Geomancy: An Elucidation
As with many schools of magic, geomancy's historical roots reach back further than recorded history. All of earth's ancient cultures had ideas about the universe and what makes it tick, often explicating such concerns with legendary yarns about gods and monsters. It was in early Greece, however, that the mystical stoicheion, or elements, of the world were first expounded upon.
Drawing on the influences of previous civilizations, the Greek notion of our reality's building blocks was then spread or developed in parallel around the world, and subsequently adapted by various societies in various fashions. Scholars in numerous obscure circles furthered these studies, despite being repressed by powers both corporeal and spiritual, ultimately developing the precepts of geomancy.
Geomancers believe that all of existence can be boiled down to the interactions between seven root components: earth, air, fire, water, animal, plant, and weather. By exerting their will over one or more of these elements, a geomancer can manipulate the world around them to achieve a variety of effects. Controlling all seven elements, then, can conceivably allow one to control reality itself!
The Geomancer
While not a trait intrinsic to them alone, geomancers often spend a considerable amount of time in the wilds of the world. This is because their magic is associated with such pristine areas more than most other sorcery, capable of being cast at a +1 RS on such land. Conversely, overly developed or polluted land will inflict a -1 RS penalty on the geomancer attempting to ply their trade there.
This is why geomancers are often, though not always, shepherds of nature. Depending on their particular outlook, they may see this as some sort of moral requirement, or might simply wish to increase the area within which their spells are more effective. Regardless of their motivation, it is invariably in a geomancer's best interests to preserve untouched real estate as much as is possible.
To this end, assuming the need to maintain a secret identity or to simply generate income, a geomancer may very well maintain employment that facilitates this goal, whether serving as a park ranger or acting as an environmental watchdog for the government. Mind you, one may merely walk the earth at their leisure, going on adventures and righting wrongs against the natural world. Whatever works.
Elemental Mastery
In the course of their study of geomancy, magicians progress by mastering the mystic elements their school recognizes. This process entails learning a variation on the nature control spell that calls upon the element in question, as well as three distinct spells that draw upon said element to fuel its effects. Geomancers who accomplish this benefit from a +1 RS when casting spells fueled by that element.
Spell stunts also count for the purposes of elemental mastery. A mage who masters an Eldritch Bolt of fire, for instance, can count that same spell towards their mastery requirement for air if they master a stunt to produce a blustery column of force with it. While spell stunts don't improve a character's mystic mastery rank, they nonetheless assist them in conquering their area of expertise.
Geomancers need not necessarily master one element before beginning work on another, however. One may learn another iteration of the nature control spell before mastering an element, if desired - all of them, in fact, if this is what the geomancer wants. This costs geomancers the elemental mastery bonus until they get around to it, of course, but provides them unmatched spellcasting versatility in exchange.
The Specialist and the Worshiper
While the previous details the standard form of geomancy, the school lends itself to offshoots that further emphasize various facets of elemental magic. For one thing, a geomancer may decide to specialize in a single element, eschewing access to the other six to focus their attention exclusively. Elemental specialists are afforded a +1 RS bonus to all such spells, on top of that offered by elemental mastery.
Alternately, a geomancer may be less a wizard and more a priest, worshiping nature (or the earth) itself. Such spellcasters generally function per normal geomancers, though they benefit from access to clerical spells as well as those from their own school. On the other hand, they may be compelled by personified force(s) of nature to perform actions furthering their ends, so this practice may entail unforeseen circumstances.
Finally, a rare few geomancers may very well combine both of these variants into an almost customized school of magic, specializing in a singular element related to a nature deity they worship. A geomancer who venerates the primordial sea goddess Tiamat, for instance, may specialize in water geomancy, and also gain specialized faith magic from their goddess in exchange for their service to that ancient deity.
the Flurry of Fury: A Sample Geomancer
Although the material provided aims to present everything needed for a player to build geomancers for their very own use, it is sometimes difficult to get a proper feel for how one should express a school of magic's character without seeing one in the flesh, so to speak. To this end, a sample geomancer is provided for your perusal, generated using random die rolls via the site's digital dice.
