Elemental Channeler[spoiler]
Becoming an Elemental ChannelerMost spellshapers who follow the path of the elemental channeler begin as elemental adepts, already devoted to an element. However, impulse mages, spellsages, and spellshape champions are just as able to advance in this class, though spellsages are unlikely to be willing to restrict themselves to just one circle.
Entry Requirements Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Language: Must be able to speak the language associated with your chosen element (Auran, Aquan, Ignan, or Terran).
Feats: Circle Focus in a circle associated with your chosen element*
Arcane Formulae: Must know at least three formulae of your chosen circle.
* New feat described in Chapter 2.
Class FeaturesAll the following are class features of the elemental channeler.
Formulae: At each level, you gain a new formula known from either of your chosen circles (see below). In addition to meeting the formula's prerequisite, your spellshaping ability score must be equal to at least 10 + the formula's level in order to learn it. You add your full elemental channeler levels to your shaper level to determine your total shaper level and your highest-level formulae known.
At each odd-numbered level, you gain an additional formula prepared per day.
Elemental Oath: Upon entering this class, you take an oath to one of the four elements: air, earth, fire, or water. This oath determines the two circles from which you will learn formulae, the type of elemental beasts you can transform into using your elemental shape ability, and the powers that you gain as you advance. Air is associated with the Blustering Gale and Shocking Current circles, earth is associated with the Crushing Stone and Deteriorating Corrosion circles, fire is associated with the Searing Flame and Brilliant Dawn circles, and water is associated with the Roaring Tide and Perfect Freeze circles.
Elemental Shape (Su): At 1st level, you gain the ability to transform into a Small or Medium animal made from your chosen element. This ability functions like the druid's wild shape ability (see page 37 of the
Player's HandbookMinor Manifestation (Su): Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to manifest your connection to your chosen element when you take upon an elemental shape. While transformed, you gain one of the following abilities, depending on your chosen element.
Air: While in an air form, your body is semi-gaseous, making you more difficult to see and hit. While you are in this state, all attacks made against you have a 20% miss chance. This miss chance is not negated by effects that ignore concealment.
Earth: While in an earth form, your body is made of solid stone, improving your natural armor bonus to AC by 3. Because this ability improves your natural armor, effects that provide an enhancement bonus to natural armor (such as a barkskin spell) stack with this ability.
Fire: While in a fire form, your body is composed of flames that sear your foes. While you are transformed, any creature striking you with a natural weapon, unarmed strike, or metallic weapon takes 1d6 points of damage. Creatures wielding reach weapons, such as longspears, do not take this damage.
Water: While you are in a water form, your body is composed of fluid water that grants you damage reduction 5/piercing.
Lesser Manifestation (Su): At 2nd level and higher, when you adopt an elemental shape, your new form gains the traits of an elemental of your chosen element.
Air: While in an air shape, your attacks are empowered with howling wind that can flatten your foes. Whenever you hit with your form's primary natural attack, you can attempt to trip your target as a free action without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attempt fails, your opponent cannot react to trip you.
Earth: While in an earth shape, your body carries the weight and force of stone, allowing you to push your enemies backwards. Whenever you hit with your form's primary natural attack, you can start a bull rush maneuver without provoking an attack of opportunity. You still must move into your opponent's square, and you still suffer the normal consequences if you fail the Strength check.
Fire: While in a fire shape, your attacks deal an extra 1d6 points of fire damage. In addition, any creature hit by one of your natural attacks must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + your class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) or catch on fire. The fire burns for 1d4 rounds, though a burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. Creatures hitting you with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by one of your natural attacks, and also catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save.
Water: While in a water shape, your touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of nonmagical origin if these are of Large size or smaller. You can also attempt to dispel magical fire you touch as if by the
dispel magic spell, with a caster level equal to your shaper level.
In addition, any creature hit by one of your natural attacks must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) or become sickened for 1d4 rounds. Multiple applications of this ability do not stack; use only the longer duration.
Strengthening Oath (Su): Your increasing power allows you to strengthen your oath with your chosen element. Starting at 3rd level, when you shape spellshape attacks and arcane formulae associated with your chosen element (including those channeled through an elemental shape's natural attack), they ignore the damage reduction and energy resistance of creatures affected by them, and they still deal half damage to creatures with immunity to their damage types.
Greater Manifestation (Su): When you reach 4th level, you learn to transform into forms that are shaped entirely from your chosen element.
Air: While in an air shape, you do not need to breathe and are immune to inhaled diseases and poisons. In addition, you gain the ability to deflect ranged attacks as if you had the Deflect Arrows feat, except that you can deflect a number of attacks per round equal to your Dexterity modifier (minimum 1).
