Dreamscarred Press - Tome of Channeling

TomeofChanneling

Robert van der Meer

ii

TOME OF CHANNELING

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TOME OF CHANNELING

Author: Robert van der MeerEditor: Robert van der Meer

Proofreading: Srgio Teixeira da SilvaDesign / Layout: Jeremy Smith

Interior Illustrations: Jason Walton, Mark Huffman, Rick Hershey, V. ShaneCover Illustration: John C. Walborn

Special Thanks: Srgio Teixeira da Silva, Brandon Glore, Jake Rudd, Josh Sjothun, Arnaud Sider. Ross Davis

Requires use of the Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition Core Books and the Expanded Psionics Handbook, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This book utilizes updated material from the v. 3.5 revision.

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TOME OF CHANNELING

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The world of the worlds most popular roleplaying game is lled with characters who pursue magic. These characters usually use magic through the casting of spells. A spell comes forth from supernatural energy, usually either arcane or divine of origin. Arcane spells use mystical energies that permeate the entire world, whereas divine spells use divine energies, which are drawn from deities or the spellcasters devotion to a principle. Regardless of the origins of a spells energy, this energy is manipulated by the spellcaster in order to cast the spell.

Channeling magic is an alternative approach to the use of magic. It draws from an innity wellspring of mystical energies, much like arcane spells do, but instead of manipulating these energies, a character who channels magic draws specic energies from his wellspring, often called a sphere. This means that channeling magic enables a character to draw magic from his sphere without having to manipulate it, meaning that the magic retains far more of its essence, making them transcend usual spells.

Like spellcasters, characters who channel magic master a number of arcane effects to defeat their foes. But, while a spellcasters spells represent the various ways in which they can manipulate the energies that comprise their magic, the incantations of a channeler represent the specic mystical energies that he can draw from to create amazing effects that can surpass spellsif the channeler can successfully channel these energies.

What You Need to PlayYou need the three core rulebooksthe Players Handbook, the DMG, and the MMto make the best use of the Tome of Channeling.

New material referenced in this book has a * to denote it. All other references are to the core rules.

QUICK PRIMER TO CHANNELING MAGICThe Tome of Channeling describes a system of special spells known as incantations. Here are some of the salient terms and facts you will need to be familiar with as you peruse this book.

Channeler: A character with one or more levels in the nexus character class is known as a channeler.

Incantation: An incantation is a specic, one-shot effect that a channeler channels. In this way, an incantation is functionally similar to a spell. However, a channeler doesnt use up or expend spells during the course of a day of adventuring the way a spellcaster does. He can channel his incantations any time he wants to. When a channeler channels an incantation, he must make a channeling check in order to successfully channel the incantation. The Difculty Class of this check depends on the incantation in question.

Aura: Some incantations are known as auras. These incantations are identical to normal incantations, with the exception that their duration is indenite. However, a channeler must expend a swift action during each round to maintain the incantation, or else the incantation fails as if he had failed the channeling check.

Sphere: A sphere is a collection of incantations that share a common origin. Three spheres are described in this book, although there may be more or less in your campaign. Each sphere consists of thirty to forty incantations. The three spheres described in this book are the elements, the mind and nature. Most channelers dont have access to each sphere.

Incantations Known: The collection of incantations that a channeler has learned. You can think of this as the channelers spellbook or spell list. A channelers class and level determine the number and Difculty Class of incantations he knows.

Channel: A channeler uses an incantation by channeling it. So instead of casting a spell or manifesting a power, a channeler channels an incantation.

Channeler Level: Some incantations have effects that vary with the level of the channeler using them. In addition, the highest Difculty Class of an incantation that a channeler can channel is partially dependent of his channeler level. Channeler level is functionally equivalent to caster level or manifester levelits simply the relevant class level of the channeler who channels the incantation.

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NEXUS My body, and my soul, they are suffused with the magic that will devastate yours.- Kerran, human nexus

The nexus has an inherent connection to his sphere. Regardless of whether he uses his will or his personality to channel this connection, the nexus is a potent channeler of magic. To a nexus, magic is almost literally a part of himto the point of feeling pain if his incantations cannot be channeled. Because of this, a nexus sees magic as something that is essential to him. However, mundane objects of his sphere are meaningful to him as well, and because of the ambience of most of the spheres, there are few moments where a nexus will be completely isolated from his sphere. In addition, because nexuses can almost always channel their incantations, they often see their magic as the solution to their problems. This makes nexuses resourceful with the use of their magic, channeling incantations in ways that others usually dont think of.

MAKING A NEXUSA nexus is a mage, much like a sorcerer or a wizard. He uses his incantations to their highest potential to defeat his foes with amazing displays of magic.

Abilities: At character creation, a nexus chooses whether he uses his Charisma or Wisdom score to determine his channeling modier and the highest Difculty Class of incantations that he can channel. Regardless of which ability he chooses, this ability is essential to him. Because he is relatively delicate, a

nexus can also benet a lot from a high Constitution score. Some incantations involve attacking the foe from a distance, so a nexus who channels those incantations needs a good Dexterity score. Given the choice between Strength and Intelligence, the nexus will usually choose the latter, because it helps him to understand his sphere, which can grant him several benets.

Races: The afnity for chan-neling magic can manifest itself in any of the races, al-

though some spheres manifest themselves

more clearly in some races, and some races

have a better afnity for magic overall. Most of

the psionic races, for ex-ample, boast at least sev-

eral nexuses of the mind sphere, whereas elves prove

to be adept in the channeling of magic of the nature sphere.

Alignment: A nexus can be of any alignment, although the

instinctive method of wielding magic often make nexuses chaotic over lawful. However, there are nexuses who have a pact that relates to their magicthese nexuses are often lawful. Good nexuses are cunning mages who defend the weak with their innite magic; evil nexuses

are elitist channelers who seek to spread the sway of their spheres through any means necessary.

Starting Gold: 3d4x10 (75 gp).Starting Age: Simple (as sorcerer).

CLASS FEATURESYour ability to channel incantations is essential to you, when ghting and when you arent. In fact, it is so essential to you, that you are sensitive to

CHAPTER 1: NEW CLASS

A nexus uses incantations to channel magic

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magic. While this sensitivity might be a weakness sometimes, it can also prove to be your greatest asset. Depending on your sphere, you can wield the stars, elements, nature, or even the minds of your foes. Overall, your incantations are your signature, and they dene you.

Weapon and Armor Prociency: You are procient with simple weapons, but not with armor or shields.

Incantations: You begin your career with two incantations known. All of the spheres are available to you, although you may only know incantations from one sphere, which you must choose upon becoming a nexus. This choice does not affect your list of class skills.

Once you know an incantation, you may channel it. An incantation usable by nexuses is considered a supernatural ability. Your incantations are not affected by spell resistance, but you provoke attacks

of opportunity when you channel one.You learn additional incantations at higher levels,

as shown on Table 1-1. You must be able to channel incantations of its Difculty Class in order to learn it.

Your channeling modier is equal to your nexus level + your Charisma or Wisdom modier (hereafter referred to as your channeling ability modier). You must choose which ability score affects your channeling modier at character creation, and you cannot change it once it has been determined.

The highest Difculty Class of incantations that you may channel equals your channeling ability modier + 1.5 x your nexus level.

Magic Sensitivity (Su): Your soul is suffused with the magic of your sphere. This makes you unusually aware of that sphere, to the point of being sensitive to it. When you cannot hold your

TABLE 1-1: THE NEXUS HD: d4

LevelBase

Attack BonusFortSave

RefSave

WillSave Special

IncantationsKnown

1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Magic sensitivity, soul opening 2

2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 -- 3

3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Sphere resistance +1 4

4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Magic touch 4

5th +2 +1 +1 +4 -- 5

6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Sphere resistance +2 5

7th +3 +2 +2 +5 -- 6

8th +4 +2 +2 +6 -- 6

9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Sphere resistance +3 7

10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Sphere defense 7

11th +5 +3 +3 +7 -- 8

12th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Sphere resistance +4 8

13th +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 -- 9

14th +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 -- 9


16th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 -- 10

17th +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 -- 11


19th +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 -- 12

20th +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Soul rift 12

Class Skills (4 + Int modier per level, x4 at 1st level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (psionics), Knowledge (the planes), Listen, Profession, Psicraft, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Use Magic Device, Use Psionic Device.

