The Codex of Spellshaping II
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Chapter One: Races
Caymir Masked Ones StoichenChapter Two: Classes
Anchorite SavantChapter Three: Character Options
FeatsChapter Four: Arcane Formulae
Astral Essence Eternal MomentChapter Five: Prestige Classes
Ardent Soulshaper Catechumen Devoted Exemplar Disciple of the Circles Dreamwalker Master Reshaper Oracle of the Stars Spellforge Warsmith Spiritspeaker Adept Wildheart MageChapter Six: Spellshape Items
Lamens Spellheart ItemsIntroductionWelcome to
The Codex of Spellshaping II, a rules supplement for the DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS® game.
This book is primarily a resource for players, expanding greatly on their options for spellshaping through the introduction of new races, classes, feats, and two new circles of formulae. Similarly, Dungeon Masters can use this material to build new and unusual NPCs and challenges, introducing new elements to your D&D game.
What's In This BookThe Codex of Spellshaping II contains information for players and DMs, and most of its contents are applicable for both.
Races (Chapter One): This chapter introduces three new races that possess an affinity for spellshaping: the caymir, the masked ones, and the stoichen.
The caymir came into existence as a dying species from the Astral Plane sought to save themselves from destruction. Unwilling to possess sentient beings, the astral beings merged with everyday animals, eventually developing into humanoid fey.
The masked ones are the descendants of a group of humans who became trapped on the Plane of Shadows. After generations of wandering in that dark world, the former humans have become warped and dark. Though these aberrations appear to be wearing stylized porcelain masks, the truth is that they have no faces to hide.
Stoichen are born when two individuals with elemental blood come together. Stoichen are proud and powerful, tied both body and soul to their elemental ancestors. Though they feel more at home on the Elemental Planes, they still strive to find their place in the world.
Classes (Chapter Two): While the first
Codex of Spellshaping introduced four standard spellshaping classes, this chapter introduces two new classes: the anchorite and the savant.
The anchorite shapes arcane formulae according to her philosophy and her understanding of herself. As she grows and gains greater insight into her own being, she gains access to more circles of formulae.
The savant craves knowledge, seeking new sources of learning under every stone. While he does not focus his studies exclusively on spellshaping, his knowledge in other fields can often turn the tide of battle.
Character Options (Chapter Three): An expanding repertoire of arcane formulae is only truly useful when the players have new options with which to explore it. A wide range of feats aimed at spellshapers--including the new metashaping feats--fills much of this chapter.
In addition to feats, this chapter includes several spellshaping alternative class features (a concept first introduced in
Player's Handbook II). These options allow players to explore different archetypes with the standard spellshaping classes. Moreover, the chapter also includes racial substitution levels (first introduced in the
Races series of supplements) for the new spellshaping races.
Arcane Formulae (Chapter Four): This chapter offers two new circles of arcane formulae for spellshapers: Astral Essence and Eternal Moment. The Astral Essence circle focuses on the stars and fate, allowing spellshapers to use the secrets of the heavens to defeat their foes. The Eternal Moment circle focuses on the manipulation of time, centered on the realization that every moment contains its own eternity.
Prestige Classes (Chapter Five): Though spellshapers can determine a great deal of their identities through the circles that they choose, every shaper yearns to shape formulae in her own way, and the ten new prestige classes in this chapter provide a wide range of options for spellshapers. While the prestige classes in the first
Codex of Spellshaping tended to focus on specific combinations of circles, the majority of these new classes are open to shapers of any specialization, and they all showcase different ways to approach magic.
What You Need to PlayThe Codex of Spellshaping II expands upon material first presented in
The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles, and that book is necessary to make use of
The Codex of Spellshaping II. In addition, you need the three D&D core rulebooks—the
Player's Handbook (PH), the
Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG), and
Monster Manual (MM)—to make the best use of this book. In addition, some class features reference spells and creatures found in books such as
Book of Exalted Deeds,
Complete Arcane,
Complete Mage,
Dragon Magic,
Expanded Psionics Handbook,
Monster Manual III, and
Spell Compendium. Although you can benefit from much of this material even if you don't have those books, they are necessary to make full use of the new options and mechanics presented in this book.
