Eldritch Path Feats
SNEAK PREVIEW – This sneak preview offers just a small peek at a portion of the new Eldritch Path Feats in the Grimoire Viperian.
Eldritch Path feats represent the eldritch secrets of magic discovered by a spellcaster as his or her knowledge of a series of themed spells, or “path,” grows. These secrets are closely guarded, and allow the caster to draw forth more power and control over each spell in the path, and in some cases, to tap into hitherto undiscovered abilities locked within the spell magic.
Prerequisites: To qualify for an eldritch path feat, you must meet all the feat prerequisites – these typically require a minimum caster level, a certain Spell Focus feat, and knowledge of at least two of the spells the feat enhances. The full PDF book contains all the prerequisite details.
Benefits: Whenever you cast one of the spells listed in an eldritch path feat, you gain the extra power or ability described. You must already know the spells in order to cast them. If you lose the ability to cast one of the feat’s spell prerequisites, you lose all benefits of the feat.
Sample Paths:
When a caster has one of the feats below, he gains access to additional abilities when casting the spells listed, provided he knows the spell. These additional abilities expand the capabilities of the spell, allowing the caster to manipulate them in hitherto unseen ways. However, such power comes with a price… I don’t go into the full details in this sneak preview — check out the PDF for that info!
Note: Spells with asterisks * indicate brand new spells from the Grimoire Viperian!
Secrets of the Arcane Fortress: spells affected – freezing wall*, wall of ice, wall of iron, wall of fire, wall of stone, wall of thorns. The caster can manipulate these walls or cause them to partially “erupt”.
Secret of Blades I: dancing weapon*, ice blade*, flame blade, keen edge, magic weapon, minor dagger swarm*, shillelagh, trident of the Helldukes*, true strike. The caster gains a variety of bonuses making these spells do new things or inflict more damage.
Secret of Blades II: black swords*, lesser dagger swarm*, divine light weapon*, flaming weapon*, python rod*, trident of seafury*. Like Secret of Blades I, the caster can make these spells do very cool new things that casters without the feat cannot do.
Secrets of Terror: bane, cause fear, crushing despair, doom, fear, scare, screaming gate*. These spells are particularly terrifying when cast by a practitioner of the Secrets of Terror, enhancing their fear effects and giving the caster bonuses against those who succumb to them.
Secrets of the Beast: beast shape I, beast shape II, beast shape III, beast shape IV, form of the dragon I, form of the dragon II. Certain ability penalties caused by these spells are reduced for the practitioner of the Secrets of the Beast, and there is a chance the assumed form gains an additional ability or enhancement.
Secrets of the Fiend: align weapon, desecrate, inflict light wounds, deeper darkness, protection from good. These spells are particularly fiendish for the caster, and each gains a new expanded ability and some are more potent against good opponents.
Secrets of the Grimoire: explosive runes, illusory script, secret page, sepia snake sigil. This feat benefits wizards, allowing them to draw power from their spellbooks to make the spells more potent, and to draw forth the power of these spells once they are cast on the spellbook, though at a price…
Secrets of the Heavens: align weapon, bless weapon, daylight, consecrate, cure light wounds, protection from evil, searing light. The celestial counterpart to the Secrets of the Fiend, these spells are particularly hallowed or holy for the caster. Each spell gains a new expanded ability and some are more potent against evil opponents.
Secrets of the Mist: devouring cloud*, fog cloud, gaseous form, ice storm, obscuring mist, sleet storm, solid fog, stinking cloud. The practitioner of this eldritch path gains partial immunity to some of the effects of these spells when he casts them, and can infuse himself with their essence in an unexpected way…
Secrets of the Mystic Seal: arcane lock, floating disc, hold portal, knock, magic mouth. These seemingly innocuous spells gain surprising new uses, some of them offensive, in the hands of those who know their eldritch secrets…
Secrets of the Phantom Darkness: darkness, darkvision, deeper darkness, phantasmal killer, phantom draught horse*, phantom steed, phantom warhorse*, shadow conjuration, shadow evocation. The caster’s knowledge of the secrets of phantom and darkness magic allow him to get expanded or more powerful use out of these spells, or shield him from similar effects.
Secrets of the Wind: alter winds, control winds, dread cyclone*, greater numbing wind*, gust of wind, lesser numbing wind*, plague wind*, wall of hurricane winds*, whirlwind, wind wall. The lost secrets of the wind grant boons to the caster, letting him manipulate the winds to levitate himself, knock aside incoming objects or project his voice through the wind.