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magic, your soul aches. However, this sensitivity allows you to use magic other than your own with more ease.

When you are in a wild magic zone, you must make a DC 15 Will save each round or be confused for that round, as the spell. Furthermore, when you are in a dead magic zone, you must make a DC 20 Will save or become fatigued. If you fail the save by more than 5, you become exhausted instead. This effect lasts for as long as you are in the dead magic zone and for 1 hour thereafter.

Soul Opening (Su): When you channel magic, you use relatively little of your souls potential to successfully invoke the incantation that you want to use. This is because you subconsciously limit yourself to keep your soul from straining too much. However, you can release your subconscious inhibitions to channel incantations with tremendous power.

A number of times per day equal to your channeling ability modier, you can open your soul to channel incantations with more power. When you do so, your channeling modier becomes 1.5 x (your nexus level + your channeling ability modier). In addition, the highest Difculty Class

of incantations that you may channel equals your channeling ability modier + 2 x your channeler level, which may exceed 40 (unlike normal channeling DCs; see Chapter 3 for more details).

Tapping into the magic of your soul is straining, however. Immediately after your soul opening ends, you become fatigued. Additionally, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + 2 x the number of rounds you used this ability). If you fail this save, you take 1 point of ability burn for every point by which you failed the saving throw. This ability burn affects your channeling ability score. For example, if you used your soul opening for three rounds, you must make a DC 16 Will save. If you fail the saving throw by 7, you take 7 points of ability burn to your channeling ability score.

Sphere Resistance (Ex): As you channel the magic of your sphere longer, you gain more resistance to the damaging effects of your sphere. At 3rd level, you gain a +1 insight bonus to saving throws against incantations, spells, powers, and other effects with certain descriptors, depending on your sphere (see Table 1-2: Spheres and Sphere Resistance for more details). This bonus increases by 1 for every three nexus levels you have.

Magic Touch (Su): Even though the magic that you wield is unlike that of spellcasters and manifesters, you can use your afnity for your sphere to use some items made by them. At 4th level, you gain a bonus equal to one-half your nexus level on Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device checks. However, you may only gain this bonus when using items that have a spell with one of the descriptors that you would apply your sphere resistance to as a requirement. In addition, you may take 10 when making a Use Magic Device or Use Psionic Device to activate such a magic or psionic item. However, you still may not take 10 when distracted or threatened. If your channeling ability score is Wisdom, you may apply your Wisdom modier instead of your Charisma modier to these checks.

Sphere Defense (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, you have become so used to the magic of your sphere that you can shrug off magical attacks of it with relative ease. If you succeed on a saving throw against an incantation, spell, power, or other effect with a descriptor that you apply your sphere resistance to (see above) that would normally

TABLE 1-2: SPHERES AND SPHERE RESISTANCE

Sphere Descriptors

Astrology Light, darkness, teleportation

Elements Air, earth, re, water

Mind Fear, mind-affecting

Nature Animal, electricity, plant, weather

BEHIND THE CURTAIN: ALTERNATIVE FLAVOR FOR SOUL OPENINGThe soul opening class feature of the nexus is its dening class feature. However, its avor can be easily adapted to create an entirely different feel to the nexus.Heroes with the ability to wield magic gain their tremendous power through a plethora of different ways. For one character, it might be a possessor that lends the character his might, and for another, it might be an inherent ability. Regardless of how the character acquires this ability, it can be represented by the nexus soul opening ability. Because of this, you could change the avor of the soul opening class feature to create an interesting character (even if your character has an ability that can be seen throughout the fantasy genre).

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produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), you instead negate the effect. You do not gain the benet of sphere defense when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Soul Rift (Su): At 20th level, your connection to your sphere is so complete that you can unleash the full fury of your sphere. Your unbridled force allows you to channel incantations that you normally could never use, but it is taxing on your body as well.

Once per day, you can unleash a soul rift while you are using the soul opening ability. While you are in a soul rift, you may channel incantations of any DC. As usual during a soul opening, the DC may exceed 40.

This ability is dependent on the soul opening ability; if you the soul opening ends, the soul rift immediately ends as well. The soul rift lasts for a number of rounds equal to your channeling ability modier. When it ends, you immediately become exhausted. This doesnt end your soul opening, however.

PLAYING A NEXUSYour link to your sphere makes you who you are. Like ghters rely on their weapons and armor while they ght, and spellcasters rely on their spells, so do you rely on your link to your sphere. However, to a fair number of nexuses, that link goes deeper than their means of defeating their opponents. To you, it may be something to hold your faith in, knowing that your sphere will always be there to provide you with the strength when you need it most. Friends may be there for you, but they are far less reliable than your sphere, upon whom you can always call. Some nexuses see their sphere as an additional parent, especially those who gained their power to channel incantations when they were young. Others see their sphere as a guide. Still others are relatively normal about their sphere, treating it as a tool of sorts, comparing it to the tool of an artisan or the sword of a ghter.

Because your talent is either powered by your intuition or your personality, and never your intellect, you tend to have a strong personality. For most nexuses, there is really one thing that they need to know, and that is that they can always call upon their incantationsthe rest is secondary, unnecessary knowledge.

As a nexus, you adventure to strengthen your link with your sphere, becoming able to channel better incantations as your link improves. However, there may be other motives for you to take to the path of the adventurer, depending on your sphere. If you are of the nature sphere, for example, you might travel for the same reasons as a druid, or if you are of the mind sphere, you might travel for the same reasons as a psion, or more commonly, as a wilder.

Religion: Depending on your relationship with your sphere, you may or may not revere a deity. If you revere a deity, it will most often be one who has at least some relevance to your sphere. Other channelers revere their sphere in one way or the other. Those who come from a primitive culture might see their sphere in the spirits around them, which is especially appropriate for the elemental and nature spheres. Revering a sphere as a deity in and of its own isnt an uncommon religion among the nexuses.

Other Classes: Because your magic came to you naturally, you get along well with other classes who have gained their powers in that way, such as sorcerers and wilders. However, you also get along well with those who wield magic similar to your own, regardless of how they gained their ability. In that aspect, it is rare for you to dislike people, because the spheres are near-universal in their nature. However, a nexus specialized in incantations of a certain element might be prejudiced when dealing with people who specialize in their opposite element. Because you are rather frail, you also get along well with frontline combatants, who can protect you, while you affect their opponents with your incantations.

Combat: Your role in combat depends partly on your sphere and the incantations that you know. However, all nexuses have several things in common when it comes to their ghting style.

As a channeler, you are as frail as any wielder of magic, so you are not likely to be an effective front line ghter. Instead, you should stay back, pelting your opponents with offensive incantations, while some of your incantations may be able bolster your allies. Because you cant continuously channel incantations, you should channel your incantations somewhat sparingly, so that youll always have an incantation ready when the situation demands it.

The way in which you use your incantations

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will depend mostly on your sphere. Nexuses of the elements sphere are usually the artillery of the party, using their mastery of the elements to pelt their opponents with air, earth, re, and water, although they can know a few useful utility incantations as well. The mind sphere offers a nexus many ways in which to incapacitate their opponents. Some of the incantations of the mind sphere can debilitate a spellcaster or manifester when used in the right way at the right moment, while other incantations are dangerous, regardless of the opponents class. Incantations of the nature sphere use the environment, debilitating the opponent and bolstering your allies. In addition, you can call animals and even the plants to your aid.

As you become more experienced, you gain more abilities to defend yourself against your sphere, meaning that there is a relatively small chance of your incantations backring.

