RULES ADDITION: Watcher Character Advancement

Watcher Initiation – As part of initiation into the Watchers, you receive a set of Watcher Implants. These bits of biotechnology are reverse-engineered Nightlord tech, which serve to allow the Watcher to control his abilities. Additionally, it functions as a translation device, holding an infinite amount of languages and learning new languages as they are encountered (after a few days of exposure). You can understand the language without penalty, but speaking the language imposes a -6 penalty to social interaction skills when using the translator – this penalty is reduced to -3 one month after receiving the implant. Since this is organic technology, you do not become susceptible to ion damage.

Detect Night – You receive a +5 bonus to notice nightscript. Further, if you pass within 1 square of a nightbridge or character with one or more Night feats you immediately sense that the place or character is touched by the Night.

Decipher Nightscript – You are able to pick out bits of Nightscript from your environment. You may make an Intelligence check (DC 15) to read Nightscript – you add your Night Bonus to this check as well. If successful, you may identify the contents of a night scribble or determine the intentions of a strange inscription or strange verse. To those without this ability Nightscript appears to be meaningless or random symbols which are frequently entirely overlooked.

Night Shift – As a full-round action, you can shift into the Night. While in the Night, your movement speed is quadrupled, but you cannot interact with anything outside of the Night. As you gain levels, the ease with which you can enter the Night increases. Returning from the Night to reality is a free action that can only be taken on your turn. You can only enter the Night once per turn. When you Night Shift, you can also shift a number of adjacent creatures equal to your Night Bonus, however creatures who have the Night Shift ability cannot be shifted in this manner. Unwilling creatures can be shifted in this fashion, however you must make a melee touch attack against them to shift them.

Night Abilities – As you gain experience you learn to manipulate the Night and its effects in more advanced ways. Each time you gain a Night Ability, choose one from the list below that you meet the prerequisites for.

