Min/Max Boards

Creative Corner => Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) => Topic started by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:27:14 PM

Title: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:27:14 PM

Thought Magic

UPDATE: Work on this system has moved to my magic system compendium, the Book of Seven Secrets, here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?board=132.0). This post is out of date, and changes and added features will be over there.


Somewhere between the commonplace magic of Wizards and Clerics and the mental abilities of Psions is Thought Magic, the power to let ideas tug forcefully at the fabric of existence until they make themselves real. Unlike magic and psionics, however, Thought Magic can't be so easily controlled. Thought magic users, or thinkers, can't merely utter the right words and make the right motions to shape the world around them; rather, at any given moment, they only have access to a few random notions that flit around their mind, and thus to only a few, randomly-chosen, magical effects that they can produce.


Ideas as Cards

Mechanically, Thought Magic is played with a subset of a standard 52-card deck of playing cards. On the character sheet, the thinker lists all of her known abilities, called ideas, as well as the cards representing them, and how many of each card should be in her deck, which represents her subconscious mind. These factors are constrained by class level in a thinker class. A valid deck cannot contain more than 2 copies of any given idea, and no more than 26 different ideas overall. This is both for balance reasons and to allow for the easy use of standard playing cards - each idea can be labeled by a color and number/face, such as red 5 (5 of hearts/diamonds) or black queen (queen of clubs/spades). Each day, a thinker must rest for 8 hours and then spend 10 minutes in uninterrupted contemplation; during these 10 minutes, the thinker decides how she will structure her deck for that day.

For instance, a 1st-level Creative's deck contains 5 0th-level ideas and 5 1st-level ideas. When she builds her deck, she chooses which ideas to fill those slots, out of the ideas that she knows (both her deck composition and ideas known are level-dependent and are described in Table: The Creative). Then she lists on her character sheet which card (number and color) corresponds to that idea in her deck. For instance, she could write:

• Red A - Ponder
• Black A - Fleeting Inspiration
• Red 2 - Thinker's Resistance
• Black 2 - Envision Auras
• Red 3 - Insight
• Black 3 - Mindarrow
• Red 4 - Graceful Dance

She could then put 2 red aces (one of hearts, one of diamonds), a black ace, a red 2, and a black 2 into her deck to represent her 5 0th-level ideas, and 2 each of a red 3 and a black 3, as well as a single red 4, to represent her 5 1st-level ideas. Any time she draws a black 2, for instance, she knows that she has access to the idea Envision Auras. This is only one possible composition; she could have instead used only 1 red ace and 2 black aces, if she preferred Ponder to appear less often than Fleeting Inspiration. Any composition is allowed as long as she uses the correct total number of ideas of each level and has no more than 2 copies of any idea.

Whenever the thinker begins a new period of fluid thought (typically at the start of an encounter, but see "Focused vs Fluid Thinking"), as well as at the end of each of the thinker's turns during that period, she draws a hand of 3 cards + 1 per 4 levels after 1st, as indicated on the class tables below ("Hand Size"). During her turn, she can bring into effect, or express, any ideas represented in her hand by playing them in front of her. Ideas already expressed in this way are considered neither in her hand nor discarded until she has finished her actions for the turn. At that point, all expressed ideas, as well as those remaining in her hand, are discarded. Any time she is required to draw or examine an idea on top of her deck (such as at the end of her turn or if directed by another idea) and her deck is empty, her discard pile is immediately shuffled and becomes her deck. This can occur at any time; for instance, if the remaining deck is smaller than the size of a hand to be drawn, then what remains of the deck is drawn, the discard pile is shuffled and replaces the deck, and then the rest of the hand is drawn from there, and the process continues.

In this way, the ideas that a character knows are made available to her a few at a time, and in a random order, but given a long enough encounter, she will have the chance to express them again. This is similar to the maneuver recovery mechanic of the Crusader class from Tome of Battle, though at a much faster pace. The exception to this cycle of discarding, shuffling, and drawing cards again is the concept of "retiring" ideas. If an idea states that it or a different idea is to be "retired," it is removed entirely. It is not discarded and will not reenter the deck at any point, and the deck composition becomes smaller from that point on. After her period of fluid thinking ends, however, retired ideas are shuffled into the deck along with cards in the hand and discard pile, ready for the next combat.

(click to show/hide)

• If a thinker is stunned, unconscious, or otherwise unable to take mental actions, her current hand of cards becomes frozen and unusable. She does not discard her hand and draw a new hand at the end of the turn until the effect inhibiting her mental actions ends.
• If a thinker's deck becomes smaller than her hand size due to retire effects, she carries on with a smaller hand without needing to draw further. Treat her hand size as unchanged for the purpose of effects that reference hand size.
• Do not immediately shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck when the deck runs out. Only do so if one or more cards need to be drawn or examined, and none are available. This may result in the deck being empty at times; this is intended.

Expressing Ideas

Expressing each idea requires an action, usually a move action (though ideas that manipulate the deck and each other are generally free actions). Therefore, a thinker is often restricted to producing at most two magical effects per turn. If a thinker is granted additional actions due to an effect not related to Thought Magic, such as the magic item Belt of Battle, she may not use those actions to express ideas. Many of the ideas in hand may go unused, and are discarded at the end of the turn before drawing again, just like expressed ideas.

In addition, thinkers require flashes of inspiration to fuel their magic, which takes the form of Insight Points (IP). Unless otherwise stated in its description, an idea cannot be expressed unless the thinker spends 1 IP. The idea may also allow her to augment it, spending more than 1 IP to produce a more powerful effect, though she cannot spend more additional IP on an idea than 1 per 4 levels after 1st, as shown on the class tables ("Aug. Limit"). When in a period of fluid thought (see "Focused vs Fluid Thinking" below), a thinker starts each turn with 1 IP, and some ideas may grant her more. Any IP gained during a turn is lost at the end of the turn unless stated otherwise.

Ideas are spell-like abilities, and function in every way not mentioned here as spells. Though they cannot be affected by meta-ability feats such as Quicken Spell-Like Ability or sudden metamagic feats, they can be dispelled, may be subject to spell resistance, do not function in an Antimagic Field, and so on. They interact differently with energy resistance and damage reduction, however; ideas that deal direct damage treat ER and DR as halved (rounded down). Any idea with a move-action expressing time or longer provokes attacks of opportunity unless the thinker expresses defensively (same Concentration DC as casting defensively). The DC against an idea is 10 + the idea's level + the thinker's primary expressing modifier (Charisma for Creatives, Wisdom for Philosophers, and Intelligence for Strategists).

Thought magic can be progressed by prestige classes, obtaining an increase to their effective level for the purpose of deck composition, ideas known, hand size, augment limit, and thinker level (the equivalent of caster level) at each level that advances casting (even if it specifies arcane or divine spellcasting level). Thought magic cannot, however, be progressed by prestige classes that progress multiple classes in one level, such as the Mystic Theurge, Cerebremancer, Anima Mage, or Ruby Knight Vindicator. Thinkers can meet "able to cast X-level spells" prerequisites of feats and prestige classes if they can express ideas of that level or higher, even if they specify arcane or divine magic - though thought magic counts as neither for all other purposes. They can also meet caster level prerequisites, using their thinker level instead. Other types of casting prerequisites, such as those that specify spontaneous or prepared casting, cannot be fulfilled by thought magic.


Focused vs Fluid Thinking

The process described above, of drawing and discarding hands of cards, occurs only during what are known as periods of "fluid thinking." This way of thinking is highly adaptable and well-suited to the chaos of a battle. A thinker can enter a period of fluid thought as a free action, and it lasts 2 minutes (20 rounds), or until she dismisses it as a free action. After a period of fluid thought ends or is dismissed, the thinker must wait 1 full round before she can begin a new period of thought.

Alternatively, as a free action, a thinker can assume a more rigid mode of thought, useful for expressing thought magic outside of combat. This mode, called "focused thinking," takes enormous concentration, so it can only be maintained for 1 round at a time rather than 20, but it allows ideas to be called reliably to mind rather than randomly. During this round, the thinker chooses up to 3 ideas from her deck composition and treats them as though they were in her hand. She may express one or more of them normally without paying their IP costs (though she must still spend their corresponding expressing times), and she may treat each of them as though it were augmented by a number of IP up to her augment limit. Unlike fluid thinking, there is no need to wait a round after a period of focused thinking ends before another period of thought (fluid or focused) can be entered.

However, this reliability and power comes with significant limitations. A period of focused thinking cannot be dismissed - it always lasts a full round. During that time, if any attack occurs within 30 feet of the thinker, she loses concentration and becomes Dazed for 1d4 rounds (even if the attack misses or otherwise has no effect). This condition cannot be avoided or shortened in any way, including immunity to Daze effects. Similarly, if a thinker attempts to enter a period of focused thinking in a distracting environment, such as on a storm-tossed ship or while Entangled, she must succeed on the corresponding Concentration check or be unavoidably Dazed instead. Ideas expressed during periods of focused thought cannot be expressed defensively; if an attack of opportunity targets her in response to her idea, whether or not the attack is successful, the thinker loses the idea and is Dazed.

Effects that cause cards to be drawn, discarded, or retired do not occur during periods of focused thought (ideas may have functional effects in addition to their negated card-manipulation effects). IP cannot be gained in any way during focused thought. Since ideas in a period of focused thought are selected from the deck composition, an idea can only be expressed twice in a single period if the thinker's deck contains 2 copies of that idea.

Thinkers can only perform a limited number of periods of thinking (focused and fluid) per day before needing to rest for 8 hours. A thinker can enter a period of thinking a number of times per day equal to her hand size + 1/2 her primary expressing modifier (rounded down, minimum 3 total). These daily uses are gained at the start of the day, and thus don't increase or decrease if the thinker's expressing modifier changes during the day.


Multiclassing

A character with levels in multiple thinker classes keeps track separately of the ideas gained from each class. She makes multiple decks, each satisfying the requirements of a single thinker class and only containing ideas known on that class's list, and only then does she shuffle all of her decks together and use them as a single deck in combat. Note that multiclassing does not allow a character to circumvent the limit of 2 of the same idea per deck, even if that idea can be learned by multiple thinker classes. Nor can she have more than 26 types of cards in her deck.

Add all of her levels in thinker classes for the purpose of determining her hand size, maximum IP per idea, and thinker level. In addition, multiclass thinkers gain +1 to their hand size for each thinking class they have after the first. A multiclass thinker can choose which of her thinker classes' primary expressing modifiers to use for determining the DC's for all of her ideas, regardless of which class they came from. She makes this choice each time she takes her first level in a new thinker class - once made, this choice is permanent. This primary expressing modifier also determines her number of daily uses of Thought Magic (see "Focused vs Fluid Thinking", above).


Types of Ideas

Some ideas work in special ways, as indicated below:

• [Unique]: Ideas with this tag can only appear at most once each per deck composition; this is an exception to the rule that a deck composition can include up to 2 copies of an idea.
• [Meta]: Ideas with this tag act on other ideas. If you have no valid idea to use a meta idea on (such as if it is the last card remaining in your hand), the [Meta] idea cannot be played.
• [Versatile]: Ideas with this tag are situational, but can be easily molded into other ideas that may be more useful. As a free action, you may change all copies of a single versatile idea in your deck composition with an equal number of another versatile idea that you know. The replacement idea must be of level equal to or lower than the slot of the idea removed, and must be an idea not currently represented in your deck composition (if it is lower-level, it counts as a lower-level idea in a higher-level slot). If a replacement action is used during a period of fluid thought, do not immediately search for the replaced card and swap out the copies. Instead, swap each copy as soon as it is normally encountered (typically when it enters your hand). Swapping out a versatile idea cannot allow it to be used more than twice per period of focused thought.
• [Bonus]: Bonus ideas cannot be learned or added to your deck composition normally. Instead, other ideas may add them to your deck. Bonus ideas include harmful cards intended to waste space, as well as good ideas which grant advantages. Some bonus ideas allow up to 4 copies to be present in your deck composition; in this case, treat the 3rd and 4th added idea as being 2 copies of a distinct idea for all purposes. Bonus ideas may not be added to your deck composition if it already includes 26 distinct ideas (including other bonus ideas). Ignore any effect that would cause you to exceed this limit.

Changelog

(click to show/hide)

General:
 - Thinkers start each turn with 1 IP
 - Ideas used outside of combat are no longer discarded at the start of combat
 - Buffed the Ideas Known progression of Creatives and Strategists. The new version gives them ~2 more ideas of each level.

Creative:
 - Imaginary Friend now has an explicit Constitution score and calculates HP off of it
 - Specified Imaginary Friend's AC, BAB

Philosopher:
 - Lore now adds Wis to Knowledge checks (capped by class level)
 - Active Mind condensed to a single level (7) instead of being spread over levels 2, 8, and 14.
 - Practical Reason, Pure Reason, and Judgment added as new 2nd, 8th, and 14th-level features (huge buff)

Strategist:
 - Removed Lethal Option and Nonlethal Option
 - Added Positional Advantage (level 10)
 - Moved Siege Weapon Mastery to level 12 and added Tactical Advantage (level 15)
 - Specified that unique ideas can't be chosen for Tried and True

Ideas:
 - All ideas with saves now get +1 to DC per additional IP spent
 - Deja Vu (C1, P1, S1)
 - Bright Idea (C2, P2, S2)
 - Mindarrow (C1, P1, S1)
 - Mindsaber (C2, P2, S2)
 - Mindarmor (C3, P3, S3)
 - Mindhammer (C4, P4, S4)
 - Mindscythe (C5, P5, S5)
 - Mindcannon (C6, P6, S6), replaced Stroke of Genius
 - Final Cut (C5)
 - Re-imagine (C6)
 - Just Hear Me Out (C3)
 - Self-Image (C2, P2)
 - Sacrifice Play (S3)
 - Creative Spirit (C5)
 - Dance Number (C6)
 - Recreate from Memory (C4) now can't be used outside combat
 - On Life (P3) now heals 1 negative level and 1d4 ability damage in addition to HP
 - Natural Philosophy (formerly Mirror of Nature) (P4) now requires a full-round action
 - Better Footing (S4) now has an augmentation option
 - Manipulate Terrain (S2)
 - Reposition (S3)
 - changed Transpose All to Greater Reposition (S5)
 - removed Impassible Line (S4)
 - Tunnel Vision (S4)
 - Either/Or (P3)
 - Mental Discipline (P4) name changed to Refine Thoughts (now that the name's not being used)
 - Realize Vision (C6, P6, S6) name changed to Stroke of Genius (again, still wanted to use the name)
 - Rethink (C2, S2) now requires you to discard first, then draw as many cards as you discarded
 - removed Heighten Idea (C2, S2) since augmenting ideas increases their DC's now anyway
 - Vitriol (C5, P5, S5)
 - The Floor's Lava (C6, S6)
 - Strategist's Surgical Strike now deals cold damage, and Strategist's Cataclysm now deals sonic damage (both used to be fire)
 - Procrastinate (C4, P4, S4)
 - Paradox of the Stone (P6)
 - Choice Paralysis (C4, P4, S4)
 - added augment to Out of Sight, Out of Mind (C2, S2)
 - added augment to Battle of Wits (P3, S3)
 - Being and Time (P3)
 - added augment to Disbelief (C3, P3, S3)
 - added the ability to bend the lightning in Lightning in a Bottle (C3)
 - Earworm (C4)
 - changed Making a Call (S4) so that the card is drawn regardless of the guess
 - changed Source of Inspiration (C4, greater version in C6) to Personal Muse
 - Increased duration, range, and distance of Backup Plan (S4)
 - made Brainstorm available to all classes (C4, P4, S4)
 - made Analyze available to Philosopher (P2, S2)
 - Find Flaw (P4, S4)
 - Tinker (C2)
 - Thought Bubble (C3)
 - nerfed Stack the Deck (S3), removed Greater Stack the Deck (S5)
 - the idea Will to Power (P4) now grants Power Attack and replaces Str with Wis.
 - Creative Process ideas (C1 - C3) now retire only as many ideas as the level of the effect. They additionally discard the whole deck.
 - Man a Machine (P5)
 - Book of Healing (P6)
 - Crystal Clarity (S5)
 - changed range of Burnout (C5) from 20 feet to 40 feet
 - changed the level of Ingenious Machine (C, S) from 1 to 2
 - changed the level of Hold that Thought (C, S) from 3 to 2
 - Way With Words (C1, P1)
 - The Long Game (S1)
 - you can now suppress the wall formed by Instant Barricade (S5)
 - added augment effect to Burst of Color (C5, formerly Every Color Imaginable)
 - removed Madness (C5, P5)
 - Still Life (C5)
 - removed Out of Turn (S5)
 - Antimagic Flame (S5)
 - added augment effect to Earth-Shattering Idea (C6)
 - renamed Resolve (C1, P1, S1), Burst of Inspiration (C2, P2, S2), and Inspiriting Insight (C3, P3, S3) Insight, Great Insight, and Critical Insight
 - removed bonus effects for the 3 above ideas
 - Form of Beauty (C4) now grants an untyped bonus, but only +2

Feats:
 - removed Not Playing with a Full Deck, Refine Thoughts, and Visualize
 - Thought on the Run now requires a Swift action to use
 - Siege Weapon Experience now specifies that you can act as the crew chief
 - Siege Weapon Mastery changes Full-round actions to Move actions instead of just reducing them
 - added Fresh Ideas, Foresight, Mnemonic, Off the Top of My Head, Steady Mind, Structured Mind, Trump Card, and Visual Thinker
 - changed [Idea] tag to [Thought]
 - relaxed many requirements since there weren't enough feat options at low levels

(click to show/hide)

General:
 - Added spoiler containing edge cases
 - Clarified out-of-combat IP rules
 - Daily IP are now at most your thinker level.
 - Added "Encounters" section of rules
 - Decks are now much smaller, and no more than 2 of any idea can be in the deck.
 - Thought magic now can't be progressed by dual-progression PrCs
 - Specified that IP disappears at the end of each round

Creative:
 - New composition and ideas known progression
 - Various small clarifications
 - Artistry now grants a +3 bonus instead of +2, because why not
 - Create Object value reduced to 100 gp (from 1000 gp)
 - Masterpiece now just increases the Creative's effective wealth by 10-20%

Philosopher:
 - New composition progression
 - Rebut now has a range of Close, and the cap is lowered from 3 levels above to 2 levels above. Specified that she can only rebut spells she's aware of.
 - Philosopher's Stone now specifies that no effect can extract the knowledge from them in any way, not just that they won't tell you.
 - added Perform (Oratory) to class skills

Strategist:
 - New composition and ideas known progression

Ideas:
 - Added all 0th-level ideas (descriptions not written yet)

 - The Long Game (S1) now searches the discard pile, not the deck.
 - Dazzling Colors (S1) no longer dazes, but the fascinate effect is stronger
 - Preoccupy (C1, P1, S1) now has a higher spell failure chance (30% up from 5%) but allows a Will save to negate.

 - added Cogitation (C2, P2, S2)
 - nerfed Bright Idea (C2, P2, S2) to have a 10-ft radius and last 1d4+2 rounds (instead of 20-ft and 1 minute/level)
 - Mindsaber (C2, P2, S2) now can't be augmented to have daily-use abilities.
 - A Treatise on Human Nature (P2) is now single-target (it used to affect a 10-ft-radius burst). Specified that effects that only target living creatures work on them now.
 - Just Throwing This Out There (C2) is now affected by SR.
 - nerfed Flammable Cloud (S2)'s damage to be level with other ideas of that level (it originally dealt 1d6/level), and changed the radius from 30' to 20'.
 - nerfed Being and Nothingness (P2), adding the clause preventing spamming.
 - nerfed Grant Action (S2) to a full-round action and specified that no creature can be affected by it more than once per encounter.
 - nerfed Glitterdust (S2), formerly Glittercloud (S3), taking away the Grease effect and moving it down a level.

 - Added Being Meta (C3)
 - changed Stack the Deck (S3) to add to your discard pile.
 - nerfed Out of Sight, Out of Mind (C3, S3) from 2nd-level to 3rd.
 - Light as Thought (C3, P3, S3) now improves in speed and maneuverability if you have 2 copies in your deck.
 - On Life (P3) now only heals recently-inflicted negative levels, like Restoration does.
 - Battle of Wits (P3, S3) can't be made safer by having stun immunity now
 - nerfed Quick Thinking (C3, S3) so that it only lasts 1d4+2 rounds now, instead of 1 round/level. Added augment.
 - nerfed Phobia (C3, P3, S3) from a cone to a single-target ray and decreased the duration from round/level to 1d4+1 rounds.
 - nerfed Thought Bubble (C3), making the water breathable, reducing the radius from 20' to 10', and not giving you a swim speed through it.
 - nerfed Hallucinogenic Cloud (S3), moving it up a level from S2 and reducing its radius from 30 to 15 feet.
 - nerfed Persuasive Argument (P3) from 1 day/level to 10 minutes/level and specified that it can't be expressed while another expression of it is active.

 - nerfed Full of Ideas (C4) from drawing 3 ideas to drawing 1d2+1 ideas.
 - limited the possible targets of Choice Paralysis (C4, P4, S4) from just 1 creature/level to 1 creature/level within 30 feet of each other.
 - simplified Decoy (C4, S4) so that the disbelief save actually works the way it's supposed to.
 - nerfed Find Flaw (P4, S4) so it only reduces DR, SR, or energy resistance by 5. All of these options are accessible regardless of augment now.
 - nerfed Your Move (S4) by moving it up a level (used to be S3). White Raven Tactics is so busted.
 - Natural Philosophy (P4) now explicitly doesn't heal the target as though it had rested for the night.

 - Perfect Information (S5) is now a passive effect.
 - nerfed In the Zone (C5) (it used to also cause Creative Process ideas to grant +1 IP each), and decreased its duration to 2 rounds.
 - nerfed A House Divided (P5, S5), reducing the duration from 1 round / level to 2 rounds.
 - nerfed Crystal Clarity (S5) from 120' range to 90', and added a clause to prevent sniping from an unknown but technically reachable position.
 - nerfed Dispelling Flame (previously Antimagic Flame, S5), to only dispel a few effects rather than make an antimagic field.
 - nerfed Fear and Trembling (P5) from a basically guaranteed eventual fear suck effect to a movable fear effect
 - nerfed Man a Machine (P5) to only grant a few immunities and medium fortification (instead of the construct type)
 - changed the wording of Still Life (C5) to clarify what it does a bit better. Added clause preventing using it twice in a row.
 - On Equality (P5) now steals half the spells, similar to Spell Theft (from Complete Scoundrel). This is to prevent cheese with copying persisted buffs.
 - removed Burst of Color (C5), which acted like Color Spray and was way too powerful for that level.
 - added Photo Negative (C5)

 - nerfed Endgame (S6), begrudgingly having it end after +10 IP instead of increasing forever.
 - nerfed Mindcannon (C6, P6, S6) damage to 3d10/IP (instead of 4d10)
 - nerfed Ninth Symphony (C6) so that it costs 3 IP to augment, and affects 1 creature per save (instead of all creatures in range facing all saves)
 - nerfed Book of Healing (P6) fast healing to 50 (from 100)
 - nerfed Dance Number (C6), making it Mind-Affecting with a save every turn (it used to basically be a no-save-or-everyone's-screwed)
 - nerfed The Floor's Lava (C6, S6) to only makes a thin layer of lava rather than a 20d6-damage pool.

Feats:
 - added Heighten Idea
 - Two of a Kind now has a completely different effect (before, it just gave you +1 IP per copy)
 - Psionic Synergy now spends daily IP instead of in-combat IP.
 - removed Structured Mind
 - added Overwhelm Resistance

(click to show/hide)

General:
 - Multiclass thinkers now gain +1 to hand size per additional thinker class
 - "Ideas out of Combat" and "Encounters" have now both been removed, replaced with "Intense vs Idle Thinking"
    -- original can be found here:

(click to show/hide)

Ideas Outside Combat

Each day, a thinker must rest for 8 hours and then spend 10 minutes in uninterrupted contemplation. During these 10 minutes, the thinker decides how she will structure her deck for that day, and also gains a number of daily IP equal to her primary expressing modifier or her thinker level, whichever is lower (minimum 0). These daily IP function only outside of combat, and they decrease only when the thinker spends them on ideas throughout the day (unspent daily IP disappear at the end of each day).

Outside of combat, thinkers have access to any idea in their deck immediately, as though they had it in their hand; without the pressure of a battle, ideas spring to mind much more easily. Note that ideas must be in the deck to be used; ideas known but not currently in the thinker's deck are unavailable to them for that day. Ideas can be augmented normally outside of combat by paying additional daily IP.

Effects that cause cards to be drawn, discarded, or retired, or that specifically mention the hand, deck, or discard pile, do not occur outside of combat (ideas may have functional effects in addition to their negated card-manipulation effects). Daily IP cannot be increased during the day in any way, even if a feat or idea would cause that to happen otherwise. Finally, all ideas outside of combat cost a minimum of 1 IP, including ideas like Modify Idea that are expressed to enhance other ideas' effects.


Encounters

Thought Magic is balanced for encounters lasting up to 10-15 rounds. For especially long combats, such as large-scale battles, several aspects of the system can become too powerful. To prevent this, after the 10th round of combat, cards may not be retired or added to the deck in any way - effects from ideas, feats, and class features that change the deck composition cease to function after this point. Other effects of these ideas are unaffected (i.e. Creative Process would no longer allow the thinker to retire cards, but it would still cause her to discard her deck).

In addition, ideas expressed during combat have their effects end 1 minute after combat ends, unless their duration is Instantaneous, Permanent, or would last less than 1 minute regardless. This is to prevent thinkers from seeking out encounters just to express long-duration effects without spending daily IP. Effects that last for minutes or hours still have their full duration if expressed before or outside of combat (costing daily IP as normal), even if they are active during combat as well.

Finally, thought magic may encourage a play style in which the thinker hides or otherwise avoids combat for much of the encounter as they refine their deck (certain ideas such as Procrastinate may also enforce such behavior). Thought magic requires constant stimulation from combat to function at its full potential, and as such, these tactics should be penalized by the DM. This penalty may, for example, take the form of a cumulative -1 penalty to the thinker's primary expressing score for every turn they spend deliberately not engaging with combat (these penalties disappear at the end of the encounter). The exact definition of "engaging with combat" is too context-specific to define here, so it is left to DM discretion.

- Blue ideas now only work in intense thought unless stated otherwise (and none of them currently state otherwise)
 - Idle and intense thinking now cost 1 and 2 daily thought magic uses, respectively, instead of each having their own number of uses.
 - Number of daily uses changed from 5 + 1/2 mod + 1/2 level to 3 + 1/2 mod + 1/2 level.
 - The Creative and Strategist have had their ideas known distribution buffed from ~1 less than their ideas/deck of that level to about equal, and maxing out at 7 rather than 6.
 - You can no longer use bonus actions granted by e.g. Belt of Battle to express ideas.

Creative:
 - added Sense Motive as a class skill
 - Masterpiece (level 19 class feature) has been replaced with Worldbuilding.
 - The Imaginary Friend's ability scores have been nerfed so that they increase by 6 at each stage instead of by 8.
 - Imaginary Friends now explicitly can't use spell-trigger, spell-completion, or use-activated magic items.

Philosopher:
 - Practical Reason (level 2 class feature) now lets her add her full modifier to her uses of idle thought per day (instead of 1/2 her modifier; this used to double daily IP back when that was a thing). EDIT: it now grants her 3 bonus uses of idle thought per day that can't be converted into intense thought.

Ideas:
 - Added all 0th-level idea descriptions.
 - Applied the intense/idle change to all ideas.
 - Extend Idea (C2, S2) now only doubles durations up to 1 minute/level.
 - Mindhammer (C4, P4, S4) now deals 1d6 damage per card instead of 1d3 to balance it for the new, smaller deck sizes.
 - Mindscythe (C5, P5, S5) nerfed from 4d6 to 5d4 damage (14 to 12.5 average).
 - Form of Beauty (C4) buffed to 10 minutes/level
 - Share Thoughts (C1, P1, S1)
 - Replaced Phobia (C3, P3, S3) with Animus (C3, P3, S3)
 - Meta ideas like Extend Idea are now given the [Meta] descriptor
 - Color Sequence (C3)
 - nerfed New Technique (S3) to touch range, stopped it from affecting multiple creatures, made it harder to augment, kept it from stacking, and explicitly prevented White Raven Tactics. WRT is so broken.
 - nerfed Manipulate Terrain (S2) to only be able to clear or produce difficult terrain (it used to also cause 1d4 damage per 5-ft square in the area, or produce an Entangle effect). It also requires a dispel check at +4 now in order to clear spell-like effects (used to be automatic).
 - changed Still Life (C5) completely (it used to sorta act as a 1-round time stop on everyone else for each creature's initiative).
 - nerfed Final Cut (C5) so it costs 2 IP to increase the length by 5 feet (used to be 5 ft per 1 IP).
 - nerfed Strategist's Cataclysm (S6) from 13d6 to 11d6 (puts it in the same damage progression as Chilling Thought, Vitriol, and the others).
 - Minddagger (C0, P0, S0)
 - nerfed Inner Demons (P3) to have a much slower progression that ends with Arrow Demon instead of Hezrou.
 - ideas that summon monsters now end immediately if you start a new period of thinking while they're active (to prevent idly summoning a mob of monsters before an ambush)
 - Improvisation (C5) now draws randomly from the deck and gets shuffled back in if the card is blue (originally, it drew from the top of the deck and was mostly wasted if the card was blue).
 - Quicken Idea (C4, S4) no longer costs 1 IP and is 4th-level, not 5th. You also no longer need to pay its IP cost, if any.
 - Twin Idea (C5, S5) is now 5th-level, not 4th. (I realized it's much better than Quicken Idea for Idea magic because QI relies on you having 3 other good ideas in your hand and enough IP to play them all. You basically need card draw or extreme luck to get much use out of it)
 - Thinking Ahead (S3) now only draws a number of cards equal to your hand (used to be twice your hand) but you can change the order (used to have to keep the order the same).
 - Changed Inkling's name to Ponder (C0, P0, S0).
 - Enlarge Idea (S2) now also makes touch attacks into 60-ft rays. The Strategist doesn't have much to use this on anyway.
 - Refine Thoughts (P4) now only lasts 3 rounds and doesn't stack with itself.
 - Creative Process (C2) and Greater Creative Process (C3) no longer grant any IP. I think they're good enough regardless (plus they almost certainly take the Refresh Thoughts feat for +1 IP anyway if this is a major part of their strategy).
 - Earworm no longer lets you augment by 1 IP to retire all copies of Earworm from your deck composition.
 - Bewildering Intellect (P3, S3) replaces Battle of Wits (P3, S3). The opposed int/wis check in place of a save in BoW made it pretty unfair.
 - Natural Philosophy (P4) no longer lets you turn into Monstrous Humanoids.
 - nerfed Procrastinate (C4, P4, S4) to only withdrawing 1 action per turn and not allowing a move action to be stored if you make a 5-ft. step. Taken together, this prevents people from easily hiding, then kiting with a barrage of saved-up actions.
 - changed Your Move from 10' range to Touch so it can benefit from the new Enlarge Idea buff.
 - removed On Equality (P5) (not a particularly interesting or useful effect, and besides the Philosopher has 10 other ideas that level).
 - changed Elemental Knowledge (P1) to deal 1d6 (Ref half) with the water ability, rather than 1 bludgeoning and 1 cold (no save). Helps distinguish it from the earth ability
 - renamed Meditation, Swift (C1, P1, S1) to Introspection
 - Great Introspection (C3, P3, S3)
 - Critical Introspection (C5, P5, S5)
 - Recreate from Memory (C4) no longer explicitly says you need to have seen the spell cast before;
 - Being and Time (P3) now kills temporarily for the Youth effect as well (used to only be temporary for the Old Age effect).
 - A House Divided (P5, S5) now lasts 1 round, not 2
 - So Crazy It Just Might Work (C5, S5) is way less broken, turning from a polymorph effect to an illusion and only preventing communication rather than making them fight as you would, among other things
 - Modify Idea (C1, S1) now changes length scales to be reasonable, so a 120-ft line becomes a 30-ft-radius burst, not a 120-ft-radius burst.
 - All blue ideas that could potentially have no effect (such as Rethink being used to discard 0 ideas) are now unplayable unless they have an effect.

Feats:
 - All [Thought] feats are now assumed to apply only during periods of intense thought unless stated otherwise.
 - various feats edited to specify if they apply outside of intense thought.
 - Psionic Synergy now allows exactly 1 IP to be used instead of 1 PP per power.
 - removed Final Thought, Siege Weapon Experience [General], and Siege Weapon Mastery [General]
 - added Flexible Learner [General], Afterthought, Narrow Focus, and Practiced Thinker
 - Foresight no longer reduces the transferred IP by 1.

(click to show/hide)

General:
 - Changed "IP / Idea Limit" to "Aug. Limit" to show that it's a limit to augmenting ideas (no mechanical difference)
 - Deck composition has been changed for the first 3 levels to make the progression more noticeable and less punishing.
 - Ideas Known progression has increased accordingly so that you always have at least as many known as in your deck
 - Added [Versatile] ideas so that situational ideas are less likely to be dead weight if they're not useful in any particular encounter.
 - Added a section on idea types to the main text explaining Thought Magic
 - Renamed idle and intense thinking to focused and fluid thinking, shortened focused thinking from 20 rounds to 1, and introduced the Daze mechanic to prevent it from being used in combat. Otherwise, it's been buffed significantly from just 1 idea per 2 rounds to 2 ideas in a single round. This makes it better-suited for buffs just before combat.
 - Thought magic uses changed from 3 + 1/2 lvl + 1/2 mod to hand size + 1/2 mod. Fluid and focused thinking both use up 1 charge (fluid used to cost 2). Simpler, scales better.
 - Ideas now treat ER and DR as halved. This makes 2 ideas in a round as affected by DR/ER as 1 spell would be. Without this rule, DR and ER are much better against thought magic than against regular magic.

Creative:
 - Added the Arcane Artisan ACF
 - An idea known can be changed at 2nd and every level afterward, instead of at 4th and every 4 levels afterward

Philosopher:
 - Added the Warrior Scholar ACF
 - Practical Reason now gives 2 uses of focused thinking instead of 3 (to go along with the above change to number of uses/day).
 - Rebuttal now works up to 60 feet away (instead of Close range).
 - Pure Reason now just adds +4 to TL against SR and dispels instead of increasing your hand size by 1. That was way too good.

Strategist:
 - Added the Spymaster ACF
 - Tried and True now cannot be used on ideas that grant IP (to keep it from being strictly better than Inspired).
 - Battlefield Control DC lowered from 20 + Int to 19 + Int.
 - An idea known can be changed at 2nd and every level afterward, instead of at 4th and every 4 levels afterward

Ideas:
 - Being and Nothingness (P2) now allows a Will save (used to be no save).
 - Bewildering Intellect (P3, S3) now only bypasses mind-affecting if you spend at least 1 additional IP.
 - Still Life (C5) now has a 10-minute cooldown instead of 1-round
 - Color Sequence (C3) can now be progressed as a free action instead of a swift action.
 - A Treatise of Human Nature (P2) now only affects your ideas, so you can't use it to affect them with spells.
 - Sacrifice Play (S3) has been renamed to Clear your Mind, and now all classes get it.
 - removed Recreate from Memory (C4) for being too strong
 - removed Dazzling Colors (C1) for being too weak
 - removed Cloud Ward (S1) for being too situational, not kicking in until later levels, and mostly being covered by Selective Idea anyway
 - buffed Being and Nothingness (P2) back up to 1d4+1 rounds duration (from 1).
 - buffed Being and Time (P3) from 1d3 negative levels to 1d4+1.
 - buffed New Technique to be able to hand out other kinds of feats.
 - buffed Reposition to be opposed by a size-ignoring bull rush check, and changed it from (S3) to (S2). Nerfed away the ability to affect multiple targets.
 - buffed Toxic Cloud (S4), removing the save. Now the cloud just deals 1d4 Con every round, no save.
 - Mental Image has been reduced from C3 to C1, with augment effects letting it go from Silent Image up to Major Image (in place of it starting at Major).
 - Creative Spirit was lowered from C5 to C4 and its effect was changed completely.
 - buffed Project Sound (C1) to also be able to deafen and inflict a -1 penalty for 1d4+1 rounds (no save) to give it some combat utility.
 - buffed Graceful Dance (C1) to a double move (from single-move), but removed an augment that let you add 10 feet to the movement per IP spent.
 - buffed Art of War (P1, S1) from morale to insight bonus, and changed the augment scaling from +1/2 IP spent to +1/IP spent
 - buffed Deja Vu's augment effect (C1, P1, S1) from +1 target/2 IP spent to +1/IP spent
 - Card Draw Nerf:
   -- Either/Or (P3) has been nerfed from [1 card +1 IP and another card/IP] to [1 card and gain +1 IP / spend 1 IP to draw a second card]
   -- Full of Ideas (C4) has been nerfed from drawing 1d2+1 ideas to just drawing 2.
   -- Rethink (C2, S2) now discards down to 0 or 1 instead of simply discarding 1 or 2 cards. This balances how good card draw is at later levels with losing increasingly many cards.
   -- Stack the Deck (S3) has been nerfed from adding a card with the effect "+2 IP, +2 cards" to adding a card with the effect "+1d2 IP, +1d2 cards"
   -- Clear your Mind (C3, P3, S3) now has a maximum of 2 cards drawn rather than 3.
 - Damage change: added an extra die of damage to 1st-level ideas (2d6 rather than 1d6) to compensate for worse deck management, since you'll generally be playing only 1 attack per round at those levels. Scaling now occurs at specific levels divisible by 4, instead of every 4 levels after you first gain the idea, which makes the progression a lot smoother and gives needed perks at levels 8 and 12 especially.
 - Instant Trap (S1) was changed to Trip Traps (S1) and buffed to include more traps.
 - Shock Trap (S3)
 - Warp Trap (S5)
 - Analyze was moved from (P2, S2) to (P1, S1) and the augments were simplified. You can also now retire it after use so that it doesn't waste space in your deck.
 - buffed Spark of Intuition (P1, S1), increasing the area from 5-ft. square to 10-ft. radius and making it easier to augment (damage and number of areas used to be separate augments).
 - Way with Words (C1, P1) was given a +5 bonus outside of combat (to make it useful outside of combat too), and the augment was removed (used to add +1 to the check per IP spent)
 - changed Bright Idea (C2, P2, S2) completely (used to cause blindness, now acts as an IP buff).
 - Preoccupy is now called Drawing a Blank (C1, P1, S1), and inflicts a 20% failure chance on all actions rather than 30% on spells.
 - buffed Chilling Thought's area from 40' cone to 60' cone
 - buffed Free Will (P2) so that it's bonus is much better (+1/2 TL instead of +1/4 TL). Before it was barely better than Resurgence.
 - Just Throwing This Out There (C2) now hurls an object instead of a glob of force, and deals damage based on the object's weight.
 - buffed Manipulate Terrain (S2) so that the created difficult terrain now deals damage like a weaker Spike Stones.
 - Mindsaber (C2, P2, S2) can now be picked up
 - buffed Out of Sight, Out of Mind back down to level 2 (C2, P2, S2), from level 3 before but made it a full-round action to make it harder to use in combat and more expensive outside.
 - buffed Perspective (C2, P2) from round/level to min/level duration
 - added a Make Whole augment to Tinker (C2)
 - moved Thinking Ahead from (S3) to (S2) and changed it to a number of cards equal to ~1.5x your hand size. This makes it clearly better than a preview of next turn, but it doesn't let you rearrange the entire rest of your deck (which is generally about 2 hand sizes large not counting your current hand).
 - moved Turnabout from (S2) to (S1)
 - moved The Long Game from (S1) to (S2) and removed the level cap of the moved card
 - changed Quick Thinking (C3, P3, S3), giving it to the Philosopher too and changing its effect (used to be a Haste clone).
 - gave Thought Bubble (C3, S3) to the Strategist too
 - buffed Shield of Belief (P1) from +3 to +4 bonus
 - removed the Ref half save from Flammable Cloud (S2)
 - changed Positive Thinking (C2) so its augment increases the bonus, not the number of targets.
 - In the Zone (C5, P5, S5) has been given to all classes instead of just Creative
 - Personal Muse (C4) now grants +1 IP on all turns just from having it in your deck composition (you used to have to play it)
 - Cogitation (C1, P1, S1) has been moved to level 1 from level 2, now lets you see 2 cards instead of 1 but only grants +1 IP instead of +1d2
 - Insight Buff (insight-granting cards have increased from a progression of about +1 IP per idea level to an exponential progression):
  -- Half-Baked Insight (C0, P0, S0) has been changed to Minor Insight, now grants 1 IP instead of 1d2-1
  -- Insight (C1, P1, S1) now grants +2 IP, not +1
  -- Great Insight (C2, P2, S2) has been changed to Major Insight, now grants +3 IP, not +2.
  -- Critical Insight (C3, P3, S3) now grants +5 IP, not +3.
  -- added Unparalleled Insight (C5, P5, S5), which grants +8 IP.
  -- the Introspection ideas are now levels 1, 2, and 3 (instead of 1, 3 and 5). They grant 1 more IP than their Insight counterparts as before
  -- In the Zone (C5, P5, S5) grants +7 IP, not +5
  -- Epiphany (C4, P4, S4) grants +6 IP, not +4
  -- removed Meditation (C5, P5, S5)
  -- added Double Insight (C3, P3, S3)
 - changed Healing Touch (P1) and On Life (P3) progressions.
 - buffed On to Something Here (C3). It now shuffles up to 5 cards, not up to 3.
 - nerfed Creative Process: Creative Process ideas (C1, C2, C3) now retire from the top few cards of the deck instead of the whole deck, and can't retire themselves after use.
 - buffed Being Meta (C3) to let you search the deck or discard pile. Augmenting now only costs 1 IP per level above 3, not 2.
 - buffed Strategist's Grenade (S2) from 20' radius to 30'.
 - removed Hallucinogenic Cloud (S3) and Animus (C3, P3, S3), replacing both with Random Walk (C3, P3, S3). I like it better as the AoE compulsion of that level. Animus was too weak/niche, and Hallucinogenic Cloud was too similar in effect (causing Confusion in a lingering cloud).
 - buffed Light as Thought (C3, P3, S3) from 30' (average) to 40' (good) for a single copy, and from 60' (good) to 80' (perfect) for 2 copies.
 - removed Just Throwing This Out There (C2). Ended up too similar to Piercing Wit (C1). Between that and Cutting Room (C3), Writer's Block (C4), and Slings and Arrows (C5), there are already a lot of "SR: No" options for the Creative
 - buffed Enlarge Idea from (S2) to (S1), Extend Idea from (C2, S2) to (C1, S1), and Being Meta from (C3) to (C2) (but lowered the base level of the retrieved idea from 3rd to 2nd).
 - changed Making a Call (S4) completely. Now, instead of giving you a move action if the top card matches your guess, you name 3 cards and draw any that match your guess. This is less broken in combination with Turnabout, but has rewarding synergy with it, as well as with Thinking Ahead, The Long Game, Epiphany, etc.
 - Brainstorm (C4, P4, S4) now covers a 40-ft radius centered on you, while Burnout (C5) is a 90-ft cone. (They used to be a 50-ft burst in Close range and a 40-ft burst centered on you, respectively).
 - removed Procrastinate (C4, P4, S4). It wasn't that great and I couldn't figure out how to stop abuse of it by camping.
 - Wishful Thinking (C4, P4) can now be expressed outside of any period of thought, but costs 2 periods of focused thought if you use it that way.
 - removed Greater Self-Consistency (P5). Wasn't great, didn't add anything. It just did Self-Consistency for 3 turns in a row.
 - removed Greater Personal Muse (S3). Same deal, just 3x Personal Muse.
 - Mindcannon (C6, P6, S6) now deals 2d20 + 1d20/IP (instead of 3d10/IP)
 - Refine Thoughts (P4) replaced with Prolific Mind (P4). Used to allow you to draw and discard a card 1/turn for 3 turns. Now it gives +1 to effective hand size, but acts as a Blank. I wanted another passive card to form a set with Perfect Information (S4) and Personal Muse (C4), and this one also works better for players that want to do a drawless strategy with the Steady Mind feat.
 
