The Path Not Taken

Introduction

As you Forge more and stronger connections to your dominions, you learn yet more about their function and look back on your experiences in a new light. This is the road not traveled, the path not taken.

Alexandria

On the path not taken, Alexandria would have Forged dominion bonds with Necromancy, Steel, Wind, and Mind.

Drain. You learn the drain cantrip.

Drain Attack, Cantrip, Necromancy

Cast: One to Three Actions

Range: varies; Targets: varies

A surge of negative energy erupts from your outstretched hand. The spell deals 1d4 negative damage. The target attempts a basic Fortitude saving throw, but on a critical failure, you regain 3 hit points. The number of actions you spend when casting this spell determines its targets, range, area, and other parameters.

One Action (somatic): The spell has a range of touch. Two Actions (verbal, somatic): The spell has a range of 30 feet and deals negative damage equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier, and you regain 1d4+3 hit points on a critical failure. Three Actions (material, somatic, verbal): You erupt with negative energy in a 10-foot burst. Each creature within the burst is affected by the spell.

Heightened (+1): The damage increases by 1d4.

Body of Steel. You learn to imbue your own body with the strength of steel in short bursts. You can activate Body of Steel as a single action. You gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class and Resist 10 to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until the start of your next turn. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day). After you use this ability you must make a DC 18 Fortitude saving throw or become fatigued. The benefits of this ability will increase as you gain levels, as will the Fortitude saving throw.

Uplifting Winds. You empower your healing with the uplifting energy of the wind. The range of your two action heal spell increases to 60 feet. When you use the three action version of heal , instead of emanating from you, you can choose a point within 30 feet and center the area on that point. When you use the three action version of heal, you can choose which creatures in the area are affected by the spell.

In addition, whenever you heal a creature using a spell and heal that creature for more than their maximum hit points, if that creature does not have any temporary hit points, it gains temporary hit points equal to the amount by which you overhealed that creature. Whenever a creature gains temporary hit points in this way, it can choose one of the following benefits:

+10 feet to base speed until the end of their next turn Immediately stand from prone as a free action Reduce any frightened condition affecting them by 1

Mind over Matter. You gain the focus spell break the limit, allowing you to quickly and temporarily overcome the normal physical limits of yourself or an ally. Increase your focus pool by 1, to a maximum of 3 focus points.

Break the Limit Focus 4 Cast reaction (somatic); Trigger you or an ally are about to make a weapon attack roll, athletics check, or acrobatics check Range 30 feet; Target the triggering ally (or yourself if you triggered the reaction)

The triggering roll gains a +1 status bonus, and gains an additional effect based on the triggering roll:

Attack Roll. The attack rolls one additional weapon die for damage, plus an additional die for each level of striking on the weapon (maximum 4 additional dice).

Skill Check. Upgrade the level of success of the check by one step.

Halfire

On the path not taken, Halfire would have Forged dominion bonds with Cold. Steel, Wind, and Mind.

Frozen Runesphere. You have a new connection to your runesphere, allowing you to control its form. As an action, you can command your runesphere to alter its shape and coat the blade of slashing or piercing melee weapon you are holding. For one minute, you gain the following benefits. You regain the use of this ability whenever you use the Refocus exploration activity.

Your sneak attack damage with that weapon increases to 1d8 and deals negative damage instead of your weapon’s damage. If you critically hit a creature and deal sneak attack damage, you are bolstered with icy energy granting you temporary hit points equal to the amount of sneak attack damage dealt (before doubling it for the critical hit).

Steelheart. Your heart and other internal organs are protected by the strength of steel, empowered by your newfound connection. You are immune to critical hits from physical attacks, and to precision damage like sneak attack. You can still be critically hit by spells, assuming the spell has an additional effect on a critical hit. In addition, once per day when you would make a Fortitude saving throw, after rolling you can choose to increase your level of success by one. For example, if you rolled a natural 1 and had a critical failure, you could instead treat the result as a failure.

