Z's Ancestral Magic (5e Sourcebook)/Mechanics

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Ancestral Magic Mechanics[edit]

Here are the basic mechanics of my Ancestral Magic system.

Eidolons[edit]

The Shaman possesses a special companion, called an Eidolon; These are spirits that are not quite whole, either wandering freely in the world, or the spirits of weakened creatures. Through a variant of the same ritual that a Wizard would use to give a physical form to a Familiar spirit and tie it to their service, a Shaman forms a close bond with their Eidolon, giving it a physical form or making it whole through their connection.

Summoning An Eidolon[edit]

A Shaman gains access to their Eidolon through the Find Familiar spell, granted to their via their Summon Eidolon feature. An Eidolon follows all of the normal rules for a Familiar, with a few minor changes to wording; However, the physical form and creature type of an Eidolon differ greatly from the rules for a normal Familiar; see Eidolon Statistics below). The rules for a Familiar are presented here for ease of access:

  • Your Eidolon acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn. An Eidolon can’t attack (Unless you command it to; See below), but it can take other actions as normal.
  • When the Eidolon drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. It reappears after you cast this spell again, regaining hit points and features as if it had finished a Long Rest. As an action, you can temporarily dismiss your Eidolon to a pocket dimension. Alternatively, you can dismiss it forever. As an action while it is temporarily dismissed, you can cause it to reappear in any unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. Whenever the Eidolon drops to 0 hit points or disappears into the pocket dimension, it leaves behind in its space anything it was wearing or carrying.
  • While your Eidolon is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically. Additionally, as an action, you can see through your Eidolon’s eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any special senses that the Eidolon has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own senses.
  • You can’t have more than one Familiar at a time; As an Eidolon is a special form of Familiar, you cannot have both an Eidolon and an ordinary Familiar. If you cast the Find Familiar spell while you already have a Familiar or Eidolon, you instead cause it to adopt a new form.
  • When you cast a spell with a range of touch, your Eidolon can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your Eidolon must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll.

Additional Eidolon Rules[edit]

In addition to the normal rules for a Familiar, Eidolons have special rules of their own. Your Eidolon always gains the following benefits:

  • Your Eidolon shares your alignment, is capable of speech, and speaks all of the languages you speak.
  • Whenever an effect would call for the Eidolon's Proficiency Bonus, it uses your Proficiency Bonus instead of its own.
  • Your Eidolon's ability scores - Determined by its Form - Are increased by an amount equal to your Proficiency Bonus (PB).
  • You Eidolon possesses a number of Hit Dice equal to your Shaman level. The size of these Hit Dice are determined by its Form. It must rest to regain hit points and hit dice, just like a normal creature.
  • Your Eidolon is proficient with two skills of your choice, and when it must make a saving throw, it can use your Charisma saving throw bonus instead of its own bonus.
  • Your Eidolon does not need to eat, drink, breathe or sleep (Though it may still eat or drink if it chooses to), and it possesses Resistance to Poison damage, advantage on saving throws against the Poisoned condition, and immunity to disease, as its physiology differs greatly from creatures of the material plane. Your Eidolon cannot be forced to sleep by magical means.
  • Your Eidolon cannot be Possessed by any creature, as its connection to the Shaman is too great to be overridden.
  • When you cast a Shaman spell of 1st-level or higher targeting only yourself (Such as Mage Armor or Cure Wounds), you can also affect your Eidolon with the spell if it is within 30 feet of you.
  • As a bonus action, you can command your Eidolon to take the Attack action on its next turn, or to use one of its Evolution special abilities. Your Eidolon's natural weapons may use either their Strength or Dexterity for attack and damage rolls.
  • As long as your Eidolon is on the same plane as you, you can sense each other's approximate location relative to each other - You can sense exact direction, but not exact distance; This ability can penetrate most barriers, but a thin sheet of lead prevents this sense from functioning.
  • You Eidolon is a creature, and may use magic items, following the normal attunement rules. An Eidolon may only use magic items that its body shape allows - A Quadruped Eidolon, for example, would no doubt be unable to properly use a Wand.

Eidolon Statistics[edit]

While an Eidolon shares many rules with that of a normal familiar, it does not take the same small animal form a Familiar would ordinarily take. Instead, when you first gain the ability to summon an Eidolon, you must choose two things - What creature Type the Eidolon belongs to, and what physical Form it takes.