 - Key Concept (C0, P0, S0)
 - Seeds of a Plan (C0, P0, S0)

 - Beyond Good and Evil (P1)
 - First Draft (C1)
 - Force Knight (S1)
 - Hush (C1, P1, S1)
 - Into the Weeds (C1, P1, S1)
 - Piercing Wit (C1, P1, S1)
 - Veil of Ignorance (C1, P1)

 - Buffer (C2, P2)
 - Cognitive Dissonance (C2, P2, S2)
 - Echo (C2, P2, S2)
 - Final Thought (C2, S2)
 - Fruit of Knowledge (C2, P2, S2)
 - Steal Thoughts (C2, P2, S2)
 - Think or Swim (C2, P2, S2)
 - Zone of Weakness (S2)

 - Chain of Thought (C3, P3, S3)
 - Contingent Idea (S3)
 - Cutting Room (C3)
 - Down to Earth (P3, S3)
 - Explosive Revelation (C3, P3, S3)
 - Force Rook (S3)
 - Make a Valid Point (P3)
 - Migraine (C3)
 - Redirect Energy (P3, S3)
 - Rehearsal (C3)
 - Sculptor's Touch (C3)

 - Cold Open (C4)
 - Countdown (S4)
 - Death Urge (C4, P4, S4)
 - Dimensional Lodestone (S4)
 - Hindsight (P4)
 - Oaken Sentinel (C4, P4, S4)
 - Pressure (S4)
 - Qualia (P4)
 - Valid Points All Around (P4)
 - Writer's Block (C4)

 - Ahead of Their Time (P5)
 - Collector's Item (C5)
 - Force Queen (S5)
 - Form of Dreams (C5)
 - Prescience (P5, S5)
 - Refreshing Outlook (C5, P5)
 - Thorny Subject (C5, P5, S5)
 - Totality and Infinity (P5)
 - Warp Traps (S5)

 - Antimagic Field (P6, S6)
 - Army of the Dead (S6)
 - Astral Mind (P6)
 - Elemental Forces (P6)
 - Flight of the Valkyries (C6, S6)
 - Master of Improvisation (C6)
 - No Bad Ideas (C6, P6, S6)
 - Statuesque (C6)


Feats:
 - Joker has been nerfed from copying any idea up to [max level - 1] to [1/2 max level (rounded up)]
 - added Extra Ideas
 - Thought on the Run now lets you move your full movement rate (instead of half) but it can only be used if you spend 2 move actions or 1 full action expressing (instead of at least 1 move action expressing).
 - Gain Reserve Ability now uses your highest-level idea + your augment limit (instead of just your highest-level idea) in place of spell level.
 - removed Overwhelm Resistance (since it now automatically applies under the new ER/DR rule).
 - added Overthink
 - changed Flexible Learner completely. Now instead of letting you swap out your spells known 1/level, it lets you change 1 feat 1/day until the end of the day.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:28:14 PM

THE CREATIVE

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/04/4b/47044bc3aa02db97a3c2f6ba10dabf5f.jpg)

"Ooh, I just had the most wonderful idea!"

-Meli, a Creative, shortly before frying ten hobgoblins with a bolt of lightning

Creatives are free-thinking, with a style that’s unrestrained and grows increasingly fast-paced and chaotic throughout an encounter. Their minds are constantly in flux, giving rise both to ingenious works of art and to a complexity in combat that mystifies even other thinkers.

As far as their ideas' effects are concerned, Creatives have options ranging from illusions and enchantments to powerful evocations, bolstered by "meta"-ideas like Empower Idea that no other class has access to. But the true strength of the Creative lies in the multitude of ways that they draw, shuffle, and retire cards. They are the only thought magic class to be able to reliably remove cards from their deck with Creative Process, allowing them to streamline their turns and get access to better ideas on average, though this is only one of many play-styles available to them.

MAKING A CREATIVE

Abilities: Creatives’ idea DC’s are based on their Charisma Modifier. As always, Dexterity and Constitution are vital defensive abilities.
Races: Most every race has a creative spark among its members. The versatility of humans in particular makes them well-suited for this class.
Alignment: Any
Starting Gold: As Bard
Starting Age: As Bard
   
Class Skills
The Creative’s class skills are Appraise, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Disguise, Diplomacy, Forgery, Hide, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Search, Spot, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + int) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + int

Table: The Creative				HD: d6
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5	Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special                                  Inspired (1/day) Imaginary Friend I Artistry Fast Learner (Skills) — Imaginary Friend II On My Mind (1/day) Inspired (2/day) — Imaginary Friend III Create Object Fast Learner (Feats) — Imaginary Friend IV Inspired (3/day) On My Mind (2/day) — Imaginary Friend V Worldbuilding Fast Learner (Ideas)	Hand Size 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7	Aug. Limit 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4	Deck Composition   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 5 5 — — — — — 4 6 — — — — — 3 7 — — — — — 3 6 2 — — — — 3 6 3 — — — — 3 6 4 — — — — 2 5 5 2 — — — 2 5 5 3 — — — 2 5 5 4 — — — 1 4 5 5 2 — — 1 4 5 5 3 — — 1 4 5 5 4 — — 0 3 4 5 5 2 — 0 3 4 5 5 3 — 0 3 4 5 5 4 — 0 2 3 4 5 5 2 0 2 3 4 5 5 3 0 2 3 4 5 5 4 0 2 3 4 5 5 5 0 2 3 4 5 5 6	Ideas Known   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 8 5 — — — — — 8 6 — — — — — 8 7 — — — — — 8 7 2 — — — — 8 7 3 — — — — 8 8 4 — — — — 8 8 5 2 — — — 8 8 6 3 — — — 8 8 6 4 — — — 8 8 6 5 2 — — 8 8 7 6 3 — — 8 8 7 6 4 — — 8 8 7 6 5 2 — 8 8 8 7 6 3 — 8 8 8 7 6 4 — 8 8 8 7 6 5 2 8 8 8 8 7 6 3 8 8 8 8 7 6 4 8 8 8 8 7 6 5 8 8 8 8 8 7 6

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Creatives are proficient with all simple weapons, the heavy pick, bastard sword, whip, and bolas, and with light armor and light shields.

Ideas: The Creative begins play knowing 6 0th-level ideas and 3 1st-level ideas. At every subsequent level, the Creative learns one or more new ideas as given in the Ideas Known section of the table above, and can use between 0 and 2 of each to create the deck composition that corresponds to her level (as given in the Deck Composition section of the table). She may choose lower-level ideas whenever she would be allowed higher-level ones, both when learning new ideas known and when building her deck. At 2nd level and each level afterward, she may exchange one idea known for another idea of her choice of that level or lower. The DC for her ideas is 10 + the idea's level + her Charisma modifier.

Inspired: Even if an idea isn't useful in the moment, the Creative can at least gain insight from it. As a free action, she may discard an idea in her hand and gain +1 IP for that turn. This ability is usable once per day at 1st level, and at 8th and 15th level, she gains an additional use per day. It cannot be used more than once per round.

Imaginary Friend: At 2nd level, the Creative gains the aid of a loyal companion, an imaginary friend. An imaginary friend is transparent, lacking color altogether, so it appears invisible (+20 to Hide, +40 when immobile) even against effects such as See Invisibility or True Seeing. It does have a physical form, however, so Blindsense, Blindsight, and Tremorsense can locate it. The Creative always knows where her friend is, though she can't see it herself without one of these special vision modes. She can, however, hear it. To her ears, it can speak intelligibly in any language that she can understand, and it can understand her in return. No other characters, regardless of any special senses, can hear the imaginary friend speak.

As the Creative's imagination becomes more powerful, her friend can take on a variety of forms. It can share the effects of the Creative's ideas as the Share Spells feature of a familiar. Its skill ranks and mental ability scores are half of the Creative's, and its saving throws and HD are the same as the Creative's. It does not gain feats except as described below. Though it is intelligent, it cannot use spell-trigger, spell-completion or use-activated magic items, nor is it proficient with any weapons or armor (except as noted below). Determine all other attributes, such as AC, BAB and HP, from its base stats as described below. It always has a BAB equal to its HD and d8 hit dice.

Whenever the Creative has the ability to gain a new friend, she may select either the form made available to her most recently or any of the forms detailed at lower levels. A new imaginary friend can be created either when an old one dies or when the Creative dismisses it (a free action), but either way, the process requires 24 uninterrupted hours of concentration.

Initially, the friend is Small-sized, with only a vaguely-humanoid shape. It has Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of 8 and a movement rate of 20 feet. It cannot attack in any way, but can carry objects and make skill checks.

At level 6, the Creative's imaginary friend becomes more developed, taking the form of a Medium-sized humanoid. It has Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of 14 and a movement rate of 30, and may be equipped with a transparent melee weapon that the Creative imagines into existence with a full minute of intense focus. The melee weapon can be of any mundane type, including double weapons or exotic weapons, and the friend is considered proficient with any weapon created for it. The weapon is not considered to be of any special material, and it is not masterwork. It vanishes if it is ever separated from the imaginary friend for whom it was created. Conversely, while the imaginary friend can pick up and use other weapons, it takes non-proficiency penalties with them, even if it is simultaneously proficient with a weapon created for it that is of an otherwise identical type.

By level 10, the imaginary friend begins to seem decidedly non-humanoid. It grows to Large size, its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores improve to 20, its movement rate increases to 40, and it gains two claw attacks and a bite attack typical for its size (1d4 and 1d8 at Large size, respectively). It is able to use all three on a full-attack, and gains the Multiattack feat. Finally, should anyone touch it or attack it, they would notice that it is now protected by scales, or perhaps some kind of chitin. This provides it a +6 natural armor bonus to AC.

At level 14, the Creative's imagination spreads out of control. Her imaginary friend becomes Huge, its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores increase to 26, and its movement rate reaches 50 feet. Its natural armor becomes more durable, instead granting it a +10 natural armor bonus to AC, and now also resulting in DR 5/-. More shockingly, it has developed a pair of wings that, while as transparent as the rest of its body, have a leathery texture and move noisily with poor maneuverability, also at 50 feet.

At level 18, the full, monstrous form that the Creative had brought into being is revealed. The imaginary friend is now Gargantuan, with Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of 32 and a base land speed of 60 feet. Its flight now has good maneuverability and a speed of 90 feet, its armor bonus is +15, and its damage reduction rises to 10/-. It gains 4 tentacles which erupt from its back, each with a base damage of 1d8. It uses all of them as secondary weapons whenever it makes a full attack.

Artistry: Though a Creative's skills truly shine on the battlefield, few can compare when it comes to the mundane arts such as painting and music. At level 3, she gains a +3 bonus to Craft checks, Perform checks, and Profession checks which involve creativity such as Profession (Writer).

Fast Learner: The Creatives are notorious among thinkers for their ability to quickly pick up new skills and ways of thinking. She gains the ability to make changes to her character as a free action which last until the end of the day, usable a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1; her uses per day are determined at the time in which she contemplates to recover her ideas and do not change if her Charisma modifier changes).

At level 4, she may expend a use of this ability to gain a number of temporary skill points less than or equal to her hand size, which she then adds to any one skill, subject to her usual level-dependent cap (her level + 3 for class skills, and half that for other skills). She is considered trained in any skill that receives a skill point in this way. The temporary skill points are lost if she uses this ability again, so only one skill at a time may ever benefit from these temporary skill points.

Starting at level 12, she may expend 2 uses of this ability (if she has that many) to change one feat she took into another feat that she had qualified for at the time. Such a change is only permitted if it respects all relevant prerequisites from prestige classes and other feats. Like all uses of the Fast Learner ability, the feat choice reverts to its initial state at the end of the day.

At level 20, the Creative becomes so adaptable that she can change any of her ideas at a moment's notice. She may expend 3 uses of her Fast Learner ability (if she has that many) to change one of her ideas known into a different idea of the same level, which cannot be one that she already knows. Neither the idea changed nor the replacement idea may be unique. Mark the difference by changing the name of the idea next to the corresponding card on her character sheet. This may even change the meaning of an idea in the Creative's hand that hasn't yet been used that round, dramatically improving her versatility in combat.

On My Mind: Sometimes an idea just gets stuck in the Creative's head, and she can conjure it to mind more quickly. Starting at 7th level, the Creative can select one of her ideas known at the beginning of the day. Once that day when she expresses it, the expressing time is one step shorter. A full-round action becomes a standard action, a standard becomes a move, a move becomes a swift, and a swift action becomes a free action. If this idea is changed via her 20th-level Fast Learner ability, the new idea must be eligible for On My Mind, and it has reduced expressing time instead until the end of the day. At level 16, she can use this ability twice per day, though both uses must be of the same idea.

Create Object: By level 11, the Creative has become adept at imagining objects so clearly that they become physical. Three times per day, she may create a single, nonliving, nonmagical object of volume up to 1 cubic foot per class level whose value does not exceed 100 gp. The object vanishes after 1 hour per class level, and can't be used as a material component or focus for a spell. The object cannot be so unique or exotic that it could not be found for sale in an average city.

Worldbuilding: The 19th-level Creative's imagination is so powerful that she can conjure an entire world into being. By spending 1 hour in concentration, she can create a demiplane, which forms at a random point in the Astral Plane. It takes 1 week for the demiplane to form, during which time it cannot be accessed. After that point, however, she can spend a standard action to travel instantly to any location on her world, along with up to 7 other willing creatures joining hands with her. While on her world, she can travel to any other point in that world using the same action, or travel back to the plane and location outside of her world where she had been most recently. The demiplane can also be accessed as normal with Plane Shift or a similar effect if the planar traveler knows its location or sees it in the Astral Plane.

The Creative's world is between 200 feet and 1 mile in each dimension (Creative's choice - once chosen at the time the world is created, this cannot be changed); past that point, it loops back on itself, so traveling west for half its length reaches the same point as traveling east. It has temperature and weather comparable to the Material Plane, anywhere between the coldest mountain and the hottest desert. It can have any terrain the Creative wishes, including structures up to 50 feet tall (though composed only of mundane, typical stone, dirt, wood, sand, and/or water or ice), as well as flora and fauna of the Creative's own design. Each creature made in this way must have the same statistics block and abilities as an existing animal of up to 5 HD, though it is considered to be an outsider native to the plane. The demiplane may support no more than 200 HD of life, and in a poorly-designed ecosystem without a balance of flora and fauna, that number will quickly dwindle, possibly to 0. Creatures native to the demiplane die within 1 minute if they are brought outside it.

Additionally, the Creative has special control over her world. She is aware of any intruders on her world, even if she is currently on another plane. She does not necessarily know their location, but she can see through the eyes of any native creature on her world by concentrating (she does not have any form of control over them, though they can theoretically be tamed and trained). In addition, while she is on her world, she can reshape the terrain or structures within 100 feet of her as a full-round action. Finally, while she is on her world, she may, as a standard action, lock her world, preventing all planar travel in or out. The lock can be undone as a standard action, and it automatically ends if the Creative dies. Until that point, it can only be bypassed by Wish, Miracle, or an equivalent effect.

The Creative can make a new world at most once per month. Once she begins the formation of a new demiplane, her existing demiplane, if any, contracts in on itself, physically compressing the landscape by 100 feet once per hour. Gravity intensifies immediately, rendering flight impossible and reducing land speed by half. Each time the plane compresses, an Earthquake (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm) occurs (DC 25). When this would cause its length to decrease to 0 feet or below, the demiplane fully implodes to a point and vanishes. Creatures inside at that time must make a Fortitude save (DC 25) or be annihilated. Even creatures that are normally immune to Fortitude saves, such as undead, are affected. Creatures that succeed on the save take 5d6 bludgeoning damage and find themselves floating in the Astral Plane where the demiplane used to be.


CREATIVE VARIANT: ARCANE ARTISAN

Some Creatives are more down-to-earth, preferring to hone their magical and artistic talents rather than daydream and make imaginary friends.

Replaces: An Arcane Artisan does not gain an imaginary friend.

Benefit: Upon reaching level 2, the Arcane Artisan can spend 6 hours to craft a single magic item of up to 1000 gp in price. She need not pay for the base materials or have access to the requisite feat or spells to craft the item, though she still requires the Sanctify Relic feat if she wishes to craft a relic in this way. At levels 6, 10, 14, and 18, she may craft additional magic items of value not to exceed 4000, 9000, 16000, and 25000 gp, respectively. Only a single magic item can be obtained in this way per listed class level.


IDEA LIST

Ideas written in blue are expressed as free actions, cost 0 IP, and cannot be used in periods of focused thinking unless stated otherwise. All other ideas are assumed to be expressed as move actions for a cost of 1 IP and can be expressed in either mode unless stated otherwise. Ideas which can be augmented by spending additional IP to express them are listed with an ^A symbol. Versatile ideas are marked with a ^V symbol.

(click to show/hide)

Level 0

Insight, Minor - Gain +1 IP this turn.
Ponder - Swift action; draw 1 idea.
Seeds of a Plan - Cannot be expressed; several higher-level ideas benefit from having this idea in your hand. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Start from Scratch - Discard your deck.

Envision Auras - See auras as colors.
Fleeting Inspiration^A - Grant an ally within close range a +1 insight bonus on their next attack roll, skill check, or ability check within 1 round. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.
Focus - Swift action; +10 to Concentration checks for 1 round.
Imaginary Hand^A,V - Full-round action; move a small, unattended object in Close range up to 30 feet. Augment to increase the range by 10 ft and the weight possible to lift by 5 lbs per additional IP spent.
Key Concept^A,V - "Memorize" a lock or key, learning if it matches a previously-memorized lock or key. Open locks with memorized keys. Augment to memorize an additional lock or key per IP spent.
Minddagger - Free action, 0 IP; Deal 1d4 damage with a touch attack.
See What Sticks^V - Glue 2 objects together.
Thinker's Resistance^A - The touched creature gains a +1 resistance bonus on saves for 1 minute/level. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.

Level 1

Cogitation - Gain +1 IP this turn. Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may discard them.
Creative Process, Lesser - Look at the top 3 cards of your deck. You may retire 1 of them. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.
Extend Idea - Meta; double another idea's duration. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
First Draft - Cannot be expressed; if it is discarded from your hand or retired, gain +1 IP and draw a card.
Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn.
Introspection - Swift action; gain +3 IP this turn.
Modify Idea^A - Meta; change another idea's area of effect shape or energy type. Can be used in periods of focused thinking. Augment to change both for 1 IP.
Wrack Brain^A - Move action; draw 2 ideas. Augment to draw another idea per 2 additional IP spent.

Corrosive Streak^A - Deal 2d6 acid damage in a line. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and add 1d6 per additional IP spent.
Déjà Vu^A - Force the target to repeat its previous turn's actions. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and affect one more target per additional IP spent.
Disarming Notion^V - Attempt to disarm an enemy in Medium range, using your TL and expressing modifier on the check.
Drawing a Blank^A - The target loses 20% of their actions (Will negates). If used against a thinker, place a Blank on top of their deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the percentage chance by 10% per additional IP spent.
Graceful Dance - Move twice in a single action without provoking attacks of opportunity. You can take your remaining move or standard action during movement.
Hush^A,V - Create a 1-foot-radius area of silence. Augment to increase the radius and increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent.
Into the Weeds^A - Plants entangle a target (Ref negates). If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, entangle all within a 40-ft.-radius spread instead. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Mental Image^A - Create short-lived, silent illusions. Augment to add sounds and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Mindarrow^A - Deal 1d10 damage per idea already expressed this turn to a creature in Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Piercing Wit^A - Ranged touch attack deals 2d6 piercing damage. If this attack fells a creature, draw a card and gain a move action. Augment to add 1d6 damage per additional IP spent.
Project Sound^A - Produce nearby sounds or deafen an enemy (no save) for 1 round/level. Augment to shatter objects or send messages over long distances.
Share Thoughts^A,V - Form telepathic bonds with nearby creatures for 10 minutes/level. Augment to increase the duration to 1 hour/level for 1 additional IP.
Veil of Ignorance - Swift action, 0 IP; the next attack against you has a 50% miss chance. Shuffle a Blank into your deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn).
Way with Words^V - Make a Diplomacy check as a full-round action without taking the -10 penalty for rushing. If expressed in a period of focused thought, gain a +5 bonus on the check.

Level 2

Being Meta^A - Search your deck or discard pile for an idea of up to 2nd level with the [Meta] descriptor and add it to your hand. Augment to recover higher-level ideas.
Creative Process - Look at the top 6 cards of your deck, then retire up to 2 of them. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.
Empower Idea - Meta; increase another idea's variable, numeric effects by 50%. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Hold that Thought - Set aside any number of ideas currently in your hand for use on another turn within 3 rounds.
Insight, Major - Gain +3 IP this turn.
Introspection, Major - Swift; gain +4 IP this turn. You have a passive +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.
Rethink - Discard until you have 0 or 1 ideas remaining in your hand (your choice). Then draw a number of cards equal to the number discarded (maximum 2 cards drawn).

Bright Idea^A - Swift; create a ball of bright light that hovers above you, suppressing darkness effects. Discharge to gain +1 IP but be unable to augment that turn. Augment for additional turns of insight before the light discharges.
Buffer^A - Touched creature gains 10 temporary HP. Only one creature at a time can have this protection. Augment to increase the temporary HP by 10 per additional IP spent.
Chilling Thought^A - Deal 3d6 cold damage in a 60-foot cone (Fort half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and add 1d6 per additional IP.
Cognitive Dissonance^A - Inflict either Stunned, Frightened, Nauseated, or Confused (rolled randomly) on an enemy for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent, and affect an additional target per 2 additional IP spent.
Echo^A - Deals 3d4 sonic damage in a 15-foot-radius burst. Then place an idea from your discard pile on top of your deck. Augment to increase the damage by 1d4 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Final Thought^A - Target takes 2d6 Constitution damage (Fort half). End your turn. Can only be expressed if your deck is empty. Augment to add 1 to the DC per additional IP spent.
Fruit of Knowledge^A - Make a fruit that heals 1d10 HP and grants +3 IP as a free action at a later time. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, expressing time is reduced from move to free. Augment to add 1d10 points of healing and +1 IP per 2 additional IP spent.
Hit a Brick Wall - Immediate action; Create a 5-by-5-foot vertical wall to interrupt line of effect, ranged weapons, and charging enemies. You begin next turn with -1 IP.
Ingenious Machine^A - Full-round action; summon a small construct to attack enemies. Augment to increase its size and power.
Mindsaber^A - Creates a floating sword that attacks enemies or can be wielded as a weapon. Augment to grant it weapon enhancements equal to the additional IP spent.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind^A,V - Full-round action; become invisible and force enemies to make Will saves or forget you existed until you reappear. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent. Augment by 3 or more to allow attacking while invisible.
Perspective^A,V - Increase or decrease a creature's size by one step. Augment to change size by another step per 2 additional IP spent.
Positive Thinking^A - Ally within Close range gains a +2 morale bonus on saves, checks, and attack rolls (doubled for saves against fear). Augment to increase the bonus by +1 per additional IP spent.
Self-Image^V - Assume the form of a similar creature, as Alter Self (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alterSelf.htm).
Steal Thoughts^A,V - Clandestine mental link allows you to hear target's thoughts or deal 1d4+1 mental ability damage. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Think or Swim^A,V - Grant the touched creature water breathing and a swim speed, or force them to take penalties for being outside water (Fort negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1, and affect 2 additional creatures in touch range, per additional IP spent.
Tinker^A,V - Touched mechanical object comes apart or magical object becomes nonfunctional for 1 minute/level. Augment to affect more objects within touch range.


Level 3

Clear Your Mind - Retire a card in your hand. Draw 3 cards if the retired card is of the highest level you can express. For each level lower than the highest level you can express, draw 1 fewer card (minimum 0).
Creative Process, Greater - Look at the top 9 cards of your deck, then retire up to 3 of them. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.
Double Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn and +2 IP next turn.
Insight, Critical - Gain +5 IP this turn.
Introspection, Critical - Swift; gain +6 IP this turn. You have a passive +2 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.
Maximize Idea - Another idea's variable, numeric effects yield maximum values. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
On to Something Here - Shuffle up to 5 ideas from your discard pile into your deck.

Chain of Thought^A - A chain entangles a creature and leashes them to within 10 feet of a point in space or another creature (Ref negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the break/escape DC of the chain by 4 per additional IP spent.
Color Sequence^A - Create prismatic effects that increase in power every time you express this idea. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Cutting Room - Discard any number of cards, then deal 2d12 slashing damage to a creature in Medium range for each card discarded (no save).
Disbelief^A - Dispel spell effects and other spell-like effects. Augment to raise the thinker level cap by 2 per additional IP spent.
Explosive Revelation^A - Costs 5 IP; your powerful insight triggers a 30-ft.-radius burst that deals 9d6 fire damage (Ref half) and pushes creatures outward in all directions. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Just Hear Me Out^A,V - You can compel an enemy to follow a simple suggestion as a swift action once per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Light as Thought^A - Gain a flight speed that doubles if you have 2 copies of this idea in your deck composition. Augment by 2 additional IP to increase the duration from 1 minute/level to 1 hour/level.
Lightning in a Bottle^A - Deal 5d6 electricity damage in a line. Augment to add 1d6 damage, increase the DC by 1, and have the line turn at an angle once per additional IP spent.
Mindarmor^A - Armor-like mental projection grants touched creature DR 10/- and energy resistance 10 against all types. Requires 1 IP to be spent per round to keep it active. Augment to increase from 10 to 15 for 3 additional IP.
Migraine^A - A burst of sound deals 6d6 sonic damage (Will half) and Dazes for 1 round on a failed save. Shuffle a Blank into your deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn). Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by +1 per additional IP spent.
Quick Thinking - The target gains a burst of speed for 1 round, granting them an additional movement action, a +60 enhancement bonus to movement speed, and 2 bonus attacks if they use a full attack.
Random Walk^A - One creature/level is compelled to walk in a random direction once per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Rehearsal - Make a Perform check. You can use the result in place of an attack roll or saving throw within 1 round/level.
Sculptor's Touch^A,V - Mold stone, wood, or ice to any solid shape within a 5-ft. cube. Augment to affect a 10-ft. cube of material for 2 additional IP or a 15-ft. cube for 4 additional IP.
Thought Bubble^V - Create a 10-ft.-radius floating sphere or grounded hemisphere of breathable water.


Level 4

Epiphany - Unique; gain +6 IP this turn. Place this idea on the bottom of your deck instead of discarding it.
Full of Ideas - Draw 2 ideas.
Insight, Unparalleled - Gain +8 IP this turn.
Personal Muse - As long as this card is in your deck composition, you gain +1 IP each turn.
Quicken Idea - Swift action; another idea normally expressible as a move action is expressed immediately without paying its IP cost. Augmenting it still costs additional IP.

Brainstorm^A - Deal 6d3 electricity and 6d3 sonic damage in a 40-ft. burst centered on you (Ref half). Augment to add 1d3 of each type and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Choice Paralysis^A - One creature/level makes a Fort save. Of the ones that failed, choose one to become Paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Cold Open^A - Unique; this idea starts each period of fluid thought at the top of your deck, and is retired after it is expressed. Deal 8d6 cold damage (Fort half) and Slow the target for 1 round on a failed save. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent and increase the duration of the Slow effect by 1 round per 2 additional IP spent.
Creative Spirit^A - Add 1 point/level to a pool of creativity that your allies can pull from to enhance their attack rolls, saves, and checks. Augment to add 1 more point to the pool for each additional IP spent.
Death Urge^A - On a failed Will save, the target attempts to lethally wound itself. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent; for 3 additional IP, you can target a second creature.
Decoy^A,V - As you move, create an illusory duplicate of yourself that takes an alternate path. Augment to create another copy and increase the disbelief DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Earworm^A - All copies of a named idea become Earworm. All creatures within 30 feet gain a negative level per copy of Earworm in your hand +1 (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Form of Beauty - Touched creature gains an untyped +2 bonus to Charisma, Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.
Mindhammer^A - Deal 1d6 damage per card currently in your deck to an enemy within Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Oaken Sentinel^A - Full-round action; summon a treant to fight for you. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, the expressing time is reduced to a move action. Augment by 3 additional IP to summon a second treant, or to make the treant last for 1 hour/level instead of 1 round/level.
Out of the Box^A - Teleport anywhere within Long range. Augment to express as a swift action for 3 additional IP.
Wishful Thinking - Immediate action; reroll a single d20. You begin next turn with -1 IP. May be used outside of periods of thought, but expends 2 daily periods of focused thought if used in this way.
Writer's Block^A - Drop a 10-ft. block of stone, dealing 8d6 bludgeoning damage (Ref negates). Augment by 4 IP to increase the size of the block to 15 feet and the damage to 12d6.


Level 5

Bring to Mind - Move action; you may discard your entire deck. Place up to 3 ideas not expressed this turn from your hand or discard on top of your deck in any order.
Improvisation - Shuffle your discard pile into your deck, then express the top card as a free action for 0 IP, treating it as though it had been augmented up to your augment limit.
In the Zone - Gain +7 IP this turn. For 2 turns, any unspent IP carries over to subsequent rounds.
Twin Idea - Meta; another idea activates twice in quick succession, affecting the same targets or area (its IP cost need not be paid twice).

Burnout^A - Deal 11d6 fire damage in a 90-ft-cone, then draw 2 fewer ideas next turn. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Collector's Item^A - Creatures within 30 feet of a worthless bauble fight each other to obtain it. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Final Cut^A - 5-ft line within Close range cleanly cuts objects in half. Creatures in its path make a Reflex save or lose a random limb. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent and add 5 feet to the line per 2 additional IP spent.
Form of Dreams^A - Change your appearance as a free action and create illusions at will as standard actions. If you express this idea while you have another expression active, you can become incorporeal for 1 round. Augment to increase the illusions' DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Mindscythe^A - Retire an idea from your hand, then deal 2d12 damage per level of the idea retired to a creature in Close range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Photo Negative - You bring into existence a shadowy double of an enemy in range, which immediately attacks its original, then vanishes.
Prescience^A - Roll 3d20 and record the results. These are guaranteed to be the results of the next 3 rolls of a chosen type made within 30 feet of you. Augment to roll another die per 2 additional IP spent.
Refreshing Outlook - The target creature recovers from harmful spells and conditions, and may recover a spell or spell slot that they previously expended.
Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune^A - Pelt foes with projectiles, dealing 10d6 weapon damage of a random type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing). Each creature subtracts half their AC from the damage. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 per additional IP spent.
So Crazy It Just Might Work^A - Switch places and appearances with foe and enchant it into not telling its allies what happened. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Still Life^A - Time stops for 1d4+1 rounds in a 30-ft. cone. Fort negates. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Thorny Subject^A - Create a tall column of thorny brambles. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, you may instead arrange the 10-ft. cubes of brambles into nearly any contiguous shape. Augment to make the column 5 feet taller per additional IP spent or add another 10-ft. cube of brambles per 2 additional IP spent.
Vitriol^A - Deal 9d6 acid damage and nauseate all creatures in a 20-ft.-radius burst for 1 round. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.

Level 6

Master of Improvisation - Each round at the start of your turn, express for free the top card of your deck if it costs 1 IP and has an expressing time of 1 swift action or longer. Otherwise, discard it.
Necessity - Place any one idea up to 5th level from your discard or deck into your hand.
No Bad Ideas - Place all ideas of level 2 or lower from your discard pile into your hand.
Stroke of Genius - Unique; gain +10 IP and an additional move action this turn. Retire this idea.

Dance Number^A  - Allies gain +4 to AC and +10 to Reflex saves and can't provoke attacks of opportunity, while foes dance as Irresistible Dance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/irrresistibleDance.htm), but Will negates. Augment to increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent.
Earth-Shattering Idea^A - As the spell Earthquake (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent and increase the duration of the shaking by 1 round per 2 additional IP spent.
Flight of the Valkyries - As a move action, grant 1 creature/level a 100-foot flight speed and a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Alternatively, as a swift action, all creatures previously granted this flight speed may each make an attack with a melee or ranged weapon.
Imagine Dragons - Full-round action; summon 1d3 juvenile dragons of any main type other than red or gold. No more than 3 such dragons may be summoned simultaneously.
Mindcannon^A - Augment limit does not apply. Deal 2d20 damage + 1d20 damage per additional IP spent to all enemies in a 120-ft line. Will half. Augmenting also increases the save DC by 1 per additional IP spent (max +4).
Mind Palace^A - Trap an enemy in a demiplane representing your mind for a full day. If they fail the saving throw, only Plane Shift or a similar effect allows escape. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Ninth Symphony^A - Full-round action; choose creatures to save against being Deafened, Stunned, Confused, Panicked, and put to Sleep (multiple effects can target the same creature). Augment to affect creatures normally immune to mind-affecting abilities for 2 additional IP.
Re-imagine^A - A massive illusion of your choice covers everything in Long range, changing the terrain and all the creatures within it. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Statuesque^A - Grant an ally the ability to turn into a living statue, as the spell Statue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/statue.htm), or turn an enemy into an inert statue, as the spell Flesh to Stone (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm) (Fort negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
The Floor's Lava^A - One 5-ft. square per level of contiguous floor space becomes lava. Creatures that fail a Reflex save fall in and take 20d6 fire damage per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:30:03 PM

THE PHILOSOPHER

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/42/b1/6d42b1fab90bf9fb2da98e6d5a9dcb74.jpg)

"Embrace your hypocrisy, as I always say. Yes, I always say that, my boy, but I never act on it."

- Yove the Philosopher, unprompted, to a complete stranger

Philosophers concern themselves only with the largest questions, of meaning and place in an unfathomable world, of life and matter and thoughts themselves. Such is the scope of their ideas that they can extend beyond their minds and manipulate their surroundings. Their dedication to making their arguments unassailable manifests as an incredibly focused and powerful school of thought magic.

Mechanically, the Philosopher is simpler than the other classes, though by no means less powerful. Players will appreciate this class if they like the idea of swapping out available magic by drawing cards, but don't want to deal with deck management. Philosophers are by far the most adept at utility effects, having more uses of focused thought per day, but they also have unique combat capabilities like more potent healing and special buffs, divinations, debuffs, and summons.

MAKING A PHILOSOPHER

Abilities: Philosophers’ idea DC’s are based on their Wisdom Modifier. As always, Dexterity and Constitution are vital defensive abilities.
Races: Long-lived races such as elves are well-suited to their long periods of study and contemplation, but races naturally gifted with Wisdom, like aasimars, will find that they have a particular knack for the philosopher's way of thinking.
Alignment: Any
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
   
Class Skills
The Philosopher’s class skills are Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform (Oratory), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Spot.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + int) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + int

Table: The Philosopher				HD: d6
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +7/+2 +8/+3 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5	Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special                                  Lore Practical Reason Rebuttal Bonus Feat — Personal Philosophy Active Mind Pure Reason — Bonus Feat Forceful Rebuttal Personal Philosophy — Judgment Seminal Work Bonus Feat — Personal Philosophy Insightful Rebuttal Philosopher's Stone	Hand Size 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7	Aug. Limit 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4	Deck Composition   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 5 5 — — — — — 4 6 — — — — — 3 7 — — — — — 3 6 2 — — — — 3 6 3 — — — — 3 6 4 — — — — 2 5 5 2 — — — 2 5 5 3 — — — 2 5 5 4 — — — 1 4 5 5 2 — — 1 4 5 5 3 — — 1 4 5 5 4 — — 0 3 4 5 5 2 — 0 3 4 5 5 3 — 0 3 4 5 5 4 — 0 2 3 4 5 5 2 0 2 3 4 5 5 3 0 2 3 4 5 5 4 0 2 3 4 5 5 5 0 2 3 4 5 5 6

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Philosophers are not proficient with any weapons, armor, or shields.

Ideas: A Philosopher's knowledge is so extensive that she does not need to learn new ideas at each level. Rather, all ideas on her class list are considered known to her, so long as her deck composition contains at least one idea of its level (since all ideas on her list with the [Versatile] tag are known to her, she can swap between any of them as detailed in the Thought Magic description under Types of Ideas). She is still limited to using only combinations of ideas that fulfill her deck composition requirements, shown by level in the table above, with no more that 2 copies of any given idea in use at a time. She may fill higher-level slots in her deck composition with lower-level ideas if she chooses. The DC for her ideas is 10 + the idea's level + her Wisdom modifier.

Lore: All philosophers are well-read, and those that can be found in adventuring parties are typically well-traveled, too. This gives them a wide array of knowledge that they've picked up over time and can tap into should the need arise. Treat this as the Bardic Knowledge class feature, except that the Philosopher applies her Wisdom modifier to the check rather than her Intelligence modifier.

In addition, this ability grants them a bonus on all Knowledge checks equal to their Wisdom modifier or their class level, whichever is lower.

Practical Reason: Philosophers seek a breadth of experiences and ideas, and refuse to constrain their usefulness to just combat. At level 2, the Philosopher gains 2 additional daily uses of focused thinking. Unlike normal thought magic uses, these bonus uses cannot be spent on fluid thinking.

Rebuttal: Starting at 3rd level, the Philosopher can use the magical essence of argumentation itself to debate her enemies' spells into nonexistence. Whenever the Philosopher is aware of an enemy using a spell or spell-like ability within 60 feet while she is in a period of fluid thinking, she may spend an immediate action and discard some number of random ideas from her hand (she shuffles her hand without looking at it, then discards a number of cards of her choice from the top of the stack). If the level of the effect is at most twice the number of ideas discarded, it is negated, as though it had been counterspelled. For instance, discarding 2 ideas would be sufficient to counter Solid Fog, but not Mind Fog.

If the level of the spell or spell-like effect is higher than 1/2 their thinker level (rounded up), the Philosopher's rebuttal attempt fails automatically. Thus, at level 3 when this ability is first obtained, the Philosopher can rebut effects of level 2 or lower. Before deciding whether to rebut an effect, the Philosopher may make a Spellcraft check to identify the effect, letting her know how many ideas will need to be deployed in her argument and whether she can successfully rebut it.

At level 11, the Philosopher's arguments become so forceful that they physically impact against their targets. Whenever she successfully rebuts an opponent's spell or spell-like ability, that opponent takes 1d6 force damage per level of the effect countered.

At level 19, the arguments are so brilliant that they inspire even the Philosopher as she says them. She gains +3 IP during the turn after she executes a successful rebuttal.

Bonus Feat: The Philosopher gains a bonus feat at level 4 and every 6 levels afterward. She may choose any [Thought] feat or the [General] feat Magical Intuition (both described below).

Personal Philosophy: By level 6, the Philosopher moves beyond an understanding of how other minds before her described the world, creating her own notions of reality different from her fellow Philosophers. At this level, and every 6 levels afterward, she may choose an idea on another class' idea list and add it to her own. This idea may be of any level, even one that she cannot currently express. However, she may not choose any idea whose name contains the name of another thinker class, such as Creative Process or Strategist's Grenade.

Active Mind: The Philosopher's mind is always pondering and reflecting, making it unusually difficult to slow or distract her thinking. At level 7, this grants the Philosopher immunity to external effects that inflict Daze, Fascinate, or Sleep. She is not immune if she inflicts these conditions on herself, and she still requires a night's rest to express ideas the next day.

Pure Reason: The 8th-level Philosopher is a master of abstract thought, and her ideas are difficult to dismiss. Her thinker level is treated as being 4 levels higher for the purpose of dispel attempts made against her ideas and bypassing spell resistance. Her thinker level remains unchanged for all other purposes.

Judgment: By level 14, the Philosopher has become assured and rigid in her way of thinking, and becomes adept at countering other viewpoints. Her harmful ideas have +1 DC against creatures whose alignments differ from hers by at least 2 steps. Thus, for example, a NG Philosopher would have +1 DC against foes that are CN, CE, NE, LE, or LN.

Seminal Work: At level 15, the Philosopher creates her life's work, the theory for which she will be known to future scholars; this takes the form of a slight embellishment on an idea that countless other Philosophers before her have expressed. She chooses an idea on her class list of level no lower than 2 and no higher than 5 which cannot have been gained from her Personal Philosophy class feature. Once chosen, this idea cannot be changed. For the purposes of composing her deck, she treats that idea as being one level lower than it would be normally. For instance, if she chooses Chilling Thought, she would treat it as a level 1 idea when building her deck, but it would still have the DC of her level 2 ideas when she expresses it.

Philosopher's Stone: At 20th level, the Philosopher deduces the greatest secret known to her class: the method for the creation of a Philosopher's Stone (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/artifacts.htm#philosophersStone). She may make use of the stone's properties despite not being an arcane spellcaster, though she still needs to procure a cure potion should she wish to make an oil of life. Making the object requires only a small stone to serve as its base, components worth a mere 100 gp, and a brief, 1-hour ritual performed at the apex of the full moon (for this reason, only one stone may be created each month).

As with all Philosophers before her, she realizes that if the simplicity of the stone's enchantment were revealed, it would upend all of society, so she forbids herself from sharing the secret or bringing a stone into existence while another of her created stones' magic is unspent. So strong is her conviction that no effect, mundane or magical, can extract this knowledge from her in any way. It is due to the unimpeachable wisdom of each generation of great Philosophers that the secret has been kept to this day.


PHILOSOPHER VARIANT: WARRIOR SCHOLAR

Not all philosophers are reclusive bookworms. Some apply their extensive knowledge to the battlefield, supplementing their magic with the skill and training of a soldier.

Replaces: A Warrior Scholar does not gain the Rebuttal ability (she gains no class features at levels 3, 11, and 19).

Benefit: The Warrior Scholar has d8 HD and a Cleric BAB (3/4 level). At level 1, she gains proficiency with all simple weapons, with 3 martial weapons of her choice, and with light and medium armor and shields. In addition, whenever this class would grant her a Thought Magic bonus feat, she may choose a Fighter bonus feat instead.


IDEA LIST

Ideas written in blue are expressed as free actions, cost 0 IP, and cannot be used in periods of focused thinking unless stated otherwise. All other ideas are assumed to be expressed as move actions for a cost of 1 IP and can be expressed in either mode unless stated otherwise. Ideas which can be augmented by spending additional IP to express them are listed with an ^A symbol. Versatile ideas are marked with a ^V symbol.

(click to show/hide)

Level 0

Insight, Minor - Gain +1 IP this turn.
Ponder - Swift action; draw 1 idea.
Seeds of a Plan - Cannot be expressed; several higher-level ideas benefit from having this idea in your hand. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Start from Scratch - Discard your deck.


