Elementalist
The Elements existed before our world was forged, and they will exist long after we are gone. All that we see, and feel, and all that we indeed are, is made of them. We are the Elements made flesh; from them we are born, and to them we shall return.
Some say there are hundreds, while the ancients were content with only four. Our understanding does not change their nature; they are eternal. All seemingly different things are simply combinations of the basic Elements in some form. A tree is formed when water, earth, and air combine. When fire meets the wood, it releases the other three, neutralizing their bond and returning the constituent water, earth, and air...and the wood is no more.
The Elements ask nothing of us, and we dare not demand anything of them; and yet, in their very nature, we find meaning, purpose, and a right order to the Universe. Earth should stand firm, Water should flow, Fire should burn, and Air should blow on the winds. When we humble ourselves before the Elements, we find their purpose: it is as obvious as it is beautiful.
The cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths; of exquisite interrelationships; of the awesome machinery of nature.
To know what shape the Universe should be in, one need only look outside. To know what the Universe desires, one need only look at history. What Man has done, he has done for his own reasons, with widely varying outcomes. But the Elements are consistent in their ways and motives.
Protect the Balance. Not for the Elements--it is hubris to imagine we pose any threat to them. But for the small creatures--the birds, the flowers, and indeed ourselves. When the Universe is out of balance, it corrects itself--and small things are crushed in the machinery of that balance. The more unbalanced nature becomes, the more violent the inevitable correction. All have experienced this: earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, and tsunamis are all natural corrections of unbalanced states.
Fools believe that Elementalists seek to hinder Man's ingenuity and growth by prioritizing the Balance. The truth is that only the Elementalists' efforts have preserved a world safe enough for Man to experiment and grow. These tireless, thankless few make the world seem like a canvas for Man's creativity, like a peaceful garden made for Man's comfort, rather than an unstable island of temporary stability, limited in space and time, threatened on every side by the inevitability of nature.
We revere the Elements because we are small. We revere them because they provide both existence and destruction. We respect them, but we do not take them for granted. They are not our caretakers. We exist insofar as we can protect our environment. We are given no guarantees, and should expect no largesse from the vast forces that made the Universe.
The Elementalist
The Elementalist is a practitioner of magic, sourced from the Elements themselves. The Elements literally exist, both within the Universe as the actual earth, water, air, and fire, and as abstract concepts beyond the Universe: the Elemental Planes. Theories abound as to the nature of the Planes: some say they are literal places that predate the Prime, others say they are mathemetical constructs--the laws of nature permit the existence of the elements, and so those are the 'places' in which they exist permanently. It hardly matters, as magic can invoke the Elements from both the abstract and the concrete.
Working these two sources is fundamentally different in principle, in action, and in consequence. Working of the elements within the physical world is known as Shaping: it harnesses the power of extant elements, and is naturally limited by the need for said elements to exist--one doesn't channel much Water magic in a desert, for instance. Those who work the elements in the abstract are known as Conjurers, for their magic pulls elements from outside the Universe into being. While convenient, this kind of magic also upsets the natural balance, and a wise Elementalist will endeavor to correct these imbalances in the long run.
Elemental Shaping
Elementalists can shape the world around them. Where there are plants, you can cause them to grow or move. Where there is earth, you can make it shift and rumble. Where there is weather, you can influence it, even control it.
There are several elemental shaping skills:
- Earth Shaping
- Water Shaping
- Air Shaping
- Fire Shaping
- Plant Shaping
You gain one of your choice, for each rank of Elementalist. These are effectively Powers, but you don't need to spend a Power slot on them. This is because they are situational, and you may find yourself without enough of your chosen element(s) at hand to use these powers--not a problem with the regular Elementalist powers below.
Powers
Rather than learning a specific power for each element, you learn different ways to harness the elements around you, whatever those are. It wouldn't do to focus in Water magic only to find oneself in a desert, or to focus on Air magic only to end up delving underground for weeks at a time. With these powers, you can make use of the elements around you wherever you are, in different and unique ways for each power.
- Elemental Shaping: You manipulate the elements in your environment.
- Elemental Channeling: You channel the elements into yourself: earth makes you more solid, air makes you lighter and more agile, fire burns, etc. (Picture the Human Torch or The Thing).
- Elemental Manifestation: You channel the elements into a storm around you. Air creates wind, water creates precipitation, fire ignites flames and sparks lightning, etc. (System 6 channeler)
- Elemental Summoning: You summon elementals.
- Elemental Martial Arts: You all know what I mean.
- Elemental Totems: You channel elemental power into totems (implements, weapons, shields, etc).
Plant Shaping
What is isn't: the Plant Growth power, which makes plants come out of nowhere. This is about plants that do exist in your environment.
Rank 1:
- Grow plants by one size category
- Animate mundane plants into low CR servants
- Create difficult terrain
- Move through difficult terrain with ease
Rank 2:
- Grow plants by two size categories
- Make magical plant creatures like Audrey 2
- etc
Elemental Conjuring
You can conjure the elements directly from their source: the Elemental Planes. This frees you from the dependency on the elements in the world around you, although the use of this ability can affect the balance of the Elements in nature, and demands eventual redress.
Powers
Abilities
Mark of the Wild
You have the Mark of the Wild, designating you a friend of nature, granting various benefits at all times. You can imbue up to (TBD) allies with this mark.
| Rank | Benefits |
|---|---|
| 1 | Naturally-occuring creatures gain +1 attitude toward you |
| 1 | Natural extremes of heat and cold do not bother you |
| 2 | Difficult terrain does not slow you, and you leave no tracks |
| 2 | Natural winds (shy of a hurricane) do not impede you |
| 2 | You can breathe underwater and swim as quickly as you can move on land |
| 3 | You are sustained in the wild, requiring no food and drink |
| 3 | Naturally-occurring creatures gain +2 attitude toward you |
| 3 | You are protected from the effects of prevailing pressure (either positive or negative) |
One With the Elements
When you use Elemental Attunement, you gain additional defenses:
| Element | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Animal | Resist 50% damage from animal's natural attacks |
| Fire | Resist 50% fire damage |
etc...
Dual Attunement
You can attune to two elements at a time. You need not attune to both with a single use of Elemental Attunement--you could, for example, attune to one element, and wait until some contigency to decide on another element.
Balance of Nature
When you spend 5 mana on a single element, you can use Elemental Attunement (as a swift action) to swap that element to another one.
Feats
Elemental Boons
Pick an element, get a boon.
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Elemental Attunement
At-will, swift; you attune yourself to a single element. Thereafter, you gain a number of powers specific to that element. You may use this power again after a short rest. When used again, you lose the previous attunement.
Powers
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In development
- Something Earth: elemental power of earth makes you tougher and stronger, and grants various earth-related abilities
- Investiture of Flame: elemental power of flame makes you stronger in body and mind
Paths
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
| Shifter | Advanced wild shape |
| Shaman | Blends melee combat with elementalism |
| Elemental Lord | Take on an elemental form |
| Blight lord | Deathy |
| Channeler | Control the battlefield with large elemental manifestations |
| Flower Something | Create many blossoms on battlefield that can damage enemies, protect allies, control enemies, etc |