Sphinx

Sphinx Skills

Cost: 10
Your spells are delivered as packet attacks.
Earth is a battle trait for you.

You derive your skills from the Sphinx constellation. Your style focuses on casting magic at range by focusing on thought, learning, and willpower. You study magical writing and glyphs. When you first purchase this header choose the source of your magic; either Arcane, or the one devotion, Divine, Druidic, Shamanic, or Celestial, that inspires your faith.

Avalanche

Cost: 4

Spend a point of Air, make a packet attack, and call out “2 Damage by Earth” to crush your foes. You may replace the Earth trait with another battle trait if you have one.

“Sand and stone, my cousin, shall crush those before us.” Elium the Learned

Fortress of Earth

Cost: 5
Spirit Form

Your body becomes immobile earth and sand to protect you from harm. Once per long rest, exhaust a point of Earth, cross your arms and place your hands on your shoulders, and call out “Imbue by Earth” to become a Spirit for up to one minute. Once you become a Spirit you cannot move. While in Spirit form you call out “Spirit by Earth” to negate any attack that does not have the Magic trait or a “to Spirit” trait. Only attacks with the Magic trait or the “to Spirit” trait can affect you, and if that attack is not beneficial it will end this effect. You may end this effect at any time, but you cannot remain in spirit form for more than one minute. Once the effect ends all Spirit Form skills are exhausted until you take a long rest.

Your hands and arms must be free and you cannot be holding any item or carrying a shield. If you have the Staff of the Arcane skill you may use this skill while holding your staff so long as you can hold it while you cross your arms and hold your hands to your shoulders while carrying it.

Durability I

Cost: 4

You gain +1 to your Vitality attribute.

Knowledge is Power

Cost: 4

You may prepare magical writings that will protect you. Within a Sanctuary prepare a decorated scroll, and upon this scroll you must list two specific traits, such as Fire and Will, or Poison and Lightning, that are listed under the Elemental, Mental or Metabolic categories. Once per long rest you may call out “Resist by Magic” to negate an attack with one of those two traits. Your first use of this skill after each long rest has no attribute cost, but you must spend 2 points of Earth and call out “Resist by Magic” for each additional use of this skill. You may only have one prepared scroll on your person at a time. You may prepare another scroll with new traits at any time, so long as you are within a Sanctuary appropriate to the source of your magic and you destroy the previous scroll before preparing a new one.

“Writings have power, my student, when written by those who truly understand.” Elium the Learned

Mystic Armor

Armor Source
Cost: 4

Instead of wearing physical armor you evoke magical protections that give you 2 armor points. Focus for one minute, performing a magical ritual to renew this magical ward, to refresh these armor points. These armor points cannot be used if you have points from physical armor or another armor source.

Riddle of Defense

Cost: 5

Each time you focus for one minute to refresh your armor points from you Mystic Armor skill you also gain a Shield defense that is used against the first melee, missile, or packet attack that strikes you. Call out “Shield” to negate the attack.

Riddle of Ruin

Cost: 5

Once per event, call out “I contemplate the Riddle of Ruin” to activate this skill. Once activated, the first time you attack an enemy with each unique named spell with Earth, Fire, or Water as its attribute cost you may reduce that attribute cost to zero. You may use this ability once for each named attack spell you know; to cast any particular spell a second time you must pay the full attribute cost. The spell can be neither beneficial nor informational; it must be a spell cast directly upon an enemy with a non-beneficial effect. This ability only works with spells purchased under a sphere of magic you have learned.

The effects of the skill end when you take a long rest. You may also use this skill by spending a point of Void, but you cannot activate this skill more than once without taking a long rest between uses.

Sphere of the Sphinx I

Cost: 1

When you take this skill you choose a magical sphere. You can now purchase spells under that sphere. Choose from Gloaming, Primal, Sovereign, Wayfare, or Weald.

Sphere of the Sphinx II

Cost: 3

When you take this skill you choose a magical sphere you have not already learned. You can now purchase spells under that sphere. Choose from Gloaming, Primal, Sovereign, Wayfare, or Weald.

Sphere of the Sphinx III

Cost: 5

When you take this skill you choose a magical sphere you have not already learned. You can now purchase spells under that sphere. Choose from Gloaming, Primal, Sovereign, Wayfare, or Weald.

Staff of the Arcane

Cost: 3

This skill allows you to hold and use any staff while you are casting spells, overriding the restriction that casting requires both hands to be empty. You must have a skill with the weapon in question to use this ability.

Writings of Power

Cost: 4

You prepare magical writings, either on an ornate cloth scroll or in the form of a stole decorated with writings that you wear as part of your costume. As part of your long rest you enchant this artifact with one spell you know. Although the spell you may chose is limited, you may cast this spell once after each short rest with no attribute cost. You need not be able to refresh Air during this short rest; this spell is always available after each short rest. The spell is limited in three ways. The spell must be an attack spell; it cannot have a beneficial effect. This spell must cost one point of Earth, Fire or Water. The spell cannot have an additional limitation such as once per short or long rest. You may as part of any long rest change the spell your writings hold as long as the spell meets all the limitations above.