Only TWO DAYS left until Paths of Magic is out! For our last preview, let’s take a look at an item that was previously left out of the Paths books: magic staves!
I briefly touched on magic staves back in June when talking about the chapter of magic items. Paths of Magic adds twelve new magic staffs for normal spellcasters and twelve “runic staves” for runic scribes for the rune magic subsystem. Each of the new staves uses at least one or more new spells featured within Paths of Magic. You can check out a few of these new staves, along with the new spells they use, below.
This marks the official end to the teasers and updates for Paths of Magic; all that’s left is the release on Friday! See you all then!
Crook of Spores, by Bryon Oshiro
CROOK OF SPORES (Staff)
Price 85,500 gp; Aura strong conjuration; CL 15th; Weight 5 lbs.
The crook of spores is a gnarled wooden staff that’s slightly damp to the touch, with small mushrooms and lichens growing more dense towards its tip. It can be wielded as a +1 corrosive quarterstaff. It allows use of the following spells:
Spore surge* (1 charge)
Leeching spores* (2 charges)
Fungal scourge* (3 charges)
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS 42,500 gp; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fungal scourge*, leeching spores*, spore surge*
FUNGAL SCOURGE
School conjuration (creation) [disease, plant]; Level druid 8, shaman 8, witch 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range 60 ft.
Area cone-shaped burst
Duration instantaneous, see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial (object), see text; Spell Resistance yes (object) or no, see text
Consuming fungal spores blast forth from you, withering and sapping the essence of living creatures and plantlife. Living creatures caught in the area are infected by the spores, which rapidly grow across their skin. This is a disease effect (Fungal Scourge: Disease—contact; save Fort DC equal to the spell’s DC; onset none; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage and 1 Cha damage; cure 2 saves).
In addition, the spores wither natural plantlife and objects made out of wood (including structures). Such objects take 1d4 damage per caster level (max 20d4) with a Fortitude save for half damage. Natural plant growth that is reduced to 0 hit points withers and dies immediately (as a blight spell) as fungal caps sprout from its rotted surface. Exceptionally large plants may only be partially withered, subject to GM discretion.
Undead and constructs are unaffected unless they are made primarily out of plant matter (such as a wood golem). Against such creatures, fungal scourge deals damage as if they were a wooden object and affects them as if the spell did not allow Spell Resistance.
LEECHING SPORES
School conjuration (creation) [acid, plant]; Level druid 6, shaman 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 20-ft.-radius cloud of spores, 20 ft. high
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude half; Spell Resistance no
The air turns a sickly green haze as it fills with countless parasitic fungal spores, sapping the strength of creatures caught within. Any living creature (other than you) that enters into or starts their turn inside the cloud of leeching spores takes acid damage equal to 3d6 + half your caster level (max +10) as the spores absorb nutrients and energy from their bodies. A Fortitude save halves the damage for that round only.
The spores transfer their absorbed energy to you, granting you temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt to each creature each round. The temporary hit points from this spell are cumulative, up to double your caster level in total. The spores cannot grant you more temporary hit points than a damaged creature had remaining. The temporary hit points last for 1 hour.
While the cloud of spores cause everything to take on a green coloration, it does not otherwise hinder vision.
SPORE SURGE
School conjuration (creation) [acid, plant, poison]; Level druid 3, invoker 3, shaman 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 15-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance no
A sudden cloud of spores bursts forth from a point you specify within range. Each creature in the area takes 1d8 acid damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) and is sickened for 1d4 rounds. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the sickening effect. The sickening effect is considered a poison effect.
Void Staff, by Bryon Oshiro
VOID STAFF (Staff)
Price 85,500 gp; Aura strong conjuration; CL 15th; Weight 5 lbs.
This dark-purple, crystalline staff has a pitch-black orb set at the top that reflects no light. A person holding the void staff does not need to breathe (unless desired) and can survive in the airless vacuum of space. It allows use of the following spells:
Abyssal surge* (1 charge)
Void field* (1 charge)
Void prison* (1 charge)
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS 42,500 gp; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, abyssal surge*, void field*, void prison*
ABYSSAL SURGE
School evocation [darkness]; Level nightblade 5, occultist 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 120 ft.
Area 120 ft. line
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yes
A coruscating pulse of shadowy energy assaults foes before you, shades of black and blue clinging to those within the surge. Each creature in the area of the abyssal surge takes 1d4 damage per caster level (max 15d4) and is entangled for 1d4 rounds by the cloying darkness. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the entangling effect.
VOID FIELD
School illusion (glamer) [darkness]; Level cabalist 5, nightblade 5, occultist 5, saboteur 5, shaper 4
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./2 levels)
Area 20-ft.-radius emanation centered on a point in space
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell creates an area devoid of all sensory input.
The lighting in the area of the spell immediately drops to supernatural darkness, regardless of existing conditions. No sound permeates the space, as if under the effects of a silence spell. Creatures within the area are considered both blind and deaf. Scents and tastes are completely erased in the area, preventing creatures from using the scent ability and nullifying the effects of spells that rely on smell or taste, such as stinking cloud. Creatures cannot properly feel things by touch; this negates the effects of spells with the pain descriptor and prevents creatures from using extraordinary abilities that rely on touch or vibrations, such as tremorsense. Creatures are unaware of any injury they receive while in the area of the void field (as they cannot feel pain), but they still take full damage. As they cannot properly perceive things with their senses, creatures take a -10 penalty on all Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks and automatically fail all Perception checks while in the area.
VOID PRISON
School conjuration (creation); Level cabalist 5, nightblade 5, occultist 5, psychic 5, saboteur 5, shaper 4, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a marble of black glass)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature or object, see text
Duration 1 round/2 levels or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw none and Reflex half, see text; Spell Resistance no, see text
You bend space around the target creature or object, surrounding them with a hazy prison of nothingness. The target does not receive an initial saving throw against this effect. If the creature or object does not move from their space for the duration of the spell, the void prison dissipates without effect. However, if they move while the prison surrounds them, the null-reality collapses upon itself, exploding with concussive force. The target and all creatures within 10 feet of its space take 1d8 damage per two caster levels (max 10d8) and are dazed for 1 round; the damage is half force and half cold. A successful Reflex save halves the damage and negates the dazing effect. Spell Resistance applies to the damage caused by void prison.
If the trapped object or creature teleports out of the prison it still collapses, but the creature is not damaged by the effect unless their ending point leaves them within the radius of the prison’s explosion.
Once the void prison detonates as described above, the spell is discharged.