DefilerMagic

Defiler Magic
Defilers are arcane spellcasters who have learned to tap into the life forces of plant life around them, harnessing it to empower their magic but utterly destroying it in the process. Defilers leave trails of sterile soil and infertile ash in their wake. Not only is plant life destroyed, but the land is corrupted and fouled, often taking years or decades before it can once again support life.

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Feat: Defiler Magic


When casting spells, you defile the very land around you, draining the life force from plant life to power your spells.

Prerequisites: Ability to cast arcane spells or use spell-like abilities. Benefit: You are able to use Defiler Magic.
 * }

Learning Defiler Magic: Defilers usually learn their craft from another defiler, though an evil spellcaster might unlock the secret on his own. Either way, a character must have taken the Defiler Magic feat to gain any of the benefits of Defiler Magic.

Limitations of Use: Defiler magic requires living plants. In a desolate or barren landscape, a defiler mage takes penalties to his spellcasting due to the lack of empowering life essences. In lush, heavily vegetated lands, he finds his powers are unmatched.

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Table 1: Defiler Benefits and Costs
material component
 * Defiler Benefits
 * Corruption Points
 * Increase caster level
 * +1
 * Silent Spell (as metamagic)
 * +1
 * Still Spell (as metamagic)
 * +1
 * Heighten Spell (as metamagic)
 * +1/caster level
 * Extend Spell (as metamagic)
 * +2
 * Maximize Spell (as metamagic)
 * +4
 * Quicken Spell (as metamagic)
 * +5
 * Recover spell
 * +3/spell level
 * Cast spell without paying XP
 * +1/200XP
 * Cast spell without expensive
 * Quicken Spell (as metamagic)
 * +5
 * Recover spell
 * +3/spell level
 * Cast spell without paying XP
 * +1/200XP
 * Cast spell without expensive
 * Cast spell without paying XP
 * +1/200XP
 * Cast spell without expensive
 * Cast spell without expensive
 * +1/500gp
 * }

Using Defiler Magic: When a defiler casts a spell, he taps into the life energy of Planet. Defilers are reliant on absorbing the life energy around them, granting a rush of arcane power as the essences are consumed at the time of casting. Casting a defiling spell is an inherently evil act. Defiling gains penalties and benefits based on the terrain around them, according to Table 1: Defiler Benefits and Costs. Using defiling magic always gives at least 1 point of corruption, even if no benefits are received. A caster may choose to attain greater benefits in return for more points of corruption; however, a caster may only choose to receive a number of corruption points equal to 1/2 his caster level. Additionally, the amount of vegetation in the surrounding terrain has an effect on a defiler's casting, as shown in Table 2: Terrain Modifiers. A defiler may choose not to defile an area (and receive no corruption points) but takes penalties as if he were in a desolate landscape.

When casting a spell, the defiler gains either 1 corruption point plus a number of corruption points depending on the type of special effect he is trying to use. For example, a defiler using the Silent Spell metamagic benefit will gain 2 corruption points, one for defiling plus another one for the Silent Spell effect.

Casters who prepare their spells do not need to choose which spells to apply defiling to when preparing spells, and spontaneous casters do not increase their casting time to a full round action, even when defiling to mimic a metamagic effect.

  Increase caster level' - You may extend the casting time of any spell by one step (a swift action becomes move, move to standard, and standard to full round) to gain a +1 bonus to caster level and increase the range of his defiling radius by 5ft.

Metamagic effects - Benefits which mimic metamagic feats do not modify the level of the spell when cast. Only the metamagic effects listed on the table may be added with defiling, and you need not know the metamagic feat in order to apply it to a spell.

Recover spell - You spend a full round action to recover a previously cast spell. You must make a Concentration check with a DC equal to 20 + 2 x spell level. If you succeed, you recover a spell you have prepared and cast earlier in the day or an expended spell slot. If you fail the Concentration check, you still receive corruption points and defile the area. This effect may only be used in Fertile or better terrain. You can only do this a number of times per day equal to 1/2 your class levels.