Determining the Flurry of Fury's Basic Traits
We shall begin by rolling dice to come up with this geomancer's primary traits, receiving 21, 23, 62, 85, 53, 50, and 64. Plugging these results into the appropriate tables, this gives him or her rank value 6 Melee, rank value 6 Coordination, rank value 10 Brawn, rank value 20 Fortitude, rank value 40 Intellect, rank value 30 Awareness, and rank value 40 Willpower.
Though strong in mind and body, this particular character doesn't seem very flexible in combat, thus I gambled on their Melee and Coordination traits, using the 'easy' table since both are already quite low. Results of 51 and 41 allow for a +2 RS to this character's Melee, and a +1 RS to their Coordination, which already makes me feel better regarding their overall viability in a combat situation.
With Melee now rank value 20 and Coordination now rank value 10, this geomancer's Health adds up to 60, and their Fortune is 110. Rolling for Lifestyle, a 77 grants them a rank value 20 livelihood, and we will stick with the base Repute trait of zero (0). This seems an excellent base for a geomancer who, while not necessarily a powerhouse, need not be a pushover, neither.
Determining the Flurry of Fury's Magical Abilities
Skipping table 3, we roll for the initial number of spells this character will possess. A 28 gives us only two spells with which this character can begin their magical career, and for the first I naturally choose a version of Nature Control. Before I proceed further, I figure I should pick the element in question, which will entirely shape how this character comes together, and settle on air.
For the other spell, I roll 10, indicating that it is a personal spell, and then 16, which gives me Blending. This seems to fit well with someone who can manipulate elemental air, describing a sorcerer that can seemingly melt into the sky itself! Though useful, Nature Control / Air and Blending don't give this geomancer a wide variety in their initial spells. Luckily, they are still allowed a magical item!
Determining the Flurry of Fury's Magical Appliance
All spellcasters begin play with one permanent magical object, an alternate source of power to augment their adventuring careers and to (hopefully) shore up weak points or holes in their initial spell roster. This particular geomancer seems to have lucked out where their physical and mental traits ultimately fell, but doesn't have all that many spell effects at their disposal.
With that in mind, I chose the Mystic Servant dimensional spell as the ability to invest within an ensorcelled object. I did so because it seemed like a good means to bolster this individual's combat prowess - it forces opponents to split their focus between him or her and their minion! And, to stay within the character's theme thus far, I chose for them to be idealized elemental creatures of air.
Mystic servants are allowed two powers all their own, so I chose Gyration, which provides movement and melee damage inherently, as well as Eldritch Bolt, which is intended to add lightning to the character's bag of tricks, via their critter(s). This mystic power will be housed within something we'll call the Flurry Diadem, a crown which gives its owner mastery over (admittedly small) cyclonic beasts!
Quantifying the Flurry of Fury's Magical Arsenal
Having sorted out which magical capabilities our neophyte geomancer has access to, we must now pin down just how potent they are. Making three rolls on table D, I come up with 66, 20, and 43. This gives the geomancer Nature Control / Air at rank value 30, Blending at rank value 10, and Mystic Servant at a base rank value of 30, which is raised +2 RS by its strong portable limitation to rank value 50.
Lucking out with an 87 on the 'traditional' gambling table, this character may add +3 RS to one magical ability of their choice, a bonus capped out at rank value 75. Applying that bonus to Nature Control / Air, this character suddenly becomes a lot more dangerous, considering that this is the base rank value that any stunts they develop with the spell will utilize!
Determining the Flurry of Fury's Background Information
As I haven't planned out this character before rolling the dice, I don't really have an idea what their deal is. Thus, I am going to randomly roll the quirks, skills, and contacts he or she will have! A 43 points me at beneficial mental quirks, with a 05 choosing 3-D Sense. A 25 then calls for a deleterious physical quirk, with a 67 indicating lameness. And thus, a mental picture slowly begins to form.
A roll of 80 on table 30 shows that this geomancer will begin play with six skills. Rolls on the subsequent tables of 45 and 50 give me Martial Arts style E, 79 and 53 reveal Geology, 96 and 63 provide Shields, 47 and 28 grant Martial Arts style B, 85 and 04 indicate Archaeology, and 27 and 66 offer Stealth. I opt to nix Shields and Stealth, using the former to make Martial Arts E level 2, and change the latter to Survival.
A roll of 61 on table 40 gives this character five starting contacts. I don't have specific individuals in mind, but one could be the person who trained them in the martial arts, one could relate to their scientific background, and one will definitely be a mystic instructor. This leaves two contact slots, one of which will 'float', and one of which is spent to make their mystic instructor level 2 in scope.