Guiding Winds. Your connection to the dominion of wind makes it seem like the wind is a living creature striving to protect you. When you would be targeted by an attack, as a reaction you can call upon the wind to protect you. You gain a +3 bonus to Armor Class against the triggering attack. After the attack is resolved, you can immediately move up to your speed as a part of the same reaction without provoking attacks of opportunity. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Storm-blessed Bolt. You empower your ranged attacks with the energy of the storm. Whenever you use an interact action to draw or reload your crossbow, you empower your next shot with storm energy. Choose one of the following each time you do so and gain the listed benefit. Your attack gains the electricity, sonic, or water trait based on your selection.

Lightning. If you hit, the attack deals +1 electricity damage per damage die of your attack (including any sneak attack dice), and the target cannot take reactions until the end of its next turn.

Thunder. If you hit, the attack deals +1 sonic damage per damage die of your attack (including any sneak attack dice), and the target is deafened until the end of its next turn.

Rain. If you hit, the attack deals +1 bludgeoning damage per damage die of your attack (including any sneak attack dice), and the target is pushed 5 feet away from you, or 10 feet on a critical hit

Raktosh

On the path not taken, Raktosh would have Forged dominion bonds with Necromancy, Blood, Wind, and Mind.

Black Shield. You have learned the black shield cantrip. This cantrip functions exactly as the shield spell, except it has no interaction with the magic missile spell. While you have the shield raised, you also have resistance equal to half your level (minimum 1) to necrotic damage. In addition, you can cast this spell even after you block with it, but you cannot block with it again for 10 minutes.

Black Shield Abjuration, Cantrip, Negative

Cast: One Action (verbal) Duration: 1 round

You raise a magical shield of shadow. This counts as using the Raise a Shield action, giving you a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the start of your next turn, but it doesn’t require a hand to use.

While the spell is in effect, you can use the Shield Block reaction with your magic shield. The shield has Hardness 5. After you use Shield Block, the spell ends and you can’t block with it again for 10 minutes. In addition, as long as the spell is in effect, you have resistance to necrotic damage equal to half your level, minimum 1.

Heightened (3rd): The shield has Hardness 10. Heightened (5th): The shield has Hardness 15. Heightened (7th): The shield has Hardness 20. Heightened (9th): The shield has Hardness 25.

Bloodhound. You gain imprecise scent with a range of 30 feet. You roll twice and take the better result when making a Survival check to track a create you’ve smelled in the last 24 hours. In addition, as an action you can choose one creature you can see within 30 feet and make a Survival check. The DC is based on the level of the creature. You gain the benefits of an attempt to identify the monster based on the result of your check in addition to the benefits listed below. For example, if you use this ability on a Red Dragon and succeed, you also gain the benefits of a successful Arcana check to identify the Red Dragon. You cannot make this check against a specific creature more than once in a 24 hour period.

Critical Success. You deal 1d8 additional damage with weapon attacks against the targeted creature for 1 minute. Success. You deal 1d4 additional damage with weapon attacks against the targeted creature for 1 minute. Failure. You deal 1d4 additional damage with weapon attacks against the targeted creature for 1 round. Critical Failure. You gain no benefit. However, you also cannot gain misleading information from the critical failure result for identifying the monster.

Windblade. You learn to call upon powerful blasts of air in time with your strongest weapon strikes. When you hit a creature with an attack benefiting from the Power Attack feat, that creature is assaulted by a strong blast of air. That creature is forced 10 feet in a direction of your choice unless it is two size categories larger than you and must make a Reflex saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone. If you are wielding the weapon in two hands, increase the distance the creature is forced by 5 feet. If the strike is a critical hit, ignore the size limitation and the creature must roll twice and take the worst result on its Reflex saving throw.

Psychic Shield. You gain a pool of psychic energy, represented by a single die: 1d6. The die increases in size every 2 levels, to a maximum of 1d12 at 14th level. If you have this die available, you can spend the die and use your reaction when you or an ally within 30 feet would take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. If you do, roll your psychic die and reduce the damage dealt by an amount equal to the amount rolled plus your Intelligence modifier. If you have a shield raised, you can use Shield Block and your psychic die as a single reaction triggered by the same damage. Once you spend your die, you must spend an action concentrating to recover it before it can be used again.

