If you cast spells, all DCs are based off of your primary spellcasting ability. Otherwise, you can pick a mental abil-ity to be your Key Abilabil-ity Modifier (KAM) for this track.
Abilities in this track may refer to “discharging” an ability. When this happens, the passive benefit ends and you gain the active benefit at that point. If no duration is given on the active benefit, it lasts one [Round].
True Mage includes support for upcoming free expan-sion material, namely, the Combat Alchemist track.
1st Circle – Kingship: You start out with the ability to grant powerful abilities to allies at the beginning of a [Quest].
Unless discharged, this ability lasts for the duration of the [Quest]. Two Mages cannot give the same ally different abilities. At the beginning of your arcane career, you have access to following ritual blessings, though each must be placed only once per [Quest] and on a different ally:
SwordEX: All opponents struck by the ally who pos-sesses this ability have their move speed reduced by 10 ft until the end of the [Encounter]. In addition, this ability can be discharged as a free action after hitting a foe, in order to reduce the AC of one op-ponent within [Close] range by one point for every circle of True Mage you possess. This penalty lasts until the end of the [Encounter] in which Sword was discharged.
ShieldEX: An opponent who strikes the ally who pos-sesses this ability in melee combat takes damage equal to that ally’s character level. This ability can be discharged by the ally as a free action, to create a [Close] range burst surrounding the ally, in which opponents take KAM + CL damage.
SceptreEX: The ally who possesses this ability has the power to speak words which hold greater weight to other creatures. That ally receives a +2 bonus to a social skill of their choice, or to Awareness. When attempting to reason with a hostile creature, the ally may discharge this ability as a free action to gain a token for the social encounter.
2nd Circle – Foundation: You gain access to a powerful ritu-al, commonly called the Engine Glyph. Once per [Scene], by spending two [Rounds] drawing the Engine Glyph, you are empowered until the end of the [Scene]. You may have
only one Engine Glyph active at a time, but while a glyph is active, you gain one of the following abilities:
Theurgic SecretEX: You can cast a single spell you know, once per [Encounter]. This casting does not count against any daily or [Scene] limits. This spell must be one circle lower than the highest circle of spell you can cast and is chosen when the glyph is drawn.
Alchemical MysteriesSU: If you possess the Combat Alchemist track, you can expend a consumable to convert one of your potions into a consumable item with identical effects. This consumable is usable by any ally as a swift action, has effects identical to the potion used to create it, and is treated as a Lesser Consumable.
Goetic StrengthEX: If you possess any spell-like abili-ties, calculate all level-dependent variables (such as range, damage, and DCs) for your spell-like abilities as if you were two levels higher.
Arcane PreparationSU: You can draw a physical repre-sentation of the Engine Glyph (a task requiring 5 minutes of effort) that wards the area within [Close]
range of the center of the glyph. The Glyph lasts for the rest of the [Scene]. If any creature enters the area, the glyph alerts you (a harmless mental jolt sufficient to wake you from sleep) and conveys an image of the creature, along with a vague sense of the creature’s general intent. When you create the glyph, you can choose to direct it to ignore creatures fitting a certain description (such as “small animals and insects”), as well as yourself and/or anyone in-side the glyph when create.
You can also direct the glyph to repel creatures fitting a certain description no more complex than race and a range of height and weight. In this case, creatures fitting that description must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your level + your Key Ability Modifier) to enter the area. Any creature that suc-cessfully saves is not affected by that particular glyph’s repulsion effect as long as it remains active.
Finally, the glyph powers minor illusory magic, creating an appearance of sameness with the area outside the glyph. As a result, anything inside the glyph is concealed from detection at [Long] range or farther. Observers outside [Medium] range sim-ply see nothing anomalous, though other senses
may provide hints. Attacking an opponent while inside the Glyph’s warded area breaks this illusion, but not the other aspects of the Glyph.
3rd Circle – Splendor: You gain access to three broader ritu-als which take a hundred [Rounds] to cast each. Out of combat, this is roughly equivalent to ten minutes.