• All or Nothing (Prerequisite: Unshakeable) – The Night’s effects on reality can be inherently random, sometimes allowing you to succeed in the face of overwhelming odds while at other times making you fail where you might have normally succeeded. Once per session before making a roll, you may increase the auto-succeed and auto-fail ranges of that roll by 5.  For rolls that did not normally auto-succeed or auto-fail, this becomes a range of success on 16-20 and failure on 1-4.  For attack rolls, auto-success on this roll counts as a critical threat as well as an automatic hit, however this critical threat must be confirmed as normal.  You may not take 10 or take 20 with a roll affected by this ability.
• Black Cat – Strange and unfortunate accidents tend to plague your enemies. Rolls that automatically fail on a given die roll now increase the range that they fail on by 1.  This only affects the highest-level opponent you are in direct conflict with.  This ability may be taken multiple times. For each additional time you take it, Black Cat affects the next highest-level opponent.
• Night Dodge (Prerequisite: Tough Luck, Character Level 12 or higher) – Due to your ability to duck into the Night as needed, sometimes attacks miss you, even when you would have otherwise been hit.  You may spend a hero point and make the usual hero point roll the beginning of any round (Things Get Weird applies if you have it). For a number of rounds equal to the result of your action point roll plus your Night bonus, any successful attack against you has a 20% chance of missing you after all.
• Night Fetch (Prerequisite: Night Scrounge) – You are now able to pull useful items from the Night faster and more reliably.  Roll a d20, adding your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest). If the roll * 1000 exceeds the desired item’s cost, you’re able to acquire it in one round. Otherwise, fetching the item takes a number of minutes equal to the difference between the cost and 1000 * the roll. The moment the item is no longer being held or watched it returns to the Night.
• Night Scrounge (Prerequisite: INT, WIS, or CHA 13 or higher) – Sometimes items that are cast away or lost find their way into the Night.  While the most of these are lost keys or lone socks, sometimes some are more useful.  Once per session you may spend an hour to find a weapon or piece of gear. The cost of this equipment cannot exceed your 1000 * (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest) plus your Night bonus. If the item is a weapon, attacks with it fail on a natural 1 or 2 – if the weapon already has an increased failure range than increase the range by 1.  The item automatically breaks at the end of the session.  You may take this ability up to three times, each time allowing you to find an item once per session.
• Night Stash (Prerequisite: Night Fetch) – You are able to shift normal items into the Night, to be recovered later.  You may place a single item into the Night, where you can retrieve it later. Unlike items discovered with the Night Scrounge feat, items stashed in the Night don’t gain increased failure ranges or any special tendency to break.  You must spend an hero point and take one minute to place an item in the Night. Afterward, you may retrieve the item at any time as a full round action (even if you’re in a different location). When the item is retrieved, you must roll a d20, adding your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest), add your Night Bonus to this roll as well. If the result of this roll * 1000 is equal to or less than the item’s cost, it becomes lost in the Night.  The item can be returned to the Night as a full-round action, allowing you to retrieve it again at a later point in time.  The character may only have one item stashed in the Night at any one time.
• Scribble (Prerequisite: Level 7 or higher) – Your knowledge of nightscript allows you to create self-delivering messages. You may write a short nightscript message (one sentence) that makes itself plain to one individual of your choice. The message can move instantly to any desired location up to 10 kilometers from the point it was created and lingers for 24 hours, or until it is read by the intended recipient, whichever comes first. Creating the scribble requires one full round per word in the message, and you may create one scribble per session per point of Night bonus you have.
• Spoil (Prerequisites: Unshakable) – You are naturally resistant to the power of the mystic world.  The DC of all invocations targeting you, and your defense scores any spell, incantation, true incantation, or nanospell, are increased by double your Night bonus.
• Strange Inscription (Prerequisite: Scribble, Level 12 or higher) – You can create bits of nightscript that influence the minds of others.  You may create a piece of nightscript that immediately imposes itself on another character within your line of sight. Doing so requires 2 full rounds. You must make an attack against the target’s Will defense – this attack bonus is equal to your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest) plus quadruple your Night bonus.  Success on the attack causes the target to suffer one of the following effects.  The target of a strange inscription cannot be affected by another piece of nightscript until this piece has run its full course (alleffects comes to an end and all temporary attribute damage is recovered). Each use of this ability counts as a use of your Scribble ability.
  • Blindness: The target is blinded for 2d4 rounds.
  • Confusion: The target suffers 2d4 points of temporary Intelligence damage. This damage recovers at the rate of 1 point per minute.
  • Depression: The target suffers 2d4 points of temporary Charisma damage. This damage recovers at the rate of 1 point per minute.
  • Fear: The target attempts to flee the area at his top speed for 2d4 rounds.
  • Generosity: The target’s disposition toward everyone is improved by two grades for 2d4 minutes.
  • Indecision: The target is stunned for 1d6 rounds.
  • Lethargy: The target loses their Dexterity bonus to Reflex Defense and may only take one move or standard action per round for 2d4 rounds.
  • Malice: The target’s disposition towards everyone is worsened by two grades for 2d4 minutes.
  • Pain: The target takes 2d8 subdual damage. This damage is recovered at the rate of 2 points per minute.
• Strange Verse (Prerequisite: Strange Inscription, Level 17 or higher) – You can create complex snippets of nightscript with a variety of results.  Once per session, you may create a string of nightscript that immediately imposes itself on another character within line of sight. Creating the string requires four full rounds. You must make an attack against the target’s Will defense – this attack bonus is equal to your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest) plus quadruple your Night bonus.  Success on the attack causes the target to suffer one of the following effects:
  • Song of…: As any of the Strange Inscription effects except that the number of dice rolled is increased by 1.
  • Song of Blood: The target suffers 3d8 damage.
  • Song of Death: You must immediately make an additional attack (at the same bonus) against the target’s Fortitude defense. If the attack succeeds, the target is immediately reduced to –1 HP and begins dying.
  • Song of Obedience: The target’s disposition toward you becomes “Ally” until they next rest.
• Tough Luck (Prerequisite: Black Cat, Level 6 or higher) – You’re more than just a jinx, you’re a magnet for unlucky breaks.  Opponents affected by your Black Cat ability must spend either a hero point or their next available swift action to avoid losing any critical hit or auto-success made against you.
• Things Get Weird (Prerequisite: All or Nothing, Level 12 or higher) – Any time you roll a ‘6’ with an hero point roll, the die explodes (roll the die again and add the new result to it).  However, any time that you roll a 1 on the hero point roll, you subtract one from the end result of the hero point roll.  If you only roll 1 hero point die, you gain no effect from the hero point instead.
• Unshakable – You remain calm and collected even in the face of the utterly bizarre and incomprehensible. You add your Night Bonus to your Will defense. Further, you take no penalties to Initiative and can still take 10 when in the Night.

