time as a free action.  You can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to your shaper level, but these rounds need not be consecutive.

   Wings of Flame (Su): At 8th level, you gain the ability to conjure and dismiss flaming wings as a free action.  The wings are supernatural effects, attaching themselves to your clothing and armor without damaging them.  Though these wings are formed entirely of flame, they still allow you to fly as though they were wholly solid.
   With these wings, you can fly at a speed equal to your land speed with good maneuverability.  You can fly in light armor, but not when carrying a medium or heavy load.  Flying with the wings takes only as much concentration as walking, leaving you free to shape formulae, make attacks, or take other actions.
   This ability counts as having a fly speed when qualifying for feats such as Flyby Attack (see page 303 of the Monster Manual) and Wingover (see page 304 of the Monster Manual).

   Undying Flame (Sp): When you reach 10th level, you gain the ability to avert your death by vanishing into tongues of flickering flame.  Whenever you would be reduced to 0 hit points or lower by damage, if you are within 30 feet of an open flame, you can take an immediate action to attempt to preserve yourself.  This ability functions like the fiery discorporation power, except that it cannot be augmented.


Playing an Ashbound Oracle
Every morning, you wake up with the certain knowledge that the world is going to end.  You almost certainly do not know how, why, or when this will occur, but your dreams are often filled with visions of a fiery cataclysm.  Whether or not others believe in your visions, you know them to be true.
   Alongside this certainty, however, there is a glimmer of hope: the future can be changed.  By carefully peering through the mists of time, you can alter the course of destiny.  You probably find it wise to plan every action and ponder every possibility before making a decision.  As you know well, the ramifications of a single choice might spell the difference between success or failure.

Combat
Ashbound oracles are restricted in combat both by their limited senses and their oaths.  They can only "see" nearby enemies, and can only channel their magic through their weapons.  If you formerly trained as a spellshape champion, you need only compensate for your blindness and learn to fight without heavy armor.  If, however, you previously shaped your formulae from a distance, you will have to adapt quickly to wielding magic in close combat.  If you cannot effect this change in yourself, the future will refuse your efforts to change it.

Advancement
It is rare that an ashbound oracle chooses her path: in most cases, she is driven to it by fear and horror.  Perhaps you experienced your first vision as a vivid nightmare or an unexpected daydream, or maybe you simply fainted away in the street.  In any case, you found yourself marked by a destiny that most would never dare embrace.  Eventually, you either learned of the ashbound oracles and sought aid from one of their number, or else you destroyed your eyes madly, without any knowledge of the ritual that you were performing.  Once the pain ended, you found yourself able to wield some control over your visions, though you are marked forever by the flames.
   Crucial as your divination abilities are, they require little investment as you become more powerful.  Instead, focus your advancement on your combat abilities, as your blindness puts you at a severe disadvantage.  Focusing on a blend of melee techniques and spellshaping will allow you to become a deadly foe, in spite of all that has happened to you.

Resources
Though ashbound oracles help one another whenever they meet, they belong to no central order or priesthood.  As such, you cannot rely on your fellow oracles to provide you with assistance beyond their individual means.

Ashbound Oracles in the World
"The seer may be mad.  I have often considered--no, hoped for the possibility.  But, if she is not, I must do everything in my power to ensure that the horror she has witnessed never comes to pass."
--Sir Connor, knight of the Golden City

Ashbound oracles are a grim presence in the world, serving as a constant reminder that nothing lasts forever.  No matter how valiantly they strive to avert disaster, they remain plagued by their visions of a burning apocalypse.  While charismatic ashbound oracles might attract followers and form cults, others are driven to wander the land, seeking some way of changing the future.

Organization
Though ashbound oracles all work towards the same goal, their visions are chaotic and uncontrolled.  No single body governs the tormented seers, though there are several orders of ashbound oracles throughout the world.  These orders are often small, focused on one or two powerful oracles that direct their fellows.  It is also common for ashbound oracles to form cults, relying on their followers to support their endeavors.

NPC Reactions
Common folk often treat ashbound oracles with suspicion, viewing them simply as wandering madmen.  In some cases, of course, people might instead accept the views of an ashbound oracle with almost fanatical devotion, viewing her as a chosen prophet.
   Those who know the truth of the oracles' visions might well treat them with respect or deference, honoring the sacrifices that they have made for the good of the world.  Other diviners often find themselves uncomfortable around ashbound oracles, as the oracles' visions come from far beyond the sight of most seers.