SealSU: You create a Splendorous seal over a door or object, stopping it from being opened without two [Rounds] of concerted effort. You may only have one Seal in existence for each circle of Mage you have ac-quired, and only one active on a given door or object.
These seals function while you are within 750 ft, and 5 minutes after you leave that radius. You may will-ingly open a seal at anytime, and may discharge a seal in order to deal damage equal to your character level plus your key offensive modifier to all opponents within 20 ft of the seal.
TrickerySU: You create a Rune of Trickery on an ally.
You may only have one Rune in existence for each circle of True Mage you have acquired, and only one active on a given ally. While a Rune of Trickery is on an ally, that ally may alter their appearance at will. A Perception check (DC 10 + ½ your character level + your KAM) makes an observer aware of the deception. This Rune lasts for the duration of the [Quest]. The ally may discharge this Rune as a move action or part of a move action to [Teleport] to a destination point within [Close] range, and become [Invisible] for two [Rounds].
MajestySU: You create a symbol of Majesty on an ally.
You may only have a one Symbol in existence for each circle of True Mage you have acquired, and only one active on a given ally. This symbol lasts for the duration of the [Quest]. An affected ally gains a 10 ft bonus to their [Melee] range, and opponents hit by their melee attacks begin [Burning]. This can be discharged as a move action to cause all oppo-nents within the ally’s improved [Melee] range to be [Blown away] and begin [Burning].
4th Circle – EternityEX: Your control over the Splendor Rituals increases. You may now prepare these rituals in advance on some form of item – notably paper or cards, by expending another consumable item to empower the physical form of the ritual. These cards may then be used for the rituals.
Notably, having a readied card allows the ritual it holds to
be used within a swift action, as long as a card has been prepared and the subject is within [Melee] range. No two Mages may use each other’s rituals prepared this way, and where applicable, cards count against the total number of instances you may have active for a given ritual.
5th Circle – Severity: At the start of each [Scene], select one of the following benefits:
Circle of EtherSU: Your ability to bind magic into physi-cal forms takes on another aspect, one that is per-haps more startling. At the start of this [Scene], you gain the ability to simply pull a small set of consum-able items into existence. You gain a Rusted Ring, conjured from the dream of iron, and you craft a single instance of Gloss Armor, protection made from mysteries.
Binding of The SeventhSU: Once per [Scene], you can craft a magic circle with 5 minutes of effort. The cir-cle has a radius equal to your [Close] range and af-fects a cylinder that extends 100 ft upward from the circle. This circle remains dormant until activated or until you craft a new magic circle with this ability. If you craft a new magic circle, this circle disappears.
You can activate the circle as a standard action. If you do, all creatures within the area of effect gain [Immunity] to [Teleport] effects, and all enemies within the area become [Slowed]. A successful Will save (DC 10 + ½ your level + your KAM) causes a creature to become [Entangled] instead of [Slowed].
Once activated, the circle lasts for 10 [Rounds] and then disappears.
6th Circle – Understanding: As you master the ancient arts of the mage, you can combine your powers in un-usual ways. You may choose one of the following abili-ties; this choice is permanent, unless your GM is unusually forgiving:
Dual FocusEX: You learn to split your arcane focus be-tween two constant effects. You may now have up to two Engine Glyphs active simultaneously, and their effects stack if they provide the same ability.
Glyph of CallingSU: You can craft linked magic circles, enabling instant travel between the their locations.
Once per [Scene], with two hours’ effort, you can create a teleportation circle with a 10-ft radius linked to any other teleportation circle within a distance of 100 miles per level you possess. Any
creature that enters a linked teleportation circle’s space is immediately transported to the teleporta-tion circle to which it is linked, along with up to 250 pounds of equipment. The circle is permanent but can be destroyed either by a 7th-circle [Dispel-ling] effect or by ten minutes’ physical labor. This is a [Teleport] and [Warp] effect.