Swift and Immediate ActionsPrevious D&D game supplements have made use of two kinds of actions not described in the core rulebooks--the swift action and the immediate action. Some of the class features, feats, and formulae in
The Codex of Spellshaping II use these concepts.
Swift Action: A swift action takes a small amount of time but represents a larger expenditure of effort than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. However, you can perform only one swift action per turn, regardless of other actions you take.
Shaping a quickened formula is a swift action. In addition, shaping most minor formulae is a swift action. Shaping a formula with a shaping action of 1 swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Immediate Action: An immediate action takes a very small amount of time but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. Unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time--even if it's not your turn.
Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action, and doing so counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate action if you are currently flat-footed.
Chapter 1: RacesThe spellshaping races presented here are just as varied as the common races described in the
Player's Handbook. Caymir—formed of the souls of a dying race and the bodies of common animals—seek a greater understanding of the world. Masked ones roam the dark places of the world, freed from a centuries-long imprisonment in the shadows of the world. Stoichen settle inhospitable lands, relying on the gifts of their elemental forebears to keep them strong where lesser mortals might fall. Along with humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings, these beings of magical heritage can be found embroiled in life and politics of many lands.
Choosing a RaceAfter you roll your ability scores and before you write them on your character sheet, choose your character's race. At the same time, you'll want to choose his or her class, since race affects how well a character can do in each class. Once you know your character's race and class, assign your ability score rolls to particular abilities, alter those abilities according to race (see Table 1–1: Racial Ability Adjustments), and continue detailing your character.
Racial CharacteristicsYour character's race determines some of his or her qualities.
Race AdjustmentsFind your character's race on Table 1–1: Racial Ability Adjustments. Apply the ability adjustments given on the table to your character's ability scores. If these changes raise your score above 18 or below 3, that's okay, except in the case of Intelligence, which does not go below 3 for characters. (If your caymir character would have an adjusted Intelligence of 1 or 2, make it 3 instead). In addition, Table 1–1 gives each race's favored class and automatic languages.
A character's favored class doesn't count against him or her when determining experience point penalties for multiclassing (see XP for Multiclass Characters, page 60 of the
Player's Handbook). All of the favored classes on Table 1–1 are spellshaping classes, presented in Chapter 2 of this book or Chapter 1 of
The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles.
All characters know how to speak Common, and many races speak racial languages as well. Smart characters (those with an Intelligence bonus) speak additional languages, one extra language per point of bonus. Select your character's bonus languages (if any) from the lists found in each race's Racial Traits summary.
Literacy: Unless your character is a barbarian, he or she can read and write all the languages he or she speaks.
CaymirMasked OnesStoichenAge, Height, and WeightThe details of your character's age, gender, height, weight, and appearance are up to you. However, if you prefer some rough guidelines in determining these details, refer to the tables below.
Character AgeYour character's age is determined by your choice of race and class, as summed up on Table 1–2: Random Starting Ages. You can choose or randomly generate your character’s age. If you choose it, it must be at least the minimum age for the character’s race and class, as shown on the table.
As your character ages, her physical ability scores decrease and her mental mental abilities increase, as described in the
Player's Handbook.
Height and WeightChoose your character's height and weight from the ranges mentioned in the racial description, or roll randomly on Table 1–4: Random Height and Weight. The information given here supplements the information in Chapter 6 of the
Player's Handbook.
Chapter 2: ClassesWhile
The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles presented four classes based on shaping arcane formulae, the magic of spellshaping does not restrict itself to only those styles of shaping. This chapter presents two new standard character classes: the anchorite and the savant.
