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Shade Evocation


Shade Evocation

Manifestor Art

Art Details

Potency Standard
Combination Lunlin & Selinle

Overview

Test

One of the most popular arts utilized by the demonic forced during the war of the old gods. Shade evocation is a rarely practiced but still historically documented art. While its existence is practically forgotten on the surface of Korodel, those who reside within the split and more commonly, Abyssus still have relatively fresh accounts of it's use, not to mention those locked in the vault who still practice it.

Shade Evocation

Shade evocation is the Manifestor art formed from a combination Lunlin and Selinle aspects.

The art itself revolves around the idea of controlling, summoning and channeling shade. Shade is the lifeforce of all shade races, the Shadeskin and the Proto-Shade.

Shade, also known to the Proto-Shade as Midnight’s Breath, is a malleable, modular living essence able to animate and hold forms. Shade itself can be bound to certain forms and allowed certain abilities and mindsets (see Shade Sigils.) however Shade can also be used by those who know how to evoke it to wield the essence with their own will.

The techniques used by Shade Evokers can be broken down into 3 categories:

  • Shade Arrays – Cantrip like shade magic that perform simple tasks.
  • Shade Spells – Advanced magic that draws its power from evoked shade.
  • Shade Symphonies – Extremely complex shade magic that gets stronger the more Shade evokers are involved.

In order to use any of the above a Shade Evoker will require the ability to evoke Shade, a trait that stems from the original proto-shade evocation sect. Additionally a Shade Evoker requires written knowledge from the sect, and eventual branches, in order to practice the arts.

Other tools can be used to enhance and augment the art itself, however these artifacts where treated as heirlooms to the original Shade Evokers who either created them themselves or had them given to them by Selinle. As most of these entities where sealed away within the vault beneath Abyssus, much like the Technique Tomes, these tools have been lost.

Evoking Shade

After gaining the ability to Evoke Shade, you will find yourself slowly amassing a small quantity of Shade that can be called upon when needed. This acts similarly to an Internal Vis Capacity though store significantly less. The origin of this Shade is mostly unknown, but most techniques speak of this Shade as the breath of Lunlin or Midnight Breath and imply that the strange essence either stems from her body in Abyssus or perhaps a pool or lake nearby.

When first gaining the trait, an Evoker will be able to hold up to 3 Shade Essence, After a long rest an Evoker will gain back this shade essence, however if they hold more than this maximum value, any additional shade essence is lost. On a short rest, only one essence is regained, and if over the maximum shade essence count, any additional shade essence is lost.
There are little known ways to tell if someone has shade essence attuned to them in modern times until they actually invoke it for a spell or symphony however, in the ancient war times it is though that the Ancient ones used to drink the blood of Shade Evokers, trapping some of this Shade energy within them. Upon the approach of a Shade Evoker or Shade-based creature, this essence would try to escape them, causing black tears to form and leak from the drinkers eyes.

Although it is possible for Shade Evokers to safely gather shade, sometimes situations call for the use of Shade even when an Evoker has depleted any shade they had attuned with. Enter Over-Evocation. Over-Evoking is an incredibly dangerous act that allows you to violently draw Shade instantly, tearing it from its place of rest. This angers the essence and will likely lead to negative effects. Because of the dangers of Over-Evocation and the mind set required to achieve it, it is only possible to be executed in the heat of combat. When trying to Over-Evoke a player must roll an effect from the table below.

Over Evocation Table

Roll Effect
1-2 You fall unconscious for 1d4 turns.
3-4 An Overpowering series of screaming voices fill your mind and deafens you for 1d4 turns and deals 10d20 mental damage.
5-6 Your resistances waiver for 1d4 turns.
7-8 Become Weakened for 1d6 turns.
9-10 A black, ink-like substance begins to seep from your eyes dealing 10d20 mental damage and rendering you blind for 1d4 turns.
11-12 Take 20d20 Shade damage.
13-14 You become unable to use Shade Spells for 1d4 turns.
15-16 You become unable to use Shade Symphonies for 1d4 turns.
17-18 Nothing happens.
19-20 You feel a sudden surge of power flood through you as you gain an additional Shade Essence.

Over-Evoking can only be done 3 times per long rest.

Shade Evocation Sects & Heirlooms

The Evoker sects where groups of Proto-Shade who where skilled and well trained in the art of shade Evocation. Each sect had different idea about how the art should be optimally used and thus each have distinct styles. The masters and highly skilled members of these sects were said to hold powerful heirlooms that where able to augment how the shade essence naturally behaved. It is unknown how these where originally made. However, it is rumored they where gifts given by Selinle herself.

THE SECT OF EVOCATION [SE]

Sect of Evocation Heirlooms
Engraved Glass Ring When wearing this ring, the range of all Shade spells are increased by an additional 50ft.
Engraved Obsidian Ring When wearing this ring, you cannot use any healing evocation arts, however your Shade Spell Damage Bonus is doubled.

THE SECT OF EVERCHANGING ESSENCE [SEE]

The Sect of the Everchanging Essence were a collection of Proto-Shade that specialized in using shade evocation to tap into the transformative nature of Korodor’s Slices. Inspired by casters, these Evokers where said to be able to convert matter from one thing to another and had great control over material.

