Spirit Disciplines & Archetypes

Realm of Strife™ > Character Skills > Spirit > Spirit Disciplines & Archetypes

To the untrained eye Spirit Powers may appear to be a wild and chaotic array of spells with no semblance of structure. However most Spirit Powers can actually be identified by an Archetype which governs the general form and function of a spell. These Spell Archetypes are then further categorized into five broader Disciplines.

Contents

Spirit Disciplines

Spirit Disciplines

Destruction

Destruction powers are typically single target direct-damage powers. Casting modifiers (i.e. Hit, Critical Cast, and Damage) typically apply directly, as their is only one target. If a Destruction power has any persistent effects, these can be dispelled as normal.
Critical Cast: Causes double damage, or if not directly inflicting damage then double the effects (where applicable) and/or double the resistance to its effects being dispelled.
Miscast: Spirit is consumed and power fails. If it was an instant power, no action power can be made for the remainder of the turn.

Devastation

Devastation powers are powers that either possess some element of area-of-effect direct-damage, or the ability to hit multiple targets. Regardless of the number of hit-rolls made, any damage modifiers are distributed evenly among all targets, using standard arithmetic rounding if required (i.e. a caster with +6 spirit damage uses a devastation power that inflicts damage in a 2″ radius area that hits 4 targets, would use a single hit roll and if successful divide the bonus damage evenly, so 6 divided by 4 equals 1.5, therefore 2 bonus damage to each target, before any critical hit multiplier). If a Devastation power has any persistent effects, these can be dispelled as normal.
Critical Cast: Causes double damage to all targets that the casting roll applies to, or if not directly inflicting damage then double the effects (where applicable) and/or double the resistance to its effects being dispelled.
Miscast: Spirit is consumed and power fails. If it was an instant power, no action power can be made for the remainder of the turn.

Conjuration

Conjuration powers always involve physically conjuring some kind of object to enact the desired effect. The following rules apply to Conjurations:

Only one of each conjuration power, from each School of Powers, can be active at any given time (i.e. if a caster has used Tier 3 Conjure Shadow Beast to conjure 3 shadow beasts onto the battlefield, then the caster CANNOT cast Conjure Shadow Beast again until the last of the 3 shadow beasts has been removed, however a Conjure Fire Elemental could theoretically still be cast)
Many conjuration powers require uninterrupted spell casting
When conjured entities attack or inflict damage/effects it is not affected by any of the casters modifiers
if the conjured entity does not possess modifiers of its own it can only crit on a natural 100
the Conjurer will lose control of all active conjurations (defined as: Minion, Familiar, and Sentinel conjurations) if at the start of their turn (or every hour out of combat) the sum of the Tiers of ALL Conjuration powers currently in effect exceeds the casters Intellect
Active conjurations that the caster has lost control of can be brought under control again by recasting the power that originally conjured them AND passing an Intellect vs. Initiative stat roll-off against the target

Critical Cast: Conjure one additional entity, or if not directly conjuring entities, then double the effects (where applicable) and/or double the resistance to its effects being dispelled.
Miscast: Spirit is consumed and power fails. If it was an instant power, no action power can be made for the remainder of the turn. Active conjurations only: conjuration still occurs but, the conjured entity and all others like it on the battlefield will either attack the caster, attack the nearest target, or leave the battlefield.

Fortification

Fortification powers are typically comprised of buffs or defensive powers that can be used for the benefit of the caster or his/her allies. They generally do not cause damage, though in some cases they can cause indirect damage, however they can still benefit from a critical cast and/or suffer a critical failure. Therefore ALWAYS roll a d100 to cast, even if a hit roll is not required. Most Fortification powers last for the duration of the battle, unless dispelled or consumed. Persistent effects caused by Fortification powers can be dispelled as normal.
Critical Cast: any persistent effects have twice as much resistance to being dispelled, except Shield and Healing powers which instead gain double the damage shielding or healing value respectively
Miscast: Spirit is consumed and power fails. If it was an instant power, no action power can be made for the remainder of the turn.