Envision Auras - See auras as colors.
Fleeting Inspiration^A - Grant an ally within close range a +1 insight bonus on their next attack roll, skill check, or ability check within 1 round. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.
Focus - Swift action; +10 to Concentration checks for 1 round.
Imaginary Hand^A,V - Full-round action; move a small, unattended object in Close range up to 30 feet. Augment to increase the range by 10 ft and the weight possible to lift by 5 lbs per additional IP spent.
Key Concept^A,V - "Memorize" a lock or key, learning if it matches a previously-memorized lock or key. Open locks with memorized keys. Augment to memorize an additional lock or key per IP spent.
Minddagger - Free action, 0 IP; Deal 1d4 damage with a touch attack.
See What Sticks^V - Glue 2 objects together.
Thinker's Resistance^A - The touched creature gains a +1 resistance bonus on saves for 1 minute/level. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.

Level 1

Cogitation - Gain +1 IP this turn. Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may discard them.
Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn.
Introspection - Swift action; gain +3 IP this turn.
Wrack Brain^A - Move action; draw 2 ideas. Augment to draw another idea per 2 additional IP spent.

Analyze^A - Learn a target's damage reduction and energy resistances, if any. You may retire this idea once expressed. Augment to learn other attributes.
Art of War^A - Grant allies within 60 feet +1 to attack rolls. Augment to add +1 per additional IP spent.
Beyond Good and Evil^A - Gain at-will alignment detection. Express for a 2d12-damage melee touch smite attack against aligned outsiders. Augment to add 1d12 damage per additional IP spent.
Déjà Vu^A - Force the target to repeat its previous turn's actions. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and affect one more target per additional IP spent.
Drawing a Blank^A - The target loses 20% of their actions (Will negates). If used against a thinker, place a Blank on top of their deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the percentage chance by 10% per additional IP spent.
Elemental Knowledge^A – Create a gust of wind, a spout of water, a sharp stone projectile, or a burst of flame. Augment to increase the force of the wind or the damage and DC of the other elements.
Healing Touch^A - Heal 1d8 damage with a touch. Augment to heal 1d8 more per additional IP.
Hush^A,V - Create a 1-foot-radius area of silence. Augment to increase the radius and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Into the Weeds^A - Plants entangle a target (Ref negates). If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, entangle all within a 40-ft.-radius spread instead. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Mindarrow^A - Deal 1d10 damage per idea already expressed this turn to a creature in Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Piercing Wit^A - Ranged touch attack deals 2d6 piercing damage. If this attack fells a creature, draw a card and gain a move action. Augment to add 1d6 damage per additional IP spent.
Share Thoughts^A,V - Form telepathic bonds with nearby creatures for 10 minutes/level. Augment to increase the duration to 1 hour/level for 1 additional IP.
Shield of Belief^A - Grant a +4 shield bonus with a touch. Augment to add +1 per additional IP.
Spark of Intuition^A - Deal 2d6 electricity damage to a 10-foot-radius burst in Medium range. Augment to add 1d6 damage, affect another burst, and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP.
Veil of Ignorance - Swift action, 0 IP; the next attack against you has a 50% miss chance. Shuffle a Blank into your deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn).
Way with Words^V - Make a Diplomacy check as a full-round action without taking the -10 penalty for rushing. If expressed in a period of focused thought, gain a +5 bonus on the check.

Level 2

Insight, Major - Gain +3 IP this turn.
Introspection, Major - Swift; gain +4 IP this turn. You have a passive +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.
Self-Consistency - Place an idea in your hand or expressed this turn on top of your deck. Ideas cannot be affected by this effect on 2 consecutive turns.

A Treatise of Human Nature - The target creature loses any immunity to your mind-affecting and fear effects it had from its creature type.
Being and Nothingness^A - Touched creature vanishes for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Bright Idea^A - Swift; create a ball of bright light that hovers above you, suppressing darkness effects. Discharge to gain +1 IP but be unable to augment that turn. Augment for additional turns of insight before the light discharges.
Buffer^A - Touched creature gains 10 temporary HP. Only one creature at a time can have this protection. Augment to increase the temporary HP by 10 per additional IP spent.
Chilling Thought^A - Deal 3d6 cold damage in a 60-foot cone (Fort half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and add 1d6 per additional IP.
Cognitive Dissonance^A - Inflict either Stunned, Frightened, Nauseated, or Confused (rolled randomly) on an enemy for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent, and affect an additional target per 2 additional IP spent.
Echo^A - Deals 3d4 sonic damage in a 15-foot-radius burst. Then place an idea from your discard pile on top of your deck. Augment to increase the damage by 1d4 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Free Will^A - Grant an ally the ability to roll a Will save against an ongoing effect whose save they previously failed, even if that save wasn’t Will. Alternatively, free a summoned creature from enemy control. Augment to affect more creatures or save against additional effects.
Fruit of Knowledge^A - Make a fruit that heals 1d10 HP and grants +3 IP as a free action at a later time. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, expressing time is reduced from move to free. Augment to add 1d10 points of healing and +1 IP per 2 additional IP spent.
Mindsaber^A - Creates a floating sword that attacks enemies or can be wielded as a weapon. Augment to grant it weapon enhancements equal to the additional IP spent.
On Truth - You can see invisible creatures, tell when creatures are lying, and see through illusions.
Perspective^A,V - Increase or decrease a creature's size by one step. Augment to change size by another step per 2 additional IP spent.
Self-Image^V - Assume the form of a similar creature, as Alter Self (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alterSelf.htm).
Steal Thoughts^A,V - Clandestine mental link allows you to hear target's thoughts or deal 1d4+1 mental ability damage. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Think or Swim^A,V - Grant the touched creature water breathing and a swim speed, or force them to take penalties for being outside water (Fort negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1, and affect 2 additional creatures in touch range, per additional IP spent.


Level 3

Clear Your Mind - Retire a card in your hand. Draw 3 cards if the retired card is of the highest level you can express. For each level lower than the highest level you can express, draw 1 fewer card (minimum 0).
Double Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn and +2 IP next turn.
Either/Or - Draw a card. Then either spend 1 IP to draw a second card or gain +1 IP.
Insight, Critical - Gain +5 IP this turn.
Introspection, Critical - Swift; gain +6 IP this turn. You have a passive +2 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.

Being and Time^A - Change the target's age for 1 round/level (Fortitude negates). Augment to increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent.
Bewildering Intellect^A - Touched creature is Dazed for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Backfires if the target is smarter than you. Augment to increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent and allow it to affect creatures immune to mind-affecting effects.
Chain of Thought^A - A chain entangles a creature and leashes them to within 10 feet of a point in space or another creature (Ref negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the break/escape DC of the chain by 4 per additional IP spent.
Down to Earth^A,V - Airborne creatures in a 20-foot-radius cylinder are forced to land (Ref partial) and grounded creatures are knocked prone. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the height of the cylinder by 100 feet per additional IP spent.
Disbelief^A - Dispel spell effects and other spell-like effects. Augment to raise the thinker level cap by 2 per additional IP spent.
Explosive Revelation^A - Costs 5 IP; your powerful insight triggers a 30-ft.-radius burst that deals 9d6 fire damage (Ref half) and pushes creatures outward in all directions. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Inner Demons^A - Summon a Quasit (a small demon) to aid you. Augment to summon a more powerful demon instead.
Light as Thought^A - Gain a flight speed that doubles if you have 2 copies of this idea in your deck composition. Augment by 2 additional IP to increase the duration from 1 minute/level to 1 hour/level.
Make a Valid Point - Create a magical spear that deals 4d6, which can be thrown or wielded as though you are proficient.
Mindarmor^A - Armor-like mental projection grants touched creature DR 10/- and energy resistance 10 against all types. Requires 1 IP to be spent per round to keep it active. Augment to increase from 10 to 15 for 3 additional IP.
On Life^A - Heal 4d8 HP from a living creature, as well as 1d4 ability damage and 1 negative level, if any. Damages undead. Augment to increase the amount healed or dealt by 1d8 per additional IP spent.
Persuasive Argument^A,V - Sway a creature to your side, as Charm Monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/charmMonster.htm), for 10 minutes/level. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Quick Thinking - The target gains a burst of speed for 1 round, granting them an additional movement action, a +60 enhancement bonus to movement speed, and 2 bonus attacks if they use a full attack.
Random Walk^A - One creature/level is compelled to walk in a random direction once per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Redirect Energy^V - The touched creature is warded as Protection from Energy (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEnergy.htm), but energy of the specified type is redirected as a ray at a creature within 60 feet instead of being absorbed.


Level 4

Epiphany - Unique; gain +6 IP this turn. Place this idea on the bottom of your deck instead of discarding it.
Insight, Unparalleled - Gain +8 IP this turn.
Prolific Mind - Unique; as long as this card is in your deck composition, you draw an additional card each turn. However, when drawn, this idea acts as a Blank (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn).

Brainstorm^A - Deal 6d3 electricity and 6d3 sonic damage in a 40-ft. burst centered on you (Ref half). Augment to add 1d3 of each type and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Choice Paralysis^A - One creature/level makes a Fort save. Of the ones that failed, choose one to become Paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Death Urge^A - On a failed Will save, the target attempts to lethally wound itself. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent; for 3 additional IP, you can target a second creature.
Find Flaw^A - Give a creature in Close range a flaw (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) of your choice (no save) or reduce DR, energy resistance, or SR. Augment to inflict 2 flaws by spending 3 additional IP.
Hindsight - Either draw up to 2 IP-granting cards from your discard pile (this use costs 0 IP and takes a free action) or learn about a location's past.
Mindhammer^A - Deal 1d6 damage per card currently in your deck to an enemy within Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Natural Philosophy - Full-round action; touched willing creature transforms into an animal, fey, magical beast, plant, or vermin of your choice.
Oaken Sentinel^A - Full-round action; summon a treant to fight for you. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, the expressing time is reduced to a move action. Augment by 3 additional IP to summon a second treant, or to make the treant last for 1 hour/level instead of 1 round/level.
On Liberty^A,V - As Freedom of Movement (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/freedomOfMovement.htm). Augment to express as a swift action for 2 additional IP.
Post-structuralism^A,V - Ray deals 7d10 damage to a construct, object, or structure, ignoring hardness. Augment to add 1d10 per additional IP.
Qualia^A - Enhance or inhibit the senses of 1 creature/level (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Valid Points All Around^A - A ring of spears around you deals 4d6 piercing damage to anyone who passes within 10 feet of you. It vanishes after it attacks 3 times. Augment to add another attack per IP spent.
Will to Power^V - Your BAB becomes equal to your TL (possibly granting extra attacks), your Strength score becomes equal to your Wisdom score, and you gain the Power Attack feat.
Wishful Thinking - Immediate action; reroll a single d20. You begin next turn with -1 IP. May be used outside of periods of thought, but expends 2 daily periods of focused thought if used in this way.

Level 5

Ahead of their Time - Shuffle a 6th-level idea into your deck along with a Blank (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn).
In the Zone - Gain +7 IP this turn. For 2 turns, any unspent IP carries over to subsequent rounds.

A House Divided^A - Enemies in a 20-foot-radius spread turn on their allies (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Enlightened Mind - Gain a +6 insight bonus to your Wisdom score.
Fear and Trembling^A - An apparition which you direct causes nearby enemies to become panicked. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Leviathan^V - Summon a huge, aquatic creature to swallow your enemies.
Man a Machine^A - Touched creature gains fortification and some construct immunities for 1 round/level. Augment by 2 IP to increase the duration to 10 minutes/level.
Meaning of Life^A - Target dead creature returns to life. Only works on creatures that were killed in the last round + 1 round per additional IP spent.
Mindscythe - Retire an idea from your hand, then deal 2d12 damage per level of the idea retired to a creature in Close range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Prescience^A - Roll 3d20 and record the results. These are guaranteed to be the results of the next 3 rolls of a chosen type made within 30 feet of you. Augment to roll another die per 2 additional IP spent.
Refreshing Outlook - The target creature recovers from harmful spells and conditions, and may recover a spell or spell slot that they previously expended.
Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune^A - Pelt foes with projectiles, dealing 10d6 weapon damage of a random type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing). Each creature subtracts half their AC from the damage. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 per additional IP spent.
Thorny Subject^A - Create a tall column of thorny brambles. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, you may instead arrange the 10-ft. cubes of brambles into nearly any contiguous shape. Augment to make the column 5 feet taller per additional IP spent or add another 10-ft. cube of brambles per 2 additional IP spent.
Totality and Infinity^A - Either deal a creature 36 damage or deal 1d8 damage repeatedly until you roll an 8 (Fort half). Both options have the same expected value. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent and affect another creature per 2 additional IP spent.
Vitriol^A - Deal 9d6 acid damage and nauseate all creatures in a 20-ft.-radius burst for 1 round. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Worldview^A,V - Instantly understand a fact about your surroundings, as Commune with Nature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/communeWithNature.htm). Augment to learn another fact per additional IP.


Level 6

Necessity - Place any one idea up to 5th level from your discard or deck into your hand.
No Bad Ideas - Place all ideas of level 2 or lower from your discard pile into your hand.
Stroke of Genius - Unique; gain +10 IP and an additional move action this turn. Retire this idea.

Antimagic Field^V - As the spell Antimagic Field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm).
Astral Mind^V - Full-round action; you and allies can cast your minds out of your physical bodies, similar to the spell Astral Projection (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/astralProjection.htm).
Book of Healing^A - Touched creature gains fast healing 50 for 3 rounds. Augment to add 1 round per additional IP spent.
Elemental Forces - Full-round action; summon 4 huge elementals, one of each type (air, earth, fire, and water).
Ideal of Justice^A - Whenever an enemy within Long range makes an attack that affects your allies, a bolt of lightning strikes them for 6d6 electricity damage (no save). Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 per 2 additional IP spent.
Mindcannon^A - Augment limit does not apply. Deal 2d20 damage + 1d20 damage per additional IP spent to all enemies in a 120-ft line. Will half. Augmenting also increases the save DC by 1 per additional IP spent (max +4).
Mind Palace^A - Trap an enemy in a demiplane representing your mind for a full day. If they fail the saving throw, only Plane Shift or a similar effect allows escape. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Paradox of the Stone^A - You create a stone so heavy only you can lift it. Dropping it as a free action deals 15d6 damage and pins anyone trapped underneath it. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
The Human Condition^A - Target must make a Fortitude save or die instantly. If it succeeds, it is subject to a Crushing Despair effect. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Transcendence - You cannot be affected by harmful effects for 1 round.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:30:23 PM

THE STRATEGIST

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1b/13/9c/1b139c903571fd9117fea48af11d6f7e.jpg)

"Captain, if the enemy underestimates our position as much as you, then I daresay we'll have the camp by dinner!"

-Beltham the Brain, a Strategist, to the captain of the platoon he'd been sent to aid

Wizards may be scholarly, Warblades may be cunning with a blade, but nobody can match the Strategist when it comes to clever warfare. A Strategist's mind cycles quickly without end through ideas of how to control the battlefield and everyone on it. She may be off to the side, out of harm's way, or in the thick of the battle, but regardless of where she is, regardless of who wins and who surrenders, combat that involves a Strategist is forced to play by her rules.

The Strategist makes ample use of battlefield control ideas with areas of effect, as well as teleportation effects to move allies and enemies into more advantageous positions. The way she interacts with her deck is also very different from the Creative and Philosopher: none of her abilities shuffle the deck, and she has many options to find out precisely where cards are and manipulate their order. Her strategy often relies on planning ahead, making sure that her next few turns are more optimal than they would be if left to random chance.

MAKING A STRATEGIST

Abilities: Strategists’ idea DC’s are based on their Intelligence Modifier. As always, Dexterity and Constitution are vital defensive abilities.
Races: Strategists are well suited to open warfare or races that can socialize well enough to form a functional squadron. This includes organized and clever races like elves and humans, as well as creatures adept at fighting en masse like kobolds or halflings.
Alignment: Any
Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard
   
Class Skills
The Strategist’s class skills are Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + int) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + int

Table: The Strategist				HD: d6
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5	Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special                                  Tried and True Battle-Ready Know Thine Enemy Selective Idea 1/thought — Tried and True Idea of Opportunity 1/thought Superior Tactics — Element of Surprise Tried and True Selective Idea 2/thought — Up My Sleeve Idea of Opportunity 2/thought Tried and True — Saw it Coming Battlefield Control Selective Idea (unlimited)	Hand Size 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7	Aug. Limit 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4	Deck Composition   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 5 5 — — — — — 4 6 — — — — — 3 7 — — — — — 3 6 2 — — — — 3 6 3 — — — — 3 6 4 — — — — 2 5 5 2 — — — 2 5 5 3 — — — 2 5 5 4 — — — 1 4 5 5 2 — — 1 4 5 5 3 — — 1 4 5 5 4 — — 0 3 4 5 5 2 — 0 3 4 5 5 3 — 0 3 4 5 5 4 — 0 2 3 4 5 5 2 0 2 3 4 5 5 3 0 2 3 4 5 5 4 0 2 3 4 5 5 5 0 2 3 4 5 5 6	Ideas Known   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 8 5 — — — — — 8 6 — — — — — 8 7 — — — — — 8 7 2 — — — — 8 7 3 — — — — 8 8 4 — — — — 8 8 5 2 — — — 8 8 6 3 — — — 8 8 6 4 — — — 8 8 6 5 2 — — 8 8 7 6 3 — — 8 8 7 6 4 — — 8 8 7 6 5 2 — 8 8 8 7 6 3 — 8 8 8 7 6 4 — 8 8 8 7 6 5 2 8 8 8 8 7 6 3 8 8 8 8 7 6 4 8 8 8 8 7 6 5 8 8 8 8 8 7 6

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Strategists are proficient with simple weapons, with the longsword, warhammer, longbow, and net, and with light and medium armor and shields.

Ideas: The Strategist begins play knowing 6 0th-level ideas and 3 1st-level ideas. At every subsequent level, the Strategist learns one or more new ideas as given in the Ideas Known section of the table above, and can use between 0 and 2 of each to create the deck composition that corresponds to her level (also given above). She may choose lower-level ideas whenever she would be allowed higher-level ones, both when learning new ideas known and when building her deck. At 2nd level and every level afterward, she may exchange one idea known for another idea of her choice of that level or lower. The DC for her ideas is 10 + the idea's level + her Intelligence modifier.

Tried and True: While the Strategist generally likes to adapt to the circumstances of each battle, some techniques work too well not to keep up her sleeves for every occasion. At 1st level and every 5 levels afterward, she selects a non-unique idea on her list of ideas known (which may be one that she already chose for this feature). The idea chosen cannot be one that grants IP. Once per period of fluid thought per time chosen, she may treat an idea in her hand of equal or greater level as that idea.

Battle-Ready: The 2nd-level Strategist understands the importance of attacking first. Whenever the Strategist rolls initiative, she can reroll and take the better of the two rolls.

Know Thine Enemy: At 3rd level, the Strategist gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge checks made to identify enemy monsters and Spellcraft checks made to identify enemy spells and spell-like effects.

Selective Idea: At level 4, the Strategist learns how to wield her dangerous area-of-effect ideas against her enemies without putting her allies in harm's way. Once per period of fluid thought, she can express an idea that affects an area as a Selective Idea, which does not harm the Strategist's allies (including the Strategist herself). Allies in the effect are not impeded in any way; they do not take damage, they do not need to save against harmful effects, and their movement and visibility are unaffected. The Strategist gains an additional use of this ability per fluid thought at level 12, and at level 20, she may make any of her ideas selective without limit.

Idea of Opportunity: The 7th-level Strategist is cunning enough to take advantage of an enemy's misstep and unleash a barrage of thought magic when they are least prepared for it. Once per period of fluid thought, as an attack of opportunity, she can express a harmful idea from her hand, as long as a provoking enemy within 15 feet is one of the targets of the idea or within its area of effect. She may pay any amount of IP to augment it (not to exceed her augment limit, even if the expressed idea is normally unconstrained by this limit, like Mindcannon). On subsequent turns, she must spend IP equal to the amount that she spent. Until she has paid for the entire IP cost of her attack of opportunity, she may not express any other ideas with IP costs of 1 or higher, or augment any ideas.

At level 15, her number of uses of this ability per period of fluid thought increases to 2. Even if she has the Combat Reflexes feat, she cannot use this ability multiple times between two of her consecutive turns. She must pay back the IP spent on the first idea before she can express another one, whether or not the second idea is an Idea of Opportunity.

Superior Tactics: By level 8, the Strategist is a master tactician, choreographing her allies' positions to devastating effect. All allies within 60 feet of the Strategist (including the Strategist herself) gain an additional +2 to melee attack rolls when flanking (for a total of +4). In addition, enemies within this range gain no bonuses from flanking (though flanked allies may still be vulnerable to Sneak Attacks).

Element of Surprise: The 10th-level Strategist knows how best to seize the advantage of striking first. Whenever she is able to act in the surprise round, she may take any actions that would be available to her in a normal round (normally, a character acting in a surprise round is restricted to a single move or standard action).

Up My Sleeve: At level 14, the Strategist learns to keep an idea hidden away and wait for the perfect moment. She may remove one idea from her deck. At any time during a period of fluid thinking, she may add that idea to her hand. This is only usable once during that period of thought, after which the idea is discarded like the rest of the cards she plays or leaves in her hand at the end of her turn. She may choose a new idea to hide away immediately after forming her deck composition for the day, or after a period of fluid thinking ends. She cannot have more than one idea hidden away at any given time.

Saw it Coming: By level 18, the Strategist knows every trick in the book; nothing surprises her anymore. She always acts during the surprise round, rolling initiative as normal, even if only the enemy side has the surprise advantage. This does not necessarily guarantee that she will be able to accomplish anything; for instance, if someone sneaks up on her while she is sleeping, if she wins initiative before the attack and does not manage to awaken, she will spend that round continuing to sleep. However, if the enemy wins initiative and attacks her, then assuming she survives, she would wake up and be able to counterattack within that surprise round.

Battlefield Control: The level-19 Strategist reaches the pinnacle of battlefield control by literally controlling the battlefield. Once per 3 days, she can warp all her surroundings within a 1000-foot radius centered within Medium range. Within an urban environment, this supernatural effect acts as the spell Animate City (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/races-of-destiny--81/animate-city--3049/index.html), while in nature, it acts as Shadow Landscape (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/dndtools/spells/spell-compendium--86/shadow-landscape--4145/) (though without being able to designate shadow guardians). If the latter effect takes place, roll immediately to change the weather. Either way, the duration of the effect is 10 minutes per class level. These changes to the surrounding area do not affect the Strategist or her allies, as though the land itself were on her side. Entangling plants, rampaging buildings, and harsh storms seem to deliberately avoid allied creatures and focus their wrath on enemies. Unforgiving slopes and quicksand, likewise, do not impose any movement penalties on the Strategist or her allies. The DC of this ability, where applicable, is 19 + the Strategist's Intelligence modifier.


STRATEGIST VARIANT: SPYMASTER

Though tactics during combat are crucial, some Strategists know that, with the right information, a battle can be over before it begins. These Strategists prioritize intelligence gathering at the expense of some of their reliability on the battlefield

Replaces: A Spymaster does not gain Tried and True at levels 1, 6, 11, and 16. Her BAB is also reduced from Cleric (3/4 level) to Wizard (1/2 level), and she loses proficiency with medium armor.

Benefit: At level 1, the Spymaster gains the service of an informant, a mindless, tiny-sized shadowy creature under her command. Informants are semi-ethereal, as though they are constantly under the effect of the spell Blink (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/blink.htm). This enables them to hide easily and walk through walls, though this risks damaging them. An informant has 2 HP per class level, 12 AC (including its size modifier), a flight speed of 20 feet (perfect), and uses the Spymaster's ranks in Spot, Listen, Hide and Move Silently (each with a +0 bonus from its own ability scores). It can observe and speak any language the Spymaster knows, but cannot take non-movement actions, hold or move objects, or even open doors. If one or more of her informants are destroyed, the Spymaster can create new ones when she next prepares her ideas for the day. They have no memory of what the destroyed informants saw or heard.

At level 6, the Spymaster gains a second informant, and she gains the ability to communicate mentally with her informants out to a range of 1 mile.

At level 11, the Spymaster gains a third informant. She may now communicate mentally with her informants at any distance, as long as they are on the same plane. She may also concentrate at any time to see and hear directly what one of her informants sees and hears. In this state, she may make use of any other senses she has; a dwarven Spymaster could use their darkvision to see through an informant's dark surroundings, for instance. Even senses gained through spell effects such as True Seeing can be used through the informants. As long as she is concentrating on an informant's senses, she may take no other actions.

At level 16, the Spymaster gains a fourth informant. Her informants can now become fully ethereal at will. Ethereal creatures are invisible, inaudible, scentless, and can float effortlessly through physical barriers.


IDEA LIST

Ideas written in blue are expressed as free actions, cost 0 IP, and cannot be used in periods of focused thinking unless stated otherwise. All other ideas are assumed to be expressed as move actions for a cost of 1 IP and can be expressed in either mode unless stated otherwise. Ideas which can be augmented by spending additional IP to express them are listed with an ^A symbol. Versatile ideas are marked with a ^V symbol.

(click to show/hide)

Level 0

Insight, Minor - Gain +1 IP this turn.
Ponder - Swift action; draw 1 idea.
Seeds of a Plan - Cannot be expressed; several higher-level ideas benefit from having this idea in your hand. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Start from Scratch - Discard your deck.

Envision Auras - See auras as colors.
Fleeting Inspiration^A - Grant an ally within close range a +1 insight bonus on their next attack roll, skill check, or ability check within 1 round. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.
Focus - Swift action; +10 to Concentration checks for 1 round.
Imaginary Hand^A,V - Full-round action; move a small, unattended object in Close range up to 30 feet. Augment to increase the range by 10 ft and the weight possible to lift by 5 lbs per additional IP spent.
Key Concept^A,V - "Memorize" a lock or key, learning if it matches a previously-memorized lock or key. Open locks with memorized keys. Augment to memorize an additional lock or key per IP spent.
Minddagger - Free action, 0 IP; Deal 1d4 damage with a touch attack.
See What Sticks^V - Glue 2 objects together.
Thinker's Resistance^A - The touched creature gains a +1 resistance bonus on saves for 1 minute/level. Augment to increase the bonus by 1 per additional IP spent.

Level 1

Cogitation - Gain +1 IP this turn. Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may discard them.
Enlarge Idea - Meta; double another idea's range or increase its range from touch to 60 feet. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Extend Idea - Meta; double another idea's duration. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.
Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn.
Introspection - Swift action; gain +3 IP this turn.
Modify Idea^A - Meta; change another idea's area of effect shape or energy type. Can be used in periods of focused thinking. Augment to change both for 1 IP.
Strategist's Gambit - Discard X ideas, then draw 1 extra idea per turn for the next X turns.
Turnabout - Turn your deck upside-down for 5 rounds, allowing you to constantly see the idea you'll draw next.
Wrack Brain^A - Move action; draw 2 ideas. Augment to draw another idea per 2 additional IP spent.

Analyze^A - Learn a target's damage reduction and energy resistances, if any. You may retire this idea once expressed. Augment to learn other attributes.
Art of War^A - Grant allies within 60 feet +1 to attack rolls. Augment to add +1 per additional IP spent.
Déjà Vu^A - Force the target to repeat its previous turn's actions. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and affect one more target per additional IP spent.
Disarming Notion^V - Attempt to disarm an enemy in Medium range, using your TL and expressing modifier on the check.
Drawing a Blank^A - The target loses 20% of their actions (Will negates). If used against a thinker, place a Blank on top of their deck (Blanks take up space and reduce your IP by 1 when drawn). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the percentage chance by 10% per additional IP spent.
Force Knight^A - Create a chess piece of force that moves like a knight and deals 2d4 damage when it enters an enemy square. Augment to add 1d4 damage per additional IP spent.
Hush^A,V - Create a 1-foot-radius area of silence. Augment to increase the radius and increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent.
Into the Weeds^A - Plants entangle a target (Ref negates). If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, entangle all within a 40-ft.-radius spread instead. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Mindarrow^A - Deal 1d10 damage per idea already expressed this turn to a creature in Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Piercing Wit^A - Ranged touch attack deals 2d6 piercing damage. If this attack fells a creature, draw a card and gain a move action. Augment to add 1d6 damage per additional IP spent.
Share Thoughts^A,V - Form telepathic bonds with nearby creatures for 10 minutes/level. Augment to increase the duration to 1 hour/level for 1 additional IP.
Spark of Intuition^A - Deal 2d6 electricity damage to a 10-foot-radius burst in Medium range. Augment to add 1d6 damage, affect another burst, and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP.
Take Positions^A - Allies within 60 feet teleport 5 feet in the direction of their choice. Augment to increase the distance by another 5 feet per additional IP spent.
Trip Traps^A - Invisible traps stop movement and knock prone anyone who passes through the affected squares. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.


Level 2

Hold that Thought - Set aside any number of ideas currently in your hand for use on another turn within 3 rounds.
Insight, Major - Gain +3 IP this turn.
Introspection, Major - Swift; gain +4 IP this turn. You have a passive +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.
Rethink - Discard until you have 0 or 1 ideas remaining in your hand (your choice). Then draw a number of cards equal to the number discarded (maximum 2 cards drawn).
The Long Game^A - Place up to 2 cards from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck. Augment to retrieve another card per 2 additional IP spent.
Thinking Ahead^A - Look at a number of cards on top of your deck equal to 3 + 1/2 your thinker level (rounded up), then replace them in the order of your choice.

Bright Idea^A - Swift; create a ball of bright light that hovers above you, suppressing darkness effects. Discharge to gain +1 IP but be unable to augment that turn. Augment for additional turns of insight before the light discharges.
Chilling Thought^A - Deal 3d6 cold damage in a 60-foot cone (Fort half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and add 1d6 per additional IP.
Cognitive Dissonance^A - Inflict either Stunned, Frightened, Nauseated, or Confused (rolled randomly) on an enemy for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent, and affect an additional target per 2 additional IP spent.
Echo^A - Deals 3d4 sonic damage in a 15-foot-radius burst. Then place an idea from your discard pile on top of your deck. Augment to increase the damage by 1d4 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Final Thought^A - Target takes 2d6 Constitution damage (Fort half). End your turn. Can only be expressed if your deck is empty. Augment to add 1 to the DC per additional IP spent.
Fruit of Knowledge^A - Make a fruit that heals 1d10 HP and grants +3 IP as a free action at a later time. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, expressing time is reduced from move to free. Augment to add 1d10 points of healing and +1 IP per 2 additional IP spent.
Flammable Cloud^A - 20-foot-radius cloud blocks line of sight. If fire damage occurs within its area, the cloud explodes, dealing 3d6 fire damage. Augment to add 1d6 per additional IP.
Glitterdust^A - As the spell Glitterdust (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glitterdust.htm). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Grant Action - Full-round action; an ally within Close range other than you can take an additional move or standard action on their next turn.
Ingenious Machine^A - Full-round action; summon a small construct to attack enemies. Augment to increase its size and power.
Manipulate Terrain - Up to 1 10-by-10-foot square per level of normal ground becomes difficult terrain that deals 1d4 damage per square of movement traveled. Can also be used to remove existing difficult terrain.
Mindsaber^A - Creates a floating sword that attacks enemies or can be wielded as a weapon. Augment to grant it weapon enhancements equal to the additional IP spent.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind^A,V - Full-round action; become invisible and force enemies to make Will saves or forget you existed until you reappear. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent. Augment by 3 or more to allow attacking while invisible.
Reposition^A - Shift a creature within Medium range up to 100 feet along the ground unless it succeeds on a bull rush check against this idea's DC. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Steal Thoughts^A,V - Clandestine mental link allows you to hear target's thoughts or deal 1d4+1 mental ability damage. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Strategist's Grenade^A - 20-foot-radius burst of fire in Medium range deals 3d6 damage to enemies only (Reflex half). Augment to add 1d6 and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Think or Swim^A,V - Grant the touched creature water breathing and a swim speed, or force them to take penalties for being outside water (Fort negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1, and affect 2 additional creatures in touch range, per additional IP spent.
Zone of Weakness^A - 20-foot-radius cylinder afflicts all within with a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity (or -2 on a successful Fortitude save). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent. If at least 1 IP is spent in this way, affect constructs and undead.


Level 3

Clear Your Mind - Retire a card in your hand. Draw 3 cards if the retired card is of the highest level you can express. For each level lower than the highest level you can express, draw 1 fewer card (minimum 0).
Contingent Idea^A - Move action; another idea from your hand is expressed later when a trigger condition is met. Can be used in periods of focused thinking. Augment to augment the idea to be expressed later.
Double Insight - Gain +2 IP this turn and +2 IP next turn.
Insight, Critical - Gain +5 IP this turn.
Introspection, Critical - Swift; gain +6 IP this turn. You have a passive +2 bonus against mind-affecting effects for each copy of this idea in your deck composition.
Stack the Deck - You may discard your deck. Place a free-action, 0-IP-cost bonus idea into your discard pile with the following effect: +3 IP and draw a card.
Widen Idea - Another idea's area of effect doubles in size along each dimension. Can be used in periods of focused thinking.

Bewildering Intellect^A - Touched creature is Dazed for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). Backfires if the target is smarter than you. Augment to increase the DC by +1 per additional IP spent and allow it to affect creatures immune to mind-affecting effects.
Chain of Thought^A - A chain entangles a creature and leashes them to within 10 feet of a point in space or another creature (Ref negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the break/escape DC of the chain by 4 per additional IP spent.
Disbelief^A - Dispel spell effects and other spell-like effects. Augment to raise the thinker level cap by 2 per additional IP spent.
Down to Earth^A,V - Airborne creatures in a 20-foot-radius cylinder are forced to land (Ref partial) and grounded creatures are knocked prone. Augment to increase the DC by 1 and the height of the cylinder by 100 feet per additional IP spent.
Explosive Revelation^A - Costs 5 IP; your powerful insight triggers a 30-ft.-radius burst that deals 9d6 fire damage (Ref half) and pushes creatures outward in all directions. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Force Rook^A - Create a chess piece of force that moves like a rook and deals 5d4 when it passes through an enemy square. Augment to add 1d4 damage per additional IP spent.
Light as Thought^A - Gain a flight speed that doubles if you have 2 copies of this idea in your deck composition. Augment by 2 additional IP to increase the duration from 1 minute/level to 1 hour/level.
Mindarmor^A - Armor-like mental projection grants touched creature DR 10/- and energy resistance 10 against all types. Requires 1 IP to be spent per round to keep it active. Augment to increase from 10 to 15 for 3 additional IP.
Quick Thinking - The target gains a burst of speed for 1 round, granting them an additional movement action, a +60 enhancement bonus to movement speed, and 2 bonus attacks if they use a full attack.
Random Walk^A - One creature/level is compelled to walk in a random direction once per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Redirect Energy^V - The touched creature is warded as Protection from Energy (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEnergy.htm), but energy of the specified type is redirected as a ray at a creature within 60 feet instead of being absorbed.
Shock Traps^A - Invisible traps stop movement, deal 5d6 electricity damage (Ref half), and stun for 1 round on a failed save. Works on flying creatures up to Close range above the trap. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Stinking Cloud^A - As the spell Stinking Cloud (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/stinkingCloud.htm). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Thought Bubble^V - Create a 10-ft.-radius floating sphere or grounded hemisphere of breathable water.


Level 4

Epiphany - Unique; gain +6 IP this turn. Place this idea on the bottom of your deck instead of discarding it.
Insight, Unparalleled - Gain +8 IP this turn.
Making a Call - Name 3 ideas, then look at the top 3 cards of your deck. Draw any that you named and discard the rest.
Perfect Information - Unique; as long as this card is in your deck composition, you can look through your deck at any time, allowing you to know when every card will be drawn.
Quicken Idea - Swift action; another idea normally expressible as a move action is expressed immediately without paying its IP cost. Augmenting it still costs additional IP.

Backup Plan^A - At any one point in the next round / level, including during an enemy attack, you may cause yourself or an ally within Medium range to teleport 20 feet. Augment to teleport 1 more time per 2 additional IP spent.
Brainstorm^A - Deal 6d3 electricity and 6d3 sonic damage in a 40-ft. burst centered on you (Ref half). Augment to add 1d3 of each type and increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Choice Paralysis^A - One creature/level makes a Fort save. Of the ones that failed, choose one to become Paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Countdown^A - The target creature dies in 2 rounds (Fort negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Death Urge^A - On a failed Will save, the target attempts to lethally wound itself. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent; for 3 additional IP, you can target a second creature.
Decoy^A,V - As you move, create an illusory duplicate of yourself that takes an alternate path. Augment to create another copy and increase the disbelief DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Dimensional Lodestone^A,V - All teleportation within Medium range of the chosen point automatically redirects toward that point. Augment for 3 IP to make the duration permanent instead of 1 round/level.
Find Flaw^A - Give a creature in Close range a flaw (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) of your choice (no save) or reduce DR, energy resistance, or SR. Augment to inflict 2 flaws by spending 3 additional IP.
Mindhammer^A - Deal 1d6 damage per card currently in your deck to an enemy within Medium range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Oaken Sentinel^A - Full-round action; summon a treant to fight for you. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, the expressing time is reduced to a move action. Augment by 3 additional IP to summon a second treant, or to make the treant last for 1 hour/level instead of 1 round/level.
Out of the Box^A - Teleport anywhere within Long range. Augment to express as a swift action for 3 additional IP.
Pressure^A - Zone of high-pressure air inflicts nonlethal damage, slows creatures, and makes all inside vulnerable to sonic damage. Augment to slow creatures further.
Strategist's Surgical Strike^A - Deal 6d6 cold damage to up to 5 different targets with ranged touch attacks. Augment to add 1d6 per additional IP.
Toxic Cloud - 30-foot-radius cloud deals 1d4 Con damage to all inside each round.
Tunnel Vision^V - Free action; gain a gaze attack that excavates up to 60 feet of earth or stone as a standard action, leaving a usable tunnel.
Your Move - The touched ally acts immediately after you, even if they already took their turn for the round. No ally can receive this benefit more than once per encounter.


Level 5

Bring to Mind - Move action; You may discard your entire deck. Place up to 3 ideas not expressed this turn from your hand or discard on top of your deck in any order.
In the Zone - Gain +7 IP this turn. For 2 turns, any unspent IP carries over to subsequent rounds.
Twin Idea - Another idea activates twice in quick succession, affecting the same targets or area (its IP cost need not be paid twice).

A House Divided^A - Enemies in a 20-foot-radius spread turn on their allies (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Crystal Clarity - See through objects within 100 ft. as though they were made of glass. All spaces within this range are considered in your line of effect.
Dispelling Flame^A - Violet fire deals 2d6 points of fire damage per turn and dispels magic it touches. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 per 2 additional IP spent and dispel more effects per round.
Force Queen^A - Create a chess piece of force that moves like a queen and deals 9d4 when it passes through an enemy square. Augment to add 1d4 damage per additional IP spent.
Inspiring Speech - Allies that can hear you gain a +3 morale bonus on d20 rolls for the next 5 rounds. In addition, the base cost of all of your ideas (before augmenting them, if applicable) becomes 0 over the same duration.
Instant Barricade - Create a Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm), as the spell, in Medium range. Suppress it briefly as a standard action to allow attacks through it.
Mindscythe - Retire an idea from your hand, then deal 2d12 damage per level of the idea retired to a creature in Close range (Will half). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Prescience^A - Roll 3d20 and record the results. These are guaranteed to be the results of the next 3 rolls of a chosen type made within 30 feet of you. Augment to roll another die per 2 additional IP spent.
Reposition, Greater^A - Move allies and enemies anywhere you wish within Medium range (Will negates). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
So Crazy It Just Might Work^A - Switch places and appearances with foe and enchant it into not telling its allies what happened. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Thorny Subject^A - Create a tall column of thorny brambles. If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, you may instead arrange the 10-ft. cubes of brambles into nearly any contiguous shape. Augment to make the column 5 feet taller per additional IP spent or add another 10-ft. cube of brambles per 2 additional IP spent.
Vitriol^A - Deal 9d6 acid damage and nauseate all creatures in a 20-ft.-radius burst for 1 round. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 and the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Warp Traps^A - Invisible traps stop movement, deal 9d6 untyped damage (Reflex half), and teleport the subject elsewhere within 1000 feet on a failed save. Works on flying creatures up to Medium range above the trap. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.

Level 6

Endgame - Gain +1 IP this turn, then +2 IP next turn, and so on, increasing linearly. It ends after the turn it grants you +10 IP.
Necessity - Place any one idea up to 5th level from your discard or deck into your hand.
No Bad Ideas - Place all ideas of level 2 or lower from your discard pile into your hand.
Stroke of Genius - Unique; gain +10 IP and an additional move action this turn. Retire this idea.

Antimagic Field^V - As the spell Antimagic Field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm).
Army of the Dead^A - Summon 6d4 skeletons to fight for you. Multiple skeletons can be substituted in any combination for fewer, more powerful undead such as shadows and mummies. Augment to summon an additional 1d4 skeletons, or the corresponding number of more powerful undead, per additional IP spent.
Flight of the Valkyries - As a move action, grant 1 creature/level a 100-foot flight speed and a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls. Alternatively, as a swift action, all creatures previously granted this flight speed may each make an attack with a melee or ranged weapon.
Mindcannon^A - Augment limit does not apply. Deal 2d20 damage + 1d20 damage per additional IP spent to all enemies in a 120-ft line. Will half. Augmenting also increases the save DC by 1 per additional IP spent (max +4).
Perfect Retreat - You and all allies within Close range of you teleport to the same location, as Greater Teleport.
Redo - Immediate action; usable when an ally's turn ends. All events that occurred on that turn reset and the ally can take their turn again, making different choices.
Reverse Gravity^A - As the spell Reverse Gravity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reverseGravity.htm). Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Sleeping Gas^A - 30-foot-radius cloud puts all creatures inside to sleep. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.
Strategist's Cataclysm^A - Deal 11d6 sonic damage to everything within Long range except in a single 10-foot-radius bubble. Augment to increase the damage by 1d6 per additional IP spent.
The Floor's Lava^A - One 5-ft. square per level of contiguous floor space becomes lava. Creatures that fail a Reflex save fall in and take 20d6 fire damage per round. Augment to increase the DC by 1 per additional IP spent.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:30:48 PM

NEW FEATS

GENERAL FEATS

These feats can be taken by characters without levels in a thinker class.

Feat Name	Prerequisites	Description
Flexible Learner		Once per day, you can change one of your other feats for the day.
Magical Intuition		You can apply your Wisdom modifier to Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks.

THOUGHT FEATS

These feats can only be taken by characters with at least one level in a thinker class. Unless stated otherwise, they apply only during periods of fluid thought.

