Magic Mysteries (Part 3): Plant Magic

Christopher Moore November 4, 2019

Today is our last spell preview for Path of the Wilds! The spells contained here are focused on manipulation of plants. Plant magic is fairly wide-spread when it comes to utility and control (like the ever-popular goodberry and entangle), but as a whole is seriously lacking in straight offensive power. For Path of the Wilds, we wanted to give players the ability to go all-in on a plant-based spellcaster by giving them ways to use verdant life on the attack. Check out some examples below!

Stay tuned for our updates later this week, where we’ll finally explore the archetypes and class options chapter for Path of the Wilds!

STINGING THORN

School conjuration (creation); Level druid 1, invoker 1, shaman 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect wooden splinter
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

A long sliver of wood flies from your outstretched hand, piercing a single target as a ranged attack. On a hit, the thorn deals 1d6 piercing damage per caster level (max 5d6). A creature struck begins bleeding for 1 point of damage each round. The bleeding can be stopped as normal with a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that restores hit points. At 3rd caster level, the bleed damage increases to 1d4, and at 5th caster level the bleeding increases to 1d6.

SPORE BURST

School conjuration (creation) [acid, poison]; Level druid 3, shaman 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 15-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance no

A sudden cloud of spores bursts forth from a point you specify within range. Each creature in the area takes 1d8 acid damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) and is sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the sickening effect. The sickening effect is considered a poison effect.

TOXIC BLOOM

School conjuration (creation) [poison]; Level druid 5, shaman 5, witch 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of nectar)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect toxic flower blossom
Duration 1 round/level (D); see text
Saving Throw Fortitude half, partial, negates (see text); Spell Resistance no

The nectar dissolves in your hand as an oversized flower springs forth from the ground nearby. The toxic bloom is considered a small object (roughly 3 feet in height and diameter) and must be conjured in a space sufficient to hold it. It must grow on a surface, but the surface does not have to be conducive to plants: the bloom can grow upon solid stone as easily as it can in rich soil.

The bloom itself is magically hardened, having hardness 8, 40 hit points, and an AC of 5. Fire damage ignores its hardness and deals full damage to it. While the bloom remains, it emits a cloud of noxious vapor in a 15-foot-radius spread around itself, depending on the type of flower conjured. You can choose one of three flower types to create with toxic bloom:

Nightshade: The bloom is surrounded by an aura of deadly poison. Creatures that fail their saving throw take 1d3 Constitution damage. A successful save halves the damage (minimum 0).
Rafflesia: The bloom emits a disgusting aroma. Any creature that fails its saving throw is nauseated for 1 round. A successful save renders the creature sickened for 1 round instead.
Rose: The bloom is sickeningly sweet. Creatures with 8 HD or less that fail their saving throw fall asleep. Creatures with more than 8 HD become drowsy, taking a -5 penalty on perception checks and staggering them for 1 round. A successful save negates the effect for that turn only.

Regardless of form, destroying the toxic bloom ends the spell’s effect, but any already-applied penalties remain. Creatures with the scent ability take a -4 penalty on their saving throws against this spell’s effects. Spells that wither and destroy plant life like defoliate destroy the blossom, ending its effects.

CRUSHING ROOTS

School conjuration (creation); Level druid 7, shaman 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature/four caster levels, no two of which are more than 30 feet apart
Duration 1d3+1 rounds
Saving Throw Reflex partial (see text); Spell Resistance no

You conjure massive roots to ensnare and crush your foes. Each creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per caster level (max 15d6), is dazed for 1 round by the constricting plants, then wrapped by the roots, entangling them for 1d3+1 rounds (though they can still move). A successful saving throw halves the damage, negates the dazing effect, and halves the duration of the entanglement. These effects only occur once when the roots are first conjured.

After the initial effects, a creature entangled by the roots must make a Reflex save at the start of its turn each round or take a further 3d6 bludgeoning damage as the plant matter continues to crush it. Succeeding on this Reflex save negates the damage for that round only. An entangled creature can attempt to break free as a standard action by making a Strength or Escape Artist check: the DC of this check is equal to the DC of this spell + 5. If they succeed they escape the roots, ending the spell for that target only.

Magical Mysteries (Part 2): Utility Spells

Christopher Moore November 1, 2019

Today, we continue our preview of new spells in Path of the Wilds. This preview focuses on a handful of utility-focused spells. These magical tricks are meant to supplement your main strategy rather than be the core of it, primarily focusing on hindering enemy options and supporting allies.

Our third set of spell previews will be on Monday!

CLIPPED WINGS

School transmutation; Level druid 2, invoker 2, ranger 2, shaman 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

Your magic brings a creature to the ground. On a failed saving throw, the target loses its flying speed and begins to fall. It falls safely to the ground, similar to when a fly spell ends. The creature is unable to fly for the duration of the spell and takes a penalty to Acrobatics and Fly checks equal to your caster level (max -10). It is still able to leave the ground by non-flying means, such as levitate.