Advancement: Nexuses can come from any walk of life and from any race. It might have been that you were a youth in a tribe who suddenly discovered that he could handle nature with magic, or you could have been the son of a long line of psychic adepts who manifested his talent not in the form of psionic powers, but through incantations of the mind sphere.

There are relatively few nexuses who have mastered their magic with the help of someone else, and they may not even want aid; they may prefer to nd out how they can channel incantations on their own. Nonetheless, a few nexuses have chosen to take on apprentices who show that they have talent, whether it was on purpose or accidentally. Schools for nexuses, however, are rare, if there are any such schools at all.

As you learn how to channel incantations better and your bond with your sphere improves, the most essential decisions in your career are choosing the incantations that you want to learn. Try to keep yourself versatile, so that you always have a backup that you can rely on when one of your incantations fails to have the effect that you wanted it to have.

Human Nexus Starting PackageArmor: None (speed 30 ft.).Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6/1d6, crit x2, 4 lb., two-handed bludgeoning).Light crossbow (1d8, crit 19-20/x2, range inc. 80

ft., 4 lb., piercing).Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 2 + Int modier.

Skill Ranks Ability

Armor Check Penalty

Concentration 4 Con --Craft 4 Int --Know (arcana) 4 Int --Know (nature) 4 Int --Know (psionic) 4 Int --Know (planes) 4 Int --Listen 4 Wis --Profession 4 Wis --Psicraft 4 Int --Speak Language 4 N/A --Spellcraft 4 Int --Spot 4 Wis --

Feat: Channeling Prodigy.Sphere: Elements.Incantations: Conjure ame (DC 3), wind push (DC 3).Gear: Backpack with waterskin, one days trail rations, bedroll, sack, and int and steel. Ten candles, map case. Case with 10 crossbow bolts.Gold: 4d6 gp.

NEXUSES IN THE WORLDWe had our axes raised, ready to chop down the trees, when suddenly the forest came alive! Some of our workers were grasped by vines, others were attacked by wild animals. The last thing I saw before I got the hell away from there was the satised smile of a woman, doubtlessly some sort of mage.

--Rendan Axehand, woodcutter

Nexuses live with the bond with their sphere, which largely shapes their life, but their incantations arent the only way in which they can contribute to their party. With their rsthand knowledge of their sphere and the universal nature of their sphere, they have a lot to contribute when something is even remotely related to their sphere. Depending on their sphere, they can also brave the elements, literally pick someones mind even without their

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incantations, and navigate in the wilderness.Daily Life: A nexus spends most of his time

on his sphere, whether it is through practicing their incantations or otherwise. Nexuses of the elements sphere sometimes philosophize about the occurrence of the elements in everything around them. Mind nexuses study the mind in all its forms, and tend to have an interest in the study of psionics as well. Nexuses who channel incantations of the nature sphere can often be found in the wilderness, conversing with nature in their own way.

Notables: Of the few nexuses there can be found throughout history, even fewer have been notable. Wilders and channelers of the mind sphere alike speak with awe of Terjal, Intuition Incarnate. This nexus had a nearly infallible intuition, and was rarely wrong. He used his incantations to nd out what his opponents thought before they could even act, allowing him to strike at the speed of thought, or so they said. In modern days, the nature nexus Lasne is well-known as the benevolent patron of the forest, wandering from one forest to another to defend nature with nature itself. She doesnt take on students, but she is willing to take the time to teach a talented channeler how to handle his incantations.

Organizations: Nexuses rarely found organiza-tions. A nexus may live an entire life without ever seeing another nexus, so the chance of more than two nexuses being together is small. Some, how-ever, join organizations themselves that relate to their sphere. A nexus of the nature sphere may join a druids circle, for example.

NPC Reactions: Depending on how much channeling is accepted, you may be welcomed like a friend or chased away by superstitious, frightened mobs. Your prowess may make you seem like some sort of shaman in the eyes of primitive people, while cultured people tend to mistake you for a spellcaster or a manifester. Those who cast spells or manifest powers themselves, though, know better, and they may welcome you as a wielder of magic or psionics, or they may distrust you because your magic is different.

Races:Because the bond with a sphere and the talent to channel incantations can manifest itself in anyone, nexuses can come from any race. However, some races tend to have more nexuses of one sphere. The nexuses of psionic races in particular

are dominated by nexuses of the mind sphere.Other Classes: Because your talent is inborn, you

get along well with sorcerers and wilders, though you may feel the urge to prove to them that your magic is better than theirs because of how much you rely on your incantations. Regardless, allies who wield magic that is similar to yours are among your friends. You get along well with front line combatants who defend you when foes attack you in melee, because you can rely upon themnot as much as you can rely your sphere, but they are still there for you when you need them the most.

NEXUS LORECharacters with ranks in Gather Information or Knowledge (arcana) can research nexuses and learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs. Because channeling, and consequentially nexuses, may be rare in your campaign, you may want to adjust the DC to represent the appropriate rarity of nexuses.

DC 10: A nexus is just another spellcaster who thinks that his magic is universal.

DC 15: Unlike spellcasters, channelers can channel incantations, which resemble spells, and they can do this as often as they want. They have this ability because they are bonded with a font of magic.

DC 20: Nexuses improve their bond with their sphere as they become more experienced, and can call upon the magic of their sphere in other ways than their incantations.

NEXUSES IN THE GAMENexuses are similar to sorcerers in several ways, and they can play similar roles in your campaign. However, their bond with a sphere means that they can learn a lot about their sphere, becoming sages who have learned everything there is to know about their sphere. Whenever theres something to be known about a sphere, these people will be sought after. However, because nexuses are often born with the ability to channel magic, those who are born in superstitious communities can be pursued or exiled by those who are frightened by their incantations, especially if they havent developed and trained their magic yet. Such young nexuses may seek help

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with the PCs, intuitively thinking that one of the characters may be able to help him.

A nexus expects that his incantations can help the party in the way that he wants.

Regardless of how you play nexuses in your campaign setting, you should remember that any attention spent to a nexus sphere will denitely arouse his interest.

Adaptation: If you dislike the inborn afnity for channeling that is common among the nexuses, you could remove all of the avor that relates to their ability being inborn, and replace it with the nexus magic coming from a pact that either he or his forefathers has made with powerful creatures of his sphere, similar to the warlock (see Complete Arcane). For example, a nexus with the elements sphere may have made a pact with a greater or elder elemental. (Elder elementals can be found in the Epic Level Handbook.)

Sample Encounter: Nexuses are often found in areas where their sphere is prominent. Any time the PCs are involved with something that relates to a sphere, a nexus might appear.

EL 6: Nandra of the Grey Woods is a nexus of the nature sphere. She is the self-appointed warden of the Grey Woods, and she considers the forest as her own domain. She will jealously protect the forest from anyone who nears the forest with the intent of destroying or taking over the Grey Woods, whether it is with good intent or not. She hates all humanoids with a passion, and it is unlikely that she will back down from anyone. If the PCs enter the forest, Nandra will attempt to ambush them, channeling her incantations to the highest effect. Because she is physically weak, she will always try to keep a distance, letting the animals and plants of the forest ght for her.

Nandra of the Grey Woods EL 6Female human nexus 6LE Medium humanoidInit +6; Senses Spot +12, Listen +11Languages Common AC 13, touch 12, at-footed 11; Dodge(+2 Dexterity, +1 natural armor)hp 29 (6 HD)

Weakness magic sensitivity +20Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +8; sphere defense +2 Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)Melee mwk quarterstaff +3 (1d6-1)Ranged sling +5 (1d4-1)Base Atk +3; Grp +2Special Actions magic touch +3, soul openingCombat Gear potion of owls wisdom Incantations Known (CL 6th, +9 channeling bonus, maximum DC 12):Call animal (DC 7), entangling plants (DC 5), leaf growth (DC 7), lightning (DC 5), rejuvenation (DC 7) Abilities Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13Feats Animal Afnity, Dodge, Enhanced Channeling*, Improved InitiativeSkills Handle Animal +6, Knowledge (nature) +9, Listen +11, Ride +6, Spot +12, Survival +12Possessions combat gear plus amulet of natural armor +1, masterwork quarterstaff, sling, pouch with 10 sling bullets

Magic Sensitivity (Su): In a wild magic zone, Nandra must make a DC 15 Will save or become confused. In a dead magic zone, she must make a DC 20 Will save or become fatigued.