Alteration

Alteration powers are those which manipulate the properties of the Physical world, bending it to their will or imparting properties from the Spirit world into the Physical world. They generally do not cause damage, though in some cases they can cause indirect damage, however they can still benefit from a critical cast and/or suffer a critical failures. Therefore ALWAYS roll a d100 to cast, even if a hit roll is not required. Persistent effects caused by Alteration powers can be dispelled as normal (based on the level of the caster of the persistent effect)
Critical Cast: Causes double damage (where applicable), or if not directly inflicting damage then double the effects (where applicable) and/or double the resistance to its effects being dispelled.
Miscast: Spirit is consumed and power fails. If it was an instant power, no action power can be made for the remainder of the turn.

Spell Archetypes

Use:

Discipline	Archetype	Use	Description
Destruction	Shock	action	Requires an empty hand and must touch the target. Counts as either a main hand or off-hand Non-Physical attack, but if used as an off hand attack the main hand can only be a regular weapon attack. If using a weapon in two hands Shocks can still be cast with the off hand if no attack was made with the weapon that round; targets can add dodge to resistance roll; ward-offs apply; can be combined with a main hand Focus skill but doing so prevents using any kind of off hand attack or kick, and follows the Combat rules for Combined attacks.
Destruction	Strike	action	Adds spirit based damage/effects onto a regular main hand melee attack or Focus skill, and counts as a 'strike'. See Combat rules for Combined Attacks. Strike powers do allow for a regular off-hand attack if dual wielding, but the off-hand attack cannot be a Spirit/Faith power or Focus skill; if a Strike is used while unarmed (non-Focus) it is assumed that a basic fist attack is made (i.e. a 1 damage physical attack)
Destruction	Imbue	instant	Imbues powers/effects onto a weapon (including natural weapons such as animal claws/bites, or fists); cannot stack imbues on a weapon but stays on the weapon until successfully hitting; does not stack or chain with skills/powers other than 'strikes', 'shots', or unarmed Focus skills; roll to cast immediately, where a crit cast doubles the dispel resistance; some imbues may require additional resist rolls upon hitting; unless otherwise stated, in order for imbue effects to be applied the physical attack must hit
Destruction	Rebuke	reaction	When a target deals damage, use reaction to deal damage back
Destruction	Shot	action	Magical projectile based power that does not have solid/physical form and can only be blocked by shields that are rune crafted and/or enchanted.; requires LOS and cannot cast on targets in base contact with the caster; Counts as a 'Shot'; Target can add dodge to resistance
Destruction	Missile	action	Magical projectile based power that has solid/physical form and therefore can be blocked with a conventional shield; requires LOS and cannot cast on targets in base contact with the caster; Target can add dodge to resistance roll
Destruction	Burst	action	no direct projectile therefore no LOS required and no dodge allowed, however caster must still have some reason to know that a target exists
Destruction	DOT	instant	no direct projectile therefore no LOS required and no dodge allowed, however caster must still have some reason to know that a target exists; remains active for one additional round per Tier or until dispelled/canceled, resist against initial cast only (unlike poison effects), damage bonus applies on first round only
Destruction	Amplify	instant	Amplifies the damage of the casters destruction powers through a variety of means. No direct projectile therefore no LOS required and no dodge allowed, however caster must still have some reason to know that a target exists. Cannot be stacked.
Destruction	Seal	action	places a magical seal on an object (i.e. a door, chest, book, etc...); can be visible or invisible; typically granted a single method of being safely opened or re-sealed (i.e. a command, incantation, gesture, key, etc..); when incorrectly attempting to open the seal (i.e lock pick, incorrect command, etc..) there are typically minor effects to warn against further tampering; if the seal is broken through force or dispelled in any way it inflicts damage and effects to whoever broke it, any permanent or long term effects can typically be dispelled, or can be ended by using the same method that would have safely opened the seal; if scoring a critical cast at the time the seal is created, it stores twice the energy and will do double damage whenever it is finally broken; if the seals effects require an additional casting roll upon breaking it is with no modifiers and cannot critically cast or miscast
Destruction	Death	action	Always Tier 7; single target, short ranged LOS, cause instant death (some restrictions apply); can only be successfully used once per day
