South House Games


Campaign Setting Index => Gameplay Index => Skills

Shaper Archetype Skills

All skills may be taken in any order and only once by characters in the Shaper Archetype unless otherwise noted in the description.


Bolt Mastery

Heavy Bolt: Spend 1 additional EP when shaping Element Bolt. If the attack hits, the target's DR is reduced by the AP value of the Bolt in addition to normal damage. DR lost this way does not regenerate as normal and must be repaired to return to its full value.
Melee Bolt: When shaping Bolt, ignore DISADV on the attack roll due to an adjacent enemy.
Piercing Bolt: Spend 1 additional EP when shaping Element Bolt to gain +1 AP and, if damage to HP is done, enemy must make a saving throw of the Bolt (Element) or be afflicted Bleeding I for a number of rounds equal to the Shaper's appropriate (Element) modifier. This skill may be taken up to three times. An additional point of AP is added each time and Bleeding I turns into Bleeding II, etc..
Precision Bolt: Spend 1 additional EP when shaping Element Bolt to increase the critical threat Range by 2. This skill may be taken twice.

Combat Shaper

Always Ready: Must have Rapid Arming to take this skill. Shaper may use Rapid Arming as a Reaction to being targeted by an enemy they are aware of.
Armor Proficiency: Shaper may wear a Mid-Layer armor over their Base Layer.
Armor Focus: Shaper may wear Mid-Layer or Plated armor over their Base Layer, but not both. Must have Armor Proficiency to take this skill.
Complete Focus: Concentration checks are no longer considered a Hard saving throw.
Project Element: As a Special Action, spend 2 EP and choose one of your Element modifiers. Add that modifier to your Defense until the start of your next turn. The Shaper may not shape manipulations with that element as a prerequisite while this skill is active.
Rapid Arming: Shaper may manifest Shaper Weapon and Shaper Armor as part of the same action.
Weapon Proficiency (Type): Shaper becomes proficient with weapons of (Type).
Weapon Focus (Type): +1 to hit and damage for weapon of (Type).

Imbued Instrument Mastery

These skills must be taken in order for each instrument.

Instrument Proficiency (Instrument): Troubadour is with the chosen instrument and may use it to shape effects with songs.
Instrument Focus (Instrument): Troubadour may spend 1 EP to give their summoned spirits ADV on d20 rolls until the end of that turn.
Instrument Mastery (Instrument): d20 rolls made by spirits summoned by the Troubadour that would normally be considered Hard are instead made against the normal Area DC. In addition, rolls that would be made against the normal Area DC are considered Easy.

Manipulation Mastery

Alacritous Suppression: When shaping Suppress Manipulation as a Reaction, the Shaper may attempt a Lore (Element Science) or Lore (Occult Element Science) check.
Dense (Element): Spend 1 EP to have ADV on damage rolls for (Element) damage.
Element Focus (Element): Reduce the EP cost of (Element) manipulations by 1 to a minimum of 1. This skill may be taken once per element.
Manipulation Scholar: Shaper may take one additional manipulation. This skill may be taken any number of times.
Potent Manipulation: Spend 2 EP when shaping a manipulation to add 3 to the save DC.

Song Mastery

Countersong (Negate): Troubadour may negate manipulations with song in the same way Shapers use Negate Manipulation.
Countersong (Suppress): Troubadour may suppress manipulations with song in the same way Shapers use Suppress Manipulation.
Direct Sound: Troubadour may spend 2 EP to change the shape of the song from an aura with them at the center to a cone or line with them as the origin point. This new shape moves and rotates with the Troubadour just like any other aura ability. The total number of hexes forming this new shape cannot exceed the number of hexes covered by the normal aura.
Song Library: Learn an additional song.

Advanced Skills

The following skills cannot be taken until a character has 10 or more levels in Shaper Archetypes:

Anodyne Nature: This skill can be taken twice. The first time, Fatigue duration from Healing manipulations is halved, rounding down. The second time, they are eliminated altogether.
Efficient Shaping (Element): Spend 3 EP to reduce a manipulation's cost for (Element) to 1 until the start of your next turn.
Empower Manipulation (Element): Add 2 EP to the cost of a manipulation to double the (Element) portion of the damage.
Enduring Manipulation: Spend 2 EP when shaping a manipulation to double the duration of the manipulation.
Extend Manipulation: Spend 2 EP when shaping a manipulation to double the range or the area of effect of the manipulation.
Negation Mastery: When shaping Negate Manipulation as a Reaction, the Shaper may make a Lore (Element Science) or Lore (Occult Element Science) check.
Perfect Pitch: Troubadour may make a Lore (Spirit World) check for Countersong as part of a Reaction.
Practiced Manipulation: Spend 2 EP to reduce the number of rounds required to shape a manipulation by 1. If this reduces shaping time to 0 rounds, it may be shaped as a Special Action.
Precise Suppression: When shaping Suppress Manipulation, reduce the EP cost by 1.