Magic Touch (Su): Nandra gains a +3 bonus on Use Magic Device and Use Psionic Device checks to activate magic items that have a spell with the animal, electricity, plant, or weather descriptor as a prerequisite to craft. In addition, she can take 10 on such checks with such items.

Soul Opening (Su): Three times per day, Nandra can use a soul opening. While she is in a soul opening, her channeling bonus becomes +13 and her maximum DC becomes 15. When the soul opening ends, Nandra becomes fatigued and must make a Will save (DC 10 + twice the number of rounds she used soul opening) or take Wisdom damage equal to the number by which she failed the check.

Sphere Resistance (Ex): Nandra gains a +2 bonus on saves against effects with the animal, electricity, plant, or weather descriptor.

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Like all characters, channelers of magic rely on feats to improve their incantations, expand their abilities, and unlock hidden potential. However, not only channelers can expand their abilities and unlock hidden potentials; those who already wield the magic of a sphere in other ways can learn how to channel incantations of their sphere without actually learning incantations. Following are descriptions of dozens of channeling-related feats.

The following section introduces two new types of feats. Incantation feats grant characters and creatures, even those who normally cant channel incantations, the ability to channel new incantations. Metachanneling feats let channelers improve their incantations in ways other than their individual enhancements or improve the way in which they channel their incantations. Both feat types are described in greater detail below.

INCANTATION FEATSIncantation feats grant characters and creatures

with at least some link to magic. Sometimes, the character or creature needs to have a bond to a specic kind of magic, because the incantation feat is related to a sphere.

Because incantation feats are supernatural abilitiesa departure from the general rule that feats do not grant supernatural abilitiesthey are treated just like incantations for most purposes, except those noted here. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell or incantation resistance and cannot be dispelled; however, they do not function in areas where magic or psionics are suppressed, such as a null psionics eld. (Because the link to magic or a specic sphere is based in both the latent magic of a character or creature and the mind, effects that nullify magic or psionics render incantation feats equally useless.) Leaving such areas immediately allows incantation feats to be used.

Many incantation feats require you to make a channeling check. Unless noted otherwise, you add only your Wisdom or Charisma modier (chosen when you take your rst incantation feat; it cannot

be changed thereafter). Anything that affects a channeling check also affects a character or creature who uses an incantation feat.

METACHANNELING FEATSAs a channelers knowledge of and bond to his

sphere grow, he learns how to channel incantations in slightly different ways than they can normally be channeled and enhanced. For example, a channeler may be able to channel an incantation that affects a larger area than normal, or is improved in some other way. Of course, using a metachanneling feat increases the difculty of channeling the enhanced incantation.

Channeling Time: Incantations channeled using metachanneling feats take the same time as channeling the incantations normally unless the metachanneling feat specically says otherwise, such as the Rapid Incantation feat.

Difculty Class: To use a metachanneling feat, a channeler must increase the DC of an incantation by a certain amount, depending on the metachanneling feat used, as given in the feat description.

Limits on Use: As with all incantations, you cannot enhance an incantation so that its DC becomes higher than your maximum DC. Metachanneling feats merely let you enhance incantations in ways other than those described in the incantations description.

Effect of Metachanneling Feats on an Incantation: In all ways, a metachanneling incantation operates at its enhanced DC. The modications made by a metachanneling feat apply to everything that is resolved when channeling an incantation. A channeler cant use a metachanneling feat to alter an incantation that he doesnt channel on his own, such as those granted by a magic item.

Some metachanneling feats apply only to incantations that fulll a certain requirement, as described in each specic feat entry.

FEAT DESCRIPTIONSThese feat descriptions follow the standard format.

CHAPTER 2: FEATS

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TABLE 2-1: FEATS

General Feats Prerequisites Benet

Channeling Prodigy Channeling ability score 13 Treat channeling ability score as 2 higher for determining channeling modier and maximum incantations per minute

Concentrated Recovery -- Make DC 15 Concentration check to recover channeling

Enhanced Channeling -- Channel incantations with DCs of 2 higher

Improved Channeling -- Gain a +2 bonus on channeling checks

Improved Sphere Defense Sphere defense class feature,nexus level 15th

Improve sphere defense class feature

Improved Sphere Resistance Sphere resistance class feature Improve sphere resistance class feature

Incantation Feats Prerequisites Benet

Arcane Bolt Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks,ability to cast 1st-level spells

Channel arcane bolt that deals 1d6 damage

Arcane Ward Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks,ability to cast 1st-level spells

Channel arcane ward that grants armor bonus

Channeled Focus Concentration 4 ranks,Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks

Make DC 20 channeling check to prevent losing psionic focus

Channeled Wild Shape Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks,wild shape class feature

Make DC 20 channeling check to assume wild shape

Channeling Afnity Wisdom or Charisma 13 Gain the use of one incantation

Divine Channeling Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks,ability to turn or rebuke undead

Make DC 20 channeling check to turn or rebuke undead

Psionic Channeling Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks,Overchannel

Make channeling check to negate Overchannel damage

Wild Empathic Channeling Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks,wild empathy class feature

Make channeling check to gain bonus to wild empathy

Item Creation Feat Prerequisites Benet

Charge Essence Shard Channeler level 1st Create essence shards

Metachanneling Feats Prerequisites Benet

Chain Incantation -- Choose additional targets with incantation

Delay Enhancement -- Enhance incantation at a later time

Empower Incantation -- Increase incantations variable, number effects by 50%

Enlarge Incantation -- Double incantations range

Extend Incantation -- Double incantations duration

Maximize Incantation -- Maximize incantations variable, number effects

Opportunity Incantation -- Make attacks of opportunity with incantations

Rapid Incantation -- Channel incantations as move or swift action

Surging Incantation Channeler level 10th Channel incantations that exceed maximum DC

Twin Incantation -- Channel power twice

Widen Incantation -- Double incantations area

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ARCANE BOLT [INCANTATION]Your bond with magic itself allows you to channel bolts of arcane energy.

Prerequisite: Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.

Benefit: You can channel bolts of arcane energy. You must make a DC 5 channeling check. If the channeling check succeeds, you may attack one opponent within 30 feet with a ranged touch attack that deals 1d6 points of damage.

Special: For every 3 points by which you increase the DC, the arcane bolt deals an additional 1d6 points of damage.

ARCANE WARD [INCANTATION]Your bond with magic itself allows you to channel a protective ward around yourself.

Prerequisite: Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.

Benet: You can channel a protective ward around yourself. You must make a DC 7 channeling check. If the channeling check succeeds, you gain a +2 armor bonus to AC. This incantation feat is treated as an incantation with a duration of 1 minute and is a force effect.

Special: For every 3 points by which you increase the DC, the armor bonus increases by 1.

For every point by which you increase the DC, the duration increases by 1 minute.

CHAIN INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel incantations that arc to hit other targets in addition to the primary target.

Benefit: You can chain any incantation that affects a single target and that deals hit point damage. After the primary target is struck, the incantation can arc to a secondary target. The secondary arc strikes one target and deal half as much damage as the primary one did (round down). However, you must make a successful attack roll against the target or the target must fail a saving throw against the incantation, as appropriate for the incantation.

However, you may also affect additional targets. The incantation may also strike a number of additional targets equal to one-half your channeler level (maximum ten). Each strike deals one target and deals half as much damage as the strike before it did (rounded down).