Determining the Flurry of Fury's Origin Story
Taking the above into consideration, I have decided that Donnie Kubiak was an aspiring mixed martial artist who made a name (and plenty of cash) for himself, until a crippling kick to the side of his knee ended his promising career. Using money he'd made during his brief but successful fighting stint, he went to college, where he studied both Archaeology and Geology, intending to get outside while working.
Shortly after graduation, while doing field work to start paying off lingering college expenses, he encountered corporate thugs attempting to dump industrial offal at his dig site one night. Despite his lame leg, he managed to handily fight the goons off, which brought him to the attention of an elder geomancer who was about to smite those criminals in response to this and other environmental assaults.
Impressed by his physical and mental prowess, she proposed to educate Donnie in her arts, hopefully so her work might continue should she succumb to old age or violence before she was done. Liking the idea of protecting the world from such scum full time, Donnie indeed became this geomancer's apprentice, and now does battle with those who would despoil nature as the Flurry of Fury!
Geomantic Spells
As their school of magery involves exerting influence over one or more of the seven elements they believe comprises all of existence, adherents of geomancy have developed specialized spells to accomplish just that. Above and beyond standard magic that can be developed or fueled using elemental power, geomantic spells specifically involve the manipulation of elements or their interaction with one another.
The thirteen known geomancy school spells include the following:
| A | E | I | K | M | N | O | R | S | T |
A
Adhesion
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Adhesion is the ability to bind two or more objects together on the atomic level. This may involve physically gluing them together, altering the molecular structure of each such that they merge into a singular whole, or even engaging in molecular charge suppression to force them to stick. Such stickiness only affects the surfaces of objects, but can hold them together with considerable strength.
To adhere two objects, they must be in physical contact with each other. If adhesion is caused by some sort of chemical (such as a bottle of home-brewed mega glue, or perhaps a secretion of the character's), the agent must first be applied directly to the spot the two objects will be stuck together. If the agency of adhesion is a power of some sort, simply touching both simultaneously will suffice.
Each turn adhesion is applied to two objects, the strength of the binding between them will increase by +1 RS. For example, one turn of adhesion will produce a bond of rank value 2 strength, while ten would make the strength of such rank value 100. However, the adhesion power is limited such that it cannot produce a bond with a strength greater than its own power rank value.
Adhesion can last for a considerable amount of time. A black power ACTION rolled when using adhesion allows its effects to last for a number of turns equal to its power rank value, while a red power ACTION extends this period of time from turns to minutes. A blue adhesion ACTION stretches the length of adhesion out to a like number of hours, while a yellow ACTION makes the effects of adhesion permanent.
Breaking the bond instilled by adhesion requires overcoming the strength of the bond it has created - or undermining the surface of one or both objects glued together. Flesh will yield much easier than concrete, so gluing people to the street means they must peel or cut themselves free if they can't dislodge the bond between them and it. Doing this generally inflicts from rank value 4 to 10 Slashing damage to someone.
The specific amount, of course, depends on how much of a person's flesh is removed in the process of tearing them away from an object they've been molecularly bonded to.
E
Environmental Sense
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance + 1d100 turns
Cost: 2 points per rank value
Characters with an environmental sense can attain a deep, intimate awareness of their surroundings. Such individuals can become familiar with conditions anywhere within Near distance of their person, may readily perceive the weather both above and below the surface, and attain an awareness of disruptions to the 'natural' conditions in that area.
These disruptions can include dangerous chemicals, excessive energy discharges, and even biological hazards of various stripes. This sensory ability incorporates aspects of the atomic sense, biological sense, and energy sense powers, making it quite useful. Alternately, this ability grants a truly staggering amount of information, and narrowing down one's focus can be tricky at times.
Though knowing when something is 'wrong' in the area of effect requires no roll, finding the general nature or location of a disruption requires a red action, while pinpointing the specific location or type said disruption requires a blue environmental sense result. Yellow actions are typically only necessary when something is actively working to mask its presence in the environment to some extent.
The only problem with an environmental sense is that, once invoked, one cannot readily turn it off. The process of tying oneself into the nearby biosphere links a character to it for at least 1d100 turns, during which time they are inundated with various data regarding their surroundings, and tuning it all out for 1d10 turns requires one pass a successful, blue Willpower ACTION roll first.
