Spell List and Rules

Tuner

Your ability to master dark is considered wholly natural, and you don’t require a spellbook or a focus (like a wand).

Commune

To commune means to communicate with another living individual you know in a non-vocal manner. You must have met the target physically at some point previously. As an action, you can establish a psychic connection with the target and communicate for up to a minute before requiring an additional check. The base DC is 10. If the target is considered a friend, the DC decreases by 5; if the target is a loved one or relative, the DC decreases by 10. Distance plays a factor—if you can see the target, the DC is unmodified. If the target is within 10 miles, the DC increases by 5, and if within 50 miles increases by 5 again. Up to 100 miles, the DC reaches its ceiling, increasing by another 5; anything further requires a spell. You must share a language with the target, or the target must be able to understand you (like a trained pet). Once a connection is made, the target can communicate back (if they share a language) regardless if he or she is gifted in Vigor without making a check. The recipient knows who you are upon receiving the connection but cannot locate you.

Detection

Being endowed in Vigor allows you to be naturally receptive to its effects around you. This is similar to Perception except that it is narrowed to only detect fluctuation in the dark. You may ask, or a GM may request that you make a Vigor (Detection) check to analyze the level of dark around you. Depending on the difficulty of the task (set by the GM) you can attempt to detect the following within 30 feet of you:

• Natural regions strong in dark.
• Increased Vigor in living targets (those with an ability score of higher than 12).
• Artifacts or mechanisms either bottling the resource or otherwise strong in dark.
• Messages between individuals employing the Commune skill.

This ability can penetrate most barriers but is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. Contrary to popular conspiracy theory, aluminum foil alone will not suffice.

Induce

There are those able to push their inbuilt magic beyond its limitations. This is known as inducing. Many magic effects provide an option to boost via a Vigor (Induce) check. However, after a check is made, the target suffers damage equal to the final roll result OR the DC of the check – 10 (whichever is lower). If you fail at the check, the base spell still goes off as indicated.

For example, if a character is attempting a DC 20 Vigor (Induce) check and rolls an 8, that character suffers 8 damage; if the character rolls a 25 (succeeding at the check), that character still suffers 10 damage.

Natural Results. If a character rolls a natural 1 on a Vigor (Induce) check, it is an automatic failure, and the target is stunned until the end of the character’s next turn. If the character rolls a natural 20 on a Vigor (Induce) check, it is an automatic success, and the target suffers no damage from having made the check.

Vessel

A vessel is a character’s total dark pool; once this value is depleted, a character can no longer cast spells. A character can never possess a dark value larger than her vessel. As a spell is cast, the cost of the spell is reduced from one’s vessel. Thankfully, vessel is the raw potential of dark and is a renewable resource, ever recharging. It can even be quickly replenished with specific concoctions. It is also entirely possible that vessel is not an inherent natural resource at all, and is something held in a physical container, either outside of the body or as an implant (see Dark Gear).

A starting vessel score is equal to half that character’s Vigor ability score (not modifier) + level. All characters with a Vigor score of 8 or higher gain access to vessel—it is not reserved by a specific class. As we will see later, a vessel’s value can be adjusted by background, feats, and archetypes.

For example, a 1st level character with a Vigor score of 16 possesses a vessel of 9, while a 10th level character with a vigor score of 20 possesses a vessel of 20.

Vessel Regeneration (VR)

On your turn, you can regenerate your vessel. Select ONE of the following on your turn:

• Use a free action to regain 1 lost point from your vessel.
• Use a bonus action to regain 2 lost points to your vessel.
• Use an action to regain a number of points to your vessel equal to 1+ your Vigor modifier (this is your default VR score and can be modified by class features).

Asset

Unlike vessel, which can be measured, asset is more esoteric. At character generation, you gain an asset value equal to your Vigor modifier. This can be used at character generation and when reaching a new level to purchase dark spells. When a spell is purchased, the asset value is reduced by that spell’s cost.

Your asset value is akin to currency—though it cannot be lost or stolen. It can, however, be saved (banked), allowing the purchase of more expensive spells later on. Like vessel, your asset score can be increased via background selection and the addition of feats.

By default, each time you reach a new level, you gain a bonus to your asset score equal to your Vigor modifier. Asset is the one value that cannot be adjusted through cybernetics, mechanisms, or consumables.

River

While asset and vessel represent constantly adjusting values, your river is relatively fixed. The river is your bank of quick-reference spells that can be called upon in an instant’s notice to be cast. The river is a simple value equal to your Vigor modifier—you can assign any spell into the river except for rituals.

For example, a character with a Vigor modifier of 16 can hold 3 spells in her river.

• Any spell with a casting time of one minute is reduced to an action while in the river.
• Any spell with a casting time of one action is reduced to a bonus action while in the river.
• Any spell with a casting time of one bonus action can be used once per turn as a free action while in the river.

Anytime you finish a short or long rest, you can swap out any spells you possess in your river.

Spells with a casting time longer than one minute cannot be placed in a character’s river. You are not required to put a prerequisite spell of a more powerful spell in the river to cast that more powerful spell from your river.

Spell List

Path of Attraction

• Path Benefit. You gain proficiency in one Charisma skill of your choice.
• Synergy Path. Path of Knowledge

Traits. Attraction spells are about alluring subjects using magic, thus making it necessary to make your spells not look like magic. You conceal the spells in your words and graceful nonchalant hand movements. As the effects are often subtle, it can sometimes be difficult to notice you casting a spell at all.

