Elemental Quintessence
Playtest 3.2 / 4th EdSkill Rules & Full Description
When this skill is purchased, the character embraces the elemental power of nature and gains the ability to call upon one element (chosen when the skill is purchased) and merge with it, transforming their body into a partial elemental. All armor and items worn are unchanged in the new form.
When a character transforms, they must drop to their hands and knees for 1 minute to roleplay the shift. During this time, the character puts on the appropriate costuming for the elemental which must at least be a mask and a tabard. The character can be attacked and harmed during this time and no skills or abilities can be used. The Druid may call latent spell defenses or invoke spell defenses from items, however. Taking damage will not interrupt the transformation unless the Druid is rendered unconscious or worse. If the character is interrupted, they do not use the skill for that Tag Cycle.
When transformed, the Druid gains the following abilities:
• +20 Elemental Pool Points
• Deals 2 points of damage for each EPP used when using their embraced element.
• Claws always swing the embraced element and magic
• One special ability from the table below
• Immunity to all charm effects
• Immunity to Fear
They also suffer the following detriments while shape shifted:
• The character becomes somewhat non-corporeal and loses the ability to wield weapons or shields.
Element
Special Ability
Air
Thunder and Lightning x3
Earth
Flesh to Stone/Stone to Flesh x2
Fire
Total Power Lava Burst x2
Water
Arctic Wind x3
Life
Elemental Life x2
Death
Elemental Death x2
For air, earth, fire, an water, the abilities are stopped by defenses that stop spells (including absorption which gives the appropriate Power Points). For life and death, the abilities are physical effects and are stopped by any magical defense that stops a physical attack. The abilities require no verbals and the player should suffix the spell effects with the word “…Spell”.
While in their quintessence form, the character appears as their character with aspects of the element. The character gains no special movement powers.
The change normally lasts 1 hour, but the character may change back to their natural form at will. If while in the quintessence form, the character is brought to the Brink of Death, they are forced back into their natural form.
This skill requires the use of the character’s focus and a verbal, which must be at least 5 syllables, not including the skill’s name, and must contain some reasonably recognizable version of the name of the skill.
The character may only purchase Aspect of the Beast or Elemental Quintessence, not both. Once learned this skill cannot be unlearned in order to purchase the other skill.