Devastation	Multi	action	Fires multiple projectiles where LoS is required on each target; can't cast on targets in base contact; targets can add Dodge to Resistance; use a seperate casting roll for each target, however any Miscast(s) does not prevent the other rolls from succeeding (effectively done simultaneously)
Devastation	Beam	action	fires in straight line from caster to target, LOS not required, dodge is allowed unless otherwise stated; casting rolls and spell power distribution is spell specific
Devastation	Bomb	instant	Applied to a single target within LOS and remains in play with no immediate or direct effects and no casting roll required. While it remains in play it can be dispelled.; Once a certain condition or duration is reached, the caster can use a reaction to trigger the spell Bomb.; Once triggered, a casting roll is made, where the initial target cannot dodge but those in the area of effect can add dodge to their Resistance.
Devastation	Cone	action	Effects a three dimensional area in a cone originating from the casters location that is 8" long and 3" wide at the end (or using wargaming Cone Template). Unless otherwise stated, uses a single casting roll and allows partially covered targets to add dodge to their resistance.
Devastation	Nova	action	radiates outwards from the caster on all sides, up to a radius defined by Range; use a single casting roll with no Dodge allowed; does not affect that caster themselves
Devastation	Triggered	reaction	a nova like explosion that has a specific triggering mechanism
Devastation	Blast	action	Has an area of effect in a spherical radius around the target point; LoS is required for the target point, however the area of effect can hit targets out of LoS; use a single casting roll where the initial target cannot dodge but those in the area of effect can add dodge to their Resistance; Blast powers are projectile based, and unless otherwise stated move in a straight line from the caster to the target point
Devastation	Storm	action	Has a large cylindrical area of effect in a radius around the target point, where the height up or down from the target point is equal to the radius of the cylinder; LoS is required for the target point, however the area of effect can hit targets out of LoS; use a single casting roll where only targets that are partially covered by the area of effect can add dodge to their Resistance; Storm powers are typically not considered projectile based even if the component causing the damage is a projectile (i.e. cannot be blocked)
Devastation	Trap	action	sets a two dimensional area of effect trap on the ground (or in a single plane of space) that is triggered when something enters or moves through the given radius surrounding a target point; upon being triggered the area of effect moves up from the base, a distance equal to the radius, to form a cylinder area of effect; use a single casting roll where only targets that are partially covered by the area of effect can add dodge to their Resistance
Devastation	Plague	instant	a damage-over-time power that spreads to any target within 3" at the start of an infected targets turn; no LOS required and no dodge allowed, however caster must still have some reason to know that the initial target exists; remains active for one additional round per Tier or until dispelled/canceled, when duration expires on original target it is removed from ALL targets; resist against initial cast only (unlike poison effects); damage bonus applies to initial target and on first round only
Devastation	Venting	action	Vents off all Volatile spirit energy with various effects. No spirit cost and cannot critically cast or miscast. Automatically inflicts damage to the caster. Uses a single casting roll for all other targets in range, no dodge allowed.
Devastation	Ultimate	action	Always Tier 7; battlefield wide AoE damage (with an upper limit)
Conjuration	Minion	action (uninterrupted) or 1 minute	Conjures/summons an active combat Minion(s) under the casters control; requires 1 minute of uninterrupted casting time outside of combat; if cast as an action during combat the Minion appears at the start of the casters next turn, provided they were not interrupted; can only be cast once per hour, even if Minion was dismissed or destroyed; conjured Minion appears within range of the caster and moves as they dictate; the Minion uses the casters Initiative Score and will always attempt to protect the caster while control is maintained; conjured Minions disappear after 1 hour, if dismissed by the caster (which counts as an instant), or if the Minion's HP drop below 0; control is lost if the caster is knocked unconscious, sleeps or otherwise loses control of their mental faculties and the Minion either disappears or becomes hostile; if the caster unwillingly loses control the Minion acts on is own Initiative Score and is worth XP if destroyed
