11.23 Verdamancy

Animate and manipulate plants.

Special Rules: Some spells from this mystic sphere can create undergrowth. The spellcaster can customize the appearance of the undergrowth in minor ways, but it is always composed of living plants.

11.23.1 Cantrips

Bramblepatch

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Sustain (minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one unattended, nonmagical 5-ft. square of earth within Medium (60 ft.) range. Brambles and similar small plants grow in the area, making it light undergrowth. If it was already light undergrowth, it becomes heavy undergrowth instead.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 2: The area increases to a Tiny (5 ft.) radius.

Rank 4: The area increases to a Small (15 ft.) radius.

Rank 6: The area increases to a Medium (30 ft.) radius.

Rapid Growth

Usage time: Standard action.

Sustain (minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one Larger or smaller inanimate, unattended plant within Short (30 ft.) range. In addition, choose any number of days up to a week. The target grows as if much time had passed, assuming that it received adequate nutrition during that time. When this spell ends, the plant returns to its original state.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 2: You can choose up to a month of time to grow.

Rank 4: You can choose up to three months of time to grow.

Rank 6: You can choose up to a year of time to grow.

Shape Plant

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one unattended, nonmagical living plant you touch. You make a Craft check to alter the target (see Craft), except that you do not need any special tools to make the check, such as an axe or pruning shears. As long as the plant’s new shape is structurally sound and conducive to life, this reshaping does not harm the plant. It will continue growing as if it had always had its new shape.

The maximum damage resistance of a plant you can affect with this ability is equal to your power. A typical solid wood object has five damage resistance. Softer plants, like grasses and bushes, might have anywhere from zero to three damage resistance.

Each time you cast this spell, you can accomplish work that would take up to two rounds with a normal Craft check.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 2: The amount of work you accomplish with the spell increases to five rounds.

Rank 4: The amount of work you accomplish with the spell increases to one minute.

Rank 6: The amount of work you accomplish with the spell increases to two minutes.

11.23.2 Spells

Barkskin

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You gain a +4 enhancement bonus to damage resistance.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: The bonus increases to +8.

Rank 5: The bonus increases to +16.

Rank 7: The bonus increases to +32.

Blight

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Fortitude against one living creature or plant within Short (30 ft.) range. If the target is a plant, including plant creatures, you gain a plus10 accuracy bonus with this attack. In addition, all undergrowth in a Medium (30 ft.) radius zone around the target briefly shrivels away into the ground.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 power.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 1.

Embedded Growth

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Reflex and Fortitude against one creature within Short (30 ft.) range.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 powerdamage immediately, and again during your next action. Whenever it takes damage in this way, light undergrowth briefly fills a Small (15 ft.) radius around it.

Critical hit: All instances of damage are doubled, not just the initial damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 1.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You throw a seed that embeds itself in a foe and grows painfully.

Flourishing Grass

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune, Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the end of each round, you may choose to cause grass to extend out onto the ground in a Small (15 ft.) radius around you. When you do, that area becomes covered in light undergrowth. Whenever your location changes by any means, the grass retreats back to your body.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Long, thin grass continuously grows and writhes on your body. You can extend the grass to surround you at a whim.

Herbal Antidote

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose yourself or one ally within Medium (60 ft.) range. The target gains an additional success to resist a poison currently affecting it (see Poison).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: The number of additional successes increases to two. The target can split these successes among any number of different poisons affecting it.

Rank 5: The number of additional successes increases to three.

Rank 7: The number of additional successes increases to four.

Poison Nightshade

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Poison

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one living creature adjacent to you. It becomes poisoned by sassone leaf (see Poison). The poison inflicts 1d10 damageper poison stage. The stage 3 effect also ends the poison.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The poison’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 1.

Shillelagh

Rank 1

Casting time: Minor action.

Sustain (attuneable, free)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one nonmagical, unattended stick of wood you touch. You transform the target into a club, quarterstaff, or sap, as you choose (see Weapons). You cannot change the target’s size by more than one size category. You use the higher of your magical power and your mundane power to determine your damage with the weapon (see Power).

