Geomancer

Geomancers are a relatively new discovery for the people of Oshanal, the first geomancers having emerged only after the appearance of the Whorl. Now, whether or not the Whorl is necessary to undergo the pilgrimages is debatable. However, it is an absolute fact is that without the siren song of the Whorl to guide them, the mortals of the monstrous world would never have sought them out in the first place.

Because of their close proximity to the elemental scar, the Kote Noei were the first peoples to answer the Whorl's call. For hundreds of years, they were the only ones to answer it. This gave a profound edge to the Kote Noei and other surface peoples, in their efforts to resist the inexorable progression of the Epicentral Empire, for centuries.

However, the Whorl has only expanded its call, and grown stronger. Although the nexus itself hasn't increased in size, the beasts surrounding it have grown in strength and its call has spread to the entire world. Now, sky and surface people alike answer the call, and so geomancy as a discovery has spread as well. Some have even braved the labyrinth worlds of Arankharus himself in order to answer the call. The Call of the Whorl

The key to geomancy lies somewhere in the heart of the elemental tempests of the Whorl. An angry cosmic scar, the Whorl marks where the membranes between the mortal and the monstrous divine were sundered. From inside of it, endless currents of raw elemental force pour forth, shredding at the core of the Kote Noei archipelago. But something else began to pour forth: something primordial, either inside, or past the Whorl began to call out for supplicants. To many, this calling was too much to resist, and for reasons they couldn't quite put into words, they began a pilgrimage to the Whorl.

Not all who enter the Whorl emerge again, but those who do emerge changed, remade into something primordial. Many pilgrims emerge as raw, uncontrollable elemental beasts, or else they are forever lost within the tempests. A geomancer, however, is one such pilgrim who has heard the call of the Whorl, answered it, and emerged with their identity intact.

Bodies of crystal and spirit

Each pilgrim that emerges from the Whorl as a geomancer began their pilgrimage adorned with nothing but a crystal focus. This is a key ingredient in the recipe which makes up a geomancer: mortal frame, unchecked elemental power, and a crystal focus. Without the crystal focus binding the elemental power, the energies overwhelm a mortal host body, consuming it with primordial force. With the crystal focus, the geomancer can keep a hold on their mortal identity even as they join with the primordial.

Geomancers emerge from the Whorl with two shapes: their original, mortal shape, and a new primordial shape. This primordial shape is one of elemental power hung upon a mortal frame, the two bound together with a fractal of crystal tissues. Holding their crystal focus, the geomancer can transition between their original form and their elemental form at will. Their crystal focus blossoms across their body, which erupts in a corona of primordial radiance, transforming the geomancer into their higher self.

Part of the greater world

With primordial transcendence comes a greater understanding of the mortal world and the monstrous divine realms which have bled into it. Geomancers, now joined with one of the distant realms, become de facto elemental spirits in the process. They are aware that everywhere they go, spirit courts govern the world around them, and they learn to commune with these spirits.

At first, a geomancer is known only as a pilgrim from the Whorl, but as time passes, their esteem grows with their power. Eventually, the world itself esteems the geomancer, accepting their sovereignty and accommodating their wishes. The most powerful of geomancers are held in esteem that parallels that of even some of the Prime Emanations themselves.

Class Features

As a geomancer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per geomancer level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per geomancer level after 1st.

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: Herbalism kit
• Saving Throws: Constitution, Wisdom
• Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Performance, Religion, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon
• (a) warhammer, or (b) any simple melee weapon
• Leather armor, an explorer’s pack, and a crystal focus

Primordial Esteem

You have become an unearthly thing, and a de facto member of the countless spirit courts of the monstrous world. As you grow in strength, your esteem in these courts grows as well. Many geomancer abilities change or grow as your esteem increases. Whenever a geomancer class feature says that it adds primordial esteem, refer to the number next to your current esteem to determine how much you add.

Geomancy

You are a part-elemental being, and although not all geomancers cast spells, they do all have magic-like elemental abilities. Whenever you use a geomancer class feature, you use your geomantic ability to determine their power.