Anchorite: An introspective shaper whose power stems from self-realization and meditation. As she learns more about herself, she learns to wield more powerful magic, and can even project aspects of her soul as auras.
Savant: A wandering scholar with a thirst for knowledge, the savant does not focus his studies on any one topic. Instead, he learns from several areas, granting him power both in spellshaping and in knowledge itself.
AnchoriteSavantChapter 3: Character OptionsAll spellshapers are slightly different. They are defined and separated not merely by class, but by formula selection, circle specialization, feats, and career paths. Every choice a spellshaper makes during her advancement—and every choice a player or DM makes in designing a character—shapes and molds her into something unique.
The following options allow further customization of spellshaping characters, from elemental adepts to anchorites. The chapter begins with a selection of alternative class features for those classes introduced in the first
Codex of Spellshaping, which focus on different approaches to those classes' concepts. The remainder of the chapter presents a wide range of feats for spellshaping characters.
Alternative Class FeaturesYour choice of a class delineates some of the most important aspects of your D&D character. With a class comes a specific role in the party, essential mechanical attributes such as base attack bonus and base save bonuses, and a host of special abilities that define the character. It is possible, however, to alter a class slightly to provide a new playing experience.
This section provides alternative class feature options for the four standard classes from
The Codex of Spellshaping: The Twelve Circles. Many of these alternative class features focus on providing a different take on the concepts behind a class, while others are focused on providing mechanical difference.
These abilities replace class features found in the original class description. If you have already reached or passed the level at which you can take the ability, you can use the retraining option described in
Player's Handbook II to substitute the alternative class feature for the normal one gained at that level.
Alternative Class Feature NameA general description of the variant and why you should consider it.
Class: The class or classes that can select this class feature
Level: The alternative class feature can be selected only at this level.
Replaces: The ability or abilities that you must sacrifice to gain the alternative class feature.
Benefit: The mechanical effects of the new abilities.
Battle SageElemental SpiritIdiosyncratic ShaperInvoking SageMage-Warrior's SteedPrescient MageShaman of the ElementsSpellshape ParagonTemporal ImpulsesFeatsRacial Substitution LevelsA substitution level is a level of a given class that you take instead of the level described for the standard class. Selecting a substitution level is not the same as multiclassing--you remain within the class for which the substitution level is taken. The class features of the substitution level simply replace those of the standard level.
To qualify to take a racial substitution level, you must be of the proper race. For instance, to select a racial substitution level of stoichen elemental adept, you must be a stoichen.
The three races introduced in this book—caymir, masked one, and stoichen—each have racial substitution levels for one class. Essentially, each set of substitution levels presents a racially flavored variant standard class for your game. The DM can add more racial substitution level options (such as for a caymir spellshape champion or a stoichen impulse mage) as desired, using the ones presented here as guidelines.
For each class with racial substitution levels, you can select each substitution level only at a specific class level. When you take a substitution level for you class at a given level, you give up the class features gained at that level for the standard class, and you get the substitution level features instead. You can't go back and gain the class features for the level you swapped out--when you take your next level in the standard class, you gain the next higher level as if you had gained the previous level normally.
For instance, if you take the masked one savant substitution level for 4th level, you forever lose the class features normally gained by a standard savant at 4th level (such as a bonus feat), gaining instead the racial substitution class features for a 4th-level masked one savant (such as the detect thoughts spell-like ability; see table 3–3). When you gain another level in savant, you gain the normal 5th-level benefits of the standard savant class, as given in Table 2–2: The Savant, page 18.
Unless noted otherwise in the description of a racial substitution level class feature, a character who takes a racial substitution level gains spellshaping ability (increases in formulae prepared and formulae known, if applicable) as if she had taken this level in the standard class.
A character need not take all the substitution levels provided for a class. For instance, a caymir anchorite might decide to take only the racial substitution level at 1st level, ignoring the other substitution level.
