Wielder

A Wielder is one who is able to channel the arcane elemental energies of Merisyl without the necessity of spell components, rituals or gestures.  The primary Elemental Powers available to a wielder are:

• Air
• Earth
• Fire
• Spirit
• Water
• Necros
• Corpus

Power Ranks

These elemental powers are combined in various ways to create spells (called Weaves when cast by a Wielder).  A Wielder may cast any spell for which he or she has sufficient rank in each elemental power.  For example, Magic Mouth requires a minor rank of Air and a minor rank of Water.  Zydallon has a secondary rank of Air and a minor rank of Water, and so can cast that spell.

A Wielder’s power can be at three different ranks: minor, secondary, and major rank.  A Wielder starts with one power at a minor rank.  At every odd-numbered level past first a wielder may opt to do one of two things:

• Upgrade an existing power to a higher rank.  Until fifth level is reached no power may be raised to a major rank.
• Add a new power at a minor rank.

Either of these choices is considered a channeling increase.  Wielders are allowed as many channeling increases as they have Intelligence points over 8.  Therefore a wielder with Intelligence 10 is allowed two channeling increases, and would max out his power at third level.  An Intelligence of 23 would allow major ranks in five powers.

Source Points

The number of Weaves a Wielder may cast is controlled by their mental and physical capacity, represented by source points (SP).  A Wielder’s source points represent their capacity for spell casting.

While power ranks determine whether or not the Wielder has the potential to cast a given spell, the caster must also have sufficient source points to pay the source point cost of the spell.  For example, Magic Mouth costs 5 source points to cast, and so in addition to having at least a minor rank of Air and a minor rank of Water, Zydallon must also have at least 5 source points remaining.

When channeling a weave subtract the point cost of the weave from your source points.  The number remaining becomes the new value of your Source Points (representing your remaining channeling strength).  Some weaves may be strengthened, have an increased duration, or channeled from a greater distance by expending more source points.   Source points can be restored by resting (see table), but may never exceed maximum.

Starting source points:  The base starting source points for a Wielder are 15 plus the larger of the intelligence bonus or constitution bonus. For example, Zydallon has an 18 Int.(+4) and 16 Con. (+3), for a total of 19 SP at first level.

15 +  Max( Int. Bonus, Con. Bonus)

Gaining source points:  At each level gained after the first the Wielder gains 4 source points x the Wielder level achieved, plus the larger of the intelligence bonus or constitution bonus. Extending the example above: upon gaining second level Zydallon gains (4 * 2) + 4 source points, and so gains 12 SP for a grand total of 31 SP at second level).

(4 * Wielder Level Achieved)  +  Max( Int. Bonus, Con. Bonus)

Recovering used source points: Refer to the table in the sidebar.

This rate can be adjusted by external factors, such as the Clear Thinking channeling feat.

Metamagic Feats

Per Pathfinder rules, "Metamagic feats allow spellcasters to modify and change their spells, granting the spells new powers and effects. Such spells generally take up a higher-level spell slot than the normal spell."  For the Wielder, the feats function as follows:

• Where a feat indicates that it takes a spell slot of X levels higher, instead you must simply be able to pay the Source Point cost to use the feat.
• The Source Point cost of the spell with the metamagic feat applied costs a additional SP multiple of X, where X is the number of additional spells slots the spell would count as for a non-wielder.

For example, using Thundering Spell takes a spell slot 2 higher.  For using this with Burning Hands as a Wielder the spell cost is 7+(7 * X), or 7+(7 * 2) which equals 21 Source Points.

This allows more flexibility than non-Wielders (you don't have to have access to the higher level spells slots), but can be much more expensive in SP cost to apply a metamagic feat to a higher level spell.

“Tying Off” Weaves

Wielders have the ability to allow some weaves to maintain itself after channeling has stopped.  This increases the duration of the weave.  This ability is granted by the Persistent Channeling feat.

A Wielder may untie her own weave at any time as a swift action with no check required (regardless of whether or not they have the Persistent Channeling feat).

Linking

Wielders have the ability to pool their power together to increase their strength. This ability is granted by the Linking feat.

Cannibalization

In times of extreme need, some Wielders have the ability to draw upon their reserves to push themselves beyond what they would normally be capable of. Tapping into this reservoir of additional source points cannibalizes the caster's hit points, and requires the Overdraw feat.