A Fortitude save prevents the creature from losing its fly speed and reduces the Acrobatics and Fly check penalties by half (max -5).

EXPOSE

School transmutation; Level elementalist 3, magus 3, occultist 3, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature or object
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude partial (object); Spell Resistance no

With a wave of your hand, you reduce the target’s defenses. You inflict one penalty chosen from the options below:

The target takes a -4 penalty to its AC
The target’s Damage Reduction and/or hardness (if any) is reduced by 5.
The target’s Spell Resistance is lowered by 5.
All energy resistances the target has are reduced by 10. This has no effect on a creature or object with immunity to a damage type.

A successful Fortitude save reduces the duration of the spell to 1 round.

SEEK FOE

School divination; Level ranger 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area cone-shaped emanation
Duration concentration, up to 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell can only be cast if you have a favored enemy. This functions as detect animals or plants, except it detects the presence of creatures whose type matches one of your favored enemies. You can choose to look for all of your favored enemies at once or specify just one favored enemy type to detect.

SYMBIOSIS

School abjuration; Level druid 5, invoker 4, psychic 6, spiritualist 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets you and one willing creature
Duration 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

You form a symbiotic link between yourself and the target, your vital essences intertwined. Symbiosis causes effects that impact the physical well-being of one of you two to affect the other. This has several implications:

Any damage taken by you or the linked creature (including bleed damage) is split evenly between both of you, similar to the effects of shield other but working in both directions. Effects that restore hit points or grant temporary hit points are likewise divided evenly between yourself and the linked creature. If one of you would become fatigued, exhausted, sickened, nauseated, blinded, or deafened, that effect is applied to both of you with the duration split in half where applicable (see below) to a minimum of 1 round. Removing the condition from one of you removes it from the other. Ability score penalties (such as from a ray of enfeeblement), ability damage, and ability drain are similarly split between both of you; penalties are halved and last half as long but affect you both, while permanent damage and drain are simply split evenly. Effects that restore ability damage and drain have their recovery split evenly between the two of you.

An effect that is shared through the link grants no saving throw to the shared creature. For example, if the linked creature is subjected to a ray of sickening and fails its save, you will also be sickened without getting a save. Any effects not mentioned above are not shared through symbiosis. If your or the other creature are immune to an effect that would be shared (such as being immune to fatigue), that effect works at full strength on the non-immune target and is not split to the immune target. Permanent effects, such as failing a save against blindness/deafness, affect both of you for the duration of symbiosis but is removed from whoever was not the original target once this spell ends. Symbiosis ends immediately if you or the other creature are slain. Dispelling or dismissing symbiosis ends the spell for both targets.

Magical Mysteries: A Look at New Spells in Path of the Wilds

Christopher Moore October 28, 2019

For our next preview of Path of the Wilds, we’re taking a look at one of the largest chapters: Magic!

The Path series, at its core, is an exploration of different concepts of magic. Path of Shadows looked at darkness, shadows magic, curses, and other totally-not-edgy things, whereas Path of Iron tackled metal, constructs, traps, crafting, and so on. Path of the Wilds is no different.

For Path of the Wilds, we look to nature for inspiration, wanting to expand upon options that are surprisingly lacking. The major themes of the spells in the book are:

Elemental spells (air, earth, fire, and water)
Plants and animals
Exploration and survival
Combating the unnatural (like aberrations or undead)

Now, those categories are pretty broad, and that’s intentional. Becoming a master of the wilds means something different to a lot of people. Maybe you want to control the weather, or become a tamer of savage beasts. All sorts of concepts should be supported by the book, and that’s what we aim to do: with 60+ spells planned already (with more if we hit stretch goals!) we want to have something for everyone.

Some spells are pretty straight forward and fill out concepts that otherwise have noticeable gaps: sundering earth and stone shard, for example give new early-game options to an aspiring geomancer. On the other hand, we want to include some spells that can lend themselves to unorthodox playstyles. A favorite of mine is the wasp sting, which transforms a potion or poison into a spectral wasp that delivers it for you from range: great for both supporting allies and hindering your enemies.

Of course, what you’re here for are examples, right? With today and the next few previews we’re going to show off a couple of the major spell concepts in the book. Today’s selection is for elemental spells, which are of vital important to the new elementalist class. We’ll show more in the coming days!