Conjuration	Banishment	reaction	as a reaction to seeing a creature that does not belong in this realm (or was just summoned/conjured), banishes it back to where it belongs. (basicly a counter summon)
Conjuration	Block	reaction	as a reaction, conjures some form of magic that can be used to block an incoming attack or effect, or otherwise negate a form of conjuration
Conjuration	Familiar	2 minutes	Conjures/summons an active Familiar under the casters control; requires 2 minutes of uninterrupted casting time outside of combat; can only be cast once per day and can never have more than one Familiar at a time; critical casts allow for the Familiars HP to be rolled twice, selecting the highest results; conjured Familiar appears within range of the caster and prefer to stay close to their master; Familiar acts independently of the caster on its own Initiative Score but will obey the casters commands unless they would be against its nature; Familiar disappears if the caster dismisses it (which counts as an instant), caster is knocked unconscious or sleeps, or if Familiar's HP drop below 0; if the caster unwillingly loses control the Familiar typicaly dissapears but is worth XP if destroyed
Conjuration	Sentinel	action (uninterrupted) or 1 minute	Conjures/summons an active stationary combat oriented-entity under the casters control; requires 1 minute of uninterrupted casting time outside of combat; if cast as an action during combat the Sentinel appears at the start of the casters next turn, provided they were not interrupted; can be cast an unlimited number of times, provided any Sentinels of the same type from previous castings no longer exist; conjured Sentinels appear within range of the caster and cannot move except to rotate on the spot; the Sentinel uses the casters Initiative Score and will attack any target the caster deems hostile; Sentinels disappear after 24 hours if they are not fed Spirit equal to 10% of their original cost or 1 enchanting component of the appropriate type; also disappear if dismissed by the caster (which counts as an instant), if the Sentinels HP drop below 0, or if dispelled; if the caster is slain the Sentinel either disappears or becomes hostile to all, gaining its own Initiative Score of 1d12+1; not worth any XP if destroyed
Conjuration	Ally	action (uninterrupted) or 1 minute	Conjures/summons an active combat Ally under the casters control; requires 1 minute of uninterrupted casting time outside of combat; if cast as an action during combat the Ally appears at the start of the casters next turn, provided they were not interrupted; can be cast an unlimited number of times, provided any Ally of the same type from previous castings no longer exists; Ally appears within range of the caster and moves as they dictate; the Ally uses the casters Initiative Score and will attempt to protect or aid the caster (and their allies) and/or attack as directed; Ally will remain under the control of the caster for up to 24 hours but will leave/dissapear if they are mistreated; control is lost if the caster is knocked unconscious, sleeps or otherwise loses control of their mental faculties and the Ally either disappears or becomes hostile; if the caster unwillingly loses control the Ally acts on is own Initiative Score and is worth XP if destroyed
Conjuration	Binding	action	conjures a physical restraint of some kind that applies crowd control effects to a target(s) in LoS; one target/Tier or one round/Tier or mix of both (i.e. a Tier 4 Binding power could affect one target for four rounds, or two targets for two rounds, or four targets for one round); outside of combat treat duration as hours not rounds; typically damage will break the effect; casters may elect to only bind certain parts of the target, such as leaving the legs unbound so that a prisoner can be forced to walk on their own
Conjuration	Material	instant	conjures material components or other consumable items
Conjuration	Utility	instant	non-combat oriented conjuration (not worth any XP), typically used as a survival/adventuring tool
Conjuration	Totem	instant	Conjures/summons a stationary object or entity that has an effect in an area around it; can be cast an unlimited number of times, provided any Totems from previous castings are no longer present; lasts for 1 +1/Tier of caster rounds (minutes if out of combat) or until destroyed or dispelled; totems are typically 10-20 inches tall ("tiny", size mod -4) and have 10 HP and 0 AC/Resist unless otherwise stated; not worth any XP if destroyed
Conjuration	Obstacle	action	creates physical obstacles on the battlefield where they did not exist before; last for the duration of battle or 1 hour out of combat, unless otherwise dispelled or destroyed