Integral Theory – You are a student of exotic mathematics that describe the operation of a theoretical world, mathematics that have a profound impact on the Night. You may use mathematical formulas to influence the base workings of the Night, providing yourself with one of the following benefits while in an area where the Night is present or while within in the Night. The ‘bonus’ referred to is your Night Bonus, as determined by your Night User Character Advancement. Once chosen this bonus remains in effect until you leave the Night. The next time you enter the Night, a new bonus may be chosen.

• A bonus to all attack rolls and either unarmed damage or damage.
• A dodge bonus to Reflex Defense equal to 2x your Night Bonus
• A bonus to all defenses
• DR against physical attacks
• Resistance equal to 2x your Night Bonus against one energy type, chosen upon activation of Integral Theory
• A number temporary hit points equal to three times your Night Bonus.

Description Theory – Your mathematical formulae that grant you the ability to create more potent alterations within the Night now create alterations and make those alterations persist even after the Night has departed or you have left the Night. When you depart the Night you may retain your Integral Theory bonus. This effect immediately ends when the character next enters the Night, regardless of if that entry into the Night was of their own volition.

Summation Theory – You can now extend the benefits of Integral Theory to a number of allies equal to your Night Bonus. This does not allow you to apply the benefits of Description Theory to them.

Encompassing Theory – You can now extend the benefits of Description Theory to a number of allies equal to your Night Bonus.

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NEW MAGIC TALENTS

• CREATION MAGIC TALENT TREE
• Expedient Crafter: The action it takes for you to cast the Creation spell decreases to a swift action.
• Prerequisites: Fast Crafter

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NEW MOJO MANIPULATION CONTENT

New Improved Mojo – Extra Mojo: You gain another point of Mojo.  This Improved Mojo can be taken multiple times.

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RULES UPDATE: Military Occupational Specialities

Military Occupational Specialities are now open to all military characters, not just mundane ones.

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NEW MUNDANE CHARACTER PROGRESSION COMBAT METHOD: Grace, Tact, and Wit

Grace, Tact, and Wit – Rather than focusing on force of arms or fists, you have instead honed your razor wit and personality into a useful weapon and defense in combat.  At level 1 you gain the Noble Fencing Style talent as a bonus talent (Expert class, Fencing talent tree), and you can use this talent with any one-handed melee weapon you are proficient with instead of just light weapons.  You add the Fencing talent tree to the list of talent trees that you can spend your Mundane Character Progression bonus talents on (see below).  At level 3 and every 3 levels thereafter you gain a bonus feat that you meet the prerequisites for from the following list of feats.

• Banter
• Brilliant Defense
• Combat Trickery
• Demoralizing Strike
• Disturbing Presence
• Fan Service
• Fight Through Pain
• Force of Personality
• Humiliate
• Indomitable Personality
• Intimidator
• Mark
• Poise [Martial Arts]
• Predictive Defense
• Silver Tongue
• Undermine

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NEW MUNDANE CHARACTER PROGRESSION COMBAT METHOD: Perpetual Tinker

Perpetual Tinker – You are always tinkering with your equipment, focusing on that art rather than your actual combat skills.  Relying on this ‘enhanced’ equipment means you’re rather dependent on it, but the improvements you’ve made to your equipment mean you can hold your own with it.  At level 1 you gain the Personalized Modifications talent as a bonus talent (Expert and Scoundrel classes, Outlaw Tech tree) and you can use this on any weapon instead of only powered weapons, however using it requires 4 hours of work instead of a standard action.  When you use the Personalized Modifications talent the changes are permanent instead of only lasting until the end of the encounter.  You add the Outlaw Tech talent tree to the list of talent trees that you can spend your Mundane Character Progression bonus talents on (see below).  You can still use the talent as a Standard Action as normal but if you do the benefits only last until the end of the encounter and you can only use it in this fashion on powered weapons.  At level 3 and every 3 levels thereafter you gain a bonus feat that you meet the prerequisites for from the following list of feats.