Sect of Everchanging Essence Heirlooms
Gold Stamped Talisman When wearing this strange gold stamped talisman any substances generated by your evocation arts are doubled.
Red Stamped Talisman When wearing this strange red stamped talisman your Substance Arrays can support multiple different types of metals at once. Alloys can now also be converted with your Substance Arrays.

THE SECT OF SCREECHING ICE [SSI]

Sect of Screeching Ice Heirlooms
Black Pearl Pendant Wearing this Pendant increases your Soul Essence Capacity by 1.
Golden Bead Bracelet When casting a Shade Spell with this bracelet equipped roll 1d20. On a 20, the cost of the spell is reduced by 1 Soul Essence. The number of times this can be used per long rest is based on your Shade Spell Ability.

THE SECT OF THE TWISTED SNAKE [STS]

Sect of the Twisted Snake Heirlooms
Jade Beetle Brooch Other Heirlooms become lucky. (Dice rolling is treated as if they have advantage).
Jade Snake Ring When wearing this ring, you cannot deal any damage with your evocation arts, instead this damage is halved and given as health to the target.

THE SECT OF CEASELESS ANGUISH [SCA]

Sect of Ceaseless Anguish Heirlooms

THE SECT OF ELEMENTAL POTENCY [SEP]

Sect of Elemental Potency Heirlooms
Pyromancer's Lantern Your offensive Evocation Arts deal an additional 2DX Fire damage where x is your Shade Spell Ability. If the Evocation hits a target, roll 1d6. On a 6, the target gain a stack of Ignite.
Embossed Coil Your offensive Evocation Arts deal an additional 2DX Lightning damage where x is your Shade Spell Ability. If the Evocation hits a target, roll 1d6. On a 6, the target gain the Shock Condition.
Etched Iron Pentacle Your offensive Evocation Arts deal an additional 2DX Cold damage where x is your Shade Spell Ability. If the Evocation hits a target, roll 1d6. On a 6, the target gain the Chill Condition.

THE SECT OF A MILLION STRINGS [SMS]

The Sect of a Million Strings where a strange and often feared group of Proto-Shade who were fascinated by the Shade essences ability to animate the dead and the empty. These Evokers where said to be able to influence and control the weak and the recently deceased with shade essence.

Sect of a Million Strings Heirlooms

Shade Arrays

Arrays are complex patterns that form special instructions that use Shade Essence as a catalyst. This means that shade arrays do not consume shade essence when used but does require a Shade Evoker to have Shade Essence attuned to use it. Because of its energy efficient nature, Shade arrays are very useful in a verity of situations however are limited in scope by its lack of initial potency. Arrays are essential to Shade Evokers and should certainly not be overlooked. Its also worth noting that Shade arrays can be activated concurrently.

A normal Shade array will require a scribing material (see list below) to by used to draw the array, and commonly a material to utilise in some way.

[SM] Scribing Materials :

  • Blood
  • Oils
  • Chalk
  • Ink

This ultimately comes down to DM’s discretion, but these are the common options. Chalk being most used.

SE Arrays

Array Name Ally Array
Sect of Origin SE
Material Cost SM (10 units), Any substance, a piece of jewellery.
Activation Time 5 minutes
Trigger Time 1 minutes
Area Bounds 1ft x 1ft
Triggers on activation Yes
Description

It quickly became apparent to the original Evocation sect that unless proper protection was setup, friendly fire could become a big problem. In order to resolve this, most Evocation arts (unless specified) are designed to work with ally arrays.

By placing a substance in the array along with an item of jewellery to bind the signature to. The substances signature is attached to the item, and when using evocation arts your spells will not damage others that also wear an item with the same signature.

Sadly, healing, and other positive effects are not covered within the Ally Array’s.

It is recommended to use exotic or closely linked substances (like the branch of one specific tree) in order to avoid generic (and thus easily crack-able) signatures.

SEE Arrays

Array Name Substance Array
Sect of Origin SEE
Material Cost SM (5 units per 5ft), An ingot of metal (per 5ft), a small amount of the substance return type of the metal.
Activation Time 10 Min
Area Bounds Lower: 5ft x 5ft Upper: 25ft x 25ft
Description

Converts metal of one type into 40 units of the return type found in the circle.

Can convert 25 ingots of one metal at a time.

Sadly only supports pure metals.

Shade Spells

Spells powered by evoked shade essence. By using the technique tombs written by the Evoker sects a Shade Evoker is able to cast a variety of different spells by allowing the essence to manifest in different ways.

When a spell deals shade damage to an entity a spell damage bonus modifier is added to the overall spell damage dealt to the entity. The DC to resist/block the spells are calculated below along with the damage bonus.

To hit a target, roll 1d20+your shade spell ability.

  1. Shade Spell Ability: Wisdom + Prof
  2. Shade Spell DC: 8 + Shade Spell Ability
  3. Shade Spell Damage Bonus: Shade Spell Ability + Arcane

SE Shade Spells

Spell Name Shade Shot [x3]
Sect of Origin SE
Cost 1 SE
Cast Time 1 bonus action (per charge)
Range/Area 200ft
Description

Three swirling balls of shade revolve around you, pointing at a target within range causes a bolt of shade energy to jolt out of one of three available sphere attacking the target. If the bolt hits, the target takes 8d6+5 shade damage and is Weakened for 1d4 turns. Entities within 10ft of the target take 1d10 bludgeoning damage if the original target is hit.

Sphere duration lasts 4 turns.

Shade Symphonies