Regardless of your Eidolon's Form and Type, you choose its appearance, though it is always obvious to observers that the creature is magical; This control is not fine enough to make your Eidolon appear like a specific creature. Additionally, your Eidolon bears a specific rune on its body; This rune is identical to a matching rune that appears somewhere on your body as long as your Eidolon is summoned. While this rune can be hidden through mundane means, it cannot be concealed through magic that changes appearance, such as Disguise Self or Polymorph (Though Invisibility or a similar effect still conceals it along with the rest of you).

Eidolon Form[edit]

When you gain the ability to summon an Eidolon, you must choose an Eidolon Form for your Eidolon to take: Amorphous, Aquatic, Avian, Biped, Insectoid, Quadruped, or Serpentine. Your Eidolon's Form defines the shape of its body, its statistics, and its basic abilities, as well as helping to define what Evolutions are easier for it to access than others.

Once you select your Eidolon Form, it can be changed only when you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature (See Spiritual Versatility).

Eidolon Type[edit]

When you gain the ability to summon an Eidolon, you must choose one of the following creature types: Aberration, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Monstrosity, or Undead. Your Eidolon counts as this creature type, regardless of its Form, and gains additional benefits based on the Eidolon Type chosen, as well as access to specific Evolutions exclusive to their Eidolon Type.

Once you select your Eidolon Type, it can be changed only when you gain the Ability Score Improvement feature (See Spiritual Versatility).

Eidolon Model[edit]

For the sake of simplicity, a set of pre-made Eidolons has been created, called Eidolon Models, so that a player can quickly create a Shaman of any level without spending an excessive amount of time custom-building an Eidolon. These Models do not include abilities unavailable to other Eidolons, but are instead an arrangement of Form, Type, and Evolutions meant to hasten and simplify character creation. Each Eidolon Model is meant to embody a certain creature or theme.

Evolutions[edit]

When the Shaman reaches a high enough level, they gain access to Spiritual Evolutions. These are ancient secrets, much like a Warlock's Eldritch Invocations, that allow you to change and empower your Eidolon, further enhancing and shaping both its physical avatar and your magic in turn.

When you gain an Evolution, Your Eidolon gains the benefit of that Evolution as long as it is summoned. Some abilities, however, allow the Shaman to gain access to a few Evolutions; A player character cannot gain access to an Evolution if it has the "Eidolon only" prerequisite, and certain Evolutions follow different rules when used by a creature other than an Eidolon.

Each time you gain a level in a class that grants you access to Evolutions, you may replace any Evolution you know with another Evolution you meet the prerequisites for.

Taboos[edit]

A key component used by Ancestral Magic is the Taboo feature, which is a roleplaying limitation you must follow in order to maintain the spirits' favor; Breaking a Taboo results in swift punishment, and occasionally, the temporary revocation of abilities. Each time you gain a Taboo, you must select one from the following list; Once selected, a Taboo is permanent, and cannot be changed unless another feature specifies otherwise. You cannot select an individual Taboo more than once.

  • Bathing: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot bathe.
  • Color: Cannot wear a certain color. Upon gaining this Taboo, you choose a section of the color wheel such as "red" or "blue" that breaks your Taboo. You cannot choose a specific shade of color, like "vermilion" or "ultramarine".
  • Component: To fulfill this Taboo, you must use a certain common, mundane object (A type of flower, a pinch of dirt, a piece of bark, a vial of water, a rock) as a consumed material component with every spell you cast. Upon gaining this Taboo, you choose the type of item you must use.
  • Corpse: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot touch a dead body.
  • Cracks: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot step on a pre-existing crack, fissure or seam.
  • Crossroads: To fulfill this Taboo, you must go a random direction at a crossroads, unless someone else gives you directions.
  • Deeds: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot take credit for any deed you have done, good or bad, no matter how minor. This includes simple questions, such as "Did you make that sound?" or "Did you finish repairing my shirt?".
  • Direction: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot sit facing a certain cardinal direction. Upon gaining this Taboo, you choose the cardinal direction that breaks your Taboo.
  • Eyes: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot look a person with a certain color of eyes in the face. Upon gaining this Taboo, you must choose an ordinary color of eyes, such as "blue" or "brown", that breaks your Taboo.
  • Face: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot reveal your face to anyone other than your Eidolon.
  • Flame: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot light a fire.
  • Hair: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot cut your hair.
  • Intoxicants: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot indulge in intoxicants, such as alcohol.
  • Invitation: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot enter a building without invitation.
  • Light Travels: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot own more than you can carry.
  • Metal: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot wear metal armor or use a metal shield.
  • Mirth: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot smile or laugh.
  • Moon: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot view the full moon.
  • Name: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot reveal your name to anyone other than your Eidolon.
  • Obedience: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot speak unless spoken to, and even then, only in response.
  • Offering: To fulfill this Taboo, you must make daily offerings (Of flowers, incense, food, etc.), worth at least 1cp, to one or more spirit powers.
  • Profanities: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot utter profanities.
  • Reflection: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot view your own reflection.
  • Rhyme: To fulfill this Taboo, you must speak exclusively in rhyme.
  • Sacred Ground: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot set foot on sacred ground.
  • Technology: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot utilize technology invented in the last 50 years.
  • Vegetarian: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot eat meat.
  • Whistle: To fulfill this Taboo, you cannot whistle.