I
Infusion
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Infusion allows its caster to instill the essence of an element into matter. There is no restriction on the type of matter infusion can imbue with elemental properties, though its nature should be taken into consideration before casting this spell. It can function on any matter within Very Near distance of the caster, whether it is a singular object or every single object within its area of effect!
Matter so infused will behave as if it were comprised almost entirely of the element it has been charged with. The effects of this charge will function at the infusion spell's rank value, whether it serves as a basis for damage, material value, effective intangibility, or whatever else one attempts. Infusion will only persist for 1d10 turns, unless its caster specifically maintains the infusion longer.
A geomancer may subsume matter's ordinary nature with any element they have access to, not needing to acquire additional elements as spell stunts. Consider a geomancer with access to animal and earth, infusing the air before her with elemental essence. Swapping its normal nature with earth, she can make a solid wall seemingly appear from nowhere. On the other hand, doing so with animal can fill it full of bees!
Once matter is infused with elemental essence, a geomancer may control it as they would any other element they hold sway over, albeit at a -2 RS. This will also involve casting and/or maintaining the appropriate nature control spell(s), but lets a geomancer work with materials in their vicinity that they would otherwise have no control over - even if they must do so in a roundabout fashion.
K
Kinetic Energy Control
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Kinetic energy control is the ability to manipulate matter in motion. It has no effect on most forms of energy, even if many carrier particles (such as electrons) possess a miniscule amount of mass. However, kinetic energy control can be used to directly counter attacks such as a force blast, as well as the use of telekinesis, despite both abilities usually being disassociated with mass themselves.
Controlling the motion of an object requires passing a power ACTION roll against the intensity of its speed (if moving) or its weight (if stationary). The former can be determined by comparing its speed to the appropriate chart; an object moving on the ground will use the land speed chart, while something flying will use the air speed chart, etc. The latter can simply be determined by checking the Brawn table.
If this ACTION roll is successful, the target's motion can be redirected as desired. It can be stopped completely if in motion, or altered in any direction desired - even backwards! An object at rest can be given a velocity that is anywhere between zero and this power rank value in intensity, using the appropriate chart to determine its speed. The effects of this power are instantaneous, but possibly transient.
This is because the target, if ambulatory, can continue to correct changes made in its momentum, requiring further use of this ability to control it. Similarly, inanimate objects without propulsion of their own will require repeated 'pushes' with this power to maintain the desired velocity under most circumstances; if not reinforced, their artificial movement will quickly grind to a halt.
Kinetic energy control may be opposed by general resistance to energy or warping attacks - or by a specific resistance to this ability in particular. Telekinesis can also work against it, though this may require contests of power from turn to turn.
M
Matter Absorption
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: special
Cost: 1 point per rank value
The power of matter absorption is the ability to draw large amounts of material into one's body.
One can soak up an amount of matter per turn that is equal to their power rank value in pounds, and can then store an amount of matter that is equal to their normal body weight times five. For example, a two hundred pound man with rank value 10 matter absorption may draw in ten pounds at a time, with a maximum storage 'tank' equal to one thousand pounds!
When absorbing matter in this fashion, it does not go anywhere to speak of - the character who absorbs matter incorporates it into their body. The amount by which his or her size changes is dependent on their size and how much matter they've absorbed, but if enough material is internalized, it may possibly curtail or even prevent movement entirely if the mass stowed away on their person exceeds their own Brawn.
But what can one do with matter absorbed in this fashion, you ask?
The material internalized by this power can serve as fuel for other super-human capabilities, for one thing. It can also be expelled with rank value force, causing damage appropriate to its type (generally Force or Bashing, depending) by firing off an amount of matter equal to that which one can absorb in a single turn. Or one might simply need a whole lot of a given material, and may wish to collect it in a single location.
The materials to be absorbed by this power must be in physical contact with its possessor. Thus, to use it against a living being, one must naturally touch them! On contact, the power will inflict up to its power value in Metabolic damage as it siphons off whatever matter an absorber is trying to internalize - the specific amount dependent on how much of whatever the matter absorber's target is present in the body.