Survivalist

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you have Survival as a trained skill, you gain a +3 enhancement bonus to it. Otherwise, you are treated as being trained in that skill.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: The bonus increases to +4.

Rank 5: The bonus increases to +5.

Rank 7: The bonus increases to +6.

Verdant Armor

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune, Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

When you cast this spell, you choose a type of body armor you are proficient with that is not normally made from metal. Plants grow around your body, functioning like your chosen type of armor for you, except that the encumbrance of the armor is reduced by 2. These plants are considered to be normal plants for the purpose of abilities that require plants to be near targets, such as spells from this mystic sphere. This spell has no effect if you are wearing other body armor.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 3: You also gain a +4 enhancement bonus to damage resistance.

Rank 5: The damage resistance bonus increases to +8.

Rank 7: The damage resistance bonus increases to +16.

Vine Whip

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Armor against one creature within Short (30 ft.) range. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus if the target is in undergrowth.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 power. If the target takes damage and your attack result beats its Fortitude defense, you can push it up to 15 feet.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 1.

Wall of Thorns

Rank 1

Usage time: Standard action.

Barrier, Manifestation, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You create a Medium (30 ft. long) wall of thorns within Medium (60 ft.) range. The base of at least half of the wall must be in arable earth. The wall is four inches thick, but permeable. It provides cover to attacks made through the wall, but does not fully block sight. A field of light undergrowth spreads on the ground in all squares adjacent to the wall.

Creatures can pass through the wall, though it costs five extra feet of movement to move through the wall. Whenever anything passes through the wall, make a reactive attack vs. Armor against it. You can only make this attack against a given target once per phase.

The wall has hit points equal to three times your power. After using this ability, you briefly cannot use it or any other Barrier ability.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 1.

Erupting Spikefruit

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You create a patch of growing fruit in a Small (15 ft.) radius zone within Short (30 ft.) range. The patch becomes light undergrowth if there was no undergrowth there, and any existing light undergrowth becomes heavy undergrowth. During your next action, the fruits explode, and you make an attack vs. Armor against all creatures in the area. When the fruits explode, the undergrowth disappears.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 2.

Plant Growth

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose a Small (15 ft.) radius zone within Long (90 ft.) range. In addition, choose whether you want plants within the area to grow or diminish.

If you choose for plants to grow, all earth and unworked stone within the area becomes overrun with light undergrowth. Light undergrowth within the area is increased in density to heavy undergrowth. If you choose for plants to diminish, all heavy undergrowth in the area is reduced to light undergrowth, and all light undergrowth is removed.

When this spell’s duration ends, the plants return to their original size.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 4: You can choose to affect a Medium (30 ft.) radius instead.

Rank 6: You can choose to affect a Large (60 ft.) radius instead.

Poison Nitharit

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one living creature adjacent to you. It becomes poisoned by nitharit (see Poison). Each poison stage makes the target briefly stunned (-2 defenses). Its stage 3 effect also ends the poison.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The poison’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 2.

Poison Sassone Leaf

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Poison

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one living creature adjacent to you. It becomes poisoned by sassone leaf (see Poison). The poison inflicts 1d8+1d6 damageper poison stage. The stage 3 effect also ends the poison.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The poison’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 2.

Vine Tentacle

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Attune (target)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose yourself or an ally within Medium (60 ft.) range. The target gains a vine natural weapon. It uses the higher of your magical power and its own mundane power to determine its damage with strikes using the weapon (see Power). The weapon deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage and has the Light and Long weapon tags (see Weapon Tags).

Vinestorm

Rank 2

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Armor against all creatures within a Small (15 ft.) radius from you. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus against each target in undergrowth. After you attack, light undergrowth briefly fills the area.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 2.

Braided Vine Tentacle

Rank 3

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Attune (target)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose yourself or an ally within Medium (60 ft.) range. The target gains a vine natural weapon that replaces one of its free hands. It uses the higher of your magical power and its own mundane power to determine its damage with strikes using the weapon (see Power). The weapon deals 1d10 bludgeoning damage and has the Long and Versatile Grip weapon tags (see Weapon Tags).

