Geomancer

Ley lines tend to follow the contours of the land they flow across. At the same time, the terrain also reacts to the magical current. Learned spellcasters, most notably geomancer wizards, can study the features of an area to determine whether ley lines are present and to gain insight into what effects they might produce. Creatures with close ties to the land can tell the difference between an area graced with a ley line and one without. Druids, rangers, woodsmen, farmers, even miners and architects have been known to learn the telltale signs of a ley line’s presence and use them to their advantage.

Natural pathways through the terrain (regardless of foliage) are easy channels for ley lines to follow. Like water, the magical power of ley lines follows an arcane path of least resistance; it’s not uncommon for ley lines to follow or closely parallel waterways. Enterprising rulers and bold wizards sometimes manipulate the land to alter a ley line’s path—or at least, try to do so. Such meddling is delicate work, and it can have disastrous consequences if the job is botched. The benefits are tempting enough to outweigh the risk. Specific magical effects or even spectacular marvels such as chunks of rock or earth held aloft by the flowing power can be engineered via expertly channeled ley lines.

Spellcasters can tap ley lines to fill their spells with sudden bursts of power. While this can be dangerous, a skilled caster can create fantastic effects with extra power.

Cover art: Omniscience (Judge Gift Promos) - art by Alayna Danner

 

Ley Line Savant

2nd-level Geomancer feature

Beginning when you select this tradition at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a ley line spell into your spellbook is halved. When you gain a level, one of the two spells you learn for gaining a level can be a ley line magic spell, even if you’ve never encountered it before.

Additionally, you can sense the presence of ley lines within 1 mile. As an action, you can discern the intensity of the nearest ley line and the direction and distance to it.

Channel Ley Line

2nd-level Geomancer feature

Starting at 2nd level, you learn to tap the power of ley lines to augment your spellcasting, as described under “Using Ley Lines.” Additionally, when you finish a short or long rest within 1 mile of a weak ley line, you can bind yourself to that ley line. You can be bound to only one ley line at a time. If you later bind yourself to a second ley line, you lose your connection to the previous one.

Using Ley Lines

Once a spellcaster understands how to access the energy of a ley line, the procedure is straightforward. When a spell is cast within 30 feet of a ley line, the spellcaster can tap the line’s power to augment his or her magic. This requires a successful ability check using the caster’s spellcasting ability but without including any proficiency bonus. The DC of the check equals 10 + the level of the spell being cast. A successful check harnesses the power of the ley line, and the spell is modified according to the line’s intensity (weak, strong, or titanic). If the check fails but the result is within 4 of the DC, the spell is cast normally with no bonus effect and no penalty. If the check fails by 5 or more, the spell is cast normally but the spellcaster suffers backlash (see below). When a ley line is tapped successfully, the effect depends on whether the line is locked or unlocked. A locked ley line always has the same effect for the spellcaster who locked it. An unlocked ley line is unpredictable; every time it’s tapped, the player rolls 1d10 and consults the table corresponding to the ley line’s intensity (weak, strong, or titanic).

Weak Ley Line Effects

D10	EFFECT
1	If your spell attack misses or if the target makes a successful saving throw, you can choose a new target within 10 feet of the original target and within range. Make a new attack roll with disadvantage, or the new target makes a saving throw with advantage.
2	You can delay the effect of your spell for up to 5 rounds. Choose how many rounds you want the spell to delay at the moment's it's cast. The spell takes effect at the start of your turn that many rounds later. All parameters regarding the spell's targeting, area, color, etc., must be set when the spell is cast, not when it takes effect.
3	If your spell deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can change the damage to one of the other types.
4	If your spell affects multiple creatures, choose one. That creature has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against the spell.
5	Double the duration of your spell.
6	A creature that takes cold damage from your spell is restrained until the end of it's next turn.
7	Creatures damaged by your spell are also deafened for 1 minute. A deafened creature makes a Constitution saving throw at the end of it's turn to end the deafness effect.
8	Cast your spell without verbal components.
9	A creature damaged by your spell is also knocked prone unless it makes a successful Strength saving throw.
10	Roll twice on this table (treat duplicate results as "no additional effect), or roll once on the Strong Ley Line Effects table.

