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Magus

A blade flies from her belt to turn aside the warrior's blade before it flings behind her to strike his companion in the throat. She abruptly shifts away, appearing behind him and laying a hand on his shoulder. Ice shards explode through his chest and throat and he collapses to the ground.

She is a magus. A human practitioner of the Occult, studied in the ways of magic that no other human can hope to match. She does not rely on armor or steel to protect her, only her powerful knowledge and command of the Occult. She possesses great tomes of magic, where she records each spell she discovers, forever pulled by the insatiable and limitless bounds of magic.

Lvl \ Pts EXP Title Hlth Mastery
Weapon / Spell / Skill
1 \ 1 0 Apprentice - 1 / 4 / 2
2 \ 2 100 Apprentice - 2 / 5 / 3
3 \ 3 350 Apprentice +1 3 / 6 / 4
4 \ 4 650 Adept - 4 / 7 / 5
5 \ 5 1,000 Adept - 5 / 8 / 6
6 \ 6 1,400 Adept +1 6 / 10 / 7
7 \ 7 1,850 Initiate - 7 / 12 / 8
8 \ 8 2,350 Initiate - 8 / 14 / 9
9 \ 9 2,900 Initiate +1 9 / 16 / 10
10 \ 10 3,500 Maven - 10 / 18 / 11
11 \ 10 4,150 Maven - 11 / 20 / 12
12 \ 10 4,850 Maven +1 12 / 22 / 13
13 \ 10 5,600 Master - 13 / 24 / 14
14 \ 10 6,400 Master - 14 / 26 / 15
15 \ 10 7,250 Master +1 15 / 28 / 16
16 \ 10 8,150 Sage - 16 / 31 / 18
17 \ 10 9,100 Sage - 17 / 34 / 20
18 \ 10 10,100 Sage +1 18 / 37 / 22
19 \ 10 11,150 Magister - 19 / 40 / 24
20 \ 10 12,250 Magister - 20 / 43 / 26
21 \ 10 13,400 Magister +1 22 / 46 / 28
22 \ 10 14,600 Archon - 24 / 49 / 30
23 \ 10 15,850 Archon - 26 / 52 / 32
24 \ 10 17,150 Archon +1 28 / 55 / 34
25 \ 10 18,500 Hierarch - 30 / 58 / 36
26 \ 10 19,900 Hierarch - 32 / 62 / 39
27 \ 10 21,350 Hierarch +1 34 / 66 / 42
28 \ 10 22,850 Archmagus - 36 / 70 / 45
29 \ 10 24,400 Archmagus - 38 / 74 / 48
30 \ 10 26,000 Archmagus +1 40 / 78 / 51

Equipment Restrictions

  • Armor: None
  • Shield: None
  • Weapons: Any

Magus Experience Table

Experience. When this number of Experience Points have been earned, you automatically move up to the next level of experience.

Title. You should use this title when talking with other characters. Instead of saying "I'm Felonius, a Second Level Magus," you should say "I'm Felonius, the Apprentice."

Health. You gain 1 health per 3 levels of experience in addition to any health gained from your endurance.

Skills. At first level, you begin with 2 Skill Mastery points, which must be spent immediately on Skills. You may use these points to advance Skills to Untrained mastery, but no further at this level.

Spell Mastery. At first level, you begin with 4 Spell Mastery points, which must be spent immediately on up to 6 Spell Forms. You may use these points to advance Spell Forms to Untrained mastery, but no further at this level.

  • As a magus, you can learn Fire, Sea, Sky, and Stone magic and may choose 2 of the following entropic forms: Primal, Sacred, Profane, or Void.
  • You gain 1 Spell Mastery point per level. At level 6, this increases to 2 points per level. At level 16, this increases to 3 points per level. At level 26, this increases to 4 points per level.

Weapon Mastery. At first level, you begin with 1 Weapon Mastery point, which must be spent immediately on a Weapon Type or Combat Style. You may use this point to advance a Weapon Type or Combat Style to Untrained mastery, but no further at this level.

  • You gain 1 Weapon Mastery point per level. At level 21, this increases to 2 points per level.
  • You can obtain Skilled mastery with a magus.

Leveled Abilities

You gain abilities below as you increase level.

Mortal

As a Mortal being, you have no innate damage immunity or vulnerability. You are connected to the Void magic form. Only Void magic can Charm, Control, summon, or banish you, or restore your mind (see Magic Mastery, Connected Form). All other magic affects you normally.

Occult Magic

Level 1

You can cast Occult spells. You have a number of Magan, or spell points, equal to your Intelligence score. For each Intelligence Tier up to your current tier, roll the corresponding tier die and add the result. Each time your Intelligence Tier increases, roll the new tier die and add it to your magan. Your magan are regained through rest and food, as described in the Exploration chapter.

Each spell you cast reduces your available magan by the spell's magan cost.

  • The DC of your spells is equal to your Mastery Level + your Intelligence Tier (maximum 14).