Ashbound Oracle Lore
Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) can research ashbound oracles to learn more about them.  When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.

   DC 10: These blind magic-user claim to be touched by a strange current of magic that allows them to see the future.

   DC 15: An ashbound oracle is a spellshaper who is motivated by visions of the future.  Giving up her eyes in exchange for power, she possesses potent offensive magic and powerful divinatory abilities.

   DC 20: Ashbound oracles do not give up their eyes by choice: they are driven to the act of self-mutilation by visions of a future so horrifying that they cannot bear to see the world.  Though their powers of divination are authentic, the source of their visions remains shrouded in mystery.

Ashbound Oracles in the Game
The presence of even a single ashbound oracle can radically change the tone of an existing campaign.  Though, in most cases, the visions afflicting an ashbound oracle will not come to pass in the course of the game, the mere existence of an ashbound oracle means that there is a possibility that the world will someday end, with no one to save it.
   In an adventuring party, ashbound oracles excell at gathering information with their divination abilities.  However, they also quickly learn to overcome their blindness, and can perform well in a variety of combat situations.  The class should appeal to players who enjoy the combat versatility of spellshaping, but also enjoy the tactical advantages of divination magic.  Players who are intrigued by tormented characters can also find much to enjoy in the ashbound oracle class.

Adaptation
While the ashbound oracle is written as a haunted seer of an unwanted future, it could very easily be adapted to any number of different themes.  Perhaps ashbound oracles gain their powers from demonic pacts, sacrificing their eyes in Faustian deals.  Or, in another variant, the ashbound oracles might be the favored seers of a god of fire, burning themselves with his flames in order to see his grand designs.

Living Spellshape
Like water, magic flows and pools throughout the world.  On occasion, nodes of magical energy will spontaneously animate, imbuing basic arcane effects with sentience and life.  Possessing bodies of pure magic and sharp minds, these living spellshapes are dedicated to the pursuit of arcane knowledge and power.
   Though they come into existence randomly, without any discernible pattern, living spellshapes adapt to life quickly.  Capitalizing on their inherent magical nature, they are commonly driven to master the powers from which they are formed, becoming powerful spellshapers.  Living spellshapes have nearly perfect memories, and are often able to recall facts and statements with unusual clarity.  Though they lack proper vision and can only "see" by relying on a combination of nonvisual senses, they are able to read through physical contact with texts--a fact that they attribute to the inherent power of words.

   Personality: Most living spellshapes seem at first to be cold and indifferent, showing little warmth to those around them.  In truth, living spellshapes are capable of great depth of emotion; however, their means of demonstrating such feelings tend towards the intellectual, rather than the openly emotional.  A living spellshape that takes time to explain its theories about the nature of magic and the origin of arcane power to its barbarian companion is demonstrating its friendship and respect for its ally.

   Physical Description: The body of a living spellshape consists of lingering arcane energy, collected into an ooze-like form.  However, living spellshapes often mold their bodies into shapes reminiscent of humanoids, both for the purpose of interaction and because doing so allows them to wear and benefit from magical items normally.  When in its humanoid form, a living spellshape usually reaches a height of 3 feet, and it can weigh anywhere from 8 pounds to 60 pounds, depending on the spellshape attack from which it is formed.
   The precise details of a living spellshape's appearance are dependent on the spellshape attack that forms its body.  A living moonflare seems to be made of silvery light, while a living kinetic blast appears to be formed from liquid glass.  A living sunfire looks like a figure made of pure, golden sunlight, a living rockslam is formed of constantly shifting rock and earth, and so on.

   Relations: Living spellshapes regard members of new races with open curiosity, seeking to understand their natures and ideologies.  However, once the living spellshape believes that it wholly understands a race, it usually treats all members of that race with a certain level of detachment.  Individual living spellshapes all have different attitudes towards the other races of the world, though contact with other living spellshapes and their experiences can revise these attitudes almost instantaneously.

   Alignment: Almost all living spellshapes are neutral, as magic does not distinguish between good and evil.  They are most commonly lawful, as they seek to establish order and consistency in their observations.  However, deviations are not unheard of, and living spellshapes of all alignments can be found.