Geomantic ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your geomancer magic-like effects. You use your Wisdom whenever an effect refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an effect you use and when making an attack roll with one.

• Geomancy save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
• Geomancy attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Primordial Shape

At 1st level, as a bonus action, you may assume an elemental form. This form gives you access to two features: one feature set shared between all geomancers, and another determined by your pilgrimage. As you advance in levels, your geomancer accesses stronger tiers of elemental prowess, and each feature set grows as well. You may return to your mortal form as a bonus action.

While in primordial shape, add your primordial esteem to your Constitution score.

Primordial

You know Primordial, the language of the elements. You also begin to hear a hidden layer of Primordial: beneath the spoken tongue, the subtle whispers of the monstrous world itself. While in your primordial shape, you may speak this hidden language as well, talking directly to the monstrous world and its spirit courts.

You gain advantage when making any Insight check on an elemental. While in your primordial shape, you also gain advantage on Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion checks made against elementals.

Pilgrimage

Choose one of the four pilgrimages: Cinder, Deep, Gemstone, or Thunder. Your choice represents the elemental pilgrimage which you undertook in order to become a geomancer. Your pilgrimage grants you elemental powers, and a unique primordial shape when you choose it at 1st level. Your pilgrimage also expands your use of ancient whispers, when you gain it at 2nd level. Finally, it gives you additional benefits at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 17th levels.

Ancient Whispers

At 2nd level, your usage of the elemental language Primordial matures, granting you sway over the monstrous world. While in your primordial shape, you may call upon the world itself, coercing it in such a way to produce magical effects. You start with two effects: Primordial Grasp and an effect determined by your pilgrimage. Some pilgrimages grant you additional effects as you advance in levels, as noted in the pilgrimage description.

When you invoke ancient whispers, you choose which effect to use. You must then finish a short or long rest in order to use Ancient Whispers again.

Some ancient whispers effects require saving throws. When you use such an effect from this class, the DC equals your geomancy spell save DC.

Beginning at 6th level, you can use your ancient whispers twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.

Ancient Whispers: Primordial Grasp

As an action, you call upon the monstrous world to come alive, hindering your foes from every direction. Every target you pick within a 30 foot radius of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. If the target fails its saving throw, its movement is halved for 1 minute. At the end of their turn, the target may reattempt this Dexterity saving throw. If they succeed, the effect ends early.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Primordial Gentry

At 20th level, you assume the ranks of the primordial gentry. You have ascended, becoming more than flesh. Your Primordial Shape becomes your true shape, and you become immune to any magic or influence which would make you change it. In addition, you become a permanent regent of the monstrous world. You no longer age, or die naturally. If slain, you will be reborn at the dawn of the next new year.

Pilgrimages

The Gemstone Pilgrimage

The gemstone pilgrimage was the first known successful pilgrimage into the Whorl. One terrified supplicant of unknown name stood at the vast turbulent periphery of the Whorl, and stepped inside; when they emerged, they had seen the vastness of the cosmos itself.

You walk the same path: a gemstone geomancer, wrought of almost nothing but elemental crystal, you are a seer and elemental spellcaster. You speak not only with mortals, and elementals, but with the great and old soul of the monstrous world herself.

Jewelbrand

At 1st level, you gain the jewelbrand, a gemstone mark that signifies your completion of the gemstone pilgrimage. When you assume your primordial shape, your form is that of a creature of glittering gemstone and crystal, a jeweled avatar of earth.

While in your primordial shape, your consciousness expands to join with the very world around you. Add your primordial esteem to your Wisdom score. You also gain the following benefits:

You are resistant to bludgeoning damage. You gain darkvision up to 60 feet. You may cast guidance, magic stone, and mold earth cantrips. Use your geomancer level and geomantic ability to determine the strength of these cantrips.

Spellcasting

Pouring forth from a direct bond with the monstrous world itself, you can cast spells to shape raw elemental force to your will. You cast spells from the gemstone geomancer spell list, below.