 

Strong Ley Line Effects

D10	EFFECT
1	You can reroll a number of damage dice up to your spellcasting ability modifier (minimum of 1).
2	Treat your spell as if it were cast with a spell slot one level higher.
3	Creatures damaged by your spell are also poisoned for 1 minute. A poisoned creature makes a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of it's turns to end the poisoning effect.
4	You regain 1d6 hit points per level of the spell.
5	Your spell ignores damage resistance.
6	A creature that takes acid or fire damage from your spell takes an additional 3d6 damage of the same type at the start of it's next turn.
7	Targets of your spell have disadvantage on their saving throws against it.
8	You can choose to exclude any creature you can see from the area of your spell.
9	If your spell has a range of self, you can cast it as a touch spell instead.
10	Roll Twice on this table (treat duplicate results as "no additional effects"), or roll once on the Titanic Ley Line Effects table.

 

Titanic Ley Line Effects

D10	EFFECT
1	If your spell only affects one target, is instead affects up to six targets of your choice.
2	If your spell affects an area, double the area's size.
3	Creatures damaged by your spell are incapacitated for 1 minute. An incapacitated creature makes a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of it's turns to end the incapacitation effect.
4	You gain a +5 bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.
5	Casting your spell this turn only uses a bonus action; you still have an action to use.
6	Creatures immune to the damage of the spell take half damage instead.
7	Treat your spell as if it were cast two levels higher.
8	Concentration on your spell can't be broken by damage.
9	A creature damaged by your spell is pushed up to 10 feet away from you and knocked prone. It's speed is reduced to 0 until it makes a successful Constitution saving throw at the start of it's turn.
10	Choose one effect listed above.

 

Ley Line Backlash

D10	EFFECT
1	The spell produces only a harmless display of bright color and loud noise.
2	You are incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
3	You fall unconscious for 1 minute. You awake if you take damage or if another creature uses it's action to shake you awake.
4	The next spell you cast fails, and the spell slot is wasted.
5	Targets have advantage on saving throws against your spell save DC for 1 hour.
6	For one hour, you must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw every time you cast a spell. If the saving throw fails, the spell fails and the spell slot is wasted.
7	You take 2d6 force damage per level of the spell that caused the backlash (cantrips cause 1d6 damage).
8	You lose one spell slot of your highest available level, and all charged magic items in your possession lose 1d4 charges.
9	Your spell fails, and you unleash a random burst of magic as if you'd used a wand of wander.
10	You lose all your remaining spell slots, the ley line disappears for 24 hours, and all charged magic items in your possession fully recharge. You must make a DC20 Charisma saving throw or fall unconscious; you awaken after 1 hour, if you take damage, or if another creature uses an action to shake you awake.

 

Ley Line Manipulation

6th-level Geomancer feature

Beginning at 6th level, when you augment your magic with power from a ley line, you can reroll the effect of an unlocked ley line or the result of a backlash. You must use the rerolled result. After rerolling, you can’t use a reaction until the end of your next turn.

Ley Line Adept

10th-level Geomancer feature

Starting at 10th level, you can bind yourself to weak or strong ley lines with your Channel Ley Line feature. In addition, you add your proficiency bonus to the ability check when tapping a ley line for power.

Ley Line Mastery

14th-level  Geomancer feature

At 14th level, you can bind yourself to weak, strong, or titanic ley lines with your Channel Ley Line feature, and you have advantage on the ability check to tap the ley line.

As an action, you can lock or unlock a ley line within 30 feet of you. When you lock a ley line, choose one of its effects; the ley line will always have that effect for you while it remains locked. Once you use this feature to lock or unlock a ley line, you can’t do so again until you finish a number of long rests depending on the intensity of the line: one for a weak ley line, two for strong, and three for titanic.