   Living Spellshape Lands: Living spellshapes have not claimed any lands or territories for their own, as they see little use in forming a nation.  However, there are rumors of distant, almost unreachable libraries that are managed entirely by living spellshapes.  These institutions are said to rival all others, collecting arcane knowledge from across the planes.

   Religion: In most cases, living spellshapes see little purpose in worshipping the gods.  Theirs is an arcane, not a divine, existence.  Those who do worship gods often direct their prayers to the gods of magic.

   Language: Living spellshapes come into existence with knowledge of Common.  Most living spellshapes learn at least one or two other languages in order to read texts and tomes in those tongues.

   Names: Living spellshapes see little use for naming themselves, though they recognize that other creatures need names in order to feel comfortable.  When possible, a living spellshape prefers to go by the name of the spellshape attack from which it is formed.  However, on occasions, a living spellshape will grow attached to a nickname or other designation, adopting that instead.

   Adventurers: Most living spellshape adventurers are often motivated by twin desires for power and knowledge.  These desires are intrinsically linked, as a living spellshape believes that becoming more powerful will lead it to greater understanding of the arcane, and vice-versa.  In other cases, a living spellshape will explore the world as a form of research, seeking some fact or experience that it believes to be the key to arcane power.

Living Spellshape Racial Traits

• +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -4 Dexterity: Living spellshapes possess innate knowledge of magical phenomenon and demonstrate incredible capacities for learning, but their rudimentary bodies often prove difficult to control.
• Ooze: As an ooze, a living spellshape is immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph effects, and stunning.  In addition, living spellshapes are not subject to critical hits or flanking, and, while they eat and breathe, they do not sleep.  Unlike many oozes, a living spellshape is not mindless, nor does it initially possess blindsight (but see primitive vision, below).
• Small: As a Small creature, a living spellshape gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but it uses smaller weapons than a Medium creature does, and its lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters those of a Medium creature.
• Living spellshape base land speed is 20 feet.
• Blind: Living spellshapes are blind, and cannot see in the normal fashion.  As such, a living spellshape is immune to gaze attacks.  Unlike most blind creatures, a living spellshape is affected normally by visual effects, the visual aspects of illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.  However, the living spellshape is only subject to such effects if it would be able to see them with its primitive vision ability.
• Primitive Vision (Ex):  While blind, a living spellshape possesses a number of other senses that, all together, approximate vision.  A living spellshape can see out to 30 feet as if it had darkvision, but possesses no other innate forms of vision.  This vision is black-and-white only, and does not allow the living spellshape to see anything it could not see otherwise.  Invisible objects are still invisible, for example.
     At 5 HD, the living spellshape's darkvision extends out to 60 feet.
     At 10 HD, the living spellshape gains blindsense out to 30 feet.
     At 15 HD, the living spellshape gains blindsight out to 15 feet.
• Amorphous Body (Ex): As an ooze, a living spellshape can pass through holes or narrow openings as small as 2 inches in diameter.  However, worn equipment may not be as fluid, and a living spellshape that completely passes through such an opening drops all equipment that cannot also fit through.
• Spellshape Body (Ex): Every living spellshape is born of one of the basic spellshape attacks, given life and lingering form.  As such, a living spellshape's unarmed strikes deal damage as the damage type of the spellshape attack from which it is formed.  The living spellshape cannot choose to deal its unarmed strike damage as another damage type.
     A living spellshape is considered to be armed even when unarmed--that is, it does not provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents when it attacks them while unarmed.  However, it still gets an attack of opportunity against any opponent that makes an unarmed attack against it.
     This ability counts as the Improved Unarmed Strike feat for the purposes of meeting prerequisites.
• Spellshape Attunement: A living spellshape that takes levels in a spellshaping class must select the circle with which it is associated as one of the circles from which to learn formulae.  This restriction applies only to the first spellshaping class in which the living spellshape takes levels.
• Automatic Languages: Common.  Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Infernal, and Terran.  Due to their magical nature, living spellshapes often pick up languages associated with arcane endeavors.
• Favored Class: Spellsage.  A multiclass living spellshape's spellsage class does not count when determining whether it takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.

