Class: Arcanist

Arcanist Features

Class Trait. You gain the Arcanist trait, allowing you to gain abilities that also have the Arcanist trait.

Class Skills. You gain 2 skill boosts to Discipline, 4 additional mental skill boosts, and 3 physical skill boosts. You cannot increase a skill above apprentice (d8) in this way.

Starting Abilities. You gain the ◈ Attune and ❖ Arcane Bolt abilities.

Spell Selections. You gain 3 Arcanist Cast abilities of your choice.

Equipment. You gain a Magic Focus. It can take any form you wish, but cannot be a Weapon, Consumable, or other item with a mechanical benefit. For example, it could be an earring, a crystal, a book,

Design Note

This class has already, and will likely continue to, receive the largest amount of design tweaks and modifications. The current design philosophy behind the Arcanist is to incentivize varied gameplay patterns, rather than creating a path of player behavior where they're just doing the same thing over and over again. Thus, the boost in mana generation when you switch your attunement trait, allowing you to pop off your more powerful spells sooner.

The intention is to add many more Arcanist abilities that use Mana as a resource, and some that cause the character to gain Fatigue. There is also design space to add abilities that improve the Arcanist's attunement effects, and abilities that add effects when attunement ends.

Magic (trait)

Effects with the Magic trait are magical in nature, and can be sensed or manipulated by certain other effects. However, Magic effects aren't necessarily identifiable as magical by observers, and don't create additional visual or audible distractions unless the effect also has the Cast trait. A character cannot use Magic abilities unless they have an invested Magic Implement on their person (see Marketplace).

You can use the following Boons when you use an ability with the Magic trait:

⛊ Mana Delve (17-20): If you are attuned to Magic, gain 1 Mana.

⛊ Empower (20): If you would take 1 or more Fatigue as a cost to use this ability, reduce that amount of Fatigue by 1.

Cast (trait)

An ability with the Cast trait requires the user to gesticulate and produce some kind of obviously magical sound (chanting, echoes from another dimension, supernatural buzzing, etc.). This typically causes the effect to be easily noticed by observers within 10 Spaces, or possibly noticed by observers within 20 Spaces, barring an extremely disruptive distraction from elsewhere.

Subtle (trait)

An ability with the Subtle trait is not particularly noticeable when it is used. If the ability also has the Cast trait, no gesticulation or sounds are required.

Augment

Some abilities and effects allow you to increase the efficacy with an Augment effect. Using an Augment effect is optional, and usually comes with an additional cost, such as an action, additional Mana, etc. You cannot apply more than one Augment effect to an effect.

Arcanist Magic

Roll Discipline against a Difficulty Die equal to twice your Fatigue total (minimum d4, maximum d12) and choose Cognition, Energy, or Force. You become attuned to that Magic trait for 1 minute and you gain 1 Mana.

You lose all Mana when you are no longer attuned, and you cannot have Mana in excess of your Discipline.

Failure: Take 1 Fatigue.

At the start of each of your turns you are attuned, choose one:

Gain 1 Mana.
Switch your attunement trait to a Magic trait you're not already attuned to. Gain 2 Mana.

While attuned, you can use the Minor Magic maneuver:

◈ Minor Magic (Magic, Cast): Generate a minor Magic effect within 10 Spaces, based on the Magic trait you're attuned to (see attuned).

Special: You cannot use this ability if you are already attuned.

Arcanist Magic Cast Attack Ranged 5

Roll Accuracy against a target within this Attack's maximum range.

Take -1 Edge for every additional range increment beyond the first between you and the target, and if you moved more than half your Speed this turn.

Success: The target takes 1 unblockable Damage.

⛊ [Combust/Freeze] (18-20; Augment): If you are attuned to Magic (Energy), this Attack gains the [Fire/Cold] trait and the target becomes [burning/slowed until the end of your next turn].

⛊ Kinetic Blast (18-20; Augment): If you are attuned to Magic (Force), the target is pushed 2 Spaces in a direction of your choice and falls prone.

⛊ Confuse (18-20; Augment): If you are attuned to Magic (Cognition), the target takes 1 unblockable Stress. Then, if they are vulnerable, they are also confused until the start of your next turn.

Attuned (status effect)

While attuned to Magic, you can use a maneuver to create minor Magic effects within 10 Spaces relating to your attuned trait. When you do so, the maneuver gains the Magic and Cast traits.

Here are some examples of effects you can create while attuned to different Magic traits. More complex tasks may require a roll, but cannot create powerful effects on their own (GM discretion).

Cognition: send telepathic messages to willing creatures, commit a scene or sequence of words to memory
Energy: slightly raise or lower a small object's temperature, light or douse small flames, create simple patterns of frost
Force: cause a small object to levitate and move at your command, open and close simple doors and small containers

Arcanist Magic Cast Attack Energy Lightning

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Energy).

Spend 1 Mana. Roll Accuracy against up to two targets within 5 Spaces that are within 2 Spaces of each other.

Success: The target takes 1 unblockable Damage.

Failure: The target takes 1 unblockable Stress.

⛊ Chain Lightning (17-20): Target a creature within 2 Spaces of one of the previous targets that hasn't already been targeted by this ability.

Arcanist Magic Cast Attack Energy Area Taxing

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Energy).

Spend 3 Mana and take 1 Fatigue. An explosion erupts in a Radius 1 area within 10 Spaces, targeting all creatures and objects within the area. Choose [Fireball/Coldsnap]. This ability gains the [Fire/Cold] trait. Roll Discipline. After this ability resolves, you become unattuned to Magic.

Success: Each target you succeed against takes unblockable Damage equal to your result divided by 4 (minimum 1) and is [burning/slowed until the end of your next turn].

Failure: Each target you fail against takes unblockable Stress equal to your result divided by 4 (minimum 1).

Arcanist Magic Cast Force

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Force).

Trigger: You or a creature you can see within 5 Spaces would take 1 or more Damage from an Attack.

Spend 1 Mana. Block 1 Damage from the triggering Attack.

Arcanist Magic Cast Force Teleport

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Force).

Spend 1 Mana. Choose yourself or a willing, non-Large, adjacent creature. The target teleports to an unoccupied Space within 4 Spaces of yourself that you can see.

❖ Augment: Spend 2 Mana. You can target up to 5 eligible creatures instead of 1, choosing a different Space within range for each target.

❖ Augment: Spend 2 Mana. The target can be non-willing. Roll Manipulation against the target's Reflex. On a failure, the target is unaffected.

Arcanist Magic Cast Cognition Control

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Cognition).

Spend 2 Mana. Target a Person or Beast within 5 Spaces and roll Discipline. The target takes 1 Stress.

Success: The target must choose one:

Take 1 Stress (Taxing).
Become confused for 1 minute or until they take Damage or Blight, whichever comes first.
Drop all held items and fall prone.

Arcanist Magic Cast Cognition Taxing

Requirement: You must be attuned to Magic (Cognition).

Augment: Take 1 Fatigue. This ability gains the Subtle trait.

Target a Person or Beast within 5 Spaces and roll Manipulation against their Discipline.

Success: Choose one of the following:

The target divulges a secret they were trying to keep from you.
The target loses all memory from the last minute.
The target carries out the next suggestion made to them in the next minute, so long as doing so wouldn't put them in immediate danger.

The target doesn't immediately realize they were charmed, though they may grow suspicious upon later reflection, especially if they experience direct consequences as a result.

Failure: Take 1 Fatigue. The target is aware you attempted to control their mind.

⛊ Extra Effect (17-20): On a success, choose an additional effect from those provided.