When it is first acquired, matter absorption can be limited somewhat, if desired. The power can be curtailed such that it only works on a certain type of matter (liquids, solids, et cetera.) as a weak limitation, a specific substance in any state (water, in either a solid, liquid, or gaseous form) as a strong limitation, or even a specific substance in a specific state (hydrogen gas) as a very strong limitation.
Missile Generation
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Missile generation is the ability to spontaneously generate objects which manifest as ballistic projectiles. A combination of device generation and propulsion, missile generation can generally create but one item when the power is first generated, the shape of which is at the player's discretion. This shape will determine what form of damage (Bashing, Slashing, or Piercing) the initial projectile can inflict.
Projectiles created by missile generation will possess a maximum material value equal to its power rank value. They also manifest with considerable velocity, having an effective range as is determined on the Near range table. Items fired at others by missile generation will inflict its power rank value in damage on impact with whatever they hit, whether or not what they hit was the intended target.
A missile generator can fire many, though not an infinite, amount of projectiles with this power. Generally, the number of such one can manifest within an hour is equal to its power rank value. A missile generator may opt to create more missiles after this initial amount is expended (sometimes emergencies dictate that you have to shoot even more people, after all), at a cost of one Health point per additional missile.
Missiles generated by this power are typically very simple in both form and composition. However, the power can be used to develop highly advanced and specialized missiles as power stunts. Building syringes containing poisons or drugs is one such option, as are glass spheres full of corrosive or incendiary compounds. Such stunts can greatly expand the types of damage of a missile generator can inflict.
Alternately, other powers may be further combined with the original two to create such missiles 'out of the box'.
N
Nature Control
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: 1d10 turns + maintenance, if desired
Cost: special (see below)
Core of the geomancy school of magic, nature control allows its caster the ability to manipulate the seven elements that school recognizes. Upon first learning this spell, the geomancer may only wield control over one such element, though he or she may acquire additional forms either as power stunts or as new spells (player's choice). For convenience, the seven elements are re-presented here:
* Air: the medium by which we all breathe, air represents the pure breezes of our world. An air geomancer may draw forth the air around themselves and focus it however they see fit - or even void the air from an area and cause temporary vacuums if they desire. Of course, enough friction in the air can cause lightning, which is another mainstay of the geomancer of air when subtlety fails them.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per weakly limited vapor animation).
* Animal: the element of animals represents the many creatures native to our world. Geomancers who master the element of animal can control various facets of animal life, from its behavior to its very form if necessary. Whether this simply involves causing stampedes, creating organized labor, or even transforming one creature into another, animal geomancers are mighty indeed.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per animal control).
* Earth: earth geomancers wield power over the land we live upon. Mountainous rock, desert sands, and even precious metals fall under the sway of earth. Geomancy cannot directly manipulate solids that have been touched by the hand of man, and made into something outside of their natural state. Mind you, nothing's stopping a geomancer from attacking man-made structures with the natural rock below.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per weakly limited solid animation).
* Fire: perhaps the rarest of obvious elements in the world, fire is seemingly in short supply under most circumstances. However, this geomantic element can be applied most directly to adverse effect, as it destroys or transforms almost everything it touches. Whether enhancing or eliminating it in the environment, a geomancer of fire holds power over life and death in most situations.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per fire control).
* Plant: where land and water come together, you most often find the element of plant. Plant geomancers can control all manner of plant life, directing it to behave as they see fit, and often forcing it to perform feats that are seemingly impossible for the source material. Whether causing it to grow, wither, advance, retreat, or even change shape, a plant geomancer has a subtle yet dangerous power.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per plant control).
* Water: water covers most of our world, and geomancers who specialize in this element hold sway over a large percentage of the globe. Water's not just in the oceans, however, and one can find it almost anywhere if they just know where to look. This makes the geomancer of water incredibly useful to thirsty peoples - or incredibly dangerous to those who work on the sea for a living.
Cost: 1 point per rank value (per weakly limited fluid animation).
* Weather: weather is a convergence of natural elements, the combination of two forces to produce a singular effect. This element allows for the blending of the elements a geomancer holds sway over, to create all-new effects. With enough elements in tow, one can use weather to alter the world itself - or at least a small portion of it - as enough geomantic elements working together can truly represent our planet as a whole.
Cost: 2 points per rank value (per weather control).