Spellsoul Armor
In the same way that arcane spellcasters can imbue items with their spells, some spellshapers possess the ability to infuse items and equipment with spellshape attacks and arcane formulae.  Weapons and armor enchanted in this way, known as spellheart items, contain arcane formulae that can be shaped at a moment's notice.  In attempting to create more powerful spellshaping equipment, some master spellshapers found themselves creating living weapons and armor: spellsoul items.
   While spellsoul weapons are often wielded by spellshape champions, suits of spellsoul armor cannot be worn.  Animated and sentient, these living constructs possess an innate connection to spellshaping magic.  Suits of spellsoul armor are renowned for their wisdom and their combat prowess, and they excel at wielding spellshaping magic offensively.

   Personality: The personality of a suit of spellsoul armor depends heavily on the circle of formulae used in its creation.  For example, those crafted from the powers of the Devouring Shadow circle tend to be more solemn and grave, while those crafted from the Astral Essence circle tend to be philosophical and thoughtful.

   Physical Description: A suit of spellsoul armor is formed from the upper half of a suit of full plate armor, floating roughly two feet above the ground.  The individual appearance of the armor varies from individual to individual, with some having been made from more ornate suits of armor.
   The process that animates a suit of spellsoul armor does not extend to the armor's greaves, leaving them legless.  The armor floats through the air, close to the ground.  Faint amounts of magical energy flow from the bottom of the armor's cuirass, making it appear as though the armor is supported by smoke or magical fire.
   Much like the armor's personality, the exact physical appearance of a suit of spellsoul armor varies depending on the circle of formulae used to craft it.  A suit of spellsoul armor created from the powers of the Searing Flame circle might appear to be made of brass, with burning runes etched into the metal and flame erupting from the bottom of the cuirass.  By contrast, armor crafted from the Perfect Freeze circle might be rimed with frost, with chilling fog emanating from the cuirass.

   Relations: As suits of spellsoul armor are few and far between, each individual pursues relations with other inhabitants of the world on an individual basis.  Though suits of spellsoul armor tend to form close bonds when they meet other members of their race, such bonds rarely evolve into large communities.

   Alignment: Suits of spellsoul armor tend towards neutrality, as the magic that gives them life is not linked to any single world-view.  However, spellsoul armor of all alignments can be found, as different experiences and personalities can lead individuals to radically different ideals.

   Spellsoul Armor Lands: As suits of spellsoul armor are far from common, they have no homeland.  An individual suit of spellsoul armor often feels loyalty to the region or nation in which it was created, but this is not always the case.

   Religion: Few suits of spellsoul armor bother with religion.  They know who created them, and they often know the purpose for their existence.  Of course, those individuals who seek more answers sometimes find them by taking up the cause of one religion or another, but these remain a minority among their kind.

   Language: Suits of spellsoul armor speak Common, a language that they share with their creators.

   Names: As they have no unifying culture, suits of spellsoul armor do not follow any specific naming convention.  However, because they understand the need for names, suits of spellsoul armor often adopt a name related to their creators, the region in which they were created, or some important event.
   Some suits of spellsoul armor view having a name as an important aspect of their existence--a way of defining their lives in terms of their own experience.  Such individuals search long and hard for the perfect name to attach to themselves.  In the meantime, they answer to nicknames, often supplied by their companions.

   Adventurers: All suits of spellsoul armor feel an innate desire to explore the world and accumulate experience.  By adventuring, these individuals seek to gain a greater understanding of existence and their place in it.