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Table 2: Terrain Modifiers
Cast spell without paying XP - You expend life energy surrounding you rather than your own. You may gain corruption points instead of expending XP on a spell at a rate of 1 point per 200XP, rounded up. You do not have to completely eliminate the XP cost through defiler points. If the spell has a cost of 500XP, you may choose to expend 300XP and take 1 defiler point.
 * Terrain Type
 * Examples
 * Save DC and Caster Level Mod
 * Desolate (or choosing not to defile)
 * Blackwater seas, salt flats, recently defiled area
 * style="text-align: center;"| -2
 * Barren
 * Bare mountains, rocky plains, sandy deserts, defiled area after 6 months
 * style="text-align: center;"| -1
 * Infertile
 * City, rocky badlands, scrubland
 * style="text-align: center;"|0
 * Fertile
 * Verdant plains, oases, savanna, swamp
 * style="text-align: center;"| +1
 * Abundant
 * Forest, jungle, ocean, gardens
 * style="text-align: center;"| +2
 * }
 * style="text-align: center;"| +1
 * Abundant
 * Forest, jungle, ocean, gardens
 * style="text-align: center;"| +2
 * }
 * }

Cast spell without expensive material component - You replace the material component with raw life energy. You may gain corruption points instead of material components on a spell at a rate of 1 point per 500gp, rounded up. You may split the cost between cheaper material components and corruption points as you can with XP costs.

Trail of Destruction: When defiling, a caster leaves behind a barren circle of ash. The radius of the circle if 5ft. per spell level. 0-level spells defile only the 5ft. square in which the defiler is standing. All creatures, even allies, caught within the defiling radius other than the caster suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and saves for one round. Creatures with the plant descriptor also suffer 2 points of damage per spell level, with 0-level spells inflicting 1 point of damage.

Living, non-sentient plant life within the defiling radius is consumed by the spell, burning instantly into a fine, white ash. Nothing will grow within the radius of a defiling spell for a full year without the aid of restorative magics. The ash itself is inert and is often scattered by the wind; however, the land underneath remains a barren scar.

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Table 3: Corruption Penalties

 * Corruption Points
 * Effects
 * style="text-align: center;"|1-10
 * You suffer a -2 penalty to Wis and Cha checks and related skill checks.
 * style="text-align: center;"|11-20
 * You suffer a -2 penalty to Wis and Cha checks and related skill checks.
 * style="text-align: center;"|11-20
 * style="text-align: center;"|11-20

Road to Corruption: Your assualt on the planet's life energy is reflected in your own body. Too much defiling will weaken your own life energy and willpower. The more corruption points you have, the more twisted your body and outlook on life becomes, resulting in penalties to Wisdom and Charisma as well as several physical penalties. See Table 3: Corruption Penalties. All effects are cumulative, so if you have 34 corruption points, you receive a -4 penalty to Wis and Cha checks and skill checks, a -2 penalty to Con, and become fatigued after more than 1 minute of strenuous activity.
 * style="text-align: center;"|21-30
 * You suffer an additional -2 penalty to Wis and Cha checks and related skill checks.
 * style="text-align: center;"|31-40
 * You suffer an additional -2 penalty to Constitution. Your alignment changes to Evil if it is not already.
 * style="text-align: center;"|41+
 * Your body transforms into ash, and you become an Ashling, immediately losing levels in your arcane caster class to pay off the level adjustment. Your corruption points reset to zero. At the DM's discretion, your character might become an NPC.
 * }
 * style="text-align: center;"|41+
 * Your body transforms into ash, and you become an Ashling, immediately losing levels in your arcane caster class to pay off the level adjustment. Your corruption points reset to zero. At the DM's discretion, your character might become an NPC.
 * }

It is possible to remove corruption points through meditation in undefiled areas. You may remove one corruption point from your total with a successful Concentration check with a DC equal to your current number of corruption points. The amount of time you need to meditate varies based on the terrain in which you meditate. You must meditate for 1 hour in an Abundant environment, 2 hours in a Fertile environment, 4 hours in an Infertile environment, or 12 hours in a Barren environment. You may not remove corruption points through meditation in a Desolate environment or a Barren environment that is Barren due to defiling.