Attraction Root Spells

Command.

You speak a one-word command to a creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom or Vigor saving throw or follow the command on its next turn. The spell has no effect if the target is undead, if it doesn’t understand your language, or if your command is directly harmful to it. A target that succeeds at the save is immune to it for 8 hours. For every additional 1 dark spent before casting, you can increase the range by 10 feet.

Tier 1 Attraction Spells

Charm.

The target must make a Wisdom or Vigor saving throw, with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If it fails, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. Once a creature succeeds at this save, it is immune to the spell for 8 hours. For every additional 2 dark spent before casting, you can include one additional target (max +3 targets) in range.

Tier 2 Attraction Spells

Suggestion.

You suggest a course of activity and influence a creature you can see within range that can hear and understand you. Creatures that can’t be charmed are immune. The suggestion can be anything that does not cause obvious physical harm to itself or others. The target must make a Wisdom or Vigor saving throw. On a failed save, it pursues the course of action you described to the best of its ability. You can only make one suggestion per spell, and if the spell expires before the target can complete the task, the spell expires. For every additional 2 dark spent before casting, you can include one additional target (max +3 targets).

Tier 3 Attraction Spells

Dominate.

You attempt to beguile a creature with hit points equal or less than you (your maximum) that you can see within range. It must succeed on a Wisdom or Vigor saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw. You two possess a telepathic link while the target is charmed that you can use to issue commands to while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose and doesn’t do anything that you don’t allow it to do. During this time, you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends. For every additional 1 dark spent before casting, increase the hit points of the creature you want to dominate by 10 (+50 max).

• Boost (DC 25): Double the number of hit points of the creature you want to dominate.

Tier 4 Attraction Spells

Memory Writer.

One creature that you can see within range must make a Wisdom or Vigor saving throw. If you are fighting the creature, it has advantage on the saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes charmed by you for the duration. The charmed target is incapacitated and unaware of its surroundings, though it can still hear you. If it takes any damage, this spell ends prematurely. While this charm lasts, you can alter the target’s memory of an event within the last 24 hours that lasted no more than 10 minutes. This includes permanently eliminating that memory. The creature must be able to understand you. If a modified memory is too nonsensical to affect a creature in a meaningful manner (GM’s decision), it is disregarded as a dream. For every additional 2 dark spent before casting, you can go back further and modify more (2—7 days, 1 hour; 4—30 days, 1 day; 6—1 year, 1 week; 8—lifetime, 1 year).

Path of Knowledge

• Path Benefit. You can use Vigor for any Intelligence based skill checks.
• Synergy Path. Path of Attraction

Traits. Knowledge spells resemble traditional spells as many know it as they all involve chanting in various languages (sometimes more than one), hand movements reminiscent of prayers, and magic circles drawn upon the ground.

Root Knowledge Spells

Comprehension.

You understand the literal meaning of any spoken or written language that you hear or see. This spell doesn’t decode secret messages in a text or a glyph, such as an arcane sigil, that isn’t part of a written language.

Tier 1 Knowledge Spells

Communication.

You gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with a creature that cannot communicate via language; this includes plants and creatures dead in the past 24 hours. The knowledge and awareness of creatures are limited by their intelligence. You might be able to persuade a beast to perform a small favor for you, at the GM’s discretion.

Tier 2 Knowledge Spells

Premonition.

You contact spirits from the outworld to ask to ask a single question concerning a specific goal, event, or activity to occur within 7 days. The GM offers a truthful reply. The reply might be a short phrase, a cryptic rhyme, or an omen.

• Boost (DC 20): Ask a second question after the first has been answered.
• Sacrifice: You gain 1 level of exhaustion after the spell expires.

Tier 3 Knowledge Spells

Predestination.

An expansion of premonition, you can ask the outworld how you can reach a specific future. The answer will be specific regarding choices, directions, as long as they need to be made in the next month. The answers may be held by the GM until an opportunity presents itself, where the GM will then reveal the best course for you to accomplish what you asked.

Path of Flame

• Path Benefit. You gain resistance to fire damage and immunity to any magical fire you create.
• Synergy Path. Path of Self

Traits. Like the path of air, flame spells involve mostly hand movements and more mouth movements rather than actual words. Material components are usually flammable materials, sometimes even lighters or kerosene.

Root Flame Spell

Fire Bolt.

You make a ranged spell attack; on a hit, the target takes 1d6 + Vigor modifier damage. You can also keep the flame in hand, shedding bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. For every 2 additional dark spent before casting, increase dice by 1 (max +3 dice).

Tier 1 Flame Spell

Flamethrower.

You produce a 15-foot cone of fire; targets make a Dexterity saving throw, suffering 3d6 + Vigor modifier fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. This ignites anything flammable in the area that isn’t being worn or carried.

Path of Self

• Path Benefit. You gain a +2 bonus to your vessel.
• Synergy Path. Path of Flame

Traits. These are all personal effects with very little outward expression other than minor hand movements

Root Self Spells

Channel Wolf.

You gain advantage on Dexterity checks, and your speed increases by 5 feet, both of which are lost when the spell ends.

Channel Tiger.

You gain advantage on Charisma and Intelligence checks, both of which are lost when the spell ends.