Breaking Taboos[edit]

In each round in which you violate any of your Taboos, you must choose to do one of the following things:

  • Accept Punishment: You can choose to endure the spirits' wrath for penance; Each round during which you violate a Taboo and choose this option, your current and maximum hit points are reduced by an amount equal to your Proficiency Bonus, as you briefly combust, are seared with radiance, are struck by a random falling rock, or even just suffer a sudden migraine. This reduction is not considered damage (And thus cannot be prevented or reduced in any way), lasts until you finish a Long Rest, and cannot be removed in any other way. This reduction cannot reduce your current or maximum hit points to an amount less than your number of levels in classes that grant you a feature with the Taboo Restriction notation.
  • Plead Forgiveness: You can plead with the spirits for mercy; Each round during which you violate a Taboo and choose this option, you must make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC; If you violated the Taboo unwillingly or unknowingly, the saving throw is made with advantage. If you succeed, you are forgiven and suffer no ill effects for violating your Taboo. If you fail, you are punished for your failure, losing access to any feature that has the Taboo Restriction notation. You regain access to lost features when you finish a Long Rest.

Making this choice can be done even if you are incapacitated or unconscious. You cannot violate a Taboo while you are incapacitated; This prevents someone from knocking you out and forcing you to break Taboo in order to weaken you.

Spell Secrets[edit]

Another special feature introduced in this book is the Spell Secrets feature. As you draw power from the spirit realm, the spirits teach you arcane secrets to empower you, but you must keep these spirits appeased in order to maintain their favor.

Each time you gain a Spell Secret, you must choose one spell you know; This will be the spell that gains the benefit of the Spell Secret. The chosen spell must be one granted by the class that granted you the feature; Thus, a Shaman can only select a Shaman spell they know, and cannot choose a spell they know from another class. The chosen spell can be a Cantrip.

Once you've selected the spell, you must select one Metamagic Option from among those available to Sorcerers. This metamagic effect, when applied normally to the spell, cannot have a Sorcery Point cost higher than 1 point.

Whenever you cast the selected spell, you can apply the chosen Metamagic Option to the spell at no cost to you.

You can apply more than one Spell Secret to an individual spell; However, you must still follow the normal rules for Metamagic. For example, if a Shaman 3/Sorcerer 4 chose to apply Subtle Spell and Transmuted Spell to their Produce Flame cantrip as their Spell Secrets, when they cast the spell, they must choose which Spell Secret to use, and they could not use their Metamagic feature to apply an additional Metamagic Option to the spell, unless those Metamagic Options specify otherwise, such as Empowered Spell or Seeking Spell.

Each time you gain a level in a class that grants the Spell Secrets feature, you may replace one of your Spell Secrets with another Spell Secret available to you. If you replace your knowledge of the spell a Spell Secret is attached to, you must immediately replace any Spell Secrets that were applied to that spell.

Taboo Restriction[edit]

Each time you learn a Spell Secret, you also gain an additional Taboo. Replacing your knowledge of the Spell Secret does not change the chosen Taboo attached to it. When you break any of your Taboos, choose the Plead Forgiveness option, and fail your saving throw, you lose access to all of your Spell Secrets until you finish a Long Rest.