Earth: While in an earth shape, you gain tremorsense out to 60 feet. In addition, whenever you fail a Reflex or Will saving throw against an effect that deals damage, you take half damage if you succeed on a Fortitude saving throw against the same DC. This additional saving throw affects only damage, not any other conditions that might apply from failing the original save.
Fire: While in a fire shape, you illuminate the area around you like a torch. This effect is treated as a light spell of a level equal to half your shaper level for the purpose of countering darkness spells, and you can suppress or resume it as a free action. In addition, once per round as a free action, you can fix your fiery gaze upon a creature, causing it to take 1d6 points of fire damage.
Water: While in a water shape, you gain immunity to all effects that cause dehydration, including the
horrid wilting spell, and can breathe water as though under the effect of
water breathing. In addition, your control over your watery form allows you to flow around attacks, flatten yourself against the ground to avoid a blast, and so forth. Any spell or effect that allows a Reflex save for half damage has a 50% chance to have no effect on you.
Quickchange (Ex): As you grow more accustomed to changing shapes, you gain the ability to do so more readily. At 4th level, you can change into an elemental form as a move action rather than as a standard action. At 8th level, you can change shapes as a free action.
Elemental Movement (Su): When you reach 5th level, you gain a special movement property based on your chosen element when you take on an elemental shape.
Air: While in an air form, you can fly at a speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability.
Earth: While in an earth form, you gain the ability to glide through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. This functions like an earth elemental's earth glide ability (see page 98 of the
Monster Manual).
Fire: While in a fire form, your form's base land speed increases by 30 feet. This benefit stacks with all other speed increases.
Water: While in a water form, you gain the ability move through the earth, walls, and other obstacles. You move at normal speed through terrain that slows movement and can move through permeable objects at half speed. However, you cannot move through completely solid barriers. For example, you could flow through a wooden or brick wall by squeezing into cracks and channels, but you could not move through a wall of solid iron or rock. If you end your movement completely within an object, opponents do not have line of sight or line of effect to you and your reach drops to 0 feet.
In addition, you gain a swim speed of 30 feet and can move about in water as if under the effect of a
freedom of movement spell.
Attuned Shape (Ex): When you adopt an elemental body, you can draw on its power to strengthen your magical attacks. Starting at 6th level, whenever you shape an arcane formula while in a corresponding elemental form, you gain a +2 competence bonus to your shaper level, and the save DC (if any) against that formula's effects is increased by 2. This increase stacks with any other effects that increase the save DC of your formulae. In addition, when channeling a spellshape attack through your form's natural weapons, you deal an extra die of damage of the size and type normally dealt by the spellshape attack in question.
Major Manifestation (Su): At 7th level, you master the ability to draw upon your elemental connection for power and can manifest a major aspect of your element when taking an elemental shape.
Air: While in an air form, you can take a standard action to release a tremendous surge of storm-strength winds in a 30-foot radius burst centered on you. A creature within this area must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) or be pushed up to 20 feet in a direction of your choice. A creature can choose to fail this save voluntarily, and you can choose to affect some creatures within the area while ignoring others. You can push a creature to a location outside the area of this effect, but the pushed creature can't end up in another creature's or object's space.
A creature takes a -4 penalty on this save per size category below Medium. Bigger creatures gain a +4 bonus per size category above Medium.
Earth: While in an earth form, you can shake the ground around you in a small earthquake. Once every 5 rounds, you can take a standard action to create a tremor that lasts for 1d6 rounds. Every creature touching the ground in a 30-foot-radius around you must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) each round at the beginning of its turn or fall prone. In addition, all creatures in the affected area are considered to be engaged in violent motion for the purpose of Concentration checks.
The area of this tremor does not move with you, and you are immune to all its effects. You may only use this ability while you are standing on the ground.
Fire: While in a fire form, you can take a swift action once every 3 rounds to infuse your burning essence into any two adjacent squares, causing them to explode into molten flame for 1 minute. Molten squares cost 2 squares of movement to enter, and creatures can't run or charge across them. Any creature passing through a molten square takes 2d6 points of fire damage.
If 10 or more points of cold damage are directed at a molten square, it returns to normal. Affected squares cool immediately when the effect ends, but they retain a blasted and burned appearance.
Water: While in a water form, you can engulf creatures in your body. As a standard action, you can flow over creatures of your size category or smaller, entrapping them within your liquid form. You simply move into your opponents' space; any creature whose space you completely cover is subject to the engulf attack, and you can engulf as many creatures as fit in your space. You cannot make any other attacks during a round in which you engulf.