Geomancers can use whatever elements they hold sway over to inflict spell rank value damage with each attack, assuming enough of an element on hand to do so. The exact form of damage this attack inflicts depends on the element in question, but can vary considerably; water usually inflicts Force damage, while fire causes SD Energy harm, and earth can dish out Bashing or Slashing damage (depending on its shape).
On the plus side, nature controls easily lend themselves to power stunts that can duplicate other spells - or serve as a good reason for having them. Any of the various eldritch attack spells dovetail with nature controls (and serve as a source of material in a pinch), bands work well with all elements, and so on. The only real limitation in this regard is one's imagination!
Nature Resistance
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank value
A variation on the greater resistance ability, nature resistance provides its possessor protection against a wide swath of damage types. Nature resistance will shield its owner with power rank value defense against any form of damage extant in the environment, as long as its cause, no matter how indirectly, has nothing to do with the actions of sentient beings.
For example, a character with nature resistance walks into a raging forest fire. If this forest fire were caused by a lightning strike, they would benefit from their full power rank value in protection from the resultant flames. However, should said fire be ignited by the careless actions of negligent campers, the bearer of nature resistance will find themselves subject to the full damage inflicted by the burning forest.
The net effect of nature resistance is that the powerful beings which possess it may exempt themselves, in part or in full, from true acts of nature. Thus, the key to nature resistance is to determine whether or not the hand of intelligent beings (no matter how minimally) is at play before one can benefit from it. Which can sometimes be tricky in a world full of technology!
O
Object Charge
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Related Powers: kinetic energy control, kinetic focus, object hardening, telekinesis.
Characters with the ability to charge objects can impart an incredible amount of potential energy into them when held, a potential that will be released on contact with anything else - often explosively. When such contact is made, a charged item will release this artificial energy potential in the form of a detonation that inflicts power rank value Energy damage to everything adjacent to where it explodes.
When this occurs, the object so charged must make a material value check against the intensity of this power. If this ACTION roll fails, the charged item will be destroyed by its explosive discharge, the force of the blast tearing it asunder. If successful, the item may be recovered and even used again for this purpose, if desired. Assuming it's not stuck in something... or someone!
R
Retrospection
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: instantaneous effect
Cost: 1 point per rank value
The power of retrospection allows its wielder to perceive disturbances in the Essence, a higher plane that is coterminous with all conventionally understood points in space and time. Since every life form is connected to this plane, the place from where their life force springs forth, particularly vivid emotions leave an echo of sorts upon the Essence where they were experienced - especially if death was involved.
Using retrospection, a character can parse these essential echoes, revealing details about them back through time. A red ACTION roll can look back to reveal emotions experienced at a location a number of days previous that is equal to this power's rank value. A blue power ACTION can extend this temporal range to weeks instead of days, and a yellow power ACTION roll will actually lengthen that range of time to months!
S
Swirl
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank value
A swirl is a cyclonic elemental aura that a geomancer may construct around their person. The geomancer creating the swirl can build it from any of the elements he or she has access to, doing so with more than one at a time, in fact. The idea of a swirl is to provide protection against attack for its creator, as well as an aversive damage field that will affect anyone foolish enough to enter melee range of its occupant.
The form of damage a swirl inflicts depends on its composition. Fire inflicts SD Energy damage, while water can cause Force damage, etc. When combining elements, the damage can either be the most effective of those present against someone blundering into it, or can instead elevate to higher forms of damage when necessary (air alone might inflict Force damage, but with stones embedded within may cause Piercing damage).
Variable damage types aren't the only benefit of swirl, however. The more elements a geomancer adds to the spell, the more damage it can inflict. Two elements will enhance the damage it inflicts by +1 RS, while four will raise it by +2 RS, and if all seven elements are incorporated into a swirl spell, the damage it causes will increase to an astounding +3 RS! And that's just on the offensive side.
As a defensive aura, swirl also provides protection against attack. If a swirl is comprised of animal, earth, or plant elemental material, it provides protection against injury per a body armor spell, while if it is comprised of air, fire, or water, it offers defense like a force field. Weather, on the other hand, offers protection that is a combination of the two, which is resolved as follows:
Spell Value +1 RS / Spell Value / Spell Value +1 RS / Spell Value -5 RS / Spell Value -7 RS
As with the offensive side of swirl, the protection it offers can be enhanced by adding multiple elements to the mix. If two 'body armor' or two 'force field' types are used in conjunction, raise the defense swirl offers by +1 RS. If one of the 'body armor' type elements is combined with one of the 'force field' types, it will transform into the weather form of protection, as detailed above.