MAELSTROM

School evocation [cold, water]; Level druid 4, elementalist 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 30-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous, then 1d3 rounds
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

You summon a churning maelstrom of icy waters that ensnares creatures within. Each creature in the area is pulled as close to the center as possible and then entangled for 1d3 rounds as they are partially frozen by the cold water. A Fortitude save causes the creature to be only pulled half as far and negates the entanglement effect. A creature with the Fire subtype takes 1d8 points of cold damage per two caster levels (max 10d8) on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a successful one. Creatures that are immune to cold damage are immune to this spell’s entanglement effect but not the pulling effect.

In addition to the above, any non-magical fire in the area is extinguished automatically.

PILLAR OF EARTH

School conjuration (creation) [earth]; Level cleric 4, druid 5, elementalist 4, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 4, summoner 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect earthen pillar with a diameter of 15 ft.
Duration 1 round/2 levels (D) or 10 min./level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw Reflex negates or none (see text); Spell Resistance no

You bring your hand low and raise it with a slow and powerful gesture, the earth responding in kind. This spell can only be cast upon the ground in an area of existing earth or stone. When cast, the earth in the targeted area rises, creating a cylindrical pillar 15 feet wide. Other results of the spell, like duration and speed, is dependent on whether you make the ground rise slowly or not:

Slow: The earth raises at a moderate pace. The pillar rises at a rate of 30 feet per round and can rise up to a maximum height of 30 feet per caster level. It will stop short of any solid barriers (like a roof or cavern ceiling), leaving enough room between the top of the pillar and the barrier for any creatures upon the pillar to comfortably stand and move. This version of pillar of stone lasts for 10 minutes per caster level. When the duration ends (either normally or when dismissed), the pillar slowly sinks back down at the same rate it ascended until it returns the ground to its original state.
Fast: The earth swiftly erupts with great force. In this form, the pillar has a maximum height of only 5 feet per caster level, but reaches this height almost instantly. Any creature in the pillar’s way must make a Reflex save or be pushed upwards by the pillar, taking 1d8 bludgeoning damage per two caster levels (max 5d8). A creature more than 20 feet above the ground gains a +4 bonus on its saving throw. A Reflex save lets the creature move out of the way of the pillar and into the nearest unoccupied space. The pillar attempts to reach its maximum height: if there are any barriers in the way, the pillar makes a Strength check to break through, having an effective Strength score of 20 + your caster level for the check. Any creature that failed its initial Reflex save and is caught between the pillar and a surface takes 2d8 damage as they are crushed into it. If the pillar does not break through the surface, it stops flush with it: any creature that was on top of the pillar is pinned between the pillar and the barrier. The pinned creature can get out with an Escape Artist or Strength check as a standard action (DC equal to the spell’s save DC + 5), doing so gives them enough space to escape but does not help any other pinned creature nor end the spell. They can also attempt to break the barrier they are pinned against instead of the pillar itself, with the DC for the surface in question determined by the GM. While pinned, a creature has total concealment from other creatures unless their space extends outside of the pillar’s area. This version of the pillar lasts for 1 round per two caster levels, and when the duration ends (either normally or dismissed), the pillar crumbles into loose dirt and rubble before vanishing.

Regardless of version of the spell, the pillar itself is mostly made of compacted dirt. It has hardness 0 and 180 hit points, and can be destroyed through damage or instantly by a DC 50 Strength check. When destroyed the spell ends immediately, leaving no trace.

SOLAR FLARE

School evocation [fire, light]; Level druid 5, elementalist 5, magus 5, occultist 5, psychic 5, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 20 ft.
Area 20-ft.-radius burst, centered on you
Duration instantaneous, then 1d4 rounds (see text)
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yes

An intense flash of blinding light shines forth from you, searing nearby enemies with its intensity. Creatures within the burst take 1d6 fire damage per caster level (max 15d6) and are blinded for 1d4 rounds. A Reflex save halves the fire damage and reduces the blinding effect to only dazzle the creature for 1d4 rounds.

A creature that has a weakness to sunlight takes a -2 penalty on its saving throw against this spell’s effects and is blinded even on a successful saving throw.

TEMPEST HAMMER

School evocation [air]; Level druid 7, elementalist 7, shaman 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area cylinder (30-ft.-radius, 200 ft. high)
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

An intense blast of air slams down from above, crushing anything below with disastrous strength. Each creature, unattended object, and structure inside the area when the spell is cast takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per caster level (max 20d6). Creatures are knocked prone, and flying creatures are immediately forced to the ground and knocked prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for the height it fell. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage and negates both the prone effect and grounding effect.

For 1 round thereafter, the wind continues to blast downward, acting as hurricane-strength winds directly towards the ground (see the Environment rules in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook). Any flying creature in the area must make a DC 25 Fly check (with a -12 penalty imposed by the hurricane force of the wind) or be forced immediately to the ground and knocked prone, taking falling damage as normal. Loose objects are scattered about, and objects and structures that are still intact after the initial damage of the spell may be further damaged by the powerful winds.