Overview

Akasha is an ancient form of magic whose use predates most known forms of spellcasting. Long before wizards began unraveling the secrets of the cosmos and codifying them into arcane formulae, before dragons, demons and other beings of magic began mingling their blood with lesser species, wise mystics and abstruse visionaries bound the raw magical essence known as akasha into crude physical forms and bent its might to their enigmatic purposes.

Akasha is a somewhat simplistic form of magic, generated by mixing life energy, called essence, with the small amounts of raw magic that suffuse all things, weaving the resultant energy into rough physical forms. These magical constructs are sustained by attaching them to points in the body that naturally conduct energy, called chakras. While modern spellcasters often scoff at wielders of akasha as crude and unrefined amateurs, there are many who still practice the ancient arts of weaving akasha – known in modern times as veilweaving – and trust implicitly in its power and reliability.

Akasha is the primal energy of creation itself, the potential to become. Though potent in its own right, it resonates with other forms of magic—arcane, divine, psionic, and others—often acting to naturally amplify these other power sources. All living creatures possess at least some access to the power of akasha, even if they haven’t unlocked their potential to use it, for akasha flows through the very essence of life itself.

Veilweaving

The process of veilweaving teases out individual threads of akasha from the greater fabric of creation and temporarily borrows this energy to form powerful effects. Because of the nature of weaving threads into a greater whole, much of the nomenclature surrounding veilweaving is borrowed from the crafting of textiles, fabrics, and tailoring. Veils are woven when created and unraveled when dismissed or destroyed.

Veils

Veils are the most common tools by which akashic magic is utilized. Veils of many types can be woven from raw akasha by a veilweaver’s will, forming a semi-tangible construct capable of converting life energy into a multitude of effects. See Veilweaving and Chakras for how veils are woven into being.

Chakras

Every veil is associated with one or more chakras, points on a creature’s body that naturally gather and channel akashic energy. When a veil is woven, it must be attached to one of its associated chakras. Attaching a veil to a chakra stabilizes the akashic energy and maintains the veil’s form; otherwise, the veil would quickly unravel into its basic energy, losing all form and function.

As a veilweaver gains experience and proficiency, he may learn to bind a veil to a chakra. Where simply attaching a veil is like tying on a thread, binding a veil wraps the veil tightly around the chakra in intricate, mystical knots until the two seemingly become one. The bound veil is imbued with greater akashic energy, granting the veilweaver greater powers.

See Veilweaving and Chakras for how veils are bound to chakras.

Essence

Every creature contains a finite amount of essence in their being, referred to as an essence pool. Most creature have no access to their own essence, but those who practice akasic magic are able manipulate their essence to give their veils greater power. By investing points of essence into their akasic magic, a veilweaver increases that magic’s potency.

Veils, akashic feats, and other abilities which can hold a veilweaver’s essence are called akashic receptacles and have a limited amount of energy that they can hold based on the veilweaver’s level or the capacity of the receptacle.

If a veil can be visualized as a fine tunic woven from the magical threads of creation, each point of essence can be viewed as a gem which temporarily adorns that tunic, making it more lavish and increasing its value. The gem, however, can be easily unclasped and moved from the tunic to the cloak, from the cloak to the gloves, from the gloves to a necklace, with each receptacle gaining increased benefits while the gem remains attached.

See the section on Essence and Essence Capacity for how essence is moved and maximum essence capacity.

Veilweaving Classes

Veilweaving Modifier

The ability that your veils depend on—your key ability score as a veilweaver or veilweaving modifier—is related to what akashic class (or classes) you have levels in. The veilweaving modifier determines save DCs and certain other abilities of the veilweaver. A low veilweaving modifier does not prevent a veilweaver from weaving veils, but it does hamper the save DCs for any veils he weaves. Conversely, a high veilweaving modifier does not allow him to weave additional veils.

Your veilweaving modifier is determined by the source of your veils, usually your veilweaving class. If you have multiple veilweaving modifiers, you use your highest veilweaving modifier for all veils, regardless of source. For example, if you took levels in both vizier and guru, you would use the higher of your Intelligence and Wisdom as your veilweaving modifier.

Veilweaver Level

While most variable effects of veils depend on the amount of essence invested into them, some effects are based on a veilweaver’s level. For most veilweaving classes, their veilweaver level is equal to their class level. If you possess more than one veilweaving class, your veilweaving level is equal to your combined level in all veilweaving classes you possess. There is one exception: some abilities and features may grant you veils that use your character level as your veilweaver level for that veil. In that case, only those individual veils use your character level while all other veils you weave continue to use your veilweaver level.