Apprentice. You must apprentice yourself to an NPC Occult practitioner of at least Expert mastery or higher. At level one, when you select your Untrained forms, your master transcribes two spells into a grimoire you have purchased (see Codex in Equipment). When you first reach Basic mastery in any form, your master transcribes an additional spell. When you first reach Skilled mastery in any form, your master transcribes a final spell. The first two spells are a gift; it is customary to provide 1 sc for each spell after that.

Spell Acquisition. You can also learn new spells from scrolls, and discover them in found grimoires or from other willing practitioners (see Magic Mastery, Discovery). To learn a spell from a scroll, of any tradition, you cast it, which consumes the scroll. Transcribing a spell into your grimoire requires magan² Scribe Supplies and takes 1 day per magan, consuming 1 page per magan. See the Trade (Scribe) discipline for full details. See the Magic Mastery chapter, Spell Sources.

Grimoire

You start with a grimoire containing two spells chosen by you or your GM. A starter grimoire (2 inches, 200 pages) weighs about 19 lbs and can hold a considerable number of spells. See Equipment for codex specifications and expansion.

Lost Book. If your grimoire is lost, you cannot memorize any spells to cast and must either find the lost book or begin creating a new one.

Cantrips

Level 1

You know the following cantrips as part of your training as a magus. Cantrips require 1 AP, are Fast, and are treated as Tier 0 spells (0 Magan to cast). You can cast a number of cantrips per day equal to your Casting Attribute score, regained at dawn.

Actions

  • Kindle. You light or douse a candle, torch, or lamp you are holding.
  • Resound. You double the volume of your voice, which lasts for 1 minute.
  • Fling. You propel a thrown weapon in your possession or unattended within 10 feet at a creature you can see, using your mastery die for that weapon's type + your Casting Attribute Tier die + modifiers.
  • Phantom Sound. You create a sound with which you are familiar within 30 feet.
  • Unlatch. You open or close an unlocked door, window, chest, or similar object within 30 feet.

Reactions

  • Aegis. As a defense reaction, you defend yourself against an incoming mundane attack, including ranged attacks, making a defense roll equal to two of your Casting Attribute Tier dice + applicable resistance + modifiers.
  • Shift. As a movement reaction, you abruptly shift up to 10 feet in a direction of your choice without provoking Reprisal Attacks.

Student

Level 1

You automatically advance in the Trade (Scribe) Skill Mastery. You begin with Untrained Mastery, gain Basic Mastery at level 3, Skilled Mastery at level 6, gain Expert Mastery at level 10, Master Mastery at level 15, and Grand Mastery at level 21. These skills do not count against your Skill Mastery points.

Arcane Familiar

Level 1

You attract a familiar to your side, a Morphon or Primordial spirit of small or average size. A small familiar occupies ½ square (+1 defense, −1 speed). An average familiar occupies 1 square. Its Tier increases with your level on the table below.

Classification. Your familiar carries the classification package of its kind.

Kind Immune Vulnerable (Impotence on trials vs) Connected Natural Attack
Primordial (Fire) Fire Sea Fire Cleaving
Primordial (Sea) Sea Fire Sea Puncturing
Primordial (Sky) Sky Stone Sky Cutting
Primordial (Stone) Stone Sky Stone Crushing
Morphon Void Primal Void Piercing

Morphon familiars take the shape of a small land animal (cat, fox, hare, hound, weasel) as either an eidolon, the ideal form of that animal, or an eidola, a false form that is subtly wrong. Its natural attack is Piercing regardless of the animal it resembles.

Movement. Each kind of familiar has one movement mode of its own:

Kind Movement
Sky Flies (+4 fly)
Sea Swims (+4 swim)
Stone Burrows through earth and stone at half its land speed
Fire Climbs at its land speed
Morphon Runs (+4 land)

Shoulder Riding. A small familiar can ride on you. While riding, it moves with you and remains present for its abilities.

Progression

Level Tier Tier Die
1 1 1d2
4 2 1d3
8 3 1d4
12 4 1d6
16 5 1d8
20 6 1d10
24 7 1d12

At Tier 1, you gain Mind Link. You can communicate telepathically with your familiar within 100 feet per Familiar Tier.

At Tier 2, you gain Concentration Slot. Your familiar can maintain concentration on one sustained spell on your behalf, allowing you to have two sustained spells active simultaneously. Your familiar must be present (within 30 feet, not discorporated or phased) to maintain concentration.

At Tiers 3 through 7, choose one ability per tier from your track (Morphon or Primordial), chosen at character creation.

Familiar Stats

Health: Shared with you. Each Tier adds its tier die to your shared health pool (compounding).

Attack: Your Intelligence tier die + Familiar tier die. Melee natural attack, 5 ft reach. Damage type by kind (see Classification).

Defense: Your Intelligence tier die + Familiar tier die + Resistance.

Resistance: Gains 6 resistance to each mundane damage type at Tier 1. Starting at Tier 2, gains +1 resistance to all damage types per Tier.

Trials: Familiar tier die + your Intelligence tier die.

Familiar DC: Familiar Tier + your Intelligence Tier.

Speed: 3 + Familiar Tier + size modifier (½ square −1, 1 square +0) + locomotion (see Movement).

AP: 2.