Feat Name	Prerequisites	Description
Afterthought	Thinker level 12	Ideas of level 1 or lower can be expressed as swift actions.
Azure Insight	Con 13	You can convert IP to essentia and draw IP from your crown chakra.
Creative Defense		Discard an idea to gain a bonus to AC.
Extra Ideas	Able to learn ideas	Learn 2 new ideas from your class list.
Extra Inspired	Creative level 3	Gain additional uses per day of your Inspired ability.
Flow of Battle	BAB +3	Express an idea as part of a full attack, Flurry of Blows, or Cleave bonus attack.
Foresight		You can spend IP on one turn to gain that much IP next turn.
Fresh Ideas	Thinker level 4	Gain +1 IP whenever your deck is shuffled.
Gain Reserve Ability		You learn a reserve feat, normally only available to spellcasters.
Heighten Idea		Ideas prepared in higher-level slots count as that level.
Insightful Attack		Expend IP to increase your attack roll.
Joker	Thinker level 4	Add an idea to your deck that, when drawn, can act as any low-level idea you know.
Lucky Idea		Expend a luck reroll to discard your hand and draw a new one.
Meditative Healing		Heal yourself whenever you discard ideas.
Meta-analysis		You can save [Meta] ideas for later use.
Mnemonic		Twice per day, place a retired idea in your hand.
Narrow Focus	Thinker level 8	Remove up to one idea of each level from your deck composition.
Off the Top of My Head		At the start of each day, choose which idea will be on top of your deck.
Overthink		Whenever you play [Hand Size - 1] blue ideas in a single turn, draw a card.
Practiced Thinker	Spellcraft 4 ranks	Your thinker level increases by +4 (not to exceed your HD).
Psionic Synergy	Thinker level 2, manifester level 1	Use IP in place of PP for your psionic powers.
Steady Mind	Thinker level 4	+1 IP per turn. You lose this benefit next turn if you draw, discard, or retire an idea.
Thought on the Run		You can move as a swift action if you spend your move actions expressing ideas.
Thoughtful Friend	Imaginary Friend class feature	When your imaginary friend uses an action to aid you, you can draw an extra idea.
Trump Card	Thinker level 8	The last idea in your hand is especially powerful.
Two of a Kind	Thinker level 4	Express two identical ideas as a single action.
Visual Thinker		All copies of an idea in your deck are face-up.

(click to show/hide)

Afterthought [Thought]
Prerequisite: Thinker level 12
Benefit: Your ideas of level 1 or lower with an expressing time of move may instead be expressed as swift actions. This includes 0th and 1st-level ideas prepared in higher-level slots (even if you have the Heighten Idea feat). If your thinker level is 16 or higher, you may also express 2nd-level ideas as swift actions, as long as their expressing time would otherwise be move.

Azure Insight [Thought][Incarnum]
Prerequisite: Con 13
Benefit: You may spend 2 IP as a free action any number of times during your turn to treat any one of your soulmelds or essentia feats as though it had one additional essentia invested in it until the start of your next turn (subject to the normal limits on invested essentia). In addition, as long as you have a soulmeld bound to your crown chakra, you gain 1 bonus IP per turn of your fluid thought.

Creative Defense [Thought]
Benefit: As an immediate action in response to an attack targeting you (before the result of the roll is announced), you may discard an idea to grant yourself a bonus to AC equal to the number of cards remaining in your hand. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.
Special: If you have the Imaginary Friend class feature, you may use this feat to protect your imaginary friend instead, as an immediate action used in response to an attack targeting it.

Extra Ideas [Thought]
Prerequisite: Able to learn ideas
Benefit: Choose a thinker class in which you have at least one level and which learns ideas (Creatives and Strategists learn ideas, while Philosophers treat all ideas on their class list as known). Learn 2 more ideas from that class's list. The ideas must be of a level less than or equal to the highest level of ideas you can express from that class.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, you learn 2 new ideas.

Extra Inspired [Thought]
Prerequisite: Creative level 3
Benefit: You gain a bonus use per day of your Inspired ability. The number of bonus uses granted by this feat increases to 2 at character level 10 and to 3 at character level 17.

Flexible Learner [General]
Using a method inspired by master Creatives, you can change one of your feats on the fly.
Benefit: Once per day as a free action, you may change one of your feats (besides this one) into another feat of your choice. The newly-selected feat must be one that you could have taken in place of the replaced feat (i.e. if the replaced feat was gained as a Fighter bonus feat, the new feat must also be a Fighter feat). You must have fulfilled all prerequisites of the new feat at the time that you previously took the replaced feat. In addition, the replaced feat must not fulfill any prerequisites for later feats or prestige classes you took, unless those prerequisites could also be satisfied if it were replaced with the new feat. The replaced feat must not have enabled irreversible character choices; examples of this include feats that make certain skills into class skills or feats that grant additional spells or spell slots (unless the resulting spell or slot has not yet been spent or prepared that day and can thus be easily removed). Finally, the replaced feat must not have limited uses, such as Domain feats or Luck feats.

Your new feat choice lasts until the end of the day, at which point it reverts to the replaced feat. If you gain a level while one of your feats is replaced, you are treated as though you had the replaced feat, not the new feat, for the purpose of all character decisions made upon level-up.

Flow of Battle [Thought]
Prerequisite: BAB +3
Benefit: Once per turn, in place of the last attack in a full attack action or Flurry of Blows, or in place of an attack granted by the feat Cleave, you can express an idea whose expressing time is normally a move action. The targets or area of this idea must include at least one of the targets of your previous attacks in the same full attack action or Flurry of Blows; or, if the idea replaces the attack granted by Cleave, the targets or area must include a valid target of the bonus attack (typically a creature in melee range).

Foresight [Thought]
You can use your insight to give you an edge in the near future.
Benefit: Up to twice per day, you may spend an amount of IP as a free action. If you do, you gain that much IP to spend on your subsequent turn.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, the number of uses per day increases by 2.

Fresh Ideas [Thought]
Prerequisite: Thinker level 4
Benefit: Whenever your deck is shuffled, gain +1 IP to use that turn. If the deck is shuffled while drawing cards for the next turn, gain +1 IP next turn instead.

Gain Reserve Ability [Thought]
Benefit: Choose a reserve feat (described in Complete Mage) whose prerequisite minimum spell level is not greater than the highest level of idea you can express + your augment limit. You gain the use of that feat; all mentions of spell level instead refer to the highest idea level you can express + your augment limit, and all school-specific requirements are ignored. You do not gain the caster level bonus associated with the chosen reserve feat.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, each time selecting a different reserve feat. Reserve abilities are usable outside of periods of fluid thought.

Heighten Idea [Thought]
Benefit: Whenever you prepare a lower-level idea in a higher-level slot in your deck composition, treat it as being the same level as the slot for purposes such as determining save DC.

Insightful Attack [Thought]
Benefit: As a free action once per turn, you may expend an amount of IP up to your augment limit + 1. Add this number to your next attack roll. If this attack is not made before the start of your next turn, the IP is wasted.

Joker [Thought]
Prerequisite: Thinker level 4
Benefit: Add to your deck composition a unique card, typically represented by a joker. Each time you draw the card, you may choose an idea you know of level up to half that of the highest-level idea you can express (rounded up) and treat it as that idea. Despite being in your deck composition, the card cannot be expressed in periods of focused thought.
Special: The joker card does not count as the idea it copies for the purpose of the Two of a Kind feat.

Lucky Idea [Thought][Luck]
Benefit: Gain a luck reroll (which need not be used in a period of fluid thought). You may expend a luck reroll as a free action at the beginning of your turn to discard your hand and draw the number of ideas discarded. If you have multiple rerolls, this idea may be used multiple consecutive times in a single turn.

Magical Intuition [General]
Benefit: You apply your Wisdom modifier to Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks in place of Intelligence and Charisma, respectively.
Special: Philosophers who take this feat add Use Magic Device to their list of class skills.

Meditative Healing [Thought]
By emptying your mind, you purify your body of the wounds of battle.
Benefit: Whenever you discard one or more cards from your hand, you heal 1 HP per card discarded. However, you do not heal from the process of discarding one round's cards before drawing the next's. Nor do you heal from discarding cards from your deck or from in front of you (ideas expressed during the current round are placed in front of you until the round ends).

Meta-analysis [Thought]
You are adept at using ideas to affect other ideas.
Benefit: Up to twice per day, if you have an unexpressed idea in your hand with the [Meta] descriptor, you may place it on top of your deck at the end of your turn instead of discarding it. This can be used multiple times per round, each time expending a use of this feat.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, the number of uses per day increases by 2.

Mnemonic [Thought]
You have a trick that calls to mind ideas that would have otherwise been forgotten.
Benefit: Up to twice per day, but at most once per round, you can spend a free action to place an idea you previously retired into your hand. The idea is no longer considered retired, and is treated like any other card in your hand. This feat does not affect unique ideas.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, the number of uses per day increases by 2.

Narrow Focus [Thought]
You find it helpful to have fewer ideas whirring around in your head.
Prerequisite: Thinker level 8
Benefit: For each level of ideas you can express, you may choose to reduce the number of ideas of that level in your deck composition by 1 (minimum 0). For example, if your deck would normally have the distribution 2/5/5/3 (2 0th-level ideas, 5 1st-level, 5 2nd-level, and 3 3rd-level), then you could change the distribution to 1/4/4/3 (i.e. you choose to reduce your number of 0th, 1st, and 2nd-level ideas by 1, but keep your number of 3rd-level ideas the same). This can allow you to draw your more powerful ideas more frequently. Once made, the choice of which levels are reduced in this way may not be changed, except once each time you gain a character level.
Special: If you have levels in multiple thinker classes, you may reduce each individual class's deck composition in this way before shuffling them together to form your deck.

Off the Top of My Head [Thought]
The first idea that comes to you is often a good one.
Benefit: Whenever you build your deck for the day, before you shuffle, remove an idea of your choice. Then place it on top of the deck after shuffling. Do this after every period of fluid thought, thus ensuring that it will be the first idea drawn in each subsequent period that day. This feat does not affect how the deck is shuffled during fluid thought, only afterward.

Overthink [Thought]
Your mind is constantly churning, even if most of your thoughts have no outward effect.
Benefit: Whenever you express a number of blue ideas in a single turn equal to your hand size - 1, you may then draw an idea. You may only draw 1 idea per turn in this way.

Practiced Thinker [Thought]
Prerequisite: Spellcraft 4 ranks
Benefit: Your thinker level and augment limit increase as though you had 4 more levels in one of your thinker classes. Your thinker level and augment limit cannot exceed that of a thinker of your character level. However, even if you can't benefit from the full bonus immediately, if you later gain non-thinker HD you maybe able to apply the rest of the bonus. This feat does not progress your deck composition, hand size, or ideas known.

Psionic Synergy [Thought][Psionic]
Your knowledge of idea magic complements your understanding of another type of mental power: psionics.
Prerequisite: Thinker level 2, manifester level 1
Benefit: You may spend 1 IP instead of 1 PP when manifesting a power, thus effectively reducing the cost of the power by 1. In addition, you may expend your psionic focus as a free action on your turn to draw an idea.
Special: IP spent through this feat counts as PP for all purposes, including the limit of the amount of PP that can be spent on a power (typically this limit equals your manifester level). You may not spend more than 1 IP per power in this way.

Steady Mind [Thought]
Insight comes to you more readily if you keep your thoughts calm rather than constantly grasping for new ideas.
Prerequisite: Thinker level 4
Benefit: You begin each turn with +1 IP. If you draw, discard, or retire a card during your turn, you do not get this bonus on the following turn (discarding your hand and drawing a new one at the end of a round doesn't count).

Thought on the Run [Thought]
Benefit: Once per turn, you can spend a swift action to move up to your movement rate. You still provoke attacks of opportunity, but may avoid them with Tumble checks. This action is only usable on turns where you spend at least 2 move actions, or 1 full-round action, expressing ideas.

Thoughtful Friend [Thought]
Prerequisite: Imaginary Friend class feature
Benefit: Your imaginary friend can use the Aid Another action targeting you to allow you to draw an extra card on your next turn. You cannot draw more than one card in this way per turn.

Trump Card [Thought]
You're nearly out of ideas, but your last idea is your best.
Prerequisite: Thinker level 8
Benefit: If expressing an idea with an expressing time of 1 move action or longer would cause your hand to become empty, that idea's power increases dramatically. Treat your thinker level as 5 higher than normal for the purpose of that idea, including its augment limit. This bonus only applies to that specific idea on that specific turn.

Two of a Kind [Thought]
Prerequisite: Thinker level 4
Benefit: If you have two copies of the same idea in your hand, you may express both for the action that it would normally require to express one of them. You must pay both of their IP costs, as normal, including augmenting each of them independently if applicable. Ideas with the [meta] descriptor, if applicable, also affect the two copies independently (a single expression of a [meta] idea cannot affect both copies).

Visual Thinker [Thought]
Benefit: When you select this feat, choose an idea you know; once made, this choice cannot be changed. All copies of that idea in your deck are flipped face-up. At any time, you can fan out your deck and check where in the pile these face-up card are. If your entire deck is ever upside-down due to an effect such as the idea Turnabout, you can flip it back over to check it in this way, then turn it upside-down again, at any time. Remember to preserve the idea's orientation whenever you place the idea in your deck, whether due to an effect that allows you to place cards directly in your deck or when you shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time, choose an additional idea to turn face-up.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:31:39 PM

IDEA DESCRIPTIONS

Ideas written in blue cannot be used in periods of focused thinking unless stated otherwise.

0th-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Insight, Minor

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +1 IP to use this turn.


Ponder

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Draw 1 idea.


Seeds of a Plan

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: none
• IP Cost: none
• Duration: none

You have the beginnings of a plan, but it hasn't developed into anything yet. This idea cannot be expressed. This idea may be one of the 3 cards chosen for a period of focused thought.

The higher-level ideas Into the Weeds (1st), Fruitful Plan (2nd), Oaken Sentinel (4th), and Thorny Subject (5th) all benefit from having this idea in your hand.


Start From Scratch

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Discard your deck.


Envision Auras

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 60-ft. cone
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea enables you to see magical auras for a brief moment, perceiving them as various colorations painting the world within a 60-ft. cone of you. The colors you see tell you which schools of magic auras are within your field of view, but not where they are emanating from. An experienced eye can also distinguish different strengths of auras (Faint, Moderate, or Strong, as defined in the spell Detect Magic (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectMagic.htm)), but the differences between the hues are very subtle. For each aura, make a DC 15 Spellcraft check to be able to determine its strength.

If the area of this idea contains an Overwhelming aura, you are blinded for 1 round (no save). You learn no information about the auras in the area other than the presence of at least one Overwhelming aura of indeterminate school.


Fleeting Inspiration

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature gains a +1 insight bonus to their next attack roll, skill check, or ability check, if attempted within 1 round. If they do not make one of these checks within the next round, this idea is wasted.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the granted bonus increases by 1.


Focus

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

You steel your mind, and your attention becomes locked like a vice on the task at hand. You gain a +10 bonus on Concentration checks until the end of your turn.


Imaginary Hand [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One nonmagical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lb.
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

You imagine a small object lifting off the ground and moving, and through your sheer willpower and imagination, it happens. The target object moves up to 30 feet in the direction of your choice within this idea's range.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the range of this idea increases by 10 feet, and the object to be moved can have a weight up to 5 lbs heavier.


Key Concept [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 10 feet
• Target: Lock or key
• Duration: Instantaneous; see text
• Spell Resistance: No

You "memorize" a lock or key, storing its information as an idea in your mind. If you express this idea on a key for which you already have the corresponding lock memorized, you immediately know that the key fits that particular lock. Likewise, if you have memorized the key that corresponds to a lock, expressing this on the lock informs you of the connection. Additionally, in this latter case, you may open the lock as part of expressing this idea; the information of the key alone causes the lock to click open of its own accord.

You must have line of sight and line of effect to a lock or key in order to target it with this idea. There is no limit to the number of locks or keys that can be simultaneously memorized.

Augment: If you spend additional IP, you can store the information of one additional lock or key per IP spent. You may spend up to 1 round in between each lock or key and the next to be memorized. Thus, for instance, by spending 3 additional IP, you can examine a lock, then move, then next round look at two keys in quick succession, then wait a round, then examine a third key.


Minddagger

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Range: Touch
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The touched creature takes 1d4 points of damage (no save). Unlike other offensive ideas, this costs 0 IP and can be expressed as a free action. If you have already played Minddagger twice this turn, you may not express it again until your next turn.


See What Sticks [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: One nonmagical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lb.
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You affix the target object to a surface or other object you can reach. The two can be separated again with little effort - a move action by any creature with a Strength score of 2 or higher or even a wind speed faster than 10 mph is sufficient.


Thinker's Resistance

• Level: Creative 0, Philosopher 0, Strategist 0
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature gains a +1 resistance bonus to saving throws.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the bonus increases by 1.

1st-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Cogitation

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +1 IP to use this turn. Look at the top 2 cards of your deck. You may discard one or both of them.


Creative Process, Lesser

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Look at the top 3 cards of your deck. You may choose 1 of them and retire it. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.


Enlarge Idea [Meta]

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with a range other than personal. If the idea has a range of touch, it can be expressed as a ray with a range of 60 feet, requiring a ranged touch attack. If the has a range longer than touch, that range is doubled. Multiple expressions of Enlarge Idea affecting the same idea do not stack. This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.


Extend Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with a duration of at least 1 round and at most 1 minute/level. The duration of the idea is doubled. Multiple expressions of Extend Idea affecting the same idea do not stack. This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.


First Draft

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: No action
• IP Cost: None
• Duration: None

This idea cannot be expressed. If it is discarded from your hand, or if it is retired (whether from your hand, deck, or discard pile), gain +1 IP and draw a card.


Insight

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +2 IP to use this turn.


Introspection

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +3 IP to use this turn.


Modify Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as another idea that affects an area or deals energy damage. It has one of the following effects:

• If expressed at the same time as an idea which affects a burst, cone, or line, change that idea's shape to one of the other two types.
• If expressed at the same time as an idea which deals acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage, change its energy to one of the other four types.

Ideas that have their shapes modified also have their length scales modified in a 4:2:1 ratio for lines:cones:bursts, respectively. Thus, a 120-ft line could be changed to a 60-ft cone or a 30-ft-radius burst. Ideas that become cones and lines in this way start at the thinker's square, and ideas that become bursts are centered on the thinker's square. If an idea modified to become a burst has instantaneous duration, the thinker is not affected by being in the center of the burst.

This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.

Augment: If you spend 1 additional IP, you can use both effects, changing both the shape and energy of a single idea.


Strategist’s Gambit

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: See Text

Discard any number ‘X’ of ideas from your hand. For the next ‘X’ turns, draw 1 extra idea when drawing your hand. X must be at least 1 and cannot exceed the number of cards in your hand. This idea does not stack with itself (expressing it again causes your previous expressions to end).


Turnabout

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: 5 rounds

Turn your deck upside-down for the duration of this idea. This allows you to see which card you will draw next. For the duration of this effect, the visible card is considered the top of your deck. Cards added to an empty deck (such as when the deck runs out) are added facing up as well. You may end this effect as a free action at any point during its duration, flipping your deck rightside-up again.


Wrack Brain

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Draw 2 ideas.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, draw an additional idea.


Analyze

• Level: Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: 1 creature within range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

When you express this idea, you immediately learn the type and value of any damage reduction and energy resistance the target currently possesses. If the target is vulnerable or immune to a type of energy, you learn this as well. You do not learn the source of these effects; this idea cannot distinguish energy resistance gained through a spell from that gained from a template, for instance.

After this idea is expressed, you may retire it.

Augment: When expressing this idea, you may choose one or more of the following pieces of information to learn. Each costs an additional 1 IP. The total IP spent in this way may not exceed your augment limit.

• You learn the name of a random highest-level spell, power, or spell-like ability of those that the target knows or has prepared. You may select this option multiple times, each time learning the name of a different spell, power, or spell-like ability.
• You learn the target’s current HP and temporary HP.
• You learn the target’s Spell Resistance (you learn "zero" if it does not have Spell Resistance).
• You learn the target’s AC and touch AC.
• You learn one of the target's saving throw modifiers (your choice). You may select this option multiple times, each time learning the value of a different saving throw modifier.

Art of War

• Level: Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Target: Allies within 60 feet
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

All allies within 60 feet of you gain a +1 insight bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls.

Augment: This idea’s bonus increases by +1 for every additional IP spent.


Beyond Good and Evil

• Level: Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action, see text
• IP Cost: 1, see text
• Range: See text
• Target: See text
• Duration: Instantaneous, see text
• Spell Resistance: No

As long as this idea is in your deck composition, you can discern the alignments of all creatures in a 60' cone at will as a standard action. You need not have this idea in your hand or be in a period of intense thought to use this ability. However, if this idea is retired or removed from your deck composition, you lose access to the ability. This effect can be fooled or blocked in the same ways as Detect Evil (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectEvil.htm).

In addition, you may express this idea as a move action to make a smite attack. Make a melee touch attack against a creature with the Chaotic, Evil, Good, or Lawful subtype. If you succeed, you deal 2d12 damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d12 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent when expressed, this idea’s damage increases by 1d12.


Corrosive Streak

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 60-ft line extending from you
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You paint a streak of acid across the battlefield as though it were your canvas. All creatures and objects within a 60-foot line extending from your space take 2d6 acid damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20. Affected creatures can make a Reflex save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its DC increases by 1.


Déjà Vu

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The target repeats their last action, as the psionic power Déjà Vu (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dejaVu.htm). This is a mind-affecting effect. You may augment it as described below (the augment effect of the psionic power does not apply).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1 and you may target one additional creature with this effect, no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart.


Disarming Notion [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One humanoid or monstrous humanoid
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You attempt to disarm the target. Your attack bonus for the opposed roll is equal to your thinker level plus your primary expressing modifier. If you win, the target is disarmed and the object it was holding is knocked up to 30 feet away in the direction of your choice. If you are within 30 feet of the target and have a free hand, you may direct the flying object toward you and catch it as a free action. The target does not get an attack of opportunity against you when you initiate the disarm attempt or if you fail, even if they are in range to do so (expressing within melee range still provokes attacks of opportunity).


Drawing a Blank

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 round/level; see text
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject's thoughts become muddled, and they find themself pausing, unable to remember what they were about to do (Will negates). For 1 round per thinker level, they have a 20% chance of losing any move, standard, or full-round action they attempt. If they lose an action, they stand motionless instead as though Dazed for the duration of that action. Spell slots, PP, and other consumable aspects of the lost actions are not expended; cards that would have been played remain in hand. This is a Mind-Affecting effect.

For thinkers, who rely on keeping their thoughts clear, this idea is especially harmful. In addition to the previous effect, any thinker affected by this idea places a Blank on top of their deck. This card remains in their deck composition for the duration of their current period of thinking unless they retire it.

A Blank is a 1st-level bonus idea. You may have up to 4 Blanks in your deck composition at any given time (this is an exception to the rule that you may only have 2 of any idea in your deck composition; however, you may not add a 3rd Blank if your deck composition has 26 unique ideas including the previous Blanks). If an effect would add a 5th Blank or exceed 26 unique ideas by adding Blank, that part of the effect does not occur. Blanks cannot be expressed, though they can be drawn, discarded, or retired as normal. Whenever a Blank enters your hand, lose 1 IP (minimum 0).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the action failure chance increases by 10% (maximum 50%), and this idea's DC increases by 1.


Elemental Knowledge

• Level: Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: See text
• Target: See text
• Duration: See text
• Spell Resistance: No

When you express this idea, choose one of the following effects:
 - Air: You create a blast of air extending from you, as the spell Gust of Wind.
 - Earth: You hurl a pointed stone at a target within 60 feet. Make a ranged touch attack roll, and if successful, this idea deals 2d6 piercing damage.
- Fire: You project a burst of flame in a 10-foot-radius burst centered on you. Creatures within the area take 2d8 damage (Reflex half).
 - Water: You emit a focused jet of water at a target within 60 feet. Make a ranged touch attack roll, and if successful, this idea deals 2d6 cold damage (Reflex half). The jet also puts out small fires.

If this idea is used to deal damage, the damage increases by 1 die of the appropriate type (1d8 for Fire or 1d6 for Earth or Water) at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you can increase the damage dealt by 1 die (for Earth, Fire, or Water). For Air, the wind speed improves by one stage per 2 additional IP spent (from Severe to Windstorm at 2 IP and to Hurricane at 4 IP). The save DC, if applicable, increases by +1 per additional IP spent.


Force Knight

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned chess piece
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a force knight, a medium-sized chess piece made of translucent force, in an unoccupied square within range. Each round on your initiative, you can command it up to twice as a free action to move it as a knight moves in chess - two squares laterally, then one square laterally at a right angle. The knight can hover in midair and move in 3 dimensions, so all 6 lateral directions are available to it.

The knight can enter the same space as another creature, becoming insubstantial as long as it and the creature remain in that space. If it ends one of its knight-movements in the same space as a creature (or ends the round in the same space as a creature without moving), the creature takes 2d4 force damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d4 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20. No creature can be damaged more than once by the knight in a single round.

Other than when the knight enters an occupied square, it is impassible. The knight cannot be harmed in any way except by the spell Disintegrate or a dispel effect. It is possible, however, to push or pull the knight with some effort. It resists movement with a +8 modifier on its bull rush check.

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, increase the damage the knight deals by 1d4.


Graceful Dance

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: Move action
• Spell Resistance: No

You move with elegant motions, dancing across the battlefield. Move up to twice your normal movement speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. At any point during the move, you may take a standard or non-movement move action. For instance, a character with a 30-foot movement rate could use this idea to move 15 feet, express a different idea as a move action, and then move 45 more feet, for 2 move actions total.


Healing Touch

• Level: Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

This idea deals 1d8 positive energy damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d8 at thinker level 8, and again at level 16. Positive energy heals living creatures and damages undead.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, add 1d8 to the amount healed or dealt by this idea.


Hush [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 1-ft.-radius emanation centered on a creature, object, or point in space
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

This idea creates a 1-foot-radius area of complete silence. No sound passes through the affected region, and spells with verbal components are impossible within it. This effect can be centered on part of a creature, such as its head to prevent hearing or its feet to silence its footfalls. In the latter case, owing to the small radius, a Medium-sized creature would need to move at half speed to consistently keep both feet inside the area of magical silence. If this idea is centered on an unwilling creature, they can negate it with a successful Will save.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1. If you spend 1 IP in this way, the radius of silence increases to 15 feet. If you spend 2 IP instead, the radius increases to 30 feet. For 3 IP, the radius becomes 45 feet, and for 4 IP, the radius becomes 60 feet.


Into the Weeds

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target/Area: One creature in range or a 40-ft-radius spread; see text
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Weeds and vines appear and wrap around the target creature. If they fail a Reflex save, they are entangled.

Alternatively, if you have the idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, this idea instead affects a 40-ft-radius spread, causing it to spontaneously sprout plants that wrap around all grounded creatures in the area. The area becomes difficult terrain, causing creatures that traverse it to move at half speed and be unable to run, charge, or take 5-ft steps. All creatures in the area must also make a Reflex save or become entangled. This does not immobilize them, but entanglement halves their speed, so an entangled creature in difficult terrain moves at one-quarter normal speed. The entanglement effect lasts for the duration of this idea, regardless of whether the target remains in the affected area.

Unlike the spell Entangle, the entanglement effect only occurs once at the time of expressing; creatures that save and remain in the overgrown area are not at risk of being entangled again (unless this idea is expressed on that area again). This idea also does not require existing vegetation to be in the vicinity in order to function.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Mental Image

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Effect: Illusion that cannot be larger than 4 10-ft. cubes + 1 cube/level
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You project illusory images straight from your imagination. This creates a silent illusion of a creature or object of your choice, constrained by the volume detailed above. You can direct the illusion by concentrating on it as a move action, allowing you to animate an illusion of a creature or change the illusion’s position within this idea’s range.

When you do not concentrate on this illusion, it behaves “neutrally.” Objects do not move, fire and smoke do not spread, and creatures stand still. Note that this does not mean that they are frozen in place like a still image. Illusions of creatures behaving neutrally will still appear to breathe and shift their bodies slightly, for instance.

If a creature interacts with the illusion, they make a Will save to disbelieve it. Creatures that succeed view the illusion as semi-transparent from that point onward.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s DC increases by 1. If you spend at least 1 additional IP in this way, the image can also include illusory sounds, smells, or thermal effects.


Mindarrow

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Choose a creature within range. This idea deals an amount of damage to that creature equal to 1d10 per idea you have already expressed this turn (not including this one). They can attempt a Will save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Piercing Wit

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 60 feet
• Target: One Creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You literally skewer the target with clever banter. Make a ranged touch attack. On a successful hit, the target takes 2d6 piercing damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20.

If this idea causes the target to fall below 0 HP, you immediately draw a card and gain an additional move action this round. You cannot draw more than 2 cards or gain more than 2 move actions in this way in a single round.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea's damage increases by 1d6.


Project Sound

• Level: Creative 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Sounds; see text
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea functions identically to the psionic power Create Sound (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/createSound.htm), except as described here. You may use this idea to create a shriek centered on a creature within range which renders that creature deafened for the duration of this idea (no save). The pain also inflicts a -1 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws.

You may augment this idea in one of two ways (but not both at once).

Augment: If you expend 1 additional IP when expressing this idea, you may instead produce the effect of a Shatter (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shatter.htm) spell instead. The save DC, if applicable, is normal for a 1st-level idea, +1 for each additional IP spent.
Augment: If you expend 2 additional IP, you may instead project your voice a long distance away and hear a reply, as the spell Sending (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sending.htm). The expressing time remains a move action, in contrast to the 10-minute casting time of the spell, though this idea cannot traverse planes.


Share Thoughts [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: Up to one willing creature/level within range
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You forge a mental bond that allows you and the targeted creatures to communicate telepathically among yourselves, even if you do not share a common language. Once the bond is formed, it works over any distance (although not from one plane to another).

Augment: If you expend 1 additional IP when expressing this idea, the duration instead becomes 1 hour/level.


Shield of Belief

• Level: Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You think insistently that the touched creature should be safe, and in doing so form a shield of force in front of them. This force effect provides a +4 shield bonus to AC (including against incorporeal attacks) and negates Magic Missile (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicMissile.htm) attacks directed at the touched creature.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the bonus granted by this idea increases by 1.


Spark of Intuition

• Level: Philosopher 1, Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 10-ft.-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

A flicker of thought in your mind manifests as a spark of electricity that springs from your head and explodes in a burst of charge. Creatures in the target area take 2d6 electricity damage (Reflex half). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the damage dealt by this idea increases by 1d6, the DC increases by 1, and you may affect another 10-ft.-radius area. Creatures in multiple areas only take damage once.


Take Positions

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 60 feet
• Target: All allies in range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You imagine your allies in slightly different positions, and the universe allows it. Upon expressing this idea, you and all other allies within 60 feet immediately teleport up to 5 feet, each in the direction of your choice. There must be line of sight and line of effect between each of them and their respective destinations.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the maximum distance each ally can move increases by 5 feet.


Trip Traps

• Level: Strategist 1
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: One 5-ft. square, plus an additional square per 2 thinker levels
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You conceal a number of 5-by-5-ft. traps equal to 1 + 1/2 your thinker level (rounded down, maximum 5 traps at level 8) slightly below the ground. The traps are not visible to most creatures, though creatures with Detect Magic, Arcane Sight, or a similar effect can see them through the thin layer of earth or flooring; those with tremorsense will notice a sudden change in an affected square if it is in range of their sense when this idea is expressed. The trapped squares need not be contiguous, but multiple traps cannot be made to overlap, nor can a trap be placed under a currently-occupied square.

Any grounded creature that moves to or through the target square triggers the trap, causing them to fall prone (Reflex negates). Whether or not they succeed on the save, their movement ends in the trapped square and the trap disappears.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Veil of Ignorance

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 0
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: Current period of thought or until discharged
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea costs 0 IP. You deliberately empty your mind of relevant knowledge, and your ignorance manifests as a shadowy shroud around you. The next melee or ranged attack against you has a 50% miss chance. The veil dissipates after the attack, regardless of whether or not it is successful. If you have not been attacked by the end of the current period of thought, the veil dissipates. This idea cannot be expressed if you already have a Veil active from a previous expression of this idea.

If this idea is expressed in a period of fluid thought, shuffle a Blank into your deck. A Blank is a 1st-level bonus idea. You may have up to 4 Blanks in your deck composition at any given time (this is an exception to the rule that you may only have 2 of any idea in your deck composition; however, you may not add a 3rd Blank if your deck composition has 26 unique ideas including the previous 2 Blanks). If an effect would add a 5th Blank or exceed 26 unique ideas by adding Blank, that part of the effect does not occur. Blanks cannot be expressed, though they can be drawn, discarded, or retired as normal. Whenever a Blank enters your hand, lose 1 IP (minimum 0).


Way with Words [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 1, Philosopher 1
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

A simple, profound remark occurs to you, capable of cleverly stating your case in a matter of seconds. As part of the full-round action required to express this idea, you make a Diplomacy check to change the attitude of one or more creatures that can hear you speak and understand your language. You do not take the usual -10 penalty for making a rushed Diplomacy attempt.

If this idea is expressed during a period of focused thought, you additionally gain a +5 circumstance bonus on the check. As usual for Diplomacy checks, if the attempt fails, successive attempts made to influence the same creatures are rarely effective.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:32:37 PM

2nd-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Being Meta

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Search your deck or discard pile for an idea of up to 2nd level with the [Meta] descriptor, such as Extend Idea. Place it in your hand. If you searched your deck, shuffle it afterward. If you have no [Meta] ideas which are valid targets of this idea, this idea may not be expressed.

Augment: For each additional IP you spend, the maximum level of idea that can be recovered increases by 1.


Creative Process

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Look at the top 6 cards of your deck. You may choose up to 2 of them and retire them. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.


Empower Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with variable, numeric effects. These effects are increased by 50%. No idea may be affected by Empower Idea more than once. This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.


Hold that Thought

• Level: Creative 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: 3 rounds

When you express this idea, set aside any number of ideas from your hand (if your hand is empty, this idea cannot be played). These ideas are not discarded at the end of your turn. Until the duration of this idea ends, you may express the set-aside ideas as though they were in your hand. Any ideas expressed in this way are discarded as normal at the end of the turn they are expressed unless the idea says otherwise. At the end of this idea’s duration, discard all ideas it caused to be set aside.

If you express this idea again while you have cards set aside from a previous expression, the previously set-aside cards are immediately discarded before this idea's effects occur.


Insight, Major

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +3 IP to use this turn.


Introspection, Major

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +4 IP to use this turn.

In addition, for every copy of this idea in your deck composition, you gain a +1 bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects. This is a passive effect which applies regardless of whether this idea is in your hand or expressed in any given turn, though it is lost if this card is retired. It applies outside of periods of thought as well. This effect stacks with itself and with the similar effect of the idea Critical Introspection.


Rethink

• Level: Creative 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Discard ideas until you have 0 or 1 remaining (your choice; you must discard at least 1 idea in order to express Rethink). Draw a number of ideas equal to the number discarded (maximum 2).


Self-Consistency

• Level: Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose an idea in your hand or in front of you (ideas expressed this turn which do not discard or retire themselves after playing remain in front of you until your turn ends). At the end of this turn, instead of discarding it, place it on top of your deck. This causes it to be drawn again as part of your hand for next round. If the affected idea is removed from your hand or from in front of you during this turn (such as if an effect causes it to be retired), do not place it on top of your deck.


The Long Game

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Place up to 2 ideas of your choice from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck in any order. If no cards are moved as a result of this idea, it cannot be played.

Augment: For every additional IP spent when expressing this idea, the number of cards that can be moved to the bottom of the deck increases by 1.


Thinking Ahead

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Look at a number of cards on top of your deck equal to 3 + 1/2 your thinker level (rounded up). Then return them to the top of your deck in the order of your choice.


A Treatise of Human Nature

• Level: Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 60 feet
• Target: One nonhumanoid creature
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature's mind becomes a bit more human (no save). For the duration of this idea, your ideas ignore any immunity to mind-affecting and fear effects it would otherwise be granted by its creature type. This idea allows creatures such as undead and constructs, including mindless creatures of these types, to be affected by these effects. This only applies to ideas expressed by you, not to spells or ideas from other thinkers.

This idea does not allow mindless creatures to act as though they were intelligent in any other way. It also does not counteract other means of rendering the creature immune to these effects, such as the spell Mind Blank.


Being and Nothingness

• Level: Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature or object touched
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The touched creature or object vanishes instantly (Will negates), then reappears 1d4+1 rounds later, in the same condition as it disappeared. Nothing can affect it until it returns, and the time that the target is vanished does not count against the duration of any effects that had previously been active on it. Creatures cannot be affected by this idea for 1 round after they return from a previous expression of this idea.

Augment: For every additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Bright Idea

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 10 minutes/level or until discharged; see text
• Spell Resistance: No

Your insight manifests as a ball of light that floats above your head like a lightbulb going off. It remains there, giving off light as the spell Daylight (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/daylight.htm), until it is discharged or the duration of this idea ends (whichever comes first). Whenever a magical darkness effect's area overlaps with the 60-foot radius of daylight emitted by this idea, make a dispel check (1d20 + your thinker level against 11 + the effect's caster level). On a successful check, the darkness is suppressed wherever it overlaps the light (on a failure, the light is suppressed in that region instead).

In addition, this idea gives you a continuous source of insight. On any given turn, as a free action, if you have not already expressed an augmented idea that turn, you may gain +1 IP. If you do, you may not augment any ideas during the current round. The first time this effect is used, this idea discharges.

Augment: If you spend 1 additional IP when expressing this idea, you may gain IP from this idea up to 3 times before it is discharged. If you instead spend 2 additional IP, you may gain IP from this idea any number of times without discharging it. You may not gain more than 1 IP in this way per round.


Buffer

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You imagine a barrier that surrounds the target, protecting them from harm. This idea manifests as a subtle, shifting light over their skin, like the patterns at the bottom of a shallow pool.

The touched creature gains 10 temporary HP, which stacks with all other sources of temporary HP other than expressions of this idea. You may only have a buffer active on one creature at a time; if you express this idea while you have another expression active, any remaining temporary HP from the previous expression is lost.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the target gains 10 additional temporary HP.


Chilling Thought

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 60-ft cone
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Your disturbing thought manifests as a literal, freezing chill in the air. All creatures and objects within a 60-foot cone extending from your space take 3d6 cold damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20. Affected creatures can make a Reflex save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its DC increases by 1.


Cognitive Dissonance

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature with Intelligence 3 or higher
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You expose the target to an concept that contradicts their worldview, causing them to experience an internal crisis. This affects every target differently, causing a random effect rolled from the following table (Will negates):

1d4	Effect
1	Stunned
2	Frightened
3	Nauseated
4	Confused

If the target is immune to the rolled effect, they are unaffected by this idea. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s DC increases by 1. For every 2 IP spent in this way, you may affect one additional creature in range. Roll separately for each affected creature. No two targets of a single expression of this idea may be more than 30 feet apart.


Echo

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 15-ft-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

A resonant blast of sound explodes outward from a point in space, dealing 3d4 sonic damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d4 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20. Affected creatures can make a Reflex save for half damage.

You may place an idea from your discard pile on top of your deck. Ideas played this turn (including this idea) remain in front of you until your turn ends, and are thus not considered to be in your discard pile.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d4 and its DC increases by 1.


Final Thought

• Level: Creative 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

With a power that can only be conjured with the last drops of your thought, you tear away part of the target's life essence, leaving them clutching at their heart. They take 2d6 points of Constitution damage (Fortitude half).

This idea can only be expressed if your deck is empty. Once this idea is expressed, your turn immediately ends.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s DC increases by 1.


Flammable Cloud

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft radius spread, 20 feet high
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You bring into existence an opaque cloud of gas which reduces visibility to 5 feet within it. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have 20% miss chance), while creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance). In addition, if any open flame is brought into contact with the cloud, or if an attack that deals fire damage occurs within it (even if the attack misses), the gas ignites, dealing 3d6 fire damage to all creatures within its area (no save). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20.

When the gas ignites, it disappears. If multiple Flammable Cloud effects overlap, all of them ignite simultaneously if one does, but the damage from multiple clouds does not stack. Rather, the entire contiguous area deals a number of dice of damage equal to the maximum out of the effects that compose it.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6.


Free Will

• Level: Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature may make a Will save against a spell, spell-like effect, or supernatural effect affecting them against which they failed a saving throw (even if that save was not Will). It they are successful, from that point onward, they are treated as though they had succeeded on the initial save. This does not reverse any damage previously taken due to the effect, but it may undo conditions such as Stunned.

Alternatively, this idea may be used to free summoned, called, or animated creatures from the control of others. The targeted creature makes a Will save against the DC of the effect that summoned, called, or animated them (for a spell-like effect which does not list a DC, use 10 + spell level + the caster's Charisma modifier. For a supernatural effect, substitute the summoned creature's CR, max 9, for spell level). On a success, summoned creatures vanish back to their home planes, while called or created creatures remain (animated creatures stop moving when the effects that animated them end, as normal). No longer controlled, the freed creature may attack the nearest creature or perhaps turn on their previous controller, depending on their nature.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you may affect one additional effect affecting a targeted creature, or one additional creature within range. No two targeted creatures may be further than 30 feet from one another.


Fruit of Knowledge

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 0 ft.
• Effect: Magical fruit
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You form your insight into a small, fresh berry that appears in your hand. It can be eaten as a free action at any point in its duration, healing 1d10 HP and granting sustenance as though from a full meal. If a thinker eats the fruit, they additionally gain +4 IP to spend on that turn. All uneaten berries created with this idea vanish if you begin a new period of thinking before this idea's duration ends. IP is only granted if the fruit is eaten during a period of fluid thought.

If you have the idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, this idea can instead be expressed as a free action.

Augment: For every 2 additional IP spent, the fruit heals 1d10 more HP and grants +1 more IP when eaten.


Glitterdust

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 10-ft radius spread
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea summons a cloud of a glitter-like substance that outlines invisible creatures, as Glitterdust (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glitterdust.htm).

Augment: This idea’s DC increases by 1 for each additional IP spent.


Grant Action

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature (not you)
• Duration: See Text
• Spell Resistance: No

During the target creature’s next turn, they may take one additional move or standard action. No creature may gain more than one action from expressions of this idea in a single round.


Hit a Brick Wall

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 immediate action
• IP Cost: 0
• Range: Close
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You may express this idea as an immediate action when it is not your turn. An indestructible, opaque, vertical 5-by-5-foot wall appears momentarily, then vanishes. It is only in existence for long enough to interrupt lines of sight or effect that some attacks require. By placing it between an attacker and its target, this idea can, for instance, disrupt targeted spells, break concentration on certain ongoing spells, or block a ranged projectile. If placed in the path of a charging creature, it may be forced to end its charge in front of it. Creatures taking normal movement actions do not have their movement interrupted by this idea.

To block effects using this idea, you must be aware of the effect and know where to place the wall. The wall may be placed in midair, but not within creatures or solid objects.

You start your next turn with 1 fewer IP. If this would reduce your starting IP for that turn below 0, you may not express this idea (this condition does not apply if expressed during a period of focused thought).


Ingenious Machine

• Level: Creative 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned construct
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You bring into existence a bizarre metal contraption which looks like a pile of junk hastily assembled into something functional. The machine obeys your commands to the best of its ability. Its attributes are identical to a 1st-level astral construct (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/astralConstruct.htm), except as noted below. The level of the construct summoned increases by 1 for every 4 levels above 3rd (to a maximum of 5th-level, not counting the augment effect below, at thinker level 19).

In place of hands, the machine has sharp or heavy instruments which it uses to attack enemies instead of its slam attack, though its attacks are treated as slams for the purpose of menu abilities and attack and damage rolls. When you express this idea, you may choose which type of damage its attacks deal (bludgeoning, piercing or slashing).