Each target gets to make a saving throw, if one is

allowed by the incantation. You choose secondary targets as you like, but each target must be within one-half the incantations range of the target before it, and no target can be struck more than once. You can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum (to avoid allies in the area, for example).

Using this feat if the incantation affects one additional target increases the incantation point cost of the incantation by 2 (if the incantation strikes one additional target) or 6 (if the incantation strikes a number of targets up to one-half your channeler

Arcane Ward protects a character from harm

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level). The incantations total cost cannot exceed your channeler level.

CHANNELED FOCUS [INCANTATION, PSIONIC]You can channel a link to the collective unconscious of the mind sphere, and use it to keep your psionic focus when you would lose or expend it.

Prerequisites: Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks.

Benefit: Whenever you would lose or expend your psionic focus (such as when you use a psionic feat that requires you to expend your psionic focus), you may instead make a DC 20 channeling check to keep your psionic focus. (This feat isnt limited by the characters maximum channeling DC, and is an exception to the general rule that incantation feats cannot exceed the characters maximum DC.) Using this feat doesnt take an action, it is made as a reaction to a condition that would make you lose your psionic focus. You may use this feat once per round.

CHANNELED WILD SHAPE [INCANTATION, WILD]Your bond with nature allows you to channel it to assume the shape of a wild beast.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks, wild shape class feature.

Benefit: You may make a DC 20 channeling check to gain an immediate use of wild shape. You must assume a wild shape within one round or the energy fades away. (This feat isnt limited by the characters maximum channeling DC, and is an exception to the general rule that incantation feats cannot exceed the characters maximum DC.) If the channeling check succeeds, this channeling check is made as part of assuming the wild shape; if it fails, this channeling check is a standard action.

CHANNELING AFFINITY [INCANTATION]You have an extraordinary familiarity with magic, which you have honed to the point of being able of channeling an incantation.

Prerequisite: Wisdom or Charisma 13.Benefit: When you gain this feat, you learn

an incantation. You must be able to channel the incantation when you take this feat. You add one-half your channeler level + the ability modifier of the ability that you used to meet the prerequisite of this feat to your channeling check. Your maximum

channeling DC is equal to the usual maximum divided by two. For all purposes related to this feat, your channeler level is one-half your character level or, if you actually have channeler levels, your channeler level (whichever is higher).

CHANNELING PRODIGYYou have an exceptional gift for channeling.

Prerequisite: Channeling ability score 13.Benefit: For the purpose of determining your

channeling modifier and how many incantations you may channel per minute, treat your channeling ability score as 2 points higher than its actual value.

Special: You may only take this feat as a 1st-level character. You can take this feat even if you dont have any channeling classes yet.

CHARGE ESSENCE SHARD [ITEM CREATION]You know how to charge an essence sharda stable piece of energy of a sphere. A channeler who uses an essence shard can use its essence to channel an incantation with more incantation.

Prerequisite: Channeler level 1st.Benefit: You can charge an essence shard with

the energy of a sphere from which you can channel incantations (see Chapter 6: Magic Items for more information). The market price of a temporary essence shard is the bonus granted to channeling checks squared x 500; the market price of a stable essence shard is the bonus granted to channeling checks squared x 5,000. You must spend 1/25 of the market price in XP and use materials costing 1/2 the market price. Charging an essence shard takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp of its market price.

Like a potion or a scroll, a temporary essence shard can be used only once, while a stable essence shard can be recharged, somewhat like a cognizance crystal.

CONCENTRATED RECOVERYYou can concentrate for a moment to recover your ability to channel incantations.

Prerequisite: Concentration 4 ranks.Benefit: You may make a DC 15 Concentration

check as a full-round action to regain the ability to channel incantations if you have channeled a number of incantations equal to your channeling ability modifier. If you successfully make the

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check, you are treated as if you havent channeled an incantation for the last 10 rounds.

You may make a DC 25 Concentration check as a standard action instead.

DELAY ENHANCEMENT [METACHANNELING]You can delay the enhancement of an incantation to after you have successfully channeled an incantation.

Benefit: If you successfully channel an incanta-tion with a duration of aura or a duration measured in rounds, you may enhance the incantation at a later time. To do so, you must make a channel-ing check equal to the enhanced DC 5. This is an exception to the rule that incantations cant be enhanced after they are channeled.

DIVINE CHANNELING [DIVINE, INCANTATION]Your deity has manifested itself as a pseudo-sphere to you, allowing you to channel your faith as you would cast your spells.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, ability to turn or rebuke undead.

Benefit: You may make a DC 20 channeling check to gain two immediate turn or rebuke undead attempts. You must use this attempt within one minute or the energy fades away. (This feat isnt limited by the characters maximum channeling DC, and is an exception to the general rule that incantation feats cannot exceed the characters maximum DC.) If the channeling check succeeds, this channeling check is made as part of the first turn or rebuke undead attempt (if it is used in the round in which this feat was used); if it fails, this channeling check is a standard action. If you use these turn or rebuke undead attempts in a round after you used this feat, the channeling check is a standard action, regardless of whether the check was successful.

Special: You may not have more than two turn or rebuke undead attempts granted through this feat at any given time.

EMPOWER INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel incantations to greater effect.

Benefit: You can empower an incantation. All variable, numeric effects of an empowered incantation are increased by one-half. An empowered incantation deals half again as much

damage as normal, cures half again as many hit points, affects half again as many targets, and so forth, as appropriate. Augmented incantations can also be empowered (multiply 1.5 times the damage total of the augmented incantation). Saving throws and opposed checks are not affected, nor are incantations without random variables.

Using this feat increases the channeling DC of the incantation by 2. The incantations DC cannot exceed your maximum DC.

ENHANCED CHANNELINGYou can channel incantations that are too difcult to channel for others.

Benefit: You can channel incantations with DCs that are 2 points higher than your normal limit.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Its effect stack.

Normal: You may not channel incantations with DCs higher than your channeling ability modifier + 1.5 x your channeler level (to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 40).

ENLARGE INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel incantations farther than normal.

Benefit: You can alter an incantation with a range measured in feet to double its range. An incantation with a range of 30 feet, for example, has its range increased to 60 feet.

Incantations whose ranges are not defined by distance.


EXTEND INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel incantations that last longer than normal.

Benefit: You can channel an extended incantation. An extended incantation lasts twice as long as normal. An incantation with a duration of aura, instantaneous, or permanent is not affected by this feat.


IMPROVED CHANNELINGYou can channel incantations more easily than

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most others can.Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to your channeling

checks.Special: You may take this feat multiple times.

Its effects stack.

IMPROVED SPHERE DEFENSEYou can shrug off magic of your sphere exceptionally well, even where others fail.

Prerequisites: Sphere defense class feature, nexus level 15th.

Benefit: You still are unaffected on a successful saving throw against an effect with a descriptor of your sphere, henceforth you only treat the saving throw as if you made it, even if you failed it. You do not gain the benefit of this feat when you are unconscious or sleeping.

Normal: You take the full effect against an effect if you fail the saving throw.

IMPROVED SPHERE RESISTANCEYou can resist the magic of your sphere exceptionally well.

Prerequisite: Sphere resistance class feature.Benefit: The bonus to saving throw granted by

your sphere resistance improves to become one-half your nexus level. This applies to all nexus levels, including ones that you already have and future levels.

Normal: The bonus to saving throws granted by your sphere resistance improves by 1 for every three nexus levels you have.

MAXIMIZE INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel incantations to maximum effect.

Benefit: You can maximize an incantation. All variable, numeric effects of an incantation modified by this feat are maximized. A maximized incantation deals maximum damage, cures the maximum number of hit points, affects the maximum number of targets, and so on, as appropriate. Saving throws and opposed checks are not affected, nor are incantations without random variables.

Augmented incantations can be maximized; a maximized augmented incantation deals the maximum damage (or cures the maximum hit points, and so on) of the augmented incantation.