Multiclass Veilweavers

If you gain the ability to weave veils from multiple sources, such as multiclassing two different veilweaving classes, you add the number of veils you can weave from all sources together. If you have multiple veil lists, you combine them when determining which veils you can weave.

You combine the essence from each class to determine the size of your essence pool. You can use this essence for any akashic receptacle you possess. Remember though, essence capacity is based on total Hit Dice, not levels in a specific class. Also keep in mind that some class features may only affect the essence capacity for abilities related to that one class rather than all other veilweaving classes.

Any opened chakra can be used to bind a veil from any of your veilweaving classes, regardless of which class opened it. When chakras are opened, however, does not stack. Multiclassing delays opening chakras until you take an actual class level that opens that chakra.

Combining Akasha and Magical Effects

The default rule for the interaction of akashic magic, veils, and other magic is simple: Akashic magic interacts with spells and spells interact with akashic magic in the same way a spell or normal spell-like ability interacts with another spell or spell-like ability (with specific exceptions noted below). This is known as system transparency.

As a semi physical construct of akasha, most effects interact with veils as if the veil were a magic item.

Veils are nearly invisible until invested with at least one point of essence; a veilweaver gains a +5 circumstance bonus to Deception checks to hide the fact that he has an uninvested veil woven, though detect magic, true seeing, or similar effects automatically reveal their presence. As soon as a point of essence is invested in a veil they flare into tangibility and are easily noticeable.

Identifying Veils

Spells which can detect magic items detect veils as if they were magic items with a strength based on the veilweaver’s level; however, veils never have a school associated with them. After identifying a veil as magical, an Arcane Lore check can identify whether or not the effect is akashic magic or a veil and further identify any properties or effects, depending on the result as shown on Table: Identifying Akashic Magic.

Spell Resistance

Any veil which affects another creature is subject to spell resistance, unless that veil creates or enhances a weapon or natural attack. So, a veil that throws fire at an enemy would be subject to spell resistance, but a veil which adds fire damage to a longsword would not be, more would spell resistance apply to the longsword, even it were created by a veil.

A veilweaver’s veils automatically overcome his own spell resistance.

Targeting Veils with Spells and Other Attacks

Spells like dispel magic can temporarily suppress veils as they would a magic item, rendering them temporarily inert and intangible, with any invested essence being immediately returned to the veilweaver’s essence pool available for use. Spells which can permanently destroy a magic item, like mage’s disjunction, cause the veil to become unraveled and any invested essence is lost as essence damage; however, a veilweaver gains a bonus on any save to resist such a destructive spell equal to the essence invested in the veil.

Sunder attempts and other abilities that can target items can be used against veils. They deal damage to a veil as if it were a magic item. If the veil is destroyed, it is suppressed for 1d4 rounds, rendering it inert and intangible, similar to dispelling a veil.

A veil has a Hardness score equal to its veilweaver level and a number of hit points equal to twice its veilweaver level. It gains a bonus on saves equal to the amount of essence invested. A damaged veil that isn’t suppressed automatically repairs to full hit points at the start of the veilweaver’s turn, meaning that sundering a veil must be done quickly before it can regenerate.

Spells and effects which disarm or otherwise remove an item typically have no effect on veils, as they are tied directly to the chakras of the veilweaver and cannot be removed through normal means.

Dead magic areas suppress akashic magic.

Multiple Effects

For combining akashic magic effects with the effects of other magical systems, refer to the rules on Combining Magical Effects.

Veil “Spell” Level

Certain effects are based on the relative spell level of an effect. For most effects, a veil is treated as a magic item (as described above). For other effects not covered elsewhere in the rules, use the following method to determine the effective spell level of the veil. This has no effect on save DCs or other effects of the veil itself. This applies only when interacting with other esoteric effects and is subject to GM interpretation as to when and where this should be applied.

Veils that are not bound to a chakra, regardless of where they are woven, are treated as equivalent to 1st-level spells.

Veils bound to a chakra gain an effective spell level based entirely on the order in which a veilweaver unlocked those chakras. The first unlocked chakra is equivalent to a 1st-level spell, with each successive unlocked chakra increasing the effective spell level of any veil bound to that chakra to a maximum of 9th level.

