Threshold MagicThresholders take a dim reflection of the real world and warp it to their needs, using the magic of negative space, the gaps in between where reality exists. They do so via the use of shadows, phantasms, and emptiness, places that were once filled with reality, or might be again, but are not now. Or perhaps they use the places of joining, where one aspect of reality touches another, where day meets night and becomes twilight. Whatever the source of their power, thresholders generally follow the same patterns.
General Thresholder InformationThresholders have only a limited amount of power, power that they can invest into thresholds. A gap is a negative space, and usually quite destructive, for when a vacuum is born, life around it rushes to fill the void, and in that rushing, can tear itself apart. A shadow is a reflection of the real, or at least what was once real, most often taken the form of creatures or physical objects, there, and yet not. Phantasms, for their part, are things that were never real, but can feel all too much that way to those afflicted by them.
Much as with others who can manipulate the fabric of reality, thresholders can only manage so much at a given time, and this is usually given as their threshold capacity, which indicates the total number of levels of gaps, shadows, and phantasms that can be in existence at once. Sometimes a thresholder is more skilled with a certain aspect of the world, and so they have an overall threshold capacity and a (for instance) gap capacity. In that case, the thresholder cannot breach either limit.
Creating a gap is generally a swift action, while shadows and phantasms are usually move actions. Certain thresholds can be applied as part of the action of casting a threshold, with each one increasing the action required by one step (move -> standard, standard -> full round, etc.). Cancelling an existing threshold is a move action.
Learning a threshold requires the expenditure of some effort. A thresholder cannot learn a threshold from a given area (gap, shadow, or phantasm), unless they know at least two thresholds from the previous level.
RealityReality is always expressed in a percentage format, representing how far across the threshold from unreality to reality a projection has stepped, or been pushed. A summoned creature that is 20% real, for example, means that an enemy struck by that creature would take only one-fifth (20%) damage from the attack. If the disbelieved attack has a special effect other than damage, that effect is only 20% likely to occur. In addition, that summon has only 20% of normal hit points. Furthermore, the unreal creature’s AC bonuses are 20% as large as normal.
For a threshold or ability that deals damage, modify its damage by its reality percentage, so a 20% real threshold deals only 20% of its normal damage. A threshold or ability that does not deal damage is as likely to effect the target(s) as its reality percentage.
Objects affected by unreality gain or lose benefits in the same way as creatures. A weapon that is only 20% real deals only 20% of its total damage (including all modifiers, such as strength). Likewise, armour provides only 20% of its stated bonus. Items that do not provide numeric bonuses or have numeric effects have a chance of taking effect on a given action equal to their reality percentage.
Sample ThresholdsShadowborn ILevel: Shadow 1
Casting Time: 1 move action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Summoned Creature
Effect Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates, see text
Summon one creature from the
summon monster I,
summon desert ally I,
summon undead I, or
summon nature's ally I list. That creature loses any existing templates and gains the
shadow creature template, and is only 20% real. Alternately you may copy an existing creature within range, although that creature gets a will save to resist. If successful, the copy is only 10% real, and gains only half the benefit from any effect that increases realness. All creatures automatically succeed at will saves to disbelieve the summoned creature.
Umbral ThickeningLevel: Shadow 1
Casting Time: 1 increase
Effects: Shadow thresholds
Your shadow thresholds become 10% more real.
Touch of the DarkLevel: Shadow 3
Casting Time: 1 increase
Effects: Shadow thresholds
Your shadow creatures deal 1 point of strength damage on a successful melee attack.
Reality ForkLevel: Gap 1
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Copied threshold
Effect Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Copy one threshold, spell, or similar as it is being cast. Choose a second target within the range of the copied threshold. Both the original target and your target are struck by 60% versions of that threshold.
Armour of UnrealityLevel: Gap 1
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Effect Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
A creature's armour or natural attack bonuses is reduced to 50% of its normal value.
Thinning LifeLevel: Gap 1
Casting Time: 1 increase
Effects: Gap thresholds
Your gap thresholds become 10% less real.
Whispering TerrainLevel: Phantasm 1
Casting Time: 1 move action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 40-ft.-radius spread
Effect Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The affected terrain begins to whisper, brief nothings that crawl into the ear and distract the affected creatures. Affected creatures within the spell's area take a -1 penalty on Listen checks for every 10% whispering terrain is real. At 50% real, affected creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity. At 80%, they are considered flanked. At 100%, spellcasters are distracted and must make a Concentration check to cast any spell (DC equals this threshold's DC + the level of the spell being cast). This threshold is 40% real.
What We MakeLevel: Phantasm 1
Casting Time: 1 increase
Effects: Phantasm thresholds
Your phantasm thresholds become 10% more real.