Remi

On the path not taken, Remi would have Forged dominion bonds with Cold, Steel, Bone, and Storm.

Path of Frozen Flame. You gain a pool of six-sided dice equal to 1 + half your level, rounded down. Whenever you cast a spell that deals variable fire damage (i.e. you need to roll dice to determine how much fire damage is dealt), you can expend one or more dice from this pool, up to a maximum of half your total pool rounded up, minimum 1. For each die you spend, that spell deals additional cold damage equal to the total dice spent. If the result of your spell was a critical hit or the target critically fails its save, it is immobilized by ice. Creatures immobilized in this manner can spend an action to make a Fortitude saving throw or melee attack (DC/AC = your spell save DC) to break free. Your pool of frozen energy refills whenever you use the Refocus exploration activity.

Burning Blade. You gain the following focus spell, and your focus pool increases by 1 point.

Burning Blade – Focus 1 Attack, Evocation, Fire

Cast 1 action (somatic)

Range 60 feet; Targets 1 creature

You reach into the nearby air and pluck from nothing a shimmering steel dagger radiating heat and hurl it toward your foe. Make a spell attack roll, dealing 1d4 piercing damage on a success, and double damage on a critical success. In addition, whether the dagger hits or misses, the dagger explodes in a blast of heat and fire. The target and each creature within 10 feet of it must make a basic Reflex saving throw, taking 1d6 fire damage on a failed save.

Heightened (+1). The piercing damage dealt by the dagger increases by 1d4 and the fire damage increases by 1d6.

Boneburn. You learn the level 4 focus spell boneburn . Your focus pool increases by 1, to a maximum of 3.

Boneburn Transmutation, Poison

Cast 2 actions (somatic, verbal) Range 30 ft; Targets 1 creature Saving Throw Fortitude, Duration 1 minute

You cause weakness and sickness in the target, stemming from their own bones. The effects are determined by the target's Fortitude save. You can dismiss the spell.

Critical Success The target is unaffected. Success The target is fatigued. Failure The target is fatigued and gains one of the following conditions of your choice: clumsy 1, enfeebled 1, or sickened 1. Critical Failure As Failure, except increase the chosen condition's value by 1.

Special. When you cast this spell, you can expend dice from your "Path of Black Flame" ability even though this spell does not deal damage. When you do, choose one of the following for each die expended. You can select the same option multiple times.

Double the spell's range. Double the spell's duration. Increase the number of targets by one. Select an additional condition to apply on failure from the choices listed. Increase the value of one condition applied by the spell on failure by one.

Stormwall. You gain the Storm Wall 3-action activity. You spend 3 actions drawing on the natural power of the storm. As a part of the activity, expend an unused spell slot of 3rd level or higher. You create a wall 10 feet high per level of the expended spell slot. The wall must fill contiguous unoccupied 5-foot squares, up to 3 per level of the spell slot expended, within 120 feet. For example, if you expended a 3rd-level spell slot, the wall would be 30 feet tall and fill up to 9 contiguous unoccupied 5-foot squares within 120 feet. When you create the Storm Wall, choose the type of storm from the options below.

Windstorm. Creatures attempting to move through the wall treat it as greater difficult terrain (+10 feet per space). Physical ranged attacks crossing through the wall suffer a penalty to attack and damage rolls equal to the level of the spell slot expended to create the storm.

Thunderstorm. Creatures passing through the wall or that start their turn within the wall must make a basic Reflex saving throw against your spell save DC, taking 1d6 electricity damage and 1d6 sonic damage per level of the spell slot expended to create the storm on a failed saving throw.

Monsoon. Creatures attempting to move through the wall treat it as difficult terrain. Attacks passing through the wall treat the targets as having concealment. Creatures passing through the wall or that start their turn within the wall must make a basic Fortitude saving throw, taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage per level of the spell slot expended to create the storm on a failed saving throw. Creatures that critically fail this saving throw are also knocked prone.