Opponents can make attacks of opportunity when you attempt to engulf them, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on Reflex saves (DC 10 + your class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) or be engulfed; on a success, a creature moves aside or back (opponent's choice) to move out of your path.
Engulfed creatures are considered to be grappled within your body. As a swift action, you can create might currents within your body that grind engulfed creatures, dealing 5d6 points of bludgeoning damage with a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your class level + your spellshaping ability modifier) for half damage. Finally, engulfed creatures that breathe air might drown (see page 304 of the
Dungeon Master's Guide).
Elemental Fortitude (Su): When you reach 8th level, your body becomes infused with the strength and endurance of an elemental. You gain DR 5/- and immunity to stunning and paralysis. You also gain immunity to any energy types associated with the formulae of your chosen element's associated circles. You retain these traits in any form that you take through your elemental shape ability.
Servant of the Elements (Sp): Starting at 9th level, your bond with your chosen element allows you to ask favors of the powers to which you have pledged yourself. You gain the ability to contact your element directly to ask questions of it. This is the equivalent of casting a
commune spell, except that it has no material component, focus, or XP cost and allows only one question per three class levels. After using this ability, you cannot use it again for seven days.
In addition, you gain the ability to use
plane shift once per day to reach the Elemental Plane of your chosen element (or to return from that Elemental Plane to the Material Plane).
Elemental Apotheosis: When you reach 10th level, your devotion to your chosen element allows you transcend your mortal form. Your type changes to elemental, and you permanently gain the elemental subtype of your chosen element. This change to your type has no impact on the forms that you can take through your elemental shape ability, though you are now treated as being an elemental even when in those forms.
As an elemental, you no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You permanently gain all the traits and immunities belonging to creatures of the elemental type, including those that you previously possessed only while in an elemental shape.
Upon achieving this state, your appearance in your normal form undergoes a minor physical change, usually to the skin or eyes. An earth elemental channeler, for example, might acquire gemlike eyes and hard, pebbly skin. Anyone who possesses knowledge of your chosen element's plane immediately recognizes your transcendent nature. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on all Charisma-based skill and ability checks when interacting with creatures that share your elemental subtype (air, earth, fire, or water) and with other devotees of your chosen element.
Unlike a normal elemental, you retain a soul separate from your body. You can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of your previous type. However, your elemental body does not age in the same way that mortals do. You no longer take ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties you may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up.
Playing an Elemental ChannelerYou might appear very similar to an average elemental adept or impulse mage, but underneath that veneer of normality exists an attunement to your chosen element that manifests itself in a unique way: the ability to transform into an elemental. This ability demonstrates an understanding and mastery of your chosen element that none but another elemental channeler could hope to match. Every formula of your chosen circle is another chance to enhance your effectiveness and expand your mastery.
Like elemental adepts, elemental channelers have no organization of their own, but they are common among more general arcanist guilds and are sometimes studied by members of the Conclave of the Tower who seek greater understanding of one of the elemental circles
CombatAdvancementOn rare occasions, someone with a strong affinity for one of the elements feels a call to its energy far beyond that experienced by other individuals. You might be one of these; you feel somehow incomplete, hollow. You discover in your studies the first hints of the elemental channelers, and seek out their secrets, either through in-depth research or actively finding one and petitioning her aid. Only in this fashion can you learn the ancient rites that enable one to transform into an elemental.
As you progress, you become more and more comfortable with the act of transformation, until your elemental form feels more natural than your original body. You continue your practice of spellshaping and can become quite a potent shaper.
You should keep your spellshaping-relevant ability score high. This allows you to make the most effective use of your arcane formulae. You should also consider taking feats that bolster your chosen circle, such as the Greater Circle Focus feat and any feat that augments your chosen spellshape attack.
ResourcesElemental Channelers in the WorldOrganizationEven though many elemental channelers belong to arcanist guilds, adventuring parties, and the like, no specific elemental channeler organization exists.
NPC ReactionsElemental Channeler LoreCharacters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) can research elemental channelers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including the information from lower DCs.
DC 10: Elemental channelers are lone sages who use their magic to transform themselves.
DC 15: An elemental channeler is a spellshaper who wields elemental magic and can transform in much the same way that a druid does.
DC 20: Pledging herself to a single elemental circle, an elemental channeler gains augmented power with that circle in much the same way that an elemental adept does. However, unlike an elemental adept, this augmented power is accessible only when she is transformed into her elemental form.
Elemental Channelers in the GameAdaptationAlthough this prestige class is presented as essentially four classes in one, you could divide the elemental channeler into separate prestige classes for each circle. Each could have its own entry requirements and an organization that provides access to its special techniques.
[/spoiler]