Spellsoul Armor Racial Traits

• Living Construct Subtype (Ex): A suit of spellsoul armor is a construct with the living construct subtype.  A living construct is a created being that possesses sentience and free will.  A suit of spellsoul armor is a living construct that combines aspects of both constructs and living creatures, as detailed below.
     Features: As a living construct, a suit of spellsoul armor has the following features.
     — A suit of spellsoul armor derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects.
     Traits: A suit of spellsoul armor possesses the following traits.
     — Unlike other constructs, a suit of spellsoul armor has a Constitution score.
     — Unlike other constructs, a suit of spellsoul armor does not have low-light vision or darkvision.
     — Unlike other constructs, a suit of spellsoul armor is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
     — Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
     — A suit of spellsoul armor cannot heal damage naturally.
     — Unlike other constructs, a suit of spellsoul armor is subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, and death effects or necromancy effects.
     — As a living construct, a suit of spellsoul armor can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs.  Damage dealt to a suit of spellsoul armor can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a suit of spellsoul armor is vulnerable to disable construct and harm.  However, spells from the healing subschool and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage provide only half their normal effect to a suit of spellsoul armor.
     — The unusual physical construction of a suit of spellsoul armor makes it vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally don't affect living creatures.  A suit of spellsoul armor takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if it were wearing metal armor.  Likewise, a suit of spellsoul armor is affected by repel metal or stone as if it were wearing metal armor.  The metal in the body of a suit of spellsoul armor makes it vulnerable to rusting grasp.  The creature takes 2d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half; save DC 14 + caster's ability modifier).  A suit of spellsoul armor takes the same damage from a rust monster's touch (Reflex DC 17 half).
     — A suit of spellsoul armor responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points.  A suit of spellsoul armor with 0 hit points is disable, just like a living creature.  It can only take a single move action or standard action in a round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury.  When its hit points are less than 0 and greater than -10, a suit of spellsoul armor is inert.  It is unconscious and helpless, and it cannot perform any actions.  However, an inert suit of spellsoul armor does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to it, as with a living creature that is stable.
     — As a living construct, a suit of spellsoul armor can be raised or resurrected.
     — A suit of spellsoul armor does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but it can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes' feast and potions.
     — Although living constructs do not need to sleep, a spellsoul armor wizard must rest for 8 hours before preparing spells.
• +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity: The power that gives them life provides spellsoul armor with an innate connection to the spiritual aspects of magic.  However, their heavy bodies lack fine control, and they find it difficult to move with precision.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, suits of spellsoul armor have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Spellsoul armor base land speed is 15 feet.
• Levitation (Su): A suit of spellsoul armor floats roughly two feet above the ground.  Instead of walking, it glides along, unconcerned with the hard earth or difficult terrain.  This levitation also prevents a suit of spellsoul armor from being tripped, and it does not set off traps that are triggered by weight.
     The armor can take normal actions and make normal attacks, and can move at its normal speed (it can even "run" at four times its normal speed).  A suit of spellsoul armor that loses access to this ability falls to the ground and can perform only a single action each round.  A suit of spellsoul armor also falls to the ground when knocked unconscious.
     Starting at 10 HD, a suit of spellsoul armor moves as though under a constant air walk effect.
• Living Armor: The armor used to create a suit of spellsoul armor provides a +8 armor bonus.  This armor is not natural armor and does not stack with other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor).  The armor occupies the same space on the body as a suit of armor or a robe, and thus a suit of spellsoul armor cannot wear armor or magic robes.  A suit of spellsoul armor can be enchanted just as armor can be.  The character must be present for the entire time it takes to enchant it.
     A suit of spellsoul armor is always considered to be wearing heavy armor.  It has a +1 maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, a -5 penalty on all skill checks that armor check penalties apply to (Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Swim, and Tumble), and an arcane spell failure chance of 35%.  Any class ability that allows a suit of spellsoul armor to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for heavy armor lets it ignore this penalty as well.  A suit of spellsoul armor does not gain the benefits of any class feature prohibited to a character wearing heavy armor.
• Spellsoul Attunement: The magic used to create a suit of spellsoul armor provides it with a natural attunement to spellshaping.  A suit of spellsoul armor can make spellshape attacks and shape arcane formulae without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance from its living armor ability.
• Assume Items (Su): Due to its unique construction, a suit of spellsoul armor finds it difficult to wear magic items on its body.  However, the magic that animates spellsoul armor also allows it to integrate other magical items into its body, allowing it to benefit from their effects.
     As a standard action, a suit of spellsoul armor can assume a magical item that would normally be worn on the body, causing the object to meld into its form.  The armor must be holding the item in order to assume it.  Magical items assumed in this way are considered to be occupying their normal body slots, granting their usual benefits and preventing the spellsoul armor from benefitting from other magical items that occupy that slot.  A suit of spellsoul armor can only have assumed a single item that occupies a given body slot at one time.
     A suit of spellsoul armor can remove an assumed item from its body as a standard action, causing it to appear in the armor's hand.  When a suit of spellsoul armor falls inert, all assumed magical items are expelled from its body, falling to the ground in its space.
• Automatic Languages: Common.  Bonus Languages: None.
• Favored Class: Spellshape Champion.  A multiclass spellsoul armor's spellshape champion class does not count when determining whether it takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.