The description of each substitution level class feature explains what occurs to the standard class ability not gained, if that ability would normally increase at a specific rate.
When a substitution level changes the standard class's Hit Die or class skill list, the change applies only to that specific substitution level, not to any other class levels.
Caymir AnchoriteMasked One SavantStoichen Elemental AdeptChapter 4: Arcane FormulaeMuch as a wizard depends on his spells, a spellshaper relies on her arcane formulae to serve as both weapons and armor. A spellshaper's selection of formulae defines the type of character she is, determining her place in the adventure and her role within the party.
This chapter presents two new circles of formulae, designed to augment and expand the role of the spellshaper. These circles are available to the classes introduced in this book, as well as the impulse mage, spellsage, and spellshape champion classes from the first
Codex of Spellshaping. Similarly, the anchorite and the savant have access to all twelve circles introduced in the first
Codex.
In almost all cases, the new formulae follow the same rules and strictures set down in the first
Codex, with the exception of some new minor formulae that can be shaped as immediate actions, rather than as swift actions. In addition, as a formula's level does not vary between members of different spellshaping classes, the "Level" entry in a formula's description now places "Spellshaper" before the formula's level, rather than listing all of the classes with access to the formula.
Formula ListsAstral EssenceEternal MomentChapter 5: Prestige ClassesThe new standard classes in this book, along with the alternative class features, feats, and substitutional levels presented in Chapter Three, provide a wealth of options for characters who wish to explore the secrets of spellshaping. For a character who wishes to explore different paths of wielding spellshaping powers, this chapter presents ten prestige classes, each of which offers a different way to approach the powers of a spellshaper.
Ardent Soulshaper: This powerful spellshaper focuses on developing her power with spellshape auras, allowing her and her allies to fight as a single unit.
Catechumen: Touched by the gods, the catechumen focuses on combining the powers of spellshaping with those of divine magic.
Devoted Exemplar: Championing either good or evil, this shaper's drive to advance his cause grants her several alignment-based benefits, eventually granting him the companionship of a celestial or fiendish creature.
Disciple of the Circles: Combining spellshaping aptitude with intense meditation and focus, the disciple of the circles gains the ability to augment himself with his magic, making him a deadly foe in close combat.
Dreamwalker: Spending all of her time asleep, this powerful shaper gains the ability to manipulate the sleep and dreams of others, eventually gaining the ability to control the bodies of sleepers.
Master Reshaper: A master of manipulating arcane energies, this spellshaper hones his ability to reshape formulae, gaining increasing power over how he shapes his formulae.
Oracle of the Stars: Through study of the heavens and the movements of the stars, the oracle of the stars gains the ability to see the future and alter the destinies of those around her.
Spellforge Warsmith: Possessed of the unique ability to forge spellshape attacks into weapons and armor, the spellforge warsmith fights in a manner unlike any other warrior or magic-user.
Spiritspeaker Adept: This spellshaper communes with the spirits of the fallen, gaining the benefits of their knowledge and the ability to invoke their aid in combat.
Wildheart Mage: A student of the fey, the wildheart mage gains the ability to summon creatures of the wild to aid him in combat and slowly becomes a fey himself.
Ardent SoulshaperCatechumenDevoted ExemplarDisciple of the CirclesDreamwalkerMaster ReshaperOracle of the StarsSpellforge WarsmithSpiritspeaker AdeptWildheart MageChapter 6: Spellshape ItemsThough the first
Codex of Spellshaping introduced several magic items of interest to spellshapers, the items in this book are designed specifically to be created by spellshapers. Two new types of item are introduced in this chapter:
Lamens: Much as magic weapons serve to improve the attacks of martial combatants, lamens modify and empower a spellshaper's spellshape attacks.
Spellheart Items: In the same way that a spellcaster can enchant weapons and armor, spellshapers can create pieces of equipment that contain arcane formulae.
LamensSpellheart Items