Entangle

Rank 3

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Reflex against one Large or smaller grounded creature within Medium (60 ft.) range. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus if the target is in undergrowth.

Hit: The target is slowed (half speed, -2 Armor and Ref) as a condition. This condition can be removed if the target makes a difficulty value 10 Strength check as a movement to break the plants. If the target makes this check as a standard action, it gains a +5 bonus. In addition, this condition is removed if the target takes fire damage.

Critical hit: The condition must be removed an additional time before the effect ends.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 3.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plants grow from nowhere to trap your foe.

Fire Seeds

Rank 3

Usage time: Standard action.

Fire, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You transform up to three unattended acorns or similar seed structures you touch into small bombs. As a standard action, you or another creature can throw the acorn up to 30 feet. When thrown individually in this way, the acorn detonates, and you make an attack vs. Reflex against everything within a Small (15 ft.) radius of the struck creature or object. If the acorn is destroyed in any other way, it has no effect.

Hit: 1d6 damage +1 per 2 power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 3.

Mass Barkskin

Rank 3

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune (target)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the barkskin spell, except that it affects up to five creatures of your choice from among yourself and your allies within Medium (60 ft.) range.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rank 5: The bonus increases to +8.

Rank 7: The bonus increases to +16.

Mass Flourishing Grass

Rank 3

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune (target)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the flourishing grass spell, except that it affects up to five creatures of your choice from among yourself and your allies within Medium (60 ft.) range.

Massive Wall of Thorns

Rank 4

Usage time: Standard action.

Barrier, Manifestation, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the wall of thorns spell, except that the damage increases to 1d6 per 2 power. In addition, the area increases to a Large (60 ft. long) wall, and the range increases to Long (90 ft.) range.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 4.

Mighty Embedded Growth

Rank 4

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the embedded growth spell, except that the damage increases to 1d6 per 2 power.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 4.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You throw a seed that embeds itself in a foe and grows painfully.

Poison Arsenic

Rank 4

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Poison

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one living creature adjacent to you. It becomes poisoned by arsenic (see Poison). The poison inflicts 3d10 damageper poison stage. The stage 3 effect also ends the poison.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The poison’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 4.

Fire Seed Swarm

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Fire, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the fire seeds spell, except that the damage increases to 1d8 damage +1 per power. In addition, you can create up to six seeds at once instead of only three.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

Intense Vine Whip

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Armor against one creature within Medium (60 ft.) range. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus if the target is in undergrowth.

Hit: 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per 2 power. If the target takes damage, you can push it up to 30 feet.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

Mass Entangle

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the entangle spell, except that it affects all creatures in a Medium (30 ft.) radius within Medium (60 ft.) range.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Plants grow from nowhere to trap your foe.

Massive Erupting Spikefruit

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the erupting spikefruit spell, except that the damage increases to 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per 2 power, and the area increases to a Medium (30 ft.) radius within Long (90 ft.) range.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

Massive Flourishing Grass

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune, Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the flourishing grass spell, except that the area of undergrowth increases to a Large (60 ft.) radius.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Long, thin grass continuously grows and writhes on your body. You can extend the grass to surround you at a whim.

Massive Vinestorm

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Armor against all enemies within a Large (60 ft.) radius from you. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus against each target in undergrowth. After you attack, light undergrowth briefly fills the area.

Hit: 1d8 damage +1 per power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

Mighty Blight

Rank 5

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the blight spell, except that the damage increases to 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per 2 power.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 5.

Mighty Fire Seeds

Rank 6

Usage time: Standard action.

Fire, Sustain (attuneable, minor)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the fire seeds spell, except that the damage increases to 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per 2 power.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 6.

Mighty Vine Tentacle

Rank 6

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune, Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the vine tentacle spell, except that the damage dealt by the weapon increases to 1d10. However, you can only target yourself.

Mighty Vinestorm

Rank 6

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Armor against all enemies within a Small (15 ft.) radius from you. You gain a +2 accuracy bonus against each target in undergrowth. After you attack, light undergrowth briefly fills the area.

Hit: 1d6 damage plus 1d6 per 2 power.

Miss: Half damage.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The attack’s accuracy increases by +1 for each rank beyond 6.