• Advanced Device
• Expert Scavenger
• Hasty Modification
• Scavenger
• Signature Device
• Skill Focus (Mechanics)
• Skill Training (Mechanics)
• Starship Designer
• Superior Tech
• Tech Specialist
• Technophile
• Urgent Modification

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NEW MAGIC TYPE: Creation Magic

Encapsulated Spells – Rather than actively working magic into shape to cast a spell, you instead pre-shape it.  By directing the energy into a pre-built form, you are able to prepare a wide variety of magic for use ahead of time by expending material resources in the process.  This is an expensive process, the cost of which is dependent on the form being used.  Creating an encapsulated spell takes 1 hour per spell.  When activated, Encapsulated Spells function as you had gotten a 5 on the d20 to roll your Magery check.  By doubling the creation cost, this is improved to a 10.  At level 7 this improves to a 10 normally, and a 15 with doubled cost.  At level 13 this improves to a 15 normally and a 20 with quadrupled cost.

Base Encapsulation Cost – Base Encapsulation Cost is the cheapest you can encapsulate a spell for – essentially, it is the cost for the spell itself without any form or form modifiers.  Base Encapsulation Cost is equal to your Magery check modifier in whatever the predominant local currency is.

Forms and Form Modifiers – Forms are what physical shapes you can ‘cast’ a spell into.  Form Modifiers allow you to alter these shapes or the spells they encapsulate.  You begin play knowing two of these – at least one of which must be a Form.  At level 3 and every 4 levels thereafter you learn an additional form or Form Modifier.

• Forms
• Ammunition – Ammunition represents spells cast into the forms of bullets (cartridges or balls), arrows, crossbow bolts, and the like.  These are designed to be fired out of a weapon, and each of the subtypes of Ammunition forms vary in how they work and how much they cost
  • Equal – Equal ammunition is actually a blank cartridge, and is only usable with bullets.  Technically the round doesn’t even need to be a proper blank, it could just be a musket ball or empty shell casing.  Equal activates the spell and you choose its target as normal for the spell.  Equal form costs five times the cost of the ammunition you are making the spell into, plus your Base Encapsulation Cost.
  • Minus – Minus deals no damage to the target, and instead applies the effects of the contained spell effect to them with a successful ranged attack.  This is useful for distributing helpful effects from range.  Minus form costs 7.5 times the cost of the ammunition you are making the spell into, plus your Base Encapsulation Cost.
  • Plus – Plus deals the normal damage for the ammunition and affects the target with the contained spell effect with a successful ranged attack.  Spells that activate from range ignore the range and affect the target damaged by the ammunition as normal – if the Magery check of the encapsulated spell would allow it.  Plus form costs 10 times the cost of the ammunition you are making the spell into, plus your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Grenade – Grenade represent spells designed to be thrown (grenades for a grenade launcher can be made via Ammunition forms, but they only affect a target directly hit by them).  They can look like actual grenades, fragile flasks of liquid, large bouncy balls, pieces of paper, or the like.  When thrown, they function as a simple thrown weapon.  Grenade-form encapsulated spells cost triple your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Liquid – Liquids are designed to be applied directly to an object or consumed by a user.  Applying or consuming a liquid is a standard action.  Unlike slap-patches, liquids can be used on a range of targets instead of just living ones.  Liquid-form encapsulated spells cost double your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Slap-Patch – Slap-Patches are applied directly to exposed skin of the target, be it the target of a hostile or helpful effect.  They require a successful melee attack as a standard action to apply to an unwilling target, or a move action to apply to yourself.  In either case, the target must have exposed skin.  Slap-Patch encapsulated spells cost your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Tattoo – While tattooed encapsulated spells do not actually require tattooing the subject of them, they do appear as patterns on the skin of the target.  They can only be applied to biological, sentient targets, and can only contain spells which have a target of “You” and are activated with whatever action the spell normally takes (even if that is a Reaction).  Tattoo encapsulated spells cost 15 times your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Trap – Traps are a non-mobile Form, instead being a single Square enchanted with the spell.  The spell triggers when someone other than you enters that square.  You can exempt a number of other entities from triggering the spell equal to your level, but they must be present when you create the trap.  Trap-form encapsulated spells cost eight times your Base Encapsulation Cost.
• Form Modifiers
• Delayed Effect (Valid For: Ammunition [Minus], Ammunition [Plus], Liquid, Slap-Patch, Trap) – This delays the effect of the encapsulated spell for a number of rounds up to your character level.  You choose the delay when you are crafting the encapsulated spell.  Once it is set, it cannot be changed.  This modifier doubles the Base Encapsulation Cost of the encapsulated spell.