Cantrips

At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the gemstone geomancer spell list. You learn additional gemstone geomancer cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the gemstone geomancer spell table.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The gemstone geomancer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your gemstone geomancer spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these gemstone geomancer spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of gemstone geomancer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the gemstone geomancer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of gemstone geomancer spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your gemstone geomancer level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level gemstone geomancer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of gemstone geomancer spells requires time spent in the presence of natural earth, stone, or crystal: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Your spellcasting ability is an extension of your geomancy, and uses your geomantic ability to calculate DCs and spell attack modifiers.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a gemstone geomancer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Spellcasting Focus

If casting in your primordial shape, you are considered to be a spellcasting focus, and do not need an extra one. When outside of your primordial shape, you may use your crystal focus as a spellcasting focus.

Gemstone Geomancer Spell List

• Cantrips: druidcraft, infestation, mending, message, resistance, true strike, shillelagh
• 1st: absorb elements, catapult, charm person, comprehend languages, detect magic, detect poison and disease, earth tremor, entangle, faerie fire, jump, longstrider, purify food and drink, speak with animals
• 2nd: animal messenger, barkskin, darkvision, dust devil, earthbind, earthen grasp, enhance ability, enlarge/reduce, find traps, heat metal, hold person, knock, lesser restoration, locate animals or plants, locate object, pass without trace, protection from poison, shatter, spider climb, spike growth
• 3rd: clairvoyance, conjure animals, daylight, dispel magic, elemental weapon, erupting earth, feign death, meld into stone, minute meteors, plant growth, protection from energy, speak with plants, wall of sand
• 4th: blight, confusion, conjure minor elementals, conjure woodland beings, dominate beast, elemental bane, fabricate, freedom of movement, giant insect, grasping vine, hallucinatory terrain, locate creature, polymorph, stone shape, stoneskin
• 5th: animate objects, awaken, commune with nature, conjure elemental, contagion, far step, greater restoration, insect plague, passwall, planar binding, scrying, transmute rock, tree stride, wall of stone
• 6th: bones of the earth, conjure fey, find the path, flesh to stone, investiture of stone, move earth, transport via plants, wall of thorns
• 7th: etherealness, mirage arcane, plane shift, reverse gravity, sequester, teleport
• 8th: animal shapes, antipathy/sympathy, control weather, earthquake, maze, mighty fortress
• 9th: foresight, imprisonment, invulnerability, meteor swarm

Ancient Whispers: Crystal Nexus

At 2nd level, as an action, you tap into the pulse of the monstrous world, and pull from it a cloud of crystal shards. They erupt from the ground like a spray of glittering glass, and hover there in a 30 foot radius around you for 1 minute. Your magic is amplified against any target inside this field of shards, increasing your spell attack and save DC by your primordial esteem.

Gemstone Carapace

At 6th level, your primordial shape calcifies further, granting you deadly crystalline talons and fangs. While in your primordial shape, you gain the benefit of the primal savagery cantrip. Additionally, you have advantage on Constitution saving throws.

Mother's Voice

At 10th level, your ancient whispers can connect to the subtle but omnipresent voice of the monstrous world herself. Broken milennia ago, it has taken her time to piece her identity back together, and mostly you percieve her voice in something of a dreamlike state. Yet, she is always with you.

Whenever you roll initiative and have no uses of ancient whispers remaining, you regain one use.

Gemstone Palace

At 14th level, you may cast magnificent mansion once per long rest. This is less a mansion and more of a palace, wrought of natural gemstone. It is a natural extension of you, and changes subtly to mirror your mood and personality. It lives inside of your crystal focus, and you cannot access it without your focus on hand, unless you are in your primordial shape.

Gemstone Metamorphosis

At 17th level, your primordial shape metamorphoses into that of a gemstone prince of the earth mother. Your jeweled flesh deepens in its glittering fractal complexity, forming into ancient, forgotten arcane sigils. You percieve the ebb and flow of the dreams of the monstrous world herself. While in your primordial shape, you gain these new benefits:

• You are resistant to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage.
• You are immune to disease, and poison.
• You add your primordial esteem to your AC, and to all concentration checks.
• You gain advantage on Wisdom saving throws.