An empowered and maximized incantation gains the separate benefits of each feat: the maximum

result plus one-half the normally rolled result. Using this feat increases the channeling DC of

the incantation by 4. The incantations DC cannot exceed your maximum DC.

OPPORTUNITY INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can make incantation-enhanced attacks of opportunity.

Benefit: When you make an attack of opportunity, you can use any incantation you know with a range of touch, if you have at least one hand free.

Channeling this incantation is an immediate action.

You cannot use this feat with a touch incantation whose channeling time is longer than 1 full-round action.


Normal: Attacks of opportunity can be made only with melee weapons.

PSIONIC CHANNELING [INCANTATION, PSIONIC]You can channel the mind sphere to put less strain on your body when you burn your life force to strengthen your powers.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks, Overchannel.

Benefit: When you use the Overchannel feat, you may make a channeling check (DC 10 x the number by which your manifester level improves) to negate the damage dealt by the Overchannel feat.

RAPID INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel an incantation faster.

Benefit: You can channel an incantation faster. You can channel an incantation as a move action or a swift action (but see below). You can perform another action, even channel another incantation, in the same round that you channel a quickened incantation. You can channel only one quickened incantation per round.

Using this feat increases the channeling DC of the incantation by 3 (if channeled as a move action) or 6 (if channeled as a swift action). The incantations DC cannot exceed your maximum DC.

Channeling a rapid incantation as a swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

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SURGING INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel an incantations that normally would be too difcult to cast, but at a greater risk of failing.

Prerequisite: Channeler level 10th.Benefit: You can channel a surging incantation.

An incantation channeled by this feat does not have a maximum DC (but see below), meaning that you can enhance it and apply metachanneling feats, regardless of your maximum DC. This feat does not, however, allow you to learn incantations that exceed your normal maximum DC.

Using this feat increases the DC by 2 for every point by which the DC exceeds your maximum DC. For example, if you channel a surging incantation that causes the DC to exceed your maximum channeling DC by 4, the DC increases by 8 instead for the purpose of channeling the incantation. This increase only affects your channeling check; any other factors that depend on the channeling DC are unaffected.

TWIN INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can channel an incantation simultaneously with another incantation just like it.

Benefit: You can twin an incantation. Channeling an incantation altered by this feat causes the incantation to take effect twice on the area or target, as if you were simultaneously channeling the same incantation two times on the same location or target. Any variables in the incantation (such as duration,

number of targets, and so on) are the same for both of the resulting incantations. The target experiences all the effects of both incantations individually and receives a saving throw (if applicable) for each.


WIDEN INCANTATION [METACHANNELING]You can increase the area of your incantations.

Benefit: You can alter a burst, emanation, line, or spread-shaped incantation to increase its area. (Incantations that do not have an area of one of these four sorts are not affected by this feat.) Any numeric measurements of the incantations area double.


WILD EMPATHIC CHANNELING [INCANTATION]Your bond with nature strengthens your empathy with wild beasts.

Prerequisites: Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks, wild empathy class feature.

Benefit: You may make a channeling check to gain an insight bonus on wild empathy checks (DC 3 + twice the insight bonus gained). This incantation feat is treated as an incantation of the nature sphere with a duration of aura.

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The uncanny power to channel magic springs from either devotion, discipline, or ancestral afnity, and the magic from the sphere from which the channeler draws his incantations. These incantations are somewhat like spells, in that they are a one-time magical effect, and that they draw from mystical energies, but thats where the similarities end. Put shortly, channelers draw their mystical energy directly from their spheres, whereas spellcasters mold this energy to cast their spells. Despite this fundamental difference, incantations can rival spells with their wholesome mystical energies. The typical spellcaster might be able to draw amazing amounts of mystical energy into a spell, but a channeler believes that mastering the mystical energy of their sphere requires self-discipline and devotion, in addition to being able to channeling the correct energies.

This chapter covers all the basic guidelines and rules for using the incantation system described in this book. Think of this material as analogous to that in Chapter 10 of the Players Handbook. It covers the basics of incantations and presents information on how the incantation system interacts with other game elements, such as spell resistance.

INCANTATIONSAn incantation is a one-time supernatural effect that can be used indenitely and is always available to you.

You can channel magic as many times as you like in a single day, but each time you channel an incantation, you lose a little of your mental focus, you exhaust a small portion of your personal power or energy, or you simply come closer to overloading your pool of magic without letting the energy seep away rst. In other words, there is a limit to how often you can channel magic in a given period of time without needing to rest or perform a specic action that allows you to immediately recover your ability to channel magic. As a result, you must wait for a while if you have reached your limit to how

many incantations you can channel per minute.

READYING INCANTATIONSYou do not need to ready your incantations ahead of time. Every incantation you know is always available to you. However, you need to be mentally and physically prepared to be able to channel your incantations. This preparation can be done in the form of prayer, practice, or simply drawing subtle amounts of magic from your sphere to open up the ow of magic. Therefore, you must ready yourself to channel magic.

To ready yourself to channel magic, you need a brief period of practice, exercise, meditation, or prayer. The exact nature of this preparation differs from channeler to channeler, but each characters needs 5 minutes of preparation time. You do not need to be well rested to ready yourself to channel magic, but you do need to be able to move and speak without restraint. As long as you are not physically disturbed during your exercise or meditation, you successfully prepare yourself to channel magic, and you can channel incantations during that day.

CHANNELING INCANTATIONSTo channel an incantation, you must have at least one hand free and you must be able to speak. Because of the intricate gestures needed to channel an incantation, you incur a failure chance when you wear armor as if you were casting an arcane spell (see the Players Handbook). An incantation might require an immediate, swift, move, standard, or full-round action to channel. The process of channeling an incantation is similar to that of casting a spell or manifesting a power, although there are some key differences (see below). You can always channel an incantation, provided that you havent reached your limit of incantations you can channel each minute.

Channeling Limit: A channeler has a limit to how many incantations he can channel per minute. He may not channel more incantations than his base

CHAPTER 3: INCANTATIONS OVERVIEW

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channeling ability modier during each minute. (Your base channeling ability modier meaning the modier of that ability before you add temporary bonuses, such as that from a magic item.)

Channeling Check:Every incantation must be channeled with a successful channeling check. This means that you roll a d20, add your channeler level and your channeling ability modier. If the result equals or exceeds the Difculty Class of the incantation, you successfully channel the incantation. If you fail the check by 4 or less, the incantation fails. If you fail the check by more than 5, you take ability burn to your channeling ability score equal to the number by which you failed the check 5.

If a description says that a channeler is treated as if he failed his channeling check under certain circumstances, this means that the channeler essentially fails the channeling check by 1, unless noted otherwise. For example, if you dont spend a swift action to concentrate on an incantation with a duration of aura and a DC of 10, you are effectively treated as if you had a 9 as your channeling check result. This does not affect previous rounds in which that incantation was active.

CONCENTRATIONLike with spells or powers, you need to concentrate to channel an incantation; therefore, channeling an incantation provokes attacks of opportunity. If something interrupts your concentration while youre channeling an incantation, you must make a Concentration check or fail the channeling check. The more distracting the interruption and the higher the Difculty Class of the incantation you are trying to channel, the higher the Concentration DC is. (More powerful incantations require more mental effort.) If you fail the check, you fail to channel the incantation just as if you had failed the channeling check.

The Concentration DC for channeling an incantation while distracted or endangered is similar to that for casting a spell or manifesting a spell under those

conditions. However, instead of using spell or power level, an incantation uses one-half its DC to determine its Concentration DC. (See the Players Handbook or the Expanded Psionics Handbook for more details.)

If you fail the Concentration check to channel an incantation while distracted or endangered, you lose the incantation as if you had failed the channeling check. You are considered to have used its channeling time for the purpose of determining what actions remain available to you on your turn.