These constructs gain abilities from the Astral Construct ability menus, subject to the following changes. Abilities which are (Ps), (Su) or involve poison are not permitted. The menu ability Fly is available only to constructs of level 3 and above. In addition, the following abilities are added:

Menu A:
 - Jet-Propelled (Ex): Once per day as a move action, the construct may move up to 150 feet in a straight line without provoking attacks of opportunity. It cannot move through occupied spaces in this way.
Menu B:
- Telepathic UI (Ex): The construct can communicate with and understand any creature within 100 feet that speaks a language. It is still mindless, so it will not speak through this link unless commanded to do so.
- Turret (Ex): The construct’s attacks are ranged attacks with a range of 80 feet (piercing or bludgeoning damage only). It uses its normal attack bonus, including using its Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls, but it takes a -4 penalty. It may not choose to make melee attacks instead.
Menu C:
- Adaptive Resistance (Ex): The construct has energy resistance 15 against a type of your choice. As a free action on your turn, you may change the type.
- Camouflage (Ex): The construct is treated as having total concealment, and can make hide checks with a bonus of +20 (instead of its usual bonus).
- Force Cannon (Ex): As the Concussion Blast menu ability.
- Self-Destruct (Ex): If the construct is reduced to 0 HP or lower, it explodes, dealing 6d6 fire damage in a 30-foot-radius burst. Reflex half (DC is the DC for this idea).

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment: For each additional IP spent when expressing this idea, add 1 to the level of the summoned construct. This includes granting it appropriate menu abilities. The DC of its Self-Destruct ability also increases by 1 per additional IP spent, if applicable.


Manipulate Terrain

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: One 10-ft. square/level
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You rethink the texture of the ground to make it more hospitable to your allies or more cumbersome for your enemies. Select an area composed of a number of contiguous 10-foot squares at most equal to your thinker level. That area becomes difficult terrain, causing grounded creatures that traverse it to move at half speed and be unable to run, charge, or take 5-ft steps. In addition, the jagged terrain deals 1d4 damage to grounded creatures for every 5 feet they move across it.

Alternatively, if the ground is already difficult terrain, whether naturally or due to a spell or similar effect, you may clear it, producing a region of solid ground. Clearing a spell-like or supernatural effect in this way requires a successful dispel check for which you receive a +4 bonus (you roll 1d20 + 4 + your TL and must exceed 11 + the caster level of the effect). This can be used to remove effects such as Entangle and Grease which affect the surface of the ground. If these effects extend outside of the selected area, this idea does not clear the area outside the target region. Creatures' movement through the selected area may still be impeded by effects that are not anchored to the surface, such as Solid Fog; such effects are not cleared by this idea. Against effects that both coat the ground and linger in the air, like Freezing Fog, this idea removes the ground coating, but it returns after 1 round if the effect is still present.


Mindsaber

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Effect: Weapon of pure thought
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You imagine a sword into being, half-incorporeal in appearance and made entirely of your concentrated thought. It moves on its own and acts as a Spiritual Weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/spiritualWeapon.htm), except that it always takes the appearance of a sword and its attack bonus equals your BAB plus your primary expressing modifier. It deals 1d8 damage + 1 damage per 3 thinker levels (maximum +5 at 15th level).

You may pick up and wield the blade. If you do, it does not attack on its own, but its damage increases by 1d8 (to 2d8 + 1 per 3 thinker levels; maximum +5 at 15th level). You are automatically treated as proficient with it, and may apply all relevant feats to your attacks with it. The blade can be loosed to fight on its own as a move action at any point by simply selecting a new target.

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment: You grant the sword an enhancement whose value is equal to the additional IP spent. For example, by spending 3 additional IP, you can grant the sword a +3 enhancement bonus to attack and damage, or alternatively, grant it the Speed enhancement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#speed). You may also combine different enhancements whose values add up to the number of additional IP. You cannot grant enhancements with limited numbers of daily uses.


On Truth

• Level: Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

For the duration of this idea, you can see invisible creatures, and you gain a +10 insight bonus to Sense Motive checks to tell whether someone is lying. In addition, whenever you observe an illusion for the first time, you are allowed a save to disbelieve it as though you had interacted with it.


Out of Sight, Out of Mind [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: See Text
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: See Text

You become invisible for the duration of this idea. All effects of this idea end if you attack another creature, including expressing an idea that targets a foe or whose area of effect contains a foe.

In addition, upon expressing this idea, all creatures within 100 feet that were aware of your presence must make a Will save or forget that you exist. Spell resistance applies to this effect, so if this idea does not overcome a creature’s spell resistance, it does not forget you exist (though you will still appear invisible to it). Treat this effect as temporarily erasing you from the memories of affected creatures. These creatures may be told that you exist during this idea’s effect, but they will have no memory of previously knowing you. You may choose for this memory effect not to affect one or more creatures you are aware of within range (such as allies). The memory effect only occurs once; it does not affect creatures that come within Medium range of you after you are already invisible.

If an affected creature observes your presence directly at any point, whether through enhanced senses or through a sufficiently high Spot check, their memories return instantly and they no longer need to save against this effect. If an affected creatures observes you indirectly, such as if they hear a footstep or you lift an object and they see it appear to hover in the air, they are allowed another save to regain their memory once each round that their indirect observation continues (i.e. once you tuck the object away in your cloak and it vanishes, if they are still affected, they no longer save each round).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1. If you spend at least 3 IP in this way, you may attack without losing the granted invisibility (each creature that observes the attack is allowed another save to regain their memory).


Perspective [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: 1 creature or object
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

With a blur of focus, the world seems to zoom in and out for a fraction of a second, then resets, but the target’s size doesn’t snap back to normal with everything else. This idea causes the target creature or object to increase or decrease in size by 1 step (your choice), as the spell Enlarge Person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/enlargePerson.htm) or Reduce Person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reducePerson.htm), respectively (though unlike those spells, this idea can affect creatures of any type or even objects). Unwilling targets and attended objects are allowed a Fortitude save to negate the effect.

Augment: For each 2 additional IP spent, the target’s size increases or decreases by one additional step, to a maximum of Colossal or a minimum of Fine. Each additional IP spent also increases this idea’s save DC by 1, if applicable.


Positive Thinking

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One willing creature
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You project a burst of confidence at the target that motivates them to excel at whatever they try. They gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and attack rolls. Against fear effects, the bonus on saving throws increases to +4. This idea is a mind-affecting effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the bonus granted by this idea increases by 1 (by 2 against fear effects).


Reposition

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The target creature instantly shifts position. This movement must be a straight line of length at most 100 feet. It occurs too quickly to allow for attacks of opportunity, though the creature is still affected by ongoing area effects they pass through. The target must be unrestrained for this idea to function; this idea cannot be used to escape from such effects as a net or a grapple. An unwilling creature can attempt a bull rush check (a Strength check) opposed by the DC of this idea. They do not apply their size modifier (if any) to the check, though they still gain a +4 on the check if they are grounded and have more than 2 legs or are otherwise exceptionally stable.

The target creature can only be made to ascend or descend vertically if it possesses a flight speed. Otherwise, all movement due to this idea must be parallel to the ground. This prevents this idea from being used to launch a grounded creature 100 feet into the air, causing it to subsequently fall; however, it is still possible to push such a creature off a cliff or into a similarly dangerous situation if one is nearby.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Self-Image [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You project a mental image of your own appearance outward with such force of will that you physically change shape. This acts as the spell Alter Self (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alterSelf.htm). Use thinker level in place of caster level. The maximum HD accessible is still 5.


Steal Thoughts [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action (see text)
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature in range
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You form a link similar to that of the 1st-level idea Share Thoughts, except that the target is unaware the link exists, unintentionally projecting their surface thoughts across it. On a successful Will save, the target is aware of the link and may choose to dismiss it at any time (nonintelligent creatures such as animals will always choose to end the link immediately). This costs no action and may be done when it is not their turn. If they choose to maintain the link, they are in control of which thoughts they send across it, and may make a Bluff check to convince you that the thoughts are genuine (if an NPC attempts to deceive a player in this way, the player's Sense Motive to uncover the deception is rolled secretly). You can send thoughts to them telepathically as well, as Share Thoughts, but this reveals the link's presence as though the target had succeeded on the save.

As long as you have a functioning link to the target, you can also discreetly siphon the target's brainpower. Usable up to once per round as a free action as long as the link is maintained, this deals 1d4+1 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage to the target (your choice). After each time the target is attacked in this way, they are allowed another saving throw to notice the link. As with all functions of the mental link, this can be used at any distance, but not across planes. This is a mind-affecting idea.

Augment: This idea’s DC increases by 1 for each additional IP spent.


Strategist’s Grenade

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The potential of your intense planning crystalizes into a physical ball that you lob into the battle. All enemy creatures within 20 feet of the chosen point in range take 3d6 fire damage. Allies within range are not affected; the flames seem to deliberately weave around them.

This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 8, and again at levels 12, 16, and 20. Affected creatures can make a Reflex save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its save DC increases by 1.


Think or Swim [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2, Philosopher 2, Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 hour/level or 1d4+1 rounds (see text)
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The touched creature gains a swim speed equal to their base land speed and can breathe water for the duration of this idea. They lose the ability to breathe air. If the recipient is willing, the duration of this idea is 1 hour per thinker level.

If the target resists, they may make a Fortitude save to negate the effect. On a failure, the duration is 1d4+1 rounds. During this time, as long as the target is outside water, they gasp for air, taking a -3 penalty to attack rolls, saves, and checks. In addition, they take 2d6 nonlethal damage each round. These symptoms also apply to allies affected by this idea who find themselves outside of water.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s save DC increases by 1, and you can affect 2 additional creatures with this idea. All creatures to be affected must be within touch range.


Tinker [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Mechanical object or magic item
• Duration: Instantaneous or 1 minute/level (see text)
• Spell Resistance: No

You swear, every time you try to fix anything...

If this idea is expressed on a mundane, mechanical object, it immediately disassembles into its smallest component parts. This opens locks and dismantles traps, for instance. Magic items touched instead have their magic suppressed for 1 minute/level (though they are still considered to be magic items during this duration). Magic items and attended objects are allowed a Will saving throw. Objects that do not fit into a 5-ft. cube must be concurrently affected by multiple expressions of this idea - 2 expressions for Large objects, 4 for Huge objects, etc - before the idea takes effect (see the augment effect below). Expressions of this idea over multiple rounds accumulate for the purpose of dismantling or disabling larger objects.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you may touch and dismantle or disable one additional object within touch range or affect the same object one more time. Regardless of how many times you express this idea against an object in a single round, it never needs to make more than 1 save against this effect. The DC of this idea also increases by 1 for each additional IP spent.
Augment: If you spend at least 1 additional IP on this idea, you can instead use it to repair an object, as the spell Make Whole (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/makeWhole.htm). This use can reverse the normal effect of this idea, even when used on magic items, though it cannot repair magic items that have been damaged by any other means.


Zone of Weakness

• Level: Strategist 2
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft.-radius cylinder, 40 ft. tall
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The indicated area reduces the strength and agility of all who step foot inside it. Creatures inside take a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity as long as they are inside, and for 1 round afterward. A successful Fortitude save reduces the penalty to -2. Creatures in the aura only save once unless they exit and reenter. The zone's penalty does not stack with itself or with other expressions of this idea.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s save DC increases by 1. If you spend at least 1 additional IP in this way, this idea affects creatures normally immune to effects that require Fortitude saves (such as constructs and undead).

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:41:06 PM

3rd-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Clear your Mind

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Retire a card from your hand. If the retired idea is of the highest level you can express, draw 3 cards. For each level lower than the highest level you can express, draw 1 fewer card (minimum 0 drawn cards).

This idea may not be played if your hand has no other cards which can be retired.


Contingent Idea [Meta]

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Duration: 1 round/level

This idea can only be expressed if your hand also contains a different idea that costs 1 IP, has an expressing time no longer than a move action, and has a level no higher than one-third your thinker level. Choose a trigger condition under which the chosen idea will activate automatically. If the idea affects a target or an area, the target or area must be described beforehand (i.e. "express Chilling Thought centered in the direction of the next enemy within 60 feet to damage me."). Once set, you have no control over the trigger. Dispel Magic and similar effects can remove a contingent idea that has not yet activated if they target you or include you in their area.

This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought. You can only have one contingent idea active at a time; if a second is expressed, the first is dispelled.

Augment: If the target idea can be augmented, you may spend IP as part of expressing this idea. The target idea, once expressed, is treated as being augmented by this amount.


Creative Process, Greater

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Look at the top 9 cards of your deck. You may choose up to 3 of them and retire them. Shuffle the remaining cards back into your deck.


Double Insight

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +2 IP to use this turn. Next turn, gain an additional +2 IP.


Either/Or

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Draw a card. Then choose one: either gain +2 IP, or spend 1 IP and draw another card.


Insight, Critical

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +5 IP to use this turn.


Introspection, Critical

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +6 IP to use this turn.

In addition, for every copy of this idea in your deck composition, you gain a +2 bonus to saves against mind-affecting effects. This is a passive effect which applies regardless of whether this idea is in your hand or expressed in any given turn, though it is lost if this card is retired. It applies outside of periods of thought as well. This effect stacks with itself and with the similar effect of the idea Major Introspection.


Maximize Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with variable, numeric effects. These effects are maximized. If Empower Idea and Maximize Idea are both applied to a single idea, maximize the effect first before multiplying by 1.5. This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.


On to Something Here

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose up to 5 ideas from your discard pile (minimum 1; if your discard pile is empty, this idea cannot be played). Shuffle them into your deck.


Stack the Deck

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

You may discard your deck.

Add a Good Idea to your discard pile. Good Idea is a 3rd-level bonus idea with the effect “Gain +3 IP to use this turn. Draw a card.” It has a free-action expressing time and 0 IP cost. You may only have at most 2 Good Ideas in your deck composition at any given time; you may not express this idea if your deck already contains 2 of these bonus cards, or if it would cause your deck composition to contain more than 26 distinct ideas.

Remove all cards added due to this effect from your deck when the current period of fluid thinking ends.


Widen Idea [Meta]

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with an area of effect. The size of the affected area is doubled in each dimension. Multiple expressions of Widen Idea affecting the same idea do not stack. This idea can be expressed during periods of focused thought.


Being and Time

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One living creature
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You reflect on age and experience, and in doing so, change the target’s apparent age. Choose one of the following effects (Fortitude negates):

• Youth – You strip away the years from the target. They gain 1d4+1 negative levels for the duration of this idea. If expressed on a person with an age category at Middle Age or above, they lose the bonuses and penalties associated with their age.
• Old Age – If the target is not already Venerable, increase their age category to Venerable. Compared with Adulthood, this grants a +3 bonus to their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma and inflicts a -6 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. If these age categories would not apply (such as if they are a non-character monster or if they have a different age system like that of true dragons), they do not age normally, but rather simply gain a +3 bonus to mental scores and a -6 penalty to physical scores.

If the Old Age effect is expressed on a Venerable person who fails the save, they crumble into dust and are considered dead. Similarly, if the Youth effect causes a creature to have at least as many negative levels as they have HD, they implode from infancy into nonexistence. However, in either case, when the duration of this idea expires, they reform, unharmed, in their original position and state.

Augment: For each additional IP you spend, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Bewildering Intellect

• Level: Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You briefly touch the target's head and channel a surge of your most inscrutable thoughts directly into their mind. The target becomes Dazed for 1d4+1 rounds (Will negates). This is a mind-affecting effect.

However, this idea can backfire if you attempt to use it on a creature with a sharper mind than yours. If the target's Intelligence or Wisdom is greater than yours (each creature uses the larger of its two values), the idea automatically fails and you become Dazed for 1 round instead.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Chain of Thought

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature or two creatures (see text)
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature is bound by a thick steel chain that wraps around one of its limbs and ties it to a point within 10 feet (Reflex negates). The point need not be anchored to a solid surface, and can even be floating in midair. A creature that fails its save is Entangled and cannot move more than 10 feet from the chosen point. The creature can attempt to break free as a full-round action with a DC 18 Strength check or a DC 18 Escape Artist check.

Alternatively, the chain can tie two creatures together, provided the creatures are within 10 feet of each other. If this option is selected, the chain is not anchored; rather, the two creatures must remain within 10 feet of each other at all times. This can be done by having one creature drag the other, which requires a bull rush action if the dragged creature is unwilling; if it is willing, this requires only a normal movement action, but the dragged creature must succeed on a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone in the process. Alternatively, one of the creatures can ready an action to move at the same time as the other, thereby avoiding the need to maintain balance. If one creature succeeds on the save or successfully breaks free, neither creature has its movement restricted in this way (though the other creature may still be Entangled).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the save DC of this idea increases by 1 and the DC to break or escape the chain increases by 4.


Color Sequence

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: See text
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: See text
• Area: See text
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Each time you express this idea as a move action, you produce a different effect, starting with effect 1 on the list below (for the first time you express this idea in the current period of thought), then effect 2 for the second time you express it, and so on:

• A ball of red light deals 3d6 fire damage in a 5-ft-radius burst in Close range (Reflex half).
• A 40-ft line of orange light deals 6d6 acid damage (Reflex half).
• A 30-ft cone of yellow light deals 9d6 electricity damage (Reflex half).
• A 10-ft-radius spread of green light in Close range inflicts 2d6 Con damage (Fortitude half). This is a poison effect.
• A flash of blue light turns one touched creature to stone (Fortitude negates). They return to their normal form after 1 round/level (damage sustained while in stone form remains).
• A flash of indigo light inflicts Insanity (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/insanity.htm) on one creature within 30 feet, as the spell (Will negates). Unlike normal insanity, it can be removed with Remove Curse and similar effects.
• A flash of violet light sends one creature within 60 feet of you to a random plane (Will negates). After 24 hours, they are allowed a second save to return if they are still on that plane.

For all uses in the same encounter past the first 7, you may choose which of the above effects occurs.

You may alternatively express this idea as a free action (you must still expend the expressing cost of 1 IP), which results in no effect other than to increase the counter by 1 so that your next move-action expression of this idea becomes more powerful. Expressing in this way results in a harmless flash of light of the appropriate color.

Augment: For each additional IP you spend, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Cutting Room

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One or more creatures in range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Discard any number of ideas from your hand. For each idea discarded, deal 2d12 slashing damage to a creature within range. Damage reduction only applies once per creature targeted, reducing the total damage sustained from each expression of this idea.


Disbelief

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target or Area: One spellcaster, creature, or object; or 20-ft.-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You refuse to believe in the effect of a spell or spell-like ability, and the force of your disbelief dispels it from existence. This acts like Dispel Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm). In addition, you are allowed a save to disbelieve any illusions affecting the targeted person or area, even if you fail to dispel them.

Augment: For each additional IP you spend, the thinker level cap for this idea increases by 2. (Normally, the maximum bonus you can apply to the thinker level check is +10). For example, a 13th-level thinker expressing this idea would gain a +10 on the dispel check without augmenting. If she spends 1 additional IP, she would gain +12, and if she spends 2 or more additional IP, she would gain +13, since this bonus can’t exceed her thinker level.


Down to Earth [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: Creatures within a grounded 20-ft.-radius cylinder, 100 feet high
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You force your thoughts, and your enemies, to become grounded. All flying creatures in the affected area must make a Reflex save or plummet to the ground, taking fall damage (max 10d6 damage) and falling prone. Those that succeed on the save by less than 5 are still pulled down to the ground, but they land gently without taking fall damage or falling prone. Succeeding on the save by 5 or more negates the effect. Creatures that are pulled to the ground by this idea cannot use any flight abilities for 1 full round.

Creatures that were already on the ground when this idea was expressed must instead make a Reflex save or fall prone. If they fail, or succeed by less than 5, they additionally cannot use their flight abilities for 1 full round.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the save DC of this idea increases by 1 and the height of the affected cylinder increases by 100 feet. Even if a creature falls further than 100 feet due to this idea, it does not take more than 10 dice of fall damage.


Explosive Revelation

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 5
• Range: Medium
• Area: 40-ft.-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Your mind is completely blown by a sudden realization, which you channel into a powerful explosion. This idea costs 5 IP. All creatures in the affected area take 9d6 fire damage (Reflex half). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. On a failed the save, affected creatures are pushed outward to the nearest edge of the effect, where they fall prone. If they hit an obstacle along this path, they stop, fall prone, and take an additional 2d6 damage.

Augment: For each additional IP you spend, the DC of this idea increases by 1 and the damage of the initial blast increases by 1d6.


Force Rook

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned chess piece
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a force rook, a medium-sized chess piece made of translucent force, in an empty square within range. Once per round, you can command it as a free action to move it up to 120 feet in any lateral direction. The rook can hover in midair and move in 3 dimensions, so all 6 lateral directions are available to it.

The rook can enter the same space as another creature, becoming insubstantial as long as it and the creature remain in that space. When this occurs, the creature takes 5d4 force damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d4 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. The rook can end its movement in that space or continue, potentially damaging multiple creatures in a line. No creature can be damaged by the rook more than once per round.

Other than when the rook enters an occupied square, it is impassible. The rook cannot be harmed in any way except by the spell Disintegrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm) or a dispel effect. It is possible, however, to push the rook with some effort. It resists movement with a +12 modifier on its bull rush check.

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, increase the damage the rook deals by 1d4.


Inner Demons

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned demon
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea summons a Quasit (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm#Quasit), a lesser demon. You can augment this idea to instead summon a more powerful demon (see below). Demons summoned via this idea appear at the end of your turn and obey your instructions to the best of their ability, though they will take advantage of any ambiguity in your instructions to sow as much chaos and evil as they can. They cannot use their ability to summon additional demons; Quasits summoned through this idea additionally cannot use their Commune ability.

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment:

• If you spend 1 additional IP, you may instead summon a Nashrou (https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/block/Nashrou) (Monster Manual IV p. 44).
• If you spend 2 additional IP, you may instead summon a Jovoc (https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/block/Jovoc) (Monster Manual II p. 58).
• If you spend 3 additional IP, you may instead summon a Babau (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm#babau).
• If you spend 4 additional IP, you may instead summon an Arrow Demon (https://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/block/Demon,_Arrow) (Monster Manual III p. 34).

Just Hear Me Out [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal and Close range; see text
• Target: You and one intelligent creature; see text
• Duration: 1 round/level; see text
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Your words gain magical weight, making your suggestions seem more reasonable for a short time. Once per round as a swift action as long as this idea is in effect, you may suggest a course of action to a target within Close range, and it attempts to perform that action to the best of its ability (Will negates). The suggestion must be one that can be completed in one round or less time, such as having the creature drop its weapon and flee at full speed. If it has not managed to complete the action by the end of its next turn, it stops. The action cannot be directly harmful to the target or its allies, and must not go against the target's true nature, or the effect simply fails.

If a creature succeeds on its save, you may not suggest that course of action to it again as part of the same expression of this idea (if it fails the save, you may make the same suggestion again next turn). This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Light as Thought

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You gain a fly speed of 40 feet (good). If you have two copies of this idea in your deck composition, the granted fly speed is instead 80 feet (perfect). If one or both copies of this idea are retired, the granted flight immediately weakens accordingly (to 40 feet (good) if the second copy is retired, and disappearing completely if both are retired). If this idea is dispelled, you drift gently to the ground without taking fall damage.

Augment: If you spend 2 additional IP when expressing this idea, its duration becomes 1 hour/level instead.


Lightning in a Bottle

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 120-ft line (See augment)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

An electrifying thought leaps from your skull in the form of a physical bolt of lightning. Deal 5d6 electricity damage in a 120-ft. line. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. Affected creatures can make a Reflex save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its DC increases by 1. Furthermore, each additional IP spent allows you to cause the line to bend at one additional angle (which need not be 90 degrees). For instance, spending 2 additional IP on this idea can cause the bolt to make a line shape with 2 bends; as an example, it could extend for 10 feet, turn sharply, continue for 50 feet, turn again, and then go straight ahead for the remaining 60 feet of its length. Regardless of how many times this idea’s area intersects a creature’s square, it only takes damage once per expression.


Make a Valid Point

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

A long, metal spike shoots toward the target creature. Make a ranged touch attack. On a successful hit, the target takes 4d6 piercing damage and must make a Reflex save or be impaled. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. Treat the target as having half their normal damage reduction for the purpose of reducing this piercing damage.

Impaled creatures move at half speed and cannot run or charge due to pain. They additionally receive a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws for each spike impaling them (neither of these penalties affect creatures which do not feel pain, such as most constructs and undead). Removing a spike from an impaled creature requires a DC 10 Strength check as a standard action, and deals the creature half the number of dice of piercing damage dealt when the spike struck them (rounded down). Thus, if the spike deals 4d6 damage on impact, it deals 2d6 damage when removed. Again, only half the target's DR, if any, applies to this damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the spike deals an additional 1d6 piercing damage on entry and the save DC increases by 1. The increase in the damage from the entry wound proportionately increases the damage of removing the spike, as described above.


Migraine

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 30-ft. cone
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You overwhelm your mind, unleashing a headsplitting surge of sound. This idea deals 6d6 sonic damage to all creatures in its area (Will half). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. Creatures that fail the save are dazed for 1 round. Shuffle a Blank into your deck.

A Blank is a 1st-level bonus idea. You may have up to 4 Blanks in your deck composition at any given time (this is an exception to the rule that you may only have 2 of any idea in your deck composition; however, you may not add a 3rd Blank if your deck composition has 26 unique ideas including the previous 2 Blanks). If an effect would add a 5th Blank or exceed 26 unique ideas by adding Blank, that part of the effect does not occur. Blanks cannot be expressed, though they can be drawn, discarded, or retired as normal. Whenever a Blank enters your hand, lose 1 IP (minimum 0).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its DC increases by 1.


Mindarmor

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 round/level (see text)
• Spell Resistance: No

Your thoughts coalesce around the target, forming an opalescent coating around their body that protects them from harm. For the duration of this idea, the touched creature gains DR 10/- and energy resistance 10 against all acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic damage.

This idea is more thought-intensive than most. Each round after the first, as a free action on your turn, you may spend 1 IP to keep the idea active. If, when that turn is over, you have not done so, the idea immediately ends. You may have multiple copies of this idea active at once, but you must spend 1 IP per round for each of them individually.

Augment: If you spend an additional 3 IP, the DR and energy resistance both increase from 10 to 15. The extra IP spent to augment this idea only apply when it is expressed, and have no effect on the 1 IP per turn necessary to sustain it.


On Life

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Your affirmation of the value of life heals living creatures or harms undead. The target takes 4d8 positive energy damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d8 at thinker level 12, and again at levels 16 and 20. Positive energy heals living creatures and harms undead.

In addition, when expressed on a living creature, it is healed of 1d4 ability damage and 1 negative level, if either is applicable. Negative levels can only be healed if they were inflicted no earlier than 1 day/level before the expression of this idea.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you heal or deal an additional 1d8 damage. For each 2 additional IP spent this way, you heal an additional 1d4 ability damage and 1 negative level, if applicable.


Persuasive Argument [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 hour/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The target creature instantly feels as though it had just heard a very compelling argument why it should help you and your allies. This acts as the spell Charm Monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/charmMonster.htm), except as noted above and below.

Your ability to influence the target creature is based on your reasoning ability instead of your personal charm. As such, the check to convince the creature to do something it wouldn’t do is an opposed Wisdom check rather than a Charisma check. Any creature that succeeds on its Will save is aware that you attempted to influence its mind with a spell-like effect, and may make a DC 20 Spellcraft check to learn the name and effect of this idea.

You must wait for one expression of this idea to expire before attempting to affect the same creature with it again.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Quick Thinking

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

You grant the target a burst of tremendous speed. On their next turn, they gain an additional move action that can only be used for movement, and their base movement speeds all gain an enhancement bonus of 60 feet. In addition, if they use the full attack action during that turn, they may make up to 2 additional attacks at their full base attack bonus. However, this intense speed comes at the cost of accuracy; they take a -2 penalty on all attack rolls they make that turn.

This idea does not stack with similar effects such as the spell Haste (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/haste.htm). If you express this idea on yourself, you may choose to use the bonus movement action immediately rather than waiting until your next turn. If you do so, you may not take the additional movement next turn as well.


Random Walk

• Level: Creative 3, Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Targets: One creature/level, no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

All targeted creatures must make a Will save or be forced to walk randomly. An affected creature must spend a move action at the start of each of its turns, traveling half its movement rate in a random direction (roll 1d8). It otherwise acts normally. If a creature cannot move in the rolled direction due to an obstruction, its action is not wasted.

This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s save DC increases by 1.


Redirect Energy [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Willing creature touched
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

A wise combatant knows how to use their opponent's energy against them. The touched creature is warded from a specific type of energy, as Protection from Energy (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEnergy.htm), except that the total energy damage that can be negated by this idea is 6 per thinker level rather than 12 (maximum 120 damage at thinker level 20).

However, instead of this energy damage merely being absorbed, it is instead redirected. Each time this idea negates an amount of energy damage, the target chooses a creature within 60 feet and makes a ranged touch attack against it (if it does not wish to harm any creature in range, it may discharge the energy harmlessly instead). If successful, the energy rebounds in a ray that strikes the selected creature, dealing as much damage of that energy type as the warded creature would have taken (if the ray misses, no creature takes the damage).

This idea only stacks with itself or with Protection from Energy if each expression/casting affects a different energy type; otherwise, the ward that blocks the smaller total amount of energy is dispelled.


Rehearsal

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Make a Perform check (you may use any category of Perform in which you have ranks). For the duration of this idea, whenever you make an attack roll or saving throw, before rolling, you may discharge this idea to use the Perform check result in place of that roll. This idea does not stack with itself; if you express it while you have another expression of this idea active, the previous expression ends.


Sculptor's Touch [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Material or object touched (see text)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

With a touch, you shape stone, wood, or ice with the skill of a practiced sculptor. This idea can affect up to a 5-ft. cube of solid material, or an object of that size or smaller which is made mostly of one of these materials (but not a combination of these materials). You can alter its shape however you desire within the affected 5-ft. cube, though the target must remain as a single solid, contiguous piece, and you cannot add or remove volume. This idea can be used to create walls and doorways in addition to beautiful or helpful objects.

Augment: If you spend 2 additional IP, you may affect an object or material that can fit in a 10-ft. cube (that is, a cube 10 feet on a side). If you spend 4 additional IP instead, you may affect up to a 15-ft. cube.


Shock Traps

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: One 5-ft. square, plus an additional square per 3 thinker levels
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You conceal a number of 5-by-5-ft. traps equal to 1 + 1/3 your thinker level (rounded down, maximum 5 traps at level 12) slightly below the ground. The traps are not visible to most creatures, though creatures with Detect Magic, Arcane Sight, or a similar effect can see them through the thin layer of earth or flooring; those with tremorsense will notice a sudden change in an affected square if it is in range of their sense when this idea is expressed. The trapped squares need not be contiguous, but multiple traps cannot be made to overlap, nor can a trap be placed under a currently-occupied square.

The trap triggers when any creature passes over it, as long as they are within 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 thinker levels of the ground. A bolt of lightning springs up from the trap, dealing 5d6 electricity damage (Reflex half). On a failed save, the creature is Stunned until the start of its next turn. Whether or not they succeed on the save, their movement ends in the trapped square and the trap disappears.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Stinking Cloud

• Level: Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft. radius spread, 20 feet high
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea acts as the spell Stinking Cloud (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/stinkingCloud.htm).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Thought Bubble [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 3, Strategist 3
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 10-ft.-radius sphere centered in midair or hemisphere centered on the ground
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

A sphere of water forms a bubble in midair or on the ground. It behaves exactly as normal water except that it is breathable, with no risk of drowning for creatures inside. The idea also functions underwater, producing a spherical region in which the water is breathable.

Underwater areas can have many helpful uses in combat. Creatures completely submerged in water have total cover from creatures attacking from outside. Ranged attacks take a -2 penalty for every 5 feet of water they pass through, and fire effects are blocked entirely. In addition, non-aquatic creatures in the bubble must succeed on a DC 10 Swim check to be able to move, and even then, they move at one-quarter normal speed.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 08, 2018, 08:29:02 PM

4th-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Epiphany [Unique]

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +6 IP to use this turn. Then immediately place this idea on the bottom of your deck (if your deck is empty, this is the same as putting it on top of your deck). Effectively, this can allow you to access this card twice per deck cycle rather than once.


Full of Ideas

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Draw 2 ideas.


Insight, Unparalleled

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Gain +8 IP to use this turn.


Making a Call

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Name up to 3 ideas which are currently in your deck composition. Then look at the top 3 ideas of your deck. If any of the ideas match the names you predicted, add those ideas to your hand. Discard the rest.


Perfect Information [Unique]

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: No action
• IP Cost: None
• Duration: None

As long as this idea is in your deck composition, you have complete information about which cards remain in your deck and their order. You can look through your deck at any time (except while shuffling it), provided you leave the cards you observe in their initial order.

This idea is a completely passive effect. It cannot be expressed, though it takes up space in the deck.


Personal Muse

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: No action
• IP Cost: None
• Duration: None

For each copy of this idea in your deck composition, you gain +1 IP at the start of each turn during periods of fluid thought. This effect only occurs as long as the idea is in your deck composition; if it is retired, the effect ends.

This idea is a completely passive effect. It cannot be expressed, though it takes up space in the deck.


Prolific Mind [Unique]

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: No action
• IP Cost: None
• Duration: None

As long as this card is in your deck composition, you draw 1 additional card whenever you draw a new hand, as though your hand size were increased by 1 (your hand size is unchanged for the purpose of all other effects that reference hand size). This effect ends if this idea is retired.

This idea is a completely passive effect. It cannot be expressed, though it takes up space in the deck. In addition, whenever you draw this idea, you lose 1 IP (if any). Treat this idea as a Blank for the purpose of all effects that reference Blanks.


Quicken Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 swift action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as an idea with an expressing time of 1 move action. Immediately express the idea without spending additional actions or paying its IP cost, if any. IP must still be paid to augment the idea, if applicable. Unlike most [Meta] ideas, Quicken Idea and Twin Idea cannot be used in periods of focused thought.


Backup Plan

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: See Text
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Once, at any point during this idea’s duration, even if it is not your turn, you may teleport a willing creature within range up to 20 feet in any direction. This can be timed to occur while an attack is incoming, allowing the creature to avoid the attack entirely. It does not take any action, even an Immediate action, to do this (other than the expressing time of 1 move action).

This idea does not stack with itself; if you express it again while an expression of this idea is active, the previous effect ends.

Augment: For each 2 additional IP spent, you may use this idea's teleport effect 1 additional time during the duration of this idea. You must wait at least 1 round between uses.


Brainstorm

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Area: 40-foot-radius burst centered on you
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Your mind roils with electricity, producing a shockwave of thunder and lightning. This idea deals 6d3 electricity damage and 6d3 sonic damage in a 40-foot-radius burst centered on you (Reflex half). The electricity and sonic damage each increase by 1d3 at level 16, and again at level 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, each damage type increases by 1d3, and the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Choice Paralysis

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

All targeted creatures make a Fortitude save. You know instantly which creatures failed the save. Of those that failed, choose one. That creature becomes Paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. If no targeted creature fails the save, this idea has no effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Cold Open [Unique]

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

This idea starts on top of your deck at the start of each period of fluid thought (under the idea selected by the Off the Top of My Head feat, if applicable). Once this idea is expressed, retire it.

Without further ado, you let loose your first attack, a jet of freezing cold. The target takes 8d6 cold damage (Fortitude half). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at level 16, and again at level 20. If they fail the save, they are Slowed for 1 round (they may take only 1 move or standard action on their next turn, but not both. They move at half normal speed and take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1 and the damage increases by 1d6. For every 2 IP spent in this way, the duration of the target's Slowed condition increases by 1 round on a failed save. After each round of being Slowed, the target is allowed another Fortitude save to recover from the effect.


Countdown

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 2 rounds or longer; see text
• Spell Resistance: Yes

A glowing, red, insubstantial numeral "2" appears over the target's head. It follows the target wherever it goes, allowing the target to be pinpointed even if they become invisible; it is immune to all attempts to magically conceal it, and it shines clearly through fog and darkness (including magical darkness). One round after this idea is expressed, the number reduces to "1". One round after that, it reduces to "0" briefly, and then vanishes. The target must then make a Fortitude save or die. Creatures immune to death effects are not affected when the countdown reaches zero, but the number appears regardless until that point. The countdown cannot be dispelled, though Remove Curse can remove it if cast in time.

If you choose, you may make the countdown longer. The starting number can be any amount greater than or equal to 2, and it ticks downward by 1 with each passing round. The number is roughly the same size regardless of how many digits it has, which may make particularly large numbers difficult to read until their number of digits decreases.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Creative Spirit

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 60 feet
• Target: All allies within range
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a pool of creativity that your party can pull from to gain a burst of inspiration when they need it most. The pool consists of 1 point per thinker level (maximum 20 points). Any time one of the targets of this idea attempts an attack roll, saving throw, skill check, or ability check, they may pull up to 5 points from the pool and add an insight bonus to their check equal to the number of points used. If you begin a period of focused thinking or end a period of fluid thinking, any remaining points in the pool are lost.

If you express this idea again while there are still points of creativity in an existing pool, add the number of points together to form a larger pool (maximum 20 points).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the number of points added to the pool increases by 1.


Death Urge

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You implant a deadly impulse in the target, as the psionic power Death Urge (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/deathUrge.htm), except that a creature that fails its save will always attempt to harm itself (rather than standing immobile). If it is unarmed and does not have access to a more immediately harmful course of action, such as a cliff or a nearby enemy, it will attack itself with its bare hands. It may also take the Run action to rush headlong at the nearest wall or other solid obstacle, dealing itself 5d6 damage on impact, if that would deal more damage than its other options.

This is a mind-affecting effect. You may augment it as described below (the augment effect of the psionic power does not apply).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1. If you spend at least 3 IP in this way, you may also target a second creature within 30 feet of the first.


Decoy [Versatile]

• Level: Creative 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Take a movement action. As you do so, an illusory duplicate of you diverges from your position and takes an alternate path, limited by your movement speed. The duplicate remains for the duration of this idea, after which it vanishes. You can control it as a free action during your turn. It can move up to your normal movement rate per round anywhere within Medium range of you and speak in your voice, but it cannot interact with objects. If you change in appearance (due to a Polymorph effect, for instance), you may change the duplicate’s appearance to match.

Whenever you attack, the duplicate also attacks if doing so would be appropriate to make the source of the attack ambiguous and it is in range. For instance, ray attacks from you are accompanied by simultaneous, illusory ray attacks from your duplicate aimed at the same target. If you and your duplicate are both within melee range of an enemy and you make a melee attack, the duplicate makes a simultaneous attack against the target. These attacks deal no damage, but they prevent anyone (including the target) from being able to tell which out of you or the duplicate performed the attack.

If the duplicate is attacked or otherwise interacted with, the attacker is allowed a Will save to disbelieve it. Whether or not this save is successful, the duplicate reacts convincingly to the attack, appearing to be wounded if applicable, thus denying any onlookers other than the attacker a disbelief save. Duplicates can grant other nearby allies a flanking bonus against enemies that do not disbelieve them. Attempting to simply move through a duplicate requires an overrun attempt, which wastes a standard action, though it allows the attacker to automatically disbelieve the illusion.

This idea does not stack with itself. If the number of decoys produced (see the augment effect below) is less than the number of decoys in effect already, an equivalent number of previously-expressed decoys must vanish (you choose which ones). If it is equal or greater than the number of extant decoys, the previously-expressed decoys all vanish.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1, and you create one additional duplicate. All duplicates are individually controllable as free actions, and all duplicates in the position to attack a targeted enemy will perform illusory attacks. Foes make individual Will saves per duplicate they attack, even if multiple duplicates are caught in a single attack.


Dimensional Lodestone [Versatile]

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Area: See text
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You generate a dimensional lodestone, a palm-sized luminous cube that hovers in the location you specify. Once placed, it cannot be moved or destroyed by any effect short of Disintegrate, though it can be dispelled as normal.

The lodestone projects an invisible emanation out to Medium range of it (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) which draws in teleportation effects. Any such effect into or out of the affected area instead redirects to the closest empty space to the lodestone (roll randomly if multiple spaces apply). In a region containing multiple lodestones, teleportation effects are drawn to the stone closest to the intended destination.

Augment: If you spend 3 additional IP, the duration of this idea becomes Permanent. You can only have up to one active lodestone per 4 thinker levels. If you wish to place more than that, choose one of your existing lodestones to dispel automatically. Due to this limitation, even in campaigns where Thought Magic is common and commercial thinkers may express ideas for the right price, it is not generally possible to purchase the use of this idea.


Earworm

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 30 feet
• Target: All living creatures within range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

This idea becomes stuck in your head, and it becomes hard to think of anything else.

Mark an (E) next to one of the ideas on your character sheet that is currently in your deck composition (this is not optional; you may not mark Earworm or any previously-marked idea). Any time a marked idea appears during the current period of thought, treat it as this idea instead. In this way, you can effectively have more than 2 copies of Earworm in your deck composition, as other ideas become copies of Earworm. Once made, this change lasts until the end of the current period of thought. This marking effect does not occur if every idea in your deck composition is already Earworm.

After the marking effect is complete, this idea inflicts 1 negative level plus 1 additional negative level per Earworm in your hand to all living creatures within 30 feet of you. A successful Will save halves the number of negative levels dealt (rounded down). The negative levels last 1 hour/level, then vanish.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Find Flaw

• Level: Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature within range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature gains one of the flaws listed here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) other than Frail or Pathetic. This effect has no saving throw, and is permanent until removed by Remove Curse (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/removeCurse.htm) or a similar effect.

You may alternatively choose from one of the flaw effects below:

• Reduce the target’s DR, if any, by 5 (minimum 0).
• Reduce the target’s energy resistances, if any, by 5 (minimum 0). This has no effect on creatures with an immunity to the given energy type.
• Reduce the target’s spell resistance, if any, by 5 (minimum 0).
• Reduce the target’s HP by 10 (unlike normal damage, this is a permanent curse effect and cannot be healed except by removing the curse).

Augment: If you spend 3 additional IP, you can apply two different flaws to the target, or the same flaw twice. Flaws (including the variant flaws listed above) stack with themselves if applied in a single expression of this idea, but do not stack across different expressions. The flaw Slow cannot be applied twice unless the target's speed is initially at least 40 feet (thus making it at least 20 feet before the second application of the flaw).


Form of Beauty

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Touched creature
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The target creature transforms into an ideal version of themselves. They gain an untyped +2 bonus to Charisma, Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. This is a polymorph effect.


Hindsight

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action or 1 move action; see text
• IP Cost: 0 IP or 1 IP; see text
• Range: Personal or 60 feet; see text
• Target/Area: You, or a 60-ft-radius area centered on you; see text
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You look to the past for insight, either literally or metaphorically.

If you are in a period of fluid thought, you may reflect on the past as a valuable source of insight. For a free action and 0 IP cost, place up to 2 cards which grant IP from your discard pile into your hand.

Alternatively, this idea has a different use that is usable in any period of thought: literally seeing into the past. This use costs 1 IP and requires a move action to express. If you do, you do not gain IP, but you are able to observe how the 60-ft.-radius area surrounding you appeared in the past. Choose one time frame from the list below to observe. The longer the span of time you wish to view, the less detail you receive:

• Hours – You replay the last hour/level of time in the affected area in perfect detail. You are aware of every creature that passed through during that time and know the conversations and actions that transpired there as though you were present.
• Days – You see a time lapse of the last day/level, but not in the same level of detail as the option above. You see the creatures that entered and left the area, and roughly which actions they took and what they discussed, as though you had heard a synopsis of the events.
• Years – You gain a general idea of the events of the past year/level. You notice only noteworthy events such as deaths, battles, scenes of great emotion, important discoveries, and significant happenings.
• Centuries – You look back a century/level (or fewer, if you choose), but learn only whether or not anything notable occurred in this area over that span of time, and if so, in which century the most significant thing occurred. If you have the Lore class ability, you gain a +5 on your check to identify the event in question or glean more details about it. For the purpose of this idea, an event is only notable if it drastically changed the course of history for a nation or civilization.