Conjuration	Illusion	instant	Conjures a visible illusion that lacks true physical characteristics. Upon successfully casting, any creature that relies on conventional sight as its primary source of perception will believe the illusion to be real if the casting value is greater than their mental resistance.; illusions can't directly influence physical matter, nor can they inflict any kind of damage or effects; last for the duration of battle or 1 hour out of combat unless otherwise dispelled or destroyed; dispel resistance is equal to the original casting value of the illusion; if there is evidence to suggest that the illusion might not be real, creatures may pass a Wisdom or Perception test to see through the illusion and therefore not be affected by it in anyway; GMs may choose to add advantage or disadvantage modifiers to these rolls depending on the situation.
Conjuration	Weapon	instant or action	can be cast an unlimited number of times, provided any Weapons from previous castings are no longer present; conjures a magical weapon that can be wielded (by caster only) like any weapon for its duration (must adhere to weapon proficiency rules); conjuration lasts for 1 round +1/Tier of Caster (minutes if out of combat) or until dispelled/canceled/sheathed; critical casts do not conjure an additional weapon but instead extend the duration by +1 round; if used as an action, the weapon becomes quasi-sentient and can magically move (up to 4") and attack on its own (with no modifiers); quasi-sentient weapons do not benefit from weapon or combat pecialiazations of the caster; quasi-sentient weapon conjurations automatically disappear if they move more than 8" away from the caster; weapon conjurations can be dispelled at any time
Conjuration	Supreme	action	Always Tier 7; summons a supremely powerful entity that the caster has no control over whatsoever; acts immediately, according to its own Initiative Score; worth XP if slain
Fortification	Synergy	instant	single target; typically remains in play until consumed or dispelled; carries benefits based on the class mechanics of the target; mixed classes must choose a single mechanic to benefit
Fortification	Ward	instant	places a ward on the caster or on individual party members that lasts for up to one day (unless dispelled); Ward spells may be consumed at will as an instant or as a reaction, even after an enemy spell caster has rolled to cast; consuming a Ward adds additional specific resistances, and when sued as a reaction can potentially turn a hit/success into a miss/failure; there is no limit to the number of wards that may be present on the battlefield but only one of each School of powers can be stacked on any single target; once consumed Wards may be re-cast
Fortification	Shield	instant	places a magical shield around a single target's body that blocks out damage and negates certain related effects, but only from external sources (i.e. no effect against self inflicted damage/effects).; When critically cast, doubles the value of the shield; Remains until end of battle or until shield gives out; attacks with extra effects (i.e. silence or stun) do not inflict their effects if the damage does not penetrate the shield; the attack which destroys the shield inflicts an effect back on the attacker that can be resisted without modifiers
Fortification	Boon	instant	single target buff; no LOS required, but caster must be able to picture the target in their mind; positive effects that remain in play for up to one hour unless dispelled; some Boons may be consumed at will as an instant for the affected target on their own turn; consuming a Boon immediately ends its effects, but causes an immediate additional effect; if a Boon is consumed it cannot be recast on that target for 1 hour
Fortification	Wish	reaction	after taking damage or some other kind of negative effect, as a reaction, bestows some kind of beneficial effect
Fortification	Empower	instant	self cast buff with positive effects that remain in play for up to one hour unless dispelled; some Empower spells may be consumed at will as an instant for the affected target on their own turn; consuming a Empower immediately ends its effects, but causes an immediate additional effect; if an Empower is consumed it cannot be recast on that target for 1 hour
Fortification	Shell	action	defensive powers that erect a stationary shell or field of influence around the caster and typically reduce incoming damage; unless otherwise stated as "self-cast only", the shell is a 1" per Tier radius, centered on the caster, and thus may envelop other targets (friend, foe, or inanimate objects); the effects of the shell are typically only considered at the boundary, while all targets inside the shell are unaffected; remains in play for duration of battle, or until dispelled or expended; attacks with additional effects (i.e. silence or stun) do not generally inflict their effects if the damage does penetrate the shell; while within the shell the caster may on subsequent turns, refresh the shell back to its original state (effectively recasting at the same Tier of power) for 1/2 the spirit cost
Fortification	Defense	instant	Self cast only. Effects remain in play for up to one hour, or until dispelled or consumed.; active magical defenses typically aimed at preventing or discouraging opponents from targeting or moving into base contact with the caster