CHANNELER LEVELSome incantations have variable effects (such as duration) that depend on channeler level. Your channeling modier and maximum channeling DC are affected by your channeler level, although few other effects depend on channeler level and your channeling ability score. This difference in effect is a balance and game play issue. Since you can use incantations repeatedly, they tend to scale poorly. As you attain higher levels, you tend to channel

Channeling an incantation requires talent and concentration

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incantations with higher DCs. Many incantations however, remain useful even if they arent enhanced and therefore have a lower Difculty Class. How much you can enhance an incantation, however, depends on your channeler level and your channeling ability score (see Enhance, below).

Your channeler level equals your total levels in the classes that provide access to incantations. If you lack any channeler levels, you cannot channel incantations.

Selecting Incantations: Unlike spells, incanta-tions are not organized by level. Instead, they are organized by Difculty Class. Incantations with higher Difculty Classes are more powerful than those with a lower Difculty Class, and therefore more difcult to channel. As you gain levels, you have the option to select more powerful incanta-tions. Your channeler level determines the maxi-mum Difculty Class of an incantation that you can select. You cannot select an incantation with a Difculty Class that exceeds your channeling abil-ity modier + 1.5 x your channeler level, to a mini-mum of 5 and a maximum of 40.

RESOLVING AN INCANTATIONOnce you have chosen an incantation to channel, you must resolve its effects.

Attacks: Many incantations include an attack of some kind. All offensive combat actions, even those that dont damage opponents, are considered attacks. All incantations that opponents can resist with saving throws, that deal damage, or otherwise hamper subjects are considered attacks. As a rule of thumb, an incantation that directly and negatively affects an unwilling subject is an attack.

Bonus Types: Some incantations grant bonuses to ability scores or Armor Class, on attacks or damage, on saves, or on a number of other variables. Each bonus has a type that indicates why or how it is granted. With the exception of dodge bonuses, two bonuses of the same type generally dont stack.

If an incantation does not identify the type of bonus conferred, its effects stack with all other effects modifying the same characteristic or attribute. Untyped bonuses always stack.

Actions during an Incantation: The Channeling Time line of an incantation provides the action required to channel that incantation.

Some incantations have a duration of Aura.

These incantations bestow the channeler with a continuous effect, but he must expend a swift action each round to concentrate on the aura. Once a channeler doesnt spend a swift action to maintain the aura, it immediately ends at the end of his turn.

INCANTATIONS AND MAGICIn general, incantations are transparent to magic and psionics. Because channeling magic is different than manipulating the mystical energies that make magic, it is nearly impossible to affect one with the other. However, there are a few cases where incantations interact with spells or powers.

Supernatural Abilities: Incantations are never spells or spell-like abilities (although their effects might resemble certain spells or spell-like abilities). An incantation is always a supernatural ability. Thus, incantations fail to work in an antimagic eld or a dead magic zone. An incantation cant be dispelled or counterspelled, but channeling an incantation does provoke attacks of opportunity.

Detecting Incantations: Most incantations dont create persistent or long-lasting magical effects (although they might create mundane material, which isnt magical on its own), and the results are obvious to any observer. However, identifying a specic incantation requires the Spellcraft skill.

Multiple Effects: Incantations usually work as described in Chapter 4, no matter how many other powers, spells, or magical effects happen to be operating in the same area or on the same object. Whenever an incantation has a specic effect on other incantations, powers, or spells, its description explains the effect.

Stacking Effects: Incantations that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes do not stack. Regardless, a bonus gained by an incantation never stacks with itself, even if it is an unnamed or dodge bonus.

INCANTATION DESCRIPTIONSThe description of each incantation follows a standard format, which is described below.

NAMEThis entry is the name by which the incantation is

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generally known. However, its fairly common for a channeler to name his own incantations differently. For example, the walk on water incantation might be known as the Aquan step technique by one channeler, while another calls it the water elementals feet talent.

SPHEREEach incantation belongs to a sphere. The incantations in a sphere are linked by a common source. The second line of an incantation description provides the name of the relevant sphere.The spheres include the following, but are not limited to:

ASTROLOGYSome people look up to the skies for their answers, and channelers of the astrology sphere are one of the few whose calls are answered. Astral channelers wield the magic of the heavens, calling down comets, shining with the light of the sun, or even travel to the Astral Plane itself.

ELEMENTSSages say that the world consists of the four primal elements: air, earth, re, and water. Those who channel the elements, however, dont just say that; they prove it with their magic. Drawing from the innite elemental planes, these channelers can channel elemental magic that most people have never seen. Summoning creatures composed of the elements they channel and manipulating the elements; this is but some of the magic that an elemental channeler can wield.

MINDThe conscious mind is a wellspring of powerful energy. Those who are able to tap into this mental energy use a kind of magic called psionics. Mental channelers, however, do not channel their own mental energy; they channel the near-innite collective energy of every mind in existence. Using this mental energy, channelers of the mind can manifest powerful emotions in the mind, among other displays of channeling magic.

NATUREWhile some think that nature cannot hold magic, those who channel nature magic know better.

Wielding the wellspring of life that is nature, a nature channeler holds his sway over the creatures of the wilderness, the weather, and the terrain itself. These channelers can summon and empathize with animals, cause the weather to bend to their will, and shape their surroundings as they please, among channeling other magic.

[DESCRIPTOR]Some incantations have descriptors that further dene them. These descriptors appear on the same line as the sphere of the incantation. Incantations drawn from the elements, for example, always have either the air, earth, re, or water descriptors, because these incantations draw their magic from these four primal elements (with the exception of the elemental aptitude incantation).

The descriptors that apply to incantations in this book are air, animal, cold, darkness, earth, electricity, re, light, mind-affecting, plant, water, and weather. (The animal, plant, and weather descriptors are new; see Behind the Curtains: New Descriptors, below, for more information. Most of these descriptors have no game effect by themselves, but they govern how an incantation

BEHIND THE CURTAINS: NEW DESCRIPTORSThe Tome of Channeling introduces three new descriptors; the animal, plant, and weather descriptors. These descriptors are applied to incantations of the nature sphere, and are used to classify these incantations more easily.

While other books do not use the aforementioned descriptors, you can apply them to existing spells, powers, and other effects. For example, the control weather spell would be an ideal candidate for the weather descriptor. The Appendix shows you which spells and powers in the Players Handbook and Expanded Psionics Handbook are eligible for the animal, plant, and weather descriptors.

The use of these descriptors also make it easier to create feats and other custom content that are based around effects with these descriptors. For example, you could create a prestige class that is based on spells with the plant descriptor, without having to explicitly name every spell that is related to that prestige class.

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interacts with other incantations, powers, spells, or other abilities.

DIFFICULTY CLASSThis entry gives the channeling DC to successfully use this incantation, which denes how difcult it is to channel the magic required to use this incantation. Some incantations allow you to enhance its effect by increasing the DC (see below).

DC Limit: A channeler cannot use incantations with a DC that exceeds his channeling ability modier + 1.5 x his channeler level (to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 40), nor can he enhance an incantation in such a way that the DC exceeds this Difculty Class.

CHANNELING TIMEThis entry describes the type of action you must expend to activate an incantation. In some cases, you initiate an incantation, and its effect lasts for the rest of your turn (or beyond). In other cases, incantations last only as long as the action required to channel them (1 swift action, 1 immediate action, 1 move action, 1 standard action, or 1 full-round action).

Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you can only perform only a single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you would take. You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action.

Casting a quickened spell or manifesting a quickened power is a swift action, so you cant channel an incantation with a channeling time of 1 swift action in the same round that you cast a quickened spell or use a quickened power. Using a swift action doesnt provoke attacks of opportunity.

Immediate Action: Much like a swift action, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort than a free action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed

at any timeeven if its not your turn. Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action, and counts as your swift action for the 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 cannot use an immediate action if you are currently at-footed.

RANGEAn incantations range indicates how far from you it can reach. Some incantations are treated as Personal-range effects, because you channel the incantation to give yourself a special bonus or capability.