Interrupting Weaves

It is also possible to block another Wielder’s weave as it is being channeled.  If the blocking Wielder has not taken an action in a round he or she may attempt to block the weave of another Wielder.  The procedure is identical to that of untying a weave, except that the cost to the blocking Wielder is equal to the base source point cost of the Weave, since the two Wielders are engaged in an active struggle over the flows.  The blocking Wielder does not have to pay any cost increase for tie-off, range increase or multiple weaves if the casting Wielder is attempting any of those modifications.

Hit Die

d6

Starting Wealth: 3d6 × 10 gp (average 105 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills

The wielder’s class skills are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge History (Int), Knowledge Arcana (Int), Linguistics (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill ranks per level: 2+ Int. modifier

Class Features

Wielders are proficient with all simple weapons. A wielder does not suffer from an arcane spell check penalty for any armor type for which they are proficient.

Multiple Weaves

Starting at eighth level, as a full round action a Wielder has the ability to channel multiple weaves at a time.  To successfully achieve this, the caster must successfully make a spellcraft check of 10 + combined spell ranks.

The weave requiring the fewest source points remains at its normal SP cost.  The second most expensive weave is an additional 50% of normal SP cost.  For each additional weave the cost increase goes up by 50% and a penalty of 1 to initiative. For the purpose of determining weave SP cost apply metamagic increases first, then apply the multiple weave cost increase.

For example, Zydallon has an initiative of 18, and wants to channel a Fireball (Minor Air, Secondary Fire: 20 SP) and a Magic Missile (Minor Spirit: 7 SP).  At an initiative of 17, Zydallon makes his spellcraft check of 14.  He is successfully able to channel the Magic Missile at 7 SP, and the fireball at a cost of 30 SP, for a total of 37 SP expended in the round.

The maximum number of spells that can be cast in a single round is dependent on level.  Two spells at level 8, and one additional concurrent spell for every four levels past 8.

There is an important exception to this ability.  Under no circumstances can a Wielder channel additional weaves while doing Healing of any sort, as Healing requires the full attention of the Wielder.

The Channeling Mastery feat reduces the 50% cost increase to 30%.

Talents

When a Wielder has a particular affinity for a type of weave, she is considered to have a Talent. Having a Talent allows the following benefit:

• +1 to spell DC
• -1 SP per weave rank
• +10% duration (for spells with a duration)

Some Talents also come with their own unique benefits in addition to the ones listed above.

The list of possible talents are:

• Compulsion - You masterfully manipulate the minds of those around you, subtly bending them to your will.
• Destruction - Your weaves are a deadly force. Destruction spells do an additional 1 point of damage per die.
• Healing - You are proficient in the art mending wounds and restoring vitality to an injured body.  Your healing spells do an additional 1 point of healing per die.
• Inquiry - You are adept at using your ability to channel to divine knowledge from the world around you. Spells with a casting time greater than a standard action can be cast in 50% of the casting time. Spells with a casting time of a standard action have a duration as if your caster level were 1 higher.
• Inspiration - You are adept at inspiring those around you to reach their greatest capacity.
• Summoning - You are an expert in summoning extra-planar aid.
• Travelling - You are an expert at bending time and space to travel effectively. Any travelling spells with a miss chance are treated as one familiarity category higher than they otherwise would be.
• Warding - You have mastered weaving protective spells. Attempts to dispel them treat your wards as if your caster level were 1 higher.

Unravel

Starting at 4th level, a Wielder may also attempt to untie the weave of another Wielder.  To do this successfully, the Wielder attempting to undo the weave must first make a Spellcraft skill check with a difficulty check of 15 + the total ranks of the weave being untied.  If this attempt is successful, the untying Wielder understands the weave.  If the untying Wielder has at least the rank of powers used in the weave, then she may spend source points equal to half the base channeling cost of the weave to untie it.

For example:  Zydallon is attempting to untie an Invisibility weave (Minor Air, Minor Water: 11 SP). To understand how the weave was channeled, he must make a Spellcraft skill check of 17.  Zydallon has a major power in Air and minor in Water, so he can untie the weave by expending 5 source points (assuming his Spellcraft check succeeds).  If the weave had also required a major Fire then the Spellcraft DC would be a 20 – one for the minor Air, one for the minor Water, and three for the major Fire.