Mindhammer

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Choose a creature within range. This idea deals 1d6 damage for every idea currently in your deck (ideas in your hand, in play, retired, or in your discard pile do not contribute to the damage). The target can attempt a Will save for half damage.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Natural Philosophy

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You transform into an animal, fey, magical beast, plant, or vermin of your choice, as Polymorph (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm), except that you do not heal as though you had rested for a night. The HD of the new form cannot exceed your thinker level or your HD, whichever is lower.


Oaken Sentinel

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned treant
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

An oak tree bursts from the ground at the chosen point in range. It immediately animates as a treant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/treant.htm) and obeys you without question. It cannot use its Animate Trees ability.

If you have the idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, this idea instead has an expressing time of 1 move action.

At the end of this idea's duration, the treant takes root where it stands, becoming a mundane oak tree. This also occurs if you end a period of fluid thinking or begin a new period of focused thinking before this idea's duration has concluded.

Augment: If you spend 3 additional IP, this idea's duration becomes 1 hour/level and it does not end early if you end or begin the corresponding periods of thought. When you create a treant with this longer duration, any treant that you previously created with this augment effect takes root and loses sentience immediately.
Augment: Alternatively, spending 3 additional IP causes a second treant to appear, which acts equivalently to the first. You may not use both augment effects on a single expression of this idea.


On Liberty [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea acts as Freedom of Movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/freedomOfMovement.htm).

Augment: For 2 additional IP, you can express this idea as a swift action instead of a move action.


Out of the Box

• Level: Creative 4, Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

A little creative thinking can sometimes get you out of a tight spot in the blink of an eye. This idea acts as Dimension Door (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dimensionDoor.htm).

Augment: For 3 additional IP, you can express this idea as a swift action instead of a move action.


Post-Structuralism [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 60 feet
• Target: Construct or object
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea produces a ray that deals 7d10 damage to the target object or construct. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack if the target is a construct; if the target is an attended object, you must succeed on a ranged touch attack against the creature carrying it. Damage from this idea bypasses hardness. This idea's damage increases by 1d10 at level 16, and again at level 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea deals 1d10 more damage.


Pressure

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft.-radius cylinder, 40-ft. high
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The air in the affected volume becomes viscous and high-pressure. Creatures walking or flying through it travel only 5 feet for every 10 feet of movement they spend (visibility isn't affected). In addition, creatures that start their turn in the affected region take 3d6 nonlethal damage. The damage per turn increases by 1d6 at level 16, and again at level 20. Finally, all creatures within the affected region gain vulnerability to sonic damage, taking half-again (+50%) as much damage from sonic effects.

Augment: For every 2 additional IP spent, the amount of movement required to travel 5 feet increases by another 5 feet (from 10 feet for no additional investment to 15 feet for 2 IP and 20 feet for 4 IP) and the amount of damage dealt per turn increases by 1d6.


Qualia

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: Up to 1 creature/level, no two of which may be more than 60 feet apart
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You change the target creatures' perception in ways that can't, due to the fundamental limitations of individual experiences, be conveyed to other conscious minds. But mainly, you make their senses much better or worse.

Choose one of the following effects (you may choose independently for each affected creature):

• Enhanced senses – The target gains a +10 insight bonus to Spot, Search, and Listen checks, a +2 insight bonus to ranged attack rolls, and a +2 insight bonus to AC. In addition, they gain the Scent special ability. If an invisible creature is within 30 feet of them, their enhanced perception allows them to hone in on the creature's square without needing to make a check.
• Impaired senses – The target takes a -10 penalty to Spot, Search, and Listen checks and a -2 penalty to AC. In addition, their near-deafness gives them a 20% spell failure chance on spells with verbal components, and their near-blindness gives them a 50% miss chance on all attack rolls.

Unwilling creatures are allowed a Will save to negate the effect. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Augment: This idea’s DC increases by 1 for each additional IP spent.


Strategist’s Surgical Strike

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: Up to 5 creatures
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Make ranged touch attacks against up to 5 creatures within range. Rays of freezing energy streak toward them, dealing 6d6 points of cold damage on a successful hit. You cannot target the same creature more than once in a single expression of this idea. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at level 16, and again at level 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the damage of each strike increases by 1d6.


Toxic Cloud

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 30-ft radius spread, 20 feet high
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The air within the effective area becomes an opaque fog of deadly poison. This idea acts as Fog Cloud (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fogCloud.htm), except as indicated above. In addition, all creatures within the cloud take 1d4 points of Constitution damage each round (no save).


Tunnel Vision [Versatile]

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

For the duration of this idea, you gain a gaze attack, usable as a standard action. When pointed at earth or stone, it instantly vaporizes a line up to 60 feet long, leaving a 10-foot-diameter tunnel, which is permanent and structurally sound. This line need not be parallel to the ground; wells straight down and tunnels at an angle are both possible. The gaze attack travels through air, other materials, and even creatures harmlessly, allowing it to remove circular sections of multiple parallel stone walls at once, for instance. However, it can be blocked by 3 foot of wood, 1 inch of common metal, or a thin sheet of lead.


Valid Points All Around

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You surround yourself with a ring of floating, metal spikes that point away from you. Any time another creature passes within 10 feet of you, or you pass within 10 feet of them, the spikes automatically attack, dealing 5d6 piercing damage. They can't damage a creature more than once per round in this way. This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at thinker level 16, and again at level 20. Treat the target as having half their normal damage reduction for the purpose of reducing this piercing damage. A creature damaged by this idea must make a Reflex save or be impaled.

Impaled creatures move at half speed and cannot run or charge due to pain. They additionally receive a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws for each spike impaling them (neither of these penalties affect creatures which do not feel pain, such as most constructs and undead). Removing a spike from an impaled creature requires a DC 10 Strength check as a standard action, and deals the creature half the number of dice of piercing damage dealt when the spike struck them (rounded down). Thus, if the spike deals 5d6 damage on impact, it deals 2d6 damage when removed. Again, only half the target's DR, if any, applies to this damage.

After the spikes have attacked 4 times, or after this idea's duration expires (whichever comes first), the spikes vanish. If you express this idea while the ring of spikes has attacks remaining, reset the duration and add 4 to the number of attacks remaining (max. 8 attacks).

The spikes attack independent of your intentions or perception. They can target hiding and invisible opponents, and will attack allies if they are in range to do so. Against incorporeal creatures, they have a 50% miss chance as normal, but missed and otherwise-avoided attacks do not count against this idea's remaining attacks.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the spikes deals an additional 1d6 piercing damage on entry and the save DC increases by 1. The increase in the damage from the entry wound proportionately increases the damage of removing the spike, as described above.


Will to Power [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Through willpower alone, you reshape your body, making it as finely-tuned and powerful as your mind. This makes you visibly more muscular and formidable. For the duration of this idea, you may treat your base attack bonus as being equal to your thinker level, which may allow you to make additional attacks on a full-attack. In addition, you may treat your Strength score as being equal to your Wisdom score. For the duration of this idea, you are also treated as having the feat Power Attack, if you do not have it already. Finally, as part of the action of expressing this idea, you may draw a sheathed weapon on your person.


Wishful Thinking

• Level: Creative 4, Philosopher 4
• Expressing Time: 1 immediate action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You exert a particularly insistent thought on the world, altering that which would have been up to chance. As an immediate action, which may be taken outside of your turn while this idea is in your hand, you may reroll any single d20 roll. Unlike most rerolls, the decision to reroll can be taken immediately after you learn whether or not the roll resulted in success or failure. For instance, if an enemy strikes you with a melee attack, you may cause them to reroll the d20 after you are told that the attack hits. However, if you then learn how much damage the attack deals, it is then too late to express this idea.

You start your next turn with 1 fewer IP. If this would reduce your starting IP for that turn below zero, you may not express this idea. You may not use this idea to alter the same d20 roll more than once.

If this idea is in your deck composition and you have at least 2 daily periods of thought remaining, you may spend an immediate action to use this idea outside of any period of thought. Doing so causes you to immediately enter a period of focused thought during which you may not express any other ideas. If you are distracted or an attack occurs near you during this round, you become Dazed as normal. Unlike a normal period of focused thought, this use costs 2 daily uses of focused thought.


Writer's Block

• Level: Creative 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: 10-foot block of stone
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Unable to come up with a better idea, you make a giant block of solid stone. The block is 10 feet to a side and appears in any unoccupied space in range that you designate, including, potentially, in the air above an enemy's head.

If you choose this option, every enemy that would be crushed by it is allowed a Reflex save to avoid it; those that fail take 8d6 bludgeoning damage and fall prone underneath it. The block rolls once after landing, moving 10 feet along the ground in a direction of your choice to an unoccupied adjacent 10-by-10-foot space (you may not express this idea if there is no such valid space). The block cannot be made to come to rest in an occupied space in any way.

Once created, the block is permanent. If you place it on the ground in an unoccupied space, it does not roll when created.

Augment: This idea’s DC increases by 1 for each additional IP spent. If you spend 4 IP in this way, you may increase the block from 10 feet to 15 feet to a side (which in turn changes the area it crushes and the adjacent area it occupies once it rolls). The larger block deals 12d6 damage.


Your Move

• Level: Strategist 4
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched (not you)
• Duration: See Text
• Spell Resistance: No

The touched creature’s position in the initiative order changes so that their turn occurs immediately after yours. When your turn is over, it will be their turn, even if they acted previously in the same round. This change lasts for the remainder of the encounter; the target creature does not act on their original initiative.

This idea cannot affect the same creature more than once per encounter. If you express this idea more than once in a single turn, the most recently-affected creature goes first.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 09, 2018, 06:42:06 AM

5th-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Ahead of Their Time [Unique]

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Retire this idea. Choose a 6th-level Philosopher idea not already in your deck composition. Shuffle it into your deck as a bonus card along with a Blank.

A Blank is a 1st-level bonus idea. You may have up to 4 Blanks in your deck composition at any given time (this is an exception to the rule that you may only have 2 of any idea in your deck composition; however, you may not add a 3rd Blank if your deck composition has 26 different ideas including the previous Blanks). If an effect would add a 5th Blank or exceed 26 different ideas by adding Blank, that part of the effect does not occur. Blanks cannot be expressed, though they can be drawn, discarded, or retired as normal. Whenever a Blank enters your hand, lose 1 IP (minimum 0).

If adding both the 6th-level idea and the Blank would cause your deck composition to exceed 26 different ideas, do not include the Blank. The 6th-level idea alone cannot cause your deck composition to exceed 26 different ideas, since Ahead of Their Time is unique and removes itself from your deck composition when expressed.


Bring to Mind

• Level: Creative 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

You may discard your deck. Whether or not you choose to do so, you then choose up to 3 cards from your hand or discard pile (minimum 1 card; cards in front of you, which have already been played this turn, and retired cards, cannot be chosen; cards need not be chosen from the same source). Place those cards on top of your deck in an order of your choice (if your deck is empty, those cards become your deck).


Improvisation

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Shuffle your discard pile into your deck, then draw a card. If it has an IP cost of 1 and is normally expressed as a swift action or longer, immediately express it as a free action for 0 IP. In addition, if the card can be augmented, treat it as though you had spent a total amount of additional IP equal to your augment limit (even if the idea would normally ignore the limit, like Mindcannon).

If the card drawn normally has an IP cost of 0 or a free-action expressing time, discard it instead and repeat this idea's effect (but without shuffling your discard pile into your deck again). If your entire deck is discarded in this way, this idea has no further effect and you may retire it.


In the Zone

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: 2 rounds

Gain +7 IP when you express this idea. For the next 2 rounds, any unspent IP generated in one turn may be used in later turns. For instance, if you play only this card on your turn, then you have 8 IP for that turn. If you do not spend any of that IP, then you begin your next turn with 9 IP (1 for that turn plus the 8 unspent IP from the previous turn). Some or all of those IP could then go on to be used in subsequent turns. Any unspent IP disappear at the end of the third round (where the turn this idea is expressed is considered the first round).


Twin Idea [Meta]

• Level: Creative 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

This idea can only be expressed at the same time as another idea. That idea takes effect twice in sequence, affecting the same targets and area if applicable. You only pay the IP cost to express and augment that idea once; any applicable augment effects apply to both expressions. Unique ideas cannot be Twinned. If an idea discards, retires, or shuffles itself back into the deck after the first expression, the second expression due to Twin Idea has no effect. Unlike most [Meta] ideas, Quicken Idea and Twin Idea cannot be used in periods of focused thought.


A House Divided

• Level: Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: Creatures in a 20-ft.-radius spread
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: Yes

All affected creatures must make a Will save or spend their next turn attacking their allies, using whichever option at their disposal they believe would harm their own side the most. Though they never attack themselves, they prioritize attacks against the allies that they can hurt the most easily or that are the most crucial to their side's victory. This is a Mind-Affecting effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Burnout

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 90-ft. cone
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You exhaust all of your remaining creativity in a single, destructive moment. This deals 11d6 fire damage to all creatures in a 90-foot cone (Reflex half). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at level 20. When you draw a new hand at the end of your turn, draw 2 fewer ideas than you otherwise would (minimum 0).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea deals 1d6 additional damage, and the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Collector's Item

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Area: 30-ft. radius spread
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You imagine a palm-sized bauble and toss it to a spot within Close range. It has no practical use, but all enemies within 30 feet of it must make a Will save or see it as incredibly valuable and take any action possible to obtain it. This is a mind-affecting compulsion.

If someone holds the object, affected creatures won't hesitate to attack them to get it, even if they were allies a moment before. Once a creature is in possession of the object, it attempts to stay more than 30 feet away from any other creature in order to protect it and attack anyone who tries to take it from them, but they can otherwise act normally. Once the object is taken more than 30 feet away from an affected creature, they are allowed an additional Will save to recover from the compulsion; if they fail, they continue to chase after the object.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Crystal Clarity

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You gain the ability to see through solid objects within 100 feet of you as though they were glassy and transparent. This allows you to see through every wall, floor, and ceiling within that radius, as well as observing clearly a hemisphere of the ground beneath you.

In addition, you are considered to have line of effect to any creature within this radius, allowing you to target them with ideas even if they are underground or if a wall is between them and you.

Though many Strategists have attempted to use this idea defensively, attacking from underground or from within an unassailable container, for some mysterious reason this does not work. Line of effect remains blocked if the target has no realistic option to be able to harm you in return; options may include simply moving around a wall, teleportation effects, burrowing toward you, or breaking through walls (note that a creature with such an option may be unable to use it for other reasons, such as being paralyzed). You always know (i.e. can ask the DM) which creatures are within your line of effect as long as this idea is active.

Whenever you attack through a solid object using this ability, creatures affected by your attack see a window-like effect as a circular slice of every object between you and them is momentarily made transparent. In this way, they always know where you are attacking from when this idea is in effect.


Dispelling Flame

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft. cone starting at a point within range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Dispelling flame is a secret trick known only to the cleverest of Strategists, a substance that wounds and routs the enemy while neutralizing their magic.

A cone of mysterious violet fire spews forth in a 20-foot cone from the chosen point, setting the ground and all objects and creatures in the area, flammable or not, alight with purple flame. Any creature on fire or standing on a burning square takes 2d6 points of fire damage at the start of their turn. Creatures that enter a burning square must make a Reflex save (DC equals the DC of this idea) or immediately catch on fire; creatures within the area at the time of expressing receive no such save.

A creature may spend a standard action to put itself out, or to put out a 5-ft square of dispelling flame or another object or creature within reach. This requires a Reflex save. If a creature that is not itself on fire attempts to extinguish a burning square, object, or creature, it must make an additional Reflex save in the process or catch fire itself.

Dispelling flame burns itself out 1 round per thinker level after it is first produced.

This substance is notorious for its ability to burn away magic. When this idea is expressed, and again on every round at the start of your turn, the area affected by Dispelling Flame is subject to an area dispel, as Dispel Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm), but with no maximum thinker level on the dispel check.

Augment: For each 2 additional IP spent, the number of spells dispelled per creature per check increases by 1 (normally, an area dispel only dispels one effect per creature) and the damage dealt each turn by the dispelling flame increases by 1d6.


Enlightened Mind

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You unlock, for a time, the full potential of your mind. For the duration of this idea, you gain a +6 insight bonus to your Wisdom score. This change to your Wisdom score does not affect your number of periods of thought for the day.


Fear and Trembling

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: Medium
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You create an apparition that looks like a vague shadow to you and your allies, but each enemy creature sees it as an amalgamation of its worst fears. The apparition appears within range and can move up to 30 feet per round (you can direct it as a free action once per round). It takes up a 5-ft. square, but it cannot be interacted with. It is a (Shadow) effect, so True Seeing reveals it to be illusory but does not allow its effect to be ignored.

When the apparition appears, and once per subsequent round on your turn (after you direct it for the round), all enemies within 30 feet of it must make a Will save or immediately become panicked and attempt to flee for 1d4 rounds. When fleeing, they must take a route that never moves them closer to the apparition; if no such route exists, they instead cower in place for 1d4 rounds. Creatures that successfully save can act normally and are immune to future saves due to the apparition.

The apparition is a mind-affecting fear effect. It can be dispelled as normal. It disappears if you begin a new period of focused thought or end a period of fluid thought.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Final Cut

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Area: 5-ft. line with no width
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

A plane thinner than the width of a hair slices along a 5-foot line within range. All objects in its path, other than those made of pure force, are cleanly cut, coming apart into two pieces on either side of the line. The plane extends 20 feet vertically above and 20 feet vertically below, leaving a permanent, straight cut in the ground that can only be noticed with a DC 30 Search or Spot check.

Creatures in the path of the cutting plane must make a Reflex save or permanently lose a limb, taking 6d6 damage. Roll randomly to determine which limb is lost. For example, a humanoid would roll a 1d4 to determine whether their right leg, left leg, right arm, or left arm is lost. Creatures with long necks treat their heads as additional limbs for this purpose. Tails, tentacles, wings, fins, and similar appendages may also be considered limbs if their length is comparable to an arm or leg.

A creature that loses an arm also drops whatever that arm was holding, as well as any effects associated with that arm, such as the effects of magic rings (if it was not already established which arm was carrying or wearing an item, roll randomly to determine whether it was in fact the severed arm).

A creature that loses a leg, wing, or fin, but has at least 2 of that appendage remaining, loses the ability to run, charge, or take 5-ft. steps, and takes a -20-ft. penalty on movement. In most cases, a creature that loses at least half of its movement appendages falls prone and is unable to move using its remaining appendages at all. A bipedal creature that loses a leg must immediately make a DC 10 Balance check or fall. Before every move, standard, or full-round action the creature takes while standing, it must make another DC 10 Balance check or fall and lose that action. If it succeeds on the Balance check, it can move with a -20-ft. penalty, but cannot run, charge, or take 5-ft. steps. Getting up from prone is a full-round action for such a creature.

Augment: For every 2 additional IP spent, you may increase the length of the line by an additional 5 feet. The DC of this idea also increases by 1 per additional IP spent.


Force Queen

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Effect: Summoned chess piece
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a force queen, a medium-sized chess piece made of translucent force, in an empty square within range. Up to twice per round, you can command it as a free action to move it up to 40 feet in any lateral or diagonal direction. The queen can hover in midair and move in 3 dimensions, so all 26 lateral and diagonal directions are available to it (8 horizontal, 2 vertical, and 8 each up and down at a 45-degree angle).

The queen can enter the same space as another creature, becoming insubstantial as long as it and the creature remain in that space. When this occurs, the creature takes 9d4 force damage. This idea's damage increases by 1d4 at level 20. The queen can end its movement in that space or continue, potentially damaging multiple creatures in a line. No creature can be damaged by the queen more than once per round.

Other than when the queen enters an occupied square, it is impassible. The queen cannot be harmed in any way except by the spell Disintegrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm) or a dispel effect. It is possible, however, to push the queen with some effort. It resists movement with a +16 modifier on its bull rush check.

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or if you end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, increase the damage the queen deals by 1d4.


Form of Dreams

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Your body takes on a dreamlike quality, neither fully real nor illusionary, swirling with magic and imagination. As long as this idea is active, you may change your appearance up to once per round as a free action, allowing you to resemble any creature within one size category of you. This is an Illusion (Glamer) effect (Will disbelief if interacted with). In addition, as a standard action usable any number of times during this idea's duration, you may create a figment within Medium range, as Major Image (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/majorImage.htm), except that each lasts until the end of this idea's duration, requiring no concentration to maintain, and they use this idea's save DC. You must still concentrate on one of the figments to cause it to move.

If this idea is expressed while another expression of it is in effect, you become incorporeal until the end of your next turn. At that point, both expressions of Form of Dreams affecting you end immediately. You may not be affected by more than two expressions of this idea at once.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Inspiring Speech

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Target: All allies within range
• Duration: 5 rounds
• Spell Resistance: No

For the next 5 rounds, all allies within range that can hear you and share a language with you gain a +3 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and checks.

In addition, your words are so inspiring that you provide yourself with insight. For the duration of this idea, if you are in a period of fluid thinking, the IP cost of all your ideas becomes 0. You must still spend IP if you wish to augment your ideas.


Instant Barricade

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a vertical wall of force within Medium range, as the spell Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm). The wall’s area is up to one 10-foot square per thinker level.

You can suppress the wall as a standard action. If you do so, the wall vanishes, then reappears at the end of your turn. You may not ready an action to suppress the wall when it is not your turn; however, allies (and enemies) may ready actions to attack through the suppressed wall during your turn.


Leviathan [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You summon a huge aquatic beast that’s a metaphor for the government or something. It has the properties and general appearance of an Elasmosaurus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dinosaur.htm#elasmosaurus). However, its reach is 15 feet rather than 10 feet. In addition, it has the Improved Grab and Swallow Whole abilities of a Dire Shark (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/direShark.htm). If any creatures are inside the stomach of the leviathan when the duration of this idea expires, they fall to the ground prone where the leviathan vanished (without provoking attacks of opportunity).

This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thinking, or end a period of fluid thinking, while it is active.


Man a Machine

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

The touched creature becomes mechanical, their joints transforming into hinges and locked pistons, their skin turning metallic. They gain a fortification of 50%: critical hits and sneak attacks have a 50% chance of failure against them.

In addition, they gain several immunities common to constructs: poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, being sickened or nauseated, disease, fatigue, and exhaustion. A creature targeted by this idea which was already affected by one or more of these effects is not cured, but rather the effect is suppressed until this idea's duration ends. If the remaining duration of the effect is shorter than the duration of this idea, it does not reappear when this idea's duration expires.

Unlike a true construct, the target is not conferred an immunity to mind-affecting effects, death effects, necromancy effects, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain, or effects requiring Fortitude saves.

Augment: If you spend 2 additional IP when expressing this idea, its duration becomes 10 minutes/level.


Meaning of Life

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Creature touched
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

The touched dead creature immediately returns to life (with no loss of level). Their HP becomes -1 and is stable. This idea only works on a creature which died no more than 1 round ago. It does not affect creatures that are currently undead, nor does it affect creatures which cannot normally be raised, such as outsiders.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the creature you revive may have been dead for 1 additional round. For instance, by spending 3 additional IP, you may revive a creature which has been dead for up to 4 rounds.


Mindscythe

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Retire an unexpressed idea from your hand and select a creature in range. The target immediately takes 2d12 damage per level of the retired idea (Will half).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Photo Negative

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature within range
• Duration: One action
• Spell Resistance: See Text

You briefly bring into existence a distorted copy of the target, its coloration inverted and its personality twisted by hatred. It appears anywhere in range that you designate and immediately attacks the target. Its combat statistics, abilities, and equipment are all identical to the target, except that its caster level and primary casting modifier for all of its spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities cannot be greater than your thinker level and primary casting modifier, respectively (it uses the minimum of yours and the target's).

The double may make one move, standard, or full-round action, which it uses to inflict as much harm as it is capable of against the target (the DM chooses the action and makes checks for the double). It cannot break the full-round action into a standard and move if it chooses that option. Effects such as Extend Idea cannot cause it to spend more actions.

Spell resistance applies if the double uses an attack which may be blocked by SR. It doesn't care at all about collateral damage, and may thus harm your side or the enemy's in the process. After its attack, the double vanishes along with its equipment (even if the action is interrupted or the equipment is separated from the double).


Prescience

• Level: Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal and 30 feet; see text
• Target: Creatures within 30 feet of you; see text
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Your mental abilities stretch until you become able to predict outcomes with unerring precision. Choose a type of check: attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. Then roll 3d20 and record the results of the 3 dice in order. The next 3 times a creature within 30 feet of you (including you) attempts the chosen type of check during this idea's duration, they use the 3 results in place of rolling 1d20. Once all 3 results have been used, this idea ends. In this way, you know the results of the next 3 attempts near you, but not necessarily who will make them or when.

You may only have one expression of this idea active at a time. If you express this idea while you already have another expression active, the previous expression ends. This can be used as an indirect means of using your knowledge of the future to change your fate, such as by rerolling the next few saving throws if they are unfavorable. This idea cannot be maximized or empowered.

Augment: For every 2 additional IP spent, roll an additional die. Thus, if you spend 2 additional IP, you roll 4 dice, which determine the next 4 rolls of the chosen type near you.


Refreshing Outlook

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You channel an uplifting attitude into a thought so bold that it can cure nearly any malady. This idea removes the following conditions: ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned, and poisoned. In addition, you are aware of any harmful spells or spell-like effects affecting the target which may be cured by Break Enchantment (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/breakEnchantment.htm), and may make a dispel check to remove any or all of them (unlike Break Enchantment, there is no maximum bonus on the dispel check).

Finally, if the target is a spellcaster, they may regain a single prepared spell or spell slot of their choice that they had expended since they last rested to recover their spells. Once a spellcaster has regained a spell or spell slot in this way, they may not do so again due to any other expressions of this idea until the next time they rest to recover spells.


Reposition, Greater

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: All creatures within range whose position you know
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You rearrange the battlefield as though you were setting up a chessboard. This idea immediately moves every creature within range to anywhere else within range that you wish, provided that you know their initial position and that there exists a path for each creature to move between their initial and final locations without sustaining harm. This movement occurs too quickly to allow for attacks of opportunity. It cannot be used to escape from such effects as a net or a grapple, though it may move multiple grappling creatures together. Multiple creatures cannot end up in the same square (unless they were initially in the same square). Unwilling creatures can make a Will save to avoid being moved.

Unlike the lesser version of this idea, you may cause creatures to move vertically as well as horizontally. However, unwilling creatures without a flight speed automatically succeed on their saving throw against this idea if their movement would cause them to lose contact with the ground.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 90-ft line, 15 ft. wide
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

A barrage of sling bullets, arrows, and miscellaneous projectiles flies through the air, dealing 10d6 weapon damage (no save; determine the damage type randomly for each enemy). This idea's damage increases by 1d6 at level 20.

Each creature in the area subtracts half its AC (rounded down) from the damage dealt (minimum 0 remaining damage). If it has damage reduction, regardless of the type (/slashing, /-, /magic, etc.), it applies to this idea's damage once per expression.

Augment: For every additional IP spent, the amount of bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage dealt increases by 1d6.


So Crazy It Just Might Work

• Level: Creative 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One Creature
• Duration: 1 minute/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You attempt an absurd plan that, if it works, will put you at a sure advantage, discreetly swapping places and identities with an enemy creature. The target creature must immediately make three independent Will saves:

• If it fails the first save, a teleportation effect causes it to swap positions with you. If, due to differences in anatomy or size, there is not enough space to swap positions, this aspect fails.
• If it fails the second save, you swap appearances with the target. This is an illusion effect that causes you to look, sound, and smell like the target and vice versa. Equipment and items worn or held by both creatures are disguised as their counterparts worn or held by the other creature; if there's no counterpart, the object will seem to vanish from its true wielder and appear on the other creature's person. For example, if the target wields a sword and you do not, then if the target fails this save, its sword would become invisible and an identical, illusory sword would appear in your hand. Effects such as See Invisibility can deduce the presence of the glamered object, and True Seeing sees through the illusion altogether. Creatures that interact with you and the target are allowed a Will save (same DC as this idea) to disbelieve the illusion.
• If it fails the third save, the target becomes bound by a compulsion not to attempt to communicate with its allies in any way. This is especially useful if it fails the other saves, since it prevents the target from immediately alerting its allies to the deception.

This idea is designed to be subtle, and if the first two saves are both failed, the switch is seamless. You and the target appear to have the same appearances and positions, when in fact you now occupy the target’s position and appearance and vice versa. This ruse may not last long if the target succeeds on its third save, however, since it may be able to convince its previous allies that the swap had occurred (this usually requires a rushed Diplomacy check opposed by Sense Motive, or a demonstration of an ability that you do not possess). However, if all three saves are failed, then assuming you do not immediately take actions that the target would have been incapable of, the deception can be very difficult to uncover.

If the second save is failed but not the first, it will appear as though you and the target switched places (since you switched appearances but not positions). This looks identical to the case where the first save is failed but not the second. Treat the three saves of this idea as three independent spell effects for the purpose of Spell Resistance. The first is a conjuration (teleportation) effect, the second is an illusion (glamer), and the third is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

You may, at the time this idea is expressed, choose for one or more of the 3 effects not to occur. This could be useful if, for instance, you wish to use this ability to swap positions and appearances with an ally but don't want to risk that ally becoming unable to communicate. Any of this idea's saves may be failed voluntarily, even if a creature would otherwise be immune to them.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Still Life

• Level: Creative 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 30-ft. cone
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

All creatures in the area freeze in place, unable to move or act, unless they succeed on a Fortitude save. Fire, wind, liquids, moving objects, and spell effects also stop moving (the duration of this idea does not count against the durations of affected spells). Any creature, object, or effect affected by this spell is invulnerable, both to helpful and harmful effects.

The subjects of this idea cannot be affected by another expression of this idea for 10 minutes after its effect ends.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Thorny Subject

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Effect: One 10x10 column of thorny brush, up to 5 ft. per level high
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: No

A column of thorny brambles erupts from the ground, filling a 10-by-10-foot square in range and growing instantly up to a height of your choice (max. 5 feet per thinker level). Its properties are identical to the plants created by Wall of Thorns (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfThorns.htm), damaging creatures that make contact with it and trapping them inside.

If you have the 0th-level idea Seeds of a Plan in your hand, you gain much more control over the shape the brambles take. You can arrange the 10-foot cubes that compose the column (1 per 2 levels, rounded down, in total) into any contiguous shape within range, provided none of the cubes are unsupported in midair without another cube (or the ground) beneath them.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the maximum height of the column increases by 5 feet. If you have Seeds of a Plan in your hand, this idea creates another 10-ft. cube of brambles per 2 additional IP spent.


Totality and Infinity

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You make a choice between the reliable but finite and the chaotic and potentially infinite. Choose one of the following effects (Fortitude half):

• The target takes 36 untyped damage.
• Roll 1d8 repeatedly until you roll an 8. Add all the rolls (including the final roll of 8). The target takes this much untyped damage. The expectation value of this attack is 36 damage, but it has a wide variance, with a range between 8 and infinity.

This idea cannot be affected by abilities which alter variable, numeric effects, such as Maximize Idea. The exception to this is Empower Idea, which increases the damage by 50% regardless of which option is chosen.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1 and you may target one additional creature with this effect, no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart.


Vitriol

• Level: Creative 5, Philosopher 5, Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft.-radius burst
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

Your most acrid thoughts manifest in a globe of deadly acid. This idea deals 9d6 acid damage (Reflex half). This damage increases by 1d6 at level 20. Creatures that fail the save are additionally nauseated for 1 round. Creatures that succeed on the save are instead sickened for 1 round.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s damage increases by 1d6 and its DC increases by 1.


Warp Traps

• Level: Strategist 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: One 5-ft. square, plus an additional square per 5 thinker levels
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You conceal a number of 5-by-5-ft. traps equal to 1 + 1/5 your thinker level (rounded down, maximum 5 traps at level 20) slightly below the ground. The traps are not visible to most creatures, though creatures with Detect Magic, Arcane Sight, or a similar effect can see them through the thin layer of earth or flooring; those with tremorsense will notice a sudden change in an affected square if it is in range of their sense when this idea is expressed. The trapped squares need not be contiguous, but multiple traps cannot be made to overlap, nor can a trap be placed under a currently-occupied square.

The trap triggers when any creature passes over it, as long as they are within 100 ft. + 10 ft. per thinker level of the ground. They take 9d6 untyped damage (Reflex half) as their body is ripped apart by a spacial distortion that extends above the trap. On a failed save, they are additionally teleported to another location (chosen at the time of expressing) within 1000 feet of the trap. If the affected creature cannot fit in the destination space, the teleportation effect fails (the creature still takes damage). Whether or not they succeed on the save, their movement ends in the trapped square and the trap disappears.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Worldview [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 5
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You instantly grasp the big picture of the world around you. This idea acts as Commune with Nature (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/communeWithNature.htm), except that its expressing time is only a single move action, and it only allows you to learn one fact (rather than three).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you can learn one additional fact from the list given in the spell description.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on November 10, 2018, 09:18:02 AM

6th-Level Ideas

(click to show/hide)

Endgame

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: 5 rounds; see text

You issue an ultimatum that promises to end the encounter soon, as you gain increasing amounts of power. Gain +2 IP to use this turn. Next turn, gain +4 IP instead, and so on, each turn gaining 2 more IP than the previous turn. This idea ends immediately after it grants you +10 IP in a single turn

This idea does not stack with itself; if another expression of this idea is currently active, this idea fails. After expressing this idea, you may retire it.


Master of Improvisation

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Period of thought

For the remainder of the current period of thought, each round at the start of your turn, discard the top card of your deck. If it has an IP cost of 1 and is normally expressed as a swift action or longer, you may immediately express it as a free action for 0 IP. In addition, if the card can be augmented, treat it as though you had spent a total amount of additional IP equal to your augment limit (even if the idea is one that would normally ignore the limit, like Mindcannon).

This idea does not stack with itself; if another expression of this idea is currently active, this idea fails. After expressing this idea, you may retire it.


Necessity

• Level: Creative 6, Philosopher 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Search your deck and/or discard pile for a single card of your choice of up to 5th level and add it to your hand. If you searched your deck, shuffle it afterward. If you have a bonus card due to the feat Joker, it is a valid target of this idea.


No Bad Ideas

• Level: Creative 6, Philosopher 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Place all ideas of level 2 or lower from your discard pile into your hand.


Stroke of Genius [Unique]

• Level: Creative 6, Philosopher 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 free action
• IP Cost: 0
• Duration: Instantaneous

Your mind surges with the devastating potential of a sudden, glorious insight. Gain +10 IP. This turn, you can take an additional move action. Retire this idea.


Antimagic Field [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation centered on you
• Duration: 10 minutes/level
• Spell Resistance: See text

You become surrounded by a field that suppresses magic, as the spell Antimagic Field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm). Though ideas do not function within the field, you continue to draw and discard ideas as long as you are in a period of fluid thought.


Army of the Dead

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You call in reinforcements from beyond the land of the living. A platoon of 6d4 human warrior skeletons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/skeleton.htm) appears within range and serves you without question. You control them telepathically. Undead summoned with this idea do not count against the number of HD of undead you can control, if you otherwise have such a limit. At the end of the duration, all remaining undead vanish. They also vanish if you begin a new period of focused thought or end a period of fluid thought before the duration has expired.

You can substitute any number of d4 of skeletons for an equal number of human commoner zombies (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/zombie.htm). Alternatively, you can substitute 2d4 of skeletons for 1d4 allips (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/allip.htm), wights (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/wight.htm),  or shadows (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/shadow.htm). 3d4 skeletons can be substituted for 1d4 ettin skeletons, wyvern zombies, or mummies (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/mummy.htm). These substitutions can be made as many times as you wish, but always in groups of 1d4, chosen before the dice are rolled.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, you summon 1d4 additional skeletons, or their equivalent.


Astral Mind [Versatile]

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: You and up to one additional creature per 2 thinker levels
• Duration: Permanent until dismissed or dispelled
• Spell Resistance: No

You and your willing allies transcend your mortal bodies and drift throughout the universe as pure thought. This acts as the spell Astral Projection (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/astralProjection.htm), except as noted here. Your physical body must remain on the Material Plane, or the effect ends immediately; this idea cannot be expressed on any other plane. In turn, this idea cannot create a new physical body on the Material Plane. If an effect would transport a new body to the Material Plane, the body is instead destroyed and this effect ends.

Each participant in the astral voyage can dismiss the effect on themselves as a free action and wake up in their physical bodies. Alternatively, you can end this idea as a free action for any or all participants at any time. If your astral body or second body dies, this idea ends for only you. If this occurs, or if you dismiss the effect on yourself but not on the rest of the participants, you cannot express this idea again on anyone who was not a participant in the original expression. Only once an astral voyage has concluded for all participants can you express this idea on new targets.


Book of Healing

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Touch
• Target: Living creature touched
• Duration: 3 rounds
• Spell Resistance: No

The touched creature gains fast healing 50 (they heal 50 points of damage at the start of each of their turns).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea’s duration increases by 1 round.


Dance Number

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: All creatures in range
• Duration: 1d4+1 rounds
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Music begins to play, and everyone stops what they’re doing and joins in a song and dance like a number from a musical. Allied creatures within range gain a +4 bonus to AC, a +10 bonus to Reflex saves, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity for the duration of the music (1d4+1 rounds).

In addition, all enemy creatures within range caper in place as though affected by an Irrisistible Dance (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/irresistibleDance.htm), causing them to take a -4 penalty to AC and a -10 penalty to Reflex saves, as well as provoke an attack of opportunity each round on their turn, for the duration of the music. They can take no actions while dancing.

Like the spell, this idea does not allow an initial saving throw. However, affected creatures are allowed a Will save at the start of each of their turns to cease dancing; creatures that manage to stop dancing need not save against this idea for the remainder of its duration. This idea is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Earth-Shattering Idea

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Target: 80-ft.-radius spread
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea functions as the spell Earthquake (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/earthquake.htm), except as noted below.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1. In addition, for every 2 additional IP spent, this idea’s duration increases by 1 round. Any creature on the ground must make a Reflex save every round or fall prone (or sink in mud, if applicable). Do not re-roll the chance to fall into a fissure. Structures take damage every round. Structures that are already collapsed do not deal additional damage to creatures beneath them, but caves, tunnels, and cliffs for which there is still room for material to fall result in an additional 8d6 damage each turn after the first. Creatures in the area that are not pinned must make a new save each round or become so.


Elemental Forces

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Your powerful mind rends a chunk of reality into its base components, bringing forth 4 elemental guardians. This idea summons 4 huge Elementals (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elemental.htm), one of each type (air, earth, fire, and water). You control them telepathically. If you express this idea again while you have another expression of it active, the previously-summoned elementals discorporate. This also occurs if you begin a new period of focused thought or end a period of fluid thought before this idea's duration has ended.


Flight of the Valkyries

• Level: Creative 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action or 1 swift action (see text)
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: One creature/level
• Duration: 1 minute/level or instantaneous (see text)
• Spell Resistance: No

If expressed as a move action, this idea enables your allies to take to the skies with the speed and ferocity of valkyries. All targets gain a pair of vast wings that grant them each a 100-foot flight speed (good maneuverability), and they additionally gain a +2 competence bonus to attack and damage rolls made with melee and ranged weapons (including natural weapons).

If expressed as a swift action, your flying forces attack as one. All targets within range which already have the wings granted by an expression of this idea may make a single attack with a melee or ranged weapon (including a natural weapon). Taking this action doesn't affect the their normal places in the initiative order.

This idea does not allow a target to make more than one additional attack in a round. If they have already made an additional attack due to a prior expression of this idea, from an effect such as the spell Haste, or from any other source, they do not participate in the mass attack. Similarly, if they participate in the mass attack, they may not benefit from effects such as Haste later in the same round.


Ideal of Justice

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Target: See text
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You envision a world where those who inflict harm are immediately punished, and a small piece of that world becomes real. For the duration of this idea, any time an enemy in range makes an attack that affects one or more of your allies, they are struck by an unavoidable bolt of lightning immediately afterward, dealing 6d6 electricity damage (no save). An area attack counts as one attack, but each separate attack of a full attack or each ray of a spell like Scorching Ray (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/scorchingRay.htm) count separately, each one triggering its own bolt.

This idea is unaffected by energy resistance. Even creatures normally immune to electricity damage are not fully spared, taking half damage. This idea does not stack with itself; expressing it while another expression of this idea is in effect resets the duration.

Augment: For every 2 additional IP spent, the lightning bolts’ damage increases by 1d6.


Imagine Dragons

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

Smoke and fire from your mind drift through the air and coalesce into living, draconic forms. This idea summons 1d3 juvenile black, blue, green, white, brass, bronze, copper, or silver dragons. The summoned dragons may be different colors from each other. You control the dragons telepathically.

Regardless of how many times this idea is expressed, you cannot have more than 3 dragons summoned in this way at any given time – if, for instance, you already have 2 living dragons under your command at the time when you express this idea to summon 2 more, only 1 of them appears. This idea ends immediately if you begin a new period of focused thought or end a period of fluid thought while it is active.


Mindcannon

• Level: Creative 6, Philosopher 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Area: 120-ft. line
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Deal 2d20 damage in a 120-foot line (Will half). This idea has no limit to the amount of IP that can be spent to augment it.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, this idea deals an additional 1d20 damage and the DC increases by 1. Though there is no limit to the amount of damage that can accrue in this way, this augment effect may not increase the DC by more than +4.


Mind Palace

• Level: Creative 6, Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 24 hours
• Spell Resistance: Yes

The target creature is transported to an intricate, maze-like demiplane representing your mind on a failed Will save. Once inside, it can attempt to escape via an effect such as the spell Plane Shift, but it must succeed on a caster level check opposed by the DC of this idea, or the effect fails. If the duration expires or you choose to set it free, it reappears a random distance and direction from you within 100 feet (roll 1d10x10 for distance and 1d8 for direction).

While this idea is a powerful means of restraining enemies, there are risks in allowing those who mean you harm to enter your mind. 5 rounds after entering the mind palace, and once every hour afterward, the target may attempt an Intelligence check opposed by your primary expressing modifier check. If it succeeds, it can understand one of your thoughts or memories that it would view as significant to it. When this happens, you briefly relive the thought or memory, allowing you to know that the creature has witnessed it.

If it succeeds by 5 or more, it can also attempt to influence your actions over the next hour. This acts as Suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm), except that it cannot be avoided by being immune to mind-affecting effects and does not allow a save. If it is unreasonable, such as by being obviously harmful or suggesting that you free it without a significant change in circumstances, the suggestion fails automatically.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Ninth Symphony

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close
• Target: Up to 5 creatures within range
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

A joyous, frightful, awesome sound rings out. It is your greatest work, a musical masterpiece that can induce any emotion in the listener.

This idea creates 5 different effects, each of which is targeted at a single creature in range and allows a Will save to negate. Multiple effects can be targeted against the same creature. The effects are deafened, stunned, confused, panicked, or put to sleep. Each effect lasts for 1 round/level. If a creature struck by more than one effect has spell resistance, roll a separate thinker level check for each effect. The panicked condition is a fear effect, and all of these effects are mind-affecting. A creature affected by the sleep effect can be woken up by slapping or wounding them, but normal noise is insufficient.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1. In addition, if at least 2 additional IP are spent, this idea also affects creatures normally immune to mind-affecting effects. Creatures specifically immune to stunning, sleep, or fear effects are still immune to those parts of this idea.