7th Circle – Crown: At the beginning of each [Scene], select one of the following abilities. You gain it for the duration of the [Scene].
Ars ArcanaEX: If you have the Combat Alchemist track, you can create and use a single potion once per [Scene] as a move action without having prepared it in advance.
Magna AnimaEX: At the beginning of each [Scene], pick a single spell that you know with a casting time of
“1 standard action”. You may activate that spell once per [Encounter] as a swift action, and it does not count any daily or [Scene] limits. This spell must be one circle lower than the highest circle of spell you can cast. In addition, if you have the Theurgic Secret ability active and your chosen spell from that ability has a casting time of “1 standard action”, you can activate it with a swift action instead of as a standard action if you choose.
Ars GoetiaEX: Once per [Scene], you may activate any two spell-like abilities you possess with a casting time of a standard action or a swift action with a single standard action. You can choose the order in which the abilities take effect. This action counts against any limits for using those spell-like abilities, and you may not activate a spell-like ability that has no remaining uses or otherwise could not normally be activated.
Magna MutatioEX: Once per [Scene], you may transform any consumable into any other consumable of the same tier. This takes one [Round] of effort.
Vigilante
Wherever the law can’t handle every crook wandering the streets in search of easy prey, the Vigilante comes out to lend a helping hand. These champions and rebels equip themselves accordingly for their task, to make sure that a stray switchblade doesn’t put an end to their righteous crusade, and always keep around a getaway ride in case the local law enforcement gets funny ideas.
1st Circle – Vigilante ArmorEX: You are granted a suit of in-credible armor, which you can call to your person with a dramatic gesture and shouted command. It covers your whole body, including your face, but does not limit your field of vision.
Your armor snaps into existence at the start of combat, pieces fading in to protect you as needed until you can com-plete your transformation at the start of your turn. This pro-vides a +2 item bonus to Athletics, a +2 item bonus to AC, and a +2 item bonus to Acrobatics.
2nd Circle – Brutal KickEX: You jump high in the sky, then come streaking down towards your foe for a devastating kick, whether or not you usually use such attacks. As a stan-dard action, you may fly up to your base land speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Then if you are within range, you may make a single melee at-tack against a foe. This atat-tack deals 2d6 damage, plus bonus damage equal to your level.
3rd Circle – Signature RideEX: You gain the the ability to call forth a mysterious contraption to ride as part of a move action. This is a special mount that will allow no rider other than you, and which you can control in combat even without having the Ride skill trained. It appears in an un-occupied space adjacent to yours, and you may climb onto your signature ride with a free action that does not pro-voke an attack of opportunity. It has a movement speed 15 ft greater than yours, the Fly movement mode, and a space of one square. While mounted on your Signature Ride, you gain a 20% [Miss chance] against all attacks during any [Round] in which you moves at least 20 ft.
4th Circle – Unnatural ResilienceEX: Through esoteric means, you are simply tougher and more enduring than any life ought to be. Once per [Encounter], if you successfully save against an effect that allows a Fortitude save to mitigate
it, you can negate the effect entirely. Particular examples include spells that have “Fortitude: Half ” as their save or effects that permit a save against an inflicted condition but no save against their damage. Further, the bonuses from Vigilante armor increase by +2 when you acquire Unnatural Resilience.
5th Circle – Vigilante’s CourageEX: You have [Immunity] to [Fear] and gain a +2 bonus to initiative, due to your pro-digious courage. Any time this ability negates an effect, or you successfully make a Fortitude save, you may make a Brutal Kick.
6th Circle – Finishing MoveEX: Once per [Encounter], you can make a single dramatic attack. This attack action is identical to a Brutal Kick, but deals additional bonus dam-age equal to three times your level on top of the damdam-age added by Brutal Kick. You gain temporary HP equal to the damage dealt by this attack.
7th Circle – UnbeatenEX: Once per [Encounter], as a move action, you can heal all damage, setting your current hit point total to your maximum HP.