Bonus Talents – As you level, you gain bonus talent slots that can only be used on talents from the Creation Magic and Magic Item talent trees.  Note that you do not qualify for the Magic Bullets and Advanced Magic Bullets talents, but you can duplicate these via the Ammunition encapsulated spell Form.

Focused Magic – When you learn a spell via Magery Training, you do not add it to your spell suite – you instead add it to your repertoire of spells known for Encapsulated Spells, and you instead add a use of the Creation spell to your spell suite.  You gain no benefit from learning a spell multiple times via Magery Training, so choosing one multiple times is not a good idea.

Reinforcement – Part of what you have learned about the process of turning energy into matter can be applied to things beyond simply creating objects.  By spending a standard action, you can enhance an object to be more useful for its given purpose.  If it is a weapon, it provides the listed bonus as a bonus to attack or damage (your choice) equal to 1/5th your level.  If it is an item that boosts a skill check, the bonus increases by double the listed bonus.  Armor affected by Reinforcement increases any defense bonus and/or damage reduction it provides by the Reinforcement bonus.  Reinforcement can only be applied to skill-boosting equipment, melee weapons, and armor.

Ammo Crafter – By spending whatever action it would normally be to reload a ranged weapon you are using you can create ammunition inside the weapon’s magazine.  This ammunition can be any type of mundane ammunition, but it cannot be an ammunition-form encapsulated spell.  The amount of ammunition that you create is equal to triple your Reinforcement bonus (3 pieces at level 3, 6 at level 9, and so on).  Ammunition created by this method immediately disappears and is lost if it leaves the weapon in a manner other than being fired.  This cannot be used to create the following ammunition types: Anti-Shield, Explosive, Grenade arrows, or Shock Rounds.  Additionally, it cannot be used to create grenades or any form of guided missile ammunition.

Favored Weapon – Choose one weapon that you are proficient with.  When you create one of these weapons with Creation, you gain the listed bonus to attack and damage with the weapon.  Unlike a normal use of the Creation spell, you can create this weapon even if it normally could not be created by the spell (such as if it was a technologically advanced object).  In the case of technologically-advanced weaponry, you must have purchased the weapon and ‘attuned’ yourself to it – this deconstructs the weapon and essentially lets you ‘remember the pattern’ for it.  If your favored weapon is a melee weapon, it is automatically affected by your Reinforcement ability.  If it is a ranged weapon, using Creation to create it also automatically activates your Ammo Crafter ability.  When you use Creation to make your favored weapon, you can sacrifice one of your encapsulated spells (which must be a portable form – not a Trap) in the process – this provides the weapon the effects of the Strike Boost spell for a number of rounds equal to half your level.

Inherent Artifact – Unlike most mages who dabble into the field of Creation, you can manage the pinnacle of the art from an early stage – but in a limited form.  When you reach level 3, choose one Artifact – you effectively have the Artifact Crafter talent, but can only use it to create this one Artifact.  You do not need to have seen the Artifact in use.  However, when you create this artifact the duration of time it remains created for is equal to a number of rounds equal to your character level, rather than one-quarter your character level.  Unlike the normal use of the Artifact Crafter talent, you can use Dual Crafter to make a second copy of the Artifact, instead of a second distinct Artifact – if you do not have the Artifact Crafter talent you must make a second copy if you are using Dual Crafter.  You can still take the Artifact Crafter talent normally once you qualify for it.  Inherent Artifact automatically gains the benefits of Reinforcement, and is created in its evoked (but not Activated) form like a device created by the Device Crafter talent.