Paradox of the Stone

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: 0 feet
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

You create a stone so heavy that only you can lift it. The magical stone, small enough to fit comfortably in your hand, appears either in your hand or at your feet (your choice). You can lift the stone off the ground with ease as a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity, but no other creature can move the stone by any means.

If you are adjacent to another creature and drop the stone on them as a free action, they take 15d6 damage from the crushing weight. In addition, they are pinned. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and avoids the pin. On their turn, a creature pinned in this way can attempt a Reflex save or Escape Artist check opposed by this idea's DC as a full-round action to move out from under the stone and end the pin.

If you lift the stone from a pinned creature, it does not provoke attacks of opportunity from that creature (it provokes from other nearby creatures as normal).

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Perfect Retreat

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Close and anywhere in the plane; see text
• Target: Chosen willing creatures and objects
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You and every willing creature or unattended object you choose within Close range immediately teleports to the location of your choice on the same plane. Any objects the creatures are carrying (up to their capacity) move with them.

The teleport effect appears exactly where you indicate with no chance of error. You need not have seen the destination, but in that case you must have at least a reliable description of the place to which you are teleporting. The targets of this effect all move together to the same location, appearing in the same positions relative to each other that they were in before this idea was expressed.

Unlike most other ideas, this idea never provokes attacks of opportunity. It is the method of choice for powerful Strategists attempting to escape a difficult situation, though it can also be used for ambushes and infiltrations.


Redo

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 immediate action
• IP Cost: 0
• Range: Close
• Target: Willing creature whose turn just ended
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You remember the world as it was just a few seconds ago, and in a flash of implication, the last few moments are undone.

This idea can only be expressed during a period of intense thinking in combat when a willing creature’s turn has ended. The world resets to how it was at the beginning of that creature’s turn, and the creature can take its turn again, making different choices if it wishes. Only you, and any other creatures in the current encounter that you indicate, are aware that time has been reset.

This idea can be used as an immediate action at the end of your turn, before you discard your remaining cards in hand. If you express it in this way, this idea is treated as already expressed when your turn begins again (you can still use a swift action this turn; the immediate-action cost of this idea counts as your swift action for next turn as normal).

You begin your next turn (after the redone turn, if applicable) with -1 IP. If this would reduce your IP below 0, this idea cannot be expressed.


Re-imagine

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Target: Everything and everyone in range
• Duration: 1 hour/level
• Spell Resistance: Yes

Your imagination paints the world around you in whatever way your mind desires. The landscape within range transforms into an illusory form of your choice, as Mirage Arcana (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mirageArcana.htm), and the appearance of every creature within that space changes as well, as Veil (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/veil.htm). Unwilling creatures can make a Will save to avoid having their appearances changed. They can also make a Will save to disbelieve the illusions that they interact with, as normal.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Reverse Gravity

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: Up to one 10-ft. cube per two levels
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

This idea acts as Reverse Gravity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/reverseGravity.htm), except as noted otherwise.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Sleeping Gas

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 20-ft radius spread, 20 feet high
• Duration: 1 round/level
• Spell Resistance: No

A cloud of powerful tranquilizing gas fills the area. All creatures in the cloud, or that enter the cloud, must make a Will save or fall asleep. The sleep effect is chemical rather than magical in nature, and thus cannot be undone with effects such as Break Enchantment. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).

This idea is not mind-affecting, though it still does not affect creatures immune to sleep.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Statuesque

• Level: Creative 6
• Expressing Time: 1 full-round action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: 1 hour/level or instantaneous (see text)
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You make the target into a beautiful statue of pristine white marble. You may enable the target to shift in and out of this form at will, as the spell Statue (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/statue.htm); if you do, this idea lasts 1 hour/level. Alternatively, you may turn the target into an inert marble statue, as the spell Flesh to Stone (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fleshToStone.htm) (Fort negates). This use has instantaneous duration.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Strategist’s Cataclysm

• Level: Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Long
• Area: Everywhere in range except those in a 10-ft.-radius bubble
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You unleash a blast whose power and scope is limited only by your imagination. Choose a location within range to center a 10-ft.-radius bubble (which need not include you). All creatures and objects in range not inside that bubble take 11d6 sonic damage (Reflex half). The damage increases to 12d6 at level 20.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the damage increases by 1d6, and the DC increases by 1.


The Floor’s Lava

• Level: Creative 6, Strategist 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Area: 5-ft. square/level of contiguous floor space
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: No

You imagine that the floor is too hot to touch, and it spontaneously becomes true. One 5-ft. square of the ground per thinker level, which must be connected in a single, contiguous region, becomes coated in a thin layer of lava. Flammable objects adjacent to the affected ground are immediately set ablaze. Creatures currently standing in the region must make a Reflex save or touch the lava, immediately taking 10d6 fire damage. On a successful save, the creature immediately moves to the closest available square of solid ground, or flies up and away from the surface if they have a flight speed. Any creature that touches the lava after that point takes 10d6 fire damage (no save). Creatures that fall prone in the region of lava instead take 15d6 fire damage (no save).

The lava is permanent and non-magical, so once it is created, it cannot be dispelled. It acts as lava would be expected to, eventually cooling down and hardening. If there is a lower floor and the thickness of the floor is less than 5 feet, the resulting lava falls to the floor below, dealing 10d6 fire damage to anyone directly below it (a Reflex save allows them to avoid the falling lava and move to the nearest safe square). Creatures on the higher floor that are unable to leave the lava fall to the floor below and take falling damage in addition to fire damage. The lava will burn through multiple floors in this way, one floor per round, until either it reaches a floor more than 5 feet thick or it has burned through 5 floors.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


The Human Condition

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Medium
• Target: One creature
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Spell Resistance: Yes

You hasten the end of a creature, though not by much in the scheme of things. On a failed Fortitude save, the target creature dies instantly. This is a death effect.

If it succeeds on the save, it does not die, but it is left with a vivid reminder of its own mortality. It is subjected to a Crushing Despair (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/crushingDespair.htm) effect with permanent duration and no additional save. It can be cured with Remove Curse or a similar, stronger effect. This effect is a mind-affecting compulsion, though the death effect mentioned above is not.

Augment: For each additional IP spent, the DC of this idea increases by 1.


Transcendance

• Level: Philosopher 6
• Expressing Time: 1 move action
• IP Cost: 1
• Range: Personal
• Target: You
• Duration: 1 round
• Spell Resistance: No

Until the start of your next turn, you are immune to all harmful effects, including damage. Any ongoing effects (such as secondary damage from poison) are temporarily suppressed for you, but return after the duration of this idea expires. No effect (including Extend Idea or simply expressing it multiple times) can cause a creature to be affected by this idea for two consecutive turns.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on June 13, 2020, 04:49:09 PM

It's done! Finally, it's all done!

I've been working on this quietly in the background for a while now, and have overhauled the class features and feats, as well as added descriptions of all the ideas. You don't have to read all of it (honestly, that would be asking a lot), but at least read some of the shortened idea lists in the spoilers at the end of the classes to get a feel for how it all works. I'd love to get as much feedback as possible.

There's a changelog at the bottom of the first post, for those who've read this before and want to skip to what's different.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

Welcome back, TheGeometer! I remember you from this board's 'brewing heyday. Nice to see you around again, and with a big thing like this, to boot!

First off, some analysis of the deck building mechanic. That's the core concept of this project and the big draw, so let's dive into it first.

I can already tell that it's going to be a pain to keep track of at higher levels if you don't use proxy cards. It's easy if everything is a 4-of or a mix of 4-ofs (rank) and 2-ofs (rank + color), but mixing odd numbers around could make it difficult to intuitively keep track of which playing card represents which idea, something very important for speed of play and ease of analysis (ie: figuring out what you can actually do in a turn). Assigning each separate idea to a different card rank is only guaranteed to work up until level 7, at which point you have 15 ideas known, and is guaranteed to fail at level 15, which requires at least 14 different ideas to fill out the deck.

Typically with deck-building card games, a smaller deck is better than a larger one. D&D's closest equivalent to a card-based class, the crusader, was designed with that in mind; whenever its maneuvers readied (deck size) increases, its maneuvers granted (starting hand size) increases equally, leaving the same number of ungranted maneuvers left in the deck, so your odds of getting whichever maneuver you actually want always stay the same or increase, while also keeping a fixed rate of cycling through your deck. The progression used in these classes doesn't respect that concept, so there are several levels where your reliability and consistency actually decrease. For example, at level 1 (3 draws), a deck of 4x idea that does something you want in combat (ex: Corrosive Streak) and 2x Resolve has a 100% chance of drawing at least one combat actions and a 60% chance of drawing 2 combat actions and 1 Resolve for the extra IP to use both in one round (which also guarantees the same draw in the following round). Increasing to level 2 reduces those odds by forcing you to add 2 more cards into your deck. Upping this to 6x idea that does a combat action and 2x Resolve lowers the odds of drawing 2 combat actions and 1 Resolve to 54% while also removing the guarantee that you'll get it on the second draw if you got it on the first. (For reference, a 5-3 split gives the exact same 54% chance of a double idea turn, but gives a 2% chance of failing to draw any combat action ideas.) This happens again at 3rd level. The issue is exacerbated at low levels, both because you're diluting your card pool with equal- or lower-value cards and because you're reducing the control that a large hand size relative to your deck size gives you.

Enlarging your deck can be beneficial under the right circumstances. Roguelike drafting deck builders like Slay The Spire do this by starting your deck with mediocre cards and letting you add better cards to dilute them. The consistency of your deck drops because the inconsistent parts are stronger. You get that effect at higher levels when you start adding higher-level idea cards to your deck. It just doesn't work for the first few levels because you've already selected the strongest combination of 1st-level ideas for your first 6 cards, so anything you add to that is by definition weaker. It also makes the leveling progression feel a bit odd. At higher levels, you add more high-level ideas to your deck than you do low-level ones, so you're still improving the overall card quality and deck power, but since you continue to add more of the weakest ideas, it gives the impression of self-sabotage. Those drafting deck builders typically also periodically allow you to remove some of the weakest cards from your deck to improve consistency.

Also, as a side-note, if you select two unique-tagged ideas as your only ideas for a level (at the levels when you only know 2 ideas of the new idea level), it is literally impossible to build your idea deck. I don't think there are any classes that get 2 unique ideas at the same level, but that might change if you ever expand the system, so it would be a good idea to address it, regardless.

I would suggest looking into altering the deck building progression. The first few levels need adjustment to avoid the unintentional decrease in combat power and consistency. The higher levels don't technically need adjustment, but the bookkeeping may become too difficult for quick play and the continued growth of low-level ideas in the deck feels bad. Some suggestions off the top of my head (some of which are mutually exclusive):
- Replace the current deck limit with a number of different ideas (up to 13) that are allowed to be in your deck. As your level increases, you can select more of the higher-level ideas you know to be in your deck, and possibly also fewer of the low-level ideas. You could possibly also adjust the minimum and maximum number of copies of any idea by level, with each new character level increasing the maximum number of copies for your highest-level.
- Create some 0-level ideas and start at level 1 with a deck mostly composed of 0-level ideas.
- Balloon the deck size to much larger earlier on using more low-level ideas. As levels increase, increase the minimum deck size more slowly, but make room for higher-level idea slots by reducing the minimum number of lower-level ideas.

I'll try to take a look at the classes and ideas later on. I've only done a little skimming so far, so I don't quite have a good sense of the abilities in play and how they mesh yet. I'm a little worried about most everything being usable as a move action, which makes it very easy to combine with other caster classes, possibly too easy. It's something to keep an eye on.

Note: Formula for calculating card draws easily with AnyDice from here (https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/63174/is-it-possible-to-model-this-die-with-anydice).
https://anydice.com/program/1c30d - 3 Resolves, 7 do-a-thing ideas

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: TheGeometer on June 13, 2020, 08:50:04 PM

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

Welcome back, TheGeometer! I remember you from this board's 'brewing heyday. Nice to see you around again, and with a big thing like this, to boot!

Hey Garryl, thanks so much for all the input so quick! :) Sorry that I changed the name of Resolve to Insight just after I posted it (I'd been meaning to make those +IP ideas simpler for a while, but forgot to do it until after it was up). I unwittingly made your excellent analysis more confusing. Anyway, I'll go over your main points.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

Assigning each separate idea to a different card rank is only guaranteed to work up until level 7, at which point you have 15 ideas known, and is guaranteed to fail at level 15, which requires at least 14 different ideas to fill out the deck.

Yeah, I was prepared to have 2 different decks and a lot of bookkeeping, but some of your suggestions (which I'll get to in a sec) seem way better, and now you've got me thinking about other ways to do things.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

Also, as a side-note, if you select two unique-tagged ideas as your only ideas for a level (at the levels when you only know 2 ideas of the new idea level), it is literally impossible to build your idea deck. I don't think there are any classes that get 2 unique ideas at the same level, but that might change if you ever expand the system, so it would be a good idea to address it, regardless.

Gonna address this early so I can address your main comment all at once. Good point, easy fix - "You cannot choose ideas known such that you would be unable to build a deck composition (such as by picking too many [Unique] cards)". Will add.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

It just doesn't work for the first few levels because you've already selected the strongest combination of 1st-level ideas for your first 6 cards, so anything you add to that is by definition weaker. It also makes the leveling progression feel a bit odd. At higher levels, you add more high-level ideas to your deck than you do low-level ones, so you're still improving the overall card quality and deck power, but since you continue to add more of the weakest ideas, it gives the impression of self-sabotage. Those drafting deck builders typically also periodically allow you to remove some of the weakest cards from your deck to improve consistency.

I would suggest looking into altering the deck building progression. The first few levels need adjustment to avoid the unintentional decrease in combat power and consistency. The higher levels don't technically need adjustment, but the bookkeeping may become too difficult for quick play and the continued growth of low-level ideas in the deck feels bad. Some suggestions off the top of my head (some of which are mutually exclusive):
- Replace the current deck limit with a number of different ideas (up to 13) that are allowed to be in your deck. As your level increases, you can select more of the higher-level ideas you know to be in your deck, and possibly also fewer of the low-level ideas. You could possibly also adjust the minimum and maximum number of copies of any idea by level, with each new character level increasing the maximum number of copies for your highest-level.
- Create some 0-level ideas and start at level 1 with a deck mostly composed of 0-level ideas.
- Balloon the deck size to much larger earlier on using more low-level ideas. As levels increase, increase the minimum deck size more slowly, but make room for higher-level idea slots by reducing the minimum number of lower-level ideas.

Okay, a ton of fantastic ideas here. First of all, limiting the deck to 13 ideas and a smaller scale is an elegant fix. However, it clashes with the other thing you suggested that I really want to do - filling the deck with a bunch of 0th-level ideas that you gradually replace as you level. I'll think about this some more and see if I can come up with a way to solve both the progression issues and the bookkeeping issues in one fell swoop.

I should note that (with the exception of levels 1-3, which, yeah, thanks for catching that), every level is an unambiguous improvement over the previous, since the ratio [number of level-X spells] / [number of level-(X-1) spells] never decreases at any level or for any value of X. Every time the deck adds a level-1 idea, it always adds at least one idea of every level above that. So I definitely tried to keep that in mind at least when designing the progression. As you said, though, it doesn't feel like a perfect solution.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 08:00:54 PM

I'll try to take a look at the classes and ideas later on. I've only done a little skimming so far, so I don't quite have a good sense of the abilities in play and how they mesh yet. I'm a little worried about most everything being usable as a move action, which makes it very easy to combine with other caster classes, possibly too easy. It's something to keep an eye on.

The caster thing is a little worrisome, true, but I think it's balanced by the fact that you're losing caster levels, no? (Also yeah, I wanted this system to have prestige class options so I let it count as a casting class, but if I specify that it can't be used for dual-progression PrC's, then that loophole is solved at least). Are you worried about 1-level dips? Because as far as I can tell, a Wizard 5 / Strategist 5, for instance, doesn't seem more powerful than a Wizard 10 or a Strategist 10.

Anyway, thanks again! I'll be brainstorming and looking forward to anything else you find.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: Nanshork on June 13, 2020, 10:00:37 PM

It's been two years, I don't remember what this looked like before.   :P

I just wrote up a review of an entire game system, I'll give this a look-see at a later date when I have some motivation again but I am definitely going to look it over.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 11:37:59 PM

Still reading things, but before I forget, SLAs take the same amount of time as the spell they mimic unless otherwise specified. Strategist's Ward Battlefield incorrectly refutes that. Also, Opening Play still a few refers to Not Playing With A Full Deck, which doesn't exist any more.

Quote from: TheGeometer on June 13, 2020, 08:50:04 PM

Okay, a ton of fantastic ideas here. First of all, limiting the deck to 13 ideas and a smaller scale is an elegant fix. However, it clashes with the other thing you suggested that I really want to do - filling the deck with a bunch of 0th-level ideas that you gradually replace as you level. I'll think about this some more and see if I can come up with a way to solve both the progression issues and the bookkeeping issues in one fell swoop.

I did say they were mutually exclusive.

Quote

The caster thing is a little worrisome, true, but I think it's balanced by the fact that you're losing caster levels, no? (Also yeah, I wanted this system to have prestige class options so I let it count as a casting class, but if I specify that it can't be used for dual-progression PrC's, then that loophole is solved at least). Are you worried about 1-level dips? Because as far as I can tell, a Wizard 5 / Strategist 5, for instance, doesn't seem more powerful than a Wizard 10 or a Strategist 10.

Anyway, thanks again! I'll be brainstorming and looking forward to anything else you find.

It's not casters specifically. Martial adepts are often standard action-focused and multiclass really well. Gestalt is an optional method of character creation for some campaigns worth at least thinking about. Sometimes you have a magic item or a racial ability that's normally just a little subpar but now stacks on top of your casting system. Sometimes it's just a matter of leveraging an action that's balanced as low value a little too well and getting a little too much out of a dorje of Hustle. Nothing that's necessarily game breaking or OP, but something to keep an eye to make sure that it stays that way.

If you wanted to nip any concerns about this in the bud and just not have to worry about it, you could make expressing ideas like performing a full attack, where it's a standard action to express one idea, a full-round action to express two of them, and you can decide which action you're spending after you've expressed the first and are choosing whether or not to express a second.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: TheGeometer on June 14, 2020, 12:54:54 PM

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 11:37:59 PM

Still reading things, but before I forget, SLAs take the same amount of time as the spell they mimic unless otherwise specified. Strategist's Ward Battlefield incorrectly refutes that.

Fixed now, thanks.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 11:37:59 PM

Opening Play still a few refers to Not Playing With A Full Deck, which doesn't exist any more.

Looking at it again, I decided to just take out Opening Play. A 1st-level idea that's still that useful at high levels doesn't mesh well with the rest of the system.

Quote from: Garryl on June 13, 2020, 11:37:59 PM

If you wanted to nip any concerns about this in the bud and just not have to worry about it, you could make expressing ideas like performing a full attack, where it's a standard action to express one idea, a full-round action to express two of them, and you can decide which action you're spending after you've expressed the first and are choosing whether or not to express a second.

Hmm, I see what you're saying. Not gonna lie, my main barrier to implementing this is having to go back and fix every mention of "move action" in dozens of class features and over 100 ideas. :p

Anyway, I've come up with a new deck composition progression that I think fixes a lot of the problems we were talking about yesterday:

	Deck Composition
Level	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1	4	5	—	—	—	—	—
2	3	6	—	—	—	—	—
3	3	7	—	—	—	—	—
4	2	6	3	—	—	—	—
5	2	6	4	—	—	—	—
6	2	6	5	—	—	—	—
7	1	5	5	3	—	—	—
8	1	5	5	4	—	—	—
9	1	5	5	5	—	—	—
10	0	4	5	5	3	—	—
11	0	4	5	5	4	—	—
12	0	4	5	5	5	—	—
13	0	3	4	5	5	3	—
14	0	3	4	5	5	4	—
15	0	3	4	5	5	5	—
16	0	2	3	4	5	5	3
17	0	2	3	4	5	5	4
18	0	2	3	4	5	5	5
19	0	2	3	4	5	5	5
20	0	2	3	4	5	5	6

Not only does this deck cut off at 25 total cards rather than 60, which is just plain easier to manage, but it also increases at a rate as close to linear as is possible. I'm very happy with how it balances early levels and how it scales with hand size (the deck always takes about 3 turns before it refreshes, which is a good number; often enough that cycling through the deck is meaningful, without the same combinations of cards appearing over and over). Lower level ideas also now begin to leave the deck, which might be good for progression, but also might not be balanced. A more steady option is this one:

	Deck Composition
Level	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1	5	4	—	—	—	—	—
2	5	5	—	—	—	—	—
3	5	6	—	—	—	—	—
4	4	6	2	—	—	—	—
5	4	6	3	—	—	—	—
6	4	6	4	—	—	—	—
7	3	6	4	2	—	—	—
8	3	6	4	3	—	—	—
9	3	6	4	4	—	—	—
10	2	6	4	4	2	—	—
11	2	6	4	4	3	—	—
12	2	6	4	4	4	—	—
13	1	6	4	4	4	2	—
14	1	6	4	4	4	3	—
15	1	6	4	4	4	4	—
16	0	6	4	4	4	4	2
17	0	6	4	4	4	4	3
18	0	6	4	4	4	4	4
19	0	6	4	4	4	4	5
20	0	6	4	4	4	4	6

This one also grows smoothly, by 1 every level in fact, and it doesn't involve removing anything from the deck other than 0th-level ideas, which seems convenient. I'm not sure whether I want the highest-level idea to start at 2 per deck or 3. Keeping in mind that there are ~3 hands in every deck, maybe 2 in the whole deck would be better - I don't want the character shooting off their most powerful effect every turn, just as a caster who reaches a new spell level won't be able to use their most powerful spell all the time. 2/3 of the time on average seems closer to that.

Thoughts?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (COMPLETE!)
Post by: Garryl on June 20, 2020, 01:54:36 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on June 14, 2020, 12:54:54 PM

Decks

I'm slightly inclined towards the first of those two. The numbers look more visually pleasing, whereas the all 4s except 6 1sts and 6 6ths at max level part of the second strikes me as a little jarring.

Quote from: TheGeometer on June 14, 2020, 12:54:54 PM

Keeping in mind that there are ~3 hands in every deck, maybe 2 in the whole deck would be better - I don't want the character shooting off their most powerful effect every turn, just as a caster who reaches a new spell level won't be able to use their most powerful spell all the time. 2/3 of the time on average seems closer to that.

On that note, I'd like to touch on the maximum copies of any given card. With the reduced deck size, you'll probably want to drop it down to 2 or 3 copies maximum. This is both to keep variance and to encourage/enforce the use of multiple ideas at any given level.

Gwent is an interesting game to compare with this system in regards to deckbuilding. It has 25-card decks with a mix of bronze (2-of, weaker) and gold (1-of, stronger) cards. Between the core mechanics and card draw/deck thinning effects, you can expect to go through 75-90% of your deck in each match. Its previous iteration allowed for 3 of each bronze card and had a third level (silver, 1-of) in between bronze and gold, with fixed numbers of each category allowed in your 25-card deck instead of a total overall value of cards. It's got a certain similarity to your system with its fixed number of cards of specific levels.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (WIP again)
Post by: TheGeometer on June 23, 2020, 06:15:33 PM

Thank you for all your suggestions! I made a few big changes, mainly an overhaul of the deck composition progression (currently updated only for the Creative). Ideas are now limited to at most 2 copies, keyed to black suits or red suits.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me updating the ideas and feats to balance them around the new changes. And also just to balance them, period; I had a friend look at the idea descriptions and a ton of them are way more powerful than they should be. That's my bad.

For now, "(COMPLETE!)" has been removed from the title. That was fun while it lasted. :p

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (WIP again)
Post by: Nanshork on June 24, 2020, 11:16:35 AM

You two done overhauling everything so I can start my review?  :P

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (WIP again)
Post by: TheGeometer on June 25, 2020, 10:37:24 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on June 24, 2020, 11:16:35 AM

You two done overhauling everything so I can start my review?  :P

Haha, as of this moment I am, or close enough. The mechanics, classes, and feats are all updated now. The idea descriptions aren't as finalized, but the damaging ones at least are well-balanced as far as I can tell. I also added a second changelog since this became a WIP again, if that helps.

Please, review to your heart's content! Any feedback is appreciated.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (WIP again)
Post by: Garryl on June 26, 2020, 04:20:58 AM

Quote from: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:27:14 PM

Thought Magic

I'm making a proper pass through the core mechanics now (as opposed to the quick skim from before).

Quote

Ideas as Cards

Nothing much to say here. I don't expect all that much more will change here (aside from clarifications) unless the core mechanics need another overhaul.

Quote

Expressing Ideas

There's a timing mismatch for IP here. You get a new hand of cards at the end of your turn (which matches the timing of when immediate actions start applying to the following turn's action economy), but you get your 1 IP at the beginning of your turn. Does that mean that if you want to express any immediate action ideas, you need to generate IP for them in your previous turn and carry it over, despite the fact that you don't know what ideas you'll have, if any?

You may wish to clarify that IP from previous turns doesn't carry over into following turns. It sounds like that's the intent by "starts each turn with 1 IP", but it would be nice to have it explicitly stated so you don't have to parse the implications of that sentence to find out.

Can thinking classes be progressed by arcane- and divine-spellcasting advancing PrCs, or just the ones that allow for any spellcasting class to be advanced? You've indicated that though magic meets arcane- and divine-specific prerequisites, despite being neither, but not whether the classes themselves can be advanced as such.

Quote

Ideas Outside Combat

I'd remove the part about losing the ability to express ideas without daily rest. Leave the rest requirement in for changing your deck and refreshing daily IP, sure, but it's unnecessarily punishing in some circumstances. Spellcasters don't lose their unused spells if they can't rest, they just don't get to replenish the ones they've used.

Daily IP is weird. You get very little of it, but there's also no need for it, since you still have your base 1 IP per turn outside of combat and by the time you can spend more than 1 IP per idea, you should have at least one idea that generates 2+ IP. I get the impression that this isn't the intent, though, that you aren't supposed to get that 1 IP/round outside of an encounter.

Outside of combat, I wouldn't bar the use of deck- and hand-modifying ideas, just state that those parts have no effects. There are a few ideas with deck- and hand-modifying rider effects.

I don't think you intended to have the free 1 IP/turn apply outside of battle, but if you do keep it or a mechanic like it, make sure it's structured such that players don't feel compelled to constantly refresh their short-duration buffs out of battle, either through a complete lack of free-use buffs that last more than 1 round or through some mechanism that inhibits that play pattern (ex: expressing a combat idea out of combat dismisses all previous combat ideas still ongoing) and/or obviates the need for it (ex: you can maintain 1/2/3 combat ideas out of combat, their durations remaining at maximum as long as their effects/targets remain nearby).

Quote

Encounters

I'm not a huge fan of this section. All three things here (locking the deck at the 10 round mark, ending effects 1 minute after combat ends, and penalizing avoiding combat) feel arbitrary. I understand the intent behind them, but they just leave a bad feeling.

If you want to curb the power of a thinned deck in excessively long encounters, perhaps some sort of deck reset mechanism instead, where under some conditions retired ideas as reshuffled into the deck (ex: move it to the discard pile after 1 minute or 5 deck shuffles or something)?

If you want to keep players from picking fights with rats so that they can buff up, don't make long-duration buff effects as ideas. You may wish to separate long-term effects (minutes/level duration and longer) from more immediate in-combat effects. Say, for example, you could have your basic in combat ideas with instantaneous and short durations (I'm inclined towards fixed durations of 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 rounds rather than 1 round/level, personally), but some of them also have "grand vision" effects that allow them to produce long-term effects when you spend daily IP (rename to "Grand Vision Points" or something), which would also let you cut down on some of the arbitrary distinctions between in-combat and out-of-combat expressing.

I don't see the need to penalize players for taking the time to thin their deck and prebuff if they know an encounter is coming up but haven't actually engaged. That's just the standard benefits of preparation for an immediate upcoming encounter, like spellcasters unloading all their round/level buffs. You also don't want to encourage DMs to penalize players for avoiding combat legitimately, such as during stealth encounters or when attempting to retreat or flee.

Quote

Multiclassing

Multiclassing is a major nerf to a character, even without the lost thinker progression. You pad your deck with lots of lower-level ideas just by taking a single level of another thinker class. I'd just have each thinker progression give you a completely separate deck, rather than merging them all together, and have any deck manipulation from an idea associated with a deck only apply to that deck (ex: expressing Being Meta drawn from your Creative deck would only let you search your Creative discard pile). Hand size would either be separate for each class (ex: Creative 9/Strategist 4 draws 5 from Creative and 3 from Strategist decks each turn) or stacks class levels and lets you divide your draws between decks as you see fit (ex: Creative 9/Strategist 4 draws total 6 cards per turn divided as they choose between the two decks).

Quote

Changelog

I like change logs.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats] (WIP again)
Post by: TheGeometer on June 26, 2020, 09:33:41 AM

Quote from: Garryl on June 26, 2020, 04:20:58 AM

Quote from: TheGeometer on November 04, 2018, 07:27:14 PM

Thought Magic

I'm making a proper pass through the core mechanics now (as opposed to the quick skim from before).

Alright, this is awesome! Thanks so much!

Quote

You may wish to clarify that IP from previous turns doesn't carry over into following turns. It sounds like that's the intent by "starts each turn with 1 IP", but it would be nice to have it explicitly stated so you don't have to parse the implications of that sentence to find out.

Yeah, I'll fix that. IP doesn't carry over.

Quote

Can thinking classes be progressed by arcane- and divine-spellcasting advancing PrCs, or just the ones that allow for any spellcasting class to be advanced? You've indicated that though magic meets arcane- and divine-specific prerequisites, despite being neither, but not whether the classes themselves can be advanced as such.

Alright, I'll specify. Yes, it's any type of spellcasting.

Quote

Daily IP is weird. You get very little of it, but there's also no need for it, since you still have your base 1 IP per turn outside of combat and by the time you can spend more than 1 IP per idea, you should have at least one idea that generates 2+ IP. I get the impression that this isn't the intent, though, that you aren't supposed to get that 1 IP/round outside of an encounter.

Oh man, yeah, that's not the intent. 1 IP/round is supposed to be strictly a combat thing. There are all kinds of ideas that you really don't want people to have at will outside of combat (the Philosopher basically gets Polymorph, for starters). Will fix.

Quote

Outside of combat, I wouldn't bar the use of deck- and hand-modifying ideas, just state that those parts have no effects. There are a few ideas with deck- and hand-modifying rider effects.

Makes sense.

Quote

Quote

Encounters

I'm not a huge fan of this section. All three things here (locking the deck at the 10 round mark, ending effects 1 minute after combat ends, and penalizing avoiding combat) feel arbitrary. I understand the intent behind them, but they just leave a bad feeling.

Oh boy. This part. I have to say, there are no good answers here. Cards that modify the structure of the deck are an interesting mechanic that I definitely want to have, but the moment an encounter becomes non-standard, it just breaks. A combat with dozens of rounds of trench warfare, or a stealth encounter where you're picking off enemies one by one, or really any situation where you have long periods of time to improve your deck. Here, I'll respond point-for-point.

Quote

If you want to curb the power of a thinned deck in excessively long encounters, perhaps some sort of deck reset mechanism instead, where under some conditions retired ideas as reshuffled into the deck (ex: move it to the discard pile after 1 minute or 5 deck shuffles or something)?

That doesn't feel less arbitrary to me, and it breaks things way more when you consider ideas like Mindscythe. In a long combat, you could rip up all of your high-level ideas constantly, knowing they'll regenerate before long. Plus, it would feel really unfair to have the deck reset and become much weaker in the middle of an important fight. Like I said, no good answers, but I think the one I picked is the least not-good answer.

Quote

If you want to keep players from picking fights with rats so that they can buff up, don't make long-duration buff effects as ideas. You may wish to separate long-term effects (minutes/level duration and longer) from more immediate in-combat effects. Say, for example, you could have your basic in combat ideas with instantaneous and short durations (I'm inclined towards fixed durations of 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 rounds rather than 1 round/level, personally), but some of them also have "grand vision" effects that allow them to produce long-term effects when you spend daily IP (rename to "Grand Vision Points" or something), which would also let you cut down on some of the arbitrary distinctions between in-combat and out-of-combat expressing.

I don't necessarily have a problem with long-duration effects though, I just don't want them to be abused with the rat-fighting you mentioned. And players will definitely want to cast some of the combat effects out of combat, like illusions to distract guards or summons to trigger traps, or stuff like that.

Quote

I don't see the need to penalize players for taking the time to thin their deck and prebuff if they know an encounter is coming up but haven't actually engaged. That's just the standard benefits of preparation for an immediate upcoming encounter, like spellcasters unloading all their round/level buffs. You also don't want to encourage DMs to penalize players for avoiding combat legitimately, such as during stealth encounters or when attempting to retreat or flee.

The problem is that the ratio between a buffed and unbuffed wizard's power is a lot closer to 1 than a Creative's. No amount of pre-buffing will give a wizard more high-level slots, more metamagic uses, and a significantly higher CL, but thinker classes can effectively get that stuff given enough time to pare down the deck. I could set a minimum size that the deck can reach, but there's no good way to balance that - I want the benefits of resizing the deck mid-combat to be significant, without that benefit being too significant if done ahead of time.

I don't like having any of these rules. I just don't want players to abuse the system. I don't want to reward players (or bad DMs) for having their thinker characters do obnoxious strategies like staying invisible for the first minute of the encounter while they summon monsters just often enough to keep the combat going. This is the problem I really want a good solution to. If you come up with anything that can balance this for all these fringe cases, please let me know - I'm not happy with anything I've come up with so far.

Quote

Multiclassing is a major nerf to a character, even without the lost thinker progression. You pad your deck with lots of lower-level ideas just by taking a single level of another thinker class. I'd just have each thinker progression give you a completely separate deck, rather than merging them all together

I dunno, dealing with multiple decks seems really annoying. What if I still mixed the decks, but added 1 to the hand size per additional thinker class? That makes it easier to shift through all the 0th-level garbage. I'm not sure if that's enough to balance it, I'd have to look at specific cases. Of course, I don't want Creative 5 / Philosopher 5 to be as good as Creative 10, but you're right that the penalty for multiclassing seems excessive at the moment.

Quote

I like change logs.

Keep an eye on the second one. I keep finding dumb things I need to fix.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on June 28, 2020, 09:45:17 AM

Okay, sorry for the double-post, but I came up with a solution that avoids the convoluted mess of encounter rules and out-of-combat expressing rules and daily IP and stuff. Basically, I made a mechanic called "idle thinking," as opposed to regular expressing, which I called "intense thinking", and made both of them limited per day. I updated the first post of the thread with the new mechanics (as well as making the classes and feats match it). Let me know if you see any ways to break it.

Also, the idea overhaul is now done. Some of them might not be balanced in periods of idle thought, but I'm hoping to fix that on a case-by-case basis. Other than that, everything should be balanced now, and if it isn't, please tell me. Thanks! :)

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on June 28, 2020, 10:08:55 PM

And you told me that you were done overhauling.   :P

I'll give Garryl a chance to give more feedback before I start reviewing.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Garryl on June 28, 2020, 10:15:24 PM

Don't wait for me. I don't have a ton of time or energy for homebrew reviewing, so I'm going through this very slowly. If you wait for my back-and-forth with TheGeometer to finish before you start, you're going to wait for a while.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on June 29, 2020, 08:01:22 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on June 28, 2020, 10:08:55 PM

And you told me that you were done overhauling.   :P

Now I'm actually done overhauling. For real this time. Really.

In all seriousness, the only hurdle I still needed to overcome was the question of how to make this system mostly at-will in combat and limited outside of it, especially in campaigns where the line between combat and not-combat is blurry. I had a hodgepodge of rules, but now I think I fixed it. Unless someone finds a glaring flaw in the current mechanics or suggests a better way to do it, I don't plan on overhauling anything else. You're free to look over it.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on July 06, 2020, 03:59:07 PM

Okay, I'll start with the basic rules of Thought Magic.

Why do uses for idle thinking scale and intense thinking don't?

Idle vs intense feels clunky but it works.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on July 06, 2020, 05:12:59 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on July 06, 2020, 03:59:07 PM

Why do uses for idle thinking scale and intense thinking don't?

Intense thinking is intended for encounters, while idle is intended for out-of-combat casting. I don't want any poor DM to wait for a player to shuffle their deck over and over until they can express a buff with Extend Idea or whatever. That's mainly what I'm concerned will happen if I give the player too many periods of intense thinking.

So yeah, it's mostly because the number of encounters you get in a day doesn't seem to change much as you level.

Actually, what if I just give the player a set amount of periods of idle thinking (like 3 + hand size + 1/2 modifier), and then make it so that intense thinking counts as 2 periods of idle thinking? That way, the scaling doesn't seem as weird, and your magical options don't go unused in days with less than 3 encounters. I feel like that would also incentivize players not to needlessly enter periods of intense thinking, since it's generally better to save it for utility unless you're in combat.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on July 06, 2020, 08:55:44 PM

Given that the average number of encounters per day is recommended to be 4, 3 feels like a weird place to be.

Having everything come out of the same pool would simplify things, I like it.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on July 07, 2020, 06:53:08 PM

Okay, idle and intense thinking per day have been changed to pull from a single pool of daily uses. Thanks!

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on July 10, 2020, 01:21:11 PM

On to The Creative.

Why isn't Sense Motive on the skill list?  It gets Bluff and Diplomacy.

What happens if your imaginary friend dies?  Can you choose to have it not progress (for example, if it being huge or garguantuan would make it useless because you spend all of your time inside)?

I'm not a big fan of Masterpiece.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on July 11, 2020, 07:23:14 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on July 10, 2020, 01:21:11 PM

On to The Creative.

Why isn't Sense Motive on the skill list?  It gets Bluff and Diplomacy.

Fair enough. Fixed.

Quote

What happens if your imaginary friend dies?  Can you choose to have it not progress (for example, if it being huge or garguantuan would make it useless because you spend all of your time inside)?

I actually addressed both of those questions, though I don't blame you for missing them in the wall of text:

Quote from: TheGeometer

Whenever the Creative has the ability to gain a new friend, she may select either the form made available to her most recently or any of the forms detailed at lower levels. A new imaginary friend can be created either when an old one dies or when the Creative dismisses it (a free action), but either way, the process requires 24 uninterrupted hours of concentration.

Quote

I'm not a big fan of Masterpiece.

Alright, fine, I can take a hint. My track record is 3/3 reviewers not liking Masterpiece. I figured WBL is a cool thing to tinker with that not many classes address, but I guess it runs into too many issues. I swapped it out with a new class feature called Worldbuilding. Let me know what you think. I figured the demiplane could make a good setting for someone who wanted to run with that, and I don't think it's too broken at that level assuming I didn't miss an obvious loophole.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on July 11, 2020, 07:37:47 PM

Quote

Creatures from her world that are brought outside the plane die within 1 minute.

How does the Creative and their party not die after a minute?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on July 11, 2020, 07:42:50 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on July 11, 2020, 07:37:47 PM

Quote

Creatures from her world that are brought outside the plane die within 1 minute.

How does the Creative and their party not die after a minute?

Good catch. I meant creatures native to the plane. Fixed now.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on July 11, 2020, 08:02:52 PM

Ahh, that makes way more sense.

Other than this being the only written rules I've seen that attempt to codify an actual viable ecosystem I think it looks better than Masterpiece.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on July 31, 2020, 07:10:18 PM

Are people still reviewing this? Because from a balance perspective, I'm most concerned about the ideas, and nobody seems to have read that far yet

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 01, 2020, 08:47:00 PM

You never responded and I forgot about it.   :lmao

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 02, 2020, 09:25:25 AM

I just figured we were done with the Creative, so we were going to move onto the next thing

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 02, 2020, 07:24:43 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on August 02, 2020, 09:25:25 AM

I just figured we were done with the Creative, so we were going to move onto the next thing

I was done with the creative, you're right there.  However, I check all threads with new posts and forget about things I posted unless I am reminded that I wasn't done yet.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 05, 2020, 07:20:29 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 02, 2020, 07:24:43 PM

I check all threads with new posts and forget about things I posted unless I am reminded that I wasn't done yet.

Okay, well, don't reply to this until you have suggestions on the homebrew, then :p

...also, I hope I don't sound ungrateful. I really appreciate anyone willing to wade through all that text just to help me out. In case I haven't said it already, thanks so much!

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 07, 2020, 10:42:21 AM

No worries, everything is fine.

On to the Philosopher!

Well, the capstone ability ends up being unlimited WBL.  That could be an issue.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 07, 2020, 04:22:45 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 07, 2020, 10:42:21 AM

Well, the capstone ability ends up being unlimited WBL.  That could be an issue.

Fixed. Specified that you can't sell it. I guess you could rules-lawyer it and find other ways to make a profit from the stones, but honestly, if your DM is that willing to let your 20th-level character get away with stuff, you're gonna break the game anyway. It's only a matter of time.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 07, 2020, 07:45:45 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on August 07, 2020, 04:22:45 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 07, 2020, 10:42:21 AM

Well, the capstone ability ends up being unlimited WBL.  That could be an issue.

Fixed. Specified that you can't sell it. I guess you could rules-lawyer it and find other ways to make a profit from the stones, but honestly, if your DM is that willing to let your 20th-level character get away with stuff, you're gonna break the game anyway. It's only a matter of time.

I wasn't even thinking about selling it.  I was thinking about how the basic features of the Philospher's Stone involve turning cheap metals into valuable ones.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 08, 2020, 05:13:39 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 07, 2020, 07:45:45 PM

I wasn't even thinking about selling it.  I was thinking about how the basic features of the Philospher's Stone involve turning cheap metals into valuable ones.

Oh yeah, duh, I forgot the whole point is the stone turns lead into gold. Uh, alright, I changed it so now only 1 stone can be created per month. 1000 lbs of gold is, what, 100,000 gp? Getting 20% of your WBL once per month doesn't seem super broken, I think.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 08, 2020, 01:19:09 PM

Once a month works and is in line with a Pathfinder equivalent capstone (not that you care about balancing against pathfinder. :p).

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 08, 2020, 07:39:24 PM

Groovy. On to the Strategist!

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 08, 2020, 10:16:23 PM

Strategist!

Siege Engines.  Huh.

There's nothing wrong with the class, but it just feels meh to me.  I have no explanation off-hand.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 11, 2020, 05:20:39 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 08, 2020, 10:16:23 PM

Siege Engines.  Huh.

There's nothing wrong with the class, but it just feels meh to me.  I have no explanation off-hand.

You know, I feel the same way. I think it's a holdover from when the Strategist ideas were way more powerful than the Creative and Philosopher. I guess I thought that the Strategist shouldn't get anything too powerful while its already so far ahead. But I've since nerfed a lot of the Strategist's main arsenal and given the other 2 classes plenty to work with, and besides, I agree. Why siege engines? It seems much more fitting for a more warfare-oriented prestige class than a base class, especially since literally none of the Strategist's ideas reference siege engines. Int to saves is boring filler, and of all the class features, only Tried and True had anything to do with idea magic at all. It was indeed all very meh. It was generic and forgettable.

So... (don't be mad)... I overhauled it. I can kick the habit I swear. I can stop overhauling any time I want!

But, uh, yeah, basically all the class features are different now. Mind taking another look?