Examples

Vizier and rajah both use the following: Unbound and Hands (1st-level), Feet (2nd-level), Head (3rd-level), Wrist (4th-level), Shoulders (5th-level), Headband (6th-level), Neck (7th-level), Belt (8th-level), and Chest and Body (9th-level).

Guru uses this list: Unbound and Hands (1st-level), Feet (2nd-level), Head (3rd-level), Headband (4th-level), Neck (5th-level), Belt (6th-level), and Body (7th-level).

Multiclass Veilweavers

A multiclass veilweaver unlocks slots for all classes at the same time; however, he uses whichever class is appropriate to that veil to determine effective spell level.

For example, a Vizier 12/Guru 1 has unlocked the Headband chakra and can weave and bind a guru veil to the that chakra. For this character, the bound guru veil would be treated as a 4th-level spell equivalent, because the veil belongs to the guru class, not as a 6th-level spell despite the vizier class actually unlocking the chakra. If this character instead wove and bound a vizier veil to the Headband chakra, it would be treated as a 6th-level spell equivalent.

Additional Veilweaving Mechanics and Terms

Granted Abilities

Some veils grants supernatural abilities, spell-like abilities, and other effects. These abilities are always considered part of the veil and cannot be used if the veil is suppressed or unraveled. A veil’s granted abilities use the same saving throw DC as the veil that granted them, unless the veil specifies otherwise. This save DC is usually 10 + your veilweaving modifier + the number of essence invested into the veil.

Veils and Attacks of Opportunity

Veils are supernatural effects and do not provoke attacks of opportunity unless they specify otherwise. However, if a veil allows you to move, that movement still provokes attacks of opportunity. If you use a ranged attack granted by a veil, that ranged attack provokes attacks of opportunity if used in melee range of a hostile foe. If a veil grants you a spell-like ability, it provokes attacks of opportunity as normal for the spell.

Ongoing Effects and Essence

If a veil creates an effect with a duration, that effect uses the number of points of essence invested in the veil at the time of its creation when determining its effects each round. If a veil has a continuous effect, such as an aura, a summoned companion, or a granted weapon or natural weapon, the effect changes every time you invest or reinvest essence to or from the veil unless the veil specifies otherwise.

Per Day Abilities

Some veils grant abilities that can be used a limited number of times per day. As with other daily abilities, you count the number of times the ability has been used and check against your maximum number, not how many uses you have remaining.

These uses are only refreshed when you Rest and weave your veils for the day (even if you don’t reweave the veil that granted them); abilities like the vizier’s veilshifting do not allow you to reweave the veil and replace it with a new instance of itself for additional uses.

Unconsciousness and Veils

Woven veils do not require any conscious effort on your part to maintain and are not lost if you lose consciousness. Any effects of a veil that occur automatically without requiring actions on your part, or are entirely passive, are not affected by whether you are conscious or not. Abilities that require you to spend actions to use (even free actions) and auras granted by your veils are suppressed until you regain consciousness. Auras remain suppressed until you spend a move action to reactivate them.

Sundering and Dispelling Veils While Unconscious

Dispel magic, sunder attempts, and other effects that can suppress veils (as described above) that are used on an unconscious veilweaver are not just suppressed but unraveled completely. Unraveled veils are lost and cannot be used again until the next time the veilweaver weaves their veils.

Voluntarily Suppressing Veils

Veilweavers may willingly suppress the active effects of any veil they have woven as a free action and resume them as a move action; the veilweaver may resume the effects of multiple veils as part of the same move action.

Companions Granted by Veils

Some veils grant the ability to summon creatures. These creatures are always able to understand the veilweaver’s commands, and always follow their instructions to the best of their ability. These creatures don’t count as summoned creatures for most effects, but if the veil that created them is suppressed or unraveled, the creature is immediately dismissed. It can be resummoned when the veil is no longer suppressed using the normal action to summon it (if no action is listed, it takes a move action).

Temporary Hit Points and Additional Hit Dice

Temporary hit points and additional HD granted by veils or other akashic effects start at full when essence is first invested and regenerate at a rate of 1 hit point per minute but cannot be restored by removing and reinvesting essence into the veil. Essence invested in a veil or other akashic receptacle that grants up to a certain amount of temporary hit points or bonus Hit Dice after the first time you invest essence for the day instead starts at 1 hit point and regenerates up to its normal maximum amount.