Shared Health Pool

You and your familiar share a single health pool. All damage to either of you draws from the same pool.

  • When you and your familiar are both caught in the same area of effect, damage applies once.
  • When separated, enemies can target either you or your familiar. Your familiar defends normally, and any damage it takes draws from the shared pool.
  • When the shared pool reaches 0, you follow the standard rules for Reaching 0 Health (Injury, dying timer, Endurance trial), and your familiar discorporates. This applies even if the damage that reduced the pool to 0 was dealt to your familiar; your Endurance trial is made against that damage.

Discorporation

A discorporated familiar cannot act, cannot be targeted, and grants none of its abilities, including the Concentration Slot. It reforms at your side at dawn. You can call it back early by spending magan equal to 3 × its Tier and performing a 10-minute uninterrupted ritual. Your shared pool's maximum is unchanged while your familiar is discorporated.

Death

Your familiar dies only through Primordial Connection or if you die. A dead familiar must be resummoned by expending sc equal to twice its Tier and performing a 1-hour uninterrupted ritual. If you die, the bond breaks and the familiar departs.

Track Abilities Shared by Both Tracks

Reserve. Your familiar holds a reserve of points equal to its Tier, regained each day at dawn. As a 2 AP action, it spends points to impose one condition that its form delivers (see Magic Mastery, Form and Condition Access). Cost by condition tier: Tier 1 costs 1 point, Tier 2 costs 3 points, Tier 3 costs 6 points. Simple conditions cost points by their listed tier.

  • Positive conditions can only be imposed on you, within 30 feet.
  • Negative conditions target one creature your familiar can see within 30 feet, which makes the condition's trial against the Familiar DC.
  • On a failed trial (or automatically, for positive conditions on you), the condition advances by the number of tiers paid for. Reserve requires no concentration. No source holds its tiers: they deteriorate 1 tier per round, including on conditions that normally do not deteriorate (see Conditions, Stacking).
  • Simple conditions imposed by Reserve end after 1 round. Prone ends when the creature stands.
  • Simple condition trials: Prone uses Agility for a Stone familiar (the ground heaves) and Strength for a Sea or Sky familiar (a surge of water, a gust of wind). Blinded and Deafened use Perception (see Magic Mastery, Resisting Spells).

Bolt. A number of times per day equal to its Tier, regained at dawn, your familiar can spend 1 AP to strike one creature it can see within 30 feet with its form (its element, or Void for a Morphon). The target makes an Agility trial against the Familiar DC. On a failure, it takes damage equal to the Familiar tier die. Energy forms (Fire, Sky, Void) bypass armor and apply to health. Material forms (Sea, Stone) apply to armor durability, ignoring mundane armor resistance. Resistance to the form reduces the damage.

Morphon Track

Beings from different worlds or planes of existence.

Interdimensional Pouch. Your familiar has access to an interdimensional pouch that can carry a number of cubic feet or Encumbrance slots equal to its Tier. Accessing this space costs the familiar 1 AP. It is possible to locate this pouch with an appropriate Divination spell.

Blink. As a movement action (1 AP), your familiar can teleport 5 × its Tier in feet without provoking Reprisal Attacks. Its next attack this round has Dominance.

Phase Shift. Your familiar can spend 2 AP to shift into an interdimensional space until you summon it back for 1 AP. While phased, it is invisible and immune to all effects unless forcibly removed or summoned. Concentration held by your familiar breaks while it is phased. It is possible to locate this space with an appropriate Divination spell.

Void Attunement. While your familiar is present (within 30 feet, not discorporated or phased), you gain resistance to Void damage equal to its Tier.

Void Amplification. While your familiar is present (within 30 feet, not discorporated or phased), your Void spell damage increases by its Tier. When your familiar's natural attack deals damage to durability or health, the target also takes Void damage equal to its Tier (see Magic Damage on Weapons).

Void Reserve. Gain Reserve (Void conditions).

Void Bolt. Gain Bolt (Void damage).

Primordial Track

Beings connected to elements of nature, such as sea, sky, stone, and fire.

Elemental Attunement. While your familiar is present (within 30 feet, not discorporated or phased), you gain resistance to its element equal to its Tier.

Elemental Amplification. While your familiar is present (within 30 feet, not discorporated or phased), your spell damage of its element increases by its Tier. When your familiar's natural attack deals damage to durability or health, the target also takes damage of its element equal to its Tier (see Magic Damage on Weapons).

Elemental Resilience. Your shared health pool's maximum increases by 2 × your familiar's Tier.

Elemental Chameleon. Your familiar can shift into a nondescript version of its element (a small rock, a torch flame, a waterskin, a puff of smoke or fog). While shifted, it can still sense the world around it and gains additional resistance to all damage types equal to its Tier. It is possible to identify its true nature with an appropriate Divination spell.

Primordial Connection. Once per familiar life, when your shared health pool would reach 0, you may remain at 1 Health instead. If you do, your familiar dies. You are conscious but critically vulnerable. Your familiar must be resummoned (see Death).

Elemental Reserve. Gain Reserve (conditions of its element).

Elemental Bolt. Gain Bolt (damage of its element).