(click to show/hide)

Table: The Strategist				HD: d6
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5	Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special                                  Tried and True Battle-Ready Know Thine Enemy Selective Idea 1/day — Tried and True Idea of Opportunity 1/day Superior Tactics — Element of Surprise Tried and True Selective Idea 2/day — Up My Sleeve Idea of Opportunity 2/day Tried and True — Saw it Coming Battlefield Control Selective Idea (unlimited)	Hand Size 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7	IP / Idea Limit 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5	Deck Composition   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 5 4 — — — — — 4 5 — — — — — 4 6 — — — — — 3 6 2 — — — — 3 6 3 — — — — 3 6 4 — — — — 2 5 5 2 — — — 2 5 5 3 — — — 2 5 5 4 — — — 1 4 5 5 2 — — 1 4 5 5 3 — — 1 4 5 5 4 — — 0 3 4 5 5 2 — 0 3 4 5 5 3 — 0 3 4 5 5 4 — 0 2 3 4 5 5 2 0 2 3 4 5 5 3 0 2 3 4 5 5 4 0 2 3 4 5 5 5 0 2 3 4 5 5 6	Ideas Known   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 6 3 — — — — — 6 4 — — — — — 6 5 — — — — — 6 5 2 — — — — 6 6 2 — — — — 6 6 3 — — — — 6 6 3 2 — — — 6 6 4 2 — — — 6 6 4 3 — — — 6 6 5 3 2 — — 6 6 5 4 2 — — 6 6 6 4 3 — — 6 6 6 5 3 2 — 6 6 6 5 4 2 — 6 6 6 6 4 3 — 6 6 6 6 5 3 2 6 6 6 6 5 4 2 6 6 6 6 6 4 3 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 6 6 6 6 6 5 4

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Strategists are proficient with simple weapons, with the longsword, warhammer, longbow, and net, and with light and medium armor and shields.

Ideas: The Strategist begins play knowing 6 0th-level ideas and 3 1st-level ideas. At every subsequent level, the Strategist learns one or more new ideas as given in the Ideas Known section of the table above, and can use between 0 and 2 of each to create the deck composition that corresponds to her level (also given above). She may choose lower-level ideas whenever she would be allowed higher-level ones, both when learning new ideas known and when building her deck. At 4th level and every 4 levels afterward, she may exchange one idea known for another idea of her choice of that level or lower. The DC for her ideas is 10 + the idea's level + her Intelligence modifier.

Tried and True: While the Strategist generally likes to adapt to the circumstances of each battle, some techniques work too well not to keep up her sleeves for every occasion. At 1st level and every 5 levels afterward, she selects a non-unique idea on her list of ideas known (which may be one that she already chose for this feature). Once per day per time chosen, she may treat an idea in her hand of equal or greater level as that idea.

Battle-Ready: The 2nd-level Strategist understands the importance of attacking first. Once per day when she rolls initiative, she can roll twice and take the better of the two rolls. She may look at the result of the first roll before deciding whether to use this ability.

Know Thine Enemy: At 3rd level, the Strategist gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge checks made to identify enemy monsters and Spellcraft checks made to identify enemy spells and spell-like effects.

Selective Idea: At level 4, the Strategist learns how to wield her dangerous area-of-effect ideas against her enemies without putting her allies in harm's way. Once per day, she can express an idea that affects an area as a Selective Idea, which does not harm the Strategist's allies. Allies in the effect are not impeded in any way; they do not take damage, they do not need to save against harmful effects, and their movement and visibility are unaffected.  The Strategist gains an additional use per day of this ability at level 12, and at level 20, she may make any of her ideas selective without limit.

Idea of Opportunity: The 7th-level Strategist is cunning enough to take advantage of an enemy's misstep and unleash a barrage of thought magic when they are least prepared for it. Once per day, as an attack of opportunity, she can express a harmful idea from her hand, as long as the provoking enemy is one of the targets of the idea or within its area of effect. She may pay any amount of IP to augment it (not to exceed her IP per idea limit, even if the expressed idea is normally unconstrained by this limit, like Mindcannon). On subsequent turns, she must lose IP equal to the amount that she spent. Until she has paid for the entire IP cost of her attack of opportunity, she may not express any other ideas, unless those ideas have no effect other than to generate more IP (such as Insight).

At level 15, her number of uses of this ability per day increases to 2. Even if she has the Combat Reflexes feat, she cannot use this ability multiple times between two of her consecutive turns - she must pay back the IP spent on the first idea before she can express another one, whether or not the second idea is an Idea of Opportunity.

Superior Tactics: By level 8, the Strategist is a master tactician, choreographing her allies' positions to devastating effect. All allies within 60 feet of the Strategist (including the Strategist herself) gain an additional +2 to melee attack rolls when flanking (for a total of +4). In addition, enemies within this range gain no bonuses from flanking (though flanked allies may still be vulnerable to Sneak Attacks).

Element of Surprise: The 10th-level Strategist knows how best to seize the advantage of striking first. Whenever she is able to act in the surprise round, she may take any actions that would be available to her in a normal round (normally, a character acting in a surprise round is restricted to a single move or standard action).

Up My Sleeve: At level 14, the Strategist learns to keep an idea hidden away and wait for the perfect moment. She may remove one idea from her deck. At any time during a period of intense thinking, she may add that idea to her hand. This is only usable once during that period of thought, after which the idea is discarded like the rest of the cards she plays or leaves in her hand at the end of her turn. She may choose a new idea to hide away immediately after forming her deck composition for the day, or after a period of intense thinking ends. She cannot have more than one idea hidden away at any given time.

Saw it Coming: By level 18, the Strategist knows every trick in the book; nothing surprises her anymore. She always acts during the surprise round, rolling initiative as normal, even if only the enemy side has the surprise advantage. This does not necessarily guarantee that she will be able to accomplish anything; for instance, if someone sneaks up on her while she is sleeping, if she wins initiative before the attack and does not manage to awaken, she will spend that round continuing to sleep. However, if the enemy wins initiative and attacks her, then assuming she survives, she would wake up and be able to counterattack within that surprise round.

Battlefield Control: The level-19 Strategist reaches the pinnacle of battlefield control by literally controlling the battlefield. Once per 3 days, she can warp all her surroundings within a 1000-foot radius centered within Medium range. Within an urban environment, this supernatural effect acts as the spell Animate City (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/races-of-destiny--81/animate-city--3049/index.html), while in nature, it acts as Shadow Landscape (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/dndtools/spells/spell-compendium--86/shadow-landscape--4145/) (though without being able to designate shadow guardians). If the latter effect takes place, roll immediately to change the weather. Either way, the duration of the effect is 10 minutes per class level. These changes to the surrounding area do not affect the Strategist or her allies, as though the land itself were on her side. Entangling plants, rampaging buildings, and harsh storms seem to deliberately avoid allied creatures and focus their wrath on enemies. Unforgiving slopes and quicksand, likewise, do not impose any movement penalties on the Strategist or her allies. The DC of this ability, where applicable, is 20 + the Strategist's Intelligence modifier.

(click to show/hide)

Table: The Strategist				HD: d6
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Base Attack Bonus +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6/+1 +6/+1 +7/+2 +8/+3 +9/+4 +9/+4 +10/+5 +11/+6/+1 +12/+7/+2 +12/+7/+2 +13/+8/+3 +14/+9/+4 +15/+10/+5	Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6	Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12	Special                                  Tried and True Battle Clarity Know Thine Enemy Element of Surprise — Tried and True Siege Engine Experience Cunning Tenacity — Terrain Advantage Tried and True Siege Engine Mastery — Mental Temerity Tactical Advantage Tried and True — Saw it Coming Ward Battlefield Siegebreaker	Hand Size 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7	IP / Idea Limit 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5	Deck Composition   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 5 4 — — — — — 4 5 — — — — — 4 6 — — — — — 3 6 2 — — — — 3 6 3 — — — — 3 6 4 — — — — 2 5 5 2 — — — 2 5 5 3 — — — 2 5 5 4 — — — 1 4 5 5 2 — — 1 4 5 5 3 — — 1 4 5 5 4 — — 0 3 4 5 5 2 — 0 3 4 5 5 3 — 0 3 4 5 5 4 — 0 2 3 4 5 5 2 0 2 3 4 5 5 3 0 2 3 4 5 5 4 0 2 3 4 5 5 5 0 2 3 4 5 5 6	Ideas Known   0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 6 3 — — — — — 6 4 — — — — — 6 5 — — — — — 6 5 2 — — — — 6 6 2 — — — — 6 6 3 — — — — 6 6 3 2 — — — 6 6 4 2 — — — 6 6 4 3 — — — 6 6 5 3 2 — — 6 6 5 4 2 — — 6 6 6 4 3 — — 6 6 6 5 3 2 — 6 6 6 5 4 2 — 6 6 6 6 4 3 — 6 6 6 6 5 3 2 6 6 6 6 5 4 2 6 6 6 6 6 4 3 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 6 6 6 6 6 5 4

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Strategists are proficient with simple weapons, with the longsword, warhammer, longbow, and net, and with light and medium armor and shields.

Ideas: The Strategist begins play knowing 6 0th-level ideas and 3 1st-level ideas. At every subsequent level, the Strategist learns one or more new ideas as given in the Ideas Known section of the table above, and can use between 0 and 2 of each to create the deck composition that corresponds to her level (also given above). She may choose lower-level ideas whenever she would be allowed higher-level ones, both when learning new ideas known and when building her deck. At 4th level and every 4 levels afterward, she may exchange one idea known for another idea of her choice of that level or lower. The DC for her ideas is 10 + the idea's level + her Intelligence modifier.

Tried and True: While the Strategist generally likes to adapt to the circumstances of each battle, some techniques work too well not to keep up her sleeves for every occasion. At 1st level and every 5 levels afterward, she selects a non-unique idea on her list of ideas known (which may be one that she already chose for this feature). Once per day per time chosen, she may treat an idea in her hand of equal or greater level as that idea.

Battle Clarity: The 2nd-level Strategist can use her wits to keep herself out of danger. She adds her Intelligence modifier or her class level, whichever is lower, to her Reflex saves.

Know Thine Enemy: At 3rd level, the Strategist gains a +2 bonus to Knowledge checks made to identify enemy monsters and Spellcraft checks made to identify enemy spells and spell-like effects.

Element of Surprise: The 4th-level Strategist knows how best to seize the advantage of striking first. Whenever she is able to act in the surprise round, she may take any actions that would be available to her in a normal round (normally, a character acting in a surprise round is restricted to a single move or standard action).

Siege Engine Experience: Siege Engines are a vital component of many armies, and so the Strategist familiarizes herself with them in order to better incorporate them into her battle plans. She gains Siege Engine Experience (described below) as a bonus feat at level 7, even if she does not meet the prerequisites. If she already has the feat, she can take any other feat for which she meets the prerequisites instead.

Cunning Tenacity: At level 8, the Strategist's understanding of battlefield dangers like poison and death effects helps her body physically withstand them better. She adds her Intelligence modifier or her class level, whichever is lower, to Fortitude saves.

Terrain Advantage: The 10th-level Strategist knows how to make the most out of whatever cover is available. She gains +2 to AC and Reflex saves while behind cover (for a total of +6 to AC and +4 to Reflex saves due to cover). The feat Precise Shot only negates 4 points of the AC bonus, not the remaining +2.

In addition, the Strategist is treated as having cover as long as there is a square adjacent to her in which she would normally be considered to have cover. Thus, for instance, a Strategist standing west of a 5-by-5-foot boulder would count as having cover from a far-off archer to the north, since she is within 5 feet of the space just south of the boulder from which the archer's shot is obstructed.

Siege Engine Mastery: At level 12, the Strategist gains Siege Engine Mastery (described below) as a bonus feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites. If she already has the feat, she may take any other feat for which she meets the prerequisites instead.

Mental Temerity: The 14th-level Strategist's intelligence provides her with resolve in the face of mental attacks. She adds her Intelligence modifier or her class level, whichever is lower, to Will saves.

Tactical Advantage: The 15th-level Strategist is a master tactician, choreographing her allies' movements to devastating effect. All allies within 60 feet of the Strategist (including the Strategist herself) gain an additional +2 to melee attack rolls when flanking (for a total of +4). In addition, allies within this range do not provoke attacks of opportunity when moving out of threatened spaces.

Saw it Coming: By level 18, the Strategist knows every trick in the book; nothing surprises her anymore. She always acts during the surprise round, rolling initiative as normal, even if only the enemy side has the surprise advantage. This does not necessarily guarantee that she will be able to accomplish anything; for instance, if someone sneaks up on her while she is sleeping, if she wins initiative before the attack and does not manage to awaken, she will spend that round continuing to sleep. However, if the enemy wins initiative and attacks her, then assuming she survives, she would wake up and be able to counterattack within that surprise round.

Ward Battlefield: The level-19 Strategist can instantly imagine magical defenses into being in order to hold their position. Once per day as a standard action, she may produce the effects of a Guards and Wards (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/guardsAndWards.htm) spell cast at her expresser level as a spell-like ability. However, this version of the spell is less strict when it comes to where the aspects of the spell can be placed. The fog, Web, Dancing Lights, Gust of Wind, Magic Mouth, Suggestion, and Stinking Cloud effects can be placed anywhere, not just in corridors, though no square can contain more than two of these effects in it. In addition, the confusion effect can be placed on any intersection, not necessarily indoors (though the paths must be clearly delineated, such as a fork in a road; a tree that can be passed either to the right or to the left is not a sufficiently universal intersection). The DC for any effect produced by this class feature is 16 + the Strategist's Intelligence modifier.

Siegebreaker: At level 20, the Strategist learns of a powerful technique capable of changing the tide of battles and singlehandedly breaking sieges. She may indicate a location within 1 mile to be affected by an extreme version of the Repulsion effect. Its area can be of any radius up to 10 miles, and rather than being indiscriminate, it only applies to creatures the Strategist indicates, as though setting the trigger for a Glyph of Warding. Any applicable creature already within the warded area must make a Will save (DC 19 + the Strategist's Intelligence modifier) or be forced to leave the area as quickly as it is able without expending limited resources (i.e., an army will run, but if it has siege weapons within the area, it will not abandon them, even though recovering them would slow it down). Creatures outside the warded area must succeed on the Will save or be unable to enter for 24 hours.

This effect lasts 1 day per class level, with each day requiring a new saving throw for creatures wishing to enter the area and creatures already within it. The Strategist may end it at any time as a free action. If the Strategist dies or moves more than 1 mile from the warded area, the effect ends automatically. The Strategist must wait at least 1 week after the end of one use of this effect to use it again.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 14, 2020, 10:28:07 AM

Overhauling is a perfectly normal response to reviewing, of course I'm not mad.   :P

Strategist Part Two!

I like Selective Idea but 1/day > 2/day > Unlimited/day is a weird progression.  Maybe 1/day > Int Mod/Day > Unlimited?

I'm seeing a lot of limited per day stuff which I personally am not a fan of but the class as a whole looks a lot more interesting now.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 15, 2020, 01:28:07 PM

I changed it from per-day to per-intense-thought (aka per combat, generally). Especially with how short combat gets toward level 20, 2/encounter and unlimited aren't too far apart anyway. And this way there's no need to ration the ability for later encounters. It also indirectly scales with Int mod, like your suggestion Nanshork, since the number of intense thoughts per day depends on your primary modifier.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 20, 2020, 04:58:54 PM

That actually looks way better than my proposal.  You've got a double space after the word use in that class feature now.

On to Feats!

Final thought is odd. 

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 21, 2020, 03:43:28 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 20, 2020, 04:58:54 PM

That actually looks way better than my proposal.  You've got a double space after the word use in that class feature now.

Fixed now.

Quote from: Nanshork on August 20, 2020, 04:58:54 PM

Final thought is odd.

How so?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 22, 2020, 12:22:39 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on August 21, 2020, 03:43:28 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 20, 2020, 04:58:54 PM

Final thought is odd.

How so?

It's only really useful if it can prevent the damage or heal you but there's only one healing idea so those aren't likely scenarios.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 22, 2020, 02:45:13 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 22, 2020, 12:22:39 PM

It's only really useful if it can prevent the damage or heal you but there's only one healing idea so those aren't likely scenarios.

I disagree. An extra action is always useful, especially if your party's getting their asses kicked so much that you've just been knocked out. I wasn't even intending it for use in preventing damage or healing (though that's a decent use of it for sure).

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 22, 2020, 04:48:08 PM

This is D&D. In my experience if you're going below 0 hp it's because you're dead and not knocked out.  :P

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 23, 2020, 05:08:05 AM

Weird. I know the window between -10 and 0 HP is kinda small, but somehow I end up in it a lot.

Anyway, I need to brainstorm ways to tweak it. I'd also like to come up with new [General] feats to replace the siege engine stuff. But in the meantime, we can move on to the idea list.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 23, 2020, 11:24:04 AM

Maybe you're lucky or your DMs fudge rolls for than mine.

Or maybe I'm unlucky.  :lol

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Garryl on August 23, 2020, 03:48:00 PM

A quick estimate of the chance of falling into the diehard range is to divide 10 by the average damage dealt by enemies (maximum 100%, obviously). A slightly more accurate way would be to take a weighted average of 10 divided by each possible damage result enemies can deal. For example, a Dire Wolf (1d8+10, with a 1/20 chance to deal double with a crit), has about a 67% chance of dropping a character into the range of 0 to -9 with a sufficiently long series of attacks starting at a random initial hp value.

Example Anydice code:

Code: [Select]

DAMAGE: {1d8+10:19,2d8+20:1}
output [lowest of 1000/(1dDAMAGE) and 100] named "diehard"

Some damage values for reference:

(click to show/hide)

Orc with falchion (2d4+4/18-20): 87%
Dire Wolf (1d8+10): 67%
Ankheg (2d6+7 and 1d4): 62%
Huge Fire Elemental (2d8+4 and 2d8): 51%
CL10 Fireball with 40% chance to make the save (10d6): 43%
Frost Worm (2d8+12 and 1d8): 40%
Power Attacking (-9) Fighter with 18 Str, a +2 Greatsword, and Weapon Specialization (2d6+28/19-20): 26%
Warblade with 30 Str, a +1 Greatsword with no other damage-relevant properties, and Strike of Perfect Clarity (2d6+16+100/19-20): 7%

The odds can improve or worsen depending on how your DM plays different monsters with multiple attacks when they drop a character, whether they move on to other combatants immediately, or continue to direct attacks at an unconscious character until they're dead (not an issue for Final Thoughts, as its immediate action activation would interrupt any subsequent attacks, so more of a regular Diehard thing). Also, multiple attacks with different amounts of damage are weird to calculate, although I suspect they'd overall overall improve your chances of landing in the Diehard range; smaller attacks have lower chances of skipping it, and would whittle down your hp more slowly leading to the high damage attacks risking KOing you when you have more hp remaining and thus barely nudging you into the Diehard range.

Of course, that's also ignoring the many other ways of losing hp or dying that make falling into the Diehard range irrelevant, such as death effects, being disabled by spells when it happens, etc.

---

Since I've already written so much about the topic, here are some thoughts about Final Thought. I'm not a huge fan of these types of feats in general. Getting dropped isn't a common occurrence in my experience, and falling in the Diehard range when that does happen only comes up maybe 60% of the time when it does happen. Using this sort of feat can help win the fight, but it does reduce your odds of surviving the fight sometimes; a creature that drops you unconscious might move on to your allies that still threaten it, but if you're still up and fighting, it's all but guaranteed to stick around to finish you off. Final Thought bucks the trend of Diehard effects somewhat by being more of a Death Throes ability instead, getting one last effect off before you slip into an unthreatening unconsciousness. This lets you disrupt your enemies as you drop, hopefully preventing them from finishing you off while you're so vulnerable, and unlike Diehard, you're not still up and fighting so you're not an overt threat that still needs to be neutralized.

For practical purposes, I'd expect Final Thought to be used more as a last-ditch, reactive life saver than an offensive Death Throes, since it's only usable when you're at death's door rather than when you've irrevocably passed beyond it. By mid levels (the earliest you can even take the feat with its thinker level 8 prerequisite), you have a few ideas that are good for this sort of thing, such as Being and Nothingness, Mindarmor, On Life, Reposition, and even Stinking Cloud, in addition to less effective lower-level variants such as Graceful Dance, Healing Touch, and Take Positions. If you build for it, having redrawn your hand at the end of your previous turn, odds are pretty good that you'll have at least one idea along those lines, probably 85% or so.

A get out of death free card is great to have. Unfortunately, I think it's not reliable enough for what you're paying. You can hit the Diehard range with a relevant defensive idea in hand maybe 50% of the time, which is a little less reliable than I'd like, and it gets worse at higher levels as damage numbers keep rising. It's a more reliable and more powerful version of the Rogue's Defensive Roll in terms of not dying, at least, but that's not saying all that much.

The new version lets it be used regardless of how low below 0 you go, rather than only if you fall into the Diehard range, so it has full Death Throes capability. You probably still want it more for saving your life, rather than getting a bit of vengeance at the end of it, but at least you get a consolation prize if you can't do that by improving the odds for the rest of your party even if you still kick the bucket and die.

As I mentioned, getting dropped isn't a very common occurrence for PCs in my experience (very common for NPCs, though). I'd have trouble justifying a feat on mitigating something that happens to my character maybe a couple of times per campaign when I could instead pick up more proactive abilities that would keep defeat from being a concern in the first place. It's a really good feat for NPCs, though, as it's basically a 50% chance of getting an extra idea off during a fight. I also don't have much experience with higher-level rocket tag combats, where this sort of reactive ability might be all the more necessary to survive, although fights like that would have even greater odds of bypassing the Diehard range and just invalidating the feat entirely, so I doubt it.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 26, 2020, 01:52:26 PM

Okay, couldn't think of how to get Final Thought to be worth it, so I scrapped it. Siege Weapon Experience and Siege Weapon Mastery have also been scrapped, because they have nothing to do with this magic system anymore.

New feats added: Flexible Learner [General], Afterthought, Narrow Focus, and Practiced Thinker.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 11:13:43 AM

I honestly don't know how I feel about Flexible Learner from a balance perspective.  That might be because I woke up half an hour ago.

I don't understand the point of Narrow Focus, especially with it lasting an entire level.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 27, 2020, 12:17:36 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 11:13:43 AM

I honestly don't know how I feel about Flexible Learner from a balance perspective.  That might be because I woke up half an hour ago.

Not sure how it breaks anything to be able to change your spells once per level rather than once every 4. I only made it so you could do it any time (instead of only on level-up) because that seems helpful in niche circumstances and it felt too underpowered otherwise. But I'm pretty neutral about it.

Quote from: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 11:13:43 AM

I don't understand the point of Narrow Focus, especially with it lasting an entire level.

So, maybe I should make it more clear. You're removing idea slots from your deck composition, not individual ideas. Meaning, if your deck has a composition like 2/5/5/4, you could change it to 1/4/5/4, for instance, or even 1/4/4/4. Now your deck has fewer low-level ideas, so you draw your higher-level ideas more often. Each level, your deck composition changes, and you get to change which levels of ideas have their quantity reduced by 1, if you want.

Does that make sense? Is there a better way to phrase the feat description?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 02:22:00 PM

I understand what Narrow Focus does, I just don't understand why I would ever want to use it.  I guess I'll just have to look at the ideas and realize that the low level ones are apparently always terrible and unwanted.   :p

Flexible Learner doesn't break anything, but it is a massive upgrade for spontaneous casters that don't have fixed lists.  I see no reason why I would ever not take it as a Sorcerer which makes me feel like it is too good.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 27, 2020, 06:35:08 PM

Nah, the lower-level ideas are fine. But the issue with them taking up space in a deck is that you're potentially drawing them instead of something better. It's a very real advantage to be able to clear lower-level ideas from your deck.

As for Flexible Learner, I'm not sure what's so massive about it. If you pick spells you end up using and never feel the need to swap them out, this feat is useless to you. I've played spontaneous casters before, and I didn't ever feel super strongly that my spells known needed to be tweaked faster than once every 4 levels. Certainly not strong enough that I'd ever spend a feat slot on this.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 07:28:17 PM

Flexible Learner means that a spontaneous caster can take focused or extremely situational spells, a thing that they traditionally never do because they're a waste of spell choices. 

I don't know how you normally play spontaneous casters but in my experience they normally know the most broadly applicable spells possible and leave the situational stuff to wizards or consumable magic items.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 28, 2020, 05:51:57 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 27, 2020, 07:28:17 PM

Flexible Learner means that a spontaneous caster can take focused or extremely situational spells, a thing that they traditionally never do because they're a waste of spell choices. 

I don't know how you normally play spontaneous casters but in my experience they normally know the most broadly applicable spells possible and leave the situational stuff to wizards or consumable magic items.

Well, you still only get to change one spell known per level, so you're taking at most one extremely situational spell. And even then, it would have to be applicable enough that you get mileage out of it for every encounter until you level up again, so it's not even that situational either. Are you sure you're reading this correctly? It seems like we're talking about two completely different feats here.

(I also went back and changed the wording of Narrow Focus. Hopefully if there was any confusion there, it's cleared up)

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 28, 2020, 10:33:35 AM

On Flexible Learner, I either missed the last line or you stealth edited it.  I'd never take the feat now, it's not too powerful.  :P

I get Narrow Focus after your earlier explanation.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 28, 2020, 11:16:55 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 28, 2020, 10:33:35 AM

On Flexible Learner, I either missed the last line or you stealth edited it.  I'd never take the feat now, it's not too powerful.  :P

I did stealth-edit it, just a little. The original wording of the last line was something like, "Once a spell/power/idea known has been changed, you may not make another such change again until the next time you gain a level in the class". But when I looked back on it, I realized people might think you were allowed to change each spell once per level, rather than 1 spell per level total.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on August 28, 2020, 09:19:15 PM

Done with feats/ready for ideas?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on August 29, 2020, 05:40:23 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on August 28, 2020, 09:19:15 PM

Done with feats/ready for ideas?

Heck yeah :)

I recommend that you read the class lists first rather than just wading through the idea list. They all have the same 0th-level ideas, but they diverge a lot starting at level 1. The paragraph just above "MAKING A __" for each class also summarizes how each class's ideas encourage a different play style.

Some stuff to keep in mind:

• Thinkers have an IP/idea limit given on their tables (it's just 1 per 4 levels, rounded up). So you can't augment things at all until level 5, can't augment by 2 until level 9, etc. These are going to seem super broken if you forget that.
• Thinkers can express outside of combat roughly TL/2 times per day (it's a bit hazy because they can convert some uses into combat uses, but it's a good rule of thumb). So at low levels, it's very limited, while at higher levels it's nearly at will.
• Synergy between ideas is very much a thing, especially for the Strategist. Some blue ideas combo with each other really nicely, and that's all intentional.
• Remember that all of these ideas are being dealt randomly. Occasionally, you'll just have a dead turn because there are no ideas in your hand that are helpful, and in D&D that's a huge weakness. You won't always have Extend Idea together with something you'd like to extend, etc. That kind of randomness is balanced by most of these effects being move actions, and from my light playtesting it seems that having an Nth-level ability be as strong as an Nth-level Sor/Wiz spell is about right.

Thanks again for helping me with this!

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 03, 2020, 08:11:43 PM

I'm just going to wade through them willy-nilly because I'm super lazy and mainly just want to make sure that things are balanced for their level and make sense.   :P

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 03, 2020, 08:46:21 PM

Level 0

All good.


Level 1

Is Swift Action vs Free really worth an extra IP for taking up an action slot?  You don't have a whole lot of uses for swift actions at low levels so I feel like that one would be the default to take.

Elemental Knowledge (Water) feels underwhelming.


Level 2

Ingenious Machine - does the turret get strength to damage too?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 04, 2020, 06:19:27 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 03, 2020, 08:46:21 PM

Is Swift Action vs Free really worth an extra IP for taking up an action slot?  You don't have a whole lot of uses for swift actions at low levels so I feel like that one would be the default to take.

Keep in mind that you can't augment at all until level 5, and you get 1 IP at the start of your turn. Meaning that until level 5, you'll never need more than 1 bonus IP per turn for that second move-action idea - so Insight and Swift Meditation are equivalent up until then (making Insight the default). And by level 5, you might have an Amulet of Tears or Anklets of Translocation or something, and anyway it sucks if you draw 2 of them and can only use 1. So there are minor drawbacks there.

I'm leaning toward either nerfing it to 1d2 IP or keeping it as-is, but I'd need to playtest to make up my mind on it. The main point is to give players the option of having lots of IP if they want it (with the tradeoff that they'll draw fewer ideas that actually do something). I'd like for the number of IP-generating cards in a deck composition to be up to playstyle, rather than there always being a specific optimal choice.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 03, 2020, 08:46:21 PM

Elemental Knowledge (Water) feels underwhelming.

I changed it to 1d6, Ref half. That also helps differentiate it from Earth damage. It was only 0.5 less damage than Earth per die, but yeah, it was kinda underwhelming.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 03, 2020, 08:46:21 PM

Ingenious Machine - does the turret get strength to damage too?

It does. I edited the text to make that more explicit.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Meditation, Swift is standing out to me more after some digging because it is the only swift action IP granting idea out of all of the ideas at any level.

Level 3 Ideas

Being and Time - What happens if you reduce someone's level to 0, effectively de-aging them to before they were born?  Making it similar to the "dying of old age" language would make sense from a mechanical perspective.


Level 4

Epiphany - If it's at the bottom of your deck and you draw and use it before reshuffling your deck does it become the only card in your deck?

Making a Call - I don't know how I feel about this one.  It feels super meta.

Recreate from Memory also feels meta and super annoying to track.

Tunnel Vision is blocked by metal so now I want to use it to help with mining.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 07, 2020, 08:21:07 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Meditation, Swift is standing out to me more after some digging because it is the only swift action IP granting idea out of all of the ideas at any level.

Yeah, that's intentional. Swift Meditation isn't supposed to interfere with other IP generation, only with other swift actions like items and a few spell-like ideas. I didn't mention it before, but actually the main thing it interferes with is the feat Thought on the Run. It's a significant drawback - you're giving up your ability to both move and express 2 ideas that turn. Ditto for other swift-action alternatives to TotR, like Travel Devotion.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Being and Time - What happens if you reduce someone's level to 0, effectively de-aging them to before they were born?  Making it similar to the "dying of old age" language would make sense from a mechanical perspective.

Good point. I'll add that.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Epiphany - If it's at the bottom of your deck and you draw and use it before reshuffling your deck does it become the only card in your deck?

Yup. I'll add a sentence clarifying that. Though you won't usually get the chance, since you rarely draw the last card in your deck as the last card in your hand.

This is a general rule of deck-building games: an empty deck is a valid state. You can put cards on top of it, you can shuffle it (which has no effect of course), and you can put cards on bottom of it (which is the same as on top). The only thing that causes an issue is drawing from it - that's why your discard pile gets shuffled and becomes your deck any time you need to do that.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Making a Call - I don't know how I feel about this one.  It feels super meta.

It's designed to be a tangible benefit for the Strategist knowing the order of cards in her deck. It synergizes well with Turnabout, Cogitation, Thinking Ahead, Perfect Information, and Bring to Mind. Or if you don't have any of those, it's a fun last-resort gamble.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Recreate from Memory also feels meta and super annoying to track.

You mean to track which spells you've seen before? I'll probably remove that line. DMs usually impose that kind of rule themselves anyway - for instance, restricting Polymorph forms to monsters the player knows in-character. I don't see a pressing need to require it for all campaigns.

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Tunnel Vision is blocked by metal so now I want to use it to help with mining.

Not gonna find a whole lot with only a round/level duration, but sure.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 07, 2020, 03:07:23 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on September 07, 2020, 08:21:07 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Meditation, Swift is standing out to me more after some digging because it is the only swift action IP granting idea out of all of the ideas at any level.

Yeah, that's intentional. Swift Meditation isn't supposed to interfere with other IP generation, only with other swift actions like items and a few spell-like ideas. I didn't mention it before, but actually the main thing it interferes with is the feat Thought on the Run. It's a significant drawback - you're giving up your ability to both move and express 2 ideas that turn. Ditto for other swift-action alternatives to TotR, like Travel Devotion.

It's just weird because I'd rather take higher level Free action IP generation than a level 1 Swift action IP generation. 

Quote

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Epiphany - If it's at the bottom of your deck and you draw and use it before reshuffling your deck does it become the only card in your deck?

Yup. I'll add a sentence clarifying that. Though you won't usually get the chance, since you rarely draw the last card in your deck as the last card in your hand.

This is a general rule of deck-building games: an empty deck is a valid state. You can put cards on top of it, you can shuffle it (which has no effect of course), and you can put cards on bottom of it (which is the same as on top). The only thing that causes an issue is drawing from it - that's why your discard pile gets shuffled and becomes your deck any time you need to do that.

We play different deck building games.   :P

Quote

Quote from: Nanshork on September 06, 2020, 06:48:17 PM

Recreate from Memory also feels meta and super annoying to track.

You mean to track which spells you've seen before? I'll probably remove that line. DMs usually impose that kind of rule themselves anyway - for instance, restricting Polymorph forms to monsters the player knows in-character. I don't see a pressing need to require it for all campaigns.

Yep, tracking which spells you've seen before sounds annoying.  I also don't play with DMs that impose those kinds of rules themselves (not that it would impact me because I don't play standard spellcasters).

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 07, 2020, 03:55:06 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 07, 2020, 03:07:23 PM

It's just weird because I'd rather take higher level Free action IP generation than a level 1 Swift action IP generation. 

Well, the thing is that you have to use your 1st-level idea slots for something, and at higher levels, IP generation is often better than some low-save offensive or utility effect. I'd probably say that at the moment, Swift Meditation is useful for one or two of those slots from level 5 to around level 10, while Insight is better for lower and higher levels.

But I see your point. Maybe there should be other swift-action IP generation at higher idea levels. Say, a 3rd-level idea that grants +4 IP as a swift, and a 5th-level idea that grants +6. Something like that. I dunno, I'm not convinced that's an interesting or necessary thing to do.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 07, 2020, 04:55:05 PM

I don't know what is needed, I just know that it stands out as a completely unique phenomenon and thus feels a little weird.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 08, 2020, 07:18:40 AM

Changed Swift Meditation to Introspection (C1, P1, S1), and added Great Introspection (C3, P3, S3) and Critical Introspection (C5, P5, S5). So now swift-action IP generation is a thing at multiple levels. Also it gives the Strategist and Philosopher IP generation at idea level 5, which they didn't have before.

And I fixed Recreate from Memory and Being and Time like we mentioned, too.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 10, 2020, 06:38:00 PM

Sounds good.

I was going to do the level 5 and 6 ideas now but I feel bleh and can't focus.  I will do them later.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 15, 2020, 08:26:21 PM

No worries. When you're ready, I'm excited to see what you think. 5th and 6th level is when this system gets really nuts.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 21, 2020, 08:19:25 PM

Level 5 Ideas

A house divided says "immediately attack their allies" but then it lasts for 2 rounds.  Is it meant to have the targets attack their allies during their normal turns?

Crystal Clarity is another weird meta one and it also lets you see through everyone's clothes.

Final Cut - I'm not a big fan off introducing handedness when that's not a part of the core rules.  I actually remember writing up some very clean text for this kind of thing as part of another project but I can't find it anywhere.

"You summon a huge aquatic beast that’s a metaphor for the government or something."   :lmao

So Crazy It Just Might Work is just insane.  I don't even know how to feel about this.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 22, 2020, 06:29:39 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 21, 2020, 08:19:25 PM

A house divided says "immediately attack their allies" but then it lasts for 2 rounds.  Is it meant to have the targets attack their allies during their normal turns?

Good catch. I specified that it happens on their turns (also I changed it to only 1 round because it seemed too strong).

Quote

Crystal Clarity is another weird meta one and it also lets you see through everyone's clothes.

It was mostly me flailing and trying to close up all the loopholes. Hopefully it's fine. Also yes, I suppose it does.

Quote

Final Cut - I'm not a big fan off introducing handedness when that's not a part of the core rules.  I actually remember writing up some very clean text for this kind of thing as part of another project but I can't find it anywhere.

Is the debuff unnecessary? I wanted to make losing an arm have a meaningful impact, whereas at the moment, unless the target wields a weapon two-handed, it's not close to as bad as losing a leg. But then again, enemies that wield weapons one-handed probably use their other hand for something, so it might be fine without the -4.

Quote

"You summon a huge aquatic beast that’s a metaphor for the government or something."   :lmao

I had a lot of fun writing that. In case it's not obvious, most of the Philosopher's idea names are bad puns on philosophy texts. The class features, too - Kant had a trilogy called The Critique of Practical Reason, The Critique of Pure Reason, and the The Critique of Judgment. I don't know anything about philosophy or anything, I just like wordplay.

Quote

So Crazy It Just Might Work is just insane.  I don't even know how to feel about this.

I looked at it again and realized it was super broken. Those 3 effects on their own could've been, respectively, a 4th-level, 6th-level, and 9th-level spell. So I nerfed it substantially. Now the items don't switch, the appearance swap is an illusion, and instead of thinking they're you, they're just not allowed to communicate with their allies. Also the saves are all Will now because that makes the most sense.


An unrelated question - I'm thinking of increasing the ideas known progression. Maybe to 8 ideas of each level known by the end instead of 6. The current progression seems very restrictive, where there are fewer ideas known than prepared. It doesn't leave much room for more niche ideas. What do you think?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 24, 2020, 12:11:07 AM

I'm typing on the phone so won't do a quote pyramid.

Crystal Clarity is so oddball that I don't have any idea how to think about it from a balance perspective. Also I don't know why I was focused on seeing through people's clothes.  :lmao

Final Cut - If you want a debuff for the arm being gone and not being able to use the arm to hold a weapon/shield/whatever isn't enough, you could always go with the optional rules on page 27 of the DMG.

I haven't played attention to philosophy since high school so I missed all the philosophy references.

So Crazy It Just Might Work is now oddball instead of outright gonzo. Much better.

Honestly I'm not sure what the best way to go with idea progression would be. I don't like traditional spellcasting so I don't play traditional casters which means that it's harder for me to know what a good balance for that spellcasting equivalence from a class features perspective.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on September 24, 2020, 04:19:35 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 24, 2020, 12:11:07 AM

So Crazy It Just Might Work is now oddball instead of outright gonzo.

You have the best adjectives :)

Anyway, I'll keep thinking about ideas known progressions. Let me know when you get through level 6.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on September 25, 2020, 11:50:04 AM

Quote from: TheGeometer on September 24, 2020, 04:19:35 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on September 24, 2020, 12:11:07 AM

So Crazy It Just Might Work is now oddball instead of outright gonzo.

You have the best adjectives :)

Anyway, I'll keep thinking about ideas known progressions. Let me know when you get through level 6.

I minored in English in college, I have to use that education somehow.   :lol

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on October 05, 2020, 10:30:13 AM

Doing a playtest, which is helping me uncover some stuff. I just fixed a bunch of ideas that could originally be played to have no effect (for instance, playing Rethink and discarding 0 cards). Now none of them allow that. It's a useful trick in certain cases due to Mindarrow or the Trump Card feat, but it wasn't intentional and I just wanted to make that explicit. Modify Idea also now explicitly changes the lengths of effects along with their shapes (so a 120-ft line becomes a 30-ft burst, not a 120-ft burst). Again, just a RAI misstep, though this time it was sorta game-breaking.

Not much else to say. Mostly bumping to remind Nanshork to go over the 6th-level stuff. We're so close to being done!

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on October 05, 2020, 11:58:49 AM

Level 6 Ideas!

Dance Number  :lmao

I have no other feedback for level 6, looks good.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on October 05, 2020, 03:48:11 PM

Quote from: Nanshork on October 05, 2020, 11:58:49 AM

Level 6 Ideas!

Dance Number  :lmao

I have no other feedback for level 6, looks good.

Haha, nice. Dance Number's one of my favorites.

And we're done! Awesome, thanks so much for your feedback, Nanshork. You helped me find a ton of stuff that I wouldn't have caught otherwise.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on October 05, 2020, 06:01:23 PM

Happy to do it, you come up with interesting systems and I like reading them.

I like the general theme of the Philopher's ideas, too bad I'll never get to play one.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on February 12, 2021, 05:49:59 PM

Hey, so I just finished a campaign where one of my players was a Creative, and it inspired a few changes and a bunch more ideas. YAY! (Don't worry, you guys don't have to review the new ones, I'm a lot surer of the balance at this point anyway :p). I figured out what they're supposed to do and put their names in the changelog (first post of this thread, last spoiler), but haven't put in anything past levels 1 and 2.

The issue is, as I was typing them in, I hit the 60,000-character cap. I didn't save enough posts at the start of this thread to give every level of idea its own post. For now, I moved the level-0 ideas and did some panic-edits, but I'd like to not be so close to the cap, and I'll probably hit it again in the level 3-4 and 5-6 posts. What should I do?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 12, 2021, 05:54:53 PM

Option #1: Ask for mod deletion of my first post which gives you another post to work with.  I'm okay with this if it happens.

Option #2: Make use of this functionality: http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=17982

Title: Continued: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on February 12, 2021, 07:44:23 PM

Trying the sticky option. What am I doing wrong? (I also tried putting the "Continued" in parentheses like in Prime's post)

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 12, 2021, 10:15:22 PM

Did you try putting the Continued in parenthesis without the : ?

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 12, 2021, 10:16:43 PM

If so, whatever Prime did might be broken due to updates or something.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 12, 2021, 11:49:50 PM

I have confirmed it doesn't work anymore and hasn't for a while.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on February 13, 2021, 05:45:41 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on February 12, 2021, 11:49:50 PM

I have confirmed it doesn't work anymore and hasn't for a while.

That sucks. Then I guess we'll go with deleting your posts. I think I need the first 2 gone.

Could you report them? I feel like less justification is involved if someone asks for their own posts to be removed.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 14, 2021, 01:39:57 PM

Done although I sincerely doubt it would have mattered, it's not like this is a new type of issue.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on February 15, 2021, 11:34:41 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on February 14, 2021, 01:39:57 PM

Done although I sincerely doubt it would have mattered, it's not like this is a new type of issue.

Thanks!  :D

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on February 16, 2021, 07:18:32 PM

Quote from: TheGeometer on February 15, 2021, 11:34:41 AM

Quote from: Nanshork on February 14, 2021, 01:39:57 PM

Done although I sincerely doubt it would have mattered, it's not like this is a new type of issue.

Thanks!  :D

They're gone now if you didn't notice so you can go wild.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Garryl on February 19, 2021, 04:09:21 PM

It lacks the perfect continuity of a planned thread of reserved posts, but you could always post the additional content later in the thread and have an index with links in the first post. Bonus points if you go out of your way to have each individual post have a link to the previous, next, an index post (but that's far more than you would need).

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on March 09, 2021, 05:57:10 PM

I need one more post to have enough room for idea levels 5 and 6. How do I contact a mod to remove Nanshork and Soro's posts just after the end of the info on page 1? I don't just report the posts, do I? Sorry for not being knowledgeable about this, I haven't had much interaction with the mods here

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: Nanshork on March 09, 2021, 07:52:51 PM

Reporting the posts would be the simplest way to do it.  I reported my own posts to have them deleted.

Title: Re: Thought Magic [magic system, base classes, & feats]
Post by: TheGeometer on May 23, 2021, 06:49:40 AM

Okay, I made a ton of post-playtest fixes and added over 50 new ideas (the changes are summarized in the last spoiler of the first post's changelog). I don't expect another review, but I just wanted to announce that it's done. This has turned into quite a robust homebrew system and I'm pretty proud of it.  :D

UPDATE: Work on this system has moved to my magic system compendium, the Book of Seven Secrets, here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?board=132.0). This post is out of date, and changes and added features will be over there.