Standard ranges include (but are not limited to) the following:

Personal: The incantation affects only you (but might give you an unusual power or ability to affect others).

Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch incantation that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can, and you multiply the extra damage from an incantation on a successful critical hit as usual.

Range Expressed in Feet: Some incantations have no standard range category, just a range expressed in feet.

TARGETING AN INCANTATIONYou might have to make some choice about whom your incantation is to effect or where it will origi-nate. This entry describes the incantations target or targets, its effect, or its area, as appropriate.

Target or Targets: Some incantations affect a specic creature or object (or more than one creature or object) that you designate as your target or targets. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specically choose that target.

Some incantations can be channeled only on willing targets. You can declare yourself a willing target at any time (even if youre at-footed or it isnt your turn). Unconscious characters are always considered willing, but a character who is conscious

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but immobilized or helpless is not automatically willing.

Some incantations target you (but they might confer an unusual ability to affect other creatures). If the target of an incantation is You, you do not receive a saving throwyou receive the benet of the incantation automatically as long as you meet any other requirements for channeling it successfully.

Other incantations affect a creature or creatures that you successfully hit with a melee or ranged touch attack.

Area: Some incantations affect an area. You might be able to choose the point where the incantations effect originates, but otherwise you dont control which creatures or objects an area incantation affects.

Burst: A burst affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures you cant see. It cant affect creatures that have total cover from its point of origin. The default shape for a burst is a sphere.

Emanation: An emanation functions like a burst, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin (often you) for the duration of the incantation.

Spread: A spread spreads out like a burst, but can turn corners. You select the point of origin, and the effect spreads out a given distance in all directions.

Effect: Some incantations create something rather than affecting things that are already present. You must designate the location where these things are to appear, either by seeing it or dening it. Range determines how far away an effect can appear.

Line of Effect: Incantations that affect a target other than you require line of effect. A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what an effect can affect. A solid barrier cancels a line of effect, but line of effect is not blocked by fog, darkness, and other factors that limit normal sight.

You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you channel an incantation against, or to any space in which you wish to create an effect at range (if your incantation allows that). A burst or emanation affects only an area, creature, or objects to which it has line of effect from its origin.

An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block an incantations line of effect.

DURATIONAn incantations duration tells you how long its effect lasts.

Instantaneous: The effect of the incantation comes and goes the instant the incantation is channeled, though the consequences might be long-lasting. For example, an incantation that deals damage might take only a standard action to channel, but the damage stays until it is healed.

Aura: This duration indicates that the ability is an aura, and therefore only ends until you will it to end, when you become helpless, when you fulll a specic condition described in the incantations description, or when you cease concentrating on it.

Timed Durations: Many incantations last some number of rounds or minutes. When the time is up, the energy sustaining the effect fades, and the incantations effect ends.

SAVING THROWSometimes an incantation with a special effect that targets an enemy allows the creature or object to make a saving throw to avoid some or all of the effect. The saving throw line in an incantation description denes which type of saving throw an incantation allows. Unless noted otherwise, the Difculty Class for a saving throw against an incantation is 10 + one-half your channeler level + your channeling ability modier.

Negates: The incantation has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.

Partial: The incantation causes an effect on its subject, such as death. A successful saving throw means that some lesser effect occurs (such as being dealt damage rather than being killed).

Half: The incantation deals damage, and a successful saving throw halves the damage taken (round down).

None: In a case where no saving throw is allowed, the saving throw line is omitted.

SPELL RESISTANCEUnlike spell descriptions or power descriptions, incantations dont have a spell resistance or power resistance entry. Since incantations are supernatural abilities, not spells or spell-like abilities, spell resistance does not affect an incantation.

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DESCRIPTIVE TEXTThis portion of the incantation descriptions explains what the incantation does and how it works. It begins with a sentence or two of italicized read-aloud text that gives players an image of how the incantation does what it does. If one of the previous lines in the incantation included see text, this section is where you nd the explanation.

Enhance: Many incantations have variable effects based on the height of the DC when you channel them. The higher the DC, the more powerful the incantation. How this extra expenditure affects an incantation is specic to the incantation. Some enhancements allow you to increase the number of damage dice, while others extend an incantations duration or modify an incantation in unique ways. Each incantation that can be enhanced includes an entry giving the number by which the DC can be increased and the effects of doing so. However, you can only channel an incantation with a DC equal to your channeling ability modier + 1.5 x your channeler level (to a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 40).

Enhancing an incantation takes place as part of another action (channeling an incantation). Unless otherwise noted in the Enhance section of an individual incantation description, you can enhance an incantation only at the time you channel it.

LEARNING INCANTATIONSChannelers channel incantations. These incantations draw their magic from innite wellsprings of energy. They also need an incredible discipline or afnity for the source of the magic; by channeling an incantation with perfect discipline or afnity, a channeler can create amazing displays of magic.

Channelers do not have spellbooks, but they do have a number of incantations that they can channel at any time. Unlike characters who prepare spells, channelers can always use their magic, regardless of how often they channeled the magic for that incantation. Channelers do not have to ready their incantations; all incantations are available at all times.

ADDING INCANTATIONSChannelers usually learn new incantations when

they attain a new level. Not every sphere is available

to every character.Incantations Gained at a New Level: Channelers

gain insight into their spheres, meditate, and practice between adventures and while resting. When a channeler learns a new incantation because he gained a level, you can assume that this knowledge represents the effects of practice and study over the course of days, weeks, or even months.

Independent Study: A channeler can attempt to devise a new incantation independently, adding to an existing sphere. A DM decides if its possible for a character to develop a new incantation.

If a DM permits the creation of a new incantation, observe the following guidelines.

First, the channeler needs to be in a safe place that is linked to his sphere (a nature channeler would have to be in a natural setting, for example) to meditate. This effort will take a number of days equal to 4 x the incantations Difficulty Class, so if the channeler is devising an incantation with a Difficulty Class of 5, the research will require 20 days. The channeler pays 50 XP per day of study, which represents an intense regimen of meditation, experimental channeling, and fasting designed to focus the mind and spirit on the task at hand.

A channeler cant create a new incantation with a Difficulty Class higher than the channeler is capable of channeling.

At the end of the requisite time for study and practice, the channeler attempts a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + (2 x the incantations Difficulty Class).

If the check succeeds, the character learns the incantation the next time he has an opportunity to learn a new incantation through level advancement. If the check fails, the incantation is not yet perfected, and he must go through the study and practice again if he wants to keep trying (although he regains the XP he has spent thus far).

A DM should work with the player before the attempt to develop a new incantation begins, and give him guidance on the parameters under which a new incantation or sphere might be acceptable (see Creating New Spells in the DMG).

SPECIAL ABILITIESSome creatures, especially those that are linked to a sphere through origin (like an elemental), are naturally gifted in channeling and can channel incantations without having levels in a channeling

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class. These inborn abilities function much like spell-like abilities or psi-like abilities.

Channeling an incantation through an innate ability, or by using a magic item, works just like channeling an incantation normally does. You provoke attacks of opportunity, and your incantations are not subject to spell resistance.

CONVERTING SPELLS AND POWERS TO INCANTATIONSSome spells and powers are thematically and

mechanically tied to the theme of the three spheres (elements, mind, and nature), and can be converted to incantations. However, due to the differences between spells, powers, and incantations, you need to make some adjustments to the spells and powers in question, some of which are ad hoc.

First, you need to see whether the spell or power follows the theme of the sphere. Incantations of the elements sphere have the air, earth, re, or water descriptor. Incantations of the mind sphere can come from the telepathy discipline and the enchantment school, although some powers of the clairsentience discipline and the illusion school are appropriate as well. Incantations of the nature sphere usually deal with animals, plants, or the weather. (Spells or powers that t with the nature sphere can be considered giving the animal, plant, or weather descriptor, see the sidebar above for more information.)

While most of the mechanics of a spell or

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