Intense Flourishing Grass

Rank 7

Usage time: Standard action.

Attune, Manifestation

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This spell functions like the flourishing grass spell, except that the area becomes heavy undergrowth instead of light undergrowth. Since the grass retreats whenever you move, it does not impede your movement, though it does impede the movement of any other creatures that move simultaneously.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

A great mass of long, thin grass continuously grows and writhes on your body. You can extend the grass to surround you at a whim.

Poison Black Lotus

Rank 7

Usage time: Standard action.

Manifestation, Poison

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one living creature within Medium (60 ft.) range. It becomes poisoned by black lotus extract (see Poison). The poison inflicts 5d8 damageper poison stage.

Treeseal

Rank 7

Usage time: Standard action.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Make an attack vs. Fortitude against one Large or smaller grounded creature within Medium (60 ft.) range.

Hit: A Huge grove of trees grows around the target, trapping it inside the wood as a condition. While it is trapped in the trees, it is paralyzed (cannot move) and does not have line of sight or line of effect to any creature other than itself.

The grove has hit points equal to five times your power, and all of its defenses are 5. If the grove is destroyed, this condition ends. Special movement abilities such as teleportation can also remove the target from the trees, ending this effect. Once this condition ends, the target becomes immune to it until it takes a short rest.

Critical hit: The condition must be removed an additional time before the effect ends.

11.23.3 Rituals

Fertile Patch

Rank 1

Casting time: One hour.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose one unattended, nonmagical 5-ft. square of earth. The soil in the target becomes suffused with plant-sustaining nutrients, making it fertile ground for plants. This effect lasts for one year.

This ritual requires one fatigue level from its participants.

Sense Plants

Rank 2

Casting time: One minute.

Detection

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

You learn the general pattern of where natural, nonmagical plants exist within a one mile radius from your location. The detail of your mental picture is limited to roughly knowing whether plants do or do not exist in each hundred-foot square in the area. Since this is a Detection ability, it can penetrate some solid objects (see Detection). This ritual can only sense plants that are Small or larger, or closely packed clusters of smaller plants that reach a similar combined size (such as dense grass).

This ritual requires one fatigue level from its participants.

Fertility

Rank 3

Casting time: 24 hours.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This ritual creates an area of bountiful growth in a zone from your location. You can generally choose the area affected, up a maximum of a one mile radius. Normal plants within the area become twice as productive as normal for the next year. This ritual does not stack with itself. If the infertility ritual is also applied to the same area, the most recently performed ritual takes precedence.

This ritual requires 18 fatigue levels from its participants.

Infertility

Rank 3

Casting time: 24 hours.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This ritual creates an area of death and decay in a zone from your location. You can generally choose the area affected, up a maximum of a one mile radius. Normal plants within the area become half as productive as normal for the next year. This ritual does not stack with itself. If the fertility ritual is also applied to the same area, the most recently performed ritual takes precedence.

This ritual requires 18 fatigue levels from its participants.

Distant Sense Plants

Rank 4

Casting time: One hour.

Detection

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This ritual functions like the sense plants ritual, except that the range increases to ten miles.

This ritual requires one fatigue level from its participants.

Lifeweb Transit

Rank 4

Casting time: 24 hours.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Choose a destination up to 200 miles away from you on your current plane, and up to six Medium or smaller ritual participants. In addition, choose a living plant that all ritual participants touch during the ritual. The plant must be at least one size category larger than the largest chosen ritual participant. By walking through the chosen plant, each target is teleported to the closest available plant to the destination. The arrival plant must be at least one size category larger than the largest chosen ritual participant.

You can specify the destination by naming an astral beacon. If you do, this ritual’s fatigue cost is reduced to one fatigue per target. Alternately, you must specify the destination with a precise mental image of its appearance. The image does not have to be perfect, but it must unambiguously identify the destination. If you specify its appearance incorrectly, or if the area has changed its appearance, the destination may be a different area than you intended. The new destination will be one that more closely resembles your mental image. If no such area exists, the ritual simply fails.

This ritual requires 32 fatigue levels from its participants.