On the other hand, if two of each elemental armor 'types' are used simultaneously, raise the protection for the 'weather' type of swirl by +1 RS - +2 RS if weather itself is also added into the mix. This allows a geomancer to make full offensive and defensive use of the various elements they've mastered in one terrifyingly effective spell.
T
Teleformation
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: special
Cost: 3 points per rank value
The curious power of teleformation is a combination of both teleportation and reformation. In essence, it can be used to transport the driving consciousness and life force of a character anywhere within its range, and then subsequently build an entirely new body for him or her on the spot. When this is done, one's 'old' body generally falls apart in rapid order, disintegrating into its component molecules within 1d10 turns.
Teleformation normally functions within Far range of its wielder's current location, but when strongly enhanced, it can function with Very Far range. Similarly, if extremely enhanced, teleformation is essentially rangeless, being capable of instantly sending its wielder's anima anywhere in his or her current universe, where it will subsequently build a new body from which they may act.
Upon their arrival in a new location, teleformers immediately assemble a body to house their consciousness, doing so from readily available inanimate matter. This will produce something of a caricature of the character, and provide him or her the teleformation's power rank value in Health. In time, however, the character will slowly shape that matter into something better matching their self-image.
Each subsequent minute that passes will allow a teleformer to recover a like amount of Health points, as if they possessed similarly valued regeneration. A rank value 10 teleformation power, for example, would leave its user with ten Health points upon their arrival after its use, and they would recover that many more Health points each minute. Divide by ten to determine how many Health points are recovered each turn.
As this Health point recovery takes place, the teleformer's appearance will slowly change. The materials used to craft their initial body will begin to transition in both shape and composition, a process that continues until the teleformer recovers all their Health points. By the time this process is complete, a teleformer's new body will be indistinguishable from their old one - whatever that happened to be.
If injured at any time, a teleformer's body will recover as if they were in the process of rebuilding it. In other words, the regeneration-like effect that builds them a frame with which to interact with the world persists even after its initial work is done. This requires solid matter the teleformer can use to repair themselves, however; the power is generally useless in vacuum - or even in the ocean!
Any equipment that teleformers have with them upon transporting from one location to another is left behind, and they cannot produce any items besides themselves - at least, not with this power alone. Of course, a variety of matter control or creation powers can serve this purpose, but such capabilities are beyond the scope of the teleformation power, as is bringing others along for the ride.
While the above details the normal function of teleformation, it may be limited to customize it somewhat - or, if desired, to 'even out' any enhancements provided to grant it a greater range.
For one thing, the power may be constrained such that it can only build a new body from a certain kind of material, such as stone or wood or sand or whatever. Similarly, teleformation might not change the composition of material used to build a body for its wielder, making him or her constantly resemble a being made out of various materials. One's appearance will generally be similar, even if their exact composition isn't.
Both of these features are strong limitations to teleformation. If combined, they add up to an extreme limitation overall, which will generally curtail the power's use anywhere that the chosen material is not present in the environment. Characters that do not revert to their original, fleshy (or whatever) nature benefit from maximized environmental independence, as well as the characteristics of their composition (per transformation).
Transparent Vision
Type: Geomancy Spell
Duration: maintenance
Cost: 1 point per rank value
Transparent vision is the ability to see through solid objects - as well as obscuring liquids and gases - as if they were perfectly, well, transparent. This sensory ability works on the Very Near range table, allowing its wielder to peer into otherwise opaque matter up to a number of yards equal to transparent vision's rank value. For example, a character with rank value 50 transparent vision can see up to 50 yards into the earth.
The method by which this ability works is left nebulous; does it involve some unconscious awareness of nearby matter, or does it wield high-energy radiation to physically penetrate it? This is entirely up to the character who chooses this ability, who may take various related powers depending on its nature (atomic sense or abilities involving radiation, for instance).
One nifty side effect of transparent vision is that it dovetails with both microscopic and telescopic vision. These powers can act to increase the range of transparent vision to a staggering degree - both into the world of the incredibly small and the realm of the insanely distant. With these other visual abilities, a character can see impurities within their own body or objects hiding behind the moon - or both!