Inner World: Land of a Thousand Weapons – Effectively, this is categorized as a True Incantation.  However, it is only available to users of the Creation Magic discipline, there exists a separate, more ‘proper’ True Incantation originating from Creation spirits (Forgotten Blacksmith: Artisan of the Ages).  Unlike most True Incantations, however, every user effectively has their own name for it, and their own incantation of choice.

• Casting Time: Ten Move Actions (taken consecutively or not)
• Duration: 1 round per character level
• Nonlethal Damage: 4d8
• Magery Check: 30
• Origin: N/A
• Spirit: Creation
• This true incantation essentially ‘temporarily overrides reality’ within a 30-square radius around the caster.  While within this area, the caster’s Creation spells are reduced to a free action, and their encapsulated spells are not consumed while used within this area.  Meanwhile, characters hostile to the caster find their magic impeded, suffering a -10 penalty on all Magery checks while within the area.  The area is isolated from the outside, effects from inside cannot pass out, and vice versa. 

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RULES UPDATE: Wealth Talent (Lineage talent tree, Heroic talents)

Add the following to the talent: A character with this talent gains an Excellent quality financial service provider dedicated towards building their portfolio – however, unlike a financial service provider paid for during the course of play, this provider is not considered to be taking any of the income as a fee.  This portfolio starts play with 100,000 credits in it, and it can be liquidated as normal whenever the character chooses to do so.  Additional credits can be placed into this portfolio as normal.  Credits gained from the Wealth talent can be added to the portfolio during creation.

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NEW CHRYSOARI EQUIPMENT

Chrysoari Gravity Grenade
Small Simple Thrown Weapon
Cost: 200 Chrysoari Protectorate Credits
Availability: Restricted (Illegal if Calengil)
Weight: 0.5 kg
The Chrysoari gravity grenade creates an altered gravity field in a 2-square radius area.  The user chooses between low, high, and standard gravity, applying the normal affects as such.  This change in gravity lasts for 2d4 rounds.

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PSIONIC CHARACTER PROGRESSION: New Avatar

Mystic: Unlike other Avatars, the Mystic avatar provides the following bonuses – +2 to Knowledge [Arcana] and the Mystic feat as a bonus feat (see Magic Feats)

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NEW STORY FEATS

Aspiring Noble
You strive to be seen as a legitimate noble.
Prerequisite: Must be a member of an established family that is yet unrecognized as nobility.  Must be from a culture or society that would allow new noble families to arise.
Beneft: You have learned to further your name among the people. Choose a polity (state, nation, empire – whatever would have to recognize you as nobility). While in your chosen settlement, you gain a +2 bonus on Persuasion checks when dealing with the commoners of that polity.  If you are level 10 or higher, the bonus increases to +4.
Goal: Have your family recognized as nobility by either three established noble families or a ruling monarch.
Completion Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on checks with Persuasion when dealing with the rest of the citizens of your chosen polity. Your bonus to interact with commoners increases to +4, or it increases to +6 if you are level 10 or higher.

Self-Exiled Noble
You chose to leave nobility behind.
Prerequisite: You must have intentionally left your noble family and changed your name or appearance afterward.  Must be from a culture or society that would allow new noble families to arise.
Beneft: You gain a +2 bonus on Deception checks, and Deception is a class skill for you. You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and a +2 bonus on skill checks against members of your former family.
Goal: Escape your former name by establishing your own noble legacy. In addition, you must decisively defeat a challenging foe from your former family who may wish to return you to your old home.
Completion Benefit: Your bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls from this feat increases to +2 and the bonus to skill checks increases to +4, and these bonuses now apply to anyone who threatens your allies or your new noble legacy.

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