Fortification	Armor	instant	Self cast only. Armor remains in play for up to one hour, or until dispelled or consumed by certain conditions being met
Fortification	Healing	action	typically single target powers with direct healing capabilities; LoS required; cannot be cast from HP; add spell power modifiers as increased healing; critical cast results in double the healing value; if cast more than once per day out of combat double the spirit cost
Fortification	Avatar	instant	always Tier 7; self cast only; transforms the caster into a powerful avatar of the particular School of Spirit powers invoked; can only ever be one Avatar (for a particular School of Spirit powers) in existence in a given Realm at any time; if an Avatar is already active the spell will automatically fail.
Alteration	Modify	instant	modifies the basic properties of something for useful purposes
Alteration	Hex	instant	A spell that imposes negative effects on a single target and remains in play for up to one hour unless dispelled or consumed. Does not require LOS however, the caster must be able to picture the target in their mind; Consuming a hex can be triggered at will as an instant for the affected target on their own turn; The caster may force the Hex to be consumed as an reaction in subsequent rounds, however this requires a successful casting roll against the target; Consuming a Hex immediately ends its effects, but causes additional consequences; If a Hex is consumed it cannot be recast on that target for 1 hour
Alteration	Movement	instant	alters the way things move; self cast only, unless spending 1.5x the spirit cost; cannot be cast on unwilling targets; unless otherwise specified, using a Movement power to leave base contact with an enemy does NOT count as Disengaging from Combat
Alteration	Transmute	action	alters the physical form and/or properties of the target, granting various effects
Alteration	Control	instant or action	single target, LoS required with a variety of crowd control effects; hard CC typically an action; soft CC typically an instant
Alteration	Dispel	action	Removes, negates, or otherwise alters a persistent or ongoing effect that the caster is aware of. If the Tier of the caster of the effect is unknown, use the Tier of the effect instead. Typically, this is an action OR can be used as an instant for double the Spirit cost.
Alteration	Counter	reaction	When a target casts a spell, use reaction to interrupt, cancel, counter, redirect or reflect it. The enemy caster gains bonus resistance to the effect equal to 5x thier max Tier of power.
Alteration	Channel	action (uninterrupted)	Effects persist for 1 full round, typically inflicted at the beginning of the turn of any effected targets. May continue casting in consecutive rounds if paying 10% of the full spirit cost with no casting roll required, provided the caster is not interupted and did not move.; while channeling the caster counts as being Vulnerable; if the channeled power causes CC effects of some kind, it is assumed that they are one continuous CC effect; if used outside of combat the duration of the effect varies depending on the power but is immediately cancelled if the caster is interrupted or moves
Alteration	Environment	action	powers with a variety of environmental effects that typically impact a large area
Alteration	Portal	action	Always Tier 7. Portal magic varies greatly by School but typically must be anchored to one or more fixed locations; after initially being cast/used the portals typically dissapear unless tethered to a physical location/object, in which case they instead become dormant; once dormant, portals can typically be re-activated by any spirit user (regardless of Tier) that knows the portal exists, simply by speaking a command word and paying the spirit cost for the portal power; the size of the opening is typically dictated as a 1" radius per 20 spirit used to cast the power and anything larger than this cannot pass through; portals do not typically have a suctioning effect of any kind and matter must be moved, pushed or thrown into it; some portals may also require a physical key, magical object, specific incantation, word of power, or passphrase to activate
Alteration	Reveal	instant	reveals hidden mysteries of the spirit world, allowing the caster and/or allies to exploit this knowledge
None	Legendary	action	Legends speak of spells with the power to destroy worlds, however their existence is pure speculation and if they do exist they certainly cannot be learned through conventional means
	Ritual	action
	Curse	instant
	Disease	action
	Prayer	varies
	Mantra	varies
	System	varies
	Aspect	instant

Spirit Disciplines & Archetypes

Spirit Disciplines

Destruction

Devastation

Conjuration

Fortification

Alteration

Spell Archetypes

LATEST NEWS

Creation Revealed: The Making of the Cosmology of Creation

Major Updates to the Honor Class Mechanic